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

196 Iron Kingdoms
108.1.141.197
counterpart, the Khadoran fortress of Ravensgard.
The original Northguard castle was completed in
326 AR following the alliance between Cygnar and
Llael, but the castle has expanded over the years to
keep pace with improvements to Ravensgard. Both
fortresses have been brought to full alert including
ready complements of cannon batteries.
Intense and bloody fighting rages daily in the
no man’s land of half-flooded trenches that weave
between these two fortresses. The blood-soaked bogs
around Northguard are the stage for the hottest
continuous action in the war, and casualties mount
steadily on both sides. With each fortress just out of
the cannon range of the other, the bulk of the action
plays out between scouts creeping from the protective
walls and trenches at night to test the defenses of
their adversaries. Periodic casualties to sniper fire
were a hazard even before the outbreak of war, but
now casualty rates among scouts have soared. On the
rare occasion one side mounts an offensive, men and
’jacks spill out of the trenches and clash in devastating
pitched battles before falling back to their own lines.
The Lord of Northguard is the battle-hardened Earl
Hagen Cathmore (Morridane Ari2/Ftr6/Rgr5) who
serves under the command of Lord General Duggan
of Fellig. The Cygnaran soldiers of Northguard have
recently had to cope with large numbers of Llaelese
military refugees driven to the sanctuary of the
fortress. This has bolstered their numbers, but many
of these men are shell shocked, disheartened, and
unfit for active duty.
Sentinel Point Naval Fortress: This impressive
fortress academy perches atop the cliffs overlooking
the Gulf of Cygnar; its walls are lined with some of the
most accurate and powerful cannon ever made. At the
base of the cliffs lie walled and protected docks only
approachable by authorized naval vessels. Sentinel
Point has an esteemed reputation similar to the
Strategic Academy and produces Cygnar’s finest sailors
and officers as well as the most accurate gunnery crews
in the kingdoms. In fact, it is not unusual for army
crews to come to the Point to improve their ordnance
skills. This is also where the kingdom’s experimental
new ship designs are planned, crewed, and tested
including Cygnar’s first Ironhull ships and the top
secret submersible Intruder (see pg. 108).
The fortress is the home of Lord Admiral Galten
Sparholm III, Archduke and Earl of Caspia, although
he is periodically called away to the capital. The
archduke has many distracting responsibilities
including the governing of the surrounding province,
so he relies heavily upon Admiral Blythe Wassal (male
Caspian Ftr10/Ptr7), captain of Cygnar’s flagship the
Resolute. Their priorities include protecting the sea
trade from pirates and keeping watch on Protectorate
vessels. Indeed, Sul has been producing an alarming
number of sturdy “fishing boats” recently bearing
a marked resemblance to Cygnaran clipper ships.
Admiral Wassal has pushed for the navarch to allow the
eastern navy to use their control of the Gulf of Cygnar
to attack the Protectorate by sea, sink their ships, and
shell Sul and Icthier. These measures remain under
consideration out of concern for civilian casualties.
Southshield: Perched on an inaccessible spire on
an oceanside cliff, Southshield is more of a glorified
stone watchtower than a proper fortress and has thus
far survived several attempts to burn it to the ground.
This tower, located some 50 miles down the coast
from Highgate, falls under the command of Lord
General Gollan and serves primarily as a lighthouse
for Cygnaran shipping and as a warning post to spot
Cryxian raiders and privateers. Only veteran soldiers
are posted here, and all aspiring knights of Lord
General Gollan’s Highgate Vigil are required to serve
at least some time at this tower. The weather here
is abysmal. The tower frequently bears the brunt of
storms and keening wind along with occasional fog
so thick it smotherseven the great lighthouse. It has
a small dock at the cliff’s base accessible by a narrow
winding tunnel allowing access by naval ships.
Stonebridge Castle: When Khador invaded Cygnar
during the Thornwood War, the Dragon’s Tongue was
a vital line of defense. At the cost of their bridges,
Cygnar stranded the Khadorans across the water
and rained death upon them from afar. The battle
won, they decided to secure this strategic position by
building a mighty castle—the high fort of Stonebridge.
This impressive structure is the gateway to the only
bridge across the Tongue for several days in each
direction. It towers above the river and allows a vigilant
watch across the forest to the north. Over a thousand
soldiers are garrisoned here full-time, and hundreds