The Iron Herd

**The Iron Herd** was formed initially as an union of the greatest Goliath, Orcish, Canis, Loxodon, Karkadann, Rilae, Tabaxi, Ursin and Tauren clans, in the face of the Void's invasion upon Vari. Aligning with a group that was a very early Order of Vindication and the ever vigilant Verdant Sphere, **The Iron Herd** banded together to drive back the massive hordes of Void entities back to the rifts from which they came. United under a goliath single leader, Karg Bloodaxe, the **Iron Herd** became an incredibly formidable force. They roamed Vari together, hunting for remnants of the Void and overwhelming it with anger and fury. Many of these races were once misunderstood and cast aside by other more 'civilised' folk, these diverse and powerful races strived to overcome their differences and unite as one in order to win freedom for their people and the world of Vari itself.

> If it bleeds, they can kill it. And if it doesn't, they can probably kill that too." - Domigo Thundergong
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### Present

The present **Iron Herd** is mostly about surviving in a land that is constantly trying to kill them. They make no compromises when it comes to excellence, and the power and ferocity of their warriors is legendary. Misunderstood by many as evil, the Iron Herd possesses a strong code of honour and strict laws for disobedience. Today, it is compromised of all species, including many humans, although those with a tendency for preferring to live in the wilds are found in far more than other species. The herd does not stay in one location for too long, a month is the longest the herd will stay in one place. Often migrating across Vari in huge numbers, the approaching herd is a frightening sight. Beasts and monsters tend to flee the area when the herd moves in, though void creatures are often drawn to their presence. The herd are the only people in Vari that do not fear the void, in their eyes, dying to protect the world from these invaders is an honourable death and the Arbiter will judge their soul kindly for it.

### Values

In the Herd, action and strength are valued above diplomacy, and its leaders earn respect by the blade, wasting no time with politics. The brutality of the Iron Herd's champions is focused, giving a voice to those who fight for survival. The Iron Herd is one of the ten major political factions of the mortal races in Vari. Its counterparts spend the majority of their lives within the protection of the walls of the nine great cities. There are many that would see The Iron Herd removed from the Faction's Accord, seeing them as savages and brutes that cannot be reasoned with, however their right to be regarded as a faction is just as equal as any other.

### Combat

To spill the blood of their foe is like an art form, driving them further into a fury of iron and muscle, the people of the herd are driven to victory by the sense of warrior pride . Focused, ferocious, and sometimes monstrous, the **Iron Herd** values strength and honour and is relentlessly opposed to any who threaten the ideals of freedom and hope, but often struggles to keep aggression in check. This can cause poor relations with those that would prefer to speak around negotiation tables.

Despite their somewhat monstrous appearance, the majority of the Iron Herd is not evil; much like the citizens of all nine cities, it is comprised of diverse species and individuals who possess a wide range of values and virtues. Even so, there is one expectation that must be met when joining the Iron Herd: regardless of gender or station, all are expected to pull their own weight and give their talents for the betterment of the herd. When weakness is a liability to the future of the Herd, it is the duty of the strong to usurp control from the incompetent and redeem the Herd. "Victory or death, in Iron and Blood!" - it is these words that bind one to the **Iron Herd**. For they are the most sacred and fundamental of truths to any warrior of the Herd. For the Herd, failure is not an option. Culturally, the people of the herd believe in redemption more than most other people on Vari and are willing to give almost anyone a chance, regardless of reputation.

Despite the close bonds of community within the herd, it is understood by the wisest of their leaders that sometimes, an individual must leave the herds imprint on the world in other ways. As such, Iron Herd adventurers are commonly seen wandering the streets of the nine cities, looking hopelessly lost as they try to navigate the maze that is civilisation.

### Religion

**The Iron Herd** are not a particularly religious people, but are still closely associated with The Arbiter due to his ideals around honour and The Marked Warrior because he is a destructive, ruthless, violent, fierce, and brutal warrior.

### Leadership

The Herd has traditionally been led by an Warlord, a singular leader that possesses ultimate say over the decisions that impact the Iron Herd as a faction. This Warlord is the top general, politician and ultimate supreme leader of the Horde. While other leaders still possess power over their own battle brothers and have even been shown to defy the Warlord in the past, the ability to rally and lead the Iron Herd as a whole is a privilege that the warlord alone possesses and is able to distribute under their power. The Warlord often relies on the wisdom of their most venerated champions and centurions when making important decisions.

### Accord

As bound by the Faction's Accord, **The Iron Herd** are responsible for the following remits:

* Promoting Strength and Demanding Honour
* Travelling Around Vari, Protecting the Wilds, Surviving
* Protecting the Roads Between the Nine Cities of the Mainland
* Defending the Mainland from Outside Invasion

### Rank

Each rank of the Iron Herd is superior to the one that precedes it. Promotion is often achieved through glory in battle.

