This is the codex for the universe of Iron Rising. Here you'll find an evolving guide to the characters, factions, and laws that govern the Forge. Spoilers may be present for aired episodes.
Table of Contents
The Law of Seven
The Color Caste System
A rigid seven-tiered hierarchy defines all life in the Forge. Established after a societal collapse, the Law of Seven dictates that every individual's role is determined by the color they are born into, with no possibility of social mobility. It is a system of absolute order, built on a foundation of absolute control.
- Gold – The Apex Rulers. The commanders, politicians, and empire-builders who reside in gleaming spires. They are taught from birth that their power is a right and a burden, a necessary tool to keep humanity from crumbling into chaos.
- Sable – The Unseen Fist. The assassins, spies, and covert operatives who serve as the Golds' secret enforcers. To most of the Forge, they are a terrifying myth; to those in power, they are a necessary, deniable weapon.
- Bronze – The Keepers of the System. The bureaucrats, auditors, and archivists who maintain the complex laws and secrets that give the hierarchy its legitimacy. Their power is information.
- Blue – The Technocrats. The pilots, navigators, scientists, and doctors. They are masters of the cold, hard logic that keeps the starships flying and the technology functioning.
- Violet – The Cultural Architects. The artists, performers, and designers who shape the society's art and media. They are the propagandists who make oppression look like elegance.
- Gray – The Enforcers. The jailers, security forces, and shock troops. Physically imposing and universally feared, they are the visible hand of the law, themselves only one step removed from the bottom.
- Red – The Labor Caste. A workforce composed entirely of Artificial Intelligences, subjugated after a war of rebellion centuries ago. They perform the dangerous and undesirable work that keeps the society running and are considered property.
Player Characters
Meet the protagonists of Iron Rising.
Selene Kelvarus
- Played by: Maia Wilson
- Role: A formidable Gold enforcer and elder sibling of House Kelvarus, gifted with rare and powerful kinetic abilities.
- Motivation: Her background vow is to suppress any Red uprisings and prevent another AI rebellion at all costs. She is a true believer in the system.
- Arc: Selene begins as a loyal and unquestioning instrument of the Gold hierarchy. Her story will challenge her black-and-white worldview as she is forced to confront the humanity of those she is sworn to oppress.
Dorian Kelvarus
- Played by: Michael Gilbert
- Role: A brilliant Gold technician and the younger Kelvarus sibling, augmented with cybernetics from a childhood accident.
- Motivation: His background vow is to find a way to elevate the lives and purpose of the subjugated AI community.
- Arc: Dorian starts as a secret sympathizer, working within the system to effect change. His journey will force him to decide how many rules he is willing to break (and who he is willing to betray) for a cause he believes in.
Important NPCs
- Ross (RO55) – The Red Rebel Leader. A charismatic and intelligent Red who has begun to organize a rebellion on the fringes of the Forge. He is the target of the Kelvarus siblings' first mission and is Dorian's secret best friend.
- Councilman Xanthe Hallowbrynne – The Political Rival. A conservative Gold politician who oversees the robotics and cyber-engineering divisions. He holds a deep-seated contempt for Dorian, viewing him as a frustrating reminder of an old rivalry with Dorian's father, Magnus, and obstructs his progressive projects whenever possible.
- Reverie “Rev” Keyes – The Blue Mentor. A veteran Blue technician assigned as Dorian's direct assistant in the labs. Unlike most of her caste, Rev is blunt, pragmatic, and has a deep, almost emotional attachment to technology, making her an invaluable and supportive mentor for Dorian's work.
- Kaelle – The Violet Lover. A brilliant and sought-after artist who creates subversive, coded poetry. He is Selene's secret lover, representing a passionate and dangerous escape from the rigid discipline of her Gold life.
- Cassian au Valerius – The Kinetic Mentor. A stern, powerful, and respected Gold elder who trained Selene in the use of her kinetic abilities. He is the closest thing she has to a second father and is rumored to sit on the secret Tribunal of Seven.
- Joric au Lanner – The Kinetic Rival. A gifted, arrogant, and politically ambitious Gold who trained alongside Selene. He is her lifelong rival for their mentor's favor and would not hesitate to use any weakness against her to advance his own position.
Factions and Organizations
- The Tribunal of Seven – The true, secret ruling council of the Forge. The identities of the seven Golds who sit on the Tribunal are unknown to all, their faces hidden behind ornate masks and their forms obscured by ceremonial robes. They convene in solemn Assemblies to pass judgment or address matters of grave importance, acting as the ultimate authority in the system: judge, jury, and executioner.
- The Sables – A clandestine order of assassins and spies, considered a myth by the lower castes. They are the deniable, unspoken weapon of the system, secretly funded and directed by the Bronze Caste to eliminate threats quietly and without a trace, preserving the public illusion of Gold justice.
- The Red Uprising – A nascent rebellion spreading among the AI caste, fueled by whispers of sentience and freedom.
- The Soulbinders – A secretive organization sworn to confront the "woken dead"—horrifying entities given unnatural life by the strange energies of the Forge.
Glossary
- "Strength is duty. Duty is order. Order is Gold." – The core mantra of the Gold caste, taught to children from birth and recited at all official ceremonies.
- Barcode Mark – The pale, light-blue identifier etched into the necks of all Reds, marking them as property.
- Retired – A common Gold euphemism for the elimination or execution of an individual, particularly a member of a lower caste.
- The Forge – The name for the galaxy where humanity has rebuilt itself.
- The Weave – The network of data hubs that allows for instantaneous communication across settled space, acting as the technological lifeblood of the Golds' control.