The Clan of Caerne was founded by Caerne of Giranhad, who had two wives – the first a human who bore three sons, and the second an elf with two daughters. Caerne's five children had children of their own, and most of those grandchildren wound up in River Crown, Rakore.

The majority of the clan was wiped out by an undead incursion in the winter of 1331 Avard. Only a handful of that bloodline remain.

Most of the remaining members of the clan in River Crown went on to become the Order of Caerne, signed into officiality by Duke Talon Bhramord in the late winter of 1331 Avard. The clan, under the ducal Order of Caerne, is authorized to act on the duke's behalf throughout the Janis Plains Duchy as his official representative. This gives the clan the power of life and death, with the duke held accountable for any executions performed in his name.

In the town of River Crown, this has created an undercurrent of tension, as the baron acts as the feudal representative of the the duke, while the clan acts in a special capacity both bound to the baron but superior to him in certain situations. The clan runs Maleah's Mercantile, a messenger service that assists the duke in obtaining and ferrying information throughout the realm.

The mercantile was named after Maleah, a long-time friend of Caerne's second (elven) wife.