• Species: ExoHuman
• Born: 2604, aboard the Last Frontier
• Affiliation (Beta Age): Proprietor, Saw’s End tavern; former foreman at Fogwood Sawmill
• Place of Residence: Morningstar

Orin 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 mid-2627.

His establishment became a haven for lumberjacks, workers of the Forge of Atrana, and mill hands — a place Orin protected as fiercely as he once protected his crews in the 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, when Orin enlisted with the Volunteer Army of Man to help defend the settlement from the Native Alliance’s incursions. He fell in battle defending Morningstar’s outskirts, and after the war’s end and the founding of the Federal Confederation in 2632, Saw’s End closed — its legacy absorbed into the Federal Hostel & Saloon of Morningstar under the Federal Allotment Agency.

• Job Title: Owner & Pit Boss, Saw’s End
• Responsibilities: Managing tavern operations, enforcing order among rough patrons, hosting frontier gatherings, accommodating traveling crews

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)

Height: 1. ninety meters

Weight: 95 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

Armor Class (AC): 14 (leather vest + sturdy forearm guard)

Hit Points (HP): 45

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fogwood Sawmill

Saw’s End

Atrana Mountains

Great War

Twenty One (Card Game)

Role of the Contact Person