The Ironbelly Clan (Extended)

A tradition of strength, honor and fortitude define the Ironbelly clan. They value courage and martial skill, but are not as hostile or aggressive as other warlike clans. The Ironbellies see war as a way to protect what is rightfully theirs, and they do so with unshakeable resolve. They are a clan of great determination, unswerving in their dedication and loyalty to their clanmates.

Ironbellies have a talent for building fortifications; their braced towers can shrug off sieges that would cause lesser cities to crumble into dust. Ironbelly villagers are often born with abilities similar to those of architects, albeit on a weaker scale, allowing the clan to build much larger structures than other clans. Even their small villages will boast some level of defenses, whether they be towers and trenches or a set of stone battlements, and their larger cities are almost always encased inside elaborate fortresses. In such cities it can be hard to tell which buildings are bunkers and which are homes, and often one can readily substitute for the other.

Ironbellies are very hardy physically and more heavily built than most girls, allowing them to bear heavier loads of construction materials and armaments alike. It is rare to find an experienced Ironbelly warrior who is not wearing at least two or three pieces of heavy plate armor. Though this makes them slightly less agile, they can continue fighting with such armor long after other girls would have exhausted themselves.

This physical strength comes at a cost; the Ironbellies are very poor magic users. Their sorceresses are often limited to Earth and Architectural magics, and even these take an abnormally large amount of willpower for them to summon. They compensate for this by using magics that depend less on their natural chakras; most typically Light and Dark magic. Since they lack instincts for either and require an unusually high amount and quality of training, they often go straight to the source to learn these magics, making deals with both angels and demons in order to learn how to focus their will to overcome their natural weakness.

Since their Sorceresses and Enchantresses are typically tasked with creating and strengthening their fortifications and weapons, this training is typically given to the Valkyries of their clan. Valkyries who choose to pursue magical training typically specialize in either angelic magic or demonic magic.

Valkyries who gain enough aptitude in angelic magic are given the title of "Angelwing." They serve as front-line leaders, supporting their sisters with protective and restorative magics during combat. They also serve alongside the priestesses of the Ironbelly clan, tending to the general well-being of the populace. During times of peace they are often called upon to serve as arbitrators or civil leaders, as their time among the angels often gives them insights on how to nurture friendships and dissolve hatreds.

Those who become sufficiently skilled in demonic magic are given the title of "Demonwing." Demonwings are best described as agents of the clan; they can have numerous responsibilities and posts, anything from combat to covert operations to ambassadorial duties. Demonic magic can be very versatile in the right hands, and the Demonwings press this advantage as much as they are able. They are often deployed alone or as part of small mission groups. Demonwings are rarely given political positions within their own clan, as their powers would be useless at best and dangerous at worst. Those times when it does occur, it is for matters of internal security; thanks to their demonic instructors, Demonwings are often quite adept at rooting out spies and traitors. Military positions are a different story; Demonwings are frequently given prominent ranks, as their demonic instructors also teach them how to be both cunning and ruthless.

It is very rare for a Demonwing to obtain sufficient skill in light magic to qualify for Angelwing status or vice-versa, but when it does happen, they are given the designation of "Greywing." Greywings are uncommon enough that they are dealt with on a case by case basis, but since it generally takes a very exceptional individual to attain this level of power, they are almost always highly influential regardless of their assigned duties.

The magical weakness of the Ironbellies has another difficult side-effect; they are poor at nurturing plant life, and this means they must often forage and harvest from a much larger area and with many more villagers than normal. This is very dangerous when there are large numbers of monsters in the area, as any villager who strays too far to pick a fruit off a tree could be picked off herself. Thus, while Ironbellies are not generally hostile to other factions unless they are threatening their territory, they are quite aggressive against monster tribes. In addition to the fact that they can't possibly hope to defend all of their villagers during harvesting expeditions, Ironbellies see monsters as an overarching threat to people everywhere, so they often make it a point to attack any monster tribe they encounter--even those that are not hostile. The fact that this brings retaliation from the monster tribe (and potentially it's allies) is part of why the Ironbellies need such strong fortifications. Some Ironbellies have the same reaction to demons, attacking them without provocation due to an inborn prejudice that demons are universally evil and destructive creatures. This is a great irony, considering how often their sisters in other cities or worlds ally with demons in order to learn their magics.

The one exception is the Whitefeather tribe, which some--but not all--Ironbellies recognize as being semi-civilized. They will not hesitate to attack Whitefeathers if their villagers are coming under attack, but if they are not, the Ironbellies will sometimes stay their hand (whereas with any other Monster tribe they will attack either way).

One of the few strengths they have magically is a very powerful affinity for working with metal. Their armor and weapons are almost always of impeccable quality, and Ironbelly enchantresses are among the few who are capable of transmuting a non-adamant metal into an adamant metal. Specifically, they can combine certain steels and irons into Blue Adamant, making this clan one of the few that can potentially field entire armies of warriors clad in Blue Adamant armor. Not all of them can accomplish this feat, but the fact that any of them can do it at all is quite impressive. Blue Adamant is actually seen as something of a symbol of the Ironbelly clan, as they are more likely to have it than just about anyone else.

While few are foolish enough to attack their fortresses and walled cities, Ironbelly expeditions are constantly weathering attacks from monsters, brigands, and other clans. The weapons and armor they carry are often of great value, meaning any foe who can defeat them can take home a wealth of Blue Adamant items. These constant attacks make them guarded around strangers.

The one time an army will charge the gates of an Ironbelly fortress is when it has accumulated a great deal of valuables; typically rare ores and metals. This occurs more often than one might think. Their metal and earthworking skills allow them to mine very efficiently, so Blue Adamant is rarely the only precious metal they have stashed in their vaults. Sometimes another faction will decide to test their luck against the Ironbellies and their defenses in order to plunder their wealth; sometimes they survive, sometimes they don't. Those that do succeed do so through patience and planning; the Ironbellies have pronounced strengths and weaknesses, and defeating them is a matter of redefining the battlefield so that their strengths cannot be used; sieges by small regiments of summoned ghosts have succeeded where entire armies of hardened soldiers had failed.

Ironbellies are blunt by nature and have an intense dislike of dishonest or manipulative people, and they see these traits in most of the other "diplomatic" clans (whether it is deserved or not). As such, it can be difficult to earn the friendship of an Ironbelly, but once done, they are very loyal. The treaties and pacts they make often amount to "we won't touch you, you don't touch us." The one political gesture they are open towards are defense pacts, particularly when the other party has proven to be a helpful or generous ally in the past. They are leery of offers from strangers, who may simply be trying to take shelter beneath the Ironbelly's shadow, but they are all too happy for the extra security that a genuine defensive alliance can offer. Those who encounter the Ironbelly's allies would be well advised to consider any attack carefully; while the Ironbellies are ferocious in the defense of their people, they can be as psychotic as a Firebelly in the defense of their allies, and once that is shown, that loyalty is often returned. One must always assume that if you attack anyone who is allied with an Ironbelly or vice-versa, you will find yourself under attack by every person the Ironbelly has ever known.

Houses and families of the Ironbelly clan:

Ironbelly: The most common genetic family, the Ironbellies exemplify all of the things that are associated with the clan: strong, sturdy, and stubborn. They are skilled architects that rarely feel secure unless they are encased behind an array of walls and towers.

Shadowback: Shadowbacks have been referred to as "running tanks" more than once. They are often scouts and messengers, but they are a far cry from what an attacker would expect--Shadowback scouts are often better combatants than Shadowback soldiers. They are better equipped, too--few soldiers from any army can boast a suit of blue adamant chainmail. Their most common birth class is Huntress, followed by Amazon. They occasionally have a Sorceress. Other classes, including Valkyrie, are very rare.

Hellana: Hellanas are less magically stunted than their sisters, albeit not by much. They also inherit considerably less strength, making it a generally unfair tradeoff. Hellanas are generally put in the role of priestesses and healers, and what few genuine priestesses the clan has usually come from this family. Many of their Valkyries do as well, and they take to Demonwing or Angelwing training more easily. They also train much more heavily with their weapons to compensate for their reduced strength, and this often more than compensates for it. In fact, their comparative weakness often drives Hellanas to great heights in order to prove themselves, and some of the clan's greatest warriors have come from this family. Many of the clan's trainers are Hellanas, and they are the caretakers of all of their most advanced combat techniques.

Stonefist: One of the two "royal families" of the Ironbellies, the Stonefists are renowned for their wealth and their passion for working with runes and metal. Their Though they are traditionally respected by other members of the clan, they do not necessarily expect others to defer to them, as they do not place themselves above their sisters as the Rosestones sometimes do. This may have more to do with the fact that there are simply too many Stonefists for them all to be treated like royalty; they are often the second or third largest family in any given city, so while many of the leaders will be drawn from their ranks, most of the rest will be performing the same day to day functions as the rest of the clan. Their "royal" status largely comes from the fact that most of them have quite a bit of gold stashed away as a result of their crafting skills, and they are valued as leaders because they are very down to earth, slow to anger, and very practical. It could be said that there is an almost philosophical bent to them, at least as far as could be said for any Ironbelly, and this makes them valued for their wisdom as well.

Rosestone: The queens and matriarchs of the Ironbelly clan, the Rosestones are a rare breed that are among the only members of the clan to possess magical potential that fully rivals that of sorcerers from other clans. They are known as the keepers of keys, for they often specialize in portal magic; one of the quickest ways to breach a fortress is with magical portals, and they are also one of the quickest ways to safely break through a siege. It is the powers of the Rosestones that truly keep the greatest fortresses of the Ironbellies secure, as they defend against these threats with wards and enchantments that make them almost as difficult to enter magically as they are physically. Unfortunately, Rosestones are such a scarce minority that most smaller fortresses and cities do not have access to any. It is fortunate for the Ironbellies, then, that mages who specialize in portals or mass teleportation are generally just as rare as they are.

Rosestones are exceptionally cunning, and are among the few who are able--or willing--to play the political games that other clans often indulge in.