The Goldhand Clan

[PJTips. 280]

 

The Goldhand Clan Revival

 

Any dwarf with ambitions to acquire vast sums of wealth, is almost certainly a Goldhand. 

 

The Goldhand Clan are dwarven merchants at heart. They embody the utilization of greed for dwarves, and the advantage it brings when dealing with others in matters of trade. Quick witted, and always looking for a good deal, they often make up the upper echelon of dwarven society, constituting dwarven aristocrats. 

 

The Goldhands are devout worshipers of the Merchant Brothers, Armakak, the God of Trade, and Grimdugan, God of Greed. Every aspect of Goldhand affairs are permeated by their faith in the two Merchant Brothers, from the way they conduct business to their weapons and gear. A Goldhand seeks to balance both Armakak and Grimdugan, and over the course of joining the clan they will learn how to do so. For Goldhands, to truly be in the Clan is to combine both aspects of the Merchant Brothers. Balance is an integral part of the Goldhand identity, and is praised.

 

A true Goldhand believes and acts out the balance between Armakak and Grimdugan. By this they praise and enact The Merchant Brother’s will through their work.

 

Money makes the world go round. They believe that not might, but MONEY makes right. Anything can be achieved, for the right price.

 

"Born of the First Merchant, Tungdil Goldhand.

  Said to be descended from The Merchant Father himself.

  With Gold and Silver flowing through your body.

  Priceless gems adorning your clothes.

  Coin filling your pocket.

  You are of a Noble Clan.

  You are a Goldhand." 

 

Perhaps centuries ago, these words rang true. However, in Almaris the Clan Lord Conan Goldhand returned to see that the clan vault stood empty. Certainly the most dreadful sight a Goldhand could ever imagine. In a bid to restore the clan to its former glory, a new set of rules and traditions have been introduced. 

 

THE RULES OF TRADING 

Created by Conan Goldhand, The Rules of Trading can be seen written in gold on the front page of The Book of Trades: The Rules of Trading make up the fundamental philosophy each Goldhand must follow. It is the only way to please the Merchant Brothers and the First Merchant. 

Every Goldhand must swear an oath to follow the Rules of Trading. Any Goldhand who is deemed to have broken the rules is permanently exiled and deemed unworthy. 

 

1.  GREED IS GOOD 

2.  DO NOT TRUST ANYONE WEARING ROBES BETTER THAN YOUR OWN

3. EVERYONE IS A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER

4. YOU CANNOT MAKE A DEAL WHEN YOU ARE DEAD 

5. THE MORE GOLD YOU HOARD, THE HIGHER YOUR PRICE WILL BE AT THE AUCTION OF THE DEAD

6. ONCE YOU HAVE THEIR MINA, NEVER GIVE IT BACK.

7. OPPORTUNITY PLUS INSTINCT EQUALS PROFIT

8. A GOLDHAND WITHOUT PROFIT IS NO GOLDHAND AT ALL

9. WAR IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

10.  PEACE IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

11.  A GOOD LIE IS EASIER TO BELIEVE THAN THE TRUTH

12.  GOLD LASTS LONGER THAN FRIENDSHIP

13.  NOTHING CAN TARNISH THE SHINE OF GOLD

14.  ALL SALES MUST BE RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF TRADES

 

TRADITIONS

 

Clan Meetings

Each stone week the entirety of the clan meets to discuss any new entrepreneurial ventures they have begun, market prices, and most importantly how many trades they have made. 

 

Counting the Coin Ceremony

At the end of each stone month, each Goldhand’s profit is counted and totalled up. It is then placed into the vault for safe keeping. A feast is held for the Clan Member who has achieved the most trades in that month. 

 

Burial

A coin is placed over the deceased tongue, all the material wealth they managed to gather throughout their life is placed around them. Then they are cast in Gold. A summation of their life's value. 

 

HISTORY 

Such a rich clan has an equally rich history. 

