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

154 Iron Kingdoms
108.1.141.197
good can be bought or sold. Although produce and
manufactured goods are the mainstays, more exotic
items from Khador and as far away as Rhul are also
available. Market Square operates from dawn to dusk
every day of the week except for the seventh and the
Day of Markus (Trineus 3). If visitors wonder aloud at
the lengthy market hours, natives are quick to point
out that “commerce never rests” especially in a city
whose lifeblood is trade.
Presidium: The city’s tallest and most impressive
structure is a stone fortress known as the Presidium.
Designed by Orgoth sorcery and seized by rebel
forces before the Scourge could strike, the Presidium
serves as a military barracks as well as an armory. The
city garrison lives here along with all other military
personnel including those visiting from other cities.
The Presidium also houses a dungeon for prisoners of
war and others deemed valuable to the military. Dealing
with recent transient soldiers has made this a crowded
and chaotic place, and it is not unknown for soldiers to
sleep in the halls and in tents on the fortress grounds.
Caspia
In Power: King Leto Raelthorne and the Cygnaran
Royal Assembly; Lord Mayor Dermot Throckmorton
Population: 1,000,000 (human, mostly Caspians
with a large number of Thurians and Midlunders),
8,000 gobbers, 2,000 dwarves, 2,000 ogruns, 1,000
trollkin, a few Iosans
Military: Since the start of the war, thousands of
troops have rushed to Caspia from across Cygnar
to fortify the city’s huge garrison. Recent direct
conflicts between Sul and Caspia have the military
in a tense state of perpetual readiness, armed atop
the walls and watching for any move from the other
side. The city also houses the massive Cygnaran
Armory with its heavy contingent of warjacks. A
vast number of reserve troops, both for the army
and navy, are likewise stationed at the city awaiting
redeployment. The Stormguard, an elite division of
the renowned Stormblades, serve as King Leto’s royal
guard. Additionally, the Order of the Arcane Tempest
and the Sword Knights are both based in Caspia. In
times of need, Leto has only to ask and the wizards
of the Fraternal Order will turn out in force. Caspia
also employs roughly 10,000 watch guards stationed
throughout various precincts in the city.
Imports: Comestibles, wood, raw materials, iron, coal
Exports: Fish, silk, crafted goods, weapons,
firearms, luxuries, steamjacks, steamships, and steam
engines
One of the oldest and most prosperous cities in all the
Iron Kingdoms Caspia is situated where the Black River
empties into the Gulf of Cygnar, and it has been a center of
great power for thousands of years. Currently home to over
a million citizens, Caspia inspires awe and amazement in
those who behold it for the first time. The scale of the place
is without equal. It is a huge sprawling city of towering
walls, close-packed buildings, and an endless progression
of faces each with a story to tell. With so many citizens the
city never truly sleeps.
Two major and three minor land routes lead to Caspia,
and all of them teem with traffic. The north gate is the
largest and opens onto the King’s Highway to Fharin and
beyond. Many boats enter the city by way of the Black
River, and the northern docks are nearly as busy as those
upon the gulf. Caspia is a bustling port city with excavated
channels allowing ships deep access into the city. These
serve a twofold purpose. First, merchant ships have greater
access to the city proper and second, in case of attack ships
can gain the protection of Caspia’s mighty walls.
The capital’s districts are enclosed by skyscraping walls
of blue stone rising nearly two hundred feet into the air and
nearly as thick in some places. The walls extend within the
city to create an elaborate maze, and entire neighborhoods
exist between these ancient stone bulwarks. Indeed, the
dense city has actually grown into them, and nearly as
much activity goes on within their winding tunnels as in
the city outside. In theory one could explore the warrens of
the Caspian walls for weeks without ever actually setting
foot beneath the sky, unless they find themselves in various
open-air channels higher on the walls. The only structure
looming higher than Caspia’s fortifications is the massive
capital fortress dubbed Castle Raelthorne. This is the seat
of Cygnaran power and is an immense blocky structure
as unassailable as the walls themselves. The fortress has
housed the royal line of Cygnar for ages as well as its
thousands of servants and military personnel. From here,
King Leto Raelthorne looks out over his city with its
countless spires, shadows, and labyrinthine walls, and he
ponders the fate of his monarchy and its people.