IRONSMITH:

SITES
a fan created reference tool
for the ironsworn rpg and other systems

By Eric Bright
© November 2020
 WHAT IS THIS?
Ironsmith: Sites gives you more options for
CONTENTS
Themes, Domains and pre-built Sites that can
be used with the Ironsworn: Delve rules. THEMES
While designed for Ironsworn, these ideas may Contested……………………………………… 2
be used for any dark, gritty fantasy setting or Firstborn-Touched…………………………….. 2
game to help create a site to explore. Floating………………………………………... 3
Flooded………………………………………... 3
Copyright ©2020 Play Every Role by Eric Bright Frozen…………………………………………. 4
Jurassic………………………………………... 4
Maddening…………………………………….. 5
LICENSING Mystical……………………………………….. 5
Time-Touched………………………………… 6
This work is based on Ironsworn (found at
Volcanic………………………………………. 6
www.ironswornrpg.com), created by Shawn Tomkin,
and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License DOMAINS
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Belly of the Beast……………………………. 7
For details on licenses, the Ironsworn SRD, and the Desert………………………………………… 7
Ironsworn game, please visit Eyrie…………………………………………. 8
http://ironswornrpg.com. Jungle………………………………………… 8
Sea Voyage…………………………………... 9
WRITING, DESIGN AND EDITING Settlement…………………………………….
Shipwreck…………………………………….
9
10
Eric Bright of Play Every Role Tundra……………………………………….. 10
World Tree…………………………………... 11
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ziggurat……………………………………… 11

NOTE: This is NOT OFFICIAL Ironsworn content! SITES

It is fan-made content made available through the
generous licensing of Shawn Tomkin, creator of Tower of Mad Kovon………………………... 12
Ironsworn. Please support him by purchasing the Yggdrasil's Shadow………………………….. 13
original Ironsworn products! Temple of Iron and Fire……………………... 14
Desert of Time………………………………. 15
IMAGES Spires of Balok………………………………. 16
Wyrm Haven………………………………… 17
Photos by Ansie Potgieter, Francisco Gonzalez, Sam Jungle of the Green Elves…………………… 18
Moqadam, Kurt Cotoaga, Parsing Eye, Emile
Guillemot, Alexandra K, Amy Baugess used with CARDS
permission from Unsplash.
Fillable and Printable Themes and Domains... 19
ICONS
Icons by Lorc, Delapouite and contributors used with
permission from https://game-icons.net.
USING IRONSMITH
All products released under the title of Ironsmith are expansions and additional options designed specifically for the
Ironsworn RPG system by Shawn Tomkin, but they can be used in any RPG set in a gritty, fantasy world.

Using Themes and Domains to Build a Site

The Themes and Domains here are additional options for you to explore that follow the same rules as all other
Themes and Domains described in the Ironsworn: Delve rules.
You may use these Themes and Domains in another RPG system to help build a site to explore. Choose a single
Theme to pair with a single Domain to create a new site. As the site is explored, you may roll 1d100 to find
features of new areas using the Features table on the Theme and Domain cards. If a dangerous situation is
presented, you may roll 1d100 using the Dangers table on the Theme and Domain cards to help you define that
danger. While the full 1d100 chart for Features is creating by combining a Theme card with a Domain card, you
will need an additional table to complete the possible Dangers as follows:
Roll Danger Result
1-30 Look up the corresponding Danger on the Theme card.
31-45 Look up the corresponding Danger on the Domain card.
46-57 You are ambushed.
58-68 You trigger a deadly trap.
69-76 The environment itself poses a hazard.
77-79 Dark magic assaults you.
80-82 You disturb an aggressive animal, beast, pack, or swarm.
83-85 You need the right equipment to move forward.
86-88 Pitch darkness, a blocked passage, or a broken bridge impedes your progress.
89-91 Your expectations turn out to be wrong and make matters worse.
92-94 Ethereal horrors stalk you.
95-00 Roll twice and combine the results.

Please note that the above table IS NOT the official table for Dangers as presented in the Ironsworn: Delve rules
because it is not covered under the license. I highly suggest you purchase Ironsworn: Delve by Shawn Tomkin to
see the original table.

