𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖌𝖚𝖘𝖍

MC Name: Stargush Discord: .stargush Image: Description of Image: Dreek Ireheart the First was the legendary Grand King of Urguan, a unifier of clans and a pillar of Dwarven history on Lord of the Craft. Renowned for his iron rule, unbreakable will, and devotion to ancestral law. Dimensions: 2 high

MC Name: Stargush Discord: .stargush Image: Description of Image: Urir Ireheart is a stalwart Dwarf of the Ireheart Clan on Lord of the Craft, known for his unyielding resolve, reverence for clan and ancestor Dimensions: 2 high

The cold mountain air carried the low murmur of gathered voices near the tavern at the foot of the hold. Dwarves of Urguan stood shoulder to shoulder with allies and friends—Stonehammers, Frostbeards, Starbreakers, and those bound by oath rather than blood. Ale was left untouched, helms were removed, and beards were bound in ash-dark cords. No song was raised. Today was not for revelry. At length, the gathering turned from the tavern and began the walk along the worn stone path leading deeper into the mountain, toward the Clan Shrines and Crypts. Boots struck stone in a steady rhythm as the party moved beneath carved arches and torchlight, descending into the ancestral heart of the hold. Within the shrine chamber, silence reigned. There, upon a broad stone altar, lay Gror Ireheart. His body was set in solemn repose, armor cleaned of battle’s stain, hands folded upon his chest around the sigil of his clan. Runes of lineage and endurance were carved into the altar beneath him. Attendants stood in quiet vigil, braziers burning low as smoke curled upward toward the carved faces of the ancestors watching from the walls. The Clan Father, Duren Ireheart, stepped forward. His presence stilled the chamber further. With a heavy breath and a steady voice, he called for remembrance—and began himself, speaking of Gror as kin, as Paragon, as one whose oath had never wavered. When Duren’s words were finished, the remembrances followed in solemn order. Bakir Ireheart spoke next, recalling strength and steadfastness. Ulfric Frostbeard followed, honoring shared burdens and old battles. Sigrun Stonehammer spoke with the weight of stone and forge. Young Rogarth Ireheart, beardling though he was, spoke with reverence beyond his years. Norli Starbreaker and Buri Grandaxe each added their memories, voices echoing against the stone. Dugan Frostbeard and Morroick Starbreaker followed, their words heavy with respect. Dorrak Ireheart, Rhorgvar Frostbeard, and Narvi Goldshatter each stepped forth in turn, offering honor, memory, and vow. At last, Grelu Silverbraid raised his hands, and a prayer was spoken—not in common tongue, but in ancient runic speech, calling upon ancestor, mountain, and forge to receive Gror Ireheart into their keeping. The runes seemed to hum softly as his voice faded. When the echoes died, Duren Ireheart stepped forward once more. He spoke Gror’s lineage aloud, carving it into the memory of the mountain itself: Paragon Oathkeeper Gror Ireheart. Son of Rukh Ireheart. Of Roggar Ireheart. Of Kolbyr Ireheart. Of Lorkan Ireheart. Of Yavok Ireheart. Each name struck the stone like a hammerblow. Then, with finality, Duren declared: “Gror Ireheart is returned to stone, but his name yet stands.” The great shrine doors were opened to the main hall beyond. Those who could not remain bowed their heads, struck fist to chest, and departed quietly—leaving the mountain to its dead. What followed was for kin. The Irehearts, joined by chosen Stonehammers and Frostbeards, bound Gror’s casket to a heavy sled of iron and oak. Together, they heaved it upward along a cold, jagged mountainside. Breath steamed in the air, hands numbed by frost, but none faltered. Burden was shared, as it always had been. At the peak, the sled rested upon a long, ancient slope—blackened by centuries of fire and rite. Duren Ireheart took hold of the guide ropes, steadying the sled. Beside him, Sigrun Stonehammer stepped forward, torch in hand. At Duren’s signal, flame was set to the casket. Fire roared to life, licking across rune and wood as sparks leapt into the darkening sky. With a final heave, the sled was released. It thundered downward, ablaze, trailing embers like a falling star until it vanished from sight. As the last sparks faded, the Dwarves of the Mountain Clans raised their voices as one: “Narvak oz Gror!” Victory to Gror. Stone remembers.

