Sootbeard Clan

((WIP))

The Sootbeard Clan is the current ruling family of the Principality of Zundrbar, as well as the County of Zundrkaap (via its cadet branch- the Boergraf Clan). The incumbent head of the clan is Brahdic "Baird" Sootbeard, although the position as Prince of Zundrbar is currently held by Ghlafferge "Ghlaff" Sootbeard (also known as "Ol'Sooty").

The Sootbeard Clan is one of several prestigious clans in the Principality of Zundrbar. They operate the Sootbeard Coalfield, the richest coal deposit in the Principality of Zundrbar. Further, the Sootbeard Clan has intermarried into the Brightrock Clan (a gold mining clan from Zundrkaap), the Fusebrow Clan (an engineering clan from Zundrbar), and the Mountaingrip Clan (an iron mining clan from Zundrbar).

The current heir to the Sootbeard Clan (aside from Ghlafferge) is Armiggs Sootbeard, the eldest son of Ghlafferge, who is currently thirty-nine years old (early adult years).

History of the Clan
Thyrig Sootbeard (994 to 1003 ) The Sootbeard Clan was founded in the depths of Ironforge by an enterprising miner by the name of Thyrig Krum. Thryig started a small coal mining firm- Sootbeard Coal Mining in the depths of Ironforge around one thousand years ago. Krum was an intelligent coal miner, and made rather sizable profits off of the coal mining industry in Dun Morogh, owning several coal mines and being a prime supplier of coal to Coldridge Valley.

After nearly a decade of operation, Thryig changed his clan name from "Krum" to "Sootbeard." After amassing five thousand gold, Thyrig purchased a plot of land in the mountains that divide Dun Morogh and the Wetlands.

Hjolrom Sootbeard (1003 to 1101)
Thyrig perished before he could see the land, however his eldest son- Hjolrom, took over. He founded a small village in the area by the name of Zundrbar. Hjolrom Sootbeard sold off much of the coal mines in Dun Morogh, which were beginning to become unprofitable as a result of rising taxes. Hjolrom's sent a team of six geologists to investigate the lands of the highlands, discovering large reserves of gold, silver, iron, and coal in the mountainous area. Hjolrom finished moving the Sootbeard Coal Mining Company to Zundrbar in 986, after eight years of movement out of Dun Morogh.

Upon making residence in Zundrbar, Hjolrom designed it as a simple mining town to accomodate his workers. He established a large residence for himself- the Sootbeard Estate, and named the coalfield after his father, Thryig. Hjolrom began selling coal to the city of Ironforge, which had a great demand for the product.

Hjolrom's Family
Hjolrom married one of the coal miners by the name of Siegrid Stoneshield in 1046. The Stoneshield Clan was a small clan, that had roots as a warrior clan, with most of its members serving as mountaineers in Dun Morogh in the Ironforge area, although Siegrid and her brother- Benjamin, served as coal miners in Sootbeard Coal Mining.

Together, the couple had three children, one son by the name of Leopold Sootbeard (Leopold I, 1073) and two daughters by the names of Moira (1055) and Leonora Stoneshield (1067). Benjamin Stoneshield became a good friend of Hjolrom, and a caring uncle to Moira, Leonora, and Leopold. In reverse, Hjolrom became a caring uncle to Benjamin's own children- three daughters by the names of Nathalie Stoneshield (1059), Kristen Stoneshield (1075), and Hilde Stoneshield (1094).

Death and Legacy
Hjolrom died in 1101, succeeded by his only son Leopold. Hjolrom was given a large funeral in the highlands, and was buried in a coal mine named after his wife- the Siegrid Coal Mine, which collapsed in 1103, two years after his death.

Hjolrom is remembered as the first "true ruler" of Zundrbar. During his reign, the Sootbeard Coalfields were created as the Thyrig Coalfields. However, Zundrbar would only become its true self that it is today centuries later.

Leopold Sootbeard (1101 to 1113)
Leopold Sootbeard was the third head of Sootbeard Coal Mining, and the only son of Hjolrom. Leopold's rule began in 1101, after the death of his father, however it is often regarded as one of the shortest reigns of any leader of Sootbeard Coal Mining and Zundrbar in general.

