The Clanless

To the North there are a number of packs that are in fact, clanless. The small packs get along for the most part and have not formed a clan because each feel that they have their own calling that Gaia and the Great Wolf have set them on. They feel that no clan or clan leader is better than them and don’t take kindly to clans that look down on them or try to tell them what to do. They work with other clanless packs for a common good, and show respect to clans that respect their right to rule themselves. To generalize any more about the clanless is to do a disservice to them all. Independent and individual entities, Clanless packs have existed for generations and have made clear their desire to remain as such.
Some well-known clanless packs are the Longfangs and Bloodfangs, but they are not the only ones. A few examples include Pack Goldmine, Whitestag, and Silverspring.

Goldpine: 
A clanless pack that lives in the northern most part of the great forest, they got their name from the unique Pineed trees that grow in a swampy area of the forest that have needles that turn golden yellow. The swamp is not like the dirge, and is in fact a spring of life and Gaia’s gifts. Near their village is a Great Gold Pine Tree that was said to have been planted by Gaia herself. This tree is protected by a group of warriors whose only purpose is to protect this tree from any and all threats. When a warrior grows too old that the others feel they can no longer protect the Pine, he takes a journey to Onsallas to meet with the Longfangs. It is here that a unique honor battle takes place. The Goldpine warrior challenges an Ulfednar to single combat, though over the ages, this practice has largely become ceremonial. In olden days, the battle was said to be to the death: a Goldpine warrior capable of besting an Ulfednar had earned a warrior’s departure and would venture into the swamp to meet an honorable end, whereas an Ulfednar bested by a Goldpine seen as past his prime would be deemed unfit for battle in Pack Longfang. A Goldpine slain in this combat was also given a warrior’s funeral, though was undeserving of a death against the Mordok. In recent generations, however, this practice has taken a more progressive turn: The battle has become to first blood, and the Ulfednar traditionally throws the fight in order to allow the Goldpine the honor of a death in the swamp without giving his own life or detracting from the numbers of Pack Longfang simply for tradition.

Whitestag: 
“And she looked to see the Great Wolf who was singing a song full of rage and sorrow, for he had brought down a Great White Stag.”

Whitestag gets its name from the beast that was thought to be in the story of how Gaia and the Great Wolf joined. The pack has good hunting land, full of game and timber. When a new chieftain is chosen, he and the hunters will go on a stag hunt. The pack will feast on the stag and the chief will take the fur and antlers as the sign of his office. On his death, the antlers are placed on the walls of the great hall with the others of the chieftains of old. The chieftain rules from a seat known as, “The Chair of Sorrow and Rage.” This chair is made of fine carved oak with the image of the Great Wolf over a stag, singing to Luna. It is lined with snow-white fur and adorned with White antlers that is said to be the stag that was brought down by the first Chieftain, who took the name Whitestag because he saw it as a gift from Gaia.
If a hunter kills a white stag, he or she has the right to challenge the Chief for the right to lead. The Priestess of the Pack sets a task and the winner is Chieftain.
In pack Whitestag, there is no higher calling than to be a hunter. Even warriors strive to learn the ways of the hunt. The Great Wolf was a hunter, not a warrior, and Gaia admired his ability to provide, where a warrior only seeks to shed blood.
In an odd turn of events, Runeseer Solvig was viewed as High Priestess of Pack Whitestag. About 30 years ago, the pack’s priestess had visions of doom and went to ask for Solvig’s council. After a reading of the runes, she went back home and the hunters were made ready for an unknown attacker. That night, a blood moon had shown bright and the pack survived. In the morning several dozen mordok were burned. When Solvig passed, the chieftain and five hunters of pack Whitestag made their way to Onsallas to show respect.

