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In-Character Religion Guide

So, you’re interested in writing a religion for your character to follow, or perhaps building on an existing in-game religion for your character’s backstory? Well, we’re always interested in seeing that, but it can be a bit tricky – here are some guidelines to help you get started.

Start With Scale
In general, the more personal the religion, the easier it is to fit into the game world. Remember that, in historical instances, there were any number of tutelary deities, minor place spirits, and personal interpretations of larger religions – we’re not quite used to seeing that in the modern age, due to the prevalence of several larger faiths. So, if you’re thinking of writing a religion for your character, think about how they might have come across their faith, and the amount of work necessary to make it work – if you’re writing a minor, personal deity from your character’s home village, then you don’t need as much detail as if you were to write out a major god or goddess whose worship is universal across, say, Vandregon.

This scale also ties into another aspect – what sort of temples, shrines, or holy places might exist for your religion? In general, think about how you can keep this tied to the thematics of the religion – a nature deity would likely appreciate being worshipped in natural groves, whereas a more mercantile one would prefer sacrifices of money in spaces where trading occurs.

Think About Origins
Where might worship have originated? What appeal does this deity offer to those who worship it? In general, think about why a character would be drawn to worship – there’s generally a promised afterlife, and tenants that the average follower would feel make sense. This helps give your religion weight and feel a little more “real” – it’s hard to justify worshipping a god that places arbitrary prohibitions (for example, worship of a death god that prohibits any helpful acts), or concerned with only one thing to the exclusion of all other activities – even gods of war tended to have larger portfolios than simply battle and bloodshed, including protection, wisdom, and even policing (Seriously: Ares may have, at one point, been written as a god of watchmen. Most of our knowledge of Greek myth is Athenian, so it casts him in a slightly more . . . negative light).

While you’re thinking about origins, it’s also a good time to think about some of the original myths. As Last Hope is a low-fantasy game, it’s rare – even unheard of – for the gods to directly appear or intervene in the world. Yes, there is provably divine magic, but at the same time, the world where the gods are striding around overshadowing humanity (and Syndaranity, and Ulven. . . ity) is harder to make a personal impact. It’s also recommend that you avoid direct prophesies that are provably true or false – having a god of endings with a prophecy that points to Faedrun being doomed is okay, but one that directly states, “The undead will overcome Faedrun, and they will flee to a land with wolf people” is a little too direct for this sort of thing. In general, the fates of mortals is free from major divine intervention, and leaving room for interpretation builds for better stories with more possibilites to interact with.

Look At Worship
How does one worship this god? Is this religion organized in any way, or is it simply a personal belief, spread among various individuals? How is it passed along? Do you have any rituals, prayers, or curses associated with it?

All of these things serve to flesh out a religion – it’s rare that you’ll find any type of worship that places absolutely no expectations on the followers, and this is especially true of games with divine magic. They’re good bits of character flavor – there’s just something more pleasant about cursing the name of an in-game deity when your luck runs poorly or your character has reason to be frustrated. If you’re writing something up, detail some of this for others to read – writing it out helps to make it clear in your mind, as well as makes it easier for you to describe it to other players in-game and teach them about your history.

Look at Real-World Examples
I always recommend looking at real-world examples when writing this – they often point out little beliefs or structural similarities that you can work with when writing something for your character. At the same time, be careful of cribbing too much from real world myths and legends – while taking inspiration is one thing, it’s important to make things distinct and unique to your character, as well as the game world itself. If you’re going to borrow, try to blend things into an interesting mix, rather than changing a few names and mentioned locations, as the game world isn’t exactly a 1-1 correspondance to the real world.

Think of Symbols, Signs, and Sayings
The last part to look at is designing the outward appearance of your religion – are there certain behaviors, symbols, or phrases that mark someone as a worshipper? Are there certain objects that are sacred to their worshippers? If you’re designing stuff like this, think of how you can represent it in-game – the key phrase is oftentimes “Show, Don’t Tell”, and in terms of personal symbols, this is an important one. Making things overly complicated only makes life harder on you to represent it, and the key in many religious symbols is simplicity and recognizability, even if crudely made.

