Order of the Iron Fist

The Order of the Iron Fist is one of seven major branches of the Brotherhood of Judgement and one that targets the dredges of society. These are individuals who break the law and refuse to submit to justice in any form including Bandits, murderers, and thieves to name but a few. If they break the laws of civilizations, they are targets of the Order of the Iron Fist.

As the Order targets ruffians and other debased criminals, it should be no surprise that its ranks are filled with former guardsmen and mercenaries, men and women who in their previous careers were sick of being restricted or otherwise held back by the red-tape of the cities and nations they hail from. Seeking to escape from the bureaucracy, many of these individuals found a new home in the Order of the Iron Fist, given its mission to seek out and remove any and all threats to the continued progress of civilization. Additionally, this order draws in these men and women for one simple fact, that rather than killing these individuals that they hunt, the Order of the Iron First instead captures their quarry and forces them into work camps, where they labor day and night to build and maintain the very civilizations they sought to destroy in their own way. For those who cannot be trusted with such privilege, due to mental instability, extreme power or excessive histories of violence, they are locked away in the prisons deep below Kalas Keep.

Service in the Order of the Iron Fist is more than just simple brute force and hunting, however, it is ,after all, an order that specializes in capture and in many ways investigation, and so all members of the Order, from the lowest Armiger to the Lictor himself are in the process of, or have been trained in a number of different aspects of the field of criminology and bounty hunting: tracking, criminal psychology, investigation, interrogation (both standard and enhanced) to name a few of the many aspects that the Order insists their ranks learn. Their training and desire to hunt criminals has meant that many nations and noble courts have called on the Order of the Iron Fist to help deal with troublemakers in their lands, even going so far as to throw large bags of valuables (be it gold or jewels) at the feet of the Brotherhood as a means of entreatment. While the order cannot send knights to every location to deal with every threat, they do take on priority cases, often sending a lone Knight-Brother to deal with the threat. All knights assigned to such duties take them very seriously, often not returning to Kalas Keep until they have captured or if necessary, killed their quarry.

While bounty hunting is an extremely lucrative means of income for the order, it is not their only one, as they also work with kingdoms, nobles, and other powerful individuals to imprison those who are a significant problem for the individual or kingdom paying them. Extremely dangerous criminals, political malcontents, and prisoners deemed 'too valuable' to be killed or locked away in a standard prison can be found in the prisons beneath Kalas Keep provided the people wishing them to be imprisoned continue to pay the order a hefty fee. While some of these individuals may end up working in order work camps, most simply remain in the depths of the prison, given food and water, but not much else as they serve out their sentence.

This, of course, has given the Order of the Iron Fist a tainted reputation with select groups (especially those associated to prisoners in their jail) calling for the order to be disbanded and the prisoners released. They are also accused of promoting and assisting slavery. The order does not deny these accusations, as they run their own work camps, and have in the past worked with nations and various lords who use slaves to carry out menial labor. This has placed the Knight-Brothers of the order in positions where they have been forced to hunt down one or more escaped slaves, although none of the Brothers of the order will admit that they enjoy the idea, only that it is their sworn duty.

The leader of the Order of the Iron Fist is Lictor Markus Ryhs and he serves as the head warden of Kalas Keep. A massive man with a cool intellectual mind, Markus was born and raised within the Brotherhood ranks as the only son of Viktor Ryhs, the man responsible for the formation of the various chapter orders. During his younger years, when his father Viktor still ruled over the Order of the Iron Fist, Markus worked as a mercenary in addition to his duties to the Brotherhood. He spent many years fighting against the Horde during periods of high tension and conflict, earning him the epithet 'Orcbane'. Years later, when Viktor became a casualty of war, Markus stepped in to take over leadership of the Order of the Iron Fist. He immediately began a series of reforms to improve the order as a whole, improving the infrastructure, equipment, and living conditions of the Brotherhood within Kalas Keep. As the Lictor of the order, and head warden of the jails, it is Markus that decides which criminal or political malcontent is worth their time. He does this by weighing up several factors; The level of depravity and danger that the criminal represents, the need of the kingdom, Lord, or individual wanting them captured, and the profit which can be gained for the work.

Organization
The Brothers of the Order of the Iron Fist are not often seen wandering the world, although occasionally there are those who can be found while tracking a criminal that they've been assigned to bring in for judgment. The majority of the orders forces instead remain in Kalas Keep, where they maintain order over their large population of prisoners. Within the depths of Kalas Keep are hundreds of prisoners, with no company but their Brotherhood wardens and their own brothers and sisters of the criminal underworld. These prisoners are housed in layer upon layer of prison cells carved into the heavy rock. Each cell is heavily reinforced with iron bars set into the floor and walls to prevent devious criminals from escaping, and so far no criminal has escaped from Kalas Keep as a result of these measures, giving Kalas Keep a reputation for being inescapable.

