"Blood and ice, steel and thunder."
Alternatively, "We do not sow" or "What is dead may never die, but rises again harder and stronger"
Seat: Fjornhelm, the Iron Islands, Westeros
Founder: Varstag the Fierce
Founded: unknown, presumably at the dawning of men but chronologically about 500 years ago
Region: a chain of islands off the far western coast
Lord: Thalin Kurdain
Famous for: a truly vicious raiding force and the fastest ships available
Population: well above 400,000, counting all the scattered islands
Religion: the Nameless Terrors in the Deep
Far to the west of the mainland are the Iron Islands, the ancestral home of all mankind - according to the Kurdain. They are a people of the sea. Their mythos of creation begins with the very first monster of the world creating himself out of salt and ends with the world and all the universe drowning in blood.
House Kurdain is one of the noble houses of Westeros, claiming the right to rule by virtue of pure military strength of arms. Though this mindset has produced many sadists and psychopaths throughout the years, there are some with a reasonable head on their shoulders. It is also one of the more unstable Houses, prone to going to war often, which resulted in the Kurdain Rebellion some ten years ago. The scars still run deep, despite Thalin's fealty to the king. His name is often cursed nonetheless.
The Iron Sea separates the islands from the Westeros mainland, giving them a bit of a mysterious aura. Long ago, men settled there and lived off the plentiful fish. It is said that the founder of House Kurdain, Varstag the Fierce, did not unite the clans into one House but rather used their superstitions regarding fire - and, undoubtedly, his own - once they mastered the forging of iron. Hence, the islands earned their name. Ever since then, the Iron Islands have been a seemingly impenetrable milestone to the lands further west. Their raiding parties are fierce, and their ships lightning fast. So fearsome were they during their Rebellion that House Kurdain was almost barred from reentering Westeros entirely. To see their crest represented anywhere is an ill omen, as it usually foreshadows death and despair.
To hear those from the islands called 'Ironborn' is not uncommon. Heritage claimed from the islands usually results in distinct iron-grey eyes.
Culture
House Kurdain has been the ruling power within the Iron Islands ever since its founding, with the King of the Iron Sea crowned from each of the descendants of the noble house. Unlike some mainland families, inbreeding to 'keep the bloodline pure' is frowned upon and mates are chosen from other houses, each experiencing their own ascensions and descents in power depending on if their sons or daughters are selected to marry.
Thalin is the current King of the Iron Sea.
There are three supplement houses owing their allegiance to the bloodline of Kurdain: Skurloch, Mannis, and Treygar. Turnbold, for example, is from House Skurloch.
The Ironborn are extremely superstitious and believe that their patron god, the Drowned King, is protecting them at all times.
Language
The language of the Ironborn is unique to them, and there are few teachers outside who can speak or write it. With a rune system for an alphabet, the language is divided into many sounds that resemble those of the Free Folk beyond the Wall, hinting at the origins of the Ironborn.
Fehu - "war" or "to destroy utterly"
Aldri overgi seg - "never surrender"
Weapons and Armor
Black iron and black steel, the Ironborn specialize in taming the metals of their craft into a distinctive black hue. True Kurdain craftsmanship is impossible to come by outside of the Iron Islands, and it is exceptionally tough and reliable. Black iron is often compared to normal steel, while black steel is much stronger than normal steel.
Army Organization
The typical foot soldier of the Ironborn is armed with a mail hauberk, a pike or a short sword, a buckler, a small dagger, and a pointed-domed cap (not unlike the Nordic style) all produced with black iron. These troops are usually lowborn status, but trained to be efficient anti-cavalry units in a large block formation capable of deploying into a circle of pikes to protect the attached crossbowmen or archers. They are the most common type of soldier because they can be trained to fit a variety of tasks due to the equipment they are allowed to carry.
The aforementioned archer units are the second-most common soldiers in an Ironborn army. Standard equipment for one is a mail hauberk, a longbow or a crossbow, a buckler, a small dagger, and a pointed-domed cap all produced with black iron all similar to the foot soldiers. Archers take up a much more important role due to their mobility and range. Longbows from Iron Islands ashwood are exceptionally powerful, capable of launching darts from as far as a longship stationed at harbor out onto the coastline. The crossbows are even stronger, but require more time to load and fire.
Rarely do the Ironborn deploy full units of cavalry, considering the difficulty in transporting horses and men together. You'd almost have to have a separate fleet for the horses to go along with the one for the soldiers. It seems that horseback riding is indeed taught on the Iron Islands, at least as a personal pleasure, and only to noblemen. Even so, there are legends of Ironborn cataphracts wearing nothing but pure black steel charging across the beaches and grasslands, trampling everything in front of them.