* **Scout** - New Herd members are tasked with scouting missions before they are expected to face any actual combat.
* **Grunt** - The main bulk of the Herd, Grunts are bezerking infantry that rage forth in tides of Iron, tearing apart their foes by sheer force.
* **Stone Guard** - The first of three 'Guard' ranks. Each one is given more responsibility than the last.
* **Iron Guard**
* **Blood Guard**
* **Centurion** - A truly proven, honourable warrior. Member of the elite warriors of the Herd, and a general during any large battles or wars.
* **Champion** - The greatest combatants in all of Vari, the Iron Herd's Champions are wiser, more honourable and stronger than anyone else. They are often sought out by the Warlord for advice.
* **Warlord** - The Warlord is a singular leader that possesses ultimate say over the decisions that impact the Iron Herd as a faction.

**Faction Benefits:**

**Nomad:** When you choose a starting city, you gain a bonus to one of your stats. However, f you are of the **Iron Herd** faction and were not raised in a city, you can choose to gain one of the following stats instead of selecting a city: +1 Constitution, +1 Strength or +1 Wisdom.

Your chosen faction provides you will a set of additional starting equipment, in addition to that which is granted by your class. Including gold.

* one of the following: a pair of handaxes, a battle axe or a greataxe
* A staff
* a hunting trap
* a trophy from an animal you killed or an enemy you defeated
* a warpaint kit
* a crude map of vari
* a set of barbarian's furs and clothing
* pouch containing 2 gp
* Feature: All Eyes On You

**All Eyes On You**

Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and perhaps even your appearance all mark you as an outsider in The Nine Cities. Curious glances are directed your way wherever you go, which can be a nuisance, but you also gain the friendly interest of individuals that respect strength and honour, to say nothing of everyday folk who are eager to hear stories of your travels.

You can parley this attention into access to people and places you might not otherwise have, for you and your traveling companions. Noble lords, scholars, and merchant princes, to name a few, might be interested in hearing about the legendary **Iron Herd**.

As deemed in the Faction's Accord, benefits are awarded for progression through the rank system of all factions in Vari.

* **Scout:**
	+ **Barbaric.** You gain proficiency in Intimidation plus your choice of one of the following: Athletics, History, Insight, Perception or Survival. You learn the Giant and Orcish languages.
	+ **Sure-footed**. The Iron Herd are a skilled and sure-footed people. You have advantage on saving throws that would knock you prone.
	+ **Bloodied.** While your HP is below half of its maximum value (rounded down) you are considered **bloodied** until your HP rises above half.
		- While Bloodied you add **+1** to your attack rolls but you have **-1** to your AC.
	+ **Experience in the Wilds**. When travelling for at least an hour in the wilds of Vari you gain the following benefits:
		- Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
		- Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
		- While tracking void creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
* **Grunt:**
	+ You gain proficiency in choice of one of the following: Athletics, History, Insight, Perception or Survival.
	+ You understand how an injured foe reacts to being wounded. When you hit a target with an attack, if that target can bleed you are able to determine if the target has less then half of its total HP remaining (rounded down). If does, you consider the target **A Bloodied Foe**. You know when the target's total HP surpasses half its maximum and is no longer **A Bloodied Foe**.
	+ **[ Victory or Death! ]** On your turn, when you make an attack roll against an enemy while you are bloodied, you can use your Victory or Death feature to throw everything you have at your foe, leaving yourself vulnerable to return attacks. Your bloodied attack bonus becomes **+10** for this roll and you add one additional weapon damage dice to the attack, but you cannot move and have **-5** to your AC until the start of your next turn. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses. You can use this feature only once until you have a long or short rest.
* **Stone Guard/Iron Guard/Blood Guard:**
	+ You do not have to be bloodied to use your **Victory or Death** feature against **A Bloodied Foe**.
	+ **[ In Iron and Blood ]** On your turn, when you make an attack roll against **A Bloodied Foe** and your attack roll is a natural 19, you can choose to change the result into a critical hit. You can use this feature only once until you have a long or short rest.
* **Centurion:**
	+ A target does not require the capability to bleed to be considered **A Bloodied Foe.**
	+ [ **Blood Fury** ] On your turn when you hit **A Bloodied Foe** or any Void Creature with a weapon attack, you can immediately make another attack action as a free action. You can use this feature only once until you have a long or short rest.
	+ [ **Beserking Wrath** ] If you are knocked unconscious by an enemy's attack or spell and you later regain consciousness, if that enemy is still present, standing up from prone does not require half movement provided you are moving straight towards that enemy. If you hit the enemy after regaining consciousness, you regain all expended uses of the following features: **Victory or Death**, **In Iron and Blood**, **Blood Fury** and if the prerequisite criteria for one of these features is met, you can apply one of them to this attack.
* **Champion:** *Unknown*