The Iron Company
Aragog, I can no longer sit idly by whilst you and your men toil in that old Uškayan land that I was forced to abandon nearly a century ago. I am no longer the naïve young soldier who thought that everything could be turned around, even in those last days before the fall. And I know that you need men like me who still remember what this nation once was, and what it could be again. My company must be paid of course, my men have to eat, but we have our own tents, our own arms, our own blacksmiths and armorers, our own craftsmen, and even our own brewmaster. All I ask of you is for coin or some form of payment that my men can send to their families and use to fill their bellies. And perchance you can offer the wood to build a stout little tavern for our brewmasters to work in.Among the many mercenary outfits of Ultor, there are dozens of cutthroat soldiers of fortune that know not honor nor decency. Indeed it is quite remarkable to find a mercenary who does what is right for its own sake, regardless of the pay or reward. However, the Iron Company is one rare exception to this rule. Founded in the wake of disaster, the leaders of the unit seem to have a certain soft spot for tragedy and disaster, and are often willing to accept anything their employers can give as pay. Another curiosity pertaining to them, among many, is the fact that the outfit is mostly dwarven, with very few outsiders serving in mostly auxiliary roles. The ultimate goal of the organization -- I know, it is unusual for such an organization to have such a goal beyond gathering wealth -- is to rebuild Old Uškaya into the glorious kingdom that it once was before the Fall. To this end, the Iron Company has been working any job they can get, recruiting the best soldiers the dwarven kingdoms have to offer, and gathering enough instructors, translators, artisans, and professionals to establish themselves as a truly premiere fighting force against the undead threat posed in the Ghostlands. There have even been whispers of moving on to the Flood if the situation in the Ghostlands is ever resolved. I, and you should be too, dear readers, am keenly interested in the movements of this organization, and I look forward to hearing more of their exploits in the future.
Cordially, Orro "Anvil" Ironfist--Correspondence between The Anvil and Commander Whitehand
Structure
The Iron Company is built upon the principle of small-unit tactics. Since the group hardly ever finds itself in a pitched battle, and is more interested in battling demons, dangerous creatures, undead, and other dangerous, but often unorganized creatures, units of 10 to 12 dwarves form the primary building blocks of the legion's forces. Each squadron is trained to be entirely self-sufficient on the battlefield. The favored formation of the legion is either a shield wall or a square of shields. There will be 8 to 10 soldiers equipped with warhammers, halberds, or spears, and 2 to 4 ranged units, usually crossbowmen or mages who will periodically fire through the lines into the enemy.
Each squadron will be commanded by a sergeant who has served with the Iron Company for at least five years, and is a hardened veteran of many battles. Above the sergeants, squadrons are placed into groups of 10, called companies. 10 companies will then form an army, and 10 armies, in those rare times when the Company needs to organize such, will form a legion. All are subject to the commands of the leader of the Iron Company, who is currently also its founder -- "The Anvil."
Founding Date
1027 AC
Type
Military, Mercenary Group
Alternative Names
Dwarven Foreign Legion
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