Ironborn Knights belong to a special station within the arms and armors of House Kurdain. They are allowed to wear black steel and use black steel weapons, already making them terrifying. Knights wear gorgeously-decorated helmets bearing the likeness of the kraken on their banners and tabards. Their weapons are typically greatswords and tridents, though some may use shields and ribbed maces. The black and gold emblems intermingle stupendously with the dark metal as it catches the last glimpse of life from a doomed enemy. A favorite saying of the knights as they go into battle is "You die here or you drown later!"
The infamous Castellan lords are a rare sight, but one that is invaluable on the battlefield. They are heavily armored in black steel, wear thick black cloaks, and wield enchanted weapons. Just one is enough to turn the tide of any fight. But they are loyal to only the King of the Iron Sea, whom they refer to as the 'Iron Crown'.
The Iron Fleet
A terror of all settlements along a body of water is the telltale black flags of the Kurdain longships. These were commonplace during Thalin's Rebellion, sailing through harbors and up rivers, burning and pillaging as they went. Though they're become a rarity now, the coastlines are not so fortunate to have the peace of mind that the mainland does. House Kurdain is always hungry for power, and its longships are many.
The Iron Fleet has set sail across the world, returning with gold and treasures and leaving nothing but devastation in its wake. Very seldom does it amass in great numbers, especially considering the Kurdain tendency for war. But perhaps the next great rebellion is not so far away.
If so, then the longships are the first and foremost sign of trouble. The vicious leviathan's head carved into the stempost often looms out from the mist, as if tasting the conquest to come. Every longship comes equipped with several dozen mounted crossbows with a larger ballista mounted in the center (more if the ship is larger) and enough room for roughly fifty to sixty men to sit comfortably.
Added to this, the smaller landing ships meant for quick and decisive infantry deployments are stored on-deck and ready for immediate submersion. These boats are large enough to fit about twenty men each and devilishly fast thanks to Ironborn engineering and manpower. Every longship has four of these boats ready and waiting.
Euron often casually mentions another aspect of the Iron Fleet. Though he has yet to show anyone, he claims that a giant squid follows him and listens to his orders. The blue tint on his lips is attributed to this squid, from which he extracts the ink. He claims that its name is Perkins.
But a tamed squid is nothing new to House Kurdain. They've weaponized the creatures long ago, often making use of them during battles at sea. Throwing enemies overboard, the squids were trained to constrict their throats and bite at the eyes using their beaks. The reward for such a service being their favorite fish, the squids were essentially turned into bizarre underwater wardogs, ensuring no survivors from a Kurdain raid.
Except, Euron's pet is attributed to being much larger than any tamed squid House Kurdain has used before - or ever, really. Perhaps it is one of the monolithic krakens roaming the deep waters; and if so, then the Ironborn truly rule the seas.
The Realm
Cradled in the gulfs of the North, the Iron Islands are a mere mark on the map as compared to the other kingdoms. Hence, its nickname of 'the Mark', considering its nearly inconsequential size. Make no mistake, however. What the Ironborn lack in territory they make up for in territory control. The waters around the islands, every coast around Westeros, and as far as Essos is prey for the vicious raiders from these ports.
Fjornhelm
The central keep of the Iron Islands and home to the ruling Lordship. Like many fortresses along the islands, it is almost entirely unassailable given its unique position on the cliffs and rocks.
Castle Broken Reach
Named after the many invasions it has successfully defended against, essentially meaning "you can't reach us here" or, more literally, "f*ck you" to the king sitting in the Red Keep.
The fortress itself is manned and battle-ready, with hundreds of ballistae and mounted crossbows along the walls and inside the core of the keep. At any time of day, at least 500 men are willing and able to defend the battlements. Castle Broken Reach is also home to a small number of boats, accessed through dockyards hidden within the cliffs and coral reefs. Only those who have known the waters for long enough can navigate through the reefs, thus enabling them to move without damaging the hull. Such a vicious melee between soldiers capturing larger ships is usually what sieges here devolve into, as scaling the cliffs is nearly suicidal and entering through the gate would require capturing the beach.
Iron Bay
A well-respected trading economy throughout the Iron Islands and accessible by its allies. Though black iron and black steel are only carried by true Kurdain loyalists, any number of different goods can be found, sold, or bought here - including ingredients for various aspiring alchemists, if you look hard enough.
Grave Point
An imposing fortress in the mountains of the northern island, it is the home of the ancient order of the Castellan lords. They are nameless warriors loyal to the King of the Iron Sea and the King of the Iron Sea alone. If all other banners turn away from the Ironborn, it is the Castellans who would still serve them unto the breaking of the world.
