Warmaster Ironskull

> "*Your people lie shattered and broken by my hand. I wish I could say it was difficult, but your people gave me no challenge. Now, though, I thank Morrokh - for you stand before me with the greatest army in the West and with a fire in your heart worthy of an Orc! Here, we shall forge a legend that will outlive us both. Fight hard, little Elf, and die with honour!*"
> ― Warmaster Ironskull to King Belqar Ka'Akkaret
>
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## Warmaster Ironskull / Wuklan, son of Sahila

### Died

Approximately 202/3 BC (aged approx. 32/33)

### Occupation

Blacksmith (until ~210)Warmaster (~210 until death)

Warmaster Ironskull (originally named Wuklan) was a Warmaster who led the second-largest Kuahi Warpath in history in the 210s BC. His army carved a bloody path through Chalparna and Okido (the northernmost part of Onshitama) to reach the Surqan river of Kalzuranur. The Warpath plundered their way up the Surqan until they came into conflict with King Belqar Ka'Akkaret, who stubbornly waged war against them until 200BC, when Ironskull's army was crushed on the field and he was slain by Belqar in personal combat.

Ironskull's Warpath was numbered by contemporary sources as being 100,000 strong, which is the second-largest Warpath in history behind the later Warpath of Warmaster Bonebreaker, which numbered roughly 250,000. However, this is the number given by Kalzuranuri historians once the Warpath reached their country; some historians estimate that it may have been as large as 120,000 strong when it first set off from Kuateoha, but lost many warriors on the road to Kalzuranur.

Ironskull's Warpath is also unique amongst the Warpaths in that it was the only one to ally with other warriors for a common purpose. Ironskull made a pact with the Jayyem Confederation, a group of Miari tribes who wished to join the Kuahis on their journey to plunder and raze Kalzuranur. There is also some evidence that Ironskull allied with tribes of Na'Quahesto in his war against Akkanur; such an agreement is not actually mentioned by any contemporary historian, but there are numerous Quahesto corpses buried alongside Orcs, Humans and Sand Elves at known battle sites which date to the same period. It is also possible that Belqar Ka'Akkaret employed Quahesto mercenaries, but this is widely regarded as unlikely due to Belqar's largely hostile relations with the pagan Na'Quahesto near his domain.

## Early Life

Warmaster Ironskull's original name was Wuklan, and he was known to the Kuahis as the son of Sahila. It is unusual for Kuahis (particularly men) to be known as the child of their mother - traditional practice is for children to be named after their fathers - but according to Kuahi oral history, Wuklan's father disgraced himself by abandoning Sahila once he discovered she was pregnant, and Sahila was left to raise Wuklan by herself. Wuklan being named as her son rather than after his father is out of respect for her strength, and out of disdain for his father's cowardice. Sahila married the local blacksmith, named Tauki, who raised Wuklan as a blacksmith before he was called to be a Warmaster.

His skill as a warrior and a leader was pointed out by Gerohan, the chief of Wuklan's tribe, who noticed these things after witnessing Wuklan single-handedly slay an unknown "great beast" that threatened the tribe. Chief Gerohan suggested Wuklan as a candidate for Warmaster to the priests and the other chiefs, and offered his daughter Kilara in marriage to Wuklan. Sources differ on the relationship between Wuklan and Kilara; some tribes say that the two loved each other, whereas others say that Wuklan greatly liked Kilara but she had no affection for him. These two variants also give differing explanations for why the two never had children; some versions say that one or both of them were infertile and some say that Wuklan knew he was going to be a Warmaster and did not want a child he would have to abandon, whereas those versions which say that Kilara did not love Wuklan say that Kilara had no desire to lay with him and that he would not force himself on her. The versions which state that Kilara did not love Wuklan make clear that Kilara did not dislike her husband - in fact, she greatly respected him - but she simply did not love him, as the two did not know each other well.

Kilara never remarried after Wuklan's death in battle. The oral history of most tribes makes no mention of her life beyond this, but the tradition of the tribe of Hakinaki (which incidentally later gave rise to Warmaster Earstealer) is that she dedicated her life to caring for orphaned children.