Ironbone Keep

Named for the Ironbone Spine, the mountain range that the city is carved into, Ironbone Keep is the home of the dwarves of Viru. While outsiders are allowed within Ironbone, to say they are truly welcomed with open arms by the insular dwarven clans would be an overestimation. The world of Ironbone is that of miners, warriors, weaponcraft and brewing.

The History of Ironbone Keep
Ironbone Keep was built by the dwarves who came to the surface after the dragon’s were defeated. While the Underdark was much like a prison to them, after generations in the darkness beneath the surface, coming out into the light of day was not exactly pleasant either. So, finding something in between the two, the city of Ironbone Keep was born. It was named after the massive bones of Godbane, the god dragon, who had died on the Ironbone Spine mountain range itself. Mining this bone that was intermingled with the stone of the mountains yielded an incredibly pliable metallic substance that had low density and high strength, making it ideal for just about any sort of applications, particularly weapons and armor. The metal came to be called Draconium Steel among those who worked the metal, but the Ironbone moniker stuck.

Additionally, the first dwarves to setup camp and begin the construction of what would be a small stone-built town at the time, called themselves the Ironbone Clan, shedding the old ways and the old names they had before them, not wanting to be a part of the gray dwarves any longer. Since then, an Ironbone has always ruled the keep, going through three eras of the clan’s leadership.