As a final note – please please please don’t just use symbols from real-world religions. We’re looking to avoid offending anyone, and while all of these symbols have historical origins, the confusion that this could create might make things a little harder for you.

Check Out Other In-Game Religions
Finally, before you’re done, check out what some other writers have done with in-game religions: there’s a wide variety of examples that are here, and we really hope to see the pantheons grow over time!

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Notable Locations

LOCATIONS
The Colony of Newhope – The first major colony established on Mardrun, it is the largest and most diverse piece of land on the continent.

New Aldoria – Established by Prince Aylin after relations with Newhope turned sour, New Aldoria has set its sights on becoming a major naval and economic power on Mardrun.

Aylin’s Reach – Aylin acquired a plot of sovereign land on the Eastern Coast, unburdened by it’s connection to the City-State of Newhope. He moved to this new land and established a city of Aylin’s Reach and spent years on a campaign to attract as many people as he could from New Aldoria as well as any who wished to live under his stewardship rather than that of The Council of Newhope. Before long the population of New Aldoria had shrunk and Aylin’s Reach grew to be a burgeoning capitol city in it’s own right. Aylin’s Reach now acts as the head of Aldorian government on Mardrun

Daven’s Hold – Once owned by the Baroness Catherine of Newhope, Daven’s Reach was a center of trade on Mardrun before being overtaken by bandits, who have settled in and are now hoping to straighten their lives out. Through a bloody campaign Catherine and her supporters retook Daven’s Reach and named it Daven’s Hold. It is now ruled by the Council of Three.

Onsallas Outpost – Operated by Pack Longfang, Onsallas Outpost has long stood as a sentry against the Mordok from the Dirge Swamp.

Dirge Swamp – The impassable, festering wound of a swamp to the north of Ulven lands, this seems to be the home of Mardrun’s Mordok population.

The Wayward Inn – Just outside of Newhope, this inn once stood as a meeting place for colonists to rest easy, though a fire destroyed much of the building and even more of its reputation of safety. As the colonies spread, the Wayward Inn is no longer considered a place of any real importance.

Starkhaven – The fortress of the Order of Arnath, Starkhaven was one of the first major construction projects by the colonists from Faedrun.

Darkport – A relatively new port town, Darkport hopes to establish itself as a hub of commerce and a melting pot of culture.

Keys Crossing – Home of The Ravens. Once a Noble House of Diplomats, Keys Crossing has grown into a highly regarded institute of learning. Keys Crossing has also been named the managerial head of all Newhope City-State Research.

Bladehome – The new sovereign home of the Broken Blade Corps. A place where they can drink, fight, and sing to their hearts’ content.

Ulvesal – Home to the Stormjarl Einherjar, a burgeoning collective of Stormjarl Warriors and Craftspeople.

Lumeria – Home of the Blades of Sol, a group of people from all races who carry forward the ideals of Solar

Shieldhaven – Home of the Guardians of the Wall, an upstart group of adventurers and fighters looking to help protect the land and see it flourish

Fort Dread Wyrm – Home of F.A.T.E. – a group of tinkerers, thinkers, and arcanists looking to revive the lost magics and machinations of the crumbled Syndar Kingdoms of Faedrun

The Fire Isle – Home of The Phoenix, a Syndar collective noted for their mercantile acumen and their love of pickles, wine, and friendship

 

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Darkport

Darkport

 Location: Far-eastern coast of Clan Nightriver territory, just south of Clan Goldenfield.
Leaders: Sailor’s Tribunal, council of three founding members who determine the direction of the settlement.
  • Nathaniel Artemos: Io’Larian Syndar from Fawyth, he is responsible for ensuring the financial prosperity of Darkport.
  • Eva Nightriver: An Ulven woman who handles the general political aspects of the settlement.
  • Haggar Rednettle: Ulven male from Clan Nightriver, he was granted a place on the Tribunal in exchange for Branthur’s permission to settle on the land. He is in charge of the political dealings of the settlement.
A recent addition to Mardrun’s coastline, the settlement of Darkport is a strange amalgamation of a wide variety of cultures from Ulven, Syndar, and Human clans and nations. Said to have been the original landing spot for the Wolfgang tribe of Io’Larian Syndar, the site was chosen due to the coastal location and the fertile fields to the north. Through the work of Haggar Rednettle, they have worked to establish a relationship with Clan Goldenfield, hoping to make use of their neighbor’s talent for farming, while offering their own access to the sea in return.
Though new, the melting pot that is Darkport could someday become a hub of commerce, though only time will tell if the diversity will be a blessing or a curse to the small settlement.
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The Wayward Inn