Silverspring:
A fairly young pack, Silverspring came across their home only about 45 years ago. In an exodus from Clan Shattered Spear regarding what they feel was the unfair branding of their Champion, Pack Silverspring established a small settlement near a brook to the north of their homeland. It is said that they took their name because of the way the moonlight glistened on the water, which they saw as a sign from Luna that this land was blessed. While relations remain tense with Clan Shattered Spear to this day, many still call members of Pack Silverspring family, while others don’t even recognize them as a separate entity.
Due to their age, Pack Silverspring has yet to establish much of a reputation for themselves, although their Daughters specializing in healing magics have come to be well-respected in the surrounding territory.

Pack Redwind: 
“And the wind bled as it carried away the remains of that great battle. A strong red wind.”

The pack known as Redwind originally began as two separate packs, so small that they were barely worthy of the classification. They were affiliated with two different Clans. One was from Clan Axhound, and the other was from Clan Whiteoak. The two packs were looked down on in their respective clans because of their small sizes, and the fact that neither of them had achieved any great victories or glory. They were patrolling the edge of the swamp separately, having been assigned there by their respective clans, when a large-scale Mordok attack suddenly occurred at the intersection of their route. The two packs, realizing that they had no chance alone, came together to combat the threat. The resulting battle was extremely close, but the packs managed to win, only because they had joined as a group, both Axhound and Whiteoak. They decided that they had achieved a victory by working together, and they would form an independent pack as a result. The pack was called Redwind, a name decided on through mutual agreement between the two original packs. They both recalled how, after the battle with the Mordok, the field that they had been fighting on was so full of blood from their fighters and the Mordok that when the wind blew, it was a red color. The name reminds them of their victory over the Mordok which made them one pack. The culture that they formed is a mix between the Whiteoak caste system and the more ritualistic traditions of the Axhound, reflecting the direct backgrounds of the pack’s membership. However, no divisions are made that depend upon the Clan of origin. It is skill that shows what status a person has in the society of the Redwind.

Clan Shattered Spear

Clanleader: Laifnar Icefury
High Priestess: Gyda Shattered Spear
Warleader: Ulf Mossguard

Though unable to rival Clans Grimward or Nightriver in sheer size, Clan Shattered Spear nonetheless accounts for a substantial portion of the Ulven population of Mardrun. Housing nearly as many Ulven within their borders as Clan Stormjarl, their warpacks number far greater proportionately than most other clans, capable of fielding hundreds of warriors if need be. They act as one of the main bulwarks between Clans Watchwolf and Ironmound to the south and the Dirge Swamp to the north.

This proximity to such hostile terrain has led Clan Shattered Spear to harbor a great warrior culture. More so than any save Pack Longfang, Clan Shattered Spear emphasizes martial prowess and honor in battle. Before they can swing a sword, pups are taught how to care for armor and blades, teaching them respect for the steel in hand as if it were an extension of the self, rather than a tool for war.

Despite this culture, the people of Clan Shattered Spear are not barbarians or savages. Many who embraced the colonists sought to learn from their tactics, hoping to find new strategies to bring to bear against the Mordok. While their stories will romanticize legendary warriors, they do recognize the need for support, be it political, agricultural, or numerical. As a result, Clan Shattered Spear has developed strong bonds with Clans Watchwolf, Goldenfield, and Nightriver, respectively.

Insistent on the honor and legacy of individual warriors, the Ulven of Clan Shattered Spear do not pass down swords in the traditional sense, from one generation to the next. Instead, when a warrior is slain and their remains recovered, their weapon is melted down and recast, adding the bones of the warrior to the flames when smithing. It is said this allows the spirit of past warriors to guide and protect their ancestors, while still allowing the soul to join the Great Wolf. As such, it is beyond taboo to take the weapon of a fallen warrior, thereby denying them the honor of watching over their family beyond their own death.

