House Zulzny

 
I don't give a damn what the North has ordered us to do. Go back to your fat Lords in their decadent halls and tell them to come try and force their will upon us. Let's see how well that works out.
— Elder Sorov to a House Rykov Diplomat
 

Overview

Sixty miles of untamed tundra separate the Southernmost Great House of Kungaroun from their Trost cousins. Yet their physical distance pales in comparison to the philosophical chasm separating the twelfth seat at the table of Elders from the rest of their peoples. Non-traditional and largely anti-establishment nihilists, Dwarves of The Wayward Star, House Zulzny, reject most societal rules, instead leaning heavily into a mindset of "they who have the power, decide." Zulzny Dwarves tend to take what the want by force, when they want, with little regard for the consequences.  

House Zulzny and the Great War

Given their lack of reliability and anarchist tendencies, it may surprise you to learn that Dwarves of the Twelfth fought with great prowess in the Great War. Demonstrating truly dynamic leadership, Imperials offered House Zulzny the chance to unleash wanton chaos upon their enemies, with no restraint, and to keep the spoils of war. Yet the Elves were careful to deploy them independently, on the fringes of the front and rarely near other allied troops, in the event they went awry. Those small in numbers, House Zulzny unleashed a barbaric and terrifying fury upon the Kynekin forces as they pushed Eastward across the land.  

House Zulzny in the Second Age

Following the Great War, House Zulzny faded from the limelight of Dwarven politics. They went their own way and rarely appear at the table of Elders in the distant North. In recent years, the Twelfth Great House has fallen largely silent, turning inward and becoming increasingly isolationist. Little is known about the happenings of the last of the Southern Houses, and many in the pompous North are more than happy to keep it that way. House Nazarov spies hint at a shadow of darkness that dwells below Zulzny lands. Houses Dyber and Rykov send emissaries, seeking to bring them back into the fold, but they are turned away at the towering mountain gates.  

Geography

Zulzny lands encompass a small square, spanning 140 miles North to South by 135 miles East to West that is almost entirely covered by mountains. Temperate forests line either side, but whether or not the Dwarves actually control those lands remains in question.  

Outlook

Zulzny Dwarves share an equal disinterest (bordering on disdain) for pretty much everyone and everything not House Zulzny. They have trade agreements setup with a few nearby cities in Rohligav, but generally prefer to keep to themselves.  

Story Seeds

  • Seeking to hide his true identity, protagonist Tashkerr Dyber claimed to actually be a member of House Zulzny in The Arrangement at Arden's Rest.
  • Type
    Geopolitical, Great house
    Alternative Names
    The Wayward Star
    Related Species
    Rank: 12 of 12
    Traits
  • Mannerless
  • Unpredictable
  • Blunt
  • The Stormbreak Mountains
     

    Leadership

    Sorov Zulzny couldn't wait until he was old enough to volunteer for the Deepwatch. He romanticized the idea of courageously defending the Stormbreak mountains against the monstrous Dwellers and being a hero of Kungaroun. Yet at the peak of his physical prowess, trained in the use of javelin and sword, the actual experience proved far more terrifying than anything his naive idealism could have ever imagined. Sorov cowered in fear from the tower-sized Dweller that broke Dwarven bones in its horrific jaws with ease. As a result, he was one of only two survivors from his Fist (a group of 4-5 man squads). He finished out his rotation as a disgraced stable-hand caring for the Watch's war bears and chooses to never speak of that time.


    Cover image: by dream by WOMBO

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