#IronHand

[little-red-fool]

The progression of each of the acts’ storylines in BG3 is insane because it’s just like

Act 1: There’s a bunch of goblin cultists trying to kill some druids because they believe in a different deity, kill them so the refugees can leave safely, or turn on the druids and refugees if you want to play as a bad guy

Act 2: A bunch of people have been kidnapped so you need to venture through the British countryside of Perpetual Night to kill this lich with the help of his lesbian daughter and her demigod girlfriend in order to revive an immortal child that was banished to the Shadow Realm

Act 3: A gnome terrorist organisation will help you blow up a giant robotic policeman so you can go beat the shit out of an Archduke after you find out his anaemic spy’s underlings have been murdering people from the local brothel before you go to soufflé a giant psychic brain deity so everyone doesn’t turn into evil squid furries.

[theobviousparadox]

Review: Ironhand by Charlie Fletcher

Review: Ironhand by Charlie Fletcher

Ironhand (Stoneheart #2)Charlie FletcherHodder Children’s BooksPublished October 1, 2007 Amazon | Audible | Goodreads About Ironhand Now that George Chapman has upset the fragile truce between the warring statues of London, he has been drawn into a war that will test his mettle. He and Edie, a glint who can see the past, may have succeeded in their quest to find the Stoneheart, but their…

[fieldexplores]

Totodile finds out that Fuecoco ate everything.

[atomic-chronoscaph]

art by Ciruelo Cabral

[kirain]

Hi! I love your metas and I had a question if you don't mind. I love Barcus but I'm a bit confused by the Ironhand gnomes and why they were so mad at the Gondians? Did I maybe miss something?

Omg, I'm so glad someone asked me this! Thank you, anon. I broached this exact subject with my friend a few days ago, and I'd already considered writing a post about it, so this was the kick I needed! Barcus is hands down my favourite NPC (perhaps of all time) and the gnome plight is easily my favourite side quest in the entire game, so I'm excited to share what I've learned!

To preface, I'd like to mention that most gnomes, according to D&D lore, live in clans and keep to themselves. This is especially true for deep gnomes, as the Underdark is an exceedingly dangerous homeland. Their people are often enslaved by drow or duergar, or eaten by other nefarious creatures that lurk in the shadows. As such, they have become a profoundly somber and cynical race, relying only on each other for survival. They're also extremely wary of strangers, as Barcus perfectly demonstrates when we first meet him.

Now, a history lesson. The Ironhand Gnomes, who at some point left the Underdark, worked in Baldur's Gate for generations, providing the city with the best mechanomagical inventions the populace had ever seen. Though they still kept to themselves and worked in isolation, they were well respected by the citizens, and flourished enough to inspire other gnomes to seek a new life in the city as well. This may not have been their goal, but whether they meant to or not, they brought gnomish innovation to the forefront of one of the most multicultural cities in all of Faerûn.

More importantly, the Ironhand Gnomes worshipped a lesser deity called Gaerdal Ironhand, who Wulbren's ancestor, Wolverforce Bongle, allegedly conversed with. Massive however, in all of my research, I haven't been able to find any evidence that he was truly capable of such a feat, nor is he ever referred to as a "Chosen" by either himself or anyone from his clan. Therefore, it's possible this is nothing more than an unsubstantiated claim made by zealots. A book called Ironhand Gnomes: Our Grievances can be found in the gnome hideout in Act 3, verifying some of this information, but it's glaringly biased against the Gondians, with radically religious and violent undertones.

But where did this hatred come from? Well, according to the book, the Ironhand Gnomes shared some of their expertise with other clans, and some of those clans took what they learned and opened their own workshops. The Gondians, who worship Gond, did particularly well, constructing their own factories and becoming quick competition. They even built a Gondian Church in the city, and attributed their success to Gond; god of craft, smithing, and inventiveness. For whatever reason, the Ironhands didn't appreciate this and accused the Gondians of stealing their methods and designs, as well as pointing out flaws in their "shoddy" craftsmanship.

