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Ulthferen, Clan of the Wolf
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The northernmost of the three forest Clans (Faendradi, Jagrling, Ulthferen), the
Ulthferen are a slightly smaller Clan than the Jagrling but also live in larger
communities, leaving their lands more sparsely settled.
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The most notable trait of the Ulthferen is that long ago their bloodlines were infected
with the curse of the
Wyrdynion; at one point all living Ulthferen were also "wulfwaren",
or werewolves. That is no longer true in the modern age, but a good number of Ulthferen
still are, and more importantly the impact this traditional state of affairs has
had on the Clan and relationships with the other eight Clans cannot be underestimated.
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APPEARANCE & DRESS
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Ulthferen Warrior (Thegn)
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The Ulthferen are typically a wiry, muscular folk with wide shoulders and feral
appearances. They range between 6 to 7 and weigh in between 195 to 295 lbs. Ulthferen
typically have gray or golden eyes. Most Ulthferen have silver, steely grey, or
white hair, with the remainder having russet brown; additionally their hair is usually
bushy and naturally close-cropped.
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Furthermore, most Ulthferen have a lot of body hair, which sometimes has the texture
of fur on the more hirsute specimens. Ulthferen prefer loose clothing, and many
eschew armor entirely preferring freedom of movement.
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While most Ulthferen look like relatively normal (large and feral) Humans, some
have traits that hint at their wolfish heritage such as claw-like nails, slightly
pointed and canted ears, blackish lips, long and or dark tongues, enlarged canines,
and similar features.
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Most Ulthferen wear furs, and it is a mark of great glory for a Thegn to wear the
skin of a mighty beast slain by his own hand as a mantle or cloak. They have little
in the way of jewelry save loot, much of which has passed into heirloom status over
generations.
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Many Ulthferen still wear family tartans, usually in the form of a kilt. They favor
dark greens mixed with lighter green or yellow counter threads.
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GENERAL CHARACTER
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Ulthferen are feral hunters living not just off the bounty of the land but as part
of the natural cycle of life, death, and rebirth. They are pack predators, hunting
prey as do wolves. All Ulthferen are carnivores, eating meat save for the occasional
fruit. They wear the skins of their prey, and many need no weapon with which to
kill.
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This lack of dependency on things they cannot produce themselves makes them a self
sufficient Clan, so long as game is plentiful in their lands. This self sufficiency
combined with the distrust of many of the Clans among the Machtig has led them to
become rather insular in recent generations.
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One interesting point, unlike most of the Machtig Clans, the Ulthferen don't use
patronymics or place names to identify themselves. Each Ulthferen has a single descriptive
name, which is usually long and polysyllabic; a shortened form of their full name
is used by friends and family. No one recalls where or why this habit began, but
it puts the Skalds into fits trying to keep track of lineages.
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FOREIGN RELATIONS
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The Ulthferen have no direct relations with non-Machtig.
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TRADE
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The Ulthferen trade hides and furs to the Wundvolding, Herodi, and Pargori in return
for currency and other commodities, which is mostly used to buy luxury items as
the Ulthferen are very self sufficient.
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ORIGINS & ORGANIZATION
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The Ultferen in and of themselves are hunters and wood crofters much like the Jagrling
except for one critical difference. Long ago many of the ancestors of the Ulthferen
became infected with the curse of the
Wyrdynion. Rather than being horrified by this ailment and seeking to have
it removed, the Clan instead embraced it and soon all the surviving members of the
Clan were wolfwaren.
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The curse drove the infected to attack and infect other Humans, and thus terrible
night time raids by Ulth-feren (wolf touched) Clansmen plagued the holds of all
the Clans bordering the region, but particularly the more southerly Jagrling.
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Finally the Druids were able to provide a partial solution; they crafted a great
magic that took away the ability of almost all the wolf touched Machtig to infect
others with their curse, and greatly diminshed the bloodlust that would consume
them to attack other Humans as the moon waxed. However the curse was still inheritable
by heredity and thus the Ulthferen Clan came to be.
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Many wanted to slay the infected regardless, but the Druids counceled otherwise
saying that the turn of events that created the Ulthferen was foretold in prophesy
and that they too had a part to play in the futures of the Mighty People.
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And indeed for many hundreds of years they made for mighty warriors and were favored
allies of the Herodi in the many wars they incited. However after the Herodi lost
power to less warlike souls nearly a century ago a council of Lairds was held and
a majority of the Lairds petitioned the Grand Druid of the day to do something about
the issue.
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After deliberation the Grand Druid directed the Druids to purify the Ulthferen of
their curse, and so it was done. However by this time the curse had become hereditary
and not all of the Clansmen could be cured. Therefore the Druids took it upon themselves
to teach the Ulthferen that could not be cured how to control their inner beast.
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In the modern day it is not unusual for an Ulthferen child to be born lycanthropic,
and amongst the Ulthferen this is still seen as a mark of good fortune. However
wolf-touched Ulthferen that cannot master their rages are put down by the Druids
while still young.
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Left to their own devices, the Ulthferen are completely content to remain in their
own demesnes, possibly because many of the other Clans dont trust them due to their
historical savagery with the exception of the Herodi and the Raevoring who respect
their strength.
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PROFESSIONS
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Around 80% of the Ulthferen are Thegns. The remainder are composed of Thralls (10%),
Druids (5%), Skalds (3%), and Non-Thegn Fertigkeiten (1.5%), and Zauberers (>.5%).
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THEGNS
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Most Ulthferen Thegns use the following Packages or some variation of them:
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Berserker: approximately 35% of all Ulthferen Thegns
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Barbarian: approximately 35% of all Ulthferen Thegns
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Scrapper: approximately 10% of all Ulthferen Thegns
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Scout: approximately 10% of all Ulthferen Thegns
- Approximately 10% of Ulthferen Thegns have a fighting style or discipline
unique to their families or circumstances.
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ZAUBERER
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The Ulthferen have extremely few Zauberer. There are currently only two Obermancers,
the ancient Ornagander (OR-nah-GON-dur) and his student Regenetta (reg-GEN-net-ta).
Ornagander is particularly known for his mastery of Aeromancy and Geomancy and is
one of the oldest Obermancers currently living.
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There are a handful of Runecrafters among the Ulthferen, particularly concentrated
in Tiefengruben save for a few Illumin found in other steadings.
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LAIRD AND HUSCARL
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The Ulthferen Laird is of course traditionally called the
Wolf Laird. His Huscarl usually has around ten to thirty members and only
wolf-touched are allowed membership. They are called the Wulfen and are definitely
respected for their fighting prowess. The current Wolf Laird is
Wolkengreifer.
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CLANHOLD
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The Ulthferen Clan Hold is nestled between the Wundvolding to the north, the Herodi
to the east, the Jagrling to the south and west, and the Pargori to the southeast.
Parts of the Hold abut the mighty Vandolor river to the west, and the Ordefelsig
River to the east as both flow down to Lake Pargo; additionally the Lagerbrek River
starts in their land, flowing forth from beneath the mountains of the Wundvold range.
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Most other Machtig avoid the Ulthferen lands because of the high number of Ungheuer
(monsters) living there, which includes some of the Ulthferen by common consideration,
and the Druids are often active in the area trying to keep balance.
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Most Ulthferen settlements are very rural and often built among the forests of their
homeland, with little to no effort made to clear a living space. Many Ulthferen
live even more primitively than this, but they are not the majority. Structures
are generally wooden, but some reside in improved cave structures.
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CLAN SEAT
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The Ulthferen ancestral home is Wulflager. It is built along the east side of the
Lagerbrek River which drains from the mountains into Lake Pargo. Wulflager is a
largish settlement, but very spread out.
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It is a wooden steading built among the thick forest, cleared just enough to permit
buildings to stand unthreatened by roots, but seems strangely forrested to outsiders.
The Lairds Hall is a large longhall built in the likeness of Hafenstadt, save that
wolf symbology is highly prevalent and worked into the very longhall itself.
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OTHER SETTLEMENTS OF NOTE
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Hallederwolfe (HALL-LAY-der-WULF) is a largish settlement north and east
of Wulflager and home to many extended families, mostly trappers and hunters. Seat
of a Reeve-halten.
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Satzrest (SOTZ-REST) is home to several large extended families. This
steading is carved directly into a bluff hillside and looks quite primitive to outsiders.
The actual residences however are typically very comfortably accountered, though
again the prevalence of furs and open firepits enhances the primitive aspect of
the steading. Seat of a Reeve-halten.
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Flulair (FLU-vla-air) is a smaller trading post downstream from Wulflager
on the Lagerbrek which is basically a glorified layover point for river trade. This
steading is actually in two parts; a walled-in area on the river for outsiders,
and the actual Ulthferen settlement which is about 15 minutes walk away. Seat of
a Reeve-halten.
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Weiterhafen (WAY-ter-HA-ven) is the richest of the Ulthferen steadings by
a margin due to sitting on the Vandolor River and benefiting from the lucrative
trade traveling the river. This steading is a spacious collection of thirty or more
longhalls with sturdy construction arranged in such a fashion as to be easily defensible,
and ringed by a stone wall twenty five spans high.
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Outsiders unaware of the Ulthferen wolf curse might marvel at how much stone was
dragged down the river to build such a seemingly pointless wall. Any other Clan
would make this the seat due to its ideal positioning, but this steading actually
holds relatively few Ulthferen. Seat of a Reeve-halten.
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Tiefengruben (TEA-fen-GRU-ben), This settlement sits atop a strangely flat-topped
large hill, underneath of which is a system of seemingly natural caves extending
very deep beneath the earth. In the lower caverns the remains of a Varhold were
found, including several ancient and still plentiful mines.
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The Ulthferen are not traditionally miners or smiths, but word spread of it to the
Wundvolding and an enterprising group of miners showed up to inspect it, and subsequently
sued to become Ulthferen so that they might own property in the Clan Hold then bought
the whole place up and began to mine.
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Today the descendants of those transplanted Wundvolding still reside here, mining
and smithing excellent bronze wepaon and armor. Sadly the market for bronze isnt
what it was, but the mines also turn out the occasional vein of gold, keeping the
steading lucrative.
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The locals have much fewer cases of lycanthropy among their bloodlines, though via
interbreeding with true Ulthferen over the centuries the curse is not totally non-existanct.
Seat of a Reeve-halten.
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Bewaldeterden (BAY-wall-DEBT-ur-DEN), a sprawling steading spread across
several miles, this is an ancient settlement of longhalls and cots that is over
two thousand years old. Originally this was the campground of a large army of Machtig
warriors, from which they pressed their attacks against Kor entrenched in the mountains.
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The campaign to break the Kor's last hold on the mountains lasted a few years, and
the war camp turned into a settlement in the meantime. Today its not a thriving
community, but the plentiful hunting and fur trading up to relatively nearby Steinern
ensures its survival. Though there is no road, a reasonably easy passage up into
the mountains runs northwest from Bewaldeterden and connects to the road leading
to Steinern near where it crosses the Vandolor River at the Renbogercke (literally
"rainbow bridge"). Seat of a Reeve-halten.
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CLAN VIEWS
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The Machtig are an individualistic people, but nevertheless there are some generalities
about how the Ulthferen think of the other Clans.
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- Herodi: The one Clan that unconditionally supports us, the Herodi are kindred
spirits despite not being of the wolf. We trust the Herodi instinctively and they
us.
- Raevoring: Many members of this Clan are respectful of us rather than
fearful, but are not as friendly as the Herodi. Still, we give a Raevoring the benefit
of the doubt more often than not.
- Faendradi: Their strangeness and isolationism
mirrors that of our own. Both our Clans know what it is like to be untrusted by
our kin. But they are pawns of the evil Aelfing and our blood calls to us to slay
the taint in them. It is a difficult conundrum to be sure.
- Huarthmunn: They
generally regard us as being little more than monsters. Should we ever give them
cause to hate us their sheer numbers would see us driven to the winds. Thus they
are like a sleeping bear whose cave we give wide berth.
- Wundvolding: Hard
men who have no love for us; they want nothing of us beyond fine furs to warm themselves
through the cold mountain winters. Only the most mighty or foolhardy Ulthferen refuses
to recognize their blade skills and no Ulthferen should wish to bring down the ire
of them. We do not range up into the Wundvolding lands lightly as they have proven
they can turn out silvered weapons quickly if given cause.
- Hengsting: They
hate us, and no question. They see us as infected Ungheuer and think we eat their
precious livestock. Fortunately they are a small Clan and not immediately neighboring,
but should you find yourself in their lands for some reason never underestimate
their ability to give chase across open ground or their skill with horsebows and
javelins.
- Pargori: On the one hand they are not mighty warriors, but on the
other they make the Machtig pack stronger. The are crafty, and work together like
wolves, and seem to have the ability to scent profit upon the wind like we scent
spoor for the hunt. We can respect their pack ties, and can tolerate them to cross
our lands and trade with us in moderation. However their endless chatter does grow
wearisome.
- Jagrling: The Clan most like us
in culture, but they hate us more even than our foes from the lands beyond the Vold.
They think us to be monstrous beasts that should be put down and destroyed. They
guard their border with us to this day and many of them keep silver arrowheads handy.
Even all these centuries later they have neither forgiven nor forgotten the early
days of our Clan's curse. We can't blame them really, but we can remember that they
would sooner put a silvered arrow in our eye than make a greeting.
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