The Iron is a short but hefty member of the Claw of Arali that operates out of Cloverhall in Reedenford. He is a mysterious, mute figure that keeps to himself, taking dangerous guild missions and returning without a word. The Iron is actually a nickname bestowed upon him by the other members of Cloverhall, as he is covered from head to toe in thick, rough, weathered plated iron, banded together by thick ropes and metal chains. In actuality, a strange power affects the Iron that causes him to constantly produce crude iron from his skin that shapes itself into armor. He is also incapable of speech, but utilizes powerful magic though producing screeching sounds with his textured gauntlets.
Description
Appearance
The Iron never removes his armor, so little is known about his appearance beneath it other than his piercing grey eyes and greyed beard, which extends down from his helmet, partially covered in its own dedicated plating. The rest of his body is completely obscured by heavy, brutalized iron armor, layered and held together by a mish-mash of thick ropes and chains. Plating that has been split open or otherwise compromised is generally "fixed" with more plating haphazardly affixed to it like patches. The Iron has a small but hefty figure; his stature is similar to that of a dwarf's, but he stands just a bit too tall for one.
Personality
The Iron does not appear to speak under any circumstance, choosing instead to silently observe and interject with simple gestures. He does not attempt to communicate in any greater capacity, seemingly preferring to limit his contact with others. Additionally, he never seems to remove his armor.
During his downtime, the Iron appears to enjoy crafting small figurines out of sheet metal. On rare occasions, he grants these figurines to others as gifts.
Skills and Abilities
The Iron is undoubtedly a capable warrior, holding the rank of Pincer in the Claw of Arali. However, as he only seems to take missions alone, few have witnessed him in battle. He mainly fights using a large, steel maul covered in the religious iconography of the goddess Tyrix, and when he activates the weapon it constantly espouses religious propaganda. The Iron is capable of producing magic by way of his armor, as he cannot speak to satisfy verbal components; instead, he uses small grooves on his gauntlets to create a screeching noise that channels his arcana.
The Iron is an amateur craftsman, able to patch up his thick iron armor with sheet metal after it is damaged on his missions. However, his skill is not refined, giving his armor a very rough, patchwork appearance.
For some reason, the Iron constantly produces the crude iron metal that covers his body directly from his skin, growing it at a faster rate the less of it there is. The metal naturally shapes itself into a crude suit of armor, and the Iron is capable of tearing pieces off to use as he pleases. The process is apparently painful.
History
The Iron joined the Claw of Arali at some point in the 900s IaC, eventually becoming a Pincer and transferring to Cloverhall in Reedenford. While his reasons for desiring such a remote placement are unclear, Erdo Elfast once speculated it was due to the relatively high number of dangerous and well-paying missions, and the rather low population, ensuring his solitude. Regardless, the Iron continued to work out of Cloverhall well into the late 900s.
In 989 IaC, the Iron began taking on increasingly difficult assignments, and eventually directly attacked a small army of beasts amassed by the Green Hand outside Unknown. The Iron managed to emerge triumphant in the battle, but sustained heavy injuries.
The Iron ventured out to the Dancing Peaks while still injured, worried about the Cursebusters as he feared they would likely encounter the Green Hand in the area. He used a magic item to travel out to the mountains with Merja and Steve Moran, and fought his way up to the mountain until he found the party. He remained with the group for a time until they encountered both the Green Hand and the Left Hand in an ambush, when he fell in battle with the rest of the party.
The Iron was kept in an isolated cell on the 2nd level of the Splintering Halls, where a set of ethereal hands tore the iron away from his flesh, harvested for an unknown use. He was rescued during the breakout spearheaded by the Cursebusters, and stayed alongside them until they used a teleportation circle to move to the Hands of Love brothel in Adalhast.