• About
  • Play Reports
  • Toolkit

Axes and Anvils

Axes and Anvils

Tag Archives: clan

Clan Rumbleseed

28 Saturday Mar 2020

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

clan, creatures, rumbleseed

On 3/21/20 an online group of players made Clan Rumbleseed. Here we go!

The Delve

The Stonefist overclan was continuing to explore the Eastern Jaw mountain range’s lower reaches, trying to stem the expansion of goblins from the Great Incursion into their underground spaces. An expedition found a petrified underground forest that got swampier the deeper they explored, and more full of life. They found hexagonal cell buildings, like hives, long abandoned. There was more life deeper in, they met bug creatures, some of whom had their own societies. There were fossilized beetles in green amber, and reports of rare metals and so much more. In the year 1,218 Clan Rumbleseed was commissioned to investigate further.

The Rumbleseed Gunners

Rumbleseed was founded by elite gunsmiths. The clan was named after an order of 30 masters that guard the secrets of their trade, who were ready to colonize and develop distinct from the overclan. They used the peculiar beetles and organic components of the delve to improve their gunpowder. The very best gunpowder is made from a specific kind of beetle that cannot be domesticated, but must be hunted, and this tradition is now embedded into their ritual and culture.

Rumbleseed founded Powder’s Rest, the clan home, and began their legacy of exploration.

The Ravenous

The dwarves became known by their Delve neighbors as the Ravenous, for they voraciously ate their way through the biome. They domesticated many kinds of bugs as beasts of burden, herd animals, and pets. They found grubs the size of wagons, called grubblies, capable of burrowing through earth with a combination of muscle, acid,and jaws; they use these as pack animals, and they also sometimes lash containers for them to drag as they tunnel or crawl. Rollingmeals are their name for pillbugs ranging from fist-sized to wagon-sized, who can be treated and cooked to form portable rigid-shelled balls of gooey food. They developed a process to ferment the glowing nectar sacs of a deep aphid species called burstsnappers to serve as portable gelled drink bags.

Their gustatory daring led to the rise of a culinary culture, with neighborhoods in the clanhome and tributaries centered around food colleges with unique styles that compete, their masters clashing in competitions for glory and titles. Duels and tournaments focused around cooking challenges concentrate prestige with the masters and their schools. A Stonefist machismo flavors their signature dishes, where diners must endure pain from spices, sauces, and textures with as much stoic dignity as possible to overcome challenges.

Deadfast Reach

In the initial exploration years, they found a fortress with different architecture than the rest of the sprawling built environment mixed with the caverns and tunnels. They discovered it was an empty prison, and upon breaching it, they found that the dead walked within. The prisoners were not a recognizable race or creature. Deathbrittle grew freely within the prison, and when word got out, human death cults and necromancers began making pilgrimages to the area and setting up settlements nearby. A certain type of beetle was discovered, a gem-like composition holding necromatic energy with impossible concentration, and this beetle corpse became the phylactery for undead wizard kings.

Various Garden

A new area has been discovered in the last couple years; ruins that are distinct from the building styles uncovered so far. An early explorer reported finding a “various garden” and the name stuck. The ruins overflow with unusual fungal growth, and the city beneath is ancient and apparently abandoned. The clan is gearing up to explore it further.

Starting ratings: Prestige 3, Strength 3, Wealth 3, 900 years old, 2 Dynasties, roughly 900 adults and 1,800 members total. The year is 2,121.

The clan seal is a pillbug on its back, open, with a chisel hammered into its center.

Caskbound History: The Miserable Union

08 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

clan

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.

New Clan: Templar of the Falls

25 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

clan

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.

Group B: Clan MC Hammer

07 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

clan, play report

Group B decided to embrace the comedic potential of Axes and Anvils as a “beer and pretzels” game. They decided to infuse their clan and characters with pop culture references.

Their archon is Hank Rogers Jr. He is embattled in politics because he tries to manage the symbiotic relationship between the dwarves and the elves they live with, and at the same time manage factions in the clan that have different ideas about what their legacy should be. He is elderly, and he pretends to be foolish so he can get the better of those who underestimate him.

The clan’s patron deity is Jibbers Crabst, a God of Ur who escaped from their underground city and lives behind a nearby planet. He looks like a rock lobster that breathes fire.

Anyway, the clan got its start 1,200 years ago. They lived in one of the most populated dwarven cities in the Stondraeg clan. The city was very racist against elves. Dwarven security actually gunned down a number of innocent elves, (the players explained this was #crimeswhileelven.) A faction of elven sympathizers staged a coup and were exiled when they failed.

Then they traveled from cave to corridor, losing people “Oregon trail style” to disease and animal attacks and the hazards of being homeless dwarves. They lost a lot of people.

Then they met some elves that had just had a bad harvest, so their wine turned poisonous and killed 10% or so of their population. They were looking for better protection, and they allied with the dwarves. The great city of Lost Anvilis was formed by their union.

The whole city is in a pocket dimension. Originally the entry was a trap to protect the edge of the settlement, but a dwarf/elf hybrid named Yogurt (with long droopy ears) infused his spirit into what became the gate. He has always (and will always) guard the gates to Lost Anvilis.

In order to enter the city, you must have a Schwartz (which is a ring with a chip of butterite and a chip of vashite that you manipulate like a decoder ring) and you say “Klaatu, Verata, Nictu” to get Yogurt’s attention so he can let you in or out.

(For those who are wondering about half-dwarf/half-elves, that doesn’t happen naturally. But we have alchemists, right? They can brew up potions for all kinds of stuff if they put their minds to it, and interracial fertility is possible that way.)

Anyway, once they had access to this pocket dimension guarded by Yogurt, their architectural skills bloomed. The elves and dwarves worked together to make the most fantastic theaters, some seating thousands and others seating only five. One of the most famous is the Dark Crystal theater, made out of purple crystals. These amazing theaters lured many dwarves, elves, and others to want to perform in the city, and it is a great place to take in some art.

Some cultural features are the Anvilchella annual music festival, the anvil choir (like a bell choir only hitting specially pitched anvils), and the Grande Olde Elfey Review. Once a year they also host Anvilpalooza. Their main repository for history and culture of this sort is the Smith-Sonian museum of culture and history.

Experimenting with dimensional doors, the elves and dwarves created a passage to a vast cavern deep in the earth with no other access points. Part of the chamber has molten lava, but the rest is a great refuge in case of danger. Also, it has two unique minerals. Butterite is a white gem, vashite a gray gem. They vibrate when touched, and they are super-good for acoustics; they auto-tune music. Due to the proximity to lava, this underground mine/safehouse is called Molt-town.

Their Sayings are “Your soul is revealed in your work,” “A hasty tunnel buries the foolish delver,” and “Your judgement is your truth.”

And so the clan came to be known as the Mysterious Captivating Hammers, or MC Hammer for short. They live in Lost Anvilis (with a back-up escape to Molt-town.) It is an integrated dwarven/elven community and has been for centuries.

Clan MC Hammer

Group A: Clan Caskbound

29 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

clan

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

A Knot of Thanes

28 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

clan

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.

Chambers of the Clanhome

  • About
  • Toolkit
  • Play Reports

Peering Through the Deeps

What’s the Word?

adventure report caskbound clan creatures elf humans legend location lore magic map milestone open table planning play report promotion rules rumbleseed strange mission templar tributary update upgrade various gardens various gardens; rumbleseed

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 15 other subscribers
Follow Axes and Anvils on WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Axes and Anvils
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Axes and Anvils
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar