1. Anybody out there play in / around / have thoughts on Irongate?
2. Have any thoughts on what Cobb Darg really is? I have read the odd web site suggesting he was a Gold Dragon. In my campaign I have made him an Ancient Greyhawk dragon - based on the greyhawk dragon article in LGJ. It seems to fit well with their description and I like the idea of having a dragon that is Greyhawk-specific.
3. Does anyone have a pointer to official material with greater detailing of Cobb Darg or Irongate (other than 1983 box set / LGG)?
Thanks.
However, I have both played in campaigns that took place there and done research for my fellow DM's in the group. Irongate is a wonderful place full of Peril and Deceit. The rulership is very aware that the city-state has been infiltrated by the Scarlet Brotherhood, and often feeds them disinformation. If you want an ideal place for intrigue then Irongate is your city. It also has plenty of opportunity for those who wish to bash evil or good against the stone walls of the city.
Just keep these few things in mind:
For a man, he's unusually short (under 5 feet), but is legendarily wily and wise. No one knows his "class", he has never cast spells in public or revealed a religious affiliation.
He's also lived a great deal of time, having been elected to the mayoralty of Irongate at least 4 successive 10 year terms (and has just started a fifth in 590 CY).
He has been a member of the inner sanctum of the Iron League for as long as any man in that secret society can remember....only the elves of Sunndi or the Dwarflords of the Iron Hills can remember a time before him....
And with those tidbits, I leave you,
-PSE
Your post is down right intriguing. Never cast spells and no religious affiliation. Check. I was leaning that way myself. I know her is regarded as wily, so I was thinking big skill base (Hmmm rogue...). But "unusually short" - this I knew, but what am I supposed to do with that?
Attention people: I need a slightly short, wily, wise, slightly rotund skillful leader, who is as old as the hills....
You didn't really help me too much. I appreciate the effort but you are still a big tease.
Well I like the Greyhawk dragon idea so I will sit on that for the moment.
I had thought of giving him some extra levels as a diviner but it didn't really seem to fit. I wanted something that helped explain why he sussed out the Scarlet Brotherhood agents when a lot of others didn't. Maybe he is just really switched on. Hmmm.
Really appreciate your input on this thread. Thanks.
To Gnarley_Woodsman:
Thanks for the reply and for plugging my site for me :-)
I'm planning to do an update to it shortly.
Thanks guys.
1) Darg is a human with dwarven heritage (extremely unusual) and that helps explain his appearance and long-livedness. This would also explain his great affinity with the dwarven enclaves bordering Irongate who regard him as a strong ally. His wisdom comes from having lived before the Turmoil Between Crowns, having secretly been a member of the Iron League since its inception, indeed perhaps its founder!
2) Darg is a dragon, one of the last inhabitants of the Dragonshead Peninsula, who lives polymorhped as a man. He cherishes this region so much, that he is willing to engage in this charade to protect its mysteries. Only in secret is his true form ever revealed (which is known only to a handful of people, including perhaps Elayne Mystica, a close confidant.) This would explain why he inhabitants the Lord Mayor's Tower virtually alone, suffering few visitors, even among the lords of the city.
3) Darg is in fact a human, and is either secretly a wizard, scholar, or sage who has learned some great secret. This has afforded him unnaturally long life and the foresight to protect Irongate and defeat its enemies in ways others could not. This would explain his secret forays into the old caverns in the hills near Irongate and his prohibition against exploring the ruins beneath Dwurtown.
One of these might be the truth, none of them, or some combination. Use whatever works best in your campaign.
-PSE
Many thanks for that. It's true that I don't know anymore than I did prior to my post, but it is a lot of fun guessing. And to be honest, it would be a little bit of a shame to know the real truth. You have certainly given me something to think about with your last post. Many thanks Smedge.
Irongate Gazetteer? aaaaaghagh <- insert Homer type druelling sound.
Keep up the good work.
My interpretation is that he's a half-dwarf/human rogue of exceptional mental faculty (high intelligence, good wisdom, high charisma) who was raised equally amongst dwarves and humans (there was no antagonism or favour given by the parents or each society as his true nature was kept a secret... haven't given this much thought) and so is exceptionally cunning for a dwarf and exceptionally resilient and stubborn for a human.
However, it's not just his abilities which make him such a great leader, it's also the nature of Irongate. In my version (can't remember if it's canon or not), the city was built using dwarven architects, skill and labour and was done with the intention of it being a fortified, highly defensible city. It has two bays, IIRC, which means any attacker either has to cover both fronts (difficult given political alliances are so varied on either side of that peninsula), or has basically no chance of laying seige to the city and thus has to make a full on, frontal assault on it (they always have a supply route).
Of course, a frontal assault is basically suicide given the high, thick walls and dwarven construction, but not only is the structure sturdy, it also has a little known secret... an immense network of dwarven constructed tunnels.
