[Book] Palms of Ember

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Violet
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[Book] Palms of Ember

Post by Violet »

Palms of Ember

by Hjalorn Seething-Gaze, 3E 412

There are many who wish to be like us, whether they know of us or not, but few wish to dance along side the cold fires of our hearths. Still, though, our clan is one of great adventure and honor, for the Fire-Hand clan breathes warmth throughout our frostbitten plains. To understand the Fire-Hand clan, you must understand all that is to be a warrior, to lust after battle and victory. You must endure the cold, and thrive in fire. To give a better understanding of the strongest of men, I must first allow you the pleasure of understanding our ways and a bit of our history.

As our clan's first chieftain, Chieftain Gjoris Ash-Soul would shout from the worn stone steps of the Flaming Hand Meadhall generations ago "There is no honor in laying siege to peaceful halls." The Fire-Hand is a clan born out of strife. Reavers had accosted many Nords over the years, and to those who wished not to have their sight marred with their own blood, it was a natural course to join the Reavers in their raidings. Within our own epics, much of which do not leave the whispers and songs of our halls, there tells the story of a proud Nord Gjoris, whose voice burned bright and hands of ash, setting ablaze a mountain of Reavers and wicked ice demons with a well-griped axe. In celebration of their newfound safety and prosperity, they constructed a grand hall for Gjoris to rest in. This, was the founding of the Flaming Hand Meadhall.

In the years after, Gjoris would take many wives and warrior-companions. Soon, Gjoris Ash-Soul would be named Chieftain, and a clan would form in that great hall. Chieftain Gjoris would fall ill soon after, and Addvar Warm-Blooded, first born of Gjoris and Feljisa, would be named Chieftain in his father's stead. Then Kjelfer Coal-Lung, then Helia the Wife-King, followed by Fjurdora the Fox, and many more over the centuries. Though none had lifted the clan to prominence like Chieftain Adana Burning-Arrow, who had served under Talos one year, taking accepting her duties as Chieftain, and before her death in the early 3rd era, she had the pleasure of becoming an advisor to the King of Wildhelm.

Recently, Chieftain Jona Ansei-Ender has been granted the title of Jarla for her bravery in battling the Redguards refusing to loosen their grip on the Nordic city of Dragonstar. After succeeding Chieftain Dorjen Burning-Heart of forty years, she was a fierce defender of Nordic tradition, and many of our traditions had returned in full force after Chieftain Dorjen had allowed our clan to become a shallow visage of former glory.

Nordic traditions held across Skyrim, such as ice wraith hunting and hearth shrines, are practiced by today's Fire-Hand as well, though naturally there are other rites and traditions held only by our clan. One such rite is the Hands of War; In this ceremony, a young warrior must bury one hand into the snow, while the other hand must be set on top of a smoldering pit of fire recently extinguished. If the warrior loosens either one then they are still but a helpless child - a child unworthy of honorable battle. If, however, the warrior should remain in position until the break of a new dawn, they may lift their hands and be welcomed by the Hearth Gods, for they are worthy of joining our ranks as the latest members of the Fire-Hand clan. This rite, of course, was much easier to perform in Eastmarch, but we have since moved to The Reach - as our Nordic brethren had need of us there.

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