The Wayward Inn is a tavern located on the outskirts of the settlement of Newhope. Construction began when the colonists first started to expand on Mardrun, but it was abandoned soon after its completion when roaming attacks of Mordok and bandits increased. The colonists could note control the countryside well enough to keep the patrons safe at the Inn.

Recently, the influence of Crow’s Landing, New Aldoria, and Newhope all have led to increased travel and guards passing along the settlements. This has allowed the road the Wayward Inn to be deemed safe enough for the inn to open. Several Nobles in Newhope have pledged some resources into getting the Inn back up and running.

Even though the area is deemed safer and the Inn has recently been cleaned up and opened, the proximity to Mordok territory is still close enough for travelers to be wary. Traveling without an escort or bodyguards is still considered very dangerous.

The Inn was recently damaged very badly by a fire. The close proximity to Graytide territory and the outbreak of Ulven civil war this spring have left the future of the Inn uncertain.

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Dirge Swamp

Dirge Swamp (Mardrun)
The Dirge Swamp is a Mordok controlled area of swamp and wetlands. The swamp itself has no established human, Syndar, or Ulven settlements due to the lack of solid dry ground for building and farming. Long ago, Pack Blackwing pledged to start a settlement in the marsh. This attempt was either abandoned or all the pack members slaughtered, for not a single trace of any of the Pack has been found other than a few buildings that were started and abandoned; now sinking into the muck.

The Mordok control the swamp and seem to have a large number of Mordok inside its borders at any given time, but they apparently stick to small roaming camps. So far, not a single Ulven scout has reported a large enough settlement to warrant the number of Mordok in the area, but a vast area of the swamp has never been ventured into yet. Several adventuring parties, looking to make a name for themselves by discovering what is in the swamp, have ventured into the swamp and never returned.
The Ulven have a permanent outpost (Onsallas Outpost) and village on the Ulven controlled edge of the swamp.

Other than the fact that some types of trees grow exceptionally fast and produce a sap with healing properties, there appears to be no other resource worth any value in or around the Dirge Swamp… for either the Ulven or the Mordok.

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Onsallas Outpost

Onsallas Outpost (Mardrun)
Onsallas Outpost is the last Ulven controlled fortification before the Mordok infested Dirge Swamp. It is composed of a large palisade outpost that is within sight of the nearby Ulven village and is near the line of watch towers that overlook the edge of the Dirge Swamp. Although there are a number of towers, they are used randomly by the Ulven to spot any incoming Mordok hunting parties; it would be almost impossible to man all the towers due to the sheer size of the area they overlook. So far this has deterred some Mordok or helped to alert the nearby town or outpost defenders.

This Ulven outpost is home to some of the most veteran Ulven warriors, primarily ones that were involved in the battles with the humans and Syndar when the colonists first arrived. This is also the home territory of Pack Longfang. Non-Ulven are regarded coldly at the outpost, and the guards there frequently recount stories of battle with the colonists, the warriors taking pride in besting the foreigners in combat on numerous accounts.

If a discussion ever arises about who won the Ulven-Human Honor Duel, any comments about the human winning almost always starts a fight… and usually with live steel. Several mouthy adventurers have gone “missing” after visiting Onsallas Outpost.

The nearby farming village is committed to training to fight (in case the Mordok ever break through the outpost defenses) and with farming the nearby trees. Their close proximity to the Dirge Swamp lends the trees an unnaturally fast growth cycle and can be harvested much quicker than any other trees. They also produce Pineed Sap, a powerful healing agent, even more potent than Fae leaves. This puts a great resource right on the edge of dangerous lands and life is hard and brutal at the outpost. The Ulven have been growing the trees in the area and dedicate a lot of time and resources to the harvest of the sap.

Anyone leaving the protection of Onsallas Outpost towards the Dirge Swamp is said to be going “into the black”. The statement means that the person is leaving the protection of the Ulven lands and venturing into dangerous Mordok territory and also pays homage to Pack Blackwing who went missing after venturing into the swamp to try to establish a permanent Ulven Settlement.

Some of next generation’s greatest Ulven warriors are just coming to age in the village, learning lessons both from the land they live on and from the veteran warriors they frequently interact with.

The outpost itself is a sturdy fortification within eyesight and signal horn distance of the nearby village. Supplies are always an issue at the outpost because it is so far on the border of Ulven controlled lands. The comfort of inns, merchant shops, and plentiful food is replaced by tents, stretched out supplies, and dry rations. The nearby village is small and utilitarian, mainly a training ground for warriors instead of a place of comfort. Ulven on guard rotation can go to the village and spend some time with the villagers, but even the village itself is more basic. Some adventuring groups have begun to scope out Onsallas Outpost and the nearby village as a possible goldmine of opportunity. With a lack of supplies, it is suspected that a profit could be made trading to the outpost or the village, even with the cold demeanor that the Ulven there have towards non-Ulven.

Recently, in the face of an undead threat, a contingent of human Soldiers of Vandregon, led by an Ulven Captain, were allowed to reinforce Longfangs and help garrison the outpost. This alliance was integral in the discovery and destruction of the Lich’s power stone. The integration of Ulven and Human adventurers, and the success of their mission has been praised by both Ulven and Human diplomats as a major accomplishment.

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Factions and Nations

Titles, Nobility, and Achievements of Prestige:
The following list is the streamlined and “current” system of titles, nobility, and proper address for Last Hope (Mardrun colony time-frame)
Titles of Prestige and Peerage

 

Nations and Kingdoms of Faedrun
Human
The Kingdom of Vandregon
A massive human nation that spanned most of the southern continent of Faedrun. The kingdom was devastated during the great war against the undead.

The Kingdom of Aldoria
Aldoria was a merchant nation that held a grudge against Vandregon for many years. They took a background approach to the war on Faedrun and were eradicated almost to a man when the undead marched through their lands. Aldoria funded the colony and the boats sent across the seas.

The May’Kar Dominion
A human nation that created a beautiful city on an oasis. Proud of their spirituality and tolerance, they were critical in the beginning relationships with the Syndar. They are shrouded in mystery and shame as most of their citizens suddenly followed the penitent faith and betrayed Vandregon.

The Yabantu Triumverate
A human nation located to the south of the May’Kar Dominion, separated from it only by a relatively narrow stretch of Vandregonian land. They are known for their incredibly skilled craftspeople as well as the unmatched quality of their materials. They did not have a full standing army, but instead helped to provide weapons to fight the undead. When the May’kar turned the Yabantu largely saw the writing on the walls, many left their homes and travelled into the better protected hearts of Aldoria and Vandregon. Their artisans were invaluable in aiding the production of ships in Aldoria to flee the continent.

The Warring Kingdom of Richtcrag
A human nation comprised of several semi-independent provinces. Too scattered and tribal to mount an effective army, they occasionally raid the nations to the north and south. Their mercenaries are some of the finest in the world.

Nara Pentare
Found to the east of Richtcrag, this ancient province is home to beautiful poetry, a rigid and bureaucratic society, and a complicated code of honor and tradition. Secretive and isolated, they see the other human nations as nothing more than barbarians, something which is not helped by the nearby presence of Richtcrag.

Syndar
The Kingdom of Tielorrien
The largest Syndar nation to the north of the Celestial Mountains, Tielorrien is home to most of the Syndar population.

The Kingdom of Fawyth
A reclusive Syndar kingdom in the mountains, they are known for their vast trade and merchant network and mechanical crafts.

The Kingdom of Lairthuduil
The third largest of the Syndar kingdoms. They are known for their agriculture and herbalist pursuits.

