The other Stonehold branch of the family's history
Effects of Stonebar's fall: After the fall of the uniting force that was the city of Stonebar, and the death of the last of the Stonefist line of kings the individual native Elben Aator Dwarven clans were left on their own. The massive horde of Orc swarmed the mountains like cockroaches out numbering the small family holds 20 to 1 at the lowest point. Each Dwarven family holding numbering only a few dozen to the largest of them a few hundred Dwarves. Trade was all but ended between the clans, Stonebar was the trade center and the shear number of Orc made trading nearly impossible even though a some merchants learned a few tricks in the following 200 years. Strongholds mostly tried to remain hidden in one of the countless small valleys, or the tallest of peaks dotting the very rugged east and north of the large Island of Elben Aator. One could live 20 miles from a spot and never even know it existed. The mountains in the deepest parts with it's countless sloped valleys, shear impassible cliffs / tall jagged peaks of the rugged mountain made it like a maze.For the next 200 years the Dwarves remained dispersed, often bickering with each other, and non unified until the "Battle of Shattered spears". Lead by the newly found Stonefist heir that freed Stonebar from the Orc, and broke the backs of the Orc horde after so many Orc Strongman leaders died. Fragmenting the Orc into small tribes and left fighting each other far more often then the Dwarves now. The Stonefist line of Kings was something that all clans could rally to, not part of any one clan, and something of the past to unite behind. This now restored unity was the key to victory.
Stonehold Family: Revenarks father was the Stonehold clan leader after the death of his grandfather Walark, whom Rev never new. Walark had one other son Durbenar, a daughter Arilia and later another adopted son Jarand whom took the clan name when he found at a very early age as the lone survivor of a lost clan hold, his parents dead. Theses three believed Keldri died at Stonebar's fell, as that was where he was during that time. Feeling that now they were the last of the clan.
This branch of Stonehold's were over seeing some work on the Firebeard holding when word of Stonebar's fall reached them, and like a hand full of other stray Dwarven clans they held up with the Firebeard clan ever sense.
The ancestral Stonehold home holding deep underground was long ago abandoned do to lack of sustainability. The clan long ago moving to Stonebar to ply their trade as masons. The current Stonehold's at that time had never lived there as well, and it never seemed an option. This clan was also Walark's wife Zerma's birth clan, and seemed proper to stay with the families matriarch.
Stronghold of the Firebeard clan: It is not a large holding, and is one of the most remote. It was once a wealthy mine that brought much riches to the clan, but has now mostly dried up. Yet before the fall of Stonebar it still did good trade. Thanks to it's wealthy days it constructed a massive Iron entry door well over half a dozen Dwarves tall, and wide enough for Dwarves to march shoulder to shoulder through. The doors were reset 20 feet in to the mountain side, and from shadows, and angles it was all but hidden from distant viewing. The doors were magically warded to resisted any corrosion and would be nearly impossible to breach by normal means from all but the strongest of magics.
A small clearing tucked into a plateau above and behind the underground stronghold that could only be reached by a shaft coming from the stronghold it's self. The height and sounding mountains kept this small area hidden, and notably better shielded from the cold northeast winds. A hand full of crops, mostly of a very hardy mountain wheat, as well as barley, hops, radishes, and cabbage.
Very early on the Firebeard's destroyed the entrance into their valley in front of the stronghold making it look to be a dead end, and to further hide it's existence, even though this made them even more isolated from the other clan holds. This worked very well for them and they survived far better then most, facing only a few attacks. Many Deepstone Orc hunters came from this stronghold, thus Orc leaders and scouts could be eliminated and the very few Orc force that locating the hold could not find it again. Deepstone were masters at hit and run tactics, and using the wounded bird trick leading other Orc armies away in another direction if they were getting close to discovering the Firebeard clan hold.
Home life: The Stonehold excavated a number of short tunnels and branches that became extended family dwellings. Each of Walark's two sons had their own dwelling, and his daughter had the newest a still small dwelling until her part of the family grew. Their children would still live with their parents. The unmarried females and males would not have their own rooms, as is common. Females share one room, males another, up to 4 in each room. The space was still tight in Dwarven strongholds, and the three dwellings butted up to each other. (It was like in modern times living in a cul-de-sac of three closely built houses with tinny lots) All the Clan worked together making large meals, playing with each other, and it felt like only one large house given how space is a premium in a Dwarven hold. This only forged the family bond even closer.
Connection to the outside: Very few Dwarves born in the 200 years since Stonebars fall knew anything much about the outside world, except the rare meeting with other Dwarven clans, and get togethers. Even word of the Island being rediscovered by those on the Sword coast took almost a decade to reach them. Even knowledge of Stonebar's liberation took a couple of years. It was not the first time they heard such rumors, but this time it was true, and the news of a surviving Stonefist, the line of most honorable kings lead them to know this time Stonebar liberation would hold. Matilda was the first to discover Revenark being a Stonehold on her trip to represent the clan in Stonebar. Before that they thought they were the last Stoneholds, just as Revenark thought he was. This is how they survived the dark years.