Recent/Current Events:
Year 264
The large swath of land held by Clan Shattered Spear was critical in the containment of Clan Grimward during this war, and their honorable, numerous warriors served as a substantial deterrent to Grimward expansion into their territory. Spending a great deal of their time looking outward, Clan Shattered Spear was in contact with Clan Watchwolf until the battles that wrested control of that land away from the current residents who had, time and time again, been offered refuge in Shattered Spear territory. As the war escalated, so too did Shattered Spear’s involvement, though for the sake of the Coalition, many of their warriors remained at home to control their own borders. Finally, with the official alliance with Clan Ironmound, Clan Shattered Spear and their new ally were instrumental in coordinating the barrier that held Clan Grimward in check, surrounding them by Shattered Spear and Ironmound territory to the north, the Wolf’s Hackles Mountains to the east, and Stormjarl and Nightriver territory to the south.

Clan Shattered Spear has also been one of the most aggressive clans actively pursuing answers regarding the Lorespeakers and their alleged treachery against the Ulven people. Laifnar Icefury, Clanleader of Shattered Spear, has had his hands full simply trying to reign in bands of vigilantes seeking to exact their own revenge on these traitors, but is himself interested to find them and make sure justice is done.

Year 265
With the war ended between the Clans, Clan Shattered Spear got its fair share of reparations when they signed the peace treaty. While the Clan was suspicious of Clan Grimwards intent, they didn’t have time to ponder about possibilities when the Mordok began to unleash the Creeping Corruption upon its people. The pressure with raids coming from the Dirge forced the Clan to ask for allies, and unexpectedly Clan Grimward took up the call and sent multiple warpacks to assist, along with Clan Ironmound sending high quality arms and armor to better equip the warriors out in the field. While the aid from Clan Ironmound was well received, the aid from Clan Grimward was welcomed with a decent amount of suspicion.

Towards the end of the year, the lasting effects of the Mordok raids have shown their true colors in the form of the land becoming corrupted. Daughters of Gaia from the clan work around the clock and even ask for any aid in helping identify how these pockets of rot and decay are forming, and to find a possible way to combat it. Even more troubling was the reports of the Dirge Swamp itself expanding ever so slowly.

Year 266
With the combined forces of Clan Shattered Spear, Clan Grimward, and Clan Ironmound the Mordok are successfully pushed back to the Dirge Swamp borderlands. However, the ease of this task didn’t go unnoticed by Warpack Leaders and Warleader Ulf Mossguard. The attacks that do come throughout the year seem to be only half hearted attempts in some form or another. However, the Mordok’s true intention finally came to be revealed as a diversion from the packs that were sneaking down through the forests and mountains that border Clan Shattered Spear’s eastern border.

In the summer, Warleader Ulf Mossguard sent all and any able bodied warrior on the eastern half to aid Clan Riverhead’s seige by the Mordok. Thankfully they were able to get a large portion of the civilians out on their neighboring clan’s western border, but not without substantial loss of warriors in holding back the seemingly endless waves of Mordok warriors.

After the fall of Clan Riverhead, the clan holds a moot that seems to last for months, deciding on what to do with the refugee’s from the clan. Many want to aid them by helping reclaim the taken land however, many more feel it would be wiser to wait for aid from the other clans and just absorb the refugee’s into Clan Shattered Spear. While many from Pack Riverhead understood the decision to be absorbed, many of them still voiced their desire to reclaim their lost land in the future, which looked possible with the result of the Grand Moot held in December of that year, with the clans deciding to push the Mordok back into the swamp and begin their war.

Year 267
Clanleader Laifnar Icefury and Warleader Ulf Mossguard send out a direct order to all abled bodied warriors to hold the Mordok back from the Dirge Swamp with extreme force. However, Warleader Ulf Mossguard orders a select few of his best warpacks to enter into the Great Forest during the Great Wolf’s Hunt and begin a pincer move in coordination with Clan Whiteoak’s own forces while the rest of the clans came from the south. Their efforts paid off well and were successful in both driving out the Mordok from the former Riverhead lands and the Great Forest with aid from the other clans and allies.

