Major Clans and Allegiances

DWARVEN CLANS

Brightforge: Nestled within Sunshine Hill in the southern region, the Brightforge clan is strongly in favor of joining forces with the other civilized peoples of the Realm to defend themselves against the Dragons and the newly unified Horde.  This makes them the strongest of the Pro-Union faction.  They tend to be quite welcoming, at least as far as Dwarves are concerned, which bemuses some of their brethren and insults others.  They are seen as “bleeding heart” liabilities unsuited to the challenges of the world.

Darkore: The smallest, most mysterious, and most secretive of the Seven Clans, the people of Darkore are seemingly happy to hole up in the far north.  They are rarely involved in the affairs of the outside world, including among the Dwarves.  They have yet to declare an opinion on the Union issue, and in fact, rumors persist that they are actually pro-Dragon, which makes them highly unpopular among the other clans.

Greathill: This Clan is spread out over the rolling hills of Torgalen and is the second largest of the Seven Clans.  The majority of the Clan is Pro-Union but intends to drive a hard bargain if a Union were to happen, demanding strong Dwarven leadership and more lands in exchange for cooperation.  Many in the Clan see these times as an opportunity to spread Dwarvenhood and take a greater role in the Realm at large.

Grimstone: This is the largest Clan and its leadership takes that designation seriously, often acting as if they speak for the entirety of the Dwarven peoples.  They are firmly in the Anti-Union camp, preferring instead to unite the entirety of Dwarvenhood and reinforce their lands in anticipation of an attack.  There are known to meddle in the affairs of the other Clans, which agitates their brethren greatly, and yet they rarely face retribution thanks to their impressive size.

Highpeak: The people of the Highpeak Clan value knowledge very highly, and they believe the logical thing to do is to join up with the other civilized peoples of the world.  Despite being Pro-Union, their relationships with the Brightforge and Greathill Clans are strained, in part because of their differences in geography and goals, but also because the Highpeaks are often considering elitist snobs who think being Pro-Union is “high and mighty.”

Rubyhammer: The Rubyhammer Clan often claims to be the oldest of the Dwarven groups, which feeds into their ideas about Dwarven purity, which are the strictest of all the Clans, to the point that many of their people refuse to fraternize with people of other races in any circumstances whatsoever.  While this puts them squarely in the Anti-Union group, it also makes them difficult to deal with as they tend to pass judgment on the other Clans at will.  Their perspectives on racial purity are spreading, though, which means their stock in the Anti-Union camp is rising.

Thunderaxe: Easily the most cantankerous and violent of the Clans, the Thunderaxes are a war-loving people who will tangle with anyone, including their own kind.  Not only are they Anti-Union, they are extremely suspicion of Dwarven unity and would rather hunt down the Dragons and destroy them than wait for an attack.

DRAGONBORN CLANS

Nine Chromatic Clans: The Chromatic Clans, descendant from the evil chromatic dragons, are the most populous of the clans and dominate the majority of Dragon Isle, with the bulk of their power locate in the West.

Black Dragonborn: Vidrechar, Egrecherean, Fulruchtu.  All three of the Black Clans are in favor of joining up with the Dragons, but are notoriously difficult to deal with and have yet to reach a consensus among themselves on anything, let alone how best to support this new spread of Dragondom.

Blue Dragon: Mutruchdian, Kizzerak.  The Blue Clans are the most split on the Dragon issue.  Mutruchdian is strongly in favor of joining their forebears, but are wary of the rising Zechradarian Clan and determined not to let them dominate the conversation.  The Kizzerak, on the other hand, are totally against joining the cause of the Dragons.  They have a very negative view of their forebears and have no interest in associating with them.

Green Dragonborn: Bizrechon, Guruktian.  The Bizrechon Clan is in favor of joining up with the Dragons, but only on the condition that their terms are met.  The Guruktian clan, smaller but more prosperous than the Bizrechon, have yet to commit to the cause, and are mostly concerned with protecting themselves from their own kin.

Red Dragonborn: Zechradarian (united clans).  In an unprecedented show of harmony, the Red Clans have been united under a single banner after being enchanted by news of the return of the Scarlet Sisters, who share their bloodline and lust for power.  They are, by and large, wholly devoted to joining up with their kin and establishing a new dominion over the Realm, and are prepared to do this on their own if they are unable to rally more Dragonborn to their cause.