MC Name: Stargush Discord: .stargush Image: Description of Image: The Banner of the Ireheart Clan Dimensions: 2 High

The Choosing of a Clan Father ᚦᚨᛏ ᚺᚨᛗᛗᛖᚱ ᚠᚨᛚᛚᛋ Within the ancient stone halls of Ireheart Hold, torchlight flickered across rune-carved pillars as the clan gathered beneath the weight of history. The banners of Yavok’s Sons hung still, their silence mirroring the tension that clung to the air. In the back halls, far from the central chamber, Yrun Ireheart spoke in hushed tones with the beardling Slaghand, the dwarf’s voice low and measured as he questioned the young dwarf on bloodlines and heritage — a quiet reminder that lineage yet mattered greatly among the Irehearts. At the sound of a rune-hammer striking stone, the hall stilled. Duren Ireheart stepped forward and called the meeting to order. His gaze swept the chamber before settling with grim certainty. “Let it be known,” Duren spoke, his voice echoing through the vaulted stone, “That Onar Ireheart, Clan Father, stands absent this day — as do all other Elders eligible by law and blood. Their absence alone is reason enough for this gathering.” Present within the hall stood only a handful of blooded kin: Yrun, Slaghand, Merle, Obil, Gimpar, and Dorrak — no more, no less. With a breath drawn heavy as iron, Duren continued. “By stone-law and ancient rite, I step forward and offer myself as candidate for Clan Father. If any Blooded Ireheart or Elder stands among us and would contest this claim — let them do so now.” Silence answered him. None stepped forth. Steel eyes met one another. Beards were stroked. At last, one by one, voices rose in agreement until the hall rang with a single proclamation. “Hail Duren, Clan Father of Yavok’s Sons!” “Hail Duren the Wise!” Thus, the mantle passed. With the choosing complete, Clan Father Duren the Wise laid forth the matters at hand. He spoke of coin and stone, of alliances forged through necessity — the joint funding alongside Clan Frostbeard and Clan Grandaxe to raise a new Mountain Hold worthy of the Dwarves of the Peaks. He spoke, too, of darker tidings: of the warfronts where the Alliance of Four Brothers clashed against the rising threat of the Empire of Man. As matters of succession were raised, one voice suggested prudence — the naming of an Elder should fate ever claim the new Clan Father. All eyes turned to Yrun Ireheart. The dwarf did not answer with words. Instead, with a growl of frustration, Yrun cast aside cloak and helm, planting his boots upon the stone floor. “If I am to be named,” he thundered, “Then I’ll prove my worth the old way.” What followed was a clash of iron and beard — a trial by combat within the safety of the hall. One by one, the Irehearts who dared challenge Yrun were cast down. At last, he faced two of his kin at once, and still stood victorious, breathing hard but unbowed. The matter was settled. The meeting drew to a close in honor rather than bloodshed. Finely crafted Diamond Pickaxes, each etched with the Ireheart Coat of Arms, were presented to those in attendance — symbols of unity, labor, and shared purpose. As the clan departed the Halls of Ireheart, they gathered their gleaming tools and descended together into the mineshafts below. The stone soon echoed not with debate, but with laughter and old dwarven folk songs, voices rising in harmony as pick met rock. Thus ended the choosing — and thus began the reign of Duren the Wise, Clan Father of Yavok’s Sons.

