[Book] Frostbeard Culture - Baldin "Ironside" Frostbeard.

[mateolog 1551]

Frostbeard Culture
Baldin “Ironside” Frostbeard

 

 

I- social behavior

    Clan Government
Led by the Clan Father, makes sure to protect the culture and peoples of the clan. The Frostbeards are notorious for their rebellious tendencies. This starts with the clan government itself. The Frostbeard branches have different preferences for electing their clan father. Traditionally however, the Frostbeard Elders elect the Clan Father. Elders can be removed and added depending on the need of the Clan Father. Because of this Elders have a tendency to keep power within their family, and the Clan Father has the interest to keep the power of the elders within the family. When a clan member is of political importance to the Clan Father they are made elder while they are useful, this tends to be done with care to avoid taking power away from the ‘main’ family. 

Elders hence can be divided into three groups; Elders of the main family, Temporary Elders, and Rebel Elders. Elders of the main family are the ones that help keep power within the family. These are usually chosen by a Clan Father as they ensure the continued legitimacy of their rule. Once a family grows big enough some of its branches might try to gather power towards their own family, or try to oppose the status quo in a way that the Clan Father is against. When this happens Elders that support those actions might lose political standing or become a threat to the source of power of the Clan Father. Due to this they tend to be removed as Elders as a way to keep power, these are considered Rebel Elders. Rebel Elders are also the Elders that fought/opposed the main family during a conflict or supported a different Clan Father different from the ruling one. Temporary Elders are individuals who have achieved popularity in the clan or are of use to the ruling clan father. Once their utility is fulfilled their rank is removed or they are made into Bearserkets.

Bearserkers are considered by the clan’s culture to be individuals who have proven their loyalty to their Clan. While Rebel Elders tend to be removed from Elderhood as to avoid potential loss in power, Temporary Elders tend to be made Bearserkers. By giving Temporary Elders this position they can be made Elders at any moment depending on how politically convenient it is for the ruling class of the clan to do so.

In most cases, once a Rebel Elder is removed from their position they are purged from the main clan in an attempt for the current government to keep power. When the Rebel Elder holds more popularity than the ruling Clan Father they tend to leave the clan with its members and declare themselves the new Clan Father. When this happens the Clan falls into an inner Rebelion.

Historically speaking the Frostbeard clan has been the one to rebel the most in dwarven history against the dwarven nation. Before the clan rebels against the nation an inner rebellion needs to occur. When an inner rebelion is successful the center of power shifts to another family, sometimes bringing a more democratic rule to the clan, and others making it a full autocracy.

 

[!] Depiction of a Frostbeard Civil War.

 

    Settlement/City Government
Frostbeard settlements/cities are governed traditionally by Jarls. The first Clan Fathers of the Frostbeard Clan were actually the Jarls of Jornheim. Theoretically the Jarls are loyal to the Clan Father. Like within the Clan, Elders can council Jarls, however, Jarls do decide at times to possess a different group of advisors. A good relationship between a Jarl and a Clan Father tends to be very important to avoid possible Clan Rebelions.

Defeated Clan Elder and Clan Fathers tend to create settlements to consolidate their power, becoming Jarls in the process. Doing this allows them to keep gathering forces until one day be able to oppose the Frostbeard group that removed them.

 

[!] Depiction of a Frostbeard Jarl.

 

II- Believes & Religion

 

    Clan Beliefs
The members of the Frostbeard clan, while all being individuals in their own sense, hold to a certain amount of beliefs that are shared among all of the clan's folk. Despite their well known behaviour of undermining each other the Frostbeards share a strong familial bond. This familial bond is actually so strong that it creates a sort of tribalism within the clan. 

In the harshness of the mountain tops only the strong survive. Through this same mentality, beardlings of the clan are made to battle a bear alone. As this is a trial the bear is expected to be faced head on in such a form that the bear has a chance, and so that the beardling can truly prove their skills.