However, Gondian work was relatively flawless, as well as artifice-based, meaning it relied on science and raw materials. The Ironhands specialised in mechanomagical inventions, meaning they imbued their engines with arcane influence. This put the Gondians and Ironhands at odds with each other, as Gond espoused artifice supremacy, whereas Gaerdal Ironhand, according to Wolverforce, accused Gond of being a thief. So yes, we've reached the crux of the issue—religious turmoil. Both gods, I should mention, are good-aligned and easily misinterpreted, so of course that adds another layer of complications.

In response to the Ironhand's accusations, the Gondians started slandering the Ironhand clan, losing them favour in the city. In other words, the feud quite literally became a he said/she said situation, with both clans acting like petty children. Whether or not the Ironhand Gnomes taught the Gondians a few tricks, they weren't owed credit for their inventions. That would be like my friend showing me how to use Adobe Animate, then demanding credit for all of my artwork thereafter ... and all while criticising it. And the Gondians, though attempting to protect their reputation, had no right to spread lies about the Ironhand clan, not all of whom participated in the drama. They could've let their work speak for itself.

But this war of finger-pointing dragged on, with both sides losing and gaining support from confused Baldurians. Eventually, the Ironhands became desperate to get the upperhand, rousing Wolverforce to experiment with the thought-to-be mythical runepowder. This led to what became known as the "Unfortunate Runepowder Incident", wherein the overweening Wolverforce caused a massive explosion, killing himself and countless others in the blast. Wulbren blames this tragedy on the Gondians alone, and many Ironhands seem to feel it was the root of their exile, but there's more to it.

In reality, the Ironhand Gnomes were banished from Baldur's Gate because they aligned themselves with Sarevok Anchev, the Bhaalspawn who tried to destroy the city in the first game. For some reason, Wulbren completely glosses over this detail, likely because he can't bring himself to admit the Ironhands are responsible for their own downfall. In fact, he brushes it off, as if it's some insignificant happenstance that deserves forgiveness without merit. After all, it happened over a century ago. Then, in Act 3, he says a painfully backwards line about how he thinks the Gondians would've joined Sarevok, if given the chance. But they did have a chance, and they didn't join him. The Ironhands did. As far as I'm concerned, this highlights Wulbren's extensive denial.

Which brings me around to Barcus and why he's such an endearing character. He doesn't care about ancient feuds or gnome supremacy. He made a name for himself, despite his clan's reputation. The Gondians never saw him as an enemy, and he in turn saw the value in their work. He prefers diplomacy and open dialogue, and he abhors violence to the highest degree. With a little hard work, he proved that the Ironhand Gnomes could've redeemed themselves without resorting to such extreme and radical measures; which is why I will always argue for him to take leadership. He's the best. He's everything. He is the shining future of unity and creation.

[denofimagination-blog]

Our bodies are tools, our minds are steel. Upgrade, adapt, survive.

If you want to have your minis painted by us - write to service@denofimagination.com

[serenfire]

finished the bg3 ironhand gnome plotline today and was wondering about the pulse of the fandom so i checked and

turns out almost everyone who played this game is a coward!! doesn’t see that bg3’s commentary on violence can be about resistance by any means necessary to the point that you turn the knife on every single one of the people you once called friend

[sun-marie]

potentially a hot take but it is my opinion that open ended, non-linear, exploration-based storytelling in video games is not worth it if it comes at the expense of the story's pacing. If you have a thousand different roads for the player to take but they're all just thrown at the player at once with no rhyme or reason, then no amount of "player agency" is going to make any if them feel satisfying, they now just feel like a chore.

[thenopequeen]

Aventus Arentino: Look Pa, it's the good cush!

Esper Ironhand: Son, this is Belethor's how good could it be?

[kaarls-repository-of-grudges]

Chaos dwarf army is on the way!

Hashut Vorgrund Zharr Naggrund!

[optiwashere]

D.2 Asheera and Wyll

I think the two of then would be a charisma powerhouse when working together for a goal like this!!

Yesss, what an excellent choice, anon! Thanks for sending in this one 💜

You can send a prompt from this list + a ship or platonic pair, and I'll write a ficlet!

---

D2. Trying to get a better reward for a quest

The thought of asking for a reward for a good deed hadn't crossed Asheera's mind until she met Wulbren Bongle.

