OK, so I know Septs must be of the same temperament, but are Clans drawn from all four? I have lots of Storks, Swans and Herons in my Clan Ilfetu Geneaology, but can members of Clan Ilfetu develop other Heartbeasts than those from that temperament?
Secondly the Ancestor Worship - is this Hermetic (and other magical) parens style ancestors, or blood relationship ancestors? I'm currently assuming the former, but obviously it is kind of important and i can't work it out from HOH:MC
I have mapped the lineage of Clan Ilfetu back to Birna now; the biggest problem is ending up with only the six canonical trained apprentices. Given Birna herself trained 7, and Clan Ifetu's motto is "Teach!" I am having to work quite hard to work out how to keep it to six in 1220. Admittedly some lines do die out entirely, and I have trimmed the tree a bit by losing uninteresting branches, but the numbers given are a bit restrictive. However by next session my Bjornaer Thebes campaign will have the first fo the Bjornaer geneaologies ready for the players, on which I shall base stories that always reflect back on the ancestors, as is the Bjornaer way.
A follow up question: Assuming (dangerously) magical not familial ancestors, so House Bjornaer collectively honour the ancestors, that is the ancestors of the whole House, or just their own personal lineage of direct ancestors? Are lineages that died out honoured? (This is important as I need to work out whether to include them on my genealogies, or if their legend is unimportant except to Clan Wilkis (or is it Sirnas?) who finish other unfinished deeds.
As I see (and remember) it, the Clans can include all temperaments.
As I see it, the ancestors are true ancestors. But they are "Mythic Ancestors", not direct blood ancestors - it's enough for someone to have been "touched" by a fire dragon, to have been involved with some life-altering tale with him that infused his essence with that of the dragon. And he'll have the dragon (inner) heartbeast, as will his descendants. And not all his descendants - some will be more connected to the mythic ancestor than others (seventh son of a seventh son?).
All ancestors are honored. And lineages need not die permanently - as the ancestors are still there, in the Fields of Elysium, errrg, I mean the Magic Realm - they can impact a a character and infuse him with their essence again. Or a Great Beast of their lineage might do so. The true mythic ancestors of the Bjornaer, as I see them, are highly-Magical eternal beings in the Magic Realm, perhaps the primordial Titans themselves; their heritage can be suppressed, but just like them it is eternal and can never truly die.
I would presume that the Clans accept petitioners of any Temperament mainly because none of the clan founders seem to have been Phlematic and there are certainly reptilian Bjornaer out there.
As for ancestors, I don't think they're referring the their direct magical lineage since Birna herself certainly didn't worship her progenitor tradition, but I don't think it necessarily refers to mundane ancestors either. Instead, like YR, I believe the reference is to the great beasts that the bjornaer are taught that they descend from.
The clans have members from all four temperaments, although certain clans might be populated by given temperaments. I see Midusulf as quite Choleric and Sirnas as pretty Melancholic, for example
This was intended to be Hermetic ancestors.
"Teach" doesn't have to literally mean "Train new apprentices". I see it more as "Teach the tribe the importance of ritual" --- Ilfetu are the ritualists and priestly caste. I can easily see one training just one apprentice in their lifetime, a literal heir to her secrets. The House doesn't need too many Ilfetu --- there is no need for even one per tribunal even.
There is some of both. The Gathering of Twelve Years is all about honouring the ancestors; both those of the house as a whole and those of one's own sept. I imagine that dead lineages are still remembered (by Clan Arelie at least). This would be a good way to find an 'ancestor' who shares a heartbeast. You can't rely on there actually being an appropriate Great Beast in one's direct lineage to barns bjornaer, but there is likely to be an 'uncle' (several times removed) that would fill the need.
