The Ironclaw Clan was founded by Ironclaw the First. But in these days, Ironclaw had no clan. No family. He was a lone griffon, born and raised in servitude to a cruel and powerful Griffon warlord in the days when griffons fought amongst each other for gold and territory. Raised to fight for the pleasure of his masters, he sought a way out the only way he knew how.

The Arena.

One hundred battles. That would be the price for freedom.

And so Ironclaw fought. He fought like a griffon possessed, his eyes seeming to glow red with each fallen enemy he bested and the greater his injuries became. Despite it all he did not let up, and he was unstoppable till the day his finally fight had come.

One last fight. And it would all be over. But this fight would be the most grueling, as the champion he fought was a savage griffon, two times his size and a veteran of many fights.

But Ironclaw was cunning as he was strong, and with this he struck down his finally enemy. One hundred battles, and he had at last earned his reward. Like every champion before him.

Buried beneath the arena, the promise of freedom. A lie. Many would have given up hope, but Ironclaw's will was like iron and he would be free...

...no matter the cost.

Ironclaw...would be chained no longer. And with a stone he managed to reach for in his dark tomb, he made the ultimate sacrifice to earn his freedom, by removing his chained talon.

With this sacrifice, Ironclaw was freed from his chains...and with this action he drew the eyes of other chained champions who were locked beneath the earth with him. All gazed at him, as he looked at the stump of where his talon once was, the rock in his remaining talon.

Ironclaw was freed, and now....he would take revenge. But he could not do it alone. And so it looked to the other imprisoned champions, and cast to them the same rock that freed him and spoke only a few words.

"Take...your vengeance."

With his followers, Ironclaw and the other champions broke free from their cell, and with weapons they took from guards and the warlords armory, attacked the warlord within his hold and brought low all who stood in their way, their removed talon now replaced with weapons tied over the stump.

It was on this day, bound by sacrifice that a new clan emerged among Griffon kind, with Ironclaw at the head. And never again would they be chained. Never again would they be bent. They were now Ironclaws, and any who stood against them would feel their wrath.