With the Mordok now driven back, the time to build up and begin preparations for all out war to begin. Pack Dawnrock is chosen as the pack starts building the Clan Shattered Spear Outpost while other war packs hold off the Mordok. In only a few months, and only a few casualties, The Outpost is built and is fully staffed with warriors to defend the area. During this entire process, lumber workers and labor teams harvest tree after tree in great speed and skill and send supplies north to help build and reinforce the series of outposts being dubbed the Shield of Mardrun.

Finally the push into the Dirge begins, and even though many of the warriors of Clan Shattered Spear are eager to plunge blade and spear into the enemy, they are met with endless waves of Mordok. So much so that their momentum is brought to a deadening halt and are forced to start falling back. However, in the last month of the year the combined forces from the Clans worked together to coordinate a retreat from the Mordok Forces while a key centralized area took on all the enemy forces without a break. With that opportunity, Clan Shattered Spear was able to slaughter multiple Mordok raiding groups and get all able bodies back behind the Shield.

Year 268
With the Shield now being manned and constantly supplied, Clan Shattered Spear takes a moment to relax and recover from years of fighting both Ulven and Mordok forces. Warriors returned home, lumber mills returned to regular demands, and all seemed to feel the tension in the land release. With that, talks between the Clan Whiteoak and Clan Shattered Spear open up to begin forming their own alliance. However, due to once being enemies in the Ulven Civil War, these talks go on throughout the year, and eventually settle on a name for their new alliance: The Northern Protectorate.

Meanwhile, Pack Riverhead begins to reclaim some of its ancestral lands but are met with Clanless and Bandits who have settled on the once abandoned land. The pack is outraged and tries to bully the now settled individuals into leaving, but are unfortunately met with a strong resistance from the Bandit Lords that have settled the area.

Clan Goldenfield

Clanleader: Hoskuld Goldenfield
High Priestess: Svanhild Goldenfield
Warleader: Brenna Tallgrain

Clan Goldenfield is a small clan in the east of Mardrun. They are bordered to the east by Clan Spiritclaw, to the west by Clan Nightriver, Clan Riverhead in the northwest, and the Great Forest to the north.

The people of Clan Goldenfield, unique among all Ulven, are not warriors. Instead, they focus almost solely on agriculture, growing a great quantity of grains of all types, as well as vegetables and fruits. Their abundance of “golden fields” marked their people in the far past and eventually allowed for their unification under one leader and name. They are masters of their craft, easily the most skilled farmers on Mardrun. Consequently, they have an unbreakable tie to the land that stretches back many generations. It is said that a Goldenfield farmer can tell the fertility of any soil by crumbling it through his fingers, and can say, beyond the shadow of doubt, what will grow best there. It is also said that any Goldenfield child learns to till a field before they learn to walk, though this rumor is taken with a grain of salt by other clans.

Being primarily working people, Clan Goldenfield’s Ulven generally do not wear facial markings, as their intense labor would soon destroy the paint. They also do not wear clothes of many colors, preferring brown and black over more eye-catching hues. This is because work stains do not show as easily on those colors. However, on special occasions such as feast days or mating ceremonies they may wear more delicate clothing and marks, which are overall light brown or green in color. They are commonly stylized to look like types of grain such as wheat or barley, but with an artistic flourish that belies the more simple nature of the Clan.

Any Ulven from Clan Goldenfield, despite their differences from most Ulven, will still exhibit extreme pride in their work, and will not stand for criticism of their way of life, which on occasion is forthcoming from other clans. This criticism is often meant in jest, despite the interpretations internalized by members of Clan Goldenfield: There is no clan on Mardrun who has not turned to the Goldenfield farmers to see them through a famine or to help them rebuild after Mordok raids. Clan Goldenfield’s decision to ally with the colonists and Clan Nightriver in the Civil War was a major blow to the Grimward war machine due to an increased need for production.

