It should be no surprise that the Iron Valley is almost entirely occupied by groups of people staking their claim to one stretch of mountainside or another. As such a communal people, playing in a group should be the norm for Valleyfolk. Those individuals who wander alone do so because they have fallen on hard times and should quickly be caught up in some Band or Sect (ideally both!).
Iron Valley groups mix the work mindedness and pragmatism of the Valley into social structures. Groups are oriented around the tasks they complete, more so than loyalty (although it comes with the social bonds) or any hierarchy. Joining and leaving groups tends to be straightforward and leadership is done through communal appointment or by communal agreement.
The one thing that differs Iron Valley groups from other realms is a deep investment in history. This includes both the history that the characters will be leaving behind and the history that they are growing from. Any Iron Valley group should keep a Saga of their deeds as one of their most treasured items, something to ensure that they are not forgotten. They should also attempt to draw from history (both known and imagined) to guide their actions and hopes.
Finally, the Iron Valley includes their young people in all that they do, seeing that learning to work at a young age is both a boon to the self and the whole. While children are generally blocked from achieving leadership on accident, all Iron Valley groups should consider how they would include young people (although they are not obliged to).
Bands in the Iron Valley
The core social group is a Borough, the term for a mixed Iron Valley living space / workplace. Boroughs can be found across the Valley and include industries as diverse as mining, training warriors, spies, herbalists, and mages. It encapsulates the Iron Valley that work and life are not disconnected in any way. If you are looking at creating an Iron Valley group, a borough is the heavily recommended choice.
The only circumstances to avoid creating a borough is if you are portraying a transient group, such as a warhost of mercenaries on the march, a fleet of Jarls without a home or an elite group of Summiters with no set resting ground. In these circumstances the Concord team recommends looking at the borough concept regardless and ignoring the ‘Citadel’ element.
To create a band you must submit your group concept through the Group Submission form, found Here.
Sects in the Iron Valley
Iron Valley sects are a strange bunch in the manner that they view their faith and their work through the lenses of each other. It is rare to find a sect in the Iron Valley that is exclusively ‘priests’. More often than that they are Huscarls, Gravers or Sagites, as each of these roles occupies an essential role in Iron Valley remembrance of the past. But it is also common to see the act of priesting combined with some other industries. Arcadian forgepriests, Cervitasian shipright-guides or Stallian sage-mentors. The Iron Valley view all life as a part of the mark they leave on the world and their faith is no different. Keep this in mind when building your sect as it can help diversify your work and create ways to bring it actively to play.
All of the Spheres are represented in the Iron Valley to a largely equal amount. Even Anarch, whose doctrine of change appears to be at odds with Valley sensibilities finds its home in the ideas of growth, building better and leaving a mark to find a home in the Valley. As a martial people with a dedication to the past, it is unsurprising that Arcadian and Stallia are commonly held close in the Valley. But sects of all kinds are welcome. Combined sects are common, particularly when they draw upon Cervitas and another Sphere, harkening to the communal life of the Valley.