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 The Ironlands

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bobarctor1977

bobarctor1977


Posts : 1311
Join date : 2017-11-11
Location : Michigan, USA

The Ironlands Empty
PostSubject: The Ironlands   The Ironlands EmptyThu Aug 22, 2019 7:03 am

Welcome to the Ironlands. 

It is a rugged peninsula of isolated communities and untracked wilds on the frontier of the known world.


  • Two generations ago, your people were driven to the Ironlands from their former homes in the Old World.
  • The weather here is harsh. Winters are brutal. The rugged terrain makes travel and trade difficult and dangerous.
  • There are no thriving cities. Instead, Ironlanders live in isolated villages or steadings. Their homes are modest buildings of wood, stone, and thatch.
  • Many areas of the Ironlands are unexplored and uninhabited except by the firstborn—beings such as elves, giants, and the wolf-like varou.
  • Coins have little value here. Most commerce is made through barter and favors
  • Some communities remain isolated and independent, while others trade in basic goods such as iron, grain, livestock, wood, wool, and coal.
  • There is a diverse mix of peoples and cultures within the Ironlands, even within a single community. You can envision your character and those you interact with however you like, unbound by considerations of geography, lineage, sexual orientation, and gender.
  • Communities sometimes band together under a powerful leader, but there are no kingdoms. Territorial lines are sketchily drawn, if at all.
  • Large-scale warfare is unheard of, but raiding parties and skirmishes between communities are a constant menace. Some communities subsist entirely on raiding.
  • Spear, axe, shield, and bow are the dominant weapons. Swords are rare and highly prized. Some warriors choose to wade into battle clad in iron, while others trust in their prowess or in the strength of their shields.
  • Magic is subtle and mysterious. Mystics seek to ward away the darkness through the practice of magic, but often succumb to it. Rituals are performed as blessings and to gain insight.
  • Supernatural creatures and beasts are rare, frightening, and dangerous.


You are encouraged to make Ironsworn your own, and to bend the setting to your liking. Your version of the Ironlands will be unique because you’ll define aspects such as the history of your people, magic, mythic beasts, and more. The choices you make will help inspire the personal vows driving your character.

Our Truths

The Old World: The sickness moved like a horrible wave across the Old World, killing all in its path. Thousands fled aboard ships. However, the plague could not be outrun. On many ships, the disease was contained through ruthless measures—tossing overboard any who exhibited the slightest symptom. Other ships were forever lost. In the end, those who survived found the Ironlands and made it their new home. Some say we will forever be cursed by those we left behind.

Iron (it’s role in the world and associated lore): TBD

Legacies: Other humans sailed here from the Old World untold years ago, but all that is left of them is a savage, feral people we call the broken. Is their fate to become our own?

Communities: We live in communities called circles. These are settlements ranging in size from a steading with a few families to a village of several hundred. Some circles belong to nomadic folk. Some powerful circles might include a cluster of settlements. We trade (and sometimes feud) with other circles.

Leaders: Numerous clan-chiefs rule over petty domains. Most are intent on becoming the one true king. Their squabbles will be our undoing.


Defense: TBD, thinking option 1 or 2.

Mysticism: Some still find comfort in the old ways. They call on mystics to divine the fortune of their newborn, or ask them to perform rituals to invoke a bountiful harvest. Others act out of fear against those who they suspect of having power. However, most folk believe true magic—if it ever existed—is lost to us now. In reality, magic exists but is very rare. Maybe one in 3-4 settlements has a conjurer of cheap tricks but powerful spellcasters are extremely rare.

Religion: TBD

Firstborn (elves, giants, trolls, primoridials, varou): The firstborn live in isolation and are fiercely protective of their own lands.

Beasts (mammoths, massive spiders, leviathan sea creatures, basilisks, etc.): Beasts of all sorts roam the Ironlands. They dwell primarily in the reaches, but range into the settled lands to hunt. There, they often prey on cattle, but attacks on travelers, caravans, or even settlements are not uncommon.

Horrors (terrifying supernatural creatures, like undead, spirits, bonewalkers): In some settlements, supernatural horrors are believed simply to be myths. However, some isolated villages must constantly keep watch at night lest the walking dead overwhelm them.

Random Notes and Seeds for Quests/World-Building

  • A large raider clan is known and feared throughout the Ironlands. What is it called? Who leads it?
  • Warrior’s shields are often emblazoned with meaningful symbols. What are they? Family crests? Animal totems? Mystical sigils? Motifs honoring the nations of the Old World? If you carry a shield, what is painted on yours?
  • Elves conceal their faces behind ornate wooden masks. What do these masks signify?
  • Every fifth spring, the giant clans meet for a gathering. There, the memory-keepers sing of a great giant hero, revered by all. Who is this hero?
  • A young varou receives their keth—a curved dagger—before undergoing a rite of passage. What must they do to take their place among the adults of the clan?
  • Some gaunts live in wild herds. They once roamed the wilds in countless numbers, but few now remain. What has happened to thin these herds so dramatically?
  • Some piece of a basilisk anatomy is prized by the Ironlanders. What is it? How is it used?
  • What people of the Ironlands revere and protect the elder beasts? What group hunts them and why?
  • Some coastal people believe leviathans are a manifestation of an ancient spirit. What is it?
  • Rumors persist of a wyvern graveyard where wyverns instinctively go when their death is near. Where is this supposedly located? In what way do Ironlanders make use of wyvern bones?
  • Can creatures other than Ironlanders become frostbound? If so, undeath gives them uncanny strength. Make them one rank higher than their living form.
  • When someone dies a violent death, or at the hand of another, they are often laid to rest using a specific, ceremonial rite. This, it is believed, prevents them from returning as a haunt. What is this ritual? What rare material is required?
  • How do elven communities view a risen hollow? Are they seen as spirits of righteous vengeance or as dangerous aberrations?
  • Many Ironlanders habitually perform a quick ritual when near a body of water, believing it keeps any lurking sodden at bay. What do they do? Is there any truth to this custom?

_________________
"Don't mess with me, lady. I've been drinking with skeletons."

he/him
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Kobras_Aquairre

Kobras_Aquairre


Posts : 535
Join date : 2019-05-09
Age : 29
Location : United States

The Ironlands Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Ironlands   The Ironlands EmptyMon Aug 26, 2019 10:33 am

Iron:Inscrutable metal pillars are found throughout the land. They are iron gray, and smooth as river stone. No one knows their purpose. Some say they are as old as the world. Some, such as the Iron Priests, worship them and swear vows upon them. Most make the warding sign and hurry along their way when they happen across one. The pillars do not tarnish, and even the sharpest blade cannot mark them.

Defense: The wardens are our soldiers, guards, and militia. They serve their communities by standing sentry, patrolling surrounding lands, and organizing defenses in times of crisis. Most have strong ties to their community. Others, called free wardens, are wandering mercenaries who hire on to serve a community or protect caravans.

Religion: Our gods are many. They make themselves known through manifestations and miracles. Some say they even secretly walk among us. The priests convey the will of the gods and hold sway over many communities.
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