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Ilyara

Ilyara of the West
”The wind paints the earth as the breath of Ilyara.”– Traditional Greeting of the Ilyarians

Her Origins and Depictions
Ilyara of the West is a goddess whose worship arose in the early years of the May’kar Dominion, centered around the blended religious-philosophy of the Mahsai. Her worship is one of the appreciation and creation of beauty and art – she is seen as the patron of all artists, musicians, and anyone who prizes aesthetic beauty and harmonious creation. Her temples were places of great beauty – small, carefully designed buildings to catch the sun and stars to create beautiful patterns and changing designs on the walls, all building to a glorious altar for her.
Given the nature of her worship, it is no surprise that there are numerous depictions of the goddess – each of them different, but still hearkening back to their ideals. She has been painted, sculpted, and drawn in all manner of forms and depictions; whether she is a young girl holding her first paintbrush, or an aged performer still clutching her harp, all her depictions stress her nature as a loving goddess of creation and arts. Her followers tend to believe that it is the beauty of a creation, rather than the exact appearance, is the true depiction of her form, and it can even be found in natural forms.
Sites of worship and shrines to her pop up in areas of great aesthetic beauty – pure groves of graceful trees and babbling streams, a wind-carved rock with a feminine form, or even the edge of a great cliff. While her formal temples are often beautiful in their splendor, these tiny shrines were wonderful places as well – jewel-like objects of wonder, nestled in remote locations. As part of her tenants, any wandering artist may stay at a shrine or a temple for as long as they are passing through, so long as they offer the keepers some sort of beautiful work – a short song, a sketch of the land, a poem, or anything like that.
Her holiest of books, The Divine Mimesis, is always richly illustrated – a work of creation fitting for the legends associated with her. It details her follower’s beliefs, their legends, and other words of wisdom to the aesthete seeking beauty and grace. According to their stories of her work, it is her hand which took the newly-created world and made it beautiful – her breath shaped the mountains, her hand planted the trees, and her tears of joy at these new wonders filled the oceans and rivers of the world. Her hand is rarely felt afterwards – a flash of inspiration is seen as her direct guidance.

Various legends number her daughters and sons, who are given domain over other areas of creation and beauty, no matter how distressing they may be. While she has shaped natural beauty, it is understood by her worshippers that sometimes, acts of destruction may be seen as creating something new, and even the play of a blade in combat may be seen as a sort of savage beauty.
Worship of IlyaraHer followers find places of beauty to worship in – whether crafted by the hands of mortals or shaped by Ilyara’s actions at the dawn of the world. The time is immaterial – so long as there is something of aesthetic value to contemplate while praying, then they are allowed to worship and pray. This contemplation always takes place facing to the West – for it is the west wind that is seen as Ilyara’s breath caressing the world.
While meditating, her clerics must always engage in acts of creation and beauty – whether they paint, compose, or otherwise absorb themselves in tasks of material or ephemeral creation is immaterial to their worship. These objects of meditation are accumulated and displayed by her clerics to bring more glory to her name – in time, enough of her followers may find that an especially beautiful place has enough members there that they might construct a shrine or temple there.
Ilyara’s sole tenant is that beauty in every action is to be practiced. Her followers tend to eschew anything which might be seen as crude or ugly – it is their highest goal to find the beauty and grace of the world, which can take many forms.

Typical Prayers
For the healing of wounds:
”May the Western wind, the breath of Ilyara, caress and soothe you. What once was dead and broken is again made whole, what once caused suffering and discord is in harmony once again. May the beauty of this light, the beauty of this healing inspire and help you in all creation.”

For the protection of warriors:”Creation and destruction are both acts which are neither beautiful nor ugly – it is the grace with which they are performed that decides the nature of the act. Ilyara, cloak this warrior in your breath and grace, that they might fight beautifully in your name. Arrows, fly past and find your golden arcs. Blades, slide past, tracing silver arcs in the air. Slings and stones, skip and shatter that fine sand may come to cover. Warrior, Ilyara blesses your body that you might bring beauty to this world.”

For the blessing of a blade:”Shining light kisses this edge, a razor-arc to drive out corruption and evil. A warrior’s skill is one of grace and power – Ilyara, recognize the beauty in this act. They fight against the hideous forces which seek to ruin and destroy the art of your creation. With your hand, grip this blade and bring more strength to their arm. With your breath, may it fly straight and true to the heart of evil. All actions have shades – this is of the purest beauty and wonderment, that shines with the light of your creation and the art of those people who have found your inspiration.”

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Vardel

Vardel, Trickster God of Chaos
Worship of Vardel originated in the nation of Richtcrag – perhaps because no other nation on Faedrun was mad enough try worshipping the Skybound Trickster – and spread in the form of small bands of wandering worshipers across the land. His worshipers are most often gamblers and adventures, as their reliance on luck is legendary, although merchants have been known to pray to the Lord of Chaos as well in order to find greater fortune.

Vardel takes a more active hand in the everyday lives of his followers – worship of Vardel is always a gamble, as he is interested not only in the success of his followers, but that they experience the ever-changing chaos of life as much as possible. He tends to grant boons to his followers as often as he makes their lives more difficult – theologians explain Vardel’s interest in his flock as his attempts to alleviate his boredom with the various heavenly politics.

In traditional depictions of Vardel, he is dressed in many-coloured garments typical of Richtcrag, and always carries a well-worn, richly decorated deck of cards. His pockets bulge with coins, and a mischevious smile is always splayed across his face – the world is a fascinating place, after all, and he hopes to watch his followers experience something interesting. His image is rarely found on temples or shrines – his followers believe he prefers to be found on the elaborately-decorated tarock decks of the Richtcrag, where he is given the rank of the Fool in the trumps.

Worship of Vardel
Vardel’s worshippers traditionally pray to him at the dawn of each day, requesting that the day might bring good fortune and amusement to him. Their morning prayers typically involve some form of playing for chance – they most commonly cast dice or shuffle out solitare-style games while praying, although they do not bother to seek any meaning in what happens unless they find an exceptionally good hand or roll at the end of their prayer.

Their ritual for meditation is also quite unique – according to their holiest book, Magnus Liber Casus, they must attempt to test their fortune before beginning to meditate on his mysteries. Typically, this takes place by gambling – although it can never be a “friendly game” and coin must be staked on the game of chance. Any attempt to cheat Vardel by not actually risking anything will certainly bore him, which will have negative consequences for his worshippers.

Vardel’s worship is somewhat risky – he has a tendency to meddle in the lives of his worshippers and clerics, including making life more difficult for him. Anyone worshipping Vardel risks attracting his attention, which can either lead to great boons or great ruination,depending on his mood at the moment.

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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.