We eat the mountains, and drink the seas, But you cannot do this if your hunger is sated by indulgent reverie.
In the first years after the Collapse, a time before the rise of the Vanguard and the Last City, some of the earliest Guardians to be revived chose not to protect the world, but subjugate it.2 Taking over various parts of the planet, some Guardians became Warlords and injustice reigned, with the rest of the populace living under the tyranny of the various factions. Eventually, Guardians with integrity chose to stand up to their tyrannical brethren and form the Iron Lords.2 More and more noble Guardians joined the cause until an army hundreds strong was formed and the oppressive warlords were deposed, along with the Fallen who ravaged the Earth. One former Warlord, Lord Felwinter, was swayed by the Iron Lord’s message and decided to join their cause.2
Following the Warlord conflict, the Iron Lords dedicated themselves to defending survivors of the Collapse and restoring civilization. The Iron Lords protected the newly constructed walls of the City in the infamous Battle of Six Fronts against six Fallen approaches, and not a single front faltered.3 During this conflict, the Iron Lords were known for their invincible patrols and their contributions to the great Wall-Building, cementing their legend.4
Seeking a way to rebuild what was lost during the Collapse, they eventually found SIVA. Hoping it would be able to build ships and colonies, the Iron Lords pushed through the Cosmodrome despite Rasputin’s desperate attempts to sway them and suffered the loss of hundreds of Lords to a combination of aerial strikes, a Frame army, and SIVA constructs.5 Ultimately, the venture would result in the loss of all save for Saladin Forge and Efrideet, who had disappeared to live in the wilds beyond the city. The eight Iron Lords who made it, save for Lord Saladin, sacrificed themselves to contain the biomechanical plague by sealing themselves within its replication chamber before it had time to escape.6 The sacrifices of the most well-known Lords are honored at the Iron Temple atop Felwinter Peak, and celebrated in the Iron Banner tournament. The names of their signature weapons are lent to various Iron Banner equipment, such as the Felwinter’s Lie Shotgun and the Jolder’s Hammer Machine Gun. The second generation of the Lords, the Iron Wolves, and their weapons are likewise honored by the Iron Banner.
I am a gamemaster. I create worlds for players to inhabit and partake in great adventures in them. Without the players, I am nothing. In order to ensure a proper balance between myself and the players, I pledge to do the following:
1.I pledge to give you a rich world to play in. Whether it is created solely by me or expanded upon from an existing universe, my games will always have a world to play in, where adventures can happen, enemies and friends can be made, and fun can be had.
2. I pledge to let the players have input in the creation of the world. Before the game even begins, I will give my players a chance to effect the cosmology of the world. Have you discovered some interesting fact about the world that I overlooked? Let me know and if I like it, I’ll work it in. Do you think there’s a good reason for villain group X to hate villain group Y? Let me know.
3. I pledge to help you understand the rules. I do not claim to have perfect knowledge of how the rules function. However, between us, we can work out any issues you have.
4. I pledge to help you with character creation. This means I will help you select useful power abilities, if you so ask. However, it also means explaining my reasoning for not allowing “Special Snowflake” characters. If I can make you see why your character does and doesn’t fit in the campaign world and get you to make a better one, it’s a good day for me.
5. I pledge to offer you a challenge. I will not hold your hand in the game, but neither will I try to murder your characters. I will give you encounters that will make you think, and make you celebrate when you beat them. I will give you many chances to fight and prove your ability.
**6. I pledge to give you a sandbox, not a railroad. ** Do you want to leave the big city and find a new location? I’ll do my best to have something you can do, even if I have to wing it.
7. I pledge to say “Yes” “Yes,But” and “No, But” but never “No.” If you have an idea for something unusual to do, I’ll use one of these three phrases. I will use the first if I find it interesting, the second to offer a complication to your clever plan, and the third if the option you’ve come up with won’t work, but it is close to one that will.
8. I pledge to not play favorites. I will not show special favors to a single player for any reason. Everyone will have a chance to shine.
9. I pledge that the story will have a beginning, middle and end. All things must come to an end, but I will make it great with your help.
10. I pledge to let you be awesome. Gaming is not about numbers and armor classes. If you have an idea for an amazing stunt, I want to hear it. If it wows me, you’ll get a chance to pull it off.
11. I pledge to listen to your issues. Do you have an issue with another player’s actions in or out of game? We’ll talk about it. Do you feel uncomfortable doing a certain type of scene? Tell me and I’ll drop it or make it easier to handle.
12. I pledge that there will be no rape in my games. I find the act reprehensible, so there will never be a time when an NPC attempts to rape a PC. If a PC attempts rape another PC or NPC, I will ask them to drop the idea. If they persist, I will ask that they leave the table.
13. I pledge that while a character may not survive, a replacement character will have no trouble joining in. I will not penalize a replacement character or expect them to earn what their predecessor had. After a few minutes of in character talk, they will be up to speed.
14. I pledge to make the game about you, the players. This is your world. This is your adventure. I will never use a GMPC or Mary-Sue character to make you feel inadequate.
We shall defend our hearth and home from all who would defile it.
All shall be treated as Iron not as slag.
All shall be called upon and called to aid each other.