This allows troop movements to be precise and speedy, allowing any breach to be fortified very quickly and efficiently. It also allows for the passing of information to be swift, accurate and safe. Messengers aren't dodging arrows and swords to get to their destinations.
But since the city has not been laid seige to in quite a while, these tunnels have not seen any use (IIRC, the Scarlet Brotherhood didn't actually attack the city, in fact, I can only recall it ever being under seige once in history, though I'm probably wrong as I haven't read that much on the place). Not only that, but there were of course secret, secret tunnels in addition to the main ones. And guess who knows all about them?
Cobb, and a few select others that are a part of his spy network, know the layout of the tunnels, both secret and really secret, as well as how to bypass the numerous traps and tricks, and so have been able to not only obtain information that would otherwise take an uber-spy to get, but have been able to transmit it in relative safety.
That's just my take on it. I'm sure there's an adventure in there somewhere
The problem with such a connection, however, is that it is potentially dangerous for either side. What if someone from underoerth takes over Dwurtown and finds the connection? What if Irongate is overrun and someone finds the tunnels?
So it was agreed that a massive, dwarven forged, human wizard (in those days, there weren't any dwarven wizards) enchanted, gate of iron was constructed to block they way between the two cities. Only the leaders of the cities would have the means to bypass the gate.
Hence the new town's name, Irongate.
Instead I could see that Cobb Darg is the result of a rare pairing of a human and a dwarf. What could of happen is my theory. Not far from the actual location of Irongate a young dwarven warrior was searching for a new home. This dwarf was rejected by his peers for his conflicting views about dwarven society. Exiled, no clan, no family, and no home.
A small mining community would have to do no member of his former home would even be caught dead in his midst. ashamed he sought to distance himself from his people but could not bear to be far from his former homeland.
This lonely dwarf was forced to remove his dwarf-hood (remove his beard) this would make him more acceptable to his human counterparts. He was able to make a good living as he had knowledge of mining technics humans hadn't even thought of.
One day this dwarf witnessed the mistreatment of a young human female. Many males and other females would snicker at her. She was taller than most women her age and had a stout form to her. But the thing that made her stick out was the four specks of hair evident on her chin. This dwarf refused to stand by and allow mistreatment of a female. It was the first time anyone had stuck up for her.
Time went on and she would visit her dwarven hero often. Many of the human males would tease him but not for long he was both feared and respected. But their was something about this human female that stirred inside this warrior. She was so much like him, unaccepted by her own kind. Yeah, just like him.
Well time went on and she was the oldest women of her village without a mate. Many of the older women felt pity for her while the younger women snickered at her often. This dwarven hero of her's was a wealty man. He was well liked by the community and respected for his knowledge. But he was the only man who ever paid any attention to her. She was afraid but thought to herself that if he did not want her then she was not worth having.
She did everything she could to make him see her as a good wife. She would bring him meals, offer to clean his residence. She even asked to clean his clothes. Well Darg as this dwarf was known, didn't react to the lass much. Until he saw her crying one day and asked her why she was doing so. The women replied, I am a horror to mens eyes and no one would make me their wife. What do I have to offer anyone? You don't even want me. Darg began to laugh.. What in the pits is wrong with you lass? I wouldn't be right for you. That's not true she replied, you are too good for everyone why did I think you would what me.
But I do lass, he replied, but I do. In truth the two needed each other. While no one in her village could understand it. The two made a perfect couple. No matter what happened to her while she was in the village, nothing got her down again. Darg's life was given meaning. The one thing he wanted he couldn't have, but what he needed was a family and she would give him one.
Darg's wife knew not why her husband did not age like her, but he would explain to her one day. When his first and only child was born, Darg couldn't be happier. But what kind of father was he. His son would be born clan-less, and their was nothing he could do about it. Darg could not have his son be exiled much like himself. Cobb was a dwarf, yes his mother was human, but he was born of dwarven blood. Darg set out to right this wrong on his family.
Darg's decided to go back to his former homeland and re-establish his ties to his clan, even though this could mean his own demise. It had been several years and no word from her husband what had happened to her beloved husband.
Years went on and Cobb would be taught many things about his father. Cobb longed for his fathers return waiting to see the man his mother talked about often. 20 years had gone by Cobb had established himself in his fathers business and his mom and him lead an aristocratic life. But all would not be this way for long. Cobb lost his mother and almost everything which gave him life.
15 years later a diplomat from the dwarven empire visited this village and wished to claim dominion over it.
Well this village had no way of refusing there new masters and owed fealty to a dwarven lord. But Cobb would not let his people be forced out of their community. Cobb was a great diplomatic leader for his people. He managed to help his community and in time would be elected to the Mayoralty of Irongate in the years to come. But he would have to be of noble blood, and so he took the family name of Darg; in memory of his father.
Well here's my two cents, hope someone finds this useful.
P.S. I like the Greyhawk Dragon theory.