Hylliford Clan
A powerful clan of jotnar goliaths and firbolgs which dominate most of the Unresting Highlands. With a well trained large army, equipped with fine dwarven weapons and armour. They seem set to march out of their mountainous homeland towards the lands of humans and elves.
Structure
Konungr
The title held by Thorvald Vathlaussson, equivilent to a human king he rules over all jotnar within the Unresting Highlands.
Jarl
Equivilent to a count in human society. They answer to the konungr but rule a small part of land in his stead. The current Jarls are Hrapp who rules Skipalon, Mord who rules Viitakinen and Dagfinn who leads the huskarls.
Thane
Heads of clans were called thanes, now an almost defunct title with all the clans disbanded. Only a few independant small clans still survive to carry the title.
Karl
The freemen of the clan are called karls. They own homes, farms, stores, boats, livestock. They pay a tithe to their Jarls to own their land and live upon it.
Thrall
History
Once a relatively small clan in the Unresting Highlands, the Hylliford Clan survived by avoiding the larger and stronger clans remaining on the move constantly, occassionally raiding elvish or human villages to try and swell their gold and thralls. Despite this they were never able to grow strong enough to rival the other clans, until the arrival of one individual. Thorvald Vathlaussson. A great warrior goliath who emerged one day from the frosty tundra with his three brothers to challenge Dag the Thane of the Hylliford Clan, he easily defeated the old Thane and took over the clan.
Thorvald started to teach and train the younger clan members in fighting and tactics. They agreed to the training as no one was willing to take on the hundred year old warrior goliath. No one knew where he and his brothers hailed from, their former clan or how they knew fighting and war as well as they did. But no one would question it, they could see the benefits he was bringing to the clan. Transforming it from a group of nomadic scavangers into a strong fighting warband.
The clan roamed the highlands attacking rival clans. Thorvald demanded they submit to him and join their clans to his. At first many refused and were met with slaughter at the hands of the Hylliford warriors. The non-combatants of these clans were made thralls. Soon word spread amongst the clans of Thorvalds crusade. Several of the largest clans proposed an alliance to assault and destroy the Hyllifords. Many clans began migrating to join the alliance, though many were unable to make the jourmey without crossing through Hylliford lands. These clans reluctantly agreed to confederare their clans with the Hylliford, mostly out of fear of Thorvalds wrath.
The two oppossing sides met in one of the great valleys. The alliance was large but disjointed, the Jarls and Thanes could not meet an agreement on tactics and leadership. Meanwhile on Thorvalds side the Hylliford had swelled in thousands, and were unified by him and his brothers. The battle raged on for hours, both sides evenly matched. However the Hyllifords tactics, organisation and sheer brutality could not be surpassed. Hylliford spears, axes and arrows broke through the alliances shieldwall, supported by powerful magic from gothi, seiðr and skalds. The alliance stood no chance against the united clan. With the battle won Thorvald was the undisputed ruler over all the Highlands. He declared himself Konungr (king) of all Jotnar, he released all jotnar thralls and promised his people that they shall bring about an era of giants.
Now the Hylliford Clan under Konungr Thorvald has grown into a formidable nation of jotnars. Powerful, wealthy and eager to expand out of the Highlands seeking richer lands.
Demography and Population
Karls
The majority of karls (freemen) are goliaths and firbolgs. A few dwarves have found a place within the clan too.
Thralls
Captured during raids the thralls serve as unpaid labour to the karls. They are mostly humans, elves, gnomes, halflings and very occassionally orcs.
Territories
The mountains, taiga and tundra of the Unresting Highlands is the homeland of the clan. Though lately they have been pushing further south towards the Fellereth Woods and Lathelen Grove.
Military
The army is semi-professional, made up of warriors from the various goliath and firbolg clans that were assimilated.
Alongside these warriors are the zealot gothi, champions of the gods who wield their deities power of divine magic and martial prowess.
Seiðr's wielding the arcane magics make up a portion of the military. Capable of dominating, defending, debilitating and destroying with their magic, they are both skilled and dangerous.
Skalds the jotnar story telling poet musicians developed their art into potent magics. Capable of aiding those on the battlefield and devastating the enemy simultaneously.
Lastly the elite of the army the huskarls, warriors of exceptional skill who have fought countless battles and proven their value. Selected by the Konungr to be his personal house guard and elite fighting force.
Foreign Relations
The clan only has good relations with the dwarves of Dern Bhimuhm. Trade between the two is consistent and both benefit from one another equally.
The March of Teutonburg despise the Hylliford Clan, due to the savage raids the clan makes against them. Similar resentment is held by the Felfalon Ríocht. If a clan member were to enter either nations province they could expect a violent reaction from the humans and elves living there.
Comments