Clan Ironlord

"Forged in duty. Bound by iron." - motto of Clan Ironlord

The main advisory clan of the Reach, the Ironlords number few but those among them are highly specialised tacticians, strategists, and remarkable fighters. Even in the present day, members of the Staldor Empire cherish the advice of those with Ironlord heritage.

Pre-Unification

Clan Ironlord is said to be the first to enter the Reach, formed by some of the greatest veterans of the ancestral Zarvossti. It was these veterans who blazed a trail into the valley, protecting refugees and performing much of the initial strategy and logistics involved in this exodus. Their de facto leader, Lyoric, was a general known by the title of Ironlord for the many successful battles he oversaw when the clans lived North of the Neck and when they initially resisted the mage rebellion. However, as the casualties mounted, Lyoric made the decision to withdraw his people and fashion a tactical retreat south through the marshlands. Many of his cohorts were anxious about leaving their homeland behind. Lyoric assured many of them this was a temporary escape to regroup, but deep down, he knew that in his lifetime, he would never again see the place he once fought so hard to protect.
In the Reach, many challenges faced the burgeoning Zarvossti immigrants, and in those days, the martial experience of those under Lyoric's command was essential. With few supplies and fewer men, the clans were able to eke out their own places within the valley. As Clan Staldor rose to prominence, Lyoric, in his final days, made it clear to his cohorts that the Ironlords were not to challenge a new order, but support it; always to foster the success of their people, as they had done once back home. From then on, the tradition of the Ironlords being the clan whose approval was always sought but never expected was born. As the people of the Reach rose in significance and their numbers bloomed, the Ironlords held fast to a strict limit on their numbers to ensure only those who could be most trusted to guide the future of their people would be given the title. During the rally of Balar Staldor to unify the clans, the Ironlords were among the only of Balar's supporters outside his own clan. Though this unification did not come to pass in Balar's lifetime, the mission he handed down to his son, Hagan, was supported by an unbreakable vassalage established between the Staldors and the Ironlords. Hagan would later credit the Ironlords more than himself for the eventual unification of the Reach.

The Present

The names of some clans have lost their significance as the Staldor Empire has emerged, but not the Ironlords, whose ancestral ties have ensured them greater longevity than most. In the present day they are still highly-sought advisors on matters of warfare and tactics. Every academy worth their salt within the Empire is said to have someone with Ironlord heritage among its top-most instructors; and for those training to join the military within notable Staldor cities like Wellspring and Kingstown, a special gauntlet ordained by the Ironlords themselves must be passed to prove worthy of joining any branch of the military.

Culture

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

In order to keep the pool of wisdom well-guarded, the Ironlords' number is set at a specific margin by the then-clan leader. As times change more or less Ironlords may be called for; for example, in peacetime, their number has fallen as low as below one hundred; in wartime, particularly around the formation of the Empire and during conflicts with the Spellbreakers, this number has risen much higher considering the casualty rates of Ironlords in such conflicts and the need to keep the clan's heritage alive. An Ironlord may petition their clan leader and their advisors on both a partner and having a child, for Ironlords do not only breed within the clan. Should this petition prove successful, the partner of this Ironlord may be allowed within the clan as an honorary member. It is possible to receive permission to seek a partner outside the clan but not permission to have a child; sometimes this permission is then granted later as a member of the Ironlords passes and there is a need to restore their place.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

With military history and martial tradition being of such importance to the Ironlords, it is also common custom for a child born of the clan to be birthed on the field of a notable Staldor battle (particularly, for some, one where the Ironlords took part).
Until they come of age, the child is given a first name but is not permitted to take their family name; instead, much like a bastard, a child will carry a second name that correlates to where they were born - for example, one birthed at Vallerfjord would take it as their second name, until they came of age.

Coming of Age Rites

Every child born to an Ironlord father and mother is given a knife forged of iron, but which has yet to be tempered. The parents must teach their child to care for the knife and then the knife must survive without rusting or other ailments of the elements until the child turns sixteen. Some parents deliberately provide knives in worse condition, forcing their child to work even harder to keep their relic pristine. Should a child fail to keep it in good condition, their journey begins again - for example, should a six year old fail to look after their knife, they would have to begin the journey again, and would not become accepted within the Ironlord clan until twenty-two at the earliest. Once the trial is completed successfully, the child may then take their family name and be known by it, within the Ironlords and without.

Funerary and Memorial customs

The death of an Ironlord is a cause for mourning among all of the Reach's inhabitants, for so few and so cherished are the member of this clan, there are doubtless many who would miss their wisdom. Upon death, an Ironlord's body is burnt and reduced to ash, at the same battlefront where they were born; then, some ashes are placed within an iron urn along with their trial knife. The rest of the ashes are instead scattered among the battlefield - symbolising the Ironlord joining the fallen of that particular battle. For many days, weeks, or even months, travellers from other clans might come by the locale this took place and pay their respects; then, the urn is given to surviving family and cherished in much the same way as the ritual knife.