Sites
In the Ironsworn: Delve rules, each site has specific denizens listed. Since those denizens are not included in the
license, I've given general descriptions of the types of creatures in each site. You can then choose whichever foes
make the most sense using the normal denizens from the official rulebooks.
If you are using these sites in another RPG, you would need to translate the denizens into creatures for your specific
rule system as well.

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 THEMES
Contested
This site is the center of an active battle between two forces. Yelled
orders and horn blasts fly across the battlefield almost as often as
arrows and javelins. Chaos reigns as it difficult in the heat of battle
to even tell which side each combatant is on. The wounded and
dying are everywhere and call out for aid.
It will be difficult to travel through this site unnoticed and
unscathed. You will most certainly be defending yourself in
combat, dodging denizen patrols, and making use of whatever cover
is available.
As an optional rule, you may set up a Threat track in this site for
each side in the battle. After every Delve the Depths move you
make, Ask the Oracle which side is winning and mark progress on
the appropriate track. When a Threat track is full, the battle is over
and the side whose Threat track is full wins the battle. Now envision
how this impacts your further exploration of this site and transition
to the Fortified or Infested Theme as appropriate.

Firstborn-Touched
Whether they still roam the Ironlands or not, this site leaves no room
for doubt that the Firstborn truly did exist at one point in history. A
sense of gravity and awe hang over this site filled with trappings
and markings of an earlier time and people.
Traveling through a site empowered by the Firstborn is dangerous
even for those familiar with the customs and culture of the Firstborn
as their innate mystical connection to the lands still hold sway here.
Outsiders experience the hostility of this site when they trespass
these sacred spaces.
Perhaps you are searching for a powerful relic or seeking out ancient
wisdom. Whatever the case, you dare not linger long in this place
that seems more like a living site with a subtle malevolence towards
interlopers.

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Floating
This is a site where large chunks of earth have been pulled from the
ground and are held aloft by some mystical power. Perhaps this
place was created for a specific purpose by an ancient arcane ritual,
or maybe it is a natural phenomenon occurring through the
interactions of large deposits of black iron. Still low enough in the
atmosphere to experience weather, many floating sites have ponds
or even lakes that can spill over the sides in waterfalls leading to a
steady mist of rain in their shadows.
Traversing a floating site is dangerous as every path could lead you
to falling off the edge to the distant earth below. Even with the
proper climbing gear, getting from one section of the site to another
is a precarious proposition at best.
The larger areas may even be inhabited by denizens who have
adapted to life on their floating islands in strange ways.

Flooded
This site once served another purpose, but then the waters came. A
river entering flood stage, an earthquake changing the course of a
river, torrential rains, or a tsunami flowing inland created a swirling
cesspool of flotsam and detritus. While some of the water receded,
much of the land was too low to allow all of it to drain away. Now
the area is an aquatic wasteland whose original purpose has been
washed away.
Making your way through this site takes a dangerous mixture of
wading through areas thick with mud, fording swift flowing rapids,
traversing deep and dark waters, and swimming through underwater
tunnels hoping that a pocket of air is nearby.
Worse yet, when the waters drove out the original inhabitants, a new
ecosystem of denizens sprung up in their place. These denizens are
often crafty hunters and powerful combatants, a dangerous
combination.

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 Frozen
While all the Ironlands are cold, dark, and dangerous, this site has
particularly felt the brunt of winter's bite. Ice clings to surfaces up
to a handspan in thickness, and great drifts of snow have gathered
together in the frigid winds. The temperature is low enough to grasp
at the heart of travelers wearing even the thickest mammoth skins
for protection.
Traversing a frozen site is dangerous in many ways. Continuing to
forge a path through the site continues to expose you to the elements,
but stopping in any shelter can lead to frostbite faster as the blood in
the body slows down and allows your core temperature to fall that
much further.
Some hardy denizens with thick layers of blubber and shaggy fur
coats make their lairs in these frozen places. Beware the hunting
denizen out to feed its cubs.