White Dragon: Xerechtyl.  The smallest of the Chromatic Clans, Xerechtyl has long suffered from the inhospitable conditions of Dragon Isle.  They see the rise of Dragondom as an opportunity to make safe passage to the North, which is their first priority.

Seven Metallic Clans: The Metallic Clans are much smaller than their Chromatic Counterparts and have largely cloistered themselves in the southeastern region of Dragon Isle.  They take after their forebears in that they are largely good and peaceful people, but the possibility of greater Dragondom in the rest of the Realm has many of them wondering what opportunities might be in store.

Brass Dragonborn: Lachrezian, Cractukahn.  The Brass Clans are the most eager to action in response to the newfound power of the Scarlet Sisters, but cannot come to an agreement on how best to help.  The Lachrezian are intent on joining forces with the rest of the Realm in the fight, while the Cractukahn want to seek out their Brass forebears to shore up their strength and seek their guidance.

Bronze Dragonborn: Karachulus.  The Karachulus Clan is keen to join the fight as well, but they view the newly united Zechradarian Clan of Red Dragonborn as the greater threat.  They want to unite a force to secure Dragon Isle first, then take care of the rest of the Realm later.

Copper Dragonborn: Fennelzhul.  The Fennelzuhl are a fun-loving people and do not care much for warfare.  They are keen to further peace with their Chromatic counterparts and believe the solutions to many of their problems lie in peace.

Gold Dragonborn: Jemruchal.  The smallest and most mysterious of the Clans, the Jemruchal have yet to weigh in on the matter.  They crave the wisdom of their forebears but are uncertain about forming an allegiance with them.  While they are almost certainly against the rise of the Scarlet Sisters, their attitudes about the spread of Dragondom in general are somewhat uncomfortably vague.

Silver Dragonborn: Drachedandion, Alchemacron.  The Silver Clans are united in their desire to pursue allegiances and deals with the rest of the Realm, but they have very different attitudes about how to go about it.  The Drachedandions desire allegiances with the other civilized peoples of the world but are cautious about making deals too quickly.  The Alchemacron, on the other hand, see the potential for many opportunities should Dragondom spread, and are tentatively in favor of cutting deals with the Scarlet Sisters, if only as an initial step.  This has earned the suspicion of most of the other Metallic Clans; it has also caught the attention of the Chromatic Clans, particularly the Zechradarian.

THE TRIDENT

The Trident is a loose association made up of the Blackplane, Drogsheim, and Wanderbelt Kingoms.  It contains rules on borders, trade, exchange of prisoners, etc., but largely amounts to a non-aggression pact.  It was signed twenty years ago by the royal families of these Kingdoms: the Amblecrowns of Blackplane, the Drogleys of Drogsheim, and the Whitestones of Wanderbelt.  The pact is enforced by a collection of lords and ladies associated with each Kingdom, many of whom have intermarried with their royals.

Blackplane: The Parkwirth, Draven, and Suker families have very strong holds in Blackplane and have been tied to the Amblecrowns from the very beginning of the Kingdom.  The heirs to the Amblecrown throne are expected to marry from these families, which makes the competition between the two quite intense.

Drogsheim: It took several families to help the Drogleys take the throne, but the Hornravens have long since become the most powerful of the noble families in the region, so much so that they serve as de facto enforcers for the Drogleys and lord their status over the other families at any opportunity.

Wanderbelt: The Whitestones make up a rogue Dwarven clan that intermarried with the Hemley family, formerly of Laurynvale in the West.  These two families rule the Kingdom in a fraught and sometimes confusing arrangement, which leads to a lot of under-the-table infighting and espionage.

ORDER OF THE HIGHER LIGHT

The foothills of Bright Mountain are home to a group of monks known as the Order of the Higher Light.  They seek to harness the basic forces of magic that unite the various Realms and Planes, a power higher and more mysterious than even the gods themselves.  They live in Lotus Hollow, a small commune nestled in a secluded area that falls under the mysterious magic of Bright Mountain.  The monks are a people who value service, study, and peace, and their home is open to widows, orphans, the ill, the disenfranchised, and the repentant dregs of society.  While they loathe violence in all its forms, they will protect the innocent who seek shelter with them by any means necessary.  They keep to themselves as much as possible, except when they go on their mandatory spirit journeys, which involve observing the world and serving where necessary while staying out of disputes and violent affairs as much as possible.