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
The imposing hills and mountains of the Ironlands are rich in iron ore. Most prized of all is the star-forged black 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.
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.
We have forged the Ironlands into a home. Villages within the Havens are connected by well-trod roads.
Trade caravans travel between settlements in the Havens and those in outlying regions. Even so, much of this land is untamed.
LEADERS
Each of our communities has its own leader, called an overseer. Every seventh spring, the people affirm their current overseer or choose a new one.
Some overseers wear the iron circlet reluctantly, while others thirst for power and gain it through schemes or threats.
Numerous clan-chiefs rule over petty domains. Most are intent on becoming the one true king. Their squabbles will be our undoing.
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.
Our warbands are rallied to strike at our enemies or defend our holdings. Though not nearly as impressive as the armies that once marched across the Old World, these forces are as well-trained and equipped as their communities can manage.
The banners of the warbands are adorned with depictions of their Old World history and Ironland victories.
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.
RELIGION
A few Ironlanders still make signs or mumble prayers out of habit or tradition, but most believe the gods long ago abandoned us.