The Fellhammer Clan
The Fellhammers have been the kingdom's oldest and staunchest allies. The dwarven kingdom is the greatest providers of the Kingdom's ore, they are also the only ones who know the secrets of extracting shard weapons from the giant skeletons of the titans that were killed by the old gods. The dwarves of the Fellhammer clan make their home, Hammerdeep, beneath the tallest mountain of the land. While they are allied with the Kingdom they are none the less very secretive about the halls of their complex, although Oreads and gnomes live with the dwarves none speak of their time there. Since the great war the dwarves have secluded themselves even more due to the Kingdom entering in a treaty with the Wardancer Clan of orcs. Clan Fellhammer continues trade with the Kingdom but no longer answer the king's call and have repatriated their emissary in Nexus, no dwarf will speak of it.
Culture
Dwarves revere their ancestry above all. The tracing of lineage is of the utmost importance to them. For most, the long history of record keeping stretches back to when the dwarves first moved to Hammerdeep. Clan Fellhammer are great lovers of tradition, but with their culture waning and nations of other races rising, dwarven society is becoming more heavily influenced by human, gnomish, and even elven culture. This makes older dwarves quite nervous, as they see the more porous nature of Hammerdeep society today as a prelude to its extinction. Despite these changes, dwarves still spend most of their time crafting, fighting, or building fortifications, mainstays that have not changed since Moradin breathed life into the stones and made the first dwarf. Their society is divided into numerous families within the Clan. Each family is associated with a particular gemstone cut in a specific shape. These stones are often set in clan members' armor or the hilts of weapons. The dwarves of clan Fellhammer also forge special daggers in preparation for an infant's birth, which is then used to cut the newborn's umbilical cord. The dagger is given to the dwarf when they come of age, who is then charged with keeping it in good condition. When dwarves marry, they often create sheaths for their partner's dagger bearing their own clan gem.
History
According to Dwarf legends and traditions, these first Dwarves were carved by time from the rocks of the mountains, birthed by stone itself; shaped by Moradin, armed by Clangeddin and taught by Dumathoin. The Dwarven kingdom has been since its earliest days an honored ally of the kingdom of Man, the two often standing shoulder to shoulder against the orc horde or the undead scourge. It is the 1st King of Men, King Gareth Dragonsbane that defeated the wyrm that resided in the tallest mountain and gifted that mountain now called Hammerdeep to the 1st King of Dwarves, King Torgar Delzoun Fellhammer. Ever since both Kingdoms have always acted in friendship and common cause, until 40 years ago when the previous King of Men entered into an truce and trade agreement with the orcs of Clan Wardancer.
Military
The Fellhammer dwarves are expert war-engineers always using the terrain itself as a weapon or a shield. They rig caverns and tunnels to drop on enemies, they weaken the ground before a charging foe, they dig side tunnels and flank opponents from unexpected areas. They make deadly use of siege weaponry like their side slinger catapults that can shoot around corners (Catapults whose throwing arm is set horizontally instead of vertically for use in tunnels) or their infamous "juicers" (large stone drum with a wedge shaped piece of steel in front of it meant to be pushed from behind by dwarves and rolled down corridors).
The warriors of the clan are called shield dwarves they are all heavily armed and armored, most of their companies are heavy infantry but what they lack in mobility they make up for in tactics. They're formations move and wheel about the battlefield like a well oiled dwarven machine, the only exception to this are the Battleragers of the Gutbuster brigade.
Battleragers are a type of dwarf warrior whose combat style relies on raw instinct, anger, and physical strength. The individuals who practice this type of fighting are usually mentally unstable with a low life expectancy. Despite this simple attitude, battleragers are a key element of dwarven warfare. Their almost-suicidal style allows more strategic fighters to plan and execute more complex techniques, on already worn-down enemies.
The close-combat battlerager style means that all dwarves who practice it must be immensely strong and durable. The Gutbuster fighting style relies on immersing oneself completely into battle, relying only on instinct and aggression. Once in battle, these dwarves become most animal-like, their eyes bulge, their teeth grind, and drool flicks from their mouths and beards. Battlerager armor is usually thick and spiked. This armor is incorporated into their fighting style. Battleragers are taught to use their whole bodies in combat, jumping on their enemies and gyrating wildly making use of their spiked and rigged armor, which allows them to deal fatal blows with a barge, kick, or even headbutt. Most battleragers cover their entire bodies in tattoos and symbols, any skin left bare will be covered in war paint before battle.
Religion
The Fellhammer Clan believes only in the Old Gods: Moradin, Clanggedin and Dumathoin. They have many and powerful clerics under the mountain, as divine magic is the only one the dwarves will employ. They even have a militaristic order: the Hammers of Moradin, a battalion of war priests ordained by the Soulforger.
Clan Fellhammer have heard the whispers of the new dwarf gods, especially Torag, but for the most part the stout folk are too set in their ways to heed his call.
"Never Forget, Never Forgive"
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Capital
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Meritocracy
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Major Exports
Major Imports
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments