Overview

The Ironhowl Forge has stood in Shadewood Hollow since the early 1800s, its iron-reinforced walls and Cherokee-blessed foundation marking it as more than just a blacksmith’s shop. It was founded by Enoch Vance, a man who believed in two things — fire and family. With little more than a bag of tools and a promise to build something “no storm, no man, and no beast could break,” Enoch raised the forge into a fortress of fire and iron. His tools bore the “V” mark, a symbol of craftsmanship that still holds meaning today.

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But in 1829, Enoch vanished. His hammer lay on the anvil, and the door that was never left open—hung wide. No tracks. No trail. Just whispers of glowing eyes in the woods and a howl that didn’t belong to any wolf. After he vanished, strange things began happening. Tools moved on their own, and the sound of a hammer echoed at night, long after the fire had died. Workers stopped staying after dark. 

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His son, Gideon Vance, took over and turned the forge into more than a business — he made it a refuge for outcasts. Runaways, outlaws, and those with nowhere else to go found shelter at “The Open Hand”, as he was called. He didn’t care where you came from, so long as you respected the fire. Gideon’s most famous creation was the “Blacktooth Blade”, a serrated hunting knife so sharp it could bite through bone. They say he only made seven of them. Six are accounted for. One isn’t.

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While Gideon welcomed the unwanted, he had no patience for Monaghan’s control. He charged double for Monaghan’s orders, and while it earned him respect, it may have also marked him for something worse. One day, Gideon disappeared too. No fight, no fire, no tracks. Just his hammer hanging on the wall. Some say he followed his father through the door. Others believe Monaghan finally had enough.

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The forge eventually passed to Viktor “Ironhand” Vance, Gideon’s brother. Broad as a freight wagon and just as steady, Viktor is a man of patience, precision, and defiance. They call him “Ironhand” not just for his skill but for the scars on his right hand, left behind after a red-hot ingot crushed it. He didn’t quit. He finished the job. His grip never wavered, his resolve only hardened.

Under Viktor’s rule, the forge still burns, but its doors aren’t as open as they once were. He keeps Gideon’s old apprentices but works them twice as hard. Monaghan’s men have tried to push him, but Viktor doesn’t flinch. One foreman demanded faster production, and Viktor responded by slamming a red-hot horseshoe onto the man’s desk, burning a permanent black mark into the wood. Nobody’s asked him to hurry since.

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But it’s not his defiance that unsettles people — it’s the way he stares at the door of the forge. Same door Enoch disappeared behind. Same door Gideon watched late at night. The apprentices have seen Viktor standing in front of it, hammer in hand, as if waiting for something to come through.

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​​​​Secrets & Lore

• The Pact: An unspoken bond exists between the Ironhowl Pack and the Vance family, forged by Enoch and upheld by his descendants.

• The Horseshoe: A silver horseshoe, hung by Enoch himself, remains untouched above the forge door, believed to ward off unseen forces.

• The Howls: Locals claim that howls echo from within the forge at night. Some say it’s the wind, others believe it’s something older.

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Forge Roles

• Forgehand – A new recruit tasked with basic labor like hauling coal, pumping bellows, and cleaning tools. 

  • Weekly pay: $5.00

• Hammerman – A trained blacksmith assistant who works alongside the smith, shaping metal under guidance. 

  • Weekly pay: $10.00

• Blacksmith – A master craftsman responsible for creating tools, weapons, and custom ironwork for the town. 

  • Weekly pay: $15.00

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Servies & Wares

• Repairs

• Tools

• Small Arms: Simple flintlock pistols, revolvers (limited stock), and single-shot rifles.

• Ammunition: Silver-tipped bullets are rare but possible.

• Blades & Knives: Hunting knives, skinning knives, and carving blades.

• Melee Weapons: Hatchets, pickaxes, clubs, and weighted hammers.

• Tool Sharpening: Blades, scythes, and axes sharpened by hand or using a grindstone.

• Leatherworking: Simple repairs for belts, boots, and saddles.

• Farm Equipment

• Custom Orders

• Construction Goods

• Household Items

• Decorative Work

• Blacktooth Blade (Rare): The special work of Gideon Vance, only seven were ever made. A serrated knife known for its skill in carving through bone. Six are accounted for, one isn’t. 

• Glow-oil Lanterns (Rare): Lanterns treated with Glowweed oil for better illumination.

• Wolf-Iron Blades (Rare): Blades made under the Ironhowl Pact, believed to have supernatural durability.

• Silver-Edged Tools (Rare): Pickaxes and shovels reinforced with a thin silver edge for supernatural defense.

• Spell-Forged Iron (Rare): Specialty iron objects infused with magical properties, often in collaboration with witches.

• Blood-Tempered Picks (Rare): Tools rumored to resist wear, favored by miners.

• Wolf-Iron Shackles (Rare): Restraints forged with silver and iron to subdue supernatural creatures.

• Iron & Silver Hybrids (Rare): Specialty weapons designed to repel supernatural creatures, including daggers and arrowheads.