The Shield Mountain Dwarves
"I Keep hearing the locals refer to 'Shield Mountain Hold', or even more amusingly, 'Shield Mountain Clan', as if a single clan or hold could control the entirety of the Shield Mountains and the Shielded Lands."
Overview
Contrary to the common perception among outsiders that the dwarves of The Shield Mountains represent a single clan or hold, The Shield Mountains are populated by a great many clans across many holds. While in the distant past they may have fought over territory and old grudges, today they are by and large united. Together they work to rebuild their holdings, defend their territory, and trade with their new neighbors in Waylon's Landing
Government
While the various holds are all independant entities, when decisions regarding The Shield Mountains and The Shielded Lands must be made, they have devised ways to give all of the clans within the mountains a say.
The Convocation of Holds
Once a year, barring emergencies, the Convocation of Holds gathers to vote on decisions that will effect all of the holds under the shield mountains. The Convocation consists of a delegation from each hold, usually consisting of the heads of their most prominent clans, and each delegate gets a vote.
The Shieldbearers
In recognition of the fact that allowing any one clan to control important defensive positions would disrupt the polital balance between the clans, a military organization was formed, it's commander appointed by The Convocation of Holds. The Shieldbearers are responsible for manning the sunrise and sunset citadels, patrolling the Thunder Road, and guarding the main entrances to The Darklands.
All of the clans are expected to provide warriors to The Shieldbearers, often for a decade of service at a time, although some choose to become lifers, particularly if they feel a divine calling or that they need to atone for some past misdeed. It has become almost a right of passage for young dwarves, after they have cut their teeth in their hold's guard forces and are judged to be skilled enough to join The Shieldbearers, and nearly all dwarves serve at least once.
The Clanless
A legacy of the devastation wreaked by the serpentfolk, the clanless are the progeny of the scattered survivors of extinct holds. Too proud to marry into existing clans, and a poor prospect for marriage due to their clanless status, they exist on the peripheries of the holds that took them in originally. Due to their lack of status within the holds, it is common for the clanless to become adventurers.
Despite their clanless status, they are regarded with a certain amount of respect by most dwarves for their dedication to maintaining the names of their extinct clans. They tend to have small families, and the adventuring lifestyle is a dangerous one, so there are very few clanless families which have recovered enough in size to be considered clans again.
Notable Holds
In the vast expanse of The Shield Mountains, there are a great number of dwarven holds, some as small as a single clan, and others composed of dozens of clans and many miles of tunnels.
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Silverspire Hold
A particularly prominent hold, Silverspire hold is so named for the preponderance of silver ore beneath the large mountain peak in which it is located. Taking up the entirety of the peak and spreading deep into the earth beneath it, they are one of the largest holds in The Shield Mountains.
Known Clans
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Clan Silvershield
Clan Silvershield is one of the founding clans of Silverspire Hold, and is particularly well known for producing paladins, and for their members long service in The Shieldbearers.
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Clan Argentbrand
Clan Argentbrand is well known for its pius nature, producing many clerics, paladins, and inquisitors. Recognisable by the excessive amount of silver inlay on their armor, they are a strong voice for unity in the convocation of holds. They believe that the Sky Citadels were built for a reason, and that the clans should make an effort to restore and man them.
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Heartforge Hold
Built in an area where magma flows up from the darklands, the clans of Heartforge Hold have harnessed the heat of the earth to power their forges, and are known both for their smithing and their fantastic hot baths.
Known Clans
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The Anvilcracker Clan
Known throughout The Shield Mountains as master smiths, they produce incredibly ornate and well made arms and armor, and are one of the main producers of both for the Shieldbearers.
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Longhorn Hold
Well known both for their breeding of dire rams and the Thunder Lizards known as "Longhorns" by the dwarves and "Triceratops" by namby-pamby human scholars, and for their production of fantastic dwarven ale, the clans of Longhorn Hold control several mountain peaks, but their holdings don't go terribly deep.
Known Clans
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The Stronghorn Clan
Producers of the famed Stronghorn Stout, a hearty dwarven beverage which is much in desire throughout the clans of the shield mountains, and has recently gained the attention of traders in Waylon's Landing.
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The Quartzmane Clan
A small but influential clan, the Quartzmanes are known for producing highly skilled, if unconventional, thunder lizard trainers. Their often unorthodox approach to training is both the secret to their success, and the reason for the small size of their clan, as it tends towards either tremendous success or violent loss of limbs.
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Steelgleam Hold
Located halfway down the southern half of the Shield Mountains, Steelgleam hold sits on several impressive iron veins, and the composition of those veins makes them ideal for making high quality steel. Their hold doesn't reach into the peaks of the mountains, but their holding run deep due to the vertical nature of their namesake iron veins.
Known Clans
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Clan Steelcloak
A clan well known for their members storied service in the Shieldbearers, a high percentage of Steelcloak dwarves go on to serve in their hold's guard forces once their service in the Shieldbearers is over.
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Shadowcrag Hold
Built into a rugged rock face on the western side of the shield mountains, Shadowcrag Hold is in the unusual position of being located on the bottom third of the mountainside, and therefore subject to attacks from the orcs of the Shielded Lands. Because of this, the dwarves of this hold have become extremely proficient at combat on the rugged terrain of the mountain face. Scouts and rangers from Shadowcrag Hold have become known for their skill, and their dire ram mounted cavalry are renowned for their skill at navigating rough terrain as if it were a flat plain.
Known Clans
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Clan Slatecloak
Well known for producing extremely skilled scouts and rangers, the scouts of Clan Slatecloak are regarded as elite even among the skilled scouts of Shadowcrag Hold. Known for their use of heavy repeating crossbows, it is said that a handful of Slatecloak scouts can make an orcish warband think that they are facing a unit five times their size.
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Maps
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The Sunrise Citadel
This Citadel guards the eastern entrance to the Shield Mountains and the Lands Beyond. -
The Sunset Citadel
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