Jurassic
Whether recently unearthed or gradually taken back over by nature,
this site harkens back to the dawn of time. Strange and deadly
predators roam this site in constant need of more sustenance. Even
the plants here are strangely out of place in the Ironlands.
Traveling this site means constantly watching over your shoulder to
make sure you haven't attracted unwanted attention. Between the
razor-like teeth and claws the size of daggers, the denizens here are
not to be crossed lightly. Their primitive brain and reactions make
them all the more dangerous as they lash out instinctively.
An equally prevalent threat is that some of these creatures may
escape this environment and begin to harass nearby settlements.

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Maddening
Reality has been warped, twisted, and corrupted in these sites. There
is a familiarity to nearly every place you enter, but your mind knows
that it is not quite right. Nothing is as it should be, and the chaos
threatens your spirit and will to press on.
When traveling in a Maddening site, you may never end up where
you intended to go. The site itself may morph physically in the blink
of an eye and lead you astray.
It said that some Ironlanders have gone mad from visions they
witnessed in these places. They rant and rave about nonsense and
are considered to be cursed harbingers of doom.

Mystical
This site is an expression of deep and ancient magic. It is almost as
if the magic itself has a sentience and will of its own. Whether
enchanted by powerful iron priests, attuned Firstborn, or some
otherworldly presence, this place is clearly a site of studying and
practicing the mystical arts.
Traveling around this site reveals opportunities to interact with the
magic inhabiting it. However, each opportunity is a danger in and
of itself as the energy threatens to grow unchecked in power and
reach. It is possible that merely by being in this place an even
deeper threat is unleashed upon the world.

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 Time-Touched
Some say that the thin places of the world were how the Firstborn
arrived in the Ironlands. Others say that mystics get their power by
harnessing arcane energies from whatever world these thin places
lead to. The truth, or at least part of the truth, is that these gossamer
veils can separate discrete spots in time.
Travelers in this site may find themselves flung 100 years into the
past to a time when the room they were standing in hadn't been
formed yet, leaving them encased in stone. Worse yet, they may
find themselves transported to a future that they can't interact with
and witness events that seem destined to be. Even the rooms, walls,
and passages can shift due to the effects of chronal energy emanating
from this place.
Some denizens have adapted to flourish in this strange environment.
They hunt by phasing through time and striking at the worst possible
moment.

Volcanic
This site sits atop an active volcano. Since there has been no
eruption in living memory, some foolish builders thought that this
was a safe place for construction. Alternately, it's possible that
this whole site was shaped by the volcano's ancient eruptions and
still active lava flows.
Hazy heat waves and poisonous fumes from lava vents threaten to
overwhelm all who travel here. The path itself can at times to be
too hot to walk on. In many areas, visibility is drastically reduced
allowing denizens to strike unexpectedly.
Legends say that wyverns and other similar creatures make their
lairs here due to the heat necessary for their eggs.

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DOMAINS
Belly of the Beast
This site is inside an epically gargantuan creature that may be the
decaying remains or sleeping form of a world-killer giant. Giant
mindless cells move about on their routine work of keeping the body
alive. No matter how you got in, getting out will be an even bigger
problem.
It will be a dangerous place to explore with the body's defenses and
normal operations working against you. As you move from one
body system to another, you'll also encounter the difficulties of a
typical dungeon such as blocked passages or sheer drops.
Even to contemplate is the fact that this creature is part of some
greater ecosystem. How dangerous must the rest of that ecosystem
be and where is it?

Desert
Hot, dry landscapes are not the norm in the Ironlands, but they do
exist. The unfamiliarity of these sites cause them to be even more
dangerous to the Ironlanders who seek to cross or explore them.
The extreme heat of the day is followed by the extreme cold in the
night with no moderation between the two.
Traversing a desert takes grit and determination, but most
importantly, water. Many a traveler has had their wits dulled by
dehydration making them a prime target for those denizens adapted
to these harsh environments.

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 Eyrie
The world is viewed quite differently from above. Specifically,
many creatures here look down from their lofty homes and see only
one thing: prey. Avian creatures, winged lizards, and even some
mutated or iron-wracked monstrosities have learned the value of
making their homes in such inaccessible places. The height acts as
more of a defense than even the rock that the lairs are burrowed into.
Some eyries are more easily explored, if only marginally so, as they
appear to have been built as homes for some long-forgotten people.
But nothing is ever wasted in the Ironlands, and even these places
have been taken back over by one creature group or another who
now call it home.
Traversing an eyrie takes strength for constant climbing, wisdom to
know where the safest climbing paths are, and a tolerance for
heights. It is said that only those with iron in their blood can make
the trek to the tops of an occupied eyrie.

