The Iron Order

"This is a dangerous world, and the innocent folk have all been left to fend for themselves. That's we, the Iron Order, must stand up for these innocent people, and keep them safe from all the threats others wouldn't dare face. Dragons and their kin will fall by our blades, and they will rue the day they crossed us!"

Sir Gaspar the Lucky, Knight of the Iron Order

Mid-way through the 1st Era, there was a growing concern amongst the smaller hamlets and isolated villages on how they were to remain safe against the threats of the wilds. The cities and kingdoms that were cropping up across the continent of Eleron had safety and security, but the land was torn with warring factions vying for land and power as newly-established countries and counties shed blood. In the countryside packs of wyverns raided towns for sheep and cattle, strange beasts lurked in the woods just out of sight, and dragons in the air could lay claim to what defenceless settlement they wanted. Or at least, that's the world the Iron Order saw.
A self-proclaimed order of knights, designed to help protect the vulnerable and weak, and an immensely strong anti-draconic movement. The Order held strong to the belief that all dragons, metallic or chromatic, were so inherently greedy, self-absorbed and selfish that were bad news to any innocent folk, and would either kill them, steal from them, or lord over them as ruler. As the Order grew in power and members, they were capable of taking on adult dragons and slaughtering them, and at the height of their power could form great teams that would hunt down the powerful ancient dragons. The Order focused entirely on their own war against dragonkind, and caused absolute panic amongst the dragonborn population.
The decline of the Iron Order began early in the 2nd Era, when the Lisun Empire took the draconic god Bahamut into it's accepted pantheon, spreading the religion of the Platinum Dragon. As Bahamut's worship outside dragon-kind expanded, the Empire deemed the Iron Order a terrorist organisation, outlawing them and legally disbanding them. Remnants of the Order continued to function in the isolated bases on the fringes of the Empire, severely diminished in power. Though dragons were now a rare sight, with many dead or in hiding, the Order managed to persist until the end of the 2nd Era, when the last known group of Order knights were killed.
Throughout the 3rd and early 4th Era, individuals and isolated family lines would hold to the beliefs of the Iron Order, some continuing the dragon-hunting tradition, but the Order was largely deemed now extinct. It was after The Battle of Great Drake's Fields that these like-minded individuals came together to bring back the concept of the Iron Order, and formed The Reforged.

Strategy

The Iron Order knights knew how dangerous encounters with dragons could be, and never operated alone if they could help it. Dragon-slaying was planned in advance, with reports being scouted and double-checked to examine the local terrain, type of dragon, and the location of its lair. Their first main goal was to ground the dragon, as while in the air the dragon's manoeuvrability was exceptional, and they were difficult to hit. This could involve instigating the fight when the dragon was in a cramped or other restrictive location, by employing spellcasters that could concentrate on keeping the dragon from flying, or most commonly by heavy Dragon Ballistae armed with barbed bolts attached to chains. The bolts were often coated in an extract made from Dragonsbane which poisoned the dragon.
Horses were far to frail a mount to bring against a dragon, the knights either fought on foot, or on the backs of Behir, large, six-limbed lizards, whose favoured prey was young dragons.
The invention of Dragonsteel and dragonslaying weapons significantly aided the Order in their endeavours, and also aided in the identification of hidden dragons and dragonkin. There are recorded instances where in order to deal with a family of dragons, the Order collapsed caverns and tunnels on top of them, though this was immensely resource-heavy and rarely done. When dealing with families, all hatchlings and eggs were destroyed on sight.
On notable unique strategy came from a northern sect of the Iron Order, wanting to hunt down the great ancient silver Valoseyr. They underwent the process of becoming a half-dragon, bathing themselves in silver dragon's blood while the ritual was performed, taking on characteristics of their prey. This reduced the effectiveness of Valoseyr's deadly ice breath and assisted the Order in his defeat. The now half-dragon knights felt themself cursed and dirtied by their actions, but viewed it as a necessary sacrifice. A singular line of these half-dragons continued after the dissolution of the Order, though whether it continues on in the present day is unknown.

Structure

The Iron Order had several bases of operations. Each base was led by a Knight Commandant, assisted and advised by senior knights. The majority of the Order were knights, earning the title after successfully adding a dragon's name to their kill list.

Disbandment

The Iron Order was legally disbanded once the Lisun Empire declared it a terrorist organisation. Technically the organisation continued illegally in small slowly declining pockets, with the remnants reportedly being wiped out when the Empire fell in 2162 2E. This is not entirely true as minuscule fractions of the Order continued on, leading to family lines or small groups still continuing the Order's legacy.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

Dissolution Date

847 2E

Type

Military, Knightly Order

Successor Organization

• The Reforged

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Veteran