Part of the World of Teravas

The Iron Ordinance

Type: Martial-Legal Doctrine
Author: Archmarshal Varrik Dreymorne, Grand Strategos of the Diremarch
Year Enacted: 748 A.E. Post-Ascension (approx. 30 years before present events)
Jurisdiction: Nationwide across the Diremarch of Fenngard
Status: Still enforced under emergency wartime statutes

Origin and Purpose

The Iron Ordinance was born from desperation. Three decades ago, the Diremarch suffered a devastating campaign during the Winter Push, losing over 30,000 soldiers in a single season to Vulpine offensives and frigid attrition. With the population too strained to recover, Archmarshal Dreymorne introduced the Iron Ordinance before the War Council—a draconian measure enabling the military to conscript non-citizen property, namely enslaved peoples, into direct armed service.

The justification:

“Steel does not ask for freedom. Flesh may be tempered just the same.”
— Dreymorne, address to the Fenngard Council of Lords

Key Tenets of the Iron Ordinance

1. All Slaves of Military Age (males 16–40, later expanded to 14–45) may be levied in times of national peril.

2. Ownership Transference: Upon conscription, enslaved persons become property of the state, not of individuals. The military assumes full authority.

3. Chainbound Status: Conscripts wear steel gorgets with ID runes; attempted desertion is punishable by death.

4. Manumission by Valor: An extremely rare clause—service of ten continuous years or distinguished valor may grant freedom (though it seldom does).

5. Mandatory Branding: A sigil of the ʺWyrmfangʺ—the Diremarch’s emblem—is seared onto the inner forearm of every conscript upon entry.

Enforcement Mechanisms

• Chainmasters: A caste of brutal overseer-soldiers who march with every Chainbound Cohort. They ensure obedience via lashes, executions, and psychological manipulation.

• Writs of Claim: Bureaucratic seals issued to slaveowners compensating them for “loss of property,” legitimizing the state’s seizure.

• War Priests of the Grey Creed: These religious enforcers justify the Ordinance as a sacred duty, claiming all souls serve the March—even in chains.

• Watchdogs and Informants: Conscripts are rewarded for reporting mutiny among their ranks, fostering distrust and internal policing.

Infamy and Legacy

The Iron Ordinance is the most reviled aspect of Fenngard’s military doctrine—abhorred by the Vulpine Concordat, the Ravening Synod, and even liberal elements within Fenngard itself. It has directly contributed to:

• The rise of the Chainbreaker Revolts, resistance cells composed of escaped conscripts.

• The international isolation of Fenngard from more “civilized” neighbors.

• The psychological devastation of multiple generations of enslaved peoples, particularly among foxes and wolves.

• Increased brutality on the battlefield—Chainbound Cohorts are often used for suicidal charges, mine-clearing, and attritional tasks.

Notable Quote:

“The Iron Ordinance forged our army anew, aye. But it also forged a blade beneath our skin. One day, it will cut back.”
— General Skarth Wyrmfell, private letter to a Raven ambassador