Guilds of Alnwich: The Dahlgaard Clan

The Dahlgaard Clan

Rank: Family Rank 0 to 3.

In Charge: Carstan (Scout) and his wife Lisbet (Agent).

In the Ranks: Agents, apprentices, archers, brutes, cutpurses, initiates, native guides, and non-adventuring people.

On the Payroll: Laborers, servants, and non-adventuring people.

Influencing the AR: Merchant.

The Dahlgaards are a new family of furriers in Alnwich who moved up from the Arafon to capitalize on the booming fur trade. Devious, determined, and unafraid to play dirty, the clan is actively absorbing smaller fur companies in an attempt to gain enough market share to challenge the Holts and Eklunds while working with the RMS to undermine those families business, reputation, political power, and social standing anywhere possible.

The clan is headed by Carstan, who personally leads the trapping operation while his wife, Lisbet, runs the business side of the operation. With the help of all but one of their children, they oversea the family business directly. Unlike the other families, they also maintain a tannery on the outskirts of Alnwich where they prepare many of their furs in house to reduce costs.

The black sheep of the family is Thora, the redheaded daughter of Carstan and Lisbet. Upon her first blood, she discovered a natural talent for the magical arts and sought out Hella Winter’s Coven, where she now studies under the tutelage of Hella, herself. While not ostracized from the family, she still remains a disappointment to the clan for not following in the family trade.

What the Dahlgaard Clan Wants

The Dahlgaards are out for profit, and they are willing to do anything to get it. They see the acquisition of money as central to their ultimate goal of acquiring political power. As such, they are actively searching out better trapping grounds and trying to absorb other, smaller companies so they can compete with incumbent furrier clans, like the Eklunds and the Holts. They are also doing whatever they can to fuel the feud between those two families in an attempt to weaken their grip on the market.

For the Dahlgaards, money is a means to political power. Part of their plan to gain that power is by dominating control of the fur trade. They believe that if they can get a strangle hold on Alnwich’s most valuable market, they can leverage that for a seat in the town council as Alderman, or maybe even a lordship from the Earl. As such, they are extremely vocal in town meetings and quick to lay blame at the two predominant trapper families. Moreover, they are quick to help the RMS bring pressure against the Eklunds and Holts to lower prices and produce more furs. It is their hope that the families will collapse under the weight of Usking pressure.

And while they are quick to work the political scene to their advantage, they too are amply willing to employ those of dubious morals against their business foes. The Dahlgaards are more than happy to hire adventurers to mete out misfortune against those who stand between themselves and a seat at the table of power. Job may range from stealing goods to sabotage to inciting violence between the clans. They aren’t even against contracting for murder, but that takes a particularly unscrupulous adventurer to abide.

What the Dahlgaard Clan Can Provide

The Dahlgaard Clan can provide training in Outdoorsman 1-4, Animal Handling (Dogs) (IQ/A), Area Knowledge (Dunweald) (IQ/A), Camouflage (IQ/E), Hiking (HT/A), Naturalist (IQ/H), Navigation (Land) (IQ/A), Survival (Woodlands) (Per/A), Teamster (Dogs) (IQ/A), Tracking (Per/A), Traps (IQ/A), and Weather Sense (Per/A).

In addition to this, the Dahlgaards can provide animal traps, dogs, leather, rope, salted or smoked meats, skis, and sledges.

• Accommodations. The clan maintains a large household and can usually find a place to put up a few adventurers for a short period of time.
• Backup. The Dahlgaards are prone to violence and will show up in force if a there’s prospect of a fight. This can cause more harm than good, depending on the situation. +3 to ARs, and add Rank x 2 to the number of people who show up. The Dahlgaards can also provide wilderness guides.
• Maps. These are of the wilderness surrounding Alnwich.
• Mounts & Vehicles.
• Provisions. The Dahlgaard Clan always has cured meats and wild berries in their stores. +2 to AR.
• Transportation. The Dahlgaard Clan can provide guides with Navigation (Land)-13 and Survival (Woodlands)-13 to any destination near Alnwich. The AR is at -1 per week past the first in travel time.

Other ARs are at -3 or worse.