# ### **Basic Information** - **Name:** The Steel Hunters - **Alias/Nicknames:** The Ironclads, Metal Seekers, The Salvage Pack - **Type:** Mercenary Company/Artifact Hunters - **Symbol/Emblem:** A stylized wolf head with glowing red eyes, forged from metal, surrounded by a gear - **Headquarters/Base of Operations:** Nomadic, with a semi-permanent base in the southern foothills of the [[Icerime Peaks]] - **Scale & Reach:** Regional influence throughout western and central Numeria, occasionally venturing into neighboring territories ### **Purpose & Goals** - **Primary Objective:** Locate, recover, and profit from technological artifacts found throughout Numeria, operating independent of [[The Technic League]]'s control - **Core Ideology:** Technology belongs to those strong enough to claim it; might and metal make right; freedom through power - **Methods & Operations:** Scouting expeditions to find artifact sites, raiding known locations, trading and selling recovered technology, and defending their independence through force - **Notable Activities:** - Expeditions to uncharted areas of Numeria for new artifact sites - Ambushing [[The Technic League]] recovery teams to steal their finds - Selling and trading technological items to various buyers - Territorial defense against rival groups like [[The Ghost Wolves]] - Occasionally hiring out as guides or protection for those exploring Numeria ### **Structure & Leadership** - **Leader(s):** Warlord Dregnar "Steelskin" Krazk, a half-orc with extensive technological augmentations - **Hierarchy & Ranks:** - Warlord - Overall leader and final authority - Forge Captains - Field commanders leading individual hunting parties - Tech-Shamans - Specialists who understand and modify technology - Blade Brothers/Sisters - Veteran hunters with proven records - Scrappers - New recruits and support personnel - **Recruitment & Membership:** - Accepts anyone able to prove their worth through tests of combat or technical skill - New members start as Scrappers and earn promotion through successful hunts - High mortality rate means constant need for fresh recruits - No racial prejudice—only concern is capability and loyalty - **Key Figures:** - Dregnar "Steelskin" Krazk: Leader who has replaced nearly 40% of his body with technological enhancements - Vesra the Spark: Chief Tech-Shaman, rumored to communicate directly with technological spirits - Krador "Quickdraw": Forge Captain known for his collection of laser weapons - Zimiel Ravenhawk: Scout master with cybernetic eyes that can see various energy wavelengths ### **Influence & Power** - **Allies & Affiliations:** - Various black market dealers who purchase their technological finds - Select independent settlements that provide supplies in exchange for protection - Rogue ex-members of [[The Technic League]] who share technical knowledge - Occasional alliances with smaller salvage groups when targeting major sites - **Enemies & Rivalries:** - [[The Technic League]]: Their primary adversary in the competition for artifacts - [[The Ghost Wolves]]: Territorial rivals with overlapping hunting grounds - King [[Kevoth-Kul]]'s enforcers who attempt to suppress independent salvagers - [[Deepforged Syndicate]]: Dwarven clan with competing interests in technological artifacts - **Reputation & Public Perception:** - Feared as dangerous raiders but respected for their technological prowess - Seen as brutal but more honest than [[The Technic League]] by local populations - Viewed as valuable allies by those seeking protection in dangerous territory - Considered dangerous rebel elements by authorities in [[Starfall]] - **Military/Magical Strength:** - Approximately 150 members of varying combat capability - Superior technological armaments compared to most Numerian groups - Several heavily modified war machines and vehicles - Limited conventional magic use, but incorporate technomagical effects into their operations ### **History & Lore** - **Founding & Origins:** - Founded approximately 25 years ago by a renegade Technic League captain named Harkan the Bright - Originally a small band of deserters seeking to profit from technology without League oversight - Grew substantially after a successful raid on a major League convoy carrying advanced weapons - Current leadership took control five years ago following an internal power struggle - **Major Historical Events:** - The Great Haul: Discovery of an intact alien lab that provided much of their current technology - The Battle of Rust Valley where they established dominance over several smaller salvage groups - The Forge War: Brutal conflict with [[The Ghost Wolves]] over prime scavenging territory - The Sundering: Internal conflict that led to the current leadership structure - **Scandals & Secrets:** - Several members have undergone extensive and dangerous technological modifications - Their base contains an active alien AI that they worship as a deity - Warlord Dregnar may be slowly losing his humanity due to his augmentations - They possess a cache of weapons too dangerous for them to understand or control - **Current Struggles:** - Increasing pressure from [[The Technic League]]'s systematic hunts - Internal divide between those who use technology and those who worship it - Dwindling salvage sites as competition grows fiercer - Medical complications from untested technological implementations ### **Culture & Traditions** - **Core Values & Ethics:** - Strength and self-reliance above all - Share with the pack, defend against outsiders - Technology is power—acquire it, understand it, use it - No rules but those that serve survival - **Rituals & Initiations:** - The Metal Trial: Recruits must recover a piece of technology from dangerous territory - Blood and Oil Ceremony: Formal induction where blood is mixed with machine lubricant - The Hunt Moon: Monthly expedition where all able members participate in a coordinated salvage operation - The Binding: Enhancement ceremonies where members receive technological augmentations - **Notable Sayings/Mottos:** - "Steel body, iron will" - "Take the metal, make it yours" - "What breaks can be rebuilt stronger" - **Symbols of Authority:** - Technological implants and augmentations signify rank and accomplishment - Trophy bandoliers displaying fragments of rare technology - Access keys to restricted areas of their base - Command modules that control their more powerful salvaged equipment ### **Additional Notes** - **Vibe & Inspirations:** - Post-apocalyptic scavenger clan meets techno-barbarian warband - Blend of tribal society with advancing technological understanding - The struggle between human values and technological enhancement - The fine line between using technology and being controlled by it - **Adventure Hooks:** - Hired as guides to locate a specific piece of technology - Competing with them for a valuable artifact - Seeking their help against [[The Technic League]] - Investigating rumors of dangerous malfunctions in their technological implements - Rescuing someone who has been captured for "involuntary augmentation"