Iron Fists

## Overview

The Iron Fists were a clan of Dwarves who heralded from the Grey Mountains of the north. During the early Fourth Age, two great clans of the mountains were selected to reclaim the realm of Moria from the Orcs. These clans were the Iron Fists and Stiffbeards.

Their journey was successful, and they reached the gates of Moria and set to work ridding the mountain of the Orcs that infested its tunnels. They were ultimately successful in this task.

After driving out the Orcs, the Ironfists established a Dwarven Kingdom to facilitate the mining, distribution, and sale of Mithril, an ore found only in the Misty Mountains. As its primary function is as a trading kingdom, The Ironfists are inherently hesitant to join wars and enter alliances that could damage their trade relations with other nations.

## Government

The realm of the Ironfists differs from the other dwarven monarchies. In Moria, blood does not determine the heir of the kingdom. Much of the political stage is handled throughout a lifetime, as the Heir is not the Lord's eldest son but rather the head of the strongest dwarven clan in the realm. If the strongest clan is the current ruling power, the next head of the clan takes power once the Lord dies. This form of determining the next leader means that even if the Lord and his entire Clan are killed in combat, there will always be dwarves ready to take the throne.

The Lord of Moria rules with supreme power. However, he retains a council that acts to advise him on significant decisions and keeps tabs on the different aspects of the nation, such as the military, the economy, and foreign relations. This council is a body of appointed individuals, typically members of powerful Dwarven clans that hold significant influence among the population, to keep them happy. The council, although mostly ceremonial, does hold substantial power in the realm. If the current Lord goes missing and a new Lord has yet to be decided, the council takes temporary regency of the nation until a new Lord can be named. They also have power in their respective fields. For example, the Councilor of Finance can approve medium-sized projects for funding independently. The Councilor of Construction can approve projects to go and ask for funding, etc. this allows for more efficient management of the realm.

After the councilors are the Clan heads, the leaders of the various clans in the kingdom. They hold power in different aspects of internal clan politics, but certain powerful Clans manage smaller regions of the realm. The Lord of Moria is the only one who can only grant these "Domains." However, these Domains only can manage their own projects and maintain a local militia. They cannot pass laws or rulings that affect more than their citizens. In the event of a war, they gain emergency powers and can enforce things such as curfews, mandatory military service, and Citizen IDs.

## History

### Miscellaneous Tales

#### MT | The Great Reckoning

There is a tale among the clan of a great purge of the nobles, leaving only a handful of them alive.

Hundreds of years ago, in the early Third Age, the Iron Fists had a much different structure of leadership. They had a ruling family who, no matter what, would take power after the current Lord died. Seeing this weakness, a rival clan took advantage of it, and during a grand feast of the nobles, they attacked, killing the lord and his entire House.

The surviving nobles were the fringe nobles, who were not deemed powerful enough to warrant an invite, and ironically, they now held even more power in the clan. The family who came to the top was a sizeable yet not very pure-blooded clan named the Stone Fists. As they were now the ruling family, they took the name of Iron Fist to signify this. To prevent something like this from happening again, they created a system of the next heir being decided not by blood but by status. This rule has persisted throughout the ages, although it has yet to require use as the Iron fists have maintained their power.

### The Fourth Age

#### FA 1632 | The Migration of the Drakes

Much of the early history of the clans recorded before this point was lost, but some of the few remaining pieces of surviving documentation left detail the Migration of the Drakes. After the War of the Ring, there was a period of peace, and the realm grew complacent, forgetting the great threat that lurked in the north.

Early one fateful morning, one of the lookouts reported great beasts moving towards the mountains in large numbers. The dwarves rallied their armies to meet this threat, but they could not prevent them from dispersing throughout the region. This major event made the dwarves realize their homeland was no longer safe, and they assembled a council to decide what to do next. They agreed that they had to reach a new land where they could be safe, and they chose to send two clans to complete the task.

