Iron Tortoise Conclave

The Iron Tortoise Conclave was a loose organization of tradespeople and enchanters which existed during the Mage Wars. The group had close ties with the Copper Tortoise Conclave(which was more focused on alchemists). The Iron Tortoise group gave rise to the Craftsmen who would go on to make weapons and armor for the Slayer Dragons. As a fraternal organization, the Iron Tortoise Conclave persisted into the Golden Age before being fully absorbed by the Copper conclave. The Iron Tortoise still exists in the form of certain ranks and titles that can be awarded within the existing Copper organization.

History

Early Mage Wars

The original Iron Tortoise Conclave evolved along the same line as the Copper Tortoise Conclave, with skilled crafters joining together in order to gain better working conditions. Enchanters led the organization, being the most important and sought-after among makers. Unlike alchemists, enchanters relied heavily on a network of other makers in the creation of their wares. A complex order might be completely derailed by the untimely death or imprisonment of a random leather-worker. So the Conclave formed for mutual protection.

Every major town or city had a Conclave hall, a fortified building which provided shelter to the members and their families in times of an attack. Better-funded conclaves could even higher guards or professional soldiers. With these fighters being equipped by the Conclave itself, they could be highly effective.

While the Copper conclave focused on building their secret Refuge, the Iron conclave instead expanded their fortifications. What started as small buildings to shelter in expanded into strengthened housing blocks and eventually entire fortified towns. In larger cities the Conclave would fortify an entire district for themselves or in some cases be tasked with the entire city's defenses.

By the end of the First Chaotic Period, the Iron Tortoise Conclave wielded spectacular power in regions where they were active, often being able to influence local politics by providing or withdrawing support.

Dynastic Period

During the Dynastic Period, as the first stable, multi-world governments began to solidify, the Iron Tortoise Conclave lost a great deal of it's political power. The now stable governments ceased fortifications and strong buildings for their own use, and the Conclave was nearly destroyed. In this age, the most skilled makers became state actors, working for the leadership.

The Conclave was nearly eliminated, but continued to thrive in border regions where territory frequently changed hands. Here the organization shifted focus from protecting makers to protecting trade routes, with traveling merchants and mobile craftsmen made up the bulk of the membership. Much as before as the organization grew in power, they began employing professional soldiers to protect them.

Eventually, larger segments of the Conclave could afford to field entire standing armies, which could be moved rapidly along trade routes to respond to needed threats. Often the mere fact of declaring a given town or outpost to be "Under the protection of the Iron Tortoise Conclave" could be enough to ward off a potential attack.

As the Dynastic era continued, the Conclave began building forts to command contentious points and protect trade routes. The Conclave is often credited with keeping independent trade alive during the a time when emperors and despots tried to control everything.

Second Chaotic Period

During the The Second Chaotic Period|Second Chaotic Period, the Iron Tortoise Conclave became an important player. The group always maintained discipline as a non-government actor intent on protecting its members (at this point, chiefly craftsmen, tradespeople, and traders). This meant that as dynasties were being destroyed all over the Known Worlds, people could still turn to the Iron Tortoise Conclave for protection.

Seeing the eminent need, the Conclave began to field large standing armies of volunteers, equipped with powerful weapons and armor produced by the Conclave. The old trading posts and forts became sanctuaries, with many refugees owing their lives to the Conclave. With a focus primarily on protecting the weak, this unfortunately depleted the organization's coffers.

By the end of the Second Chaotic Period, the Iron Tortoise Conclave had devolved into little more than a loose association of tradespeople protected by well-equipped guards. They still controlled networks of fortified trading posts, but could not afford to defend them against a concentrated siege. Around this time, most of the group's assets were absorbed into the Copper Tortoise Conclave, as the latter group was then more powerful.

The Iron Tortoise Conclave immediately embraced Eieber and offered whatever assistance it could.

Alliance Era

At the start of the Golden Age, Eieber asked for the finest makers in the Conclave to join him in Arindell and aide in equipping The First File. The very best among them would produce weapons and armor for the Slayer Dragons. This was the genesis of the Craftsmen who remained in Arindell throughout the Alliance-era. The Craftsmen would shed the Conclave connections within a few generations.

The rest of the Conclave persisted as a fraternal order for a few centuries, before being fully absorbed by the closely related Copper Tortoise Conclave. Most members did not recognize this as an end to the order, but rather a continuity. The Iron Tortoise Conclave lived on in the form of special titles and ranks within the Copper Tortoise Conclave.