02 - Iron Kingdoms W.. - Captain Spud Is Amazing

108.1.141.197
Once nothing more than a vast killing field, today
this foul place is Cryx’s war factory, churning out
the bulk of its gruesome army. Newly crafted thralls,
bonejacks, and helljacks rise from the bowels of the
Darken Ring supervised by necrotechs and Toruk’s
Lich Lords. Of course, a ready supply line of flesh
is needed for raw materials and to “educate” or test
the newly formed monstrosities. Hapless victims are
often marched into the Darken Ring for the Cryxian
creations’ very first kills.
rumor has it…
the Crumbling Coliseum in berCk is given a Wide berth beCause
it is supposedly haunted. the loCals Claim that a “ghost ship,”
of all things, sails inside the anCient struCture on Certain
nights piloted by a CreW of restless spirits. some say they Were
onCe sailors of the tordoran armada Who Were Captured
and killed in moCk naval battles for the entertainment of
the orgoth. rumor has it that members of an organization
knoWn as the strangelight Workshop have been poking around
the City of late, partiCularly around berCk’s Coliseum, but
Whether or not they have unCovered the mysterious ghost ship
or unraveled its mysteries is unknoWn.
In the Iron Kingdoms Era, most of the old
coliseums are but reminders of Orgoth cruelty, and
many have been razed and the stones have been used
to rebuild portions of communities that suffered
for generations. Some cities simply abandoned the
stadiums instead of destroying them, preferring to let
the old wounds fade with time. Often independent
men or organizations purchased these structures,
and nowadays the coliseums are in all stages of repair.
Some are little more than rubble circles enclosing
parks or groves of trees while others have been
completely renovated. In Caspia the underground
barracks of the arena have become the headquarters
for the city watch, turning a symbol of oppression into
one of law. A few have been made into public buildings
and some have even become the seat of government,
such as in Ceryl where the entire city authority uses
the renovated arena as its city hall. Others are massive,
nearly impregnable warehouses or storehouses, some
have been converted into open markets, and a few
like the arena in Sul continue to stain their grounds
red with blood. Whatever the case, the stadiums are
unique buildings with dark histories and are truly
spectacles to behold.
Crime & Punishment
“For those who have been wronged,
their transgressors must be punished
likewise. For those who have been grossly
wronged, their transgressors must be
cleansed in fire. And for those who have
been wrongly accused, their accusers,
then, must suffer the sentence.”
—A passage from The True Law of Menoth
In general established magistrates, barristers,
watchguards, advocates, and other agents enforce
laws on a city-by-city basis. The royal courts of most
every kingdom have established lists of preferential
punishments befitting a variety of crimes (see Table
2–7) and are in a position to claim judiciary authority
at their discretion. These higher authorities have been
known to take charge of various cases that interest
any ascribed potentates, but ordinarily city law takes
precedence in hearing and sentencing crimes.
Winds of War
as battles Continue to rage and strife spreads throuhgout
the kingdoms, martial laW has been instituted to maintain
order in some plaCes. While this has primarily oCCurred in
Cygnaran and khadoran border toWns Currently oCCupied by
military forCes, nearly all of llael is under martial laW.
Like many other cities, Corvis has its own established
punishments. Public drunkenness, for instance, is
punishable on the spot, whereas prostitution is not
considered a crime at all. However, in the Protectorate
prostitution is a crime befitting a death sentence.
Given the variability in laws and sentencing, travelers
must exercise discretion whenever entering an
unfamiliar province. Knowledge of provincial laws is
a must, as ignorance is meager justification before the
city magistrates.
In most places, a criminal can only be punished
if caught red-handed. Watchguards rarely bother to
investigate crimes unless the victim is an important
city authority or close to someone of influence. In
some regions, however, the militant arm of the clergy
offers aid in investigating unsolved crimes. Monks
World Guide 123