Gildur Draak was born into a family of hill Dwarf stonemasons north of the Snoutridge, who had worked the Blackvein Quarry for generations. He learned the trade from his father, shaping stone with steady hands and a keen eye, but the dwarf was ostentatious and flamboyant: he wanted something more than stonework.
When merchants and travelers from mainland Commona passed through the Seahills of the Snoutridge, they brought stories, goods, and sometimes a deck of Three-Dragon Ante. Gildur picked up the game out of curiosity and soon realized he had a knack for reading people and taking calculated risks. What started as a way to pass the time became a passion, and before long, he spent more nights at the gambling tables than at the quarry.
He traveled from town to town, playing against miners, traders, and the occasional noble with a taste for cards. Getting caught up in the western Commona gambling circuit, he began playing at high-powered tables, eventually making skilled friends like Duplicity Kye and Quentin Togglepocket Whee Quickweasel Witt. Quentin, in particular, shared Gildur's taste for gambling and garish dress, and the two became fast friends.
Using gambling winnings, Quentin asked Gildur to use his stoneworking abilities to help build the Afterlife Casino. For over a year, the dwarf planned and toiled alongside a team of workers to achieve his friend's dream, and eventually built an impressive hall. Later, however, Duplicity informed Gildur about how Quentin betrayed her. Furious at how his former friend treated his partner, he provided her Gildur's Map, a key component in getting even.