Dogematix

Civilization - New Lands, New Glory! V. 2.0

I know this RP's full at the moment but it looks super awesome so I'd like to state my interest if there's still room on the waiting list.

Valley Dwarf Clans I

So I'm guessing from what's being done with the visiting bard that we're not going to have GM controlled characters and can potentially just claim lore for ourselves?

Valley Dwarf Clans I

I'm still about, just got guests staying over for the weekend. Will try and get a post up tomorrow evening if possible.

Valley Dwarf Clans I

I'm up for whatever.

Valley Dwarf Clans I

The crypt of the keep. Whenever Agrim had heard other dwarves speak of their family burial chambers they always sounded like great, sprawling catacombs, with runes and depictions of the family history etched into every wall. He'd even seen one when he was serving in the halls of Clan Azul. He hadn't gotten much of a chance to appreciate the architecture with all the manic goblins running about the place but he remembered what it felt to get lost in those winding halls. Looking at their little chamber here in the home valley reminded him of just how young their clans were, how recent Father's rise to the nobility had been. As dark as the past few days had been Agrim couldn't help but muster a bittersweet smile under his beard.

'I get it now, old man, I get it.' He thought to himself. Agrim and his father had butted heads plenty of times during his youth, parting ways with hot heads and harsh words. But you had to let that kind of thing go eventually. The dark haired dwarf had always thought of talk of 'being the bigger man' and all that as cowards talk, the last refuge of the loser's denial as they tried to save face and pride. War had changed that. Watching young lads die leagues away from home, calling for mother or a warm hand to hold as they passed through death's door.

The scar in his side, hidden beneath layers of thick wool and leather itched as he recalled his own brush with the death god's fold. A Thing like that put things into perspective in a big way. A pity it took him so long and needed such harsh methods to learn it. At least they'd had some better times when he got back, however short they were. At least he could look at his cal with pride and think that the future would see them grow stronger from the foundations his father had laid.

Mother of a pack, they will call me, for I did not raise dwarves of high birth but the lowest wolves of evil thirst.

Or maybe not.

The old sage's words came as a shock to all of them, sending a bristling shock through the gathered family. Agrim had always just assumed that Dourhorn would inherit the title of the lord of the valley, it was the assumed thing for all their lives! But this, to deny him and not leave another heir in his place... to leave the valley leaderless and undermine all the work so many of his brothers had dedicated their lives to. What madness had overtaken his father in his final days that none of them had seen?

Or was this their mother's doing? They'd never been overly close and father's death had hit her harder than any of them but to practically disown her own children was something deeper than a moment of grief fueled madness. Agrim was shaking off the initial surprise of it all and was considering going after her when that thought was cut short. The battle lines were already being drawn.

It was surprising to hear Hornfel announce for their elder given how rocky the two of them had been with each other in the past but at least the little wanderer could see past personal disputes in the name of the families unity. Which just made what Leth had to say knock Agrim for an even bigger loop.

If Dourhorn was being passed over then that would make the second born the next logical choice, just as the lad said. That could make Agrim the rightful lord! No one knew which of the twins had entered the world first, they came into it hand in hand, too similar to truly tell apart until their colours had started to show. Even Leth was asking for his word... if Agrim wanted he could stake his claim. Longstrider might support him, he had name and a circle to call on, funds of his own. He could make a grab for the power, the wealth. The lust for treasure that lived in the hearts of all his kind lit up behind Agrim's eyes, memories of the grand halls he'd seen in his time at war flooded back, this time with his own clan's blue hanging from their halls. IT could be so easy, he had some of the best warriors in the valley and far more that Dourhorn. Blazing hell if Leth jumped in they could just force the claim on his brothers right now...

'What are you thinking, you mad old git!' Agrim chided himself. He wasn't some wastrel of a thug any more! He'd seen too much blood to think of spilling it so idly. He'd sworn to Fia and the gods he'd be a better than that. No he wouldn't damn his name and soul by turning on kin for such selfish gains.

Yet as he was left in thought voiced were still being raised and Agrim worried in his brooding that this tomb would find itself needing another coffin all too soon.