Recent/Current Events:
Year 264
Despite their avoidance of direct conflict in the war, Clan Goldenfield was instrumental in the victory won by the Coalition. One of the earlier clans to join with Nightriver, Clan Goldenfield made it known from the beginning that their contribution would be that of farmers and food, not of warriors, and they made good on that promise. Late in the harvest season, however, Clan Goldenfield drew the attention and ire of Clan Riverhead’s Daughters of Gaia, called upon to help investigate a mysterious blight that had ravaged the Goldenfield crop and left much of the Coalition reeling in its wake. The Riverhead representatives made known their belief that the blight was a punishment from Gaia herself, urging her children to return to the natural order of things. Despite this, however, Clanleader Hoskuld Goldenfield stood strong in his alliance with Nightriver, promising whatever aid he was able.

Year 265
The year was starting the same as usual: waiting for the thaw, planning what crops to plant where, and telling stories within their huts. This normalcy was interrupted by the notificatin that there were Undead on Mardrun, which spurred Warleader Brenna Tallgrain to send a couple warpacks to assist in destroying the abominations before they became more of a problem. For the only kind of good undead in the eyes of Clan Goldenfield, is a destroyed one.

Meanwhile, the Clan Watchwolves of Luna seeks aid in the form of food, clothing, and shelter after the fall of their western half. Feeling their pain and seeing the struggle of the now barely existing clan, Clanleader Hoskuld Goldenfield and High Priestess Svanhild Goldenfield personally intervene and send supplies and aid to the wounded, hungry and cold to their southern neighbors while their workforce continues to harvest as much food, wood, and other supplies before the next snowfall.

Year 266
Once again, the clan waits for the forces of winter to subside, however their longtime allies in Clan Riverhead ask for aid to help deal with the increased Mordok raids. Warleader Brenna Tallgrain sends what warpacks she is able to scrape together and help, in an usually odd choice of evacuating what Clan Riverhead civilians that can be saved. Many within the clan questioned his method, but the hardened Warleader felt as if this was only the beginning of a much worse fate for their neighbors. Sure enough, by the end of the summer Clan Riverhead is all but memory as the Mordok flood and destory anything in their path.

Due to such a threat now looming to the north, the clan moves to strengthen their defenses and horde up as much supplies as possible for the possibly bloody winter. During the beginning of fall though, word reaches Clanleader Hoskuld Goldenfield of Clan Ironmound calling for a Grand Moot, an event that hasn’t been done in living memory of the Ulven. Hoskuld, the current Clan Riverhead High Priestess,and a company of diplomats travel to Clan Ironmounds capital to add their voice and more clout to the call, since his very own clan could be the next to fall to the Mordok menace to the north of their clan borders.

Year 267
With the Grand Moot over and actions decided, Clan Goldenfield begins its duty to help supply the united front of Ulven forces. Thankfully they built up enough spare supplies to help take a significant load off the united front for the Great Forest counter offensive. Even more fortunate is the early spring thaw that comes with the turn of the year, allowing the clan to begin their usual planting well ahead of schedule. With this extra time, the Packs decide to further expand their fields further into the great forest as the Mordok are driven out by the end of Spring to help with the winter crops.

This pattern continues throughout the year, planting and harvesting as efficiently as they are able to. By the end of the year, the clan could have filled its storehouses twelve times over with the amount of supplies generated for the war effort. However, the attacks into the swamp are halted and it seems that such a huge increase in demand will begin to drop as forces stay and defend on the Shield of Mardrun.

Year 268
Many in the clan take the winter to relax and recover from the nearly year long rush of harvesting supplies from every possible source known and at their disposal. In February, that relaxation is shattered with the announcement of Clan Grimward and Clan Ironmound forming an alliance called the Ironward Alliance, joining forces to create a martial powerhouse. Many other clans begin their scramble to also solidify an alliance to protect themselves from those who formed such a bond. It was a bit of a surprise though that Clanleader Branthur Nightriver hismelf came to discuss a possible alliance with Clanleader Hoskuld Goldenfield. The initial meeting was well received and correspondence continued throughout the entire year. By the time late fall was rolling around and the late harvests began, the announcement of the Goldenriver Trade Alliance came to the ears of Clan Goldenfield’s citizens. Many are eager to see what this new economic powerhouse will achieve and feeling safer with Clan Nightriver as a dependable ally.