Death (1113)
Leopold's death came swiftly during a mine collapse in his twelfth year as ruler. He was barely out of adulthood by the time the collapse occurred, and as a result, he was succeeded by his sister- Moira.

Moira Sootbeard (1113 to 1131)
Moira Sootbeard succeded her brother as the fourth head of Sootbeard Coal Mining. She was the eldest daughter of Hjolrom Sootbeard. Her reign began in 1113 after a weeklong debate was held to determine who should rule the land.

Debate of Rule (1113)
There were no male Sootbeards, although Benjamin Stoneshield contested Moira's reign, as he was Ghlafferge's brother-in-law. However, Moira countered by saying that Benjamin had no Sootbeard blood in his veins, and as a result- could not be the ruler of Zundrbar. Benjamin arrogantly proclaimed that rule in the Hills should be given to a popular vote, however Moira's proclamation that Benjamin was not a Sootbeard made her win the vote by a great majority.

Reign (1113 to 1131)
Moira's rule began smoothly, and she appointed her cousin- Nathalie Stoneshield to the position as advisor. She offered no harmed blood between the Stoneshield and Sootbeard Clans, and negotiated out a settlement with Benjamin. Benjamin purchased the remaining area of land in the highlands using funds from given by Moira, and in return, the two entered a personal-union, as the Grand Principality of Sootbeard and Stoneshield.

The purchasing of the land marked the beginning of the modern-day territory of the mainland of Zundrbar. However, Moira further affected Zundrbar by expanding coal mining operations. With the increased amount of territory, Moira sent geologists over to the Stoneshield-held lands, with Benjamin's permission. The expansion of coal mining did not anger Benjamin, as he began to expand into other industries, such as logging. The Principality of Stoneshield was heavily forested. As a result, Benjamin sold much of the lumber to the Sootbeard Principality, as they needed more wood to construct houses for Dwarven coal laborers, who were coming in increased numbers to the highlands as a result of the demand for jobs.

Death (1131)
Moira died at the age of 76, once more barely out of adulthood. Very little is known about Moira's death, although historical speculation points towards a possible poisoning, although the culprit of such is unknown. Moira was the first Sootbeard to be buried on the Sootbeard Estate, which she inherited.

Moira had no children during her reign, however Leonora did have children- a son by the name of Frederik Sootbeard.

Frederik Sootbeard (1131 to 1305)
Frederik Sootbeard was born as the only child of Leonora Sootbeard and Mathij Stoneshield. By mixing the two lines together once more, Frederik was born with half Sootbeard-blood, and therefore permitted to take the throne. Frederik was born in 1104.

Frederik's reign was during one of the heights of Zundrbar's economic prosperity prior to the 1500s. Mineral exploration was at an all time high, while the Stoneshield Clan was also exploring iron mining in the west, which proved to be profitable as a steel industry was growing in Zundrbar.

However, under Frederik's reign- Sootbeard Coal Mining lost its monopoly on the markets in Zundrbar. Stoneshield Logging had been viewed of as a subsidiary to Sootbeard Coal Mining, however the coal veins of Zundrbar proved too large for one clan to mine, the same happening with increased iron mining and steel production.

The First Trade War (1203 to 1257)
In 1203, Sootbeard Coal Mining was challenged by a clan in the Principality of Stoneshield, the Longore Clan. The Longore Clan created a mine along a new vein of coal in what would become the Province of Colloredo. The Sootbeard Clan recognized the legitimacy of the new coal mining company, however the Longore Clan sought to create a new territory for its own clan, separating from the Principality of Stoneshield while remaining in the personal-union of the Grand Principality of Stoneshield-Sootbeard.

Over the course of fifty four years, numerous other clans in addition to the Longore Clan would create their own principalities. The Sootbeard Clan was powerless over the territory of the Principality of Stoneshield, which separated from the personal union during the fifty-four years.