Jungle
This site is an exotic wilderness with heavy, humid air. At times,
the ground is nearly bare from the dense canopy blocking the sun,
but in the places where sunlight filters down, there are giant and
exotic plants growly thick. Vines strong enough to hold an
Ironlander dangle between most trees. The hooting and howling of
strange creatures filling this site are the fuel of nightmares.
Traveling through a jungle is a dangerous game. One minute the
path is clear only to be suddenly blocked by a wall of thick foliage
or a deep waterway. Hive-minded swarms make their home here
and care not whether their next meal is a beast or an Ironlander.

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Sea Voyage
Driving winds form perilous swells that can overtake any craft at
sea. The darkness and mist hide dangerous reefs and denizens in
both the shallows and the depths of the ocean. Masters of the
seafaring folk of the Ironlands know that the only true master of the
seas is the sea herself.
Pirates prowl the area for vulnerable vessels as do the larger sea
creatures who have learned that Ironlanders make good meals.
While a small island or bay may provide momentary respite, one
never knows what the fickleness of the sea will bring next.

Settlement
While most settlements in the Ironlands are inhabited and active,
there are those who have been recently abandoned for unknown
reasons. Bestial denizens quickly take over these sites knowing
they are once again at the top of the food chain.
Infiltrating an enemy settlement takes guile and cunning to avoid
discovery. Enemy guards are always on patrol and anything
suspicious can raise the level of alert.
Exploring an abandoned settlement takes sharp wits to find out how
the settlement met its doom and how to avoid that same doom
yourself. Often small items left behind can give a clue as to nature
of the settlement's swift downfall.
Some Ironlanders have attempted to re-take abandoned settlements
only to find them infested with horrors.

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 Shipwreck
Whether dashed upon a rocky shoreline by relentless waves or
ground to a halt atop an unseen reef, shipwrecks make tempting
targets for those who are opportunistic. Unfortunately, this means
that any exploration of such a site comes with the risk of running
into other like-minded opportunists such as pirates, sharks, or other
denizens who see the value of a new home among the waves.
Making your way through a shipwreck can be especially dangerous
as the ship itself can still list and lurch with the waves. Not to
mention the haphazard destruction caused within the vessel or the
holes in the hull that have let in both water and denizen alike.
One may delve into a shipwreck only to find the desired object has
sunk to the inky depths below.

Tundra
Despite the perpetual cold and regular snowfall, no moisture stays
at this site for long. It is a place where strong winds are constant
and swiftly carry all precipitation away. Ironlanders have been
known to die from dehydration or exposure after getting lost in near
whiteout conditions trying to cross a frozen desert. In places, a
glacier may make itself known by presenting a huge, impenetrable
wall blocking the path forward for those who have lost their way.
Centuries of shifting glaciers have left the landscape dotted with
small landmarks that help to travel across the desert, but these clefts
and indentations are often already home to clever and territorial
denizens. In some places, a retreating glacier has left a deep
crevasse that lead further into the dry, cracked earth.

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World Tree
Primordial magic permeates this giant tree and keeps it thriving
despite having been hollowed out in places by inhabitants over the
centuries. Stunning and vibrant flowers or fruits have enticed many
creatures to make this tree their home. The bark is as hard as iron,
and chips of it are acceptable substitutes for iron when swearing an
iron vow.
Exploring a tree of this size takes patience and caution. Swaying
branches or powerful gusts of wind can knock unwary climbers from
their perch. Thick foliage the size of giants can hide denizen lairs
or hunting denizens. Natural staircases of vines or bridges of
branches can snap with too much weight.
Inside the tree is equally dangerous as denizens roam the
passageways, chambers can be submerged with sap or rainfall, and
root systems can grasp and entangle.
Some say the Firstborn infused this tree with the mystical energy
needed to grow this tall. Others say that the tree has its roots deep
in a bedrock full of black iron deposits fueling its growth.

