Baldur's Gate 3: The Ironhand-Gondian Feud, Explained

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Throughout , players will run intotwo prominent gnomish clans: the Ironhands and the Gondians. Both are factions of inventors and engineers, whose creativity fuels them to make increasingly impressive technological advances. But they are at odds with one another, and it's more than a simple rivalry. These groups are out for blood.

Or at least, the Ironhand gnomes are. The Ironhand gnomes can first be met in the Grymforge working as slaves under the Flameshade Duergar, and are by far the more promiment group. Two important NPCs, Wulbren Bongle and Barcus Wroot, are among their ranks, and have multiple quests for the player throughout the game. The rivalry between these groups is mostly seen from the Ironhand's perspective, which makes it hard to tell what the full story really is. Luckily, in-game info can shed some light on this feud.

The spirit of competition between the groups has not always been violent, and it seems like some level of competition between gnomish inventors in general is an expected part of their trade. Barcus Wroot says as much, and he is not a violent character at all, acting as a voice for peace between the groups. While the conflict between the Gondians and Ironhands may have started as simple competition for greater prestige and wealth, it has become something much worse.

Baldur's Gate 3 has plenty of despicable villains, but the worst offender of all isn't one of the most fundamentally wicked or morally bankrupt.

Part of the conflict might stem from the factions' worship of different deities that inspire their creations. The Gondians follow Gond, god of craft and smithing. Gond is a morally neutral god, whose followers may invent for good or evil. The Gondians seem to pursue technological progress without much consideration of its potential consequences.

The Ironhands, meanwhile, follow Gaerdal Ironhand. Gaerdal is considered lawful good, but is not inherently a god of inventors. Instead, his domain is that of gnomish communities and the