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

108.1.141.197
nightmares creeping up from the tangiBle darkness every
day, it is sometimes a Wonder the mines of khardov remain in
operation.
Korsk
In Power: Queen Ayn Vanar XI
Population: 790,000 (assorted humans, mainly
Khard, Skirov, Kossite, and Umbrean), 30,000 gobbers,
20,000 ogrun, 15,000 dwarves, 10,000 miscellaneous
humanoids (bogrin, nyss, trollkin, etc.)
Military: Korsk is garrisoned by a huge number of
Winter Guard, Iron Fang Pikemen, and Man-O-War
shock troopers supported by a heavy contingent of
warjacks. The Druzhina houses between 3,000 and
5,000 Uhlan, Winter Guard, and warcaster officer
cadets. The palace itself maintains the queen’s Guard
of 2,000 elite troops. Thousands of additional troops
may be moving through Korsk by rail at any given
time. The Greylords Covenant has a very substantial
presence in the capitol and can be expected to give
military aid upon request.
Imports: Beer, fish, manufactured goods, wine
Exports: Fur, honey, textiles, vyatka, wax
The capital of Khador is every bit as impressive
as many of the major southern cities. With its great
factories, schools of higher learning, and cathedrals,
Korsk demonstrates its ingenuity and cosmopolitan
ways in every edifice and street. The capital city is also
known for its extraordinary fortifications. Thousands
of elite forces are housed within its mighty walls either
as part of Korsk’s massive garrison or stationed at
the Druzhina, the elite training ground for Khador’s
warcasters, officers, and the renowned Uhlan
horsemen.
The most impressive and striking feature of the
Khadoran capitol is built from stones of the dismantled
Orgoth barracks buildings. Stasikov Palace sits near the
center of the noble estates that make up the northern
half of Korsk. It is truly a city within a city, protected
on all fronts by impenetrable walls and interlocking
patrols of the Queen’s Guard—mostly Uhlan and
Man-O-War shocktroopers supporting Winter Guard
regiments. From her balcony on the foremost of three
towers, Queen Ayn addresses thousands of her people,
which she does quite often these days following
successful reports from the war front.
Surrounding the palace are dozens of palatial
estates owned by the various nobles and kayazy. It is a
longstanding tradition to have at least a small home in
Korsk if a family wishes to consider itself truly noble,
and several of these familes have held their estates here
for generations. Brave or foolish squatters sometimes
use these but face harsh punishment if caught.
The largest building aside from the palace is the
Strikoya, headquarters of the Greylords Covenant and
ancestral home of the High Obavnik Arbiter, Vasily
Dmitirilosk (male Khard Ari3/Ftr5/Wiz16). The
majority of Khador’s cortexes are assembled here.
It is surprisingly lightly guarded on the outside, but
terrible tales of inner machinations and enchantments
keep out all intruders.
Korsk is quite modern and filled with sturdy
cobblestone roads, working aqueducts on several city
blocks, and whale oil lanterns lighting the streets every
fifty feet. Large marketplaces split up the monotony
of brickwork housing, and barter goes almost as far as
raw coin. Most citizens live near or in the places they
work, for harsh winters can seal the streets for days at
a time. Those who can afford non-utilitarian housing
live in short brick homes with few windows. These
squat structures are far easier to heat in the winter
and fewer openings means less draft on windy nights.
Contrarily, most have larger than normal doors used
to bring livestock and horses inