Living Iron

Elemental metal.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Elementals

• Alignment: Aetherial

• Energy: Bailaohu Jinghua

• Lifespan: Unknown

• Diet: Heat

• Habitat: Deep mines

Origins

Metal veins form conduits for esoteric powers within the world’s body; the esoteric spark fills some of them with life.

Description

Living iron appears to be mundane iron unless forged into something, at which time it begins to take on a darker hue and have a little bit of mobility, depending on its shape.

Procreation

Living iron reproduces asexually by converting mundane iron into living iron through touching it and allowing the aetherial resonance to awaken it.

Powers

Living iron responds to other metals. If the metal comes near living iron, it will thrum quietly. If the living iron is directed toward the other metal, the metal's response will intensify. If living iron has been forged, its form will determine the response of the other metal. For example, if living iron is forged into a blacksmith's hammer, other metals will be easier to smith. If it is made into a sword, other metals will be easier to cut through. If it is made into a horseshoe, it will make it easier for the horse to ride over metallic ground (or ground with metal in it - even microscopically).

Forging

Forging living iron gives it purpose and raises its consciousness to a new level. They describe it as "awakening". The form they are forged into determines their consciousness to a large extent. If they are turned into a tool, they crave to be useful. If they are turned into armor, they want to protect. It is only when they are given the form of a person that they begin to awaken more profoundly.

Weaknesses

Brown aether is fatal to them.

Nations

There are three nations of living iron:

• Tiě fánrén: those who seek freedom.

• Tiě gōngmín: those who buy into Wuordonese society.

• Tiě jīqìrén: those who are enslaved.

Culture

As mentioned above, living iron takes their purpose from the form they are forged into. Before they are forged, they are only partly conscious and live as the veins of the world. After they are forged, they find purpose and function and try to fit their form. In most forms, they do not have a coherent communal culture. The exception is when they are forged into a person-like form, at which time, they find that their purpose is usually to preserve themselves.

Because most living iron comes from one area of the world, there is one specific culture where a tradition of forging them into people has taken place, and that is in Wuordon. This place, deep underground, is a kingdom run by dòngxué, who originally began turning living iron into people as slaves to work the mines. Eventually, the conscious living iron began to rebel against slavery, and a complex society has emerged from these struggles. There are three general groups of living iron people in Wuordon: those who remain slaves, those who try to integrate into society, and those who seek freedom.

Enslaved living metal are called tiě jīqìrén. They are employed as miners, smiths, demolitionists, soldiers, and laborers. They have no rights and are treated as objects. Other living iron people try to wake them further and liberate them sometimes. Those living iron people who try to assimilate into Wuordonese society are called tiě gōngmín. These are usually former tiě jīqìrén who found a way to buy their own freedom. They believe others can do the same and work very hard to please their masters even though they are ostensibly free. They usually find work as servants or in artisan trades. And those who seek freedom are called tiě fánrén. These realize that the only way to serve their purpose of self-preservation is to rebel against slavery and protect the world from the industrial poisons that are seeping into it. They become protectors of nature and the deep caves where they come from. They embrace aetherial occupations, usually.

Beyond these distinctions, their culture largely matches that of Wuordon. They share in the festivals and customs of the country. They do not eat common mortal fare, but rather gain sustenance from heat, and therefore, they enjoy large fires and other major sources of heat communally. The tiě fánrén have developed their own customs based around honoring the earth and raw metals as precursors to their own selves.

Esoterica

Living iron is the embodiment of bailaohu jinghua. If forged, this energy is released and flows through them like blood. If they are forged into a figure that is capable of wielding other energies (i.e., they have the right body parts to hold a wand, for example, or sign a contract), they can use other powers - except for brown aether.

Religion

The religions of Wuordon are usually adopted by living iron people, but the tiě fánrén have developed their own nature-based religion that views metal as the "veins of the world", meaning the conduits for the world's lifeforce. They worship Mother Shem and believe they are her metaphorical and sometimes literal veins - they support and carry the life within her.

Gender

Living iron people do not engage in gendered identities. Instead, they use gender-neutral designations. If forced to choose a gender by Wuordonese society (if they are tiě gōngmín), they will do so to try to fit in, but it rarely makes sense to them. As tiě jīqìrén, they are viewed as and treated as objects and do not take on gendered identities, and as tiě fánrén, they proudly reject gender.

Economy

Living iron is part of many economies. Wuordon is feudal.

Military

Among the Wuordonese, living iron people are often enslaved or encouraged to join the military, as they make very good soldiers, being essentially already armored. Among the tiě fánrén, there is a militant faction who engages in guerrilla resistance to the Wuordonese and others who try to enslave them.

Language

Living iron people do not have their own language, though they can resonate with other metals and understand. Wuordonese is the default language for them, and it is based on Chinese.

Trade

Tiě fánrén sometimes have independent trade with others, usually selling their services as smiths or other high-heat occupations, or selling well-crafted metal objects. The other nations of living iron people default to Wuordonese customs.

Outside View

Living iron is highly prized throughout the world, especially by blacksmiths. Living iron people are generally viewed as a strange custom of creating "fake" people by those outside Wuordon.

Notables

• Egil Salil, Sword of Herknungr the War God, Aeonian

• Scarasamasax, Ancient Dagger, Aeonian

• Qianxian, Mother Vein, Living Iron Manifest, Aeonian

• Yìng Bì, Tiě Fánrén Hero, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Tiě fánrén: 3,000

• Tiě gōngmín: 8,000

• Tiě jīqìrén: 40,000

• Unforged: equivalent of 100,000

• Other: 1,000

Sample Stats

PRO 9
ATH 8
STR 10 Toughness 15
AWA 8
WIL 9
PRS 8
STH 7