Biography: Unlike most of the other clan heads, Karolus is not a son of Muin, but a cousin. Having no brothers of his own, Karolus came to see him as a fraternal companion, and they spent a good deal of time together during their adolescent years. The older and wiser Muin would teach an eager, curious Karolus about boyish fascinations, tales that made Muin both envied and admired by his younger cousin. In many ways, Karolus sought to emulate him, as if he felt the need to prove his worth as an only son. Fortunately, Muin either realized this or was not content being alone in the spotlight, and happily indulged his cousin’s fancies. They shared bouts with training blades, turns with the pickaxe and afternoons galloping through the valley atop their hogs.

By the time adulthood robbed them of their frivolous adventures, Muin was working his way up the totem pole. From a stonemason to a landholder, then to the lord of the valley - that was a progression that Karolus was forever proud of his cousin for, though a small part of him lamented the fact he had not been as eminent. To his fortune, Muin bid him join his circle as a close retainer, having not forgotten their bond as adolescents. This earned Karolus a measure of renown for himself, which he appreciated. It would be enough to start a clan of his own, and carve his path to distinction.

Recent history: The death of Muin was a heavy pill for Karolus to swallow. He’d fashioned Clan Karolus into proper retainers of the throne, always ready to stand at the Master’s side in times of good and bad. With the loss of his cousin, Karolus lost a close friend, brothers if only in spirit. He also lost his crutch - Muin’s successes were his own, that was true. Karolus owed his status thanks to his cousin’s deeds, and realising this, blamed himself for piggybacking off his triumphs.

There would be little time to wallow in his sentiment, however, as Karolus knew another clan would try to fill the void left by his cousin’s death. His many first cousins once removed would surely be eyeing each other with suspicion and planning their moves. The least Karolus could do to honor Muin was to see the throne occupied by a worthy lord. Not himself, no, he hadn’t the stomach nor the ambition to reign over the entire valley. But as an elder to the many claimants, he would do right by his bloodline and support the best one for the task.

Other relevant characters:

Location: Clan Karolus enjoys a section of the most fertile land in the valley. It sits in the center, just west of Muin’s Keep. It is protected to the north by Kalerodom Lake and to the south by mountains. Its location makes it very much a bulwark of the main keep - anyone passing through to the keep by land must also pass through Karolus’s territory.

Population: 3,000

Main settlement(s)

Economic status: Karolus’s prosperity comes not from minerals, stone or metals, but from foodstuffs. It boasts most of the valley’s best soil, making it a prime location for farmland and livestock pastures. A large quantity of its produce is sold to or traded with other clans. Its surplus output is likely responsible for keeping some minor clans from starving. Both geographically and symbolically, it is the heartland of the valley.

Military:

Religion and traditions

Justification for claim

Unique feature(s)

Muin's fourth son was so large and so heavy at birth that he had to be cut from his mother's womb. It is said that Bladeborn was as large and heavy as an ox's heart in the midwife's arms, and as such it is somewhat unsurprising that he grew to become a giant among the dwarves - in terms of both stature and renown.

From an early age, Bladeborn was large and strong enough to wrestle down boys several years older than he. Bladeborn's strength came to be his identity, and he cherished the ability to give an effortless walloping to anyone brave or foolish enough to spar with him. Under the tutelage of the Lord Master's most seasoned captain, Dolmur Goutfoot, Bladeborn came to become a mighty warrior. Though Bladeborn was well-endowed in brawn, he was found wanting in brains. Bladeborn is nearly illiterate and is rumored to have difficulty performing even simple arithmetic.

With the passing of his father, Bladeborn asserts that he is the rightful heir to the valley's lordship. Discounting Dourhorn as an "insufferable runt", Bladeborn argues that his elder brothers are too weak to rule, invalidating their claims to lordship. And though Bladeborn may indeed be better suited to protecting the valley from the likes of goblins and human poachers, his detractors make a compelling argument that the mighty dwarf is too simple-minded to handle the day-to-day governance of the valley. Bladeborn, however, believes that might supersedes logic and law. If Bladeborn cannot win his throne by legal succession, he is well prepared to back his claim with brutish force.