Ziggurat
Made of sunbaked bricks placed together to form flat platforms on
top of each other and then glazed with the colors of local plant roots,
this site comes from a time before the Ironlanders made this land
their home. Atop the structure sits a temple or shrine, and its insides
consist of a maze of passages and ceremonial chambers serving all
sorts of purposes. While nothing is known for sure, it is assumed
this site was used as a religious place for gatherings, community
ceremonies, and living quarters for the priests.
Traveling through this site gives one a false sense of ease. Most
think it's a simple climb to the top, but those who delve here are
often forced inside the ziggurat by collapsing stairs, fallen pillars,
or other damage. Once inside, the darkness only adds to the
disorientation and danger.
Some claim that a malevolent mystic power still lingers at this site
which is capable of influencing mortals who would dare to disturb
this once hallowed ground.

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 SITES
Each site described here is ready for delving and exploring except for specific denizens and their frequency. As the
specific denizens of Ironsworn is not covered by the license, I cannot reproduce them here. But again, go buy the
original Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Delve to find appropriate foes for each site.

The Tower of Mad Kovon

Denizens:
Rank: Extreme
This place may be filled with those seeking to follow
in Kovon's footsteps and complete his dark quest. It
Theme: Floating
may also be home to horrors left from the slaughter of
servants and aerial creatures that make their homes in
Domain: Stronghold
the upper portions of the tower.

Kovon was a violent warlord seeking to gather and consolidate power by controlling all the iron of the region. He
would raid settlements for any iron trinkets, weapons, or tools and take them back to his tower built of stone to melt
the items down into raw iron. Many blacksmiths were conscripted from the raided settlements to help Kovon build
elaborate and unusual structures for his unknown purposes. Large sculptures of branching and interwoven sections
of iron filled the structure, but the largest creations were the "iron eggs" that Kovon directed be placed in the lowest
levels of the tower.
Next, Kovon conscripted miners to tunnel beneath his structure despite their warnings that it would collapse the whole
tower. Consulting with iron priests, he directed the blacksmiths to place more of the "iron eggs" at specific locations
throughout these tunnels. Finally, the iron priests visited each "iron egg" and performed an unknown ritual infusing
the iron with mystical energies. As the rituals neared completion, the tower groaned and stone crumbled from the
ramparts as the whole structure and its surrounding earth rose into the air.
After completing this marvel, Kovon slaughtered all of his servants and stayed aloft in his tower attempting to
complete what he called his sacred calling. No one knows what dark deed it is that Kovon sought to complete, for
he was never heard from again.
Those who have travelled to this site report hearing a low thrumming pulsing between the torn-up ground and the
underbelly of the floating tower. It is also said that Kovon's spirit still roams the floating fortress protecting his iron
creations. What purpose do these creations serve?

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Yggdrasil's Shadow
Denizens:
Rank: Epic
This place may be filled with flying creatures roosting
in the branches, horrors within the passages and rooms
Theme: Floating
inside the trunk, and a great wingless dragon at the
base. A particularly large eagle rules over all from the
Domain: World Tree
highest perch.

When the Ironlanders first arrived in these lands and discovered a tree larger than a fortress floating in its own
patch of earth up in the sky, they assumed it was related to a legend from the Old World known as the Tree of Life,
Yggdrasil. However, any Ironlander that approached was attacked by the flying creatures who roost in its branches.
As the tree slowly moved across the lands dangling great roots below it, people began to fear the shadow it cast.
Thus, Yggdrasil's Shadow was christened.
It is said that a great eagle, one the size of a longhouse, rules from the topmost branches of Yggdrasil's Shadow
while a wingless black dragon patrols the base of the tree. What role do these creatures play in the world and why
do they attack villages?

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 Temple of Iron and Fire
Rank: Dangerous Denizens:
Theme: Volcanic This place houses a cult, their prisoners, and some
Domain: Ziggurat aggressive, heat-loving creatures.

Built into the side of a volcano, the Temple of Iron and Fire was built by an unknown people before the Ironlanders
arrived on these shores. Rumors of objects of power abound, but no one has dared to fully explore the site since the
volcano has become more active in recent years.
Some people claim to have seen a cult-like group trek towards
the temple, but what the zealots are doing at this temple is
unknown. What is this cult trying to accomplish and will they
inadvertently set off the volcano?