ᚠᚱᛁᛖᚾᛞᛊᚺᛁᛈ ᛟᚠ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛞᚱᚨᚷᛟᚾᛒᚨᚾᛖ A Call to the Blood of Ireheart Let it be etched in stone and carried upon the echoes of cavern and hall alike. In an age where the mountains yet remember the thunder of ancient hammers, and the embers of old glory glow faintly beneath the ash of time, a call is sounded once more — not of war, but of remembrance, unity, and rightful succession. The Fellowship of the Dragonbane calls upon the scattered sons and daughters of the Ireheart Clan, those who yet bear the blood and name forged in ages past. Hearken, descendants of Yavok Ireheart, whose indomitable will first set the clan’s roots deep within stone and flame. Hearken, heirs of Kjell Ireheart, whose strength and wisdom tempered the clan through trial and tribulation alike. Your lineage is not forgotten. The halls may have grown silent, and the banners may hang heavy with dust, yet the blood of Ireheart runs hot — unbroken, unbowed. The deeds of your forefathers remain carved into the memory of the Dwarves, and their legacy calls for renewal. Thus, the Fellowship of the Dragonbane issues this solemn summons: Come forth, all who claim the name Ireheart. Return to council, to stone, to kin. A Grand Reunion is to be convened, where the living branches of the clan shall stand together once more. There, beneath oath and witness, the clan shall speak with one voice to select and deem a new Clan Father, one worthy to bear the mantle passed down from Yavok and Kjell themselves. This is no mere gathering of blood — it is a reckoning of legacy. Let grievances be set aside. Let grudges be weighed fairly. Let honor, tradition, and the strength of the clan guide the choice that shall shape the Ireheart future. Those who answer this call shall help decide the fate of a name that once rang proudly through the mountains. Those who do not may yet live to see what becomes of the clan reborn. May stone remember you. May fire judge you true. — Issued in solemn oath by the Fellowship of the Dragonbane

A lot of this topic, I've noticed, has spiraled into rage-baiting and personal attacks, which I don't care much for, in a game where many characters will be warlords, whether they take themes from real-life wars and conquests matters little to me, as controversial and sensitive as it is to some. I'm commenting again to revisit the suggestion that the Empire of Man is evil. Perhaps that is the narrative the ST, Imperial Leadership, or opposition wants to spin. Still, I disagree with the notion that any Empire raised by any of the primary descendant races would be considered evil rather than self-interested. It's all a matter of perspective from each community. While I disagree with the extent of world dominance that is imposed on others, past and present, I think it would be just as unfair to destroy all the world-building the imperial characters have created for themselves and the Human communities. It is a fact that the LoTC Staff & Admins have persistently failed to create an environment where each of the primary races has its own political agency in the world, while somehow maintaining a level of sanctuary that prevents the total destruction of a player community that generates activity in the game. For many maps, we've seen the rise and fall of Empires, along with the sheer annihilation of smaller communities, as well as several of the main race communities that have struggled to make something of what little they are given, as "shitty" as some claim they are. While for the most part I think alternative Kingdom communities would be fair game for vassalization or conquest, I think otherwise about the main race communities that should be provided with some asylum from total death. Of course, each should receive some loss or grief. Still, I have always found that the total collapse of a community is especially harmful to growing what is supposed to be a community server, or rather, constantly regrowing it from the ashes over the years, as neat as some might think it is for a narrative. To describe this, I think back on Aegis and how Staff managed to maintain consistency and preserve the main communities, along with any alternative groups that rose. Was it because Minecraft was so popular back then that each community between the Elves, Humans, Orcs, and Dwarves had enough players to defend and repel any incoming invasion, or was it because Admins and Staff managed to keep stability through rules and didn't allow destruction of the main communities they wanted to grow, being crucial to the game and its narrative of the Four Brothers? I think there is certainly a balance that could be had where each primary descendant race could have grown an Empire of their own, all existing on the same map that Staff & Admins are simply neglecting or refusing to explore. As it stands, the start of this map is already on track for world domination and the submission of those independent of the Empire, which I think is unhealthy to allow, given the differences in cultures and religions among the primary races.

