[]
1. Basic Information
- Names: Clan Stonevein (Ridgeback Mountains), Clan Onyxborn (Neoramus & Petrae Ranges), Clan Emberforge (formerly Mesoramus Range).
- Symbol/Heraldry:
- Stonevein: A running boar with the jagged peaks of the Ridgeback Mountains running down its back.
- Onyxborn: A black gem aflame with red veins, hovering between to mountain peaks.
- Emberforge: A blazing anvil wreathed in smoke.
- Seat / Domain: Grun’Croi, Ridgeback; Bral’Croi, Neoramus, and formerly Zeel’Croi, Mesoramus (respectively).
- Current Standing: Nominal noble clans, but increasingly overshadowed by the Iron Concord under Forgemaster General Tharrek Ironbrand.
- Core Traits: Proud, stubborn, and hardy.
2. Overview
The three great dwarven clans once defined nobility in Siar’Morrin, ruling their mountain fastnesses with independence and prestige. For centuries they maintained mutual respect and balance, their rivalries confined to trade and craft. But the Age of Darkness (AoD) shattered that stability, and in their race to reclaim lost mines and glory devolved into bitter competition.
Today, the Stonevein, Onyxborn, and Emberforge are still addressed as monarchs within their domains, and to their kin they remain symbols of dwarven pride. Yet the reality is far less dignified. Their authority has been steadily eroded by the Iron Concord, which quietly dictates their every major decision. Decrees are still issued in their names, ceremonies still draped in their heraldry, but all know where true power lies.
3. History
- Clan Stonevein: The largest and strongest of the dwarven clans, Stonevein rule over the vast Ridgeback Mountains. Their capital, Grun’Croi, lies in close proximity to Fort Logos, fostering enduring ties with New Birania. Blessed with rich seams of ore and gems, their halls rivalled even the ancient founding city of Kair’Croi in the Talam Mountains before the Age of Darkness. Their storied wealth and influence allowed them to flourish, expanding their reach and cementing their position as the most prestigious of the Siar’Morrin clans.
- Clan Onyxborn: The proud Onyxborn trace their line to the first dwarves said to have settled in Siar’Morrin, ruling the Neoramus and Petrae Ranges. Yet these mountains, among the youngest in the land, have long since been exhausted of their richest veins. Though their mines yield little new wealth, the Onyxborn turned adversity into legacy: master fortress-builders, their skill in hewing unyielding stone into impregnable defenses is famed across Staterum. Many kingdoms have contracted Onyxborn masons to shape their citadels, ensuring the clan’s relevance even as their resources dwindled.
- Clan Emberforge: No clan suffered the Age of Darkness more than the Emberforge. Once masters of weaponcraft, famed for forging superior arms of adamantine, their central stronghold of Zeel’Croi in the Mesoramus Range was overrun by demonic forces and remains blighted to this day. With their seat lost, the clan fractured. Some stubborn Emberforge endure on the range’s perilous fringes, but most have scattered, integrating into human settlements where their craft endures in exile. Once the pride of dwarven smithing, Emberforge now carry the tragic legacy of survival without sovereignty. Of all the clans, the Emberforge have most readily aligned themselves with the Iron Concord, whether from desperation or the hope of restoring their legacy, making them loyal supporters of its unified vision for the dwarves.
4. Leadership & Family
-
House Stonevein: Led by Matriarch Brynna Stonevein, a stoic elder famed for her knowledge of stonecraft and her stubborn refusal to yield authority, even as Concord overseers dominate her halls.
-
House Onyxborn: Ruled by Lord Karric Onyxborn, ambitious but bitter, always maneuvering to reclaim his clan’s place as the premier jewel-smiths of Siar’Morrin.
-
House Emberforge: Nominally led by Thrain Emberforge, but their clan is scattered and weakened. They dwell mostly in exile, their ruined Mesoramus holds a wound that has never healed.
5. Culture & Reputation
- Clan Stonevein: Proud and wealthy, the Stonevein hold themselves as the rightful voice of dwarves in Siar’Morrin. Their culture revolves around stewardship of the Ridgeback Mountains, wealth from its vast mines, and their ancient ties to Fort Logos. Stonevein dwarves are known for their authority and refinement, carrying themselves with the confidence of rulers — even if their power is increasingly compromised by the Concord’s hand.
- Clan Onyxborn: Once the first to stake their claim in Siar’Morrin, the Onyxborn now define themselves through endurance and craftsmanship. With their mines long depleted, they turned necessity into identity, cultivating a reputation as unparalleled masons and builders. Their fortresses and stoneworks can be found across kingdoms, and while some whisper their time has passed, the Onyxborn take pride in leaving their mark in the bones of the land itself.
- Clan Emberforge: Scarred by the fall of Zeel’Croi, the Emberforge embody resilience amidst loss. Their smithing traditions remain fierce, with scattered families carrying the flame of their craft into human settlements and Concord foundries alike. Emberforge dwarves are often regarded as hardened pragmatists, tempered by tragedy but loyal to the Concord — seeing in it the best chance to reclaim a measure of their old glory.
6. Allies & Rivals
- Allies: