Iron Wraiths


Kingmaker


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Have I missed something, or do we never find out what happened to the Iron Wraiths? Presumably the assumption is that they failed against the Tiger Lords, wandered into Thousand Voices or made the mistake of trying to negotiate with Irovetti before they were strong enough.

If I'm right that it's never mentioned, I wonder whether to change Ilora Nuski's backstory to make her the last survivor of the Iron Wraiths. It would give her more in common with the PCs and tie up a loose end with the plot.


Thrund wrote:

Have I missed something, or do we never find out what happened to the Iron Wraiths? Presumably the assumption is that they failed against the Tiger Lords, wandered into Thousand Voices or made the mistake of trying to negotiate with Irovetti before they were strong enough.

If I'm right that it's never mentioned, I wonder whether to change Ilora Nuski's backstory to make her the last survivor of the Iron Wraiths. It would give her more in common with the PCs and tie up a loose end with the plot.

Relevant threads:

Forgotten Explorers
The Iron Wraiths

In short, it's mentioned in passing that King Irovetti of Pitax smashed the Iron Wraiths for daring to set up shop in his sphere of influence. However, this is exactly the sort of game to expand on upon it as you choose, and frankly, I think Ilora's an awesome tie-in that my players would go for.

Do a search within the Kingmaker forum for "Iron Wraiths". A few other folks have used them, either at the start as part of the politicking with Brevoy, or in one case, as little more than a werewolf pack disguised as a mercenary band.

Kingmaker rarely has NPCs and plot threads show up in more than one book, in case they're killed by chance or PC, so feel free to make whatever extensions or changes work best for thee.


Perfect then, I think I'll have her story be that they lost half their number in Thousand Voices (because I really want to hang a lampshade on how dangerous it is before they have a reason to investigate it) and then Irovetti mopped up the rest.

My plan is for them to meet two of the other groups before heading to Oleg's (Drelev's group, being diplomats and professional soldiers, got their charter under different circumstances). They'll have some friendly contact with Maegar Varn and his mercenaries, but pretty much get the cold shoulder from the Iron Wraiths who don't think they look up to the job. So Ilora will be swallowing a lot of pride having to ask them for help later on.


Another option is that they did indeed wander into Thousand Voices ... and only whatsherface escapes. The horrific fate that befell them = First World vegetation + undeath ... ^__^


Daviot wrote:


...or in one case, as little more than a werewolf pack disguised as a mercenary band...

That was me!

So weird to be mentioned in another thread, even if just in passing.

That particular sub-plot has grown to tie in a 600 year old worg, the political snafu of Bevroy, and a demonic sword. So, I offer this warning: if you yet your players sink their teeth into a sub-plot, be prepared for them to run away with it.


Gator the Unread wrote:
So, I offer this warning: if you yet your players sink their teeth into a sub-plot, be prepared for them to run away with it.

And it's because of where those sub-plots end up that makes Kingmaker so enjoyable. Such as why my players' kingdom has a gunworks, set up by an Alkenstar ex-pat gunsmith, wooed via politics on a sidetrip to Absalom. But yes, Iron Wraiths; like most of the other sideplots in Kingmaker, they're left as unfinished hooks for clever GMs to play with.


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Gator the Unread wrote:
I offer this warning: if you yet your players sink their teeth into a sub-plot, be prepared for them to run away with it.

In Soviet Kingmaker, sub-plot sinks it teeth into YOU!!


In my campaign I set each of the groups into the forefront early. (They have a banquet every two years with the swordlords to compair how their missions are going.) In my campaign the Iron Wraiths are legendary adventurers (Lvl 16 if I recall correctly) sent not to settle or explore, but to wage guerrilla warfare on the tiger clan barbarians and keep them from ravaging the newly founded kingdoms.

They fell when Armang (sp? Sorry don't have my books in front of me) took control and unified the tribes. Armang's first conquest was putting the Iron Wraith's heads on a pike.