"We've cursed over Pa's body long enough." Agrim growled. "We're all of us black in mood and hot in blood. Buri hasn't even finished his words yet and already folk are fighting for the will. I say we let the runesmith finish the wrights and each say our goodbyes, kinsmen. Let each mourn and we can gather again the next day to talk about matters of the valley with clearer heads." Damn but Agrim was no diplomat or wordsmith, he could only hope he might have calmed the chamber.

Valley Dwarf Clans I

Oooo Damn fine IC's, fellas. I really like this opening, getting the battle lines drawn right out the gate! I think I'll wait for @Dogematix to respond to Leth before I IC.

@BlackBishop

You can go ahead and have Dourhorn respond first. He's had a lot said to/about him and I wont be able to post properly until later tomorrow, work's been nuts today, sorry guys.

Valley Dwarf Clans I

Clan Bright Shield

Muin Agrim "The Bright Shield"

Bio

Brief biography of your clan's leader: The second son of the late Master Muin did not come into the world alone. Agrim and Ragnar were always each a piece of a pair, living in each others shadows. The heir and the spares people used to call them (until yet more brothers came along) and it was a title Agrim himself could speak with a smile. Who wanted to be the heir anyway? All the pressure and restrictions, no that wasn't something Agrim wanted for himself. He was the rebellious, drunken lech of a young dwarf, always getting into fights or being thrown out on his ear for making eyes at a lass he shouldn't. Though it was a common bragging point that none could take the second born twins in a fight when they were together (neither brother cared if it wasn't totally true).

It was decided that this lad was in need of discipline, so Agrim quickly learned that part of the trade off of being the spare was that you were destined for a life in the military. Apparently the kindness of his father that had kept Agrim from that life had worn thin when he'd been caught bedding a wealthy merchant's daughter. This one apparently couldn't be trusted to become the new warden of the valley.

Never one to shy away from a brawl, Agrim proved himself skilled in the art of smacking heads together in the sparring circle. It only took some harsher smacks on the head from the master at arms to thrash some true soldiers spirit into him. Then the call for the banners came to their valley. The high king rallied his forces to war and each dwarven lord was expected to send their tithe of warriors to throw back this fresh incursion of orcs and goblins. It was a bittersweet goodbye as he shook Ragnar's hand for what each thought to be the last time.

“And this one! I want to see that beard down to his knees when I get back!” Agrim roared, giving his young nephew a light punch on the arm. Both brothers gave an overly hearty laugh. Forcing a smile made it easier to wave goodbye.

Agrim would not return to his ancestral valley for many years. Serving in the front lines of the conflict at its height and serving in garrisons when it hit its lulls. It was in the fire of war that Agrim found himself, battered and hardened like a blade in the forge, the lad found his true purpose in life and when the time came stepped up to the role of leadership. It was in the battle of Azul's Folly that Agrim earned himself the name of “Bright Shield”. The goblin hordes had found their way into the mountain halls of Clan Azul. During the battle it was said that Agrim held a swarm of the wretches in a bottleneck in one of the clan's mining shafts, buying valuable time for reinforcements time to rally and form up for a counter attack. This wouldn't be the last time Agrim proved himself on the battlefield as he went about earning a fine reputation for himself among his fellow warriors and the nobility.

The horrors of war had tempered the petulance of his youth, if not his lust for drink and song. When Agrim returned home he was a changed dwarf and one ready to settle down. He was gifted a stretch of land near the lake across from his father's keep and given leave to resettle the abandoned lands there. When it came time to build his clan Agrim was sure to spread word beyond the valley, offering up work and a new home to his old shield brothers.

It did something to keep him busy given the other news he was given on his return.

The mountains of the pass loomed overhead as beautiful as ever, it was good to finally see the damn things again. “Ho there, sentry! Look what the bloody wolves dragged in! Where's our good warden?” The look on their face told him immediately that something was wrong. Half of Angrim hadn't made it home.

