[Unofficial Lore] Clan Kare

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Clan Kare - ‘The Stars speak, we listen.’

 

History: One of the oldest clans of Whitescar, Clan Kare seems very much foreign in some of its ways to other caribou clans. This clan founded many moons by Jarl Vali when he and the many others that followed the last Tomb-King returned to the ‘safer’ wilds of Whitescar from the treacherous Spine of the World Serpent.

 

Jarl Vali by most stereotypes would not have been considered a Viking. He didn’t partake in pillaging or needless bickering or petty sport to show who was ‘the best’. This would have likely made many caribou of his time find him weak and soft, were it not only his wisdom and insight but his unparalleled skill with the greatbow that spoke otherwise. The Jarl was not one to start fights and he often much preferred to settle things with words. He may not have been one to start the fights, but none could say he was unable to finish one once it started. Not a very tall or particularly stocky caribou, Vali’s slighter build packed more of a punch than most would have come to expect. And when he wielded his ensorcelled greatbow, sensible caribou ceased their assault or at the very least ran for cover.

 

Star Caller, as the bow eventually came to be called, was an oddity among the average array of caribou weaponry. While many caribou shunned the use of magical armaments, more preferring those that dampened or nullified magics used against them, Vali requested the bow be made by a small group of unicorns that had made far southwestern shore of Whitescar their home. The little unicorn clan had little trouble from the Viking, having little in the way of anything to be pillaged, and after much discussion were more than happy to make Vali his bow.

 

Carved from a single albeit small Ashentree, the unicorns were able to reverse the nature of the wood from rejecting magic and negating it, to amplifying it. It took the greatest majority of the clan's best magicians to fuel the process, and even then it was a difficult task. To change something that resists magic into something that bolsters it is no small feat. The process it took alter the magically resistant wood changed the colour from the soft ashy grey to a dark and rich brown. Runes etched deep inside the core of the bow kept it light, easy to carry, quick to draw, and indestructible. But the main rune that earned the greatbow its name allowed the bow to fire arrows of magic, either singularly when drawn with no arrow, or in great volleys when drawn with. Another rune placed inside at the request of Jarl Vali himself ensured that only those truly worthy of the bow would be able to use it. Those without a strong, kind heart and pure intentions would find the massive bow as little more than a log in their hands.

 

The Jarl carried this bow with him wherever he traveled, but the most important place he carried it was indeed the fated journey into The Spine of the World Serpent. He did so not out of love for the High King of the time, nor to prove himself to others. It was to prove to himself what he was capable of. The journey, as all knew it would be, was one fraught with peril. Many caribou fought and fell in that unforgiving place, but Vali persisted. Each night when Vali was set to guard the caribou that were assigned to him, he would gaze up at the night sky and read the stars. Some found this habit odd, but others came to find that the predictions that Vali saw always seemed to come to pass in one form or another. These caribou that followed Vali would go on to be the start of his clan.

 

Eventually, the High King found himself a foe that even he could not hope to vanquish. Time. When the Grandson fell, so too did many of the caribou that followed him into the godsforsaken wilderness. But Vali and his few followers were not amongst them. Returning to the ‘civilized’ portion of Whitescar, Vali along with the others who made it back were sung as heroes! Many of them went on to start what would become the modern clans of Whitescar, Vali included of course.

 

With himself as Jarl of the newly born Clan Kare, Vali sat about teaching the wisest of his followers the art of star seeing, something that had long been passed down from his forebears. These four caribou would come to be the first of The Watchers. The clan, like Vali himself, cared little in the way of senseless combat and pillaging for the sake of ‘glory’. But they were far too small of a clan to question the status quo that the others had come to revel in. Instead they found themselves as a neutral party, passing fortunes or ill omens on to those who came to wishing their stars to be read.

 

As time went on, Clan Kare grew, producing many heroes of the caribou in their right. Skalds, Seers, Advisors, even Warriors, those that fought not to conquer but to protect their land.

And while the clan had many a hero to its name, it was still a little talked about clan in Whitescar. The price of neutrality, some say.

 

This neutrality lasted for many, many years up into the recent modern day until Jarl Haskell, the current leader of Clan Kare and member of High King Dragonsong’s council, allied himself with the peace seeking caribou. The choice was not one made lightly, as for those many years Clan Kare had never once picked a side in these conflicts. But as their saying goes ‘The Stars speak, we listen’. Events including the shining of a new star, the return of Star Caller to them after it had been lost for so many years, the devastation caused in the Crystal Empire, and many other portents that Haskell and the Star Watchers saw said that the time for idle neutrality had passed and the time to strive for peace had come at last. Recently Jarl Haskell sat forth his youngest son, Balder, to act as a goodwill ambassador of sorts to Equestria, in hopes of strengthening ties between not only their clan and the ponies, but the ponies and Whitescar as well.

