Stone Anvil Circle

Races: Gold and Shield Dwarves
Classes: Any
Alignments: Any non-evil
Deities of worship: The Dwarven Pantheon
Enemies: The Threshold of Dominion
Allies: The Holy Covenant, The Keepers of the Illuminated Archive, and Tel'Corteu


Overview

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The Stone Anvil Circle is a collection of dwarven clans. These clans are the founding members of Bryn Duraz and the backbone of the city, responsible for both the construction and the governing of the city.

Not all members of the Stone Anvil Circle are tasked with making decisions about how the city is to be ran. Instead, each clan sends one representative to the Council of Bryn Duraz, and it is this council that acts as the ruling body of the city. It is up to the individual clans to decide who will be their representative in the council.

While each clan is a family and extended family of typical dwarven traditions, each clan is slightly different than the other in terms of personality and goals. Each clan has a patron deity, though all honor and respect the entire pantheon.


Rank Structure

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Each clan has one leader, which is the person who occupies that clan's council position. In addition, each clan recognizes a second individual as being the leader's next-of-kin, who is available to step into the position of the leader in the event the leader should die or is no longer able to serve the council. In the event the clan leader is not available, the next-of-kin is looked to for leadership. Everyone else is considered simply a member of the clan, or in some cases an apprentice of sorts. Members of a clan are either related by blood to other members, or adopted into the clan by the clan's leader.

The council elects from their group one dwarf to lead them all, acting as a figurehead and spokesperson for the city. While the rest of the council members are generally addressed as "Lord" or "Lady", this leader is addressed as the "Thane".

Any shield dwarf or gold dwarf has a chance at being accepted into one of the clans. An individual dwarf's skills do not matter greatly as each clan sees life as a never-ending opportunity to train and hone abilities. Dwarves who somehow manage to know a little bit about arcane magic would be more welcome in Clan Silverspark than in any other Clan. Healers and those with a connection to nature may find Clan Earth-Heart most welcoming.

It is up to each individual clan to decide who to accept and who to reject. The only rule constant among them is that the member must be a dwarf, and must be in good standing with Bryn Duraz.


The Five Clans

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I. Clan Redhammer

Patron deity: Moradin
Typical alignment: Lawful Good

Clan Redhammer is the prime example of what it means to be a dwarf in Bryn Duraz. Honoring their patron deity, Moradin, members of the Redhammer clan are seen as strong, fair, and stoic in the face of danger. They are a wise and intelligent bunch with great respect for dwarven culture. To outsiders, their great dwarven pride can be mistaken for haughtiness - though to call them haughty is not entirely accurate.

Honor and the word of law are important to Clan Redhammer - but doing the right thing for its inhabitants is just as crucial. They use their council seat to further the interests of justice and fairness while keeping the city strong and morally upright.


II. Clan Earth-Heart

Patron deity: Berronar Truesilver
Typical alignment: Neutral Good

Clan Earth-Heart is potentially an oddity in the dwarven world - or at least, how outsiders think what dwarves are like. The Revered Mother, Berronar Truesilver, is their patron deity. True to such a deity, Clan Earth-Heart is focused most on diplomacy and unity among the clans and the people of Bryn Duraz. Their kindness and honesty extends to all, especially the members of the local druid's circle.This group is most frequently behind any plan involving charity or aid to the poor, and is looked upon most favorably by the citizens. However, some see the clan as being "too soft" for a dwarven clan.


III. Clan Gleamgem

Patron deity: Vergadain
Typical alignments: True Neutral

No city can last long without coin, and it is coin that Clan Gleamgem provides. Dealing closely with the local merchants and being mostly concerned with the local economy, Clan Gleamgem mostly responsible for the city's rapid expansion and economic boom. Clan Gleamgem's patron deity is Vergadain.

The reputation of Clan Gleamgem varies, depending on who you ask and which individual you inquire about. Some Gleamgems are characterized as dry, dull accountants whose life purpose is to make sure every ledger in the city is kept neatly and every tax collected. Others consider the Gleamgems to be greedy treasure-seekers who would twist the law however they please just to squeeze another copper out of someone's pocket. Its hard to say which is closer to the truth.


IV. Clan Silverspark

Patron deity: Dugmaren Brightmantle
Typical alignments: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral and Neutral Good

Another curiosity in dwarven culture, at least for Bryn Duraz, is Clan Silverspark. Throughout all the tension in the city between the magic-practicing elves and the rest of the citizens, Clan Silverspark has been the elves' greatest ally. It is not because they hold elves or arcane magic in any unusually-high esteem, but due to their love of invention and inquisitiveness. Dugmaren Brightmantle is their patron deity, and Clan Silverspark is a family full of inventors and explorers. As they see it, elves and their magic are just another form of innovation - and innovation should not be halted altogether.

Some say that it is only because of Clan Silverspark that elves and magic-users are still allowed in Bryn Duraz. Whether this is good or bad depends on who you ask.


V. Clan Dragonaxe

Patron deity: Clangeddin Silverbeard
Typical alignments: Chaotic Good

With their patron deity being Clangeddin Silverbeard, this clan is comprised entirely of honorable warriors with a zeal for combat. They are brave in the face of danger and unshakable to the core. They pride themselves on their martial skills, as well as their drinking skills and bar-brawl abilities. Their strength should not be taken for granted, however, because if called into action they will defend Bryn Duraz until their last breath.

Their personalities are bigger than their stout frames suggest, and they enjoy comradeship and parties just as much as battle. To outsiders, Clan Silverbeard is everything the dwarven stereotype brings to mind: endless amounts of ale, loud yelling, and brawling.