=== Exohumans | NPC ===

====== ORIN “IRONHAND” HALE ======

{{ :102_npc_orinironhandhale.png?direct&200|}}
===== Race and Faction =====

  * **Species:** [[the_humans|ExoHuman]]
  * **Born:** 2604, aboard the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]]
  * **Affiliation (Beta Age):** Proprietor, [[saws_end|Saw’s End tavern]]; former foreman at [[fogwood_sawmill|Fogwood Sawmill Inc. Headquarters]]
  * **Place of Residence:** [[morningstar|Morningstar]]

===== Background =====

Orin Hale, a cousin of the hunting legend [[garrick_hale|Garrick Hale]], earned his nickname “Ironhand” after losing his left arm in a sawmill accident at Fogwood Sawmill in 2626. Rather than retire, he commissioned a custom tritanium prosthetic — an iron hand that granted him near-perfect grip and uncanny strength. As foreman, Orin was famed for felling record-sized hardwoods single-handedly. After losing his left arm in a mill accident in 2626, Orin commissioned a tritanium prosthetic — his “Ironhand” — and repurposed his leadership skills to found and run Saw’s End tavern in January 2627.

His establishment became a haven for lumberjacks, workers of the [[forge_of_atrana|Forge of Atrana,]] and mill hands — a place Orin protected as fiercely as he once protected his crews in the [[atrana_mountains|Atrana Mountains]]. A large tattoo covers his back: the silhouette of a towering tree encircled by the words “Roots Above All,” a personal motto reminding him of his humble beginnings among Morningstar’s forests.

Saw’s End remained Morningstar’s frontier hearth until the late days of the [[great_war|Great War]], when Orin enlisted with the [[volunteer_army_of_man|Volunteer Army of Man]] to help defend the settlement from the [[alliance_of_native_tribes|Native Alliance’s]] incursions. On [[day_zero|Day Zero]] — March 24, 2631 — exactly six years after the Last Frontier crash, Orin fell defending Morningstar’s perimeter against an assault by the [[alliance_of_native_tribes|Alliance of Native Tribe]], 

After the war’s end and the founding of the [[federal_confederation|Federal Confederation]] in 2632, Saw’s End closed — its legacy absorbed into the [[federal_hostel_saloon_morningstar|Federal Hostel & Saloon of Morningstar]] under the [[federal_allotment_agency|Federal Allotment Agency]].









===== Roles in the Beta Age =====

  * **Forehand, Fogwood Sawmill (01 Dec 2625 – 27 Oct 2626):** Supervised tree-felling crews; set daily harvest quotas; trained new lumberjacks in safe-work protocols.

  * **Owner & Pit Boss, Saw’s End (mid-2627 – 16 Apr 2631):** Managed tavern and guesthouse operations; enforced order among rough patrons; hosted saw-sharpening contests and logs-and-pins betting games; accommodated traveling crews in three guest rooms.

  * **Volunteer Soldier, Volunteer Army of Man (14 Jan 2631 – 24 Mar 2631):** Served as a woodsman-skirmisher on Morningstar’s front lines, leading improvised axe-driven charges against enemy infiltrators; killed in action during a night assault.

===== Personality =====

  * **Traits:** Gruff but fair; fiercely loyal to his regulars; stoic under pressure
  * **Behavior:** Speaks little but listens closely; intervenes personally to defuse fights; offers work or shelter to those he deems worthy
  * **Values:** Community solidarity, hard work, respect for nature (symbolized by his tree tattoo)

===== Physical Attributes =====

  * **Height:** 1,92 meters
  * **Weight:** 97 kg
  * **Appearance:** Broad-shouldered and muscular; missing left arm replaced by a polished tritanium prosthetic (“Ironhand”); weathered skin; steel-gray hair tied back; deep green eyes

===== Combat Statistics =====

  * **Armor Class (AC):** 14 (leather vest + sturdy forearm guard)
  * **Hit Points (HP):** 45

==== Actions: ====

  * **Axe Mastery:** Melee Weapon Attack with Orin’s heavy timber axe or improvised club (his prosthetic)—+6 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d12 + 4 slashing damage.
  * **Ironhand Strike:** Unarmed strike using his prosthetic’s reinforced fist—+6 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 bludgeoning damage.
  * **Groundbreaker:** Once per short rest, Orin can smash the ground in front of him, forcing all creatures in a 5-ft cone to succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone and take 1d8 bludgeoning damage.

==== Special Abilities: ====

  * **Lumberjack’s Endurance:** Advantage on Strength checks and saving throws to resist exhaustion or environmental hazards (cold, mist, rugged terrain).
  * **Hearth Keeper:** Allies within 10 ft gain advantage on saving throws against fear or intimidation while Orin is conscious.

===== Motivations and Goals =====

Orin’s primary motivation is to maintain Saw’s End as a sanctuary for Morningstar’s laborers — a place where a hard day’s work is rewarded with camaraderie and safety. He privately harbors guilt over the accident that cost him his arm and sees his tavern as penance: a community lifeline. Long-term, he dreams of establishing a durable guild for ex-mill workers to secure fair treatment and apprenticeships for the next generation.

===== Legacy =====

Orin “Ironhand” Hale’s sacrifice on Day Zero is honored annually on March 24:

  * A bronze plaque depicting an axe crossed with a tankard stands in the Federal Hostel & Saloon.
  * Each March 24, settlers raise a final round of beer in his name, echoing his last duty — drinking with comrades before battle.
===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====

Orin serves as both ally and gatekeeper in Morningstar:

  * **Social Anchor:** PCs may earn his respect by proving their mettle or aiding Saw’s End—securing information, rescuing patrons, or supplying rare timber spirits.
  * **Conflict Mediator:** In bar brawls or political disputes, Orin steps in with commanding presence and combat prowess; PCs can fight alongside him or convince him to stand down.
  * **Quest Giver:** He might request help investigating threats to local mills or recovering stolen equipment from mountain bandits.

Use Orin to anchor the community’s pulse: when he’s threatened, Morningstar’s labor force rallies; when he speaks, folk listen.

===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * [[beta_age|Beta Age]]
  * [[atrana_mountains|Atrana Mountains]]
  * [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]]
  * [[Morningstar|Morningstar]]
  * [[fogwood_sawmill|Fogwood Sawmill]]
  * [[garrick_hale|Garrick Hale]]
  * [[saws_end|Saw’s End]]
  * [[great_war|Great War]]
  * [[volunteer_army_of_man|Volunteer Army of Man]]
  * [[day_zero|Day Zero]]