Ironchain Folk

The @Dwarves - Ironchain Folk are master craftsmen, engineers, and naval strategists hailing from the volcanic @Ironchain Isles . Stocky and soot-stained, they are known for fusing rune-magic with steamwork, building ships that sail like fortresses and weapons that breathe molten flame.

Where others farm tide and wind, the Ironchain Dwarves build their own current.

They mostly are members of @The Tideforged Armada

Appearance

  • Compact, broad-shouldered builds; muscle over mass

  • Skin dusted with soot or burnished by volcanic heat

  • Beards braided with copper wire, steel rivets, or glowing rune-charms

  • Often wear leather aprons, soot-marked tunics, and reinforced goggles

Culture & Clan

Ironchain society revolves around the Forgehold, a communal industrial clanship or island:

  • Governed by Guild Councils, led by eldest rune-smiths

  • Knowledge is lineage—techniques are passed in whispered iron-code

  • Loyalty is measured by hours worked, not words spoken

They respect the flame, the forge, and the build above all.

Role in Aethertide

Ironchain Dwarves are the backbone of:

  • The @The Tideforged Armada , crewing and commanding siege fleets

  • Dwarven-forged ports such as @Anvil Key , @Rusthaven , and @Smokehome

  • Mercenary engineering corps across Aethertide

Some serve as neutral shipwrights for elite captains—so long as their price is paid in refined ore, not coin.

Forge-Magic & Craft

Their signature creations include:

  • Rune-Engines – Self-powering machinery infused with elemental glyphs

  • Heatforged Armor – Plate that radiates scalding steam when struck

  • Steam-Bound Familiars – Small mechanical constructs linked to dwarven lifeforce

  • Skychain Winches – Used to pull skyships into dock or down from rogue currents

Ironchain mages are often engineers first, wizards second.

Traditions & Traits

  • Chainborn Marks – Tattoos etched with molten metal at adulthood

  • Ashfeast – Communal meal using volcanic stones, eaten in silence after a great build

  • Runeswearing – Binding one’s life to a vessel or forge through molten oath

  • Toolburial – When a dwarf dies, their primary tool is reforged into their grave marker

"Stone remembers the strike. Steel remembers the fire. So do we."

The Ironchain Dwarves are not loud, not noble, not elegant. They are necessary, and they never break—only harden.