Clan history and members

Recent history of your clan in brief: Agrim was livid with rage and grief at the death of his father at the hand of goblins, spilling out from the lands of his own clan no less! After the funeral rights were settled Agrim swore a sun oath and a moon oath to see his father avenged and to see the valley littered with goblin blood! The clan has been acting as if they were ready for war, renewing their defenses and sending scouting parties out to hunt down the goblin menace.

So far Agrim has stayed out of the family politics. Unfortunately so far he has had to temper his rage so far, knowing that his first duty is to the living under his banner, but preparing against the goblins and against the beasts of the wild is much the same in his eyes.

Fia Valten – A dwarf lass with a spirit as fiery as the colour of her hair. Fia is a merchants daughter, raised in the family trade, with a good head for numbers and business. She's also Agrim's wife and -according to him – the real brains of the clan. The two of them found plenty of premarital comfort in each others' company during their youth. When Agrim returned to the valley they reconnected and it didn't take too long for him to work up the nerve to propose.

“You're damn right you'll marry me!” Was her response. “You know how long I've had to put up with folk wondering when someone's gunna make an honest woman of me?” Agrim could only stutter out a bewildered response, he'd expected her to be a little more... blushing.
Braden Stonehammer – One of Agrim's old war buddies, a veteran sword bearer, pale in beard and eye. Ever pessimistic and in a perpetually grim mood. He and Agrim met each other in the northern campaign, fighting side by side on multiple occasions and forming a bond of trust that only brothers of the battlefield could know. Braden was offered the chance to become Agrim's master at arms, a place he took with pride. Training and maintaining the clans warband of veterans. The past year has embittered him though, as he's watched his chief fade from the fierce warrior he was and be disrespected by pompous whelps who have never even seen the ancient foes. He pushes Agrim to prepare their forces, believing it is only a matter of time before the other clans strike.

“He asked me if I wanted to keep up the career, spend my days shouting at whelps with arse hair for beards and freezin' myself stiff in the mountains and in return I'd be man of standin' with his own fancy house and fine food and clothes to have. I said to him... I could become accustomed to that.”

Wotin & Odella – An old greybeard too stiff in the joint to tend his sheep. Wotin found his place as the village elder, not only because of his age but because of his beautiful (and rarely used) voice. When Agrim first heard it in the village tavern he was taken aback, thinking it bloody unfair that the old crone should have such a golden tone. After spending a few nights in the keep Wotin was named the chief's bard. His place is to sing at events and the chief's table, and to keep the stories of the ancestors and the clan fresh in their minds. He'd happy to do it so long as he can stay at the tavern most nights.

Odella is his daughter. A young dwarf lass who now tends her family flocks and unlike her father, never stops talking. She had a love for gossip that rivals the dwarven lust for gold. Her habit of worming her way into most of the clans inner dramas has placed her in the unofficial place as Agrim's eyes and ears in the clan.

Brond: A rare thing, a dwarf that works with wood. And earth and other things, but the young woodcutter sees himself as an engineer and self made man. An ambitious engineer, Brond saw Agrim as his chance to make it in the valley. He is hungry for oportunity and sees the variety of smaller industries that the clan can call upon as a box tools and toys with which to prove himself and to build a better holding. Agrim was more than happy to have a builder with some energy about him and a way to make use of the forests he'd inherited.

Clan details

Location of the clan: The clan is located across the lake in clear view of Muin's keep.
Population of the clan: 1543
Main settlement(s) and economical activities of the clan:
Sternhold Keep is a fortified castle built into the base of the mountain on the northern edge of Kalerodom Lake. The old thing has seen better days but Agrim considers it a fixer upper. He keeps a number of masons from his fathers household around to help restore and fortify it even further. It serves as a commanding guard post to deploy troops from forcing attackers to face them head on.

High Hearth is the village in the hills near the lake mountain. The dwarves who live there are mostly farmers by trade, tending sheep for mutton and wool to see through the winter with a few cows offering milk. The vegetables grown up there have to be tough enough to survive the cold the northern climbs, the only reliable harvests tend to be carrots and potatoes that are planted deep and early in the season so they can see out the frost in soily comfort. The rangers tend to make their home there, along with some of the warriors Agrim brought back with him who serve as a militia garrison and hunters to keep back any predators in the woods to the north. The pelts they get from it make some good cloaks and trade items too.