It is partially true regarding IG leadership, but retaining new players remains a significant issue not only for nations but also for LoTC, as many new players leave the community with low engagement. I'm speaking from the perspective of the majority of incoming whitelists, though, that default to Human RP, as Human High Fantasy is far more popular in pop culture and more relatable to role-play. The last pop culture movement for Dwarves was The Hobbit movie, which drove a much higher income for white-lists at the time. Dwarves indeed tend to have strong IG leadership and retain a lot of the activity, though much of it comes not so much from Dwarf Clans as from non-Dwarf characters these days. In the Orcs' case, I think it's a combination of several factors. The last pop-culture reference of interest was The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, which inspired interest in playing an Orc character. However, they once had a culture that defined what it meant to be an Orc in-game, but it is now frowned upon by modern-day staff and player culture. Due to this, they appropriate their culture but dilute the identity of Orc representation at the same time, because if you are in a theatre and playing the role of an Orc, you are meant to speak like an Orc and behave like an Orc, and that is not even close to what's happening today. Not to mention, they have had incredibly unstable leadership during most maps, but I think it doesn't make sense to constantly benefit one main race community that is the default of all white-lists, but Staff or Admins never try to create incentives or assist what have been the hardest main race niches of roleplay to organize. A balanced game is far more enjoyable than one that favors certain groups. While I've grown and don't play as much as I did years ago, I find it unfair to new players who are trying to lead disadvantaged races or nations, putting in the time to grow player communities, only to have their efforts wasted and constantly handed losses.

Ideally, a Human Empire is awesome, but in practice, given the state of LoTC right now, it disrupts the server's power balance. It creates gridlock in the game's political role-play, essentially deciding who wins or loses and safeguarding threats or political maneuvers unless it's in their interest. Personally, I think Independent Human Kingdoms are always far better without the gridlock because, since Humans have the curse of a short life span, they can accomplish more, seize territory, and achieve greater things with their own ambitions than they could by sitting idly under the Empire and requiring bureaucratic permission for everything. Even when I first started playing, the Orenian Empire was very appealing to a new player, especially given how much activity Human whitelists receive, making it a flourishing center for RP and population. I think there are two main issues with a Human Empire, especially given today's game conditions. First, the server is separated into Four Main Racial descendant communities, meaning they should all have some agency and not be rewarded with dominance simply for having the most activity, even if it benefits the server's statistics. For a long time now, the primary fantasy races have struggled as it is to gain activity or even whitelists for that matter, with the Orcs having had the worst for as long as I can remember, then the Dwarves, and more recently, Elves. If activity cannot be made for these groups, then there is nowhere near enough power to rival their brother race of the Humans, and almost a decade ago, they had things like racial buffs to represent better the roles of fantasy races being played, but also to offset the more dominant populations of the Humans. Using Orcs as an example for being one of the main races known for being monstrous and skilled warriors, why have they never won or put up a challenge against a Human Empire on their own, going back 8 years ago to Axios? The second issue I have with it is something I believe is broader than dealing with just the Empire, but having a central superpower in the game only fuels the need to engage only in Alliance & Coalition wars to even put up a challenge. While this has become a common standard on the server and is appealing to use a medieval theme of calling upon your allies' banners, it's simply something the server struggles to maintain. It is possible to do 150v150 wars, but in the laggiest slideshow any PvP has ever seen. It's very rare to see any Kingdoms actually engage in a 1v1, but when it comes to a Human Empire, there is no Kingdom that could ever win a 1v1 on its own. In my opinion, alliance wars should be conducted at the end of the map, when the political intrigue is more extensive and closer to achieving some total domination, but with an Empire and no balance against it, such a thing is required from the very start. I do think it is terrific to facilitate a center for activity and community, especially for the most preferred race on the server to visit. I just don't believe there should be special treatment or reward for what is the default majority of the whitelists. At the same time, the main fantasy races are given the bare minimum and struggle with what they are given, yet try to put all their time and effort into building a community, only to be forced into losing conditions against a major power at all times. I prefer playing the underdog in most cases, but I still think it's unfair that most community nations outside the Empire or its allies are constantly disadvantaged.

BRAWMIA IS A PEOPLE, NOT A PLACE Top 5 Grateful List 1. Serenaded by Mongolian Throat Singing@OP bandamont 2. Winning CSGO Queues 3. Scape and **** 4. Road Banditry 5. Nmarkov