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Desert of Time
Rank: Formidable Denizens:
This place is home to vicious and hardy creatures who
Theme: Time-Touched
can survive off the moisture they gather from their
Domain: Tundra prey or by burrowing into glacier walls for water.

The Desert of Time is in a state of constant flux. Patches of shimmering mystic energy appear sporadically
throughout the landscape and alter its place in time. A large rock formation may suddenly crumble as if aged
centuries in but a moment. Dead and petrified scrub brush will blossom in beautiful flowers as they appear like
they did before this become a dry, frozen wasteland.
Ironlanders have come to avoid this place as they may be pushed forward or backwards weeks in time or even
longer. But that is also the draw of this place. People think they can ride on the waves of mystic energy back in
time to correct a wrong or forward in time to be saved from a horrible event. Those who have attempted to do so
have indeed been gently pushed one way or the other through time, but the strain on their minds generally left them
in a state of madness.
While the humanoid mind cannot handle the stress of these chronal shifts, some animals and beasts have been
known to thrive in this place. They shift back in time to when there was water to survive. They hunt prey by
shifting to a time when they know the location of the prey most precisely and then go in for the kill.
Only one Ironlander is known to call this place their home: Joranun the Great Sage. It unclear how they are able to
survive in this desolate land, but wisdom and blessings are said to be the reward for those who can find the sage's
tiny hut within this bleak landscape. What secrets does this sage hold?

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 Spires of Balok
Denizens:
Rank: Troublesome
Aerial creatures live on top of the spires and in
hollowed out nooks dug into the cliff faces while water
Theme: Flooded
creatures swim at the spires base. Some say Balok
himself returned to this place after his death to resume
Domain: Eyrie
his caretaking duties.

These towering rocky spires are home to large aerial beasts and capable
climbing creatures who have burrowed into the sides of the spires. Years
ago, Balok, a mystic with a strong connection to animals, made his home
at the base of the spires. He would spend all day climbing one specific
spire or another to tend to some rare creature living atop it.
Then the floods came and drown poor Balok
in his sleep. Now the base of the spires are
teeming with aggressive aquatic creatures,
and aerial beasts are ranging further afield.
What was Balok cultivating at the top
of the spires?

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Wyrm Haven
Rank: Dangerous Denizens:
This place is home to dinosaur-like creatures who
Theme: Jurassic specialize in hunting and violence. Also here are
horrors who are the remains of the previous
Domain: Settlement inhabitants.

Wyrm Haven was a settlement of some renown due to its population's affinity for building positive relationships
with wyrms. While the wyrms were still ultimately wild in nature, they had come to view the settlement as a safe
place and would often come to the edges of the settlement to be fed by eager residents. The wyrms had even been
known to help the settlement fend off raider attacks side by side with the townsfolk.
Thus, it was a shock the day the wyrms turned on the town. The few survivors of that swift onslaught claim to have
seen different varieties of wyrms and even one great wyrm who the others treated with deference and respect.
Needless to say, the settlement and all of its goods were abandoned.
Since the harsh winter, no one has yet ventured back to see if the wyrms still rule this site. What caused such a turn
in behavior for these animals and can the Ironlanders' homes yet be reclaimed?

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 Jungle of the Green Elves
Rank: Formidable Denizens:
This place is home to vicious and hardy creatures who
Theme: Firstborn-Touched
can survive off the moisture they gather from their
Domain: Jungle prey or by burrowing into glacier walls for water.

In the heart of the Deep Wilds lies a low valley littered with vents from an underground river of lava making its
way to the sea. The heat and gases from these vents altered the surrounding forest into a jungle environment that
was explored and partially settled ages ago by the Elves.
The particular tribe of Elves who lived here were known for their distinctive green wooden masks. It is said that
the masks are forever green wood, as if fresh cut, no matter the amount of time since they were first carved. Each
mask was said to be unique to the owner and bestowed a mystical power on the wearer. However, it is also said
that anyone not of the Green Elf tribe may go mad were they to wear a mask themselves.
Do any of these powerful masks yet survive in the jungle? What other relics might be hidden away here?

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