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‘Last Heir of the Noldruns’ Seeks Iron Council Audience  KRONA PEAK—Torlan Mroranon announced on Zor that he would forward a Speaker’s Petition to the full Iron Council on behalf of the controversial figure Hrun Noldrun, the self-described “last heir of the Noldruns.”
The council will consider the petition when it reconvenes in two weeks’ time. If approved, then Hrun would be summoned to speak before the Iron Council.
Since Hrun’s arrival in Krona Peak last month, he’s sought official recognition of his clan heritage and settlement of his birthright: the Noldrunhold and the ruined fortress-town of Noldrunethrone.
But the circumstances of his arrival—badly burned, wearing battered armor, and raving about unseen enemies—leave significant doubt over whether he’s truly a member of Clan Noldrun, eradicated by unknown assailants more than four centuries ago.
Facing questions before an ad-hoc collection of clan chiefs last week, Hrun correctly recited several of the Noldrun lineages, but claimed amnesia when asked how he got to Krona Peak and where his wounds came from.
Claimants to the vacant Noldrunhold are not uncommon, with one causing a stir every decade or so. Many were confidence artists seeking rights to the mineral wealth of the Korran’s Maw mines, despite the fact that the mines and Noldrunhold as a whole are infested with dangerous monsters. Others made claims based on novel interpretations of genealogical records—interpretations the Iron Council ultimately rejected.
Some clan chiefs oppose Noldrun claimants on principle, saying that granting them an audience before the Iron Council will only bring more pretenders to Noldrunhold out of the stonework.
But other clans, including the influential Clan Mroranon, support Hrun’s right to address the Iron Council and make a formal claim.
The petition, penned in Torlan Mroranon’s own hand, doesn’t directly state that the Mroranons support Hrun’s claim. It refers to the claim as “worthy of consideration by this august body.”
Council watchers say that the Mroranons may be impressed enough by Hrun’s claims that they’re trying to broker a compromise. Rather than accepting or rejecting Hrun’s claim of Noldrun heritage, the Iron Council could grant provisional acceptance of Hrun’s claim, contingent on him reclaiming Noldrunhold for the dwarves and restarting mining operations at Korran’s Maw.
Such provisional acceptance might mollify those clan chiefs opposed to Noldrun claimants.
“What better way to deal with a fake Noldrun than to simply say: ‘You want Noldrunhold? Then claim it with your axe!’” said clan chief Garrek Soldorak. “If the end result is that we’re feeding a bunch of pretenders to the monsters there, so be it.”
About the Author
David Noonan is a designer/developer for Wizards of the Coast. Before coming to Wizards, he was a daily newspaper reporter in Washington state. Apparently the city hall beat is good practice for an Eberron campaign.
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