The way he casually waved her off after saving his life was obnoxious, sure, but it wasn't the worst she'd dealt with before. Even the expectation of help was forgivable. But the way he disregarded almost everything that Barcus said? Barcus who, if Asheera was being honest, wasn't exactly the most enjoyable person to be around either?

She saw the same recognition in Wyll's eye as he leaned against the wall nearest Wulbren's table. Wulbren's compatriots glared at Wyll as if he'd just interrupted a private dinner.

"You know, friend," said Wyll cheerily, "you do owe us your life."

"And I said my piece about it," Wulbren explained, looking over his shoulder at Asheera. "Your contributions to the Ironhands' cause are noted."

Asheera crossed her arms, glaring down at the seated gnome. "Noted? A thanks would go a long way."

"A thanks?" Wulbren scoffed.

"We could insist on a more concrete reward," said Wyll, "but I wouldn't want to steal from the coffers of the Ironhands."

Wulbren turned his aggrieved gaze to Wyll. "Not that we have much to give."

"A simple ‘thank you’ is in order then," Asheera agreed.

For a few moments longer than expected, Wulbren glared at them both. The icy stare had little effect on either Asheera or Wyll, the two standing still as statues while they waited for however Wulbren might respond. For a moment, Asheera wondered if he was going to lay into them as he had Barcus, but eventually he rolled his eyes and sighed.

Between the sneer still on his face and the wretched tone he took with someone that was presumably his friend, Wulbren wore the pettiest look Asheera had seen in a long time. All in all, Asheera decided that she just didn't like this man all that much.

"Fine," said Wulbren flatly. "Thank you."

Wyll chuckled and he pushed himself away from the wall to stand next to Asheera. He asked, "Now, Asheera, did that sound like the voice of a grateful man to you?"

Asheera glanced at him and shook her head sadly. "No. No, it didn't. Quite the opposite, really."

"What do you want? For me to grovel and whine and cry and thank you, oh glorious adventurers?" Wulbren's voice grew in volume as he spoke, his chest heaving with breaths. "I would've broken out just fine on my own time, your gang of misfits just happened to accelerate the process. So no, I'm not going to fall to my knees weepy eyed like the rest of this lot. Thanks, and that'll have to do."

The outburst drew the attention of the others in the inn, some of the surviving refugees and Harpers staring, and Wulbren glared back at all of them. He mumbled under his breath to his companions who excused themselves to get a drink.

For a moment, a flicker of embarrassment flashed across Wulbren's face.

Asheera turned to Wyll. "Good enough?"

He smiled and replied, "Yeah, that'll do."

[ainecdote]

funniest bg3 exploits i've used in no particular order;

- using a rat corpse to steal from traders

- straight up teleporting out of the myrkul fight and into act three without having to kill him

- killing aylin without triggering the deaths of everyone at last light and their dialogues getting all out of wack

- karlach's soul coin mechanic being bugged and doing double damage but ONLY when she's respecced into monk

- infinite sorcery points

- getting arabella killed and then reviving her with glut (most children can't die in combat. she becomes an infinite damage source.)

- kidnapping gortash at his coronation and tossing him off a cliff

[selunesfavouriteprincess]

Local Drow Believes She’s In Charge Of Party, Gets Violently Humbled

[jessiemeows]

whatever happens to that little couple you meet in grymforge? beldron and his husband? beldron said he would give you a drink in baldurs gate bc he doesn’t believe that wulbren would live past moonrise. so like does he give you a drink? i always save wulbren to get the bomb to then kill him after the steel watch quest is done lol. i know thulla, philomeen and her ex girlfriend are still there in the iron gnome head quarters but where is everyone else ???

[helpimstuckinafandom]

Wulbren sure talks big shit about how Gondians can never be trusted and how they'll ruin the city (despite being forced to work for Gortash) when the Ironhands sided with Sarevok the Bhaalspawn Bad GuyTM in the past

[rowandekarios]

the ironhand gnomes: being torn apart by winged horrors and clearly in need of assistance

gale, seeing karlach and jericho in trouble: fear not lesbians i am on my way