Spoiler

The Noble House of Goldhand extends far back into Dwarven history. The line goes back originally to Tungdil Goldhand, the fifth son of Urguan. The house originally began in Kal’Urguan where the sons of Tungdil Goldhand proudly and honorably served the nation. As time went on the size and prosperity of the house grew. Sons served in the military or the mines, and daughters married well, solidifying strong political alliances. Many of the stories of the individual house members have been lost over the years to the wear and tear of time, but several journals remain to chronicle the participation of the family in great wars and the proud service to the Dwarven crown.

 

The Archives of Aegis:

 With the building of Kal’Alras, several of the Goldhand’s saw an opportunity in the making. The fledgling city would need wealthy and powerful Dwarves to make it prosper. Virtually all of the members quickly joined the Guardians, the military of Kal’Alras, to help fight off bandits and other undesirables while the city was formed. As time progressed the family became more deeply rooted in Kal’Alras. Friendships were formed between the Baron and Overseer. The family also had high ranking positions in the military and a spot on the Council of Kal’Alras. As tensions against the mother city of Kal’Urguan, Kal’Alrasians prepared for a fight against the capital. The city had grown into a multi-racial area, and a war between the Humans and Dwarves put everyone on alert. During the attack by the humans on Kal’Urguan, the Goldhands turned out in great numbers to defend their Dwarven home. But when the dust settled it was clear that Kal’Alras was going to secede. A division in the clan was formed as the Alrasian Goldhand’s who had grown in power in Alras decided to stay, and the rest of the clan who felt stronger ties to Kal’Urguan. This division has lessened over time, and while House Goldhand is once again a solid family, many members have not forgotten the disagreement. Forgiven but not forgotten. With the war over, and Alras declared a new nation, the Goldhands in Alras hung up their axes and turned to the merchant business. Their business flourished and they soon became one of the leading merchant families in the area. Stores opened in Kal’rog, Kal’Urguan, Alras, and Al’Khazar. Business in all of the stores flourished especially the store in Al’Khazar. The Goldhands became some of the richest Dwarves in all Aegis. The focus on merchant affairs led to political life falling by the wayside. The new Alrasian Council was formed leaving out the majority of the old Alrasians, Goldhands included. The name Goldhand diminished in Alras, where once it was a well-known name. The family fell upon hard times. The vast warehouses in Al’Khazar fell to the noxious cloud. Troubles between parts of the Dwarven nation and Alras made the once-great merchant city unpleasant for Dwarves. Many of the Goldhands had to choose between their city and their dwarven brethren. The choice was easy for most: honor-bound to the Dwarven nation, dismayed that Alras had forgotten its roots, and disgusted by some of the blatant discrimination in Alras, all the Goldhands returned to the home of their forefathers. The halls of Kal’Urguan once again rang with the jingle of Goldhand coins. The return to Kal'Urguan was short-lived. It was not long before the reach of the undead extended to the mighty dwarven capital. Lava fell from the ceiling and over the great fortress. Undead poured down the grand-stairway and flooded from the mines. It was all the Goldhands could do to carry their clan's sacred items from their clan hall. Soon the family became separated as the survivors of Aegis retreated into the verge. Amongst the masses of refugees, it was difficult to stay together and in the rush of people to the boats, the clan was split.

 

The Archives of Asulon:

 After finding the new Dwarven capital, the clan was reunited and a clan hall in the city. Gone were the vast sums of wealth that the cousins had held back in Aegis, but the clan was happy to have good solid stone over their heads and dwarves to rely on. Once again they had a starting point to build up their business once again. Gulroid stepped forward as clan leader and attended many meetings of the dwarves at this time, representing his clan to the best of his ability. He was disgusted however by the lack of productiveness that the clans had, and that none of them seemed to be able to agree. Just when the Goldhands thought they had a stable place to live once more, a dragon forced the dwarves out of Karik. The clan splintered off, with Rasun and Gulroid heading back to their ranch in the wilds, and Dunhagen and Delios heading to Salvus where the clan owned a small shop. The war with Salvus has hurt the Goldhands as much of their stock in the city has been pillaged or has gone unaccounted for. More recently there have been new additions to the clan. Algoda Goldhand survived the flight from Aegis and the undead threat and was welcomed with much feasting and ale drinking. Moruk and Gorum Goldhand married into the clan helping to solidify the strong dwarven blood as Frostbeard and Goldhand blood were merged. The clan has retreated to their holdings in the wild as plague has gripped the land. Having found an abandoned fortress, the clan is restoring it and giving the Goldhand heirlooms a proper place of honor once more.

