Ironforged

**Name**

The Ironforged

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**Place of Origin**

Deep into the heart of Mount Athos, dangerously deep below the ground.

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**Rarity**

Rare

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**General Overview**

The Ironforged are living sentient metal entities ‘birthed’ by forging them from the metal harvested by a subspecies of Dwarves known as the Dwethern, whom have long since disappeared deep into the ground around 800 years ago. The Ironforged are all to show as proof of their existence as they rose from the depths of Mothis-Iros (the Ironforged name for the structure of Mount Tar-Culu/Mount Athos) with only the will to live and survive.

Their ‘mother’ is referred to as the Forgemother, a giant living metal discovered deep below in inhospitable conditions that no living being can reach without major assistance. The Dwethern are referred to as their ‘Fathers’, who had evolved in engineering to survive.

Ironforged do not know much of their history, why they’re here, how they got here or what to do other than their 3 main goals: live, survive and one other goal specific to them, usually in the form of some specific invention.

In truth, the Ironforged take their bodies from the Forgemother who is actually believed to be the heart of the long lost mother of the Giants that resides deep below the mountain itself, but their souls are from the Dwethern who had engineered a method to transfer the soul to survive being deep below through engineering. A true marvel in craft but with a heavy cost. This explains their specific goal, visions of the dark with sensations of heat and pressure, other call backs to their former Dwethern lives...

However, the Ironforged are not the Dwethern, they are their own.

Ironforged have very specific personality traits: eccentricity, odd behaviour or sayings and memory loss/short term memory from moderate to severe. Causing them to appear aloof, airheaded but passionate and enthusiastic. This is due to their Dwethern creators, a lingering momento of their lives and how long they spent underground.

As for intelligence, they are average, suffering in some areas while in others they can be wickedly smart without reason, they are fast readers, quick learners in specific fields and adapt quickly while working under pressure.

They do not have a concept of family the way most mortals do. They often talk about themselves in third person or as though they are many, having a familial connection with other Ironforged but no more than that of a close friend, even if the two Ironforged have only just met.

Nor do the Ironforged have an aging process akin to mortals. They are not adult, child, elderly, nor do they have much of a gender concept. Ironforged are between 200 and 300 years old and do not ‘die’ of old age, but can rust until there is no metal left if they are unable to replenish supplies or repair themselves, meaning they can become one of the longest living races in existence.

They cannot feel, hear, smell or see the same way other organic beings could, causing them to often feel detached from their own bodies and others. Every stimuli is processed through magic (in a similar way computers could through mathematics and technology) in a way that is difficult for organics to understand.

For names, Ironforged will usually refer to themselves as many or third person and rarely give themselves a name until another mortal does, they don’t tend to think of it until it’s mentioned.

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**Race Alignment**

True neutral

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**Natural Race Abilities/Affinities**

* Ironforged can only use Earth or Fire magics, with a strong affinity for metal, even being able to warp and change their bodies.
* They are made of a similar metal to iron and have all the durability and strength of iron, this can also make them strong, being able to lift up to 250lbs with ease and withstand 400lbs of combative force and weight.
* They can run up to 30mph, jump 10ft vertically or horizontally.
* Their bodies radiate potent magic, and can be overwhelming towards magically sensitive races, even if they opt to wield no magic themselves.
* They can sense other Ironforged who are within 10 miles. If they’re within 30m they can see through the eyes of the other for a split second at random intervals, which can be disorientating, they also share feelings and sensations at this level. 4 or more Ironforged in close proximity can cause magically sensitive objects to distort or activate.
* They can survive immense pressures within the environment, but this does not count for attacks.

Natural weaknesses

* The cold and ice can cause their speed to be halved, or even become immobile.
* They do not bleed, but cannot heal conventionally like others can. Once there is damage it must be repaired like a blacksmith would repair armour or a weapon.
* Their forgetfulness can be a handicap in combat.
* They cannot spent more than 3 turns in water or they begin to rust.

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**Appearances**

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**History**

Dwarves were among the first races created by the Gods before the Great Awakening, but after sentience was dispersed amongst the mortals, a band of Dwarves took their metalwork and mining to an extreme, seeking out new discoveries of materials deep into the crust of Aether.

800 years ago they were last seen entering the ravenous depths of the Tar-Culu with hope and enthusiasm, confident of what mysteries they could find, only to never be seen again even to this day.

500 or so years later, something new arose from the dark… the Ironforged, and these metal entities spoke vaguely of their circumstance.

The dwarves that disappeared so long ago found something: A giant living metallic heart so deep into the ground that most races would not survive the horrendous levels of pressure, lack of oxygen and gas.

The price of this discovery was steep, the Dwarves were no longer Dwarves, but had donned themselves a new name of Dwethern, having had to slowly evolve as much as physically possible as fast as possible to such an environment, while engineering ways to extend their reach just enough to get to the heart through craft.

However, the Ironforged would insist that the discovery was considered worth any cost to find their Forgemother.

The living metal beat like a heart and thundered, rippling and warping with pure Earth and Fire magic in chaotic synchronisation.

The Ironforged refer to the living metal as their mother, the Forgemother, and the Dwethern their ‘fathers’, despite the Dwethern not being so.

Though asking for more information will turn up very little. The Ironforged do not remember, only that they stumbled throughout the dark for hundreds of years to reach the surface again, nor do they remember much of what happened or their Dwethern lives, their only goals and motivation was to live, to climb and survive.

They know nothing of the fate of the Dwethern, know nothing of how they came to be or why or what purpose they serve other than to survive…

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**Created by Impy**

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