The Duergar of Nidavellir are divided into six great clans, each with its own traditions, markings, and roles in their society. Though they are united in their war against the Kobolds of the Deep and the shifting evils that rule them, each clan’s culture and reputation is distinct. Together, they form the backbone of the Bifröst Isles’ most isolationist, yet most steadfast, people.
Embervein clan – The Flame of the Forge
Markings: Veins glowing like cooled magma
District: Emberdeep
Role: Warrior-smiths and weapon forgers; spearheads against the Kobolds of the Deep
Motto: “Through flame, we stand unbroken.”
The Embervein bind battle and craft into a single devotion. Their volcanic steel blades are rune-scribed at the edge of the Heartforge’s heat, and their forges echo with chant and hammerfall. Quick to anger, quicker to defend, they are admired as protectors—and feared for their blaze-hot tempers.
Ashforge Clan – The Hands that Feed the Fire
Markings: Charcoal skin and soot-stained features
District: Ashen Warrens
Role: Provisioners and quartermasters; fungal farms, preservation halls, leatherworks; keepers of ash-wolves
Motto: “What burns once may burn again.”
Pragmatic and indispensable, the Ashforge sustain the Holds. They rear ember-born ash-wolves that can disperse into soot to scout the tunnels, cure hides for armor and harness, and manage rations for sieges. Their sporebread, pickled fungi, and ash-salted meats feed the city when the mountain seals its jaws.
Stonevein Clan– The Bones of the Mountain
Markings: Granite-grey fault-line veining
District: Stoneward Bastion
Role: Architects, masons, and rune-engineers; warding walls, gates, cisterns, airshafts
Motto: “We hold the mountain’s heart.”
Silent, exacting, and immovable, the Stonevein ensure Nidavellir endures. Their fortifications and structural runes have withstood quakes and wars alike, and when the Deep Roads breach, it is their sealed gates that buy the city time.
Stormvein Clan– The Voice of the Thunder
Markings: Blue-white lightning streaks along the skin
District: Stormheart Forges
Role: Lightning-smiths and rune-mystics; forge Valkyrie lightning cores; channel Odin’s stormfire
Motto: “We strike as the storm remembers.”
In halls alive with captured thunder, the Stormvein temper metal with skyfire. Their work hums before battle, and sparks dance on beard and brow when tempers flare. Revered and a little feared, they walk the line between craft and the divine.
Moonglow Clan– The Keepers of Memory
Markings: Silvery-white hair; quicksilver eyes
District: Silverdeep
Role: Lorekeepers, priests, and historians; reflective gardens, silver fungi, sacred brews
Motto: “Light remembers what shadow forgets.”
In mirrored halls aglow with bioluminescent moss, the Moonglow tend songs, rites, and records. They brew lichen meads for councils and funerals and preserve the laments of the Duergar rebellion against their Underdark kin. To them, memory is a forge that tempers the soul.
Ironblood Clan– The Anvil of War
Markings: Veins that shimmer like tempered steel
District: Ironblood Bastion
Role: Soldiers, tacticians, and caravan guards; drills, siegeworks, and route security
Motto: “Our blood is iron; our will unbroken.”
The Ironblood keep the spearpoints sharp and the shieldwall unbroken. Proud and disciplined, they patrol the Deep Roads, escort surface trade, and etch the names of the fallen into their barracks stone so that duty is never forgotten.
Shared Legacy
Each clan shapes every Valkyrie: Embervein steel, Ashforge bindings, Stonevein frame, Stormvein core, Moonglow rites, and Ironblood drill. The Council of Sparks oversees the Heartforge and holds the clans in cautious unity. In darkness, they build the light—and the mountain remembers every strike.