 

While the Goldhands were constructing the fortress the situation in Alras deteriorated. The death of High King Syrio sent a shockwave through the members of the clan who had once called Kal’Alras home. Suddenly there was hope kindled as it was clear that Alras was fading quickly. The reign of High King Aislin was short. Gorum and Moruk were present when the new High King succumbed to madness. Through diplomatic and military strength the Nation of Alras was once again under Dwarven rule and in the hands of the Goldhands. With the power of Alras given to the Goldhands by Paragon Kjell, the Goldhands went about dismantling vast parts of the city that had long been abandoned. The underground Dwarven District would become the new Goldhand Clan Hold and the outer city would house the inhabitants of other races who had long called Alras home. There were other changes as well. Under Rasun’s rule, the city restored its old flag and colors and reclaimed its long-abandoned name: Kal’Alras. Not all was easy for the Goldhands during this time. There was unrest among the clans and the Dwarven nation was under severe strain. The Noble clans ended up in a position where they controlled and ran their own holds as city-states, each having separate representation, militaries, and social structure, but uniting when there were outside threats. And these threats did rise. Most recently a long and bloody war with the Orcs cost the lives of many Dwarves. The capture of the farms by the Orcs forced the Goldhands to relocated the farmland. This area was eventually recaptured but scaring to the land due to the tolls of war were immense.

 

The Dwarven treaty with the Orcs, ending the bloodshed between the two races did not sit well with many Goldhands who felt that the other clans were dishonoring their ancestors and the dead who had so valiantly fought the Orc scum. But in a meeting with other clans and the new Rex of the Orcs, the Goldhands were outvoted and the Dwarven Nation as a whole declared a truce. This was partially due to the threat of the human nation and also a rising sense of darkness and foreboding coming from the sightings of necromancers roaming 

 

around the reaches of Asulon. As the ink dried on the truce between the Orcs and the Dwarves, a war began in the south. The insults of the Teutans could not be ignored and a  

bloody battle was sparked that ended in catastrophe. The battle left the Dwarven army in retreat and the whereabouts of many Goldhands unknown. During this tumultuous time, the Goldhands were approached with an offer that they could not conceivably refuse. Queen Kyral Hightower brought an offer to buy the city of Kal’Alras the much of the surrounding land. Due to the relocation of the Dwarves to Kal’Karik, and the geographic location of Alras, the Goldhands accepted the trade.

Most recently the Goldhands have supported the dissolution of the Noble Council with the election of King Hiebe and the restoration of a powerful monarchy to once again lead the Dwarves to a golden age. After the trade of Kal'Alras, and the Dwarves returning to their ancient city of Kal'Karik amongst the mountains, the Goldhands resided in the noble district of Clan Goldhand. There housed many of the Goldhands that came on the journey to their ancient home. After years of peacefully residing in Kal'Karik, Gulroid the former Clan Father has fallen ill and sick. He retreated to the ancient hold of the Goldhands near Kal'Anart and lived there for the time being. During this time, the Goldhands had fallen into disarray as the leadership of the clan slowly deteriorated. In this time Rasun Goldhand also vanished. The knowing of him being alive or dead is not known, and the only note of Rasun is that he vanished into the wilds and was to be never seen again.

