Kinship Interview: Firebeards Clan

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Kinship Interview: Firebeard Clan

By: Martuk

The day was cold and snowy at Thorin's Gate. I had just arrived on Nimrodel to speak with one of its fine Kinships. I waded through the thick snow until I finally reached the Dwarven Homestead. Passing through the gates, I could not help but gaze in awe of the fine Dwarven craftsmanship that forged the great neighborhood. As I continued on, I came upon a great Kinship house. The address read 2 Highspires, Sutheim. The banner of the Firebeards Clan flapped in the wind. A Dwarf was waiting by the entrance bidding me to enter.

Upon entering the great halls, I could see the relics of battle hung upon the walls. This was a fine Kinship home indeed and a proud display of Dwarven prowess. As I entered the great hall I was greeted by the Kinship leader. We shook hands as he introduced himself.

My name is Kofur Ironhelm, and I'm the Lord of the Firebeard Clan. -Kofur

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After our greetings were exchanged, Kofur invited me to sit with him by the fireplace where our interview began. I inquired about the Firebeards Clan to better understand who they were. Kofur explained in detail about this Kinship of Dwarves and their background.

We're a Rank 8 kinship made up of dwarves. We're a casual, semi-RP kinship. The dwarf-only aspect of our group lends itself to RP from time to time, but we don't make it a requirement. We try to help our members with high-level instance and raid content and we also have master crafter's in almost every vocation. -Kofur

 

That is an impressive accomplishment. Kinships that work together always seem to prosper best.

We're a pretty tight-knit group. -Kofur

The Firebeards Clan enjoys camaraderie and a good drunken brawl.

Being an all Dwarf clan seems to have some role-play background to it. What kind of story is behind that?

Well, the Tolkien dwarf is a special creature. Loud, Proud and ready for battle at most times. If there's a theme to our group, that would be it. It's really a lot of fun to see one of our sparring tournaments. Lots of taunting and wagering (not to mention drinking) before each bout. -Kofur

Before moving on, we joked about the comical benefits of drunken brawling. An old sport to be sure, but always an amusing one. The Firebeards Clan seems like a tight nit group of Dwarves, so I decided to ask about their leadership. I told Kofur, that one of the major problems with some Kinships, could be attributed to the lack of leadership or leadership participation. When I asked how the leadership of the Firebeard Clan performed and participated, Kofur let out a jolly Dwarvish laugh and replied...

Our leadership is small, but very active, and I think that is one of the reasons that we've done well so far. It's just me and 3 other officers, but we're all on several times a week, and we're very active on our forum. -Kofur

Reassured that the Firebeard Clan suffered from no lack of leadership, I inquired about kinship events. I asked Kofur if the Firebeard Clan hosted any events for its members or the general public and if so what those events might be. Kofur was happy to reply...

We have a quarterly sparring tournament for our members only. We also raid quite frequently with some other kinships that we've chosen to foster alliances with. Being dwarf-only, we really have to team up with other kinships to be successful at raids. We also try to attend events that are sponsored by the Nimrodel Alliance. -Kofur

"Nimrodel Alliance?" I said. Kofur's mention of this alliance caught my attention, so I had to inquire further by asking, "What is the Nimrodel Alliance?" Kofur of course, was more than willing to explain...

The Nimrodel Alliance was started by Erichs, of There and Back Again, as an effort to get some of the top kinships on our server together for common success. He started a web forum where kinship leaders and other members can cooperate to make sure that they have the proper assistance with high-level content. It has been a great source of information and help over the past few months, and I've gotten to know several other kinship leaders.-Kofur

Curious to know more I asked about the number of Kinships involved in this alliance and how aspiring kinships might join if they so wished. Kofur as always, was more than willing to help...

At last count, I'd say 15 to 20 Kinships were involved. Anyone wishing to join the alliance can visit the Nimrodel Alliance site. -Kofur

"That will certainly prove to be useful information to someone." I stated. Returning to the subject of the Firebeards Clan, I asked Kofur, "What kind of members the Firebeards sought for their kinship? What should potential applicants know before applying?" Kofur explained what would make a good Firebeards Clan candidate...

I always ask potential recruits a lot of questions before I invite them into the kinship, and I'm always trying to find out two things - Are they going to play at least a few times a week, and are they interested in helping others. We really want players who are looking for a band of brothers. We're a big group of online friends, and most of us didn't know each other prior to playing LOTRO. We're getting larger, but I always want the kinship to have that family feeling. So I'm only reluctant to bring someone in if I feel that they are just looking to serve their own purposes. Other than that, I'm happy to invite any dwarf who is interested in our Clan. -Kofur

Since we had established the foundation of what makes the Firebeards Clan such a tight nit group of brothers, the time had come to inquire about how one could join this brotherly kinship. I asked Kofur, "'How would an aspiring Dwarf (Except a Dourhand of course) go about joining your Kinship if they so desired?" With a laugh at my Dourhand jest Kofur explained...

They can reach out to one of our officers in game, or on our forum web site www.firebeardclan.proboards83.com. Our officers are Thoramil, Davidgilmour, Dornlo and I. -Kofur

The Firebeards Clan turned out to be a jolly bunch of Dwarves who enjoy the fellowship of their brothers and sisters. For an all Dwarf clan they seem very well organized and intent on having fun in the lands of Middle-earth. With all of my questions answered I asked Kofur if he had anything he would like to say to the LOTRO Community. He offered these parting words...

I appreciate the offer to be included in the Kinship Interviews. I invite anyone interested in our group to take a look at our forum or come questing with us. Once you get to know the Firebeards, we're a fun bunch of shorties. We are definitely interested in growing the Clan. -Kofur

 

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Want to learn more about the Firebeards? See their Tentonhammer profile Here or visit their site Here.