It started out as a simple order of brave knights, nine to be exact. Young and old, they swore an unbreakable oath that the world would be iron from the shores of the islands to the horizons in every direction. It grew into a craze, with warriors across the Mark flooding into the stronghold hoping for membership.
The trials awaiting any true aspirant to the Castellan cause are few, but impossible without an unshakeable conviction. First, they have to abandon their families and send a piece of themselves back home. Then, to prove loyalty to the Castellan lords, they attack and liberate a banner from a nearby town or settlement belonging to a rival kingdom. Furthermore, to prove loyalty to the King of the Iron Sea, they wrap the collected heads of a mother, her children, and the genitals of the father of the family within that banner. The victims are selected from a long list of enemy house lords, thereby condemning that house to ruin in the name of the Iron Crown.
Their leaders and members are nameless, all identity purged from their minds. They are instruments of the Iron Crown's will, the most powerful of them all being appointed the Agmator, or "grave lord", as opposed to the Agmatung - "grave children".
Grave Point is rumored to also be a hill of sorcery and fell magics. The helms of the Castellan lords glow a subtle and unnerving blue, and their faces are dim within thick black cloaks. Even if there are dark energies pervading the mountains, they serve the Iron Crown - unto death - and never falter in their mission.
The Nameless Terrors in the Deep
The religion of the Iron Islands is a grim one. There are a few heroes to admire such as the Drowned King who married the most beautiful mermaid in all the seas and killed the first monster of the world.
Yet despite that, the terrors that haunt men at night all spawn from the sea. The very first monster created himself out of salt and hid in the deepest part of the world until he could grow large enough to strangle it. The Drowned King killed him and prevented the apocalypse, but the size of the first monster truly did stretch all around the world.
His corpse fed the other terrors of the deep, and they hide in the dark water - always hungry, and ready to feed. The Drowned King is always fighting them, and so are his merman sons. The squids trained for war are said to be the one creature the Drowned King could tame out of the many terrors of the world. As such, they are treated with great respect as the wardens of the deep.
This only gives Euron's claim of having a giant squid - or even a kraken, as he insists - as a pet a religious foundation as well as a personal one. Many are actually starting to believe his wild claims, and he doesn't seem to be worried in the slightest.
Of course, this is all based on the beliefs of the Iron Islands. There's no way monsters like that could really exist...
Notable members: Vannis, Euron, Ganter, Ostros, Thalin, Bostna, Skon (deceased - murdered), Skjovald (disowned), Alga, Turnbold, Bannigan, Yanda, Slegg, Sharkey, Astonia
Ostros, Skon, and Skjovald were all brothers brought into this world by Thalin and his wife Bostna. Skon - being the youngest - had much to look forward to in the future. Yet, his tiny life was extinguished without mercy and the blame all pinned on Skjovald. Ostros is a quiet boy, and the next-in-line for the Lordship of House Kurdain.
Vannis and Euron are Thalin's brothers. Vannis, the more level-headed of the three, went on to pursue a sordid military career. Euron, having been burned since birth by a witch attempting to use his infant life for one of her spells, had no such fame and glory. Though his command over the fleets of House Kurdain has resulted in some memorable victories, he lives in Vannis' shadow because of his facial deformities. He claims their mother disliked him the most out of the three boys anyway.
Ganter is Vannis' son, and Skjovald's cousin. He is a proud youth, filled with a powerful sense of honor for his House. This often gets him into trouble or into fights he cannot finish considering his hotheadedness.
Alga is Vannis' wife. She is a compassionate woman who loves her son, but often scolds him for his behavior.
Turnbold is Ganter's brother-by-blood. It is an ancient tradition in the Iron Islands to select someone to fight alongside you for all time. This loyal association cannot be broken save by the most heinous of hearts, and afterwards they are unforgivable. As such, Turnbold and Ganter are great friends.
Bannigan and Yanda are Bostna's siblings, married into the family from a distant House on the mainland. They were not trusted once upon a time, and there are still some who harbor doubts of their true loyalties. Though, Bannigan is a knight of Lord Thalin's court.
Slegg and Sharkey are Bannigan's two sons. They are violent and uproarious, perfect to be knights in Lord Thalin's service.
Astonia is Ostros' betrothed, and a lovely woman at that.
(Under construction.)
Rules
- This is a part of the GoT/TWD universe, Undying Throne.
- Always looking for new members.
- Open to the Undying Throne public.
- Have fun.
- Normal CV rules apply, of course.
The format is totally copied from House Goldyne, check it out.
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