Bio:
Hornfel was never all too interested in the affairs of the valley since he was so low down Muin's bloodline. Nothing was expected of him and all he could expect was a small inheritance to subside as he lived in the shadow of his older brothers. It is because of this that in his youth he was afflicted with wanderlust and left the valley to come back only sporadically over many years. Still, each time he came back it was with wondrous tales and wondrous treasures indeed, which took the interest of many who, knowing there was a whole world out there, thought they could profit from the contacts he made outside. These merchants employed craftsmen who in turn also had families and slowly, Hornfel founded his own clan, capitalizing on his travels to insure himself some wealth through trade with outsiders.

Clan History:
No dwarf likes the other humanoids, but they sure enjoy elven silk and when the winter is rough, human crops. Hornfel and his follower capitalize on this with ease, being the only clan that willingly mingles with outsiders. This made them a wealthy clan that established itself as the middleman between the other clans and the rest of the world (and sometimes even between the clans of the very valley they were in when some stubbornly refused to talk to others) and even got them begrudging respect from others as they are often the first to signal an incoming menace and call for the clans to rally their banners to defend the valley.

Other relevant characters:
-Kas Vibrek: An adventuring companion of Hornfel that doesn't even originate from the valley, he says that he himself is one of the sons of a powerful foreign lord though there is nothing to suggest it might be the case. He established himself in the valley alongside Hornfel, encouraging wanderlust in dwarves of a more... martial persuasion. Now, he is officially known as a 'Mercenary Captain' and unofficially as HORNFEL's captain as they watch each other's back whenever possible. Some have qualms about seeing most of the fighting men of the clan periodically leave the valley to fight for and against outsiders, but no one complains about the gold they see when they come back.

-Sister Yulia of Ergoth: A human that keeps close to Hornfel for good reasons as she is known to preach about her foreign god to whomever might want to hear about it, sometimes even those who don't. She's a human cleric Hornfel associated with during his travels and is now unwelcome in her homeland, thus her presence here. Hornfel says he has a debt of honor toward her and thus cannot throw her out, but some rumors say he has deviant sexual relations with the weird human girl. Well, at least time will rid the valley of this problem, humans are short lived after all... but shouldn't its effect already be apparent? Its been some years...

-Goldfinger Orban: Voice of the craftsmaster and merchants of the clan, he respects Hornfel as his clanleader but in business, they talk to each other as partners. His job is to motivate dozens of people with divergent aims and interests into somehow working together to keep the clan going in more or less the same direction.

Location of the clan:
The main pass entering the valley, between two mountains.

Population of the clan:
-1712

Main settlement(s) and economical activities of the clan:
-Muin Town: 'Don't expect foreigners to know or care about the local customs. If we want to build a trade post we'd best keep it simple' was what Hornfel said about the name of this settlement years ago. It was supposed to merely be a location to facilitate trading with the outside but it quickly became prosperous, attracting craftsmen who wanted to deal directly with the strangers to have bigger profit margins. Located straight on the main path to and fro the valley between the mountains, it has no real farmland and relies on the melting ice for water but with trade, this town, protected from the outside world by stone walls, didn't know any real starvation yet.

-Hornfel-Krag: Ambitious, Hornfel wondered if he could perhaps find something worth mining in the mountains to further his own riches. He didn't find the gold and gems he was hoping for, instead finding numerous deposits of iron and other cheap metals. Still, he knows that the smiths have many secrets that were the source of many experiments so while the miners here work to produce weapons and armor of decent but not much better quality as well as every day goods people need, he has what experts he could gather to try and work on a magical alloy of sort.

Military forces of the clan:
Vibrek's Company:
Soldiers of fortune motivated by the desire to see outside the valley and gain some coins.
-120 Hammer & Shield Linemen.
-30 Crossbowmen.
-10 Horse Scouts.

Muin Town's guard:
The honest constables that insures when people get too drunk they can sober up in a cell, that or the last, desperate line of defense.
-18 Mace & Shield Guardsmen.
-The Militia (Peasants get bow training one day a week, range, not accuracy training, to mass fire volleys should the wall be attacked)

Hornfel's Retinue:
Soldiers from Vibrek's company that decided to quit traveling due to either old age or because their wives got pregnant. Still, they were looking for a stable day in, day out job close to home so Hornfel, for a significantly reduced salary of course, offers them stability.
-30 Hammer & shielf linemen.
-10 Crossbowmen.

How much does your clan respect the Gods and the old traditions?
Most dwarves are supersticious but while they swear by the old gods, very few actually actively worship. It is notable that at this point, Yulia's religious fervor has attracted some converts.

What justifies your claim for the lordship of the Valley?
Quite simple: To the outside he was always known as the son of Muin and now that Muin is dead, they don't see a higher person of power than him in this region of the world. It might be because they don't know any better, but he is seen as an equal among leaders by the outside world, no matter how small his kingdom, and has already been accepted as the ruler of the valley. This might not hold much sway to the stuborn dwarves who don't care about what 'outsiders' think, but he is still known by the local as a fair and easy going leader that believes 'He who rules the less, rules best', making him popular among the more liberal elements of the valley.

