Legends of Belariath
The Northern Clans
The Clans
The Northern Clans is further divided by purpose and calling, separating themselves into small Clans that all serve the same purpose, that of the Revenging upon those that betrayed them in ages past.
Fireworkers
In those earliest years, before the Harrower, many of the Clans knew how to forge metal and make new weapons and armor. After the Betrayal and fall of the Clans, only a few retained that knowledge and it was deemed important enough to earn its own Clan within the Northern Clans. This group is the 'only' group forbidden to engage in combat, or to leave their mountain Holds, which are clustered around the underground magma pools and tunnels of a semi-dormant volcano. The Shaman sisterhood favors this group and it is their influence and Shamanic power that grants the Fireworkers the ability to forge their unique weapons. There is no dishonor in being a Fireworker, for all the Northern Clans share in the good works they produce,and they are honored for their sacrifices, not the least of which is their forbiddance from combat.
Windriders
This group is composed of those selected by the Dires as their riders. Only by being chosen by one of the vicious predators can you become part of this Clan. Riders are almost always thin wiry sorts, tallish and with a perpetual hungry look. They ride without aid of saddle, tackle or bridle, deigning to simply cling to the snarling howling Dires as they charge headlong into combat. It is a favored practice to leap off of the beasts when reaching combat, giving the Dires the chance to use their agility to the utmost without fear of crushing their human riders. The Windriders have a mostly-friendly rivalry with the Blackfeathers, though some 'accidents' have been whispered about in the past. Windriders often live within the same confines as their Dire mounts, preferring the company of the twisted beasts to that of their own human brethren. The other both envy and fear this closeness to the children of the Winter Wolf.
Blackfeathers
The Blackfeather Clan is composed solely of those chosen by the Bloodravens to be their riders. Their Holds reside at the uppermost peaks of the Northern Wall mountains, and are often wrapped in winter snow throughout the year. The Blackfeathers are probably the most analytical and coldblooded of the several Clans, perhaps due to their status as scouts and spies that can watch from above without much fear of those scurrying about on the ground. The Blackfeathers are universally blackhaired and heavy-bearded, just as wiry as the Windriders, but not as heavily muscled. They prefer ranged weapons that never force them to come within range of close combat. Ironically, this is seen with approval by the Clans that they look down upon, preferring that the Blackfeathers not litter the field and steal any of the glory that they intend to have for themselves.
Shadowstalkers
This Clan is the most secretive of them all, a skulking group of personally chosen bodyguard and elite warriors that are gifted with further power by the Shamans for their own direct efforts. Each Shadowstalker is handpicked by a Shaman of considerable influence and power, and then tested. Those that survive the testing are given the opportunity to become a Shadowstalker. Like the Shamans, their identities are shunted to the side and they assume a wolfish persona, complete with Shamanic robes of fur and their own masks that both protect them from the cold, and gives a terrifying appearance to their enemies. The most dreadful part of all are the weapons that they wield.
Crafted by the Fireworkers, with the help of the Shaman sisterhood, these weapons come in form of iron talons that fit into the furred gloves that the Shadowstalkers wear. These talons are 'enchanted' with Shamanic energies that allow them to strike directly at a person's spirit, ignoring their flesh directly. In Game Terms, this means that they'd do no physical damage and ignore all physical armor, but do damage to Stamina instead of life. More on that later.