Philosophy
The Order of the Iron Fist values, above all else, order and structure. It is filled with individuals who embrace responsibility and their roles in the greater community. As such the Brothers of the Order of the Iron Fist have very strong beliefs concerning those individuals or groups who reject those basic responsibilities. In the mind of the Order, these individuals oppose the advancement of society and must be removed, lest their poisonous attitude taint the rest of the community with chaos and discord. Dealing with such miscreants, however, is not an easy task as the traditional methods for removing troublesome individuals from a community don't always work. The order considers exile to be ineffective, as throwing these individuals into the wilderness does little but promote uncivilized barbarism and death, while being a simple solution, is seen as a far too extreme measure, as it carries the risk of eliminating as of yet unseen potential. Therefore, to resolve this issue, the Order of the Iron Fist places those who would promote social dissent in places where they cannot spread their falsehoods, and may, in fact, end up making useful contributions over time.

Personal honor is also a matter of great importance to the Brothers of the Iron Fist, and it intertwines closely with their duties to the Order. As many of them were in their previous lives, lawmen and guards, the majority of the Brothers consider their personal records of arrest to be a badge of honor. As such, should a criminal manage to evade a member of the brotherhood or escape from their custody, the Brotherhood takes this as a personal insult and will do whatever it takes to pursue the fugitive who evaded or escaped them. This single-minded dedication to justice gives the Order of the Iron Fist a well-earned reputation for being the most uncompromising branch among the chapter orders.

The Endurance of the Iron Fist
Members of the Order of the Iron Fist are men and women who are no stranger to violence. Often hunting their prey with heavy, blunt weapons, they are used to not only dealing damage but also taking it. It is perhaps fitting then, that their endurance not only revolves around the symbol of their order but also blunt force trauma of which they are willing to dish out whenever necessary. Their endurance is simple, requiring the Knight-Brother placing a battered iron gauntlet on one of their hands (most avoid the dominant hand when performing this task). Once done, another Knight-Brother picks up a large metal hammer, worn from constant use, before bringing it down hard on the metal gauntlet. This dents the metal and causes the skin, muscle, and bones of the Knight-Brother to radiate intense pain. This damage is, more often than not, not treated with magical healing and results in the Knight-Brother having visible scars from where the impact broke bones or flesh.

Headquarters
Kalas Keep is the official headquarters of the Order of the Iron Fist. Located in the mountains of Elwynn Forest, the keep has a rich history as it is the first keep ever constructed by the Brotherhood, with the keep being completed in 375 K.C. It is also the site of one of the most secure prisons in the Eastern Kingdoms, with the keep having many different levels of cells carved deep into the mountains beneath the keep foundations. The keep is remote and rather difficult to approach, even during the clearest day, towering over the forest below, casting a long dark shadow on the land when the sun rises and sets. Treacherous mountains surround the structure, presenting only one way in and out of the keep, A zigzagging narrow trail, barely wide enough for a trade cart. Worse than the terrain itself, the conditions surrounding the Keep have allowed vicious creatures to thrive where they otherwise wouldn't. Wolves prowl the forests and the mountains searching for food, which is usually provided when the Brotherhood discards dead prisoners, and wild gryphons nest in the mountains, remaining extremely territorial, except for when the members of the brotherhood wander the roads.

Upon reaching the narrow trail that leads to Kalas Keep, visitors find sheer cliffs on either side of the trail. Stinging winds howl around those who attempt to make the climb, distracting most from seeing the multiple well-hidden guard posts and ambush sites that exist to waylay attacking armies or stop escaping prisoners. The trail ends at a large door called the Seal of Judgement, a barrier constructed with steel and stone, and flanked on either side by statues of brotherhood members. Once through the large door, visitors enter the courtyard that exists to greet visiting dignitaries and other guests. It is as inhospitable as the keep itself and has multiple towers surrounding it facing inward, giving members of the order, should they need to defend the ground, multiple angles from which to fire deadly crossbows, turning the courtyard into a box trap. The areas beyond the courtyard remain restricted to most visitors. The barracks, armories, and gathering places of the Order of the Iron Fist are all heavily guarded spaces within the walls and the Warden's Tower, the large tower which visitors see on approach fills the rest of the keep, housing the living quarters for the Lictor and his trusted officers.