Muin Bladeborn left his father's citadel some time ago to establish his own holding in the northeast of the valley. Nestled amongst the snowcapped peaks of the Hoarfrost Range, Bladeborn and his settlers took the name of Clan Hoarfrost in homage to their new home. Bladeborn may not be the wisest of Muin's sons, but he is smart enough to surround himself with talented advisers. The Hoarfrost Court is filled with a eclectic cast of characters:

Captain Dolmur Goutfoot: Bladeborn's old instructor now serves as his primary confidant and right-hand-dwarf. Goutfoot is old even by dwarf standards, but that does little to stop him from riding out to lead the Hoarfrost dwarves against the clan's enemies. Goutfoot supports Bladeborn's claim to lordship, but after seeing his master struggle to write runes or perform simple arithmetic since he was a boy, Goutfoot secretly doubts his master's ability to rule the valley.

Velmor Cragbuckle: A successful merchant and moneylender, he joined Clan Hoarfrost in lieu of Reverent as he felt Dourhorn was more competent with money and would tax him more steeply than the comparatively-ignorant Bladeborn. Recognizing his skill, Bladeborn charged Whittlestick with serving as the clan's principle bean-counter and adviser in all things monetary.

Fogrin Greyspine: Formerly a spy in the employ of Lord Master Muin charged with gathering information from the broader dwarven world. With his master's death, Greyspine was persuaded to join Bladeborn's court. Greyspine now puts his services to work for Muin, operating a network of spies throughout the clans of the valley.

Sevrith Angule: The newest and most contentious addition to the Hoarfrost court. A human hailing from a neighboring kingdom of men, the Hoarfrost dwarves tried to turn Sevrith away, only to discover that Greyspine had invited him to the valley under direction of Bladeborn himself. At the age of 50, the former mercenary has reached the end of his effective fighting life at a young age as humans do. Though his joints are too brittle and achy to serve as a sellsword, Sevrith now sells the knowledge he accrued over years of campaigning and fighting as a consultant of sorts.

---

Location of the clan: The Hoarstrath, a rugged, wintry vale nestled among the Hoarfrost Mountains in the northeast of the valley dominated by old growth spruce and pine at the high altitudes with dense groves of aspen and maple in the bottom of the vale. The Hoary River races down from glacial meltwater in the high mountains fast and cold, tumbling over numerous waterfalls and boulder-strewn glens as furious white torrent. Eventually, the Hoary settles into the glassy waters of Lake Murthanz.
Population of the clan: 1,900 dwarves
Main settlements:

Troutglen: A narrow canyon carved out by the Hoary River falling down toward the lower elevations of the Hoarstrath serves as the main settlement of the Hoarfrost dwarves. The cold pools beneath the waterfall teem with the town's namesake rainbow trout. Stone bridges span the chasm, connecting tiers of walkways and homes dug into the sheer cliff walls. Troutglen is positioned at the farthest navigable point of the Hoary River, and boats from Lake Murthanz are often docked at jetties in the pools. Bloodborn's keep is carved into the eastern face of the canyon.

Bog Landing: Although a rudimentary road runs all the way to Troutglen, virtually all goods to and from the town pass through Bog Iron to be sailed upstream. Bog Landing is situated at the southern shore of Lake Murthanz on a reedy bog strewn with dead trees. A network of jetties run out a considerable length out to deep water, and several huts have been built on stilts over the water. On solid ground is a small trading post surrounded by a low palisade wall where the crude path to Troutglen meets the well-established roadway that runs throughout the valley.

Silver Mines: When Hoarfrost dwarves first settled the valley, prospectors scoured the Hoary's sediments for traces of gold for any sign of deposits in the Hoarfrost Mountains. The prospectors found little gold, but an abundance of silver. Following the Hoary and its tributary runs deep into the mountains, enterprising dwarves found several silver deposits, of which two were deemed worthy of constructing a mine. The Shivering Run and Heelspur Mines are both quite successful. The Lord Master's death, however, has thrown the legality of the mines' charters into question. Nearby clans are now claiming that the lucrative mines are in their territory, rather than rightful Hoarfrost land.

Military forces of the clan:
100 Shield-and-hammer dwarves
50 Axe dwarves
50 Crossbow-armed dwarves (levies)
12 Riders

How much does your clan respect the Gods and the old traditions?
Reasonably so. There is a chapel in Troutglen and a small outdoor shrine at Bog Landing. Bladeborn, however, is not known for being particularly pious. This is most likely out of ignorance than for any heretical beliefs.
What justifies your claim for the lordship of the Valley?
Bladeborn holds that he is the only dwarf strong enough to lead the valley through its tribulations.
Quote one thing that makes your clan special among the others. A martial slant; a belief that Hoarfrost is truly the strongest clan and is willing to shed blood to see this fact made apparent.