Grot'karesh Hammer Clan

Armband: "a crimson glaes armband"

You see a crimson glaes armband completely covered in Saramar runes. In the center of a small parting of the runes is a pair of crossed battle hammers, and below them the words "Grot'karesh Hammer Clan" stand out.

Summary:

It is widely believed that this band was formed shortly after the Battle of Maelshyve, in reaction to the dark events wrought there. Grot'karesh is a small clan is made up of primarily of giantmen who manipulate the energies, as well as a few magic-using rogues and warriors. Their outlook on life is mostly grim, believing Despana and her horrors will once again plunge Elanthia into a second Age of Chaos. Several of the clan's members are plagued by horrific visions, while others believe they are cursed in one manner or another.

Brief History/Notes:

The origins of the Grot'karesh are sketchy, with different tales coming from different clans and geographic regions. However, there are a few common threads for the clan's founders. First, the founders were outcasts from other clans. It seems that after the Battle of Maelshyve some of the participants from Clans T'Kirem and Grishknel - the two clans who were responsible for breaking the front lines of Despana's troops - began to act in rather uncharacteristic manners. They experienced unusually high amounts of violence, hideous nightmares, brutality to kin, and in one or two cases a desire to consume blood. When it was discovered that this was happening, and after multiple attempts to reform their brethren, they were outcast from their clan of origin. Second, after a period of wandering, they all seemed to go through some sort of physical trial. During this time they took their bodies to the limits of exertion and exhaustion. After a moon cycle of this, if they were not dead, it is said that they underwent an unusual transformation. They were free of the urges that had overcome them, often overnight. They were also able to feel and make good use of the natural energies around them, with much more proficiency than other giantkin they came across.

Scholars aren't sure what to make of the origins of the Hammer Clan, or their founders. The current topic of debate is whether the mannerisms the giants possessed that started the chain of events was created by the battles (hearing banshee screams over and over, particularly), the demons that the Faendryl summoned, the magics the Faendryl used to destroy the keep, or a combination of the three.

Reference

• Official documentation is located at Giantkin Clans