IRONIDES

Ironides are beings of pure energy, able to live for eternity in their true form. Because they wanted to interact with their new World they looked for ways to gain physical bodies. They found a way to inhabit minerals but this process drains their power and after they become too weak to inhabit a body they live in a state of hibernation until they regain their energy through a ritual.

The ritual is very complicated and risky, it is rarely used and thus the Ironides which reach this state tend to stay that way until they die or are killed by something which consumes their last energy. Some races with weak magic abilities will pay a high price for captured Ironide souls, this lead to them being hunted. Their sanity and their energy level are linked, the less energy an Ironide has, the less sane and intelligent it will be. The oldest fully sane Ironides are around 950 years old but legends tell of some reaching the age of 2000 years. Few Ironides don't have or want bodies, the age of these is unknown as they don't share information like that freely.

Physiology

Ironides usually have bodies made out of alloys specifically made for them and their size varies greatly. Because of the tradition of forging a new body out of parts of the parent bodies, Ironides are usually around 30-40 cms tall at first. Over the course of its life the Ironide will collect metals and alloys and grow up to 4 meters, this size is usually the maximum the Ironide can contain with the energy it posses. Any Ironide can choose to stay smaller if they so desire.

Especially mighty Ironides can reach up to 8m size and legends tell of even taller ones. If they don't consume more metal they will start to rust and shrink again, this is why older Ironides who reached their maximum size, will grow weaker while trying to contain their form. To cleanse their bodies they have to be reforged with rare metals and minerals and depending on their size and material this can take weeks to months.

Society

Ironides like to keep to themselves, as other species try to harvest their energy or rare metals, but some of them like to reach out and explore. In their cities Pact members are tolerated, but not very well-liked. It is common to judge other races after the first impression they made onto any Ironide they met. Smaller settlements are usually more open to others, nonetheless, the Ironides are neutral to other races and will never greet strangers with open arms.

Politics

Their stance for Pact members is neutral while they don't like non Pact races. Usually Ironides have polls to decide their ways, but the final decision is still made by the oldest and mightiest of a settlement. The legendary Ironides of incredible size and age are always in charge, they might give that honor away but still have to be a right hand to the new leaders.

History

Since Ironides where beings of pure energy they longed for bodies and at first magma was used. Because of its weak and brittle nature they started looking for alternatives and a small group of Ironides found the first metal of their world.

Science

Ironides have many secrets they don't share with anyone. They have some sort of mechanical engineering and know their way around steam and metal. After the Shattering they learning how to send parts of their energy through metals to power machines only they can use.

Magic

Even tho one could see pure energy beings as magic, they don't have affinity for any spells or types of magic. Furthermore, they dont see use in it because of their superior technology.

Buildings

While Ironides can build normal Houses and Buildings from stone, they usually like to create houses out of the mountains themselves. Great cities directly carved into the stone and Pact Fortresses build with the sturdiest of rocks.

Craftsmanship and Trade

Ironides share some of their technology with the Pact to secure fortresses or improve production, this is the only trade they take part in.

Religion

While Ironides don't have religion they do have rituals, one for cleansing and one for restoring of power. For the cleansing rite they split from their bodies which is then melted down and paired with rare minerals and ores. In addition it needs a plant secrete which can only be gotten by growing the plant to the perfect moment and having a young Ironide, because of their smaller hands, to extract the fluid. Since the Ironides also lost most of these plants when they lost their own World they are always at a low stock and that is the reason many Ironides have to wait for their cleansing. The cleaned and molten metal will be given to the Ironide so it can form its new body from it.

The second ritual the Ironides split up a part of their self and donate it to the one close to death to restore its power. This is a process so dangerous and expensive that it is only used in bigger settlements and only in rare occurrences.

Habitat

Ironides live in nearly every Mountain Range, even tho there are not infinite amounts of them they like to spread out and create. This helps their need for rare minerals as they can survey a lot of areas.