Clan Squallborn

Clanleader: Bodil Squallborn
High Priestess: Jorunn Squallborn
Warleader: Calder Whitecap

Recent/Current Events:
Year 264
Limited by their small numbers, Clan Squallborn was still instrumental in the fighting against Clan Stormjarl by using their naval presence to establish a blockade around their foe, helping besiege their territory. When the blockade was eventually broken by the combined might of Clan Stormjarl and New Aldoria, the Squallborn ships found new ways to be effective, such as depositing Whiteoak raiders on the colonies’ shores to raid some of the smaller settlements. After being left out of the negotiations for the end of the war, Clan Squallborn has been very vocal about their anger with both Clans Nightriver and Clan Grimward and has made threats to refuse to sign the document.

Year 265
The Ulven Civil War has ended, however not in Clan Squallborn’s favor. The terms and conditions set forth by Clan Nightriver and its allies are scoffed at and Clan Leader Bodil Squallborn refuses to pay back the reparations agreed upon by Clan Grimward and Clan Whiteoak. Feeling safe and secure in their seclusion on the other side of the continent, the Clan votes to not sign the treaty and keep all the wartime profits gained from raiding Clan Stormjarl to themselves.

This however leaves Clan Squallborn open to an invasion led by Clan Stormjarl, New Aldoria, and supporting allies in claiming one third of their land. Even worse for the clan, these lands that were taken were most of their fertile farmland that the clan held possession of. While their warriors fought back with great ferocity, they were only able to halt the invasion after it was too late. The cries for aid from Clan Leader Bodil Squallborn for reinforcements from their former allies fell upon deaf ears and were ignored, due to their own hubris.

Year 266
Winter is harsh for Clan Squallborn, even with the invaders in their ancestral home the Clan continues to hold the line against any further advancement into their lands. However, many packs feel it would be suicide to attempt a full on assualt against the combined forces of New Aldoria and Clan Stormjarl, leaving only a few packs with enough courage to dare raids to gain supplies so that they can survive the rest of the winter. Thankfully, those who did raid were able to gain some supplies and survive better than their fellow Clanmates.

With the spring came a new enemy, the Mordok, and they came in overwhelming force from the Great Forest. Thankfully every other able bodied warrior went on the defensive once the nearly endless forces descended from the Dirge Swamp, leaving Clan Squallborn to defend against the raids. However, once again these enemies pressed Clan Squallborn to use up almost all of its supplies in order to drive back the Mordok. Thankfully some outside forces were able to donate supplies in return for a promise to assist in the assault on the Mordok in the coming year. A promise they vowed to uphold.

Year 267
The time to deliver on their promise to help drive back the Mordok back into the Dirge Swamp has come, and the few warriors that Clan Squallborn had are sent. The fights are brutal, bloody, and long, often leaving many of the warpacks in shambles after a confrontation. However, they succeed along with many other warpacks to drive the Mordok out of the Great Forest and back north. Once the Mordok are back beyond Clan Whiteoak’s Borders, the Clan then begins to focus on trying to rebuild, realizing that the land that was taken will never be reclaimed. They attempt to turn some promising land in the Great Forest into farmland, however are only able to just barely sustain the clan.

In September, the time for war has come and the Clan once again sends its forces north to help bring the fight to the Mordok. Unfortunately fortune was not in the Ulven’s favor, for the Mordok fought back harder than ever, devastating the combined Ulven armies. By the time December came around, the remaining forces of Clan Squallborn were a mere memory of what they once were.

