Snowview Clan

Borsas Dragonbane by Eron12 with Hero Forge

-Borsas Dragonbane, freelance blacksmith

The "Snowview clan are a relatively minor Meckelorn clan that has a lot of eyes on them because love them or hate them, the Snowviews are almost never boring.
Both individual clan members and the clan as a whole are famous or perhaps infamous for gaining and losing riches rapidly."

The clan likes money, both earning it and spending it.

by Me with Midjourney

Clan tradition does not codone using dishonorable methods in order to gain wealth. The clan is very okay with with using risky and unorthodox methods of gaining wealth.
The clan produces a fair number of adventurers, some adventurers of the dangerous life threatening variety and others try to find high paying work in human lands, make a fortune and come home. This is how they tend to make their money.

The clan is general friendly and gregarious, and a lot of this friendliness takes the form buying gifts, throwing feasts, and making generous donations to various temples. This is a large part of the reason they lose money a lot.
They also have a tendency to make bad investments. Some other clans say (only half in jest) that they are cursed by god Phidas.

by me with Midjourney

Another source of monetary woes is that not every Snowview adventerer is triumphant. Once in a while Snowview clan adventurers go on grand quests after buying fancy potions and other expensive gear and they never return, or else they return alive and bruised with most of their expensive gear broken, stolen, or otherwise used up.
The clan is a bit cold towards kalazotz by Meckelorn standards, viewing kalazotz as useful servants but not as true friends. This with the clan's general tendency towards friendly openess, but while they appreciate the friendliness of kalazotz they have modest disdain for the kalazotz lack of physical strength and timidness towards risk taking. At least that's what they will say in private, they are generally too polite to badmouth the batfolk to their faces.
It is noted that during the Meckelorn exile, the Snowview Clan mostly dwelled in cold sunlit areas that the kalazotz did not thrive in, so the clan had very little direct contact with the kalazotz. They didn't get to witness the Meckelorn kalazotz courage and tenancity when in their home turf.

Structure

The clan is fairly decentralized for a number of reasons. One, the clan values individual initiative and second because the clan has two leaders who are often undercutting each other.
Right now, the clan's official leader is the Clan Elder, but Joneal Snowview, the richest clan member, wields a lot of informal influence.

Culture

The clan is known to be generous to charity and the Nonagon and fond of feasting and partying. This is how they lose money. They also are prone to making bad investments to the point where the clan is joked about being cursed by Phidas.
The clan has strong filial piety to both living and dead members. A lot of the richer clan members routinely bail out clan members having hard times. This is somewhat of a controversial move in Meckelorn society. More traditionalist Meckelorn clans would let their failing members twist in the wind if they are suffering from their own bad decisions (though normally not to the point of death).
They have very nice family shrines to their ancestors though not quite to the point of having opulent shrines.
The clan is overall pious towards the Nine in general. They lean heavily towards Hallisan and Zarthus worship above the rest of the Nine.
The clan produces a fair few Lanterns among their sons and daughters.

History

by me with Midjourney

During the Great Meckelorn exile, the clan had produced a lot of famously skilled dwarf rangers who were especially renowned for their cold weather survival abilities in the mountains and The Great Colassian Tundra. That it is how the clan got their moniker "Snowview" and it made them a lot of allies because they saved the lives of many members of other clans who traveled with them.

After the Meckelorn exile, once the clan was no longer required to dwell in cold and dangerous places, most of them chose to relocate locations where they could be warmer and take up more sedentary trade skills.
Once in a while, a Snowview clan member will get the urge to return his or her roots and become a "winter ranger", but this no longer the norm. The clans Airy ethnicity are fading away fairly quick generation to generation, particularly since they don't often marry other airy dwarves into the clan.
The Snowview clan produces a disproportionately high number of spirit loas and a great many of these men and women choose to get back to their clans snowy roots.
While the clan as a whole no longer likes being cold, they still value their snowy heritage and say that it is why they are strong, adaptable, and brave today.

Snowview on the Others

Here the words of Hallmar Snowview as he speaks on his opinions of others he has met or heard of.
Greystone Clan: Our illustrious leaders are a bit too rigid, but at least they mean well and do not tolerate corruption in their ranks.
Redshaft Clan: We recognize them as kindred souls even if they don't always return the favor.
Red Scales Clan: In some ways they represent what we strive for. They have great wealth and prestige via bold and innovative means, and for that I envy them. They have lost much of their spiritual heritage and for that I pity them.
Heart's Fire Clan: A friendly and pleasant folk. We get along well enough but we seldom mix.
Dragonbane Clan: I admire their innovation and courage, but find them a bit cold and arrogant.
Order of the Stone: Noble souls with a noble mission. A few member of the Order are of our clan and we are fiercely proud of each of them.
Priesthood of Mera: Friendly folk, but a bit unneccesary. We do not require priests and priestesses to remind us to value our kin.
The Sóleið,: Wise folk, but a bit unnecessary. We do not require priests and priestesses to value tradition and knowledge.
Priesthood of Phidas: I don't trust people wearing masks, whether the man behind the mask is a dwarf, human, elf, or even a gnome.
Rangers: We don't produce as many rangers as our ancestors but we strive to give all rangers the respect they are due, whether they are related to us by blood or not.
Maiden Guard: I have no problem with women warriors. The daughters of the Snowview clan are strong (my sister is formidable indeed), but I am not sure it is necessary to field them in separate units from the men.
Armorers Guild of Meckelorn: Tight fisted misers, barely better than the Masks.
Kalazotz: They ask for little, and they contribute to Meckelorn society to the best of their ability, physical limitations notwithstanding.
Stahlheim: They are stronger than we Meckelorners often give them credit for, but they are not our martial equals and never will be. They are polite and friendly enough, but they have a slight arrogance to them they can't quite hide.
Mondert : I bear our long lost cousins no ill will, but they are so far away that their activities are really of no concern of us and visa versa.
Kantoca: Strong and hearty folk. My uncle worked with them and spoke well of them but says if you can't ride a horse well they won't respect you.
Borderlanders: I like them for their unpredictability, and I hate them for their unpredictability. They produce the very best and very worst humans with few in between.
Fumayans: I work for a Fumayan lord, so I don't want badmouth the people paying me. There is little to badmouth though. Fumayans are hardworking and keep their word.
Swynfaredians (Swineherdians): The sorcerer lords have the potential to use their magic for much good but these heathenous vipers too busy worshiping their dead dragon statues, bedding their cousins, and constructing petty intrigues to cast even a single spell for the common good.
Codenya: Good fences make good neighbors. We don't mix much but I think we understand each other.
Uskalans: They are awful humans, but I think they are better than the Swineherdians. If King Drosst were to die, I think the Uskalan people would be able to heal from their spiritual wounds.
Orcs: Our ancient enemies. I do not believe peace with orcs is possible, but I am content to leave them be if they stay far away from us.
Goblins: Their ancestors suffered greatly for generations, but this doesn't excuse their murder and theft today. The only courtesy I would extend them is an offer not to pursue them if they opt to flee your presence immediately.
Kobolds: I never really gave them much thought before.

Type

Family

Location

Land of Meckelorn

Official Languages

• Dwarven

Notable Members

• Hallmar Snowview

Related Species

• dwarves

Related Ethnicities

• Meckelorner dwarves