Ironclad Cordite

"If a man is destined to be free, then he'll be free. If he's a slave now and doesn't think that's his destiny, then he should fight for it - like I have."

Ironclad Cordite is a recruit in Wasteland 3.

Background
The gang leader who would be king. Former boss of a gang of savage body-modded slavers called the "Scar Collectors", he believes he is the rightful warlord of the tribes of the eastern wastes, and is one day fated to unite and rule them. Unfortunately, there have been many setbacks on the road to his destiny. Still, he is patient - believing these are the "twelve trials" that a prophet in his childhood told him he would have to overcome before he could take his throne. He believes that each one reveals a sacred truth to him, and the last will fulfill his destiny. All twelve were carved into his skin by his mother and Cordite has been crossing them out ever since. He's at the tenth.

Who was his mother? A slave, owned by the leader of the Wakarusa Redlegs. His mother eventually deposed the slave master and installed herself as the leader of the horde, with great hopes for her son, destined (according to an oracle) to make the Wakarusa Redlegs the greatest horde in Kansas. Cordite planned to use the Scar Collectors to unite the Colorado gangs, then lead 'em home to take what's his. Trouble is, Saul Buchanan happened. His invasion of the plains to destroy the gangs put Cordite's plans on the backburner. After battling the army of the Colorado to a standstill, Saul was forced to negotiate.

In return for money, supplies, and slaves, they'd avoid Colorado and stick to the east with their raids, allowing him to peacefully build a nation. The arrangement worked well until Liberty Buchanan's coup attempt failed and she fled east. She realized the gangs were kept in the dark about the deal. She turned the Payasos, the Godfishers, and the Collectors against their leaders by revealing that secret. Star-that-Dreams overthrew Clouds-Drifting-West to lead the Godfishers, Lecherito killed Slapstick to take the Payasos, and Steel-Trap jumped Cordite and sold him to a bauxite mine.

Cordite escaped the mine easily enough, but made a fatal mistake: He decided to go to Buchanan for help. Instead, he was sent to Saul's black site, the Old Survivalist Bunker, to be held and interrogated for intel. That's when Angela Deth learned of his whereabouts and decided to use him to convince Team November that Buchanan isn't the good daddy he pretends to be. For his part, Cordite is angry with himself, for letting the Patriarch's handouts lull him into a sense of false security and dulling his ambition. Never again, he says. Never again.

Companion

 * Cordite can be recruited at the Old Survivalist Bunker and comes as a close-combat brawling specialist. You need to finish the Bizarre quests first, however.
 * Ironclad has an unique background (Warlord).

Quests

 * Lords of War: Ironclad is essential to Angela Deth's plans, though he is a slaver and a warlord. You get to liberate him in the course of the quest.
 * If you bring Ironclad with you to confront Liberty Buchanan at Yuma County, it will give you the option to assume leadership over the gangs as part of King Cordite and use them to conquer Colorado Springs once you deal with The Traitor (though Angela wants you to lead them away into Kansas). This leads to the unique Gangs All Here final mission.