Wow I love it. But it does seem odd that Armag can defeat the 16th level ubers, but not the level 12s?


Rickmeister wrote:
Wow I love it. But it does seem odd that Armag can defeat the 16th level ubers, but not the level 12s?

I would chalk it up to an army was brought against them from the sounds of it. After wiping out them most either went on their own raids while Armag got his sword is what I would guess.


I like the idea of involving Ilora as an Iron Wraith right away.

IMC, I'm just writing them out, there are only 3 expeditions. I am doing the thing wherein the groups try to make and maintain contact with each other, except that I am scaling down the big festival from Book #5 and making it a midsummer thing that Drelev will be starting himself.


Caius wrote:
Rickmeister wrote:
Wow I love it. But it does seem odd that Armag can defeat the 16th level ubers, but not the level 12s?
I would chalk it up to an army was brought against them from the sounds of it. After wiping out them most either went on their own raids while Armag got his sword is what I would guess.

Yes, basically the black sisters set a clever trap, leading the Iron wraiths into believing they could take out a small incursion moving against Fort Davor. Then they are found trapped between the full force of the Tiger Clan armies and fall to the superior numbers. Armag claim's the idea and the Tiger Clans fall in line under him, with none the wiser to the black sister's involvement.

Silver Crusade

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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

The way I handled the Iron Lords in my game is during a feast between book 1 and 2 at Restov where Drelev, Varn and the PCs receive their official titles there was a lot of speculation about what happened to the Iron Lords. Then King Irovetti shows up, clad in Iron (my Irovetti is more like Doctor Doom), and throws down the shield of the Iron Lords on the table where everyone is feasting.

"You send scavengers to pick at the edges of my domain!? You have overstepped your borders Sword-Lords. There. Will. Be. A. Reckoning."
At which point he turned around, stormed out and rode away in his horseless carriage.

My PCs were thoroughly intimidated.


DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:

Then King Irovetti shows up, clad in Iron (my Irovetti is more like Doctor Doom), and throws down the shield of the Iron Lords on the table where everyone is feasting.

"You send scavengers to pick at the edges of my domain!? You have overstepped your borders Sword-Lords. There. Will. Be. A. Reckoning."
At which point he turned around, stormed out and rode away in his horseless carriage.

I did something similar - except it was a 'sending' - so basically a

hologram of Irovetti did something similar...


I'll be having these guys, as well as Varn, Drelev, and my Irovetti replacement Havelock, showing up between Chapters 2 and 3, when my party will be getting some more kingdom and diplomacy stuff done and taking a bit of a long-term adventuring break after dealing with Hargulka. The Varnhold Vanishing will shake them out of that and give them a reason to adventure again later.

The Wraiths will probably end up eaten by the blue dragon Choral replacement I'm sticking after Pitax in chapter 5.


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In the game I'm running for my players, the Iron Wraiths are a significant army of mercenaries led by a inner circle of 12th lvl characters that mirror the PCs. They're being paid by the Aldori to fight the Tiger Lords and provide enough of a deterrent to Mivon and Pitax that they let the Restov colonies flourish in peace.

Of course the Iron Wraiths are eventually going to get bored just running guard duty and during VoV will see the temptation of the PCs kingdom to good to refuse. When the PCs wander off to deal with Vordakai, the Iron Wraiths will use their alliance with the kingdom to let themselves into the capital, then take over in a coup. The PCs coming back from Varnhold will either have to raise an army to take their capital back or, more likely, sneak into the castle and defeat the Iron Wraiths leadership. If they're particularly cunning, they'll take advantage of some of their fractious relationships to help even the odds.

This will help drive a wedge between the PCs and Restov, whom the PCs realise they can't trust to protect them, while Restov gets nervous at their increasing power. It'll help foreshadow Restov effectively abandoning them following BfB. It also allows for the events of BfB to take place, as Pitax will now find it much easier to take Fort Drelev.

Plus I think every campaign needs a mirror party for the PCs to fight.

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