Perhaps the most guarded location of the Keep, however, is not the training grounds, living quarters or armories, but the prison cells beneath the massive stone structure, the holding places of some of Azeroth’s most dangerous criminals, as well as prisoners too valuable to be killed and invulnerable captives. The cells within the prison range from cramped, stone compartments to intricate vaults webbed with magical wards and protections. The further into the depths of the prison one goes, the more complex the cells and the locks which keep them closed. Multiple-stage miniature prisons, antimagic zones, elemental and planar warding seals, and even devious and difficult puzzle-cells all can be found below, containing prisoners worthy of the complexity of the lock. Monstrous creatures, undead, inanimate beings, and otherwise indefinable prisoners, all guarded by the senior Knight-Brothers of the Order, those who have proven themselves worthy of the position of Warden.

Within the prison, both the Knight-Brothers and the prisoners they guard follow a clockwork routine, with any deviation provoking a swift reprimand. While hardly a pleasant experience, prisoners who accept the routine and follow it find that their conditions within the prison improve, within reason, with their needs met and their safety from other prisoners assured. Rehabilitation, however, is not a core goal of the Order of the Iron Fist, for those who come to Kalas Keep as prisoners often do so for life. As such death is the most common escape from incarceration, although occasionally those within can be pardoned if represented strongly by legal teams from their respective lands. For those who do manage to leave in this way, the reality is that they do not leave the same as when they entered. In most cases, extended terms at the prison drain individuals of their passion for life and all but the most basic emotions, leaving many to wish that death had claimed them while they were in the stone cells of Kalas Keep.

Prominent Members
Among the Order of the Iron Fist, there are figures which hold specific levels of notoriety.

Aurora Moonblade
Within the depths of the Kalas Keep prison, there sits a cell marked 1487 H. Only the Lictor of the Order and his most trusted officers are allowed to make the journey to this isolated cell, and there is a very good reason for that restriction. The cell’s resident, Aurora Moonblade, is not a fallen Knight-Brother or a prisoner captured by the Order of the Iron Fist, but one that struck a deal with the order in an attempt to save her own skin, and gain great power in the process. A skilled demon hunter prior to taking her place in cell 1487 H, she absorbed the demonic spirit of a dreadlord into her body, which she now fights on a regular basis. During times when she is lucid, she serves the Brotherhood of Judgment as a whole by giving them information on the Burning Legion, its tactics, and larger plans. In return for this information, the Order of the Iron Fist protects her from those among her own race, specifically the Kaldorei Wardens under the leadership of Maeiv Shadowsong. This agreement has continued despite the release of Demon Hunters into the Alliance and the defeat of the Burning Legion leadership, for as Aurora herself tells those who visit her, the Legion is not defeated, merely delayed and will return in force once again.

Mistress of Blades, Elana Crow
The Order of the Iron Fist’s oldest and most experienced hunter and warrior, Mistress of Blades Crow is the order’s oldest member at nearly 90 years of age. Crow has served three of the Order's Lictors as Mistress of Blades, all of whom have trusted her insight into the minds of the criminal underworld and her almost supernatural ability to tell when someone is attempting to deceive a fellow member of the Order. She lives apart from the rest of the Order, in the mountains that surround the keep, where she tends to the gryphons which hunt in the region and trains Knight-Brothers on how to track in inhospitable terrain.

Paravicar, Gregar Ironhand
Paravicar Ironhand is a dwarf who has an interesting place within the Order of the Iron Fist. As a mage, he is one of the few within the Order who knows how to wield magic effectively, and as such is required to see to the magical needs of the rest of the Order, including warding spells and other protective measures. However, he is far more than just a mage to the Order, as his family is one that has a long, proud history of engineering and architectural achievement. Having trained in the Ironforge Engineer's Guild for many years, when he finally left and joined the Order of the Iron Fist, he brought a wealth of knowledge with him on how to improve the defenses and cells of Kalas Keep. To this day no one knows the keep better than Ironhand, who has overseen countless construction and renovation efforts at the keep over the decades, including the creation of the puzzle-cells, the intricate cells at the lowest levels of the prison which confine some of Azeroth's deadliest prisoners.

Tenets of the Iron Fist
Members of the Order of the Iron Fist value social order and responsibility, and as such seek out those who bring the opposite to their social order, anarchists, and other fugitives and bring them to justice. They have fierce reputations as being relentless against those who break the law, never giving up the chase until their quarry is dead or in chains. Each Brother of the Iron Fist keeps a meticulous record of the number of criminals they have personally brought to justice.

The Order of the Iron Fist works to uphold the following tenets.
 * I will remove those who create barriers to the people’s future greatness.
 * My desires are secondary to the good of my order. They will not distract me from my tasks.
 * I will remove the enemies of the people, no matter if they call themselves friends or foe.
 * My captives are my charges. I am responsible for their deeds, their lives, and their deaths.
 * Those in my charge deserve no mercy.
 * I will secure the guilty first and judge second. I will uphold the law, no matter the cost.