 

The dark days of the Goldhands loomed over the clan and the clan fell into darkness without leadership. The Clan Father Gulroid had fallen ill, and the one who many Goldhands looked up to, Rasun has gone missing without a trace. The remaining Goldhands that still reside in the grand halls of Kal'Karik grow weary of the disappearance of leadership among the clan, and soon later William of the Goldhand Clan called forth a meeting with his kin to discuss the current happenings of leadership and the future of the clan. After days of discussion in the Goldhand Hall in Kal'Karik, it was decided that Thoak Goldhand would venture forth and make way toward the ancient hold of the Goldhands, and consult with Gulroid in his current state about the future of the Goldhands. There it was decided by Gulroid himself that Thoak becomes the new Clan Father and that Gulroid would step down because of his current state of illness. Thoak Goldhand himself promised that he would bring back the nobility of the clan, and the pride and honor that the clan once held.

 

The Archives of Anthos, and Elysium:

Nothing much can be said about Elysium. It was said that Thoak Goldhand established a small settlement outside of the Urguan Hold near the mountains for those seeking work outside of the small hold. It was great while it lasted, however, most of it was wiped out due to the great volcano nearby erupting and sending the village to its fiery doom. After the destruction of Elysium the Clan found themselves on the shores of Anthos. Thoak with the help of Rasun, and Gulroid’s son Hoff managed to strike great trading deals with the humans of Oren and neighboring clans within Urguan. Because of these deals, the clan managed to purchase the largest, and most opulent clan hall within the city of Kal’Azgoth. Not only did the clan manage to claim the largest piece of property in the Grand Kingdom, Thoak also managed to secure the position of Yemekar’s Pick, and lead the workforce within Urguan. Because of Thoak’s status within the Realm he was able to claim both Blacklight Hold, a farming fortress within the depths of Kal’Azgoth, and Kastoria village after disposing of a heretical and treasonous group of elves that resided within the village. This prosperity did not last long, however. After being overburdened with work commissioned by the Grand King, Thoak decided to step down from Yemekar’s Pick, and hand over his holdings to someone more ambitious. 

 

After several years of seclusion, the Clan saw little productivity during this time. Most clansmen had gone missing or had died due to natural causes. The long drawn-out war between the Grand Kingdom and Oren had stagnated trade and reduced it to nothing due to how dangerous the roads were. It wasn’t until much after the war that Thoak emerged from the shadows and struck opportunity where he could find it. With the help of the Ironguts, Thoak established a small hold outside of the relocated capital of Urguan and attempted to pursue a political position within the Grand Kingdom. However, because of Thoak’s close ties with Oren and his fondness for their architecture, he found it rather hard to find any position as his fellow cousins viewed him as a traitor. Before the second started between Oren and Urguan, Thoak established talks with King Heinrich of house Carrion in hopes of bringing the war to an official end. Not only did Thoak seek peace, but he also wished for a reformation within the government of Urguan. Due to these two factors, the Ironguts sided with the Goldhands and their hold remained a neutral hub for most of the war.

 

The Archives of Aethera:

 The history of Aethera could be seen as short, and tumultuous. Before making landfall on Aethera, Thoak won the election of Grand Merchant within the Grand Kingdom. Many cousins of Urguan enjoyed the idea of having a Goldhand as the Grand Merchant and had high hopes for his work. Thoak began his work shortly after the election and began planning how taxes would be handled. Having learned how the humans of Oren handled taxes, and how automated things to be he thought that it would be a great idea to implement this system into the Grand Kingdom. The system worked great within the kingdom, and Thoak won the praise of Grand King Fimlin Grandaxe as this system proved to bring in the greatest amount of wealth. Not only did Thoak bring in a flow of wealth for the Grand Kingdom, but he also brought in a large sum of wealth for the clan, and himself. These times were short, however. After a short time of settling in Aethera, the city was besieged by a cult of Iblees worshippers emboldened by Iblees return after the events that took place in a far off distant dwarf hold. Much of Thoak’s wealth was taken after the siege by this cult, and not much is known of what had happened to it. After the cult was destroyed and the city reclaimed, an Irongut settled in Thoak’s old manor however it is unknown if he himself had recovered anything belonging to the Goldhands.

