Clan Stormbelly

Bouldershoulder Brigade

Clan Stormbelly is a Wildhammer clan of moderate age, and moderate notoriety, but a lot of guts and glory. Having risen to a position of minor prominence during the War of Three Hammers, Clan Stormbelly has since become a large, but spread out and scattered Clan, mostly due to their own desire to do so. The clan is known for producing explorers, adventurers, mercenaries, and pirates, primarily.

## History

### Early Ironforge

An older clan, but one of far more recent notoriety than some others. Having been in existence since about a thousand years after the founding of Ironforge, Clan Stormbelly mostly just served as an under-clan to the Wildhammers, known only really for their wanderlust and nomadic lifestyle.

### War of Three Hammers

That all changed with the ascension of Ferg to the Thanehood of Clan Stormbelly, in the year -455. Ferg Stormbelly was a notorious demagogue, rabble-rouser, and general brute in Ironforge, and a folk hero of sorts among the surface-dwelling dwarves. He was a major instigator of inter-clan tension and even occasionally violence in the years leading up to the War of Three Hammers, particularly instigation against the Bronzebeard Clan, who he, and the rest of his clan regarded as overly ambitious and greedy. The very day the war started, Ferg Stormbelly stole an axe from the forge of the Thane of Clan Snowsteel. It had little to do with the outbreak of the war, but that didn't keep the Stormbellys from making a connection.

When the war broke out, Clan Stormbelly earned itself a fearsome reputation, in particular for their feats and violence against the Bronzebeard Faction. The Thane's brother, Ulfric Stormbelly slew the Ironbrow Thane, Torygg, during the early phases of the war, granting him the unofficial title of "Thanebane". However, the Stormbellys did not provide any other meaningful action during the war, and eventually, the Wildhammer Clan was ousted first from Ironforge, and then cursed away from Grim Batol.

### Gryphons and the Wanderlust

The Stormbellys followed the rest of the Wildhammer Clan and settled in Aerie Peak, where they encountered the wild Gryphons. Ferg Stormbelly's last famous act was attempting to tame and ride one of these creatures. However, his attempts cost him his liver, as well as his life. The gryphon that slew him took on the title that he had earned in the War, "Thanebane", and it would be some more months before a Wildhammer managed to tame a gryphon. Shortly after the rest of the clan learned, Bramn Stormbelly, brother to the newly crowned Thane Tygus Stormbelly, lead the rest of his clan to learn the ways of taming, riding, and battling on gryphons.

This lead to a revitalization of Stormbelly wanderlust and nomadic lifestyle, them spending large periods of time away from Aerie Peak. However, traveling as a large clan proved to be more difficult than they liked, and often the more youthful and adventurous Stormbellys were slowed down by the older and more conservative. Tygus and his siblings gathered together and collectively agreed. The Stormbelly Clan would remain one clan, and call Aerie Peak their home, but once a Stormbelly was of age to strike out on their own, they would take part of their immediate family and do so. And as such, the Stormbelly became at once, a very large, but very spread out.

### The Modern Stormbellys

Now, Stormbelly is not a truly popular or famous name, though pockets of awareness and notoriety do exist, as most Stormbellys either take up a raiding and thieving lifestyle, or an adventuring and swashbuckling one. They hold their recent tradition of having Stormbellys strike out on their own from a relatively young age dearly to them.

Major Stormbelly Clan Branches (Descended Directly from Ferg Stormbelly):

 Cairdaid Stormbelly |  | Lyesen Stormbelly