Year 268
After pushing back the Mordok and keeping them at bay at the Shield of Mardrun, the Clan’s resources reached its limit. With both the winter and the war, food stores and other supplies became nearly non-existent for the common villager. Many packs began to decentralize from the Clan structure during the first half of the year in order to just survive. By the time that September rolled around the Clan was barely surviving and needed to find a way to survive.

Clan Leader Bodil Squallborn decided to take a desperate gamble, and sent Warleader Calder Whitecap to the Clan Stormjarl and Clan Grimward meeting. He gave the Warleader a critical mission to decide what clan to join under in order to save their people. Many within the clan structure didn’t like the idea but understood it, with a large portion expecting Clan Grimward to be the ones they formed under. To the surprise of many, Clan Stormjarl ended up being the chosen Clan to form under.

This led to a large uprising of dismay and anger, resulting in the packs under Pack Squallborn issuing an Aettinjav, an ancient Ulven challenge of clan leadership. Many different challenges were issued, even the dreaded Wolf’s Maw, and only a couple were not won. The rest of the packs that were defeated bared their throat to Clan Stormjarl, some less willing than others. With that, the once proud sea raiders of Clan Squallborn became part of their once long time rivals of Clan Stormjarl.

Clan Ironmound
Clanleader: Gustav Ironmound
High Priestess: Inger Ironmound
Warleader: Einar Stonefist

Clan Ironmound is next to the Western Watchwolf settlement near the Great Wolf’s Hackles. Most of the continent’s ore deposits reside in this territory, and the finest blacksmiths practice in this region.

They’re also an interesting clan due to a somewhat shifted power structure – they have fewer Daughters than any other Clan, and as opposed to the frequently matriarchal Ulven clans, they are governed by a circle of mine leaders. Thanks to their position near the mountains and earth, they are one of the few Ulven familiar with fortifications, preferring to hole up against the Mordok and defend, rather than hunting them down. Daughters and women are still respected, but they are somewhat more egalitarian in political structure – as a consequence of this, their emissaries tend to be women, as they understand that the other Ulven are less-than-comfortable with their approach to the earth.

Their reverence is tilted more towards the Great Wolf – they believe that iron and stone, like their names, are a permanent thing, and they understand that the tools they make are often used for violent means. Still, they take pride in their methods of harvesting iron – it is, after all, somewhat superior than the bog iron typically used by the other Ulven, and they are one of the few clans that has a ready supply of precious metals. They mostly use these to manufacture artistic objects for barter and tribute – not ones for ostentatious displays, they do tend to lavish a certain practical, beautiful art on weapons.

As one of the Ironmound traditions, upon coming of age, they are required to forge a single tool or weapon for their personal use, keeping it with them always. This is normally seen as a symbol of the Clan member’s decision to remain a part of the Clan, serving as a reminder should they wander to foreign lands. Upon their death, the tool is melted down and used to forge a small memento of their life. While their funerary traditions remain the same as other Ulven, this object is seen to represent the physical imprint that the departed Ulven have made upon the earth.

Recent/Current Events:
Year 264

Hoping to continue their trade agreements with both sides of the war, Clan Ironmound was adamant in their neutrality. Understanding the strategic value of the clan and their location, however, Grimward and Nightriver both urged Ironmound to join their side. Things came to a head in April, during a political feast held to determine if Ironmound would abandon their neutrality. The Coalition’s reaction to Grimward’s presence sent ripples through many communities, and their action at the feast, while criticized by Ironmound as a whole for being rash and violent, secured the alliance for the time being. Troops were sent to Ironmound to help them reinforce against the inevitable Grimward attack. Throughout the rest of the war, the alliance with Clan Ironmound proved to be critical in containing the Grimward threat.