In 1257 however, when Frederik saw the eyes of other Dwarves looking upon the turmoil occurring in the Principality of Stoneshield. He negotiated a peace which saw the creation of several new principalities, which were added to the Grand Principality of the Highlands. Each clan received mineral rights to the land and separate rulers were added to the Dyad Council, which was originally made up of the Prince of Sootbeard and the Prince of Stoneshield, however it was extended to include the princes of all the smaller principalities. The Dyad Council became known as the Council of the Grand Principality.

The recognized principalities of the Grand Principality at the time were the Principality of Sootbeard (The most powerful via both area and wealth), the Principality of Goldhelm, the Principality of Flinthelm, the Principality of Caskrock, the Principality of Highaxe, the Principality of Flintsteel, the Principality of Longore, the Principality of Ironbrand, the Principality of Thunderhelm, the Principality of Deephelm, the Principality of Bronzebreaker, and the Principality of Longrock.

Reign (1257 to 1305)
The remainder of Frederik Sootbeard's reign was marked by stabilizing peace among the clans, who began to develop separate industries in the realm of the Grand Principality. Grand Prince Frederik held meetings with the clans' thanes around once a month, and thus was able to keep the peace very effectively.

Family
Frederik Sootbeard married Amarigg Flinthelm's eldest daughter- Brynola Flinthelm in 1264, seven years after the peace. Amarigg had no sons and his wife died in childbirth to his third daughter. As a result, the lands of the Principality of Flinthelm were given as a dowry to the Sootbeard Clan by Amarigg, who hoped that his lands could be preserved by the Principality of Sootbeard.

Together, Brynola and Frederik had six healthy children- Kromrigg, Hulfdren, Grulbrek, Karlsefni (sons) and Dagrun and Ingimund (Daughters).

Death (1305)
Frederik Sootbeard died at the ripe age of one hundred ninety-nine years old in the Sootbeard Estate. He was suceeded by his eldest son Karlsefni Sootbeard. Karlsefni was forty seven when he received the throne as the Prince of Sootbeard and Grand Prince, the youngest age at which any Sootbeard has received the throne. He was advisedby his sisters- Dagrun and Ingimund, who were nearly ten years older than him at the time.

Karlsefni Sootbeard (1305 to 1491)
Karlsefni Sootbeard took the throne as Grand Prince Karlsefni I. Karlsefni was an ardent believer in the power of the Clan Sootbeard. Under his reign, the Grand Principality purchased its first maritime vessel, which he named after himself- the Karlsefni.

Karlsefni is often described as a "nation-builder," and was the first Sootbeard to rule over an independent Zundrbar. Karlsefni annexed the remaining principalities of the highlands over a period lasting from 1434 to 1451, and in 1459, signed the Treaty of Kharanos, which declared Zundrbar's independence from the Kingdom of Ironforge under an annual payment of coal and steel.

Karlsefni suspended the Council of the Grand Principality, and created the Sovereign Principality of Zundrbar, also known as the Sovereign Principality of the Highlands, colloquially nicknamed, "That land in between." Karlsefni Sootbeard suspended the rights of the clans to the land that they once owned, giving all land to the Sootbeards. With a new independent state, Karlsefni also lowered taxes heavily, bringing hundreds of new clans or thousands of denizens to the Principality.

Family
Karlsefni married the daughter of a wealthy Ironforge banker in 1423, hoping to better relations with Bronzebeard clans in the booming city. Her name was Thorgild Goldbraids, and together Karlsefni and Thorgild had four children- Borghild (daughter, 1426), Sigur (daughter, 1432), Karolina (daughter, 1438), and Thoralf (son, 1443). The Goldbraids Clan moved to Zundrbar following the signing of the Treaty of Kharanos.

Death
Karlsefni perished in 1491 due to old age, at the age of two hundred and thirty-three. He died in the Sootbeard Estate and was buried on the estate's grounds. He was succeeded by his only son, Thoralf, who was sixty-seven when he inherited the throne.

Thoralf Sootbeard (1491 to 1674)
Thoralf Sootbeard's reign marked the beginning of Zundrbar's rise to power as a strong independent state. Under his reign, Zundrbar purchased several ships, which he named after his sisters. The Borghild, Sigur, Karolina, and Karlsefni made up of the newly formed Zeemacht, or navy of Zundrbar. Thoralf appointed his cousin, Rognavald Sootbeard, as Fleet Admiral.

