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

108.1.141.197
(400,000), goblin (265,000), trollkin (250,000), bogrin
(135,000), rhulfolk (120,000), ogrun (100,000), ryn
(80,000), tordoran (80,000), idrian (40,000), khard
(15,000), sCharde (10,000), iosan (8,000), umbrean (7,000)
lanGuaGes: Cygnaran (primary), llaelese, ordiC, rhuliC,
khadoran, sulese
Climate: temperate in the north and Central; moderated by
preVailing southWest Winds; more than one-half of the days
are oVerCast in the north; sub-tropiCal to tropiCal in the
south With frequent shoWers.
teRRain: mostly rugged hills and Very mountainous in the
Central regions (WyrmWall); mostly flat or gently sloping
along the blaCk riVer; high plains along the northWest and
Central banks; sWamps along muCh of the Coastal loWlands in
the south and southWest.
natuRal ResouRCes: Coal, petroleum, merCury, natural gas,
sulfur, tin, Copper, limestone, iron ore, pyrites, salt, Clay,
Chalk, lead, quartz, arable land.
King Leto Raelthorne,
The Younger
King Leto Raelthorne (male Caspian Ari9/Ftr9):
Predictions were dispelled early on that King Leto’s
reign would be known mainly for the shadow cast
upon Cygnar by his brother and for the Younger’s
efforts to piece together the fragments of a broken
realm. He rejected the merciless approach to rule
that had been the mark of both his father and
brother. After a dozen years as king, Leto has more
than proven his wisdom. For years he has bestowed a
sublime and successful period with little to worry his
subjects—until this past year, that is. These days Leto
worries constantly about the numerous threats to his
realm. He knows well the envy and malice of Cygnar’s
enemies, and his people would have no other in his
place during these dark days.
Leto was a quiet and introspective child; he was
made aware at an early age that he was not destined
to rule. His ambitious and bullying brother Vinter
was the heir apparent and was trained from a toddler
to emulate his namesake and father, Vinter the
Stoneheart. Throughout his rearing Prince Leto
was overlooked and kept secure only as a failsafe for
the royal succession. During his tutoring, the young
prince’s wit and intellect caught the attention of
a priest named Arius who would one day become
Primarch of the Church of Morrow.
Vinter labored under the scrutiny of the weapon
masters and turned more ruthless with each passing
day while his brother Leto spent more time delving
into scholarly and religious pursuits under Arius’
tutelage. In time the Stoneheart ordered Leto to stop
his religious aspirations. He turned his youngest son
to soldiering “as befits a Prince of the blood,” he was
known to have said. Leto tried to resist, but his father’s
knights physically removed the young man from the
Sancteum and sternly forced him to learn the way of
the sword and spear. Leto had little choice but to take
them up.
The adaptable Prince Leto took to soldiering as
readily as he had the books of the seminary, and he
soon became a skilled combatant and military leader.
Leto may not be the blademaster his brother is, but he
is far from easy prey. As a commander-general in the
Cygnaran Army the prince rightly earned the respect
of his men and was known for his role in assisting in
the foundation of the legendary Stormblades.
The events surrounding Vinter III’s death are an
enigma, but Leto has always suspected foul play. The
rift between the two brothers—opened at an early
age—widened after Vinter IV assumed the throne.
King Vinter Raelthorne the Elder proved that his
cruelty came not from the idle vagaries of youth,
but were deep-seated within his personality. Leto felt
powerless as he watched his brother commit endless
atrocities turning noble institutions to dark purposes.
Eventually the prince was compelled to act against his
brother and deposed him in a bloody coup d’etat (for
more details, see Chapter One, pg. 46).
Although Leto never wanted to rule Cygnar, the
mantle of kingship suits him. He is a pious, noble, and
charismatic king who seeks to protect the people of
his realm from the depredations of foreign powers.
Though kind, he is often introspective and troubled.
He has no small degree of charm, and his voice raised
in passionate speech has rallied the hearts and minds
of even his most jaded critics.
Concerned about Leto’s succession, many nobles
are eager to find him a bride, but he has yet to show
any interest in remarrying after the loss of his former
love, the Lady Danae Cresswell, to his brother’s loyalists
as the Elder escaped into the Bloodstone Marches.
Indeed, Leto muses over the particulars of Woldred’s
World Guide 145