Clan Tharnûl, the Clayborn
Type: Founding Dwarven Clan
Material Origin: Clay
Virtue: Adaptability and Kinship
Emblem: A coiled clay vessel overflowing with grain
"Clay cracks, but it can be reshaped. So must we all."
Clan Tharnûl, known as the Clayborn, is one of the Four Founding Clans shaped by the Stonefather from the divine Crucible. They were molded while the crucible was still warm and malleable, given life in its earliest moments. As a result, they are seen as the first breath of Dwarven society, forming the social, domestic, and infrastructural backbone of Dwarven civilization.
Physical Characteristics
While not universally distinct, some Clayborn lines show earthy tones in their skin, and their hair tends to be soft, clay-red or loamy brown. Their hands are often broad-fingered and callused from work in gardens, kitchens, or clinics.
Culture
Cultural Traits & Values
- Adaptability: Clay can change form; so too can the Clayborn. In times of disaster or change, Clan Tharnûl members are often the first to respond.
- Kinship & Community: Family, whether by blood or by bond, is sacred. Adoption is common, and orphans are rarely left unclaimed.
- Service-Oriented: They are teachers, caretakers, farmers, cooks, and healers—seen as the "quiet heartbeat" of any Dwarven hold.
Public Agenda
Notable Occupations
- Scribe-Tenders: Maintain oral and written traditions, especially those of domestic rituals, recipes, and communal law.
- Hearthmasters: Architects of communal living quarters and spiritual hearth-sites.
- Soilbinders: Gardeners who cultivate fungus, root-crops, and medicinal herbs deep underground.
- Child-Keepers: Revered caretakers and educators of young Dwarves across clans.
History
Role in Early Dwarven History
The Clayborn were entrusted with the building of homes, the cultivation of food in deep fungal gardens, and the healing of wounds both literal and emotional. They formed the first communal halls, established clan law precedents, and often served as mediators between the more rigid or fiery clans.
Their architecture is simple, functional, and beautiful in its practicality. Vaulted ceilings, rounded hearths, and reinforced claybrick halls are their signature style.
Notable Figures
- Khelda Tharnûl, the Scribe-Tender who helped codify the Stonefather's teachings into the Stone Laws
- Grumbar Clayshield, a battlefield medic who once saved an entire tunnel detachment with a poultice made from fungal ash and lava-thistle
- Torma Grainwhisk, a master baker whose techniques are still taught in Stonepan Hall
Modern Presence
Though diminished after the loss of Kaldur Hollow to the Bloom Zone, Clayborn still thrive in Broyoto, where they oversee food production, urban planning, and social welfare. Some travel as herbalists or spiritual caretakers to more remote settlements.
They are particularly common in the kitchens of Stonepan Hall, and it is said that no truly great Dwarven chef lacks even a drop of Tharnûl blood.
Foreign Relations
Relations with Other Clans
- Durhark (Stonewrought): A respectful relationship; the Clayborn often temper the Stonewrought's rigidity with compassion.
- Beldrun (Ironshaped): Some tension exists, as Ironshaped find the Clayborn overly sentimental. Still, many forge-halls rely on Clayborn food and care.
- Varkûz (Gemcut): Mutual respect in scholarship and tradition, though the Gemcut find the Clayborn too focused on the mundane.
Sayings and Proverbs
- “Mend the pot before it cracks.”
- “Clay takes the shape of the hand that holds it.”
- “One bowl, many spoons.”
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