T'Kirem Bear Clan

Armband

"a solid vultite armband"

You see a solid vultite armband with a small picture in the center and some words below it. The engraved image is of a giantman warrior wrestling bare-handed with a bear. The stamped words below it read, "T'Kirem Bear Clan".

Summary

Strong, enduring, and proud, the Bear Clan produces only the finest warriors. It is rumored their rites of initiation are almost inhumane. They typically offer only warrior as a life pursuit, but a few others have been known to slip through the ranks for training to become rangers. Only warriors, with the occasional rogue or ranger, will be acknowledged as Bear Clan members.

Brief History/Notes

T'Kirem is the oldest giantman clan, with verbal histories and legends dating back to the middle of the Second Age. While the verbal histories leave dates fuzzy at best, most scholars place giantfolk clans around 20,000 years old.

The name "T'Kirem Bear Clan" was self-proclaimed after their first chieftain's death. The chieftain, Kiremgrea, possessed the characteristics of a bear (whether this was gained because he was a were-bear, or he was blessed by that totem of strength and took its attributes, no one knows for sure. There are tales of both.). For the rite of passage from boyhood into manhood, the would-be warriors would have to go and wrestle Kiremgrea in his bearskin cloak. Should he deem them worthy, they were allowed to pass into manhood and become warriors. If not, he bade them practice another year or two and try again. After his death, the Warmaster and Kiremgrea's widow spoke with the clan and decided how they were to commit his passing to memory. First, they added T' to a shortened version of his name and adopted it for their clan. Second, the rite of passage was adjusted - instead of fighting the chief in bearskin, they would fight bears. Fortunes have often offered Kiremgrea's reincarnation as a bear, and the clan wanted to make him proud of the young warriors.

T'Kirem is the "primary" clan as far as giantman clans go. If there is something to be decided on for all the giantfolk, the Bear Clan Chieftain and the Warmaster come to an agreement, then lay the law for all the clans.

Traditionally, the clan resided in the southeastern area of the Dragonspine Mountains, until the Battle of Maelshyve. At one point, the clan dwelled on the western side of the Dragonspine Mountains, in the area known later as Highmount. The T'Kirem were pushed out of the region by the Turamzzyrian Empire in 4314. The T'Kirem sought to reclaim the land in 4406, under the leadership of clan leader Yunnag Stormthrower. The clan succeeded in taking the eastern half of Highmount, but failed to hold it, and were pushed back into the mountains by 4457. This was in part to poor leadership of Yunnag's son, Krulgon Stormthrower, who lead his people to defeat at the Battle of Wefter's Vale.

There was once a tribe within the T'Kirem Bear Clan called the Ghost-Elk tribe, but they no longer exist.

References

• Giantkin Clans (official)
• Giantkin History (official)
• New statue revealed in Kharam Dzu!