 

 

Hierarchy: The hierarchy of Clan Kare is rather simple. The Jarl is the leader of the clan, decisions made by the Jarl are open to discussion by the clan, but at the end his word is as law. Just beneath the Jarl is their spouse, their word carries much weight but it is still the Jarl who holds the final call.

 

Following them are The Star Watchers, seers of Clan Kare who spend much time in study, meditation, or watching the stars. These wisebou seers are held with high regard and respect. Rumours outside of the clan often lead more superstitious folk to believe that a Star Watcher can shape your fate for well or for woe.

 

The rest of the clan are seen as equals. Workers, caretakers, farmers, defenders, húskarlar, none are above and none are below one another. The caribou of Clan Kare value everybou of their clan, no matter the intensity of their work. All that truly matters is the strength of their character and willingness to aid their clan and those in need.

 

 

Stars: Being a clan that highly values the Stars and celestial bodies, Clan Kare often assigns meanings to the stars, using them as divining tools and as signs of possible futures for newly born caribou both within their clan and without. Below are but a few examples of those Stars.

Star of Air: The Star of Air is tied to the skies and longships that have sailed the caribou into countless victories in spite of strife and hardship. Caribou born under this sign tend to be free willed and drawn to flights of fancy. Its Starsign is a swirl of wind.

 

Star of Earth: The Star of Earth represents nature and the hunt. Great hunters, naturalists, and medicine men have been born under this sign. Caribou born under this sign tend to be level headed and even tempered, though unyielding as the mountains themselves. Its Starsign is a mighty oak.

 

Star of Fire: The Star of Fire represents warmth and passion. Fierce warriors and passionate lovers alike are born under this sign. Brash, intense, and quick to spring to action, some might find caribou born to this sign abrasive, but their passions whatever they may be, cannot be snuffed. Its star sign is a hearthfire.

 

Star of Night:  The Star of Night is tied to mystery and the unknown. Many great Jarls have come from this sign, wise and cunning, they’re often masters of strategy and diversion. Some have even gone on to be High King. Caribou born under this sign often may speak softly, but carry the greatest of passion within them. Its Starsign is a waning crescent moon.

 

Star of Peace: The Star of Peace is a new star, being held as the star of hope and change. With only one caribou of Clan Kare being born under this sign, it remains to be seen what sort of destiny those born of it may find. Its Starsign is the old caribou rune for Peace.

 

Star of Spring: The Star of Spring is the star of renewal and rebirth. Caribou born under this sign often grow to be great caretakers. Be it of calves or clan, their spirits can rekindle the hope of a failing clan to make it great again, or sooth a lonesome child’s pain. Its Starsign is a blooming flower.

 

Star of the Sword: The Star of the Sword is the star of warriors and great heroes. Some of Whitescar’s greatest legends have been born under this sign, including Jarl Asger Kare, first of his line and the first wielder of the legendary bow Star Caller. Caribou born under this sign are stalwart and brave, the most loyal of companions. Its Starsign is a pair of crossed blades.

 

Star of the Watchers: The Star of the Watchers is tied to wisdom and great foresight in reading the stars. Many great Star Watchers of Clan Kare are born under this sign, being more in tune with the heavenly energies that tie fate together. Caribou born under this sign are quite wise and well spoken, often going on to be Star Watchers, advisors or more recently, diplomats. Its Starsign is an open eye with a star in the center.

 

Star of Water: The Star of Water is the star of the oceans and rain. Caribou born under this sign are a lesson in contrasts. One day they may be as gentle as a trickling stream and the next, as tumultuous as a raging river. They often are seen as unstable, but truthfully they are some of the most balanced caribou, the most in tune with their inner emotions. Its Starsign is a trio of falling raindrops.

 

Star of Wrath: The Star of Wrath is tied to battle and fury. Caribou born under this sign are often raging berserkers. Fighters who harness their inner rage and unleash it on their foes. This star has seen many famous gladiators born beneath it. Its Starsign is a set of locked antlers.

 

~Wonderous Whitescar
~Ashley ‘Ash’ Ravencrest