The Brennor-e
“The Brennor-e is like water, It is itself unchanging, but it shapes itself to fit all places. It is both the river and the rain. To guide us in our actions one must hear and know it. By following the Brennor-e, you act rightly. The Brennor-e is what helps us choose a path. " — Meditations on the Brennor-e
A belief system followed by the Ka-Demric Dwarves, the Brennor-e follows the Taoist like teaching laid down by Berronar, the Dwarven goddess of Hearth and home. The Ka-Demric belief that Berronar proved herself superior to Moradin, in a contest of skill, creating life (as she was a woman) and in besting him, he dedicated himself to her and her wisdom, which the Ka-Demric dwarves now follow. The teaching of the Brennor-e are absent dictatorial laws or rules, but instead, press on one’s instincts to follow and adhere to pursuing good and just action at the moment.
Followers of the Brennor-e technically still believe in the 'Builder' in his dwarven persona of Moradin, but view him as a lesser aspect in their greater cosmological beliefs. They are viewed as apostates and tolerated heretics within the Engarlands, but are among the Hammerites favorite groups to harass when no better opportunity presents itself.
Structure
The Ka-Demric Dwarves view the school and clan as essentially one entity. Once a dwarf hits puberty, they will be sent on a walkabout known as Kadrin Guzzen (Mountain Journey, a term meant to mean finding one’s way), where they are expected to travel to neighboring Ka-Demric schools otherwise gain a grasp on the wider world. They during this time are expected to petition a school for acceptance, which again, traditionally is their home school, though it is not uncommon for a young dwarf to petition a different school if they are more keeping with there personal beliefs, which is considered acceptable within the Brennor-e.
Such applicants will be put through a series of trials and rites to prove their devotion and dedication, which if successful, will be adopted into the school and clan. They will begin their formal instruction in the Clan/School’s Karbak and be taught the schools interpretations and views on the Brennor-e. They will also be given one of the school’s traditional weapons as stated above.
The School and clan can be broken into roughly 5 different ranks
- Gnol Rinri (Matron, Grandmother, Old Queen) - The head of any clan is traditionally female (though occasionally a Male leaders do slip in, taking the title of Gnol Rik instead). The head of a clan is meritocratically chosen upon the death (or abdication) of the current Matriach, amongst the elders. Typically the Matriach will have a chosen protege designated and groomed as their heir, through recognition by elders and peers is still required, and can occasionally lead to long gaps in leadership while the succession is being debated. The job of the Gnol Rini is to act as the Clan Elder, Leader, and in many clan cases the final word in clan doctrine and policy. They are the head of the school and chief administrator, and in general the adoptive grand-mother of the entire clan (which seldom numbers more than 300 in any particular area). The Gnol Rinri’s formal attire is a white robe with a silver brocade trimming, typically in tribute to Brennorar.
- Gnollengrom ( Elders) - Masters of the school and its administration, this is the ruling oligarchy of the school, overseen by the Gnol Rinri. They instruct students, manage the day to day needs of the clan, and otherwise conduct themselves as examples to be followed. The successor to the clan is typically chosen from amongst the Gnollengrom, and several important roles such as the archiving of clan history, the manufacturer of weapons, and other important tasks are taught and performed by this group. In any clan, this group numbers between 5 and 15 members. The Gnollengrom’s formal attire is a white robe, with gold thread trimming. When formally dueling, the white robe serves as a statement to their opponent that they cannot be bloodied or thrown to the ground. Doing either is considered a significant badge of honor or victory to whoever did it.
- Cethan (red-gold) - Zanbryn is a two-fold term within Ka-Demric culture, both referring to someone who has mastered both the Karbak and Brennor-e to a sufficient level as to be allowed to go out and server mercenaries, and those that do it. This rank is divided up into sub-ranks known as stones (1st stone, 2nd stone, 3rd stone, etc; the number and meaning varies by school), and signifies those who beyond being allowed to serve as mercenaries have mastered the fundamentals of the clan’s teachings and beliefs to such a degree that they are allowed to begin teaching, and at higher ranks may be given pupils to mentor. This is similar to having achieved your ‘black-belt’ in modern martial arts. The Cethan are noted by their Blood-Red shirts, as noted previously, partly worn to hide any bleeding they might endure in combat.
- Dakalan (Clans-men, laymen) - Those that have learned the basic tenants, teachings of the Brennor-e, and the Karbak, but do not wish or can no longer pursue/teach Zanbryn for whatever reason fill this rank. These are the shepherds, craftsmen, cooks, farmers, and similar members of the community that fill the necessary roles of society.
- Debazul (New Metal) - This is the term of students of the clan/school, typically between the ages of early puberty to the age of majority. These students may not be blood relations or from families historically of the clan, having instead joined during their Kadrin Guzzen. They are taught the Karbak of the clan, taught the Brennor-e and questioned on it, and nurtured down the path they wish to pursue. During their tenure as Debazul, the formal wear is a dark grey or black simple shirt and clothing, as to show the least wear and harm if thrown or hurt, and be easily mended.
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