Of course there are miners among the clan, no dwarven clan could speak its name with pride without numbering some sons of the earth among their number. Though they don't seek any precious metals. Simple stone from the quarry is always welcome for building efforts and any ore that's found is quickly worked over by the smiths for tools and weapons.

Given their closeness to the lake Plenty of younger dwarves of the clan work the lakeside for fish and clay, finding an honest living and work the land like their ancestors.

Military forces of the clan:
20 Rangers – The scouts of the dwarven war hosts. These lads are trained to survive in the wild and equipped to move quick and quiet. Lightly armoured, they carry supplies to survive in the wild along with bows and hand axes. Agrim gained a great respect for their type during his time in the Green Wilds where the ranger troupes saved his hide more times than his pride would allow him to repeat.

42 Crossbows – Warriors of the line. Clothed in chainmail and shields strapped to their backs. Those bolts pack a mean punch when fired by these trained marksmen.

70 Warriors – The linemen of the dwarven armies. These stout hearted, heavily armoured, lads form the shieldwall, fighting with axe and hammer in hand.

1 Balista and 3 crew – Ah old Hilda, how we love her so. A rugged bolt thrower set up to help defend the keep. Agrim had to really grease some palms to be able to bring her back.

How much does your clan respect the Gods and the old traditions?
Agrim would consider himself a godly Dwarf. He pays respect to the priests, heeding their words and he wont deny calling on the aid of the gods when things seemed lost. But he doesn't see it as a thing to ram down folks' throats. Agrim doesn't feel any need to engage in great philosophical debate and ignores any who would say he just pays the gods lip service.

The folk of the clan as a whole are considered moderates.

What justifies your claim for the lordship of the Valley?
“You've seen how it is, Agrim. The valley needs a leader and none hear can answer that call. Dourhorn is too weak and that clan of his, Reverant? Damnation, they sound like a bloody cult! He'll see folk burned at the stake. Hornfel's too brash, you seen him, he spits on the old ways that made us. Him and his house think they're better than all else in the valley. He'd take the lord's treasure and sell this place to the highest bidder before leading it. Then there's Leth... he's still a boy I tell you. All fire and spark, he isn't long enough on this earth to lead a whole valley. Folk respect you, heard of you and drank to that name and seen you drink beside them. That leaves you to the task.”

Agrim hasn't said anything on the matter other than he refuses to press a claim. The place of heir falls to the eldest and he will not be the one to draw blades against kin. But in his heart he doubts his older brother's ability to lead. And with bitterness brewing in the hearts of their kin it may be time for him to cast away his hopes of peace within the valley.

Quote one thing that makes your clan special among the others
Many of Clan Bright Shield served in the High King's war host at some point, having come to the valley due to the draw of their new chieftain. Of course not all of them are new comers but many of the warriors married into older valley families. This gives them a much more experienced warrior force if not a larger one.

Valley Dwarf Clans I

Mama why?! Great opening post, I'll get my sheet tidied up and placed in the character section later this evening, the pm gave me some ideas for how to edit my court.

Valley Dwarf Clans I

Also, guys, what do you all think about a collaborative IC around Muin's funeral as a sort of prelude to the IC, where the initial rivalries can be established... Unless our GM has other ideas, of course.

@BlackBishop

It could work. GM said the first event would be set a year and a half after his death but we could do it as a flashback. Thinking about it we'll probably have a lot of flashback scenes scattered about the place as things go on.

Valley Dwarf Clans I

Just wanted to get the personal relations ball rolling.

@WernherI wondered if Agrim and Hornfel might get along since they sound like they were both up for a drink and a party in their youth.

@BlackBishop And I'm guessing Dourhorn probably didn't care for Agrim's old antics. I'm personally hoping to add some stuff about him trying to bridge the divide between them when the RP starts up.

Clan wise Agrim hasn't announced himself as wanting to take the valley and officially thinking Dourhorn should be the heir but is more concerned with keeping the peace since y'know they're family.