#### FA 1634 - FA 1635 | The Reclamation of Moria

After the grey mountains became unsafe due to the Great Drakes of the north and Lord Stalgrim I perished in an attack by Drakes, the new Lord of the Ironfists, Stalgrim II, assembled a force to reclaim the once-great dwarven realm of Moria from the Orcs that had moved in. Two Clans set out to head this mission; The Ironfists and the Stiffbeards. Due to their superior numbers and higher social status, the Ironfists became the de facto leaders of the group, giving the group their name.

The trek was long and hard. Many perished during the march southwards. In the end, the force reached Moria primarily intact. A great battle commenced that lasted weeks. Fighting ensued all through the tunnels and halls of the once-great dwarven realm. Most of their number died in battle, though they had succeeded in their mission, pushing out most of the orc filth. A handful still dwelt within the deepest caverns of the mountains, but their numbers were not plentiful enough to pose a threat to the dwarves. As soon as victory was declared, the first order of the new Lord of Moria, Stalgrim Ironfist, was the construction of a great hall to memorialize those who died in the reclamation. This hall was named the Hall of Memories.

Over time, the city was rebuilt. They began sending out diplomats to the surrounding nations and establishing trade agreements. They knew many wished to obtain the valuable mithril hidden deep in the mountain. Due to the trade of this valuable resource, they grew wealthy. With that wealth came those who wished to seize it for themselves.

#### FA 1671 | The Hidden War

Thirty-seven years after the initial battle to retake Moria, the nation was prospering. The realm had unmatched wealth. They held a solid defensive position, and many dwarves made journeys to pay homage to the Lord of Moria to gain his favor. This, however, had an adverse effect that was not foreseen by the council. Many who the dwarves did not wish to deal with also desired their riches. A large host made up of Orcs, Wargs, Trolls, and even a drake from the north came south to lay siege to the city, hoping to claim its resources for their own

Stalgrim, knowing he was significantly outnumbered, called upon his kin in the north, the great dwarves of the Grey Mountains. He did not know if they would arrive in time, but he had no time to worry about such things. He assembled his army and fortified the eastern gate, which the Orkish host was approaching. Countless dwarves and mercenary troops lined the ramparts of the gate, forts were garrisoned, traps were laid, and they set in for the siege. After six days of preparing, the orcs finally reached the gate.

The initial push by the Orks was the fiercest that this war would see. The main gate was breached mere hours after the siege began. This devolved the defense into a vicious fight in the tunnels, breaking up both armies into smaller forces. Since much of the fighting happened underground, and from the surface, nothing could be seen, the war was called "The Hidden War."

After many weeks of fighting, most of the dwarves were cut down and pushed back into a final stand outside the throne room. Suddenly there was a great sounding of horns in their most desperate hour, followed by renewed combat from behind the sieging orks. The Dwarves of the Grey Mountains had arrived, turning the tide of the war. The Ironfists rallied behind their Lord and joined the fray with a brutality not seen since the Reclamation War. The Orcs were routed, but the damage was done. The realm lay in ruins, most of the populace was dead, and many believed there was no chance the realm would ever fully return to its previous glory. In response, Stalgrim made a difficult decision that, to this day, many disagree with.

#### FA 1672 | The Rebuilding of Moria

Stalgrim decided to order a complete reconstruction of Moria, more splendid and grander than before. The only structures from the previous realm that remained were to be the throne room, the Hall of Memories, and the eastern gate in memory of those who fought and died for their kingdom. This effort would drain the kingdom's coffers and require much work. The construction work will begin in full, and the dwarves will rebuild their nation.

## Alliances

The Ironfists are part of the 'Dwarven Alliance.' This Alliance is comprised of the Ironfists, Longbeards, and the Republic of Xanthos.

## Trade Guild - The Dospian Organisation

The Dospian Organisation is a group focused on handling the international trade of the Iron Fists. They are under the direct management of Stalgrim II, so a sizable portion of their income goes straight to the royal treasury. They provide the Kingdom with most of its funds and can also occasionally escort diplomats to the regions they are traveling to