Ironstead

Ironstead is a small village that sits surrounded by the Vesve Forest. It was created by Furyondy to server as a staging ground for sorties deep into the forest against the twisted legions of Iuz during Furondy's campaign against the half-demon. The Knights of the Hart also used this area as a resupply checkpoint along their patrol routes. It was troops sent from this village that helped the wood elves of the Heartlands to beat back the goblinoid and beastmen forces of Iuz in times past.

However, Furyondy has pulled nearly all of its support from the area, as Baron Jemain must focus his resources on rebuilding many sections of his war-weary domain. Only around 200 people still live in Ironstead, and their lives are focused on survival. Though the wood elves of the forest keep it clear of the worst threats, a few small ones still manage to threaten Ironstead. Helmen Fannen, a tough old Oeridian soldier, commands the village militia, and he is a veteran from the long campaign fought against Iuz. Though offered a chance to join the Knights of the Hart, he turned it down to protect Ironstead.

Though technically part of the Duchy of Littleberg, Ironstead has mostly been left to fend for itself over the last several years. Many Ironsteaders are fiercely independent and see themselves as rulers of their own destiny.

Ironstead once served as a major trading artery between the folk of the forest and Furyondy, but the trade infrastructure has fallen into disrepair, and a journey during the Rust River is treacherous even at the best of times.