Clan Elurra (WIP)

## Clan Elurra

Clan Elurra is a large clan positioned in the Cloudscape Crags of the Southern Icefield, run officially by Tundra dragons Sennra and Playskool.

## Background

### Early History

The clan began a couple of years ago in the Highland Scrub of the Shifting Expanse, with Sennra and Playskool forced to rely upon each other to survive an environment so unwelcoming to Tundra dragons. How the two of them found themselves out in the Scrub is either unknown or a well-kept secret between the two. The formation of an official clan began out of necessity as well, as other dragons joined them to share meager resources.

As the clan grew, they headed south towards the Carrion Canyon in the hopes that it would provide better defense and a more stable place to set a lair. Alas, this was not to be the case, and none of the dragons the clan contained were suited to the even harsher environment. While forming a lair was easier, as burrowing into the side of the canyon proved an acceptable method, gathering enough food and keeping the clan's members content proved to be an impossible challenge. Many abandoned the clan in search for better caretakers, while many more either chose or were chosen by the Stormcatcher for a life of servitude.

Reduced to the founding Dragons and a few select, loyal Imperials, Sennra and Playskool made the ultimate decision to relocate their lair and their allegiance to a realm more suited to their skills and requirements, beginning anew on the Snowsquall Tundra, under the watch of the Icewarden.

### After Migration

Moving to the Southern Icefield introduced a host of new, complex issues that the small clan had not faced before, and meant the Tundras and their Imperial followers had to encourage the assistance of new clan members to ensure they successfully established themselves in the tundra. Gatherers, Hunters, and Fishers joined them with the promise of safety and company in the beginning tunnels of the lair, and a team of diplomatic dragons ensured relative peace with the clan's neighbors.

With the clan expanding, a formal hierarchy became necessary to prevent disagreement and disruption. Naturally, the two founding Tundras were positioned as the leaders of the clan, while their original followers from the Shifting Expanse became revered as wise confidantes of the Matron and Patron.

With a power structure established, cohesion within the clan grew, and so it attracted many other dragons, bringing with them an interesting and diverse range of skills that overall increased the appeal of the clan. Unfortunately, structural engineering was not one of the skills acquired at this time, and as the underground lair expanded, so too did its issues.

- acquisition and attraction of new members

- beginnings of formal clan structure.

### Expansion and Relocation

- moving to the craggs

- hibernation

#### Leaders

* Sennra (*Matron*)
* Playskool (*Patron*)

## Lair Structure

Clan Elurra's lair consists of a network of tunnels that run deep through the mountains and beneath the neighboring tundra, providing shelter from the harsh environment outside. These tunnels vary in size to accommodate the wide variety of dragon species that call the lair home, with the widest measuring fifty meters in diameter, while the narrowest is just two meters wide. Natural formations feature heavily in the structure of the lair, however the majority of the tunnels have been carved out of the ice and rock manually, expanding as the lair requires it.

### Navigation

Navigating the large network of tunnels is intuitive but remains challenging, as little of the lair is signposted. While a map exists of the tunnels, it is kept safely in the lair's library, and is not available for regular access by either the lair's residents or guests. The map is maintained however, and provides the most accurate depiction of the lair's layout, as well as convenient methods of navigation.

The intuitive nature of the lair comes down to its similar structure to that of the circulatory system; the largest tunnels serve as the arterial network, while smaller tunnels suited to whichever dragons use them most branch off from them. The widest tunnel, stemming from the primary opening, connects to a large natural cavern that serves as the 'heart' of the lair. From here, other large tunnels lead to the main areas of the lair, including food storage and nesting areas. Off those stem secondary areas, including armaments storage, research areas, and the private dens of the lair's residents.

### The Hearth

The official name for the large cavern at the center of the lair, The Hearth measures hundreds of meters wide and tall, and stretches up into one of the mountains the clan claims in its territory. It is fundamentally a natural formation, featuring flowing water through the arterial tunnel to collect in the cavern, however to accommodate the sheer size and number of dragons, the cavern has been greatly expanded, ostensibly creating a thick 'shell' out of the mountain. Immense pillars of rock reach from the floor to the ceiling of the cavern, circling its outer perimeter, to maintain its structural integrity. An artificial structure of steel and stone webs across the roof of the cavern, supporting the roof and preventing the cavern from collapsing.

At the center of the Hearth sits the Hearthfire, a perpetually-maintained bonfire that serves as light, heat, and a cooking source for many of the lair's warmer-blooded residents. The sheer size of the Hearth permits this fire to burn without compromising the integrity of the lair, and smoke is vented out of the top of the lair, much like an artificial volcano.

### Centers

The lair features a variety of centralized areas devoted to certain tasks required by the residents of the lair. While not conveniently organised or necessarily even close to each other geographically, their functioning is grouped together well enough for them to be considered centralized.