The Iron Heroes

"'This group was founded on the merits of good leadership, the interests of the common people, and the formations of a society that would not only spread good ideals, they would actively work together to stop evil ones. In short, we are the heroes, and in a world like this, we are needed.' - Elyk, the Wandering Sage of Everfall."A hundred years into the Era of Justice had done very little to ease people of the threats of evil, mostly because those threats still existed, and it had been very fortuous that the world-changing threats beforehand had been met with heroes eager to greet it. In 1129, at the end of the Blood Beard Wars, Ola'Varris created its Council of Champions; an elite group of top tier heroes that would help lawmakers and military strategist make the best decisions to benefit the realms of Everfall, for one hundred years, until 1229, the Council was nothing but beneficial, until the almost resurrection of the Immortal King. It was an event that shook the world of Everfall and proved that no matter how powerful the Council was, they could not be all-knowing and be everywhere at once. The Heroes of Syrone had stopped the Immortal King from coming back to terrorise Everfall, but who would be there to greet the next greatest villain, would it be the heroes sat in the ivory towers of the Sheath? That is where the Iron Heroes came into play, giving smaller heroes a chance to prove themselves mighty and help prevent evil disasters.

History
In 1235, Caster Gridewater along with his brother William Gridewater, came up with the idea to form an adventuring group that wasn't limited to just a party of members. They had recently won a fortress from a bet made with Kourtin - the crying devil, and they decided to put it to good use. The Iron Fortress, located in the Mountains of Sythe, became the home base for the Iron Heroes and the foundation of its name until it was destroyed by a devlish army that overtook the fortress through a secret portal that had bypassed the brothers attention; a devestating blow to the heroing faction that ended with the brothers deaths in 1285. Until that moment though, for fifty years, heroes had come to gather at the fortress and had helped uncover tentamount of plots and fiendish ploys. Those heroes came to recognise the importance of the group, especially a young half-orc fighter by the name of Drabah BloodGrinder and continued it's legacy on through the years. Although some legends have speculated that his fear of magic might have hindered the introduction of magical allies in the next few decades.

In modern times, the Iron Heroes don't operate from one solitary fortress, they operate inside of several towns and cities with post fronts; an easy way to spread knowledge to other members, you can often find these post fronts with the Iron Heroes Logos printed on the door and hanging from a sign. Today, the Iron Heroes and the Council of Champions are considered two seperate entities, and although their missions are very similar, they very rarely operate together despite sharing a few higher tier heroes and despite the Council turning to the Iron Heroes first to recruit new members.

Earning Membership
The Iron Heroes is home to hundreds of different heroes and adventurers, the group offers the medium-tier of heroes with benefits across Everfall (including free lodging and food in certain towns, and additional funds and magical items to help with adventuring) and they have come to be respected. Usually, a person need only to mention the fact they are in the Iron Heroes to garner more respect within a strange community, in some circles people even consider the Iron Heroes a greater and more trustworthy source than even the Council of Champions. This is due to their rigorous selection process for new members, they don't just accept anyone that applies, below you can find a list of their rules that new members must adhere to:
 * All members, before even being considered, must be recommended by another member of the Iron Heroes whose rank is at least HIGH.
 * Any members, to be accepted, must have proven themselves to be more than simple-minded adventurers; actively aiding communities, solving big problems, and dissauying violence.
 * A member must not have needlessly sought to slaughter; without provocation.
 * Although not neccessary, any member up for consideration that has prevented a full-scale war will certainly rise up the ranks of consideration.
 * The considered member must have an active role in both protection and duty.

Notable Members
Below you can find a list of notable members that are currently in the Iron Heroes (1402 E.O.J) along with a short description and a list of deeds they have accomplished as part of their service.
 * Elyk the Wandering Sage (Shardmind Wizard) - After being freed from a life of servitude to the Scholars of the White Feather, Elyk took his anger and rage and channelled it into something positive. He wandered the realms of Everfall learning much and helping where he could for near two centuries after his release, after that he was discovered by Caster Gridewater and given a new purpose in the Iron Heroes; becoming one of its first recruits. Most even consider him, as the longest standing member, the current leader of the group
 * Castielle Bennings - The Drunken Bard (Human Bard) - Known for his amazing talent for the drink, Castielle Bennings strangely found himself in the service of the Iron Heroes. The group considered the fact that, because Castielle was so well connected through towns (especially pubs) and with bartenders inparticular, he had his ear to the ground in many matters and was quite productive in sensing danger before it started. Although his membership has always been under probation, Castielle has managed to prove himself as an essential member that loves the booze, loves to tell tall tales, and loves to learn of the new legends.
 * Durrakar Lo'Karact (Minotaur Barbarian) - There are perhaps only three people that have managed to best Durrakar in the art of the fight, Durrakar loves battling as much as he loves protecting nature and he joined up with the Iron Heroes for that particular reason. Durrakar is a prolific member when it comes to recruiting new talent, he can often be found watching in pubs, on street corners, and following would-be adventurers to get a measure of their skill. He has been known to, as well, create adventurers and opportunities in areas just to test would-be heroes.
 * Mercy O'Hannon (Human Paladin) - As a Paladin of the Crown, Mercy lives to serve at the pleasure of Ola'Varris and aid in their quests, but still she has managed to become a high and prominent member of the Iron Heroes thanks to her allegiance with Ilmater, a well known deity throughout Everfall. Mercy is a gifted healer and a gifted fighter, with a preference for Dungeon Crawls. Mercy enjoys descending into the depths of darkness to do battle with fiendish foes.
 * The Black Archer (Unknown Ranger) - There's not much to say about the Black Archer, except that he/she is a longstanding member of the Iron Heroes. Some have speculated that it is an immortal spirit with a proficiency in the longbow, others have said that it is a title that passes down from member to member. Despite that though, everyone knows that the Black Archer is a force for good, and anyone who attempts to take off that mask will be met with a death they couldn't see coming.
 * Madhatter Brown (Half-Elf Warlock) - Madhatter Brown (real name Malcom Sunne) is one of the very few warlocks to come into the group, mostly because of their loyalties to powerful evil Gods. Nobody is sure how it happened, but this once evil gentleman had his alignment switched and right in the nick of time too, his cult was about to act and ressurrect the long dead Gazzarouul; once the switch happened he turned over the cult and executed a few of them himself, resulting in his somewhat controversial postion in the Iron Heroes.
 * Leopold Davanx (High Elf Duelist) - There is no greater, nor finer, duelist in all of Everfall than that of Leopold Davanx, he is known from town to town as a man that could kill you thrice before you hit the ground, the quickest whip with the sword that has ever been. Leopold is a brass, golden haired shot, that prides himself in both his skill and his will to wield it.