Every Player Character will be a member (or at least a representative) of one of the twelve clans on the Iron Council. Well, eleven clans and House Kundarak; they do not have an official vote in Council matters, but they advise on some matters.
These clans differ in natural resources, exports, ties to outsiders, celebrated virtues, investment in the Realm Below, and attitudes towards symbionts.
The clans are described below:
Clan Doldarun The iron and silver mines in Doldarun's territory are among the richest in the world, and the dwarves of Clan Doldarun are some of the finest warriors among the Holds. They are the most determined to win the war against the Daelkyr rather than maintaining the stalemate. They value courage, honor, skill at arms, and resisting corruption. They draw a hard line against using and carrying symbionts or other fleshcrafted items.
Clan Droranath These fearless dwarves also value strength at arms, but are more willing to embrace the glory of battle. They fight often with the Jhorash'tar orcs, and contract out as mercenaries. They are one of the smallest and poorest clans, because they aren't great miners or traders. They make strong warriors and hunters. It is their tradition to take trophies from fallen foes, so they have no qualms about using symbiont weaponry.
Clan Kolkarun This clan is adept at diplomacy, and has strong ties to outsider nations like Aundair, Karrnath, Zilargo, and the Talenta Plains. They are adept sailers and traders, often ferrying the other clans' goods to trade with the wider world. They value diplomacy, flexibility, and pragmatism, though some see them as opportunistic and a little craven; there are many stories of clever Kolkarun dwarves tricking others into fighting their battles for them.
Clans Lanarak and Londurak In the tales of the Exile, Lanarak and Londurak are siblings. The clans today reflect that, as despite how similar they are, they're constantly feuding between each other. This rarely escalates to violence, but they are fiercely competitive and not above sabotaging the other. These clans are adept at brewing, farming, and fishing, and value common sense, stoicism, and hard work. Londurak has sealed all known passages into Sol Udar in their territory, but Lanarak tends gardens on the upper levels, giving them a slight edge in mushroom and red pudding production.
Clan Mroranon The largest and strongest of all the dwarf clans, they are said to descend from the line of the ancient king Mror of Sol Udar. Their capital, Krona Peak, is home to the Iron Council and the largest temple to Kol Korran in Khorvaire. Known for its iron and mithral mines, they have one of the strongest industrial bases and has strong ties to House Cannith (a great importer of Mroranon Steel). Clan Mroranon holds a place of leadership among the Iron Council; their leaders are good at uniting others to follow a common vision for the future, and making wise decisions for the good of all. They value charisma, leadership, and wisdom. They refuse to use symbionts themselves, but don't oppose their existence as much as Clan Doldarun does.
Clan Narathun Clan Narathun has perhaps the strongest magewrights, oracles, and wizards among the clans. Their gem mines make them well-known for their beautiful jewelry and magical items. Their Ebon Library is one of the finest schools of divination in Khorvaire. They assert that no knowledge should be forbidden, which sometimes leads Narathun dwarves down dark paths, like necromancy, fleshcrafting, and studying the dark knowledge of Khyber. They have embraced symbionts more than most other clans, but none of them can discount their superior knowledge of the Realm Below.
Clan Soldorak The wealthy gold and platinum mines in Clan Soldorak's territory have given them great wealth, but this populous hold values of independence and cunning. They are quick to challenge the status quo, and encourage their dwarves to forge their own paths and achieve everything they can. They have some of the largest investments and holdings in the Realm Below, and they have explored the power of the Daeklyr symbionts. Instead of using the strange items to seek knowledge like Narathun, the Soldorak use them to increase their power; many dwarves of this clan have made warlock pacts with aberrant forces. They maintain this is a safe practice; they can tap into Xoriat's power without serving them, but not every clan sees it that way.
Clan Soranath Despite being one of the smallest clans, the dwarves of Soranathhold are some of the finest craftsdwarves, smiths, and artisans in the entirety of Khorvaire. They work closely with House Cannith and the Arcane Congress in research and production of powerful magical items. To a Soranath, a job well done is more satisfying than any luxury, and the care they put into their work displays that well. They also prize innovation, and constantly seek to refine and improve upon their techniques. Since Soranathhold is rich in Eberron dragonshard deposits, they are less dependent on House Tharashk to import magical reagents, but they lack the strength of arms to venture into Khyber themselves. They are very interested in the riches buried in the Realm Below, but need others to seek them.
Clans Toldorath and Tordannon Like Lanarak and Londurak, the mythical founders of these clans were siblings, but these two always got along. To this day, the clans are tightly knit, working well together to support and protect each other. They even share a capital city (Frosthaven) placed right in-between the holds' lands. While there are some copper and iron mines in the holds, the true strength of these clans lie in their herds of livestock and talents with healing. Even though the finest healers on the continent are now the halflings of House Jorasco, even they rely heavily on the medicinal herbs gathered by Toldorath and Tordannon. Both clans value loyalty, empathy, and generosity, and are always willing to help a friend in need. Consequently, they have the strongest relationship with the Jhorash'tar Orcs; (some legends say that the orcs taught them the healing arts) the Frosthaven clans have been advocating for the orcs to be given their own territory within the Mror Holds, and even a seat on the Iron Council. Tordannon suffered grevious losses in the War Below and have sealed off their deep passages, while Toldorath have started to become curious of the riches buried in Sol Udar, and are keen to delve deeper.
House Kundarak Because of the dragonmarked houses' status as apolitical entities, House Kundarak is technically forbidden from becoming an official Clan, and may not have a seat on the Iron Council. Unlike the other houses, though House Kundarak maintains control of their ancestral territory in the Holds. While the House of Warding usually keeps out of the quabbles and infighting between the Clans and the War Below, they are willing to advise on some matters, and assist with the clans' efforts. They built connections between House Deneith and Clan Droranath to hire mercenaries, House Jorasco and the Frosthaven clans to gather herbs and medicines, and also assisted in building up the defenses of the other clans against attacks from the Daeklyr minions. They are not themselves interested in venturing to the Realm Below, but instead fortified all entrances to Khyber under Kundarakhold; the last thing they need is Daeklyr having a back door straight into their seat of power.