During the war between Clan Caskbound and Clan Stonebridge, there reached a point where the embittered archons tried to make peace by contributing a child to marriage. The Caskbound archon sent his grown son Wilfram, and the Stonebridge archon sent his grown daughter Murdia (her annoying brother called her “Murd” and she hated it, but he mysteriously disappeared, and she preferred “Dia.”)

The marriage was a grim and heavily armed affair, and the subarchons didn’t waste any time making themselves and each other miserable. Wilfram and Murdia were totally wrong for each other (some would mutter for ANYONE) but forced into a marriage partnership they got downright vindictive.

Those who knew them on both sides were just relieved that their spite was pointed at someone else, and someone from the warring clan at that. The unexpected side effect was that a mutual dislike of the married couple proved to be the common ground that the prideful dwarves on both sides needed, and bonding on that common ground (“Aren’t Wilfram and Murdia the WORST?!”) they managed the peace that they could not find before.

The miserable union was the turning point, from war to peace.

The Templar of the Falls operate out of the clanhome Beardfall, under the shield of Clan Thunderforge. They have a decent reputation and enough wealth to get by comfortably, but their strength is worryingly low. They have 900 years of history, but their numbers are not a multitude; only 600 able-bodied dwarves work to maintain the clanhome.

The clan got its start as a pilgrimage site for one of the Gods of Ur, the Lord of Waterfalls. It was a beautiful connected series of caverns laced with many waterfalls, where according to legend the Lord of Waterfalls battled a powerful Ur Dragon and broke the inside of the mountain. The dwarves came to believe “beauty builds a home.”

The pilgrim site was governed by a council that selected new leaders periodically, leading to less stability than the usual dynastic method. This led to a  schism between two groups. One wanted to focus on the clan’s potential strength and wealth and craftsmanship, the other wanted to focus on the clan’s responsibility to maintain the pilgrimage site for others.  As they say, “more voices create chaos.”

The situation escalated. Worshipers of the Gods of Ur passed an edict that those who were not faithful enough would have their beards shorn. After a number of just or unjust shearings, the secularists retaliated by defacing some of the pilgrim shrines. This escalated to an internal war, and the Urites ejected the secularists, and furthermore, cursed them so their beards will no longer grow. This is a shame they passed on to their children, as the Beardless withdrew from the clan in horror. A hard-learned lesson, the dwarves now intone it is best to “put beards before creeds.” Still, the Beardless Ones turned their back on traditional dwarven ways. Maybe they are turning into goblins. Therefore it is said, “do not trust the beardless ones.”

Enjoying their new-found stability, the Templar of the Falls welcomed a steady stream of pilgrims to the holy site. Many of the pilgrims were engineers that settled long enough to help with building a complex and intricate series of water-works and locks and resevoirs, so the dwarves came to control the beautiful falls that were once flowing at the whim of nature. The clanhome also came to enjoy hydro-power, providing energy for many of their projects and easing daily life. “Draw from a deeper well” to find success.

This time of innovation climaxed with the construction of the Clanheart, a multi-story steam engine connected to the clanworks. This power heats the forges, mechanizes the battlements and defenses, and also heats dwarven homes as needed. It is a marvel unlike any other in the world. “Strength and unity in purpose!” They could not have built it without working together and sharing the benefits.

To this very day, the pilgrim site has significant traffic streaming through as those who serve or respect the Gods of Ur come to see the famous ancient battle site. Still, there are many dangers waiting in the shadows, and the clan needs heroes to prosper.

Clan Caskbound is based in the Whiskey Forge, affiliated with Crag Bloodcrag.

Their archon is Salvak Basrencru, a military man with no heirs who came up through the army prior to ruling. His heir is a general who is interested in expanding the clan’s local power, but Basrencru is more isolationist and focused on the art of brewing. In the meantime, the general makes many of the important decisions for the clan.

The clan was founded 1,200 years ago when the founders of the clan weaponized Armageddon Ale, the parent clan’s greatest mystical brew. Their brew-bombs warped and mutated the ecosystem of the battlefield forever, and they were exiled to live in the strange wasteland they had created. They lost forever access to the secrets of making Armageddon Ale as part of their punishment.

They continued doing battle, using weird flamethrower brew and carpet bombing with alcohol-based weaponry. The environment spawned plants that hunted meat with yeasty lures, and vaguely intoxicated or intoxicating creatures. Over time, the Caskbound clan domesticated much of the strange underground wilderness.

They cultivated vines that could be used for long-distance communication conduits, carrying messages through tangled root networks. They domesticated giant riding beetles for meat, armor, and mounts. Embracing their strange circumstances, they began to thrive.

A cultural renaissance took root. They built beer temples, and worked up a whole cooking culture that made the most of the unique local flavors. As they gained in reputation and wealth, their artisans and masters discovered how to weaponize beetle dung, finding a substitute for traditional gunpowder. They jealously guard the secrets of their biological explosives and the guns that use them, but they freely share other cultural innovations.

Alchemists, scholars, and enchanters developed idiosyncratic uses for unique local materials, shining out as a brilliant center of learning in the region. As their culture developed further, the military use of cannon refined and expanded too.

Three Sayings form the clan’s Word, summarizing what they have learned in their history. Greed starves the family. Motives are scaffolding, removed from the finished stone. You must not ever be the highest authority in your life.

Now that we know the clan better, we are ready for adventurers to defend it!

Clan Caskbound

That’s what I just decided a group of thanes would be called. And I’m delighted, because I now have information from each of the five thanes, in time to incorporate it into the playtest draft! This puts a smile on my face.

The clan begins “under the shield” or as a vassal of one of the major thanedoms.

Clan Bloodcrag. Mystics and detectives, they are famous for the red-haired rulers and warriors they put in service of the High King. They have a reputation for otherworldly insight and might, bolstered by llineage rich with adepts, enchanters, and chosen.

Clan Shieldsplitters. They hold defensive stances in contempt, they are extremely aggressive and proud. They favor double-bitted axes, and seek out the front lines of combat. They export mercenary companies and tend to be unruly neighbors.

Clan Stonebreaker. Still recovering from the most recent Great Incursion of goblins, these militant miners are honorable to a fault. They live a spare existence, focusing their energy on mining, fortifications, and combat. They sell almost everything they make. Their fungus beer is famous for being almost undrinkable, even for other dwarves.

Clan Stondraeg. Sheltered deep in the mountain, they are almost totally isolated from the outside world. They ponder decisions, never giving in to the press of perceived urgency. Their lives are colored by superstitions and myths; in some ways, they really are living in their own world.

Clan Thunderforge. Stern religious extremists, they worship the Gods of Ur. Most dwarves are inclined to respect, rather than worship, but the holy warriors of Thunderforge hold the race to a high standard of purity—and the penalty for failure is the wrath of the gods. Often seen as pilgrims alone or in groups, these dwarves travel more than most. If dwarves are willing to endure sermonizing, they may be able to get a small army to help out in a pinch.

Sky Dwarves. Settlements who do not accept any thane over them are known as sky dwarves, as they are “under the sky” instead of “under the shield.” They are mistrusted, considered outcasts (whether they left or were kicked out does not matter.) Sky dwarf clans cannot have a Prestige above 2.