Quote one thing that makes your clan special among the others.
The Hornfel clan is a young filled with people who like their chief, didn't find their place in the rigid social structure of the older clans. As such they have a drive to make their place in the world, aggressively going forward toward new ideas, even if it means leaving the old traditions behind.

Relationships:
-Clan Reverent: Hornfel merely smiles when his brother speaks of religion to then say 'To each his own'. He's already explained how the reason Yulia lives with him is because he owes a life-debt to her and thus won't betray her, no matter what he thinks of it. Still, their relationships remains cordial if not warm, for Hornfel and Dourhorn know each other both to be reliable. Dourhorn might be zealous but it is why Hornfel doesn't believe he'd ever betray one of his kin and Hornfel might have been led astray but not so far he'd forget the meaning of family.

-Clan Longstrider: To the youngest clan leader Hornfel is surprisingly kind, preferring to offer him good deals and whatever help he can provide at every turn. He says its because clan Longstrider plays an important role in things, preventing dangers rather than simply reacting to them, but truth is his attitude is rather paternalistic. Leth is after all one of the few clan chief that is younger than he and Hornfel is quick to dismiss his potential claim to the title of Lord-Master saying that 'even if the task Leth has taken upon himself to accomplish, it shouldn't be the task of the entire valley'.

-Clan Bright Shield: Agrim always was the brother Hornfel felt the closest to before the both of them left the valley to their respective adventure and as such is willing to consider him closer than just kin. Still, he feels that the both of them have grown apart since they left each other, not having yet fully digested Agrim saying that his tales of adventure were lesser to his own, stating fighting for the high king against the green hordes would always be a superior deed than what Hornfel did, questing with a bunch of foreigners.

-Clan Orin: Hornfel would love to say that he 'likes' his older brother but Orin does make it hard to do so. Hornfel is after all in an excellent position to sympathize with Orin, sometimes there are things that need to be done and they might not be glorious deeds, its just that Orin doesn't seem to understand the extreme importance of public image, something Hornfel takes painstakingly good care to maintain. Ultimately he tries to work pass his uneasiness and be courteous as well as honest with his brother but somehow, he can't help but think maybe Orin has something to do about everyone whispering about him and Yulia...

Muin's fifth 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 Cragbuckle 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.

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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: 1,582 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.

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:

• Alden: Karolus’s right-hand man and steward. A close friend since the two were boys.
• Uesli: Commander of Karolus’s retinue. A veteran warrior of many campaigns.
• Hadlee: Karolus’s wife of forty years. Her brewery puts the rest of the valley to shame.
• Otger: Karolus’s son, now a young adult. Obedient to a fault, yet lacks independence and the drive to strike out on his own.

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: Approximately 3,000

Main settlement(s) Karolus's base of power is an ancient hold known as Seaver Keep. It is a heavily-defended structure, jutting out from the side of a mountain and looming over the pass to Muin's Keep. Vast farmland and pastures stretch under its shadow. The hold is utilitarian in its architecture, designed to stop armies in their tracks, rather than inspire grandeur. Its cold, dour appearance beguiles the demeanor of its inhabitants, however, as Clan Karolus's denizens are generally merry and upbeat.

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: Clan Karolus has near three hundred and fifty fighting men at its disposal. Two hundred of these dwarves carry long pikes, arranged into two blocks of one hundred soldiers each. They carry shields strapped to their forearms, leaving both hands free to control their pikes. Swords and axes hang at their belts, ready to be drawn should the pikes snap or the tide of battle forces them closer to the enemy. One hundred other soldiers wield heavy crossbows and carry pavise shields, from behind which they can shelter as they reload. The remaining fifty dwarves are members of Karolus’s personal retinue, and are armed with shields, battleaxes and arming swords. They ride trained boars into battle, though are just as formidable on foot as they are in the saddle.

Religion and traditions: Karolus himself is reverent to the gods, and sees the beliefs and traditions of the dwarves as integral to their culture. He does not force dogmatic tenets on his clan, knowing that times have changed and old practices have become outdated. He strives to preserve as much of the original intent as possible, while keeping the faith relevant to the modern day. The clan itself is one of the most active in matters of religion, although this has more to do with acknowledging tradition and an admiration for its culture than true piety.

Justification for claim: N/A - Karolus does not seek the throne for himself, but aims to elevate one of Hurin’s sons instead. In the meantime, he maintains Hurin’s Keep as a neutral territory. Karolus has neither the youthful energy or ambition to rule.

Unique feature(s): Karolus is among the largest of the clans, thanks to its wardenship of Hurin’s Keep and the fertile soil of its territory. It enjoys significant manpower and political influence for this reason. As a member of Hurin’s inner circle, Karolus has always had a grasp on the valley’s political climate and has been familiar with most of the other clan heads since they were born.