Year 265
After a long fought war with the neighboring Clan Grimward, Clan Ironmound starts to rebuild the villages that were raised, slow down production of weapons and armor, and catch their breath from the whirlwind that was the Civil War. Just as they began to rebuild though, a new type of foe emerged in the form of the Mordok. Though only a couple war bands, what they bring with them is by far more frightening than any army, the Creeping Corruption. The disease spread like wildfire, starting in Hazemane Village, and quickly started to spread outside of it into Grimward, Shattered Spear, and Nightriver territories.

In the time of the pandemic, High Priestess Inger Ironmound calls for talented healers and clerics of all religions to come and help discover a cure for the Creeping Corruption. However, the Mordok began to attack in earnest against Clan’s Shattered Spear and Whiteoak. With the memories of the Civil War still fresh in their minds, the clan decides to send aid only to Clan Shattered Spear in the form of troops and supplies.

During this time Warleader Einar Stonefist follows suit with Clan Steinjottun’s Warleader and begins building up for what could very well be the inevitable war against the Mordok. The forges work day and night while warriors train relentlessly.

Year 266
Clanleader Gustav Ironmound begins the call for unification of the Ulven people to fight back against the Mordok. Meanwhile, his own forces were well underway to be ready for war and to slaughter Mordok in the upcoming conflict. The clan was met with overwhelming demands for armor and weapons from many of the northern clans, mostly Clan’s Shattered Spear, Whiteoak, and Goldenfield.

With the fall of Clan Riverhead, Clanleader Gustav changed his usual speech to that of a demand for a Grand Moot between the Clanleaders of the Ulven, something done for the first time in living memory. While some were slower to act than others, eventually all of the Ulven Clans, and even some of the colonists met up to send delegates and diplomats to have their voice heard. By the end of the Grand Moot, the decision was made: The Ulven were going to war.

Year 267
The year begins with complete domination on the battlefield from Clan Ironmound warriors. The clan’s heavily armored warriors carve through the Mordok in the Great Forest like a hot knife through butter. Riding their momentum, the warriors press further and push the Mordok like a wave back into the Dirge Swamp. It is in the spring that Clan Ironmound’s ability to produce supplies shines bright. Shipments of armor, building equipment, weapons, repair kits, and more flood the roads and trails to the soon to be Shield of Mardrun.

When the time comes to press into the swamp, Clan Ironmound is hit the hardest due to being the slowest and the most armored. That being said, the clan itself had prepared for such an onslaught and waves of enemies splashed against their shield wall, even when the advance was brought to a halt. During the tactical retreat, the Ironmound warriors acted as the rear vanguard, holding the line against Mordok as their fellow Ulven pulled back to the Shield to regroup. While they took their share of loss in the war, they were one of the few clans to lose so little in terms of lives.

Year 268
With the momentum no longer possible to press forward, many of the clans leave their outposts garrisoned with troops to help keep the Mordok at bay, and Clan Ironmound was no exception to this. They even left a small token of laborers and blacksmiths to help keep the troops of the Shield in good repair and to help with any Outpost repairs. With the majority of their attention now turned back on home, many in the clan wanted to lessen the arms and armor production. When the forges thought they would be able to relax just a small amount, Clanleader Haygreth Greytide himself arrives in the Capital to talk with Clanleader Gustav Ironmound and the rest of the Clan’s leadership. By the end of the month both Clanleaders agreed to join into an alliance they dubbed the Ironward Alliance.

Throughout the year forces from Clan Ironmound trained with the packs of Clan Grimward, bringing the skill and tenacity to the ranks of the Ironmound Warpacks. In exchange for these services, the forges of Clan Ironmound churned out arms and armor to outfit the Clan Grimward warriors. While this decision was met with some enthusiasm from the packs of Ironmound, there were many with the memories fresh of what Clan Grimward’s brutal attack on their families…

Stormjarl finally signing the treaty that ended the Civil War brings a sigh of relief across Clan Ironmound. Though they were willing to stand and fight with their allies in Grimward, they’d much rather not get directly involved in fights between Clans.