Ironheads are enormous horned herbivores found across broadleaf forests, open plains, and river valleys. Mature animals can reach nine metres in length and weigh more than eight tonnes, with a massive solid frill, two long brow horns, a shorter nasal horn, and exceptionally thick hide. They are severely near-sighted but possess excellent hearing and smell, travelling in ill-tempered family herds of three to seven animals.

Ironheads have little instinct to flee from danger. When threatened or startled, a herd turns to face the disturbance, protects its young behind the adults, and may charge with several tonnes of mass behind its horns. This makes them a serious hazard wherever human settlement crosses established herd ranges. Steam railways are particularly vulnerable: locomotive noise and vibration can provoke an Ironhead into charging the approaching train, and lines through their territory commonly employ heavily reinforced steel pilots designed to deflect animals away from the wheels.