 

The Archives of Vailor:

 The clan, though small, was lead shortly by Finian Goldhand, his age of revival hitting its peak before departing on pilgrimage. After many passings, the title of Clan Father was held by Conan Goldhand, whom lead what was left of the once again splintered clan. After some time, Durack Goldhand would arrive and take over the clan with a new age of reformation, later to be labeled, "The Age of History", where Durack would turn the Goldhands from merchants to treasure hunters. As Durack took the mantle of Goldhand, new blood began to come back to the clan. With new Goldhands beginning to reassemble the clan looked to be hitting a period of growth as it did with Finian. After a few months of staying idle, the Goldhand clan begins a great movement, one wrought in thievery and deceit. A dwarf known as Azaghal Doomforge was searched on orders of the Grand King in hopes of uncovering a conspiracy against him on the grounds of stealing clan relics. It came to light that Azaghal held the Scales of Tungdil, and after it being returned to the Goldhand clan, Durack Goldhand saw it fit to get even with the dwarf. He decided to speak to the Grand King to completely destroy the Doomforged clan, and after being denied that out right, the Grand King told Durack instead to create a grudge against him, in hopes of not having any Dwarven bloodshed within the land. Durack, still fuming over his denial, reluctantly agreed, and began his journey to make the Doomforged clan pay for their dishonorable conduct.

 

The Clan's Activity from Vailor to date is unknown to the current Clan Lord. What is known, is that the history books from Almaris onwards will be laden with Gold. 

CLAN RELICS

In typical Goldhand fashion, it would appear that most of the known Clan Relics have been hoarded away or bartered in some trade. Only the following remains in the Clan Lord's possession:

 

 The Scales of Tungdil

 

 

The scales of Tungdil is an elaborately crafted device etched with jewels of many colors. It is not known if it holds any mystical powers, but for many within the clan, it would be seen as a device that would be used for measuring deals and used against those who have done the clan wrong.

 The Twin Swords Parathak and Krest

Forged by Conan Goldhand from the remnants of the gold which was acquired in Kal'Urguan. The blades each represent one of the Merchant Brothers. Due to their material, they serve very little combative use apart from protection against the undead. The blades play a key part in the Oathing ceremony, with each one making a small cut. 

 

The Great Book of Trades

Within this leather bound book , on each gold leaf page lies every trade every successfully made by a member of the Goldhand Clan. 

Trials

Any direct descendant of the First Merchant Tungdil Goldhand who swears to follow the Rules of Trading is welcome within the clan. Furthermore, any dwed with enough greed and enterprise may join the Goldhand Clan. 

 

To become a fully fledged member they must complete the following trials: 

 

Auction Ceremony

The Clan Beardling must host an auction, selling personal possessions they have acquired throughout their life so far. It is customary for each Clan Member to present the Beardling with a gift to be auctioned off as well.

 

Trial of Mercantilism

With the funds received from their Auction Ceremony, the Beardling must go out into foreign markets to buy and sell goods. It is not until they have successfully completed 10 profitable trades that they may move onto their Oathing Ceremony. 

 

Oathing Ceremony

The Clan Beardling must present themselves to the Clan Lord, and take a blood oath to follow the Rules of Trading, worship The Merchant Brothers, and accumulate as much coin as possible throughout their lifetime.

Upon taking this oath, new Goldhands will be gifted with a market stall (in a location of their choice), in order to start them off on their journey. 

 

Application

Spoiler

MC Name:

 

Discord: 

 

Character Name:

Character Race: 

 

Age:

 

Profession:

 

What are your characters ambitions? (become famous merchant, head guard, etc.):

 

What kind of experience are you looking for in this clan? (friendship, rp experience, etc):