Clan Skelgard

Clan Skelgard

Description

"Better to fight and fall than to live without cause."

— Skelgard's saying

Clan Skelgard is an ancient Kiffar clan of Kiffex and ourvir of Clan Nah`utal. Skelgard's differs from others clans in that facial tattoo of the clan is applied to all existing members who wish to be part of the clan and willingly participate in ancient ritual where they procure a skin or a pelt of a hunted animal. They have been known to be fierce, independent and enthusiastic warriors and artisans, and many become renowned mercenaries and traders all over Kiffex. Because Skelgards have mostly been living on Kiffex and only rarely ventured outside the boundaries of the Azurbani system, they have been for most part unheard off in the galaxy at large and only have been known to Northern Kiffar communities. Skelgards can also trace an unbroken Kiffar lineage that extends almost eons back and as such the clan somewhat prides on their history that is being passed down to children through their parents. Most Skelgards who live on Kiffex prefer to wear armor that has been made from animal skins and furs that they have personally skinned and acquired or cotton clothing that has been made on a traditional loom. The traditional Skelgard outfit also includes merganrok, a cloak that has been given to an young adult and which has been sewn by his or hers parents. The cloak to outsiders is just a piece of clothing, but to the Skelgard's it symbolizes parents willingness to let their child go in the world while still maintaining their support and love.

Skelgard's traditionally wore armor that was made from the pelts and hides that the clan members acquired during the hunt. Another part of the Skelgard traditional clothing was merganrok (cloak), that was given by parents to their children when they reached adulthood.

Skelheim Manor

Skelheim Manor is the clan's main household and it is situated in the densely forested foothills near the northern parts of Kiffex. It is a dark and primal place, where the old forest had laid untouched for ten thousand years. The homestead itself looked like an old rustic great hall fashioned from the nearby great oaks, coupled with adjourning smaller buildings and an small mine shaft that led in the mountainside and to the Skelgard family fortunes that laid below the ground. Ancient crypt of Bleak Falls, where Skelgard dead were being buried was situated not far from the Skelheim Greathall itself.

• Skelheim Greathall

Skelheim Greathall was built by Skelgards more than a millennia ago when they first settled in the region.

• Clan Retainer Houses

Around the Skelheim Greathall there are various other smaller buildings and houses that act as places for the loyal clan retainers and their families.

• Balgreth Great Forge

The forge was build by the Great Balgreth Skelgard more than five centuries and since then its smelters still burn with the same hot flame when the forge was first ignited. Thousands of weapons and tools have been made by generation of blacksmith hands.

• Clan Barracks and Armoury

Right besides the Skelheim Greathall there is a smaller building that acts as storage area for the weapons and armor that clan retainers and members use during hunting.

• Landing Pad

While the stretch of alloy laced pavement is a more modern addition to the whole aesthetic of the household, the area nevertheless incorporates some of the old society elements, like logs of timber adjourn the sides of the pad as well as clan banners decorate the sides of the hangar.

• Skelheim Mine

Skelheim Mine is famous in the Kiffex North for its mineral wealth that is sourced from its deep and pure ore veins. The mine itself has been used by Skelgards for centuries and because of the small size of the operations it has never been depleted. Here raw ore is mined for making traditional weapons of war as well as tools, that some of the more traditional Kiffars prefer over mass produced ones from factories. The mine is worked by hired miners from nearby settlements and trading communities, but it is not rare to see one of the clan retainer or even close family member, to wield a drill and pile the ore in the cart for ingot smelters outside.

• Bleak Falls Crypt

Bleak Falls Crypt was once a Kiffar temple that rested inside a nearby mountain. Some of its chambers and passages are ancient and because of the vast size of the crypt, not all rooms are well maintained and there are more than couple of entries that have collapsed.

Bleak Falls Crypt is ancestral tomb of Skelgards, that has been used by the Clan members since they first settled in the region, which was almost a millennia ago. An oak grove lays above the tomb, and some of the trees there have roots that extend deep in the ground, and may even encompass whole structure. It is believed that some part of the dead lives on in these ancient trees.

Millennia ago the crypt itself was once an Kiffar temple built in the mountainside with deep underground passages. The temple was dedicated to the worship of ancient local deity whose name or legend has been lost as no official records have been gathered. Over the following centuries since Skelgards settled down in the area, the temple was slowly turned into a tomb for the dead and as temple of ancestral worship.

Clan Heirlooms

• "Skybringer"

Forged in the Balgreth Great Forge almost five centuries ago by the Great Balgreth Skelgard himself, the sword has still remained sharp to the edge till this day and remains in the Clan Skelgard possession. It stands as the test of time of the great artisan skills that were put into making this weapon of war. The special techniques that were involved in forging the sword alone make it stand out as it has been made from a strong durasteel alloy and some other ore which makes the metal gain a blueish-silvery color. The sword was forged and owned by the Balgreth Skelgard, a artisan, warrior and a leader of Clan Skelgard more than five centuries ago. Like its maker, the sword gained renown during the Hundred Nights War when Clan Skelgard was engaged in a blood debt war with another Kiffar clan. The sword was named Skybringer because legends tell that Balgreth usually charged in combat by dropping right on top of the enemy from the sky with his loyal retainers who started slashing everyone who didn't carry friendly colors.

• "Horn of Kotnar"

• "Stone of Andrasi"

Stone of Andrasi decorates the main ancestor chamber of Bleak Falls Crypt. On it there are ancient inscriptions of the clan seer who is only known in Skelgard clan history as Nameless One. The seer lived more than a millennia ago and some legends tell that the seer originally inhabited the Bleak Falls temple which was later converted into Skelgard ancestral tomb. He possessed the rare Kiffar ability of psychometry which enabled him to read the memories of the corpses by touch. Having this ability, the seer started recording and etching writings of dead people on stones and Stone of Andrasi is one of such stones which depicts a map of celestial objects that was presumably recorded from the corpse of Andrasi Skelgard, a explorer but deeply pious man.

• "Wayward Sphere"

• "Scrolls of Kesh"

The ancient parchments holds predictions that were made by clan seer Kesh Virkar, who lived and died more than seven centuries ago.

Recent History

There are deep divide between Skelgard's and Brynald's even when there are strong blood relations.

During the late days of the Great War on Kiffex, Skelgard clan was split in two by Augamor Skelgard, the brother of the current clan leader Vizimir, who established his own clan called Clan Brynald. The divide was over the deep political issues that revolved around the Galactic Civil war, but there are rumors that the issue was more of a personal nature as Vizimir married the love interest of his brother. Whatever the issue was, Augamor tried to kill his brother and after the failed attempt, he persuaded many of the Vizimir’s retainers, including close family members, to follow and join in the rebellion against against Vizimir's leadership. Augamor also took a new surname of Brynald and a new clan symbol of a bear. Over the next decades the Brynalds became involved with the New Republic and its terrorist activities. Ever since these events there have been rivalry between the clans and even open skirmishes that have set blood relatives at each other’s throats long after the Kiffar civil war ended.

Symbols

Clan symbol - The Raven

Clan Qukuuf (facial tattoo) pattern

Clan symbol is a raven that is usually painted over the war banners or hulls of the clan ships. It also serves as basis for the clan's Qukuuf (facial tattoo). In ancient clan tales it was said that Skelgard Raven was believed to forebode death and ill omen to anyone who dared to cross them on ill intentions. The qukuuf itself was separated into three parts; wings, tale and 4 circles of life.

• The Wings: applied below the eyes and symbolizes the protection from illness, and disease. In old clan tales it is said that any symbol that was worn besides the eyes induced fear in the enemies, and protected against the abuse of power.

• The Tale: applied above the lips and on the chin, it symbolized resolve in ones dedication to things and willpower to go on.

• The 4 circles of Life: applied on the forehead. Pattern represents the stepping of fulfilling life. The four circles symbolize four things: life, happiness, family and strength. The last one means that only with strength of mind and body, one will be able to protect and safeguard the other three things.

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