Thoralf's reign was marked by new clans coming and carving out lives for themselves under the reign of the Sootbeards. The navy was rarely used, and served more as a symbol of national pride. Towards the end of Thoralf's reign however, negotiations with the incoming clans were beginning to turn sour, as the Sootbeards refused to sell land to the clans, fearing another principality situation would occur.

Family
Thoralf married the daughter (Johanna) of a wealthy steelmaker, Thorfinn Steelhand in 1634 Together, Thoralf and Johanna had two children- Sven (1656) and Thord (1660). Thorfinn perished in 1674 before his wife Johanna, and as a result, Johanna became the Princess of Zundrbar, the only female to rule over the principality in recorded history.

Johanna Steelhand (1674 to 1736)
Johanna Steelhand ruled as the only Princess of the Principality of Zundrbar in the history of the principality as a result of her eldest son, Sven, being too young to rule at the time of his birth. However, Sven was rarely interested in ruling as the Prince, and thus Johanna ruled as Princess until her death.

During Johanna's reign, Pieter Sootbeard founded a colony in the Arathi Highlands on the eastern coast. Originally, Pieter was going to name it Johannaslaand after Princess Johanna, although she declined the offer. She told him to call it, "Zundrkaap," which in the dialect of the highlands meant, "Wealthy Cape."

Further, during her reign, pressure from the clans became increasingly high, although her advisors advised against a move. However, her son advised her to open the lands to purchase by clans for usage, being an ardent capitalist. She was unable to decide before her death on what should be done in terms of the sale of land.

Sven Sootbeard (1736 to 1914)
Sven Sootbeard became Prince of Zundrbar after his mother's death in 1736. Immediately, the clans who had entered Zundrbar were threatening an armed revolt against the Sootbeard Clan and re-entry to the Kingdom of Ironforge if land would not be sold equally. Sven began to sell off land in large swathes to the clans, leaving the only land to be held by the Sootbeard Clan as the Sootbeard Estate. Sven signed the Treaty of Limburg, which divided much of the Sootbeard Clan's publicly-held lands as the Sootbeard Principality amongst smaller clans. The Sootbeard Clan retained the village of Zundrbar as a holding, as well as the Sootbeard Estate.

Also under his reign, the colony of Zundrkaap expanded greatly, however this brought on new troubles, especially with the Witherbark Trolls who inhabited the mountains to escape the human knights of Arathor. The first armed conflict between the Boeren settlers and the Trolls occurred in 1798, known as the First Troll War.

First Troll War (1798 to 1801)
The First Troll War began in 1798 and was a conflict lasting two and a half years. The two combatants were Boeren settlers, who were settling the headlands of the modern-province of Goudland, and encountered a troll tribe. The Trolls in the area and the Boers had signed a treaty by the name of the Gabangaye Pact, which stated that the Boers could not expand into the mountains. This treaty was signed when PIeter's original settlers came in 1681.

At this time, Pieter had perished, and was succeeded by his son- Maximiliaan Boergraf in 1785. Over the course of thirteen years, the Boers broke the treaty and entered the mountains, founding the settlement of Natalia (named after Countess Natalia of Zundrkaap) in an area deemed the, "Zwelibani," or "Broad-Country," in the language of the Trolls.

Sven sent his younger brother, Thord, with a team of one hundred and fifty Mountaineers to aid the Boer Kommandos, who were led by the largely inexperienced Gustaaf Boergraf, Pieter's third son. The initial advances made by the two were stunning, as their superior weaponry allowed them to achieve victory, however the war became bogged down when the Chweba Expeditionary Force of the Boers was utterly routed at the Battle of Nhlahla, by a Troll force much smaller than their own. Following Nhlahla, Sven recalled Thord as a commander in the First Troll War, and sent out a much more able commander, a retired mountaineer captain by the name of Fjolnir Ironcrag. Ironcrag was given a force of two hundred mountaineers, as well as eighty volunteers from the mainland.

Fjolnir proved himself as a much more able commander, and pushed back the Trolls to the headwaters of the Chweba River in the mountains over a six month period. He sustained moderate casualties, although inflicted heavy casualties on the defenders.

The war was concluded in 1801 following the signing of the Treaty of Natalia, which limited Boer settlement beyond the Chweba River, which was renamed the Fjolnir River. Further, the accumulated territory was divided into two regions- the Natalia Territory and the Gustaafslaand Territory.

The Expansionist Years (1801 to 1889)
With the recent accumulation of funds from the sale of government land to individual clans, accumulated money was invested into the military. Sven believed that the only role of government was to defend the nation, and much of Zundrbar agreed with him. Much of Zundrbar's defense force was composed of inexperienced fighters who had not fought at any time in their lives.

Clan Ironbeard
The beginning of the Expansionist Years was in 1801, when Sven promoted an experienced fighter of the Frontier as Mountaineer Captain, Valgrinn Ironbeard. Valgrinn was described as, "Comparable in size to an anvil and in battle fury to a dragon," in one edition of the Hill Street Journal.

The Baugsson Treaty/Ross Family
Zundrbar's Expansionist Years were mainly composed of settling the Frontier of Zundrbar along the border with the Wetlands, as well as settling the Frontier in Zundrkaap. Further, Sven began to expand the navy, beginning with the Baugsson Treaty, signed by Zundrbar's Fleet Admiral- Modolf Baugsson, and a human privateer- Zachary Ross. Ross maintained a small fleet of sellsail vessels, located near to the trading port of Menethil Harbour, an important area for commerce between the Kingdom of Lordaeron, Kingdom of Azeroth, and Kingdom of Ironforge. To date, Zachary is one of the few humans who has been given property in Zundrbar, and was welcomed as the Fleet Advisor to Sven's cabinet. The Baugsson Treaty made the Ross Fleet Property of the Navy of Zundrbar, and allowed the Ross Family and honorable estate in the highlands.

The Beatrix Plan
The Beatrix Plan was a plan made by Countess Beatrix of Zundrkaap with aid from Valgrinn Ironbeard (Captain of all Mountaineer Forces), Modolf Baugsson (Fleet Admiral of the Navy), and  Johannes Boergraf (Commander of the Boeren Kommandos). The Beatrix Plan was made to prepare an invasion of all the highlands, expanding Zundrkaap to the fullest extent. The plan involved sending in a force of two thousand soldiers to stop the Trolls, who were currently undergoing a trend that was making the leaders of Zundrkaap nervous.

The Trolls had been corrupted by a Dinfa, a wandering Troll, by the name of Hlatshwayo. Hlatshwayo utilized  voodoo magic to coerce the King of the once-noble Trolls of the highlands to abdicate from his position as Nkosi in favor of Hlatshwayo. Hlatshwayo started a confederacy of the Trolls not only in the highlands, but also the outlying lowland areas, known as the Bangizwe Confederacy. The Bangizwe Confederacy contained elements of the Witherbark and Vilebranch Trolls, seeking to create a Troll state along the coastal areas of the Arathi Highlands and much of the inland of the Hinterlands.

The Kugald Plan
The Kugald Plan was a plan made by the same council as the Beatrix Plan, named after Kugald Ironbeard, Valgrinn's ancestor and founder of the Ironbeard Clan. The Kugald Plan was designed to defend the Gustaafslaand and Natalia Territories, as well as the Kaap Territory in case of a Troll invasion. The Kugald Plan started entrenching mountaineers in the Gustaafslaand along several defensive lines less than one hundred miles away from the Fjolnir River.

The Gustaafslaand Line at the Fjolnir River was known as the Skrogg Line, manned by two hundred Boer Kommandos, armed mostly with ranged weapons, such as flintlocks, blunderbusses, boomsticks, etc. Twenty miles behind the Skrogg Line was the Thorgrim Line, manned by two hundred Boer Kommandos, once more armed mostly with ranged weapons. Twenty miles behind the Thorgrim Line was the Runolf Line, manned by two hundred Boer Kommandos, once more armed mostly with ranged weapons. These areas became known as the Kugald Front, and was one of the two fronts created by the Kugald Plan.