 

[!] Depiction of different families in the Frostbeard Clan.

 

        Religion

Like all Elder Clans (with the exception of the Ironborn) the Frostbeards worship and are raised in doctrines influenced by the faith of the Brathmordakin. Yemmekar’s balance, the sanctity of the beard, and the importance of the dwarven race, are all very important to the Frostbeards as a people. This said, individuals in the Frostbeard clan have been recorded putting the faith and clan belief’s behind for the sake of ‘larger personal goals’.

Due to the Frostbeard’s harsh history and climate where the clan was born the Frostbeards are very aware of the powers that impact their world. For this reason the Frostbeards ceremonially burn their dead to avoid the body being raised by a user of the dark arts. Through the same practical knowledge came the worship of Wyrvun among some clan’s folk. 

 

[!] Depiction of Wyrvun.

 

III- Customs
    
    Bearskins
The most well known custom of the Frostbeards is the iconic bearpealt. To a Frostbeard the bear pelt is a symbol of their faith and loyalty to the clan, becoming a physical embodiment of the individual’s identity as a member of the Frostbeard Clan.

Symbolically when a Frostbeard gives their pelt to someone else it is the greatest gift one can receive. This would obligate the Frostbeard to kill another bear to regain a new skin. In an opposite sense, dwarves that are disillusioned with the clan have also been recorded giving up or even burning their pelt.

 

[!] Depiction of a Frostbeard beardling before his trial.

 

    Masons & Scholars
Frostbeards have a great culture as scholars and intellectuals. These have a lot of time to cause debates between different ideologies. The traditional way the Frostbeards keep their records is through Mehnir carving. These Mehnirs are monuments that remain in the lands the Frostbeard settle, ensuring their lost brothers and sisters can find their way back to the clan, no matter the continent they are in. Out of all Mountain dwarf clans the Frostbeards are by far the most famous stone workers. Their hands crafted multiple capitals like Kal’Omith and Kal'Tarak. 

 

[!] Depiction of a story carved on a Frostbeard Mehnir.

 

    Trade & Mercenary work
Traditionally the common Frostbeard would make their wealth out of trade or working as a mercenary. Due to the close ties the Frostbeards and the Goldhands have and in addition to their origin as trading folk of Jornheim, the Frostbeards are admirable merchants. However, Frostbeards are just as remarkable as mercenaries. The mercenary work some Frostbeards took up enabled them to possess allies in various mercenary groups through time, depending on the ruling group of the time.

 

[!] Depiction of Frostbeard mercenaries.

    Magic & Bards
Frostbeards have a natural interest in magic. From a Jarl wanting to show off their power by having mages in their hall, to a wise Frostbeard that seeks to learn the secret arts, Frostbeards have a good opinion on magic.

Bards are honored in the same way as wizards. Having a bard to tell tales is a sign of cultural health for the Clan. While the Frostbeards cannot claim to be great magic users in relation to the other dwarven clans, they can claim to be the most musically attuned. The Frostbeard Clan has had more bards in their history than any other clan.

 

[!] Depiction of a Frostbeard bard.
    

    Tattoos & Warpaint
While the bear pealt allows the Frostbeard to represent their Frostbeard ancestry physically, warpaint and Tattoos allow for individuals to show off their accomplishments, beliefs, and overall individuality. In addition, the paint and tattoos are available to beardlings, allowing them to form a self identity early on.

 

[!] Depiction of a Frostbeard getting tattooed.
 

[Jason of the North 202]

Ajax Frostbeard, reading the book gives a soft chuckle at Baldin's notion of the clan having many great bards.. Not entirely sure if he's wrong... But hoping perhaps instead more bards would step up within the clan in the near future, after he and his son Bojakk had laid a fair amount of groundwork to bring song back into the halls of the Frostbeards.. He'd eventually take the book home and have a laugh with his son, denoting the depiction of 'a frostbeard bard' strikes very similar resemblance to Baldin's Frostbeard history's depiction of Bojakk