Clan Origins

Clan Culture & Values

The Darykmor made their home in Iskall, a mountainous range along the southern border of Ulfang Keep. The Darykmor are known for their devout faith in the Will of Fenrir and for their worship of their ancestors. To follow the path of those who have passed before is a great honor. Prior to the Cataclysm, to join the Darykmor, a warg was required to make a blood sacrifice to the ancestors of the clan deep in the monster infested caves of Iskall, before fighting their way out. Now, similarly to Ulfang, the joining warg must make a blood pact to the clan Jarl, swearing both fealty to the Jarl and promising to assist in the return of their home.

Bloodstones

Bloodstones are made of labradorite with white runes. Runes glow blue when in total darkness. Rumor has it, this is so the dead are more easily recognized during clan rites in the darkness of the dungeon below Dyrk.

The Archive

Deep in the bowels of Dyrk, under the clan’s hall lies what can best be described as an archive. Rows and rows of bookcases contain scrolls and scraps of paper, some with long harrowing tales of battles and heroic deeds, and some little more than a name. Scrolls are organized from most important to least important, and since any clan member is free to move another member’s scroll, it is near impossible to locate any specific warg’s scroll without substantial digging through piles and piles of scrolls designated as “most important”. Only the history of Jarls and Thanes are easy to locate, as they have designated shelves. Once a warg has made their first blood, they will be permitted access to the Darykmor archive and may add their own scroll to the shelves. This also allows them to write, or more likely, commission someone to write, in scrolls inside the archive. While any clan member is permitted to add to any other clan member’s scroll, anyone caught lying about their additions has their paw severed at the wrist. The door to the archive is adorned with mummified paws as a stark warning. 

Created by the clan’s second jarl in an effort to preserve the clan’s history, Darevor, commissioned a band of roving bards to collect stories and family trees, determined not to let Darykmor’s oral traditions die out with its members. Ironically, after his death, with the new jarl unwilling to pay them, the band of bards disbanded, however, the tradition was picked up by the Darykmor clan members themselves. While most only track births and deaths (as that’s the most they can write), some seek to record their own great accomplishments as well, commissioning outsiders to write the tales or writing them out in broken Fjell tongue. Every few years, a young strapping Darykmor member will set out to revive the tradition of collecting stories and recording them in the archive, though few manage to collect more than a few tales before their own story finds its end. 

The Dungeon Catacombs

Catacombs make up the first part of the Dyrk dungeon, the entrance lined with the reminders of their fallen clan members. Most are entombed in the walls with little more than faded scratches of their names to mark their burial. Torches line the path, leading the way through the winding graveyard into The Great Hall, a cave formation named for its large open cavern. The figures of great clan members are carved out of the stone walls. Statues of jarls and thanes stand out among them, stone coffins lining the chamber with depictions of their great deeds carved into the walls in an expanse of great reliefs. At the end of the Great Hall is the massive stone head of Fenrir, his maw opening into the belly of the dungeon and where the clan rite really begins. Beyond is completely unlit, the darkness almost unnaturally dark. Clan members will often wear their bloodstones around their necks, as the soft blue glow makes it easier to spot party members beyond the torch light.

The body of the dungeon is a great labyrinth with many ways to the center and many ways back. Great monsters and unknowable creatures wander the dark hall. While several rough routes have been mapped out by those who have traveled the dark caverns, the wandering monsters make following them unreliable. At the heart of the dungeon is a lone statue of Fenrir with a stone goblet set on a stone table. Blood stains the otherwise pristine white stones. As part of the clan rite, members are to offer their own blood to the altar before making their way back out of the dungeon. Making it in is the easy part, making it out is the real challenge as the scent of blood attracts the creatures inside.

Death Rites

Honorable Darykmor soldiers are often returned to the city of Dyrk to be buried in their catacombs which make up the dungeon of their clan rite. Those who died less honorably are often given a sky burial, so they may never return to the mountain of their home. Jarls and Thanes have special crypts with their own individual tombs, often including statues and reliefs depicting their great deeds.

Clan Politics

Clan Festivals & Events

Jarl Naming

When a new Jarl is to be crowned, a large feast is held in the previous Jarl's honor starting at sunset. There is a large emphasis on storytelling; the first half of the night is reserved for honoring the tales of the dead and recounting stories of those who have passed. Once the moon reaches its peak, the Jarl leads a toast to the fallen, and the attendees join in to toast to the future. The second half of the night is generally more jovial, with humorous anecdotes and tales about the living taking center stage. At some point before dawn, the Jarl is expected to share a story from their own life, spanning from their puphood to more recent history, with the more remarkable the tale, the better. This narrative then becomes part of the clan's oral history. Wargs who can recount the stories of many past Jarls are highly prized. The ability to tell stories takes the spotlight during these celebrations, with many individuals using magic or even theatrical performances to enhance their storytelling. Traditionally, the last story told is the creation of Stonewarg, marking the conclusion of the festivities at dawn.

Thane Naming

The Thane’s naming is a much smaller affair, though it still places emphasis on storytelling and history. The event typically features a bonfire and a feast, with participants sharing tales of great deeds and ancient folk stories. The celebration typically commences at sundown and extends well into the night.

Yule Goat

Darykmor and Ulfang share a tradition of the Yule Goat. On even numbered years, Darykmor builds a goat of logs and decorates it with cloth and bells at Dragon’s Keep on the border of the two clan territories. There is a small feast to its building in which Ulfang is invited to its crowning. However, at sunrise, the games begin! Ulfang has 10 days and 10 nights to burn the goat down. Due to Ulfang’s draconic affiliation, Darykmor has a well kept secret concoction to fireproof their buildings. While actually fireproofing the goat is against the rules, just about everything else is fair game, leading to exceptionally elaborate war games. There is generally not one group set to burn or protect the goat, but several individual groups of friends generally choose to team up to execute their plans. If the goat remains unburnt at the end of the tenth night, Darykmor is named the winner and a joint feast is held.