The other Front was devised by mountaineers in the mountains overlooking the Fjolnir River, dubbed the Fjolnir Tops. In the Fjolnir Tops, fifty mountaineers were stationed at a guard post, with monthly supply runs done from the Kaap. The mountaineer garrison there, known as the Kjarten Line, was led by Mountaineer Lieutenant Grimkel Cragdust, a marksman.

Second Troll War (1846-1853)
On November 21st, 1846, Trolls corrupted by Hlatshwayo massacred the village of Amundstad, which prompted a surge of Troll forces to cross the Fjolnir River into the Gustaafslaand Territory, sparking the Second Troll War.

The Trolls immediately butchered those who had surrendered. At this point, Countess Beatrix called upon her son, Andries Boergraf, untested in battle, to aid the Boer Kommandos in the Kugald Plan. The war immediately called for additional troops to be stationed in the Natalia Territory, which Sven hastily sent out at the advise of Valgrinn Ironbeard. These additional troops were commanded by Valgrinn Ironbeard, whose absence meant that the Mountaineers in the mainland were left without a leader, although Ghlafferge promoted Valgrinn's battle-weary son, Folgrin, who had lived a similar lifestyle on the rugged frontier of the Principality of Zundrbar.

The Troll advances into the Gustaafslaand and Natalia Territory continued for three, long years, during which upwards of two thousand (of the eight thousand or so) souls perished in the fighting, mostly civilians, as the Trolls massacred all Dwarves in a captured village. Finally, the Trolls were broken by Andries in the Natalia Territory, at the Siege of Hrafnkell Keep.

Following this, Andries and the Kommandos pushed the Trolls out of the mountains, over the next four years of the war, capturing new territory in the form of the Svadalaand Territory, the Vaalrand Territory, the Andries Territory, and the Pietersburg Territory. At this point, Zundrkaap had been extended to its furthest extent, the same way that it is today.

The Continuation War (1853 to 1856)
The strife with Trolls in the colony of Zundrkaap was not over. While Hlatshwayo fled to the steads of the Witherbark Trolls further west, the Vilebranch Trolls remained a problem for the denizens of Zundrkaap. On the day of the Trolls fleeing from the territories, the Vilebranch launched an invasion of Zundrkaap, specifically the coastal region- the Kaap. The Kaap was historically the most secure part of the Colony, and as a result, there were very few defensive plans, and administration seemed more involved in settling the frontierlands in the mountains.

These Trolls were led by Warlord Ingiyab, who travelled to the Kaap with a naval fleet of twenty six ships, manned by several hundred Trolls.

At first, the Continuation War was looking to be an isolation event for Zundrkaap, with the Boers retreating into the mountains and founding an independent nation. This was a prospect Sven Sootbeard would not accept, as he would not let honest dwarves perish.

Sven handed over control of Zundrbar to Thord Sootbeard after the initial two year defense campaign failed at the Siege of Karlsveld. Andries Boergraf was died while in the mountains, fighting as much as he could against the Trolls.

Marching into Zundrkaap, Sven commissioned Zundrbar's entire naval force, and was joined by Valgrinn and his son- Folgrin, as well as a drinking buddy of his- Haguar Battlebeard, who also served as a fierce warrior in the mountaineers. Sven began what was called, "The Liberation Campaign."

The Liberation Campaign lasted one year. The Liberation Campaign began with Sven's Liberation of the Western Cape (Westkaap). The Westkaap Campaign began when Sven arrived on the Karlsefni, following a two week bombardment of the Western Cape by maritime forces.

The Warlord, Ingiyab, made his command post in the settlement of Floriaansburg, which he renamed Bhekifa. In the Liberation Campaign, none of the battles were victories for the Vilebranch Trolls. One month into the Liberation Campaign, Krugar Boergraf and his group of Mountain Boers marched into the lowlands.

Krugar reached Floriaansburg three months into the campaign, and besieged it for three weeks until Ingiyab retreated further into the lowlands.

The campaign was finally completed when the Siege of Teunderstad began, in which Krugar's Mountain Boers and Sven's Mountaineers met together at Teunderstad, killing all of the Trolls. The remaining Vilebranch warriors were killed in combat, under orders from Krugar.