Mostly dwarves, these smiths and fighters dug into the mountain sides to flee the Tempest and survive by striking out against settlements and travelers to restock their stores of food and gear. They are responsible for an elaborate network of tunnels within the Hills of Iron, and infamous for menacing caravans traveling to and from Mt. Danara. Despite the Tempest often changing the terrain, and there being no clear roads in the Hills, the Ironshards have the uncanny knack for finding the perfect places to stage an ambush. The Ironshards fear the undead that roam the land, and have a distaste for magic of any kind.
Region/Location: The Hills of Iron, Run Red Basin
Restrictions: No casting classes
Distinguishing visual: Ironshards wear gray headbands to denote their allegiance. Many also carry a pick of some kind, always ready to collect any ore they may spot out in the hills.
Skills: Mining, Armorsmithing, Tracking
The Ironshard outlaws have found commiseration in their rejection, from the city of Mt Danara or the Curator College’s dorms, these dwarves have aspired to be something better and failed. They now live out their days in the Hills, primarily in the mines and caverns located in the Run Red Basin, either in groups together or with other forms of survivors. Almost every bandit group has someone that ascribes to the Ironshard Code.
Out in the Hills of Iron, finding friendships and companions that can be trusted is difficult and often hopeless. By forming a set of basic decencies between each other, the Ironshard Outlaws are often able to find an understanding connection within any group, be they bandits, hermits, or just mercenaries working the mines.
Leadership; The outlaws have no leadership, and are a fiercely independent kind of people.
Code of Conduct: The Ironshard outlaws follow their own set of rules, so if they see another Ironshard out in the Hills, they know they have at least a few rules they can depend on.
- Pick’s First Pick- Whoever’s pickaxe hits a vein of ore first gets miner’s rights on it. This does cause many mad dashes or fights to GET their pick there first.
- Broken Bones Bond- Any travelers in the Hills of Iron may request protection from the Tempest and its untold army of undead creatures. This protection must be granted if the Ironshard has a place to hide, though they may demand payment of some kind after the danger has passed.
- Half Priced Information- If there is useful information- an upcoming trap, location of ambushes, trader’s schedules, etc- this can be bartered to receive a discount on any road-tolls or trades. The information being used is always up to the Ironshard if it’s enough for a full discount.
Common Paths to Failure: The Ironshard Outlaws share a common problem- they’re outlawed from SOMEWHERE, and failed to find livelihood in the more civilized areas in the Hills of Iron.
- Prison Break- These people may have broken out from a caravan of prisoners that left Mt. Danara and headed south. They would have broken loose before finding out what their destination as prisoners entailed.
- Scholarly washup- would-be students that attempted to gain access to the college, but failed to grasp the basic fundamentals the school required and could not keep their dormitory privileges. They, worse than just being dropped from the school, often retaliated in some form to cause them outright banishment from the school’s grounds.
- Merciless Mercy- Rather than imprisoned or set to civic service in Mt. Danara, these outlaws may have been simply banished for lack of usable skills or committed crimes minor enough they didn’t pose a threat from outside the city. These people were exiled form Mt. Danara, granted the mercy of a backpack to live their life OUTSIDE the protection of the city.
- Dishonorable Discharge- the militant corp of Korthus’ Cairn requires and demands a level of obedience, competence, and resolve that many just can’t live up to. Though often a last resort for those kicked out from Mt. Danara or the Curator College, would-be soldiers find the expectations thrust on them to be unbearable and leave the Cairn before ever gaining any rank.