The Kingdom of Karindren
A hearty sea faring Syndar kingdom who found themselves wiped out by an unexplained tsunami. Their people sailed north instead of joining the rest of the colonists on Mardrun. Their fate is unknown.

 

The Settlements and Clans of Mardrun
Human
Newhope Colony
The colony, home to several thousand refugees from Faedrun, is ruled by 6 nobles that all contribute to the economy, security, and politics of the colony. The nobles are in close relations to Clan Nightriver, the Ulven Clan generous enough to give them land to settle on.

New Aldoria
A small settlement that is second largest only to the colony of Newhope. Rules by the prince of the late King of Aldoria, the settlement welcomes visitors and new settlers and is growing in size.

Starkhaven
The fortress settlement of the Order of Arnath

Daven’s Hold
A former merchant trading post, newly recovered back from pirates, raiders, and traders. Now a well established Colony under the Council of Three

The Sojourners
A close-knit group of wandering nomads that roamed Faedrun and now live on Mardrun as a traveling caravan.

Aylin’s Reach
Soverign Lands under the control of Prince Aylin of Aldoria on the Eastern Coast of Mardrun.

 

Syndar
The Fire Isle
The island settlement that is home to the Phoenix Syndar.

The Village of the Jaguar
The home village of the Io’Larian Tribe of The Jaguar

The Shattered Villages
The loose collection of villages of The Shattered Tribes of Io’Larian Syndar

The Calavera
An Io’Larian tribe living on an island off the East coast of Mardrun

 

Ulven
Clan Nightriver
The largest Ulven clan on Mardrun. Made up of proud and honest Ulven, their size lends them to be very diverse from one pack to another. Led by Branthur Nightriver, this clan was at the forefront of relations with the colony and gave them land to settle on.

Clan Grimward
The second largest Ulven clan on Mardrun. Most of the Ulven that come from Grimward are more somber and superstitious than the other clans. Clan Grimward is currently pushing for extermination or banishment of the colony of “outsiders”.

Clan Stormjarl
A larger clan seated completely in Clan Grimward territory, they focus heavily on farming, fishing and trade. Home to some exceptional farmers, craftsman and hunters. This clan also owns and is skilled at using more boats than any other Ulven clan.

Clan Spiritclaw
Ulven dedicated to knowledge and learning who are home to more Truth Seekers than any other Clan.

Clan Whiteoak
A smaller clan that frequently uses white markings on their face and has a strict caste system.

Clan Watchwolf
A smaller clan that has two settlements, a varied culture from other clans, and a belief around a sacred pledge.

Clan Steinjottun
Arguably the greatest Falconers on Mardrun, this small clan holds a reverence to the Great Forest to rival that of Riverhead.

Clan Axhound
A small clan compared to the others, the fierce warriors of Clan Axhound have been embedded in a vicious feud with Clan Whiteoak for generations.

Former Clan Riverhead
Bordering on the Great Forest, Clan Riverhead’s strict adherence to tradition and reverence for Gaia’s sacred land often puts them at odds with the more industrious Clan Ironmound.

Clan Ironmound
The shapers of the finest steel on Mardrun, Clan Ironmound took their name from the rich iron deposits in their territory.

Former Clan Squallborn
Though they cannot match Clan Stormjarl in size or military strength, the history of Clan Squallborn as sailors drastically increases the influence of the small clan.

Clan Goldenfield
Expert farmers, the populace of Clan Goldenfield takes more pride in working their fields than defending them, often relying on the service of more militant clans to protect their lands in exchange for food during trying times.

Clan Shattered Spear
Warriors through and through, the people of Clan Shattered Spear have served as a barrier between the Dirge Swamp and the southern clans throughout recorded history.

The Clanless
Several packs do not owe allegiance to any clan, opting instead to follow their own path and seek out their vision of the greater good.

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The Clanless

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.

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Clan Shattered Spear

Shattered Spear warpaint is a gray horizontal line over the nose and across each cheek with three dots on each cheek below the line.

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.

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Clan Goldenfield

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.