Iron Claws

🪶 Sample Iron Claw Patrol: Talon Patrol V-3 “Ashbeak Line”

Patrolling Sector: Greathook Market and the Smokehook alleys
Shift Time: Second Bell to Sixth Bell (mid-morning to late afternoon)
Known Locals Call Them: “The Ashbeaks”
Assigned by: Rookwarden Naela Vask, to deter merchant bribery and Wheelmarked pickets

🧕 Patrol Members (3 mounted Claws)

🧕 Talon Veska Grayreel – Patrol Lead

• Age: 20 | Rank: Senior Talon

• Appearance: Burn-scarred cheek, tightly braided auburn hair, always wears her helmet

• Personality: Gruff, direct, known to cuff people rather than shout

• Notable Gear: Iron-feather cloak clasp, smoke-cracked leather belt pouch

• Reputation: “If Veska’s bird stops walking, it means someone’s going to bleed.”

• Corruption Level: Low tolerance for bribes, but allows minor infractions if time-pressed

War Bird: Smoulder

• Jet-black plumage with silver speckles

• Leaps aggressively—trained to knock down doors

• Scar over one eye; dislikes beggars and smells of lamp oil

🧕 Talon Kelni of Two-Fires

• Age: 17 | Rank: Standard Talon

• Appearance: Slender and tall, sharp-featured, tattoo of a flame on her throat

• Personality: Charismatic, cynical, often does the talking

• Notable Gear: Fine-toothed combs for grooming her bird in public

• Reputation: Rumored to have a lover among the Pale Lodge

• Corruption Level: Will accept bribes if small, subtle, and "clever"

War Bird: Thunk

• Brown-and-tan with black facial feathers

• Known for headbutting alley doors before clawing

• Eats from her hand, but hisses at children

🧕 Talon Miri Hollowgate

• Age: 15 | Rank: Freshly promoted Claw (her first patrol as lead rider)

• Appearance: Wide-eyed, freckled, wears her sash too tightly

• Personality: Eager, rule-bound, still proving herself

• Notable Gear: Notebook filled with sketched suspects and bird anatomy

• Reputation: "Green beak," but her bird is fierce

• Corruption Level: Will not accept bribes—yet

War Bird: Wretch

• Smallest of the patrol’s birds, mottled grey-and-red

• Extremely aggressive to dogs and cart animals

• Known to shriek when it smells alcohol

🗺️ Patrol Duties

• Sweep the west alley loop of Greathook Market

• Inspect permits on spice and grain vendors

• Break up any street gambling by the cracked fountain

• Escort Magistrate Eddor to the Smoked Glass Inn at fourth bell

• Report sightings of Wheelmarked tattoos or chalk signs

🎲 Encounter Possibilities

• They stop the party for weapons checks—especially if wearing mismatched armor

• Veska challenges a rogue PC with blood on their boots

• Kelni tries to chat up a party bard or rogue, gauging trust

• Wretch begins shrieking at a cursed or magically tainted object in the party’s pack

• If bribed too clumsily, Miri threatens to report them all—possible split loyalty

  
  

🛡️ Iron Claw Patrol V-3 “Ashbeak Line” – Stat Blocks

🧕 Talon Veska Grayreel – Patrol Lead (Human, Level 2 Fighter)

• AC: 16 (brigandine + shield)

• HP: 11 (2d8+2)

• Attacks:

  • Curved Sabre: +3 to hit, 1d8+1 damage

  • Iron Whistle-Flute: Can issue 1 command to her bird per round as a free action

• Move: 90'

• Morale: 10

• Saves (Fighter L2): D12 W13 P14 B15 S16

• Notable Tactics: Will flank with Smoulder for dual attacks, targets spellcasters early

🧕 Talon Kelni of Two-Fires – War Claw (Human, Level 1 Fighter)

• AC: 15 (scale mail + shield)

• HP: 7

• Attacks:

  • Talon Lance (short spear): +2 to hit, 1d6 damage

  • Buckler Bash (if close): 1d2 damage

• Move: 90'

• Morale: 9

• Saves (Fighter L1): D12 W13 P14 B15 S16

• Special: Can Calm Animal once/day (trained from Pale Lodge protocol)

🧕 Talon Miri Hollowgate – Junior Claw (Human, Level 1 Fighter)

• AC: 14 (light brigandine, no shield)

• HP: 5

• Attacks:

  • Pike-spear: +1 to hit, 1d6 damage

• Move: 90'

• Morale: 8

• Saves: Standard Fighter L1

• Special: Will attempt to "arrest" anyone caught harming animals or children

🐦 War Birds – Cirthael, Ashbeak Mounts

🐦 Smoulder (Veska’s Bird)

• HD: 3+2 (15 HP)

• AC: 6 [13]

• Move: 90' (can leap 30’)

• Attacks:

  • 2 Talons: +3 to hit, 1d6 each

  • OR 1 Beak Strike: +3 to hit, 2d4

• Morale: 12 (fiercely loyal)

• Special: Charges through crowds, causes panic in animals and commoners

🐦 Thunk (Kelni’s Bird)

• HD: 3+1 (14 HP)

• AC: 7 [12]

• Move: 90'

• Attacks:

  • 2 Talons: +2 to hit, 1d6 each

• Morale: 10

• Special: Can break open non-magical doors with a charge (1-in-6 chance failure)

🐦 Wretch (Miri’s Bird)

• HD: 2+2 (11 HP)

• AC: 6 [13]

• Move: 90'

• Attacks:

  • 1 Beak: +2 to hit, 1d8

• Morale: 11

• Special: Shriek alerts other patrols within 200’ unless silenced

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📜 Iron Claw Patrol Log – "Ashbeak Line"

Date: Emberrise 18, Year of the Hollow Crown
Patrol Unit: V-3 “Ashbeak Line”
Patrolling Sector: Greathook Market → North Market Loop → Dalmont Exchange perimeter
Time on Watch: Second Bell to Sixth Bell
Commander on Rotation: Rookwarden Naela Vask

🎯 Assigned Riders:

• Talon Veska Grayreel (Lead) | Bird: Smoulder

• Talon Kelni of Two-Fires | Bird: Thunk

• Talon Miri Hollowgate | Bird: Wretch

📝 Incident Report Summary:

⏰ 2nd Bell — "Spilled Potions & Slick Talk"

📍Ashkarin Marketplace, Spices & Alchemy row

• Street vendor “Krellus the Charmer” (Herbalist, unlicensed) caught selling unmarked shimmerroot tinctures.

• Claimed he was under merchant guild exemption via Dalmont seal (forged).

• Kelni bribed with “free breath balm” (recorded as contraband).

• Wretch shrieked upon approaching the stall—possible magical contamination.

⛓️ Action: Inventory seized, Krellus fined and cited for false seal. Released with warning.

⏰ 3rd Bell — "The Juggler's Blades"

📍Greathook Market central square

• Observed Marrek of Many Faces performing knife illusions. One blade flew too close to a merchant’s son.

• Crowd growing unruly. Miri intervened and requested dispersal.

• Marrek complied but whispered, “Your bird sees more than your eyes, little Talon.”

⛓️ Action: No arrests. Marked for future review. Possible link to Wheelmarked sigil sighted on dropped mask (black swan, white eye).

⏰ 4th Bell — "Ruckus at the Gilded Wheel"

📍Outside the Gilded Wheel Tavern

• Two guild caravan guards in a brawl with a dwarven delver over Stonehell “shares.”

• Thunk knocked over ale carts while dispersing fight. One guard attempted to stab the bird—quickly disarmed by Veska.

• Dwarven delver, named Grukk Son-of-Fenn, claims to be owed shares from a “ghost blade pull” licensed under the Stonehell Trust.

⛓️ Action: All three detained, turned over to Pale Lodge for adjudication due to expeditionary contract ties.

⏰ 5th Bell — "Missing Apprentice"

📍Near the Grove of Lost Stones

• Alerted by sobbing from Liana Tovarr, niece of Vicar Halim. Claims her apprentice friend, Sava, has been missing since venturing to the Shrouded Spire at dusk two nights ago.

• No formal notice had been filed. Local beggars say “a pale shadow swallowed her whole.”

⛓️ Action: Entry logged as Tier-2 priority. Passed to Iron Vow. Patrol noted odd bird behavior—Smoulder refused to approach the alley mouth.

⏰ 6th Bell — "Smoldering Coin"

📍Near the Clipped Coin (Loan House)

• Smoulder found burned Wheelmarked chalk under stone bench.

• Scorch marks in a semicircle—possible failed sigil?

• Kelni found three burnt coins, bearing faint glyphs of the old Crownline.

⛓️ Action: Evidence sealed, passed to Rookwarden for arcane review. Possible connection to Night Bazaar?

💬 End of Shift Notes:

• Patrol returning to Windrook Aerie.

• Veska noted increasing tension in market square between guild mercs and delvers.

• Miri assigned extra stable duty (bird lamed after tripping on discarded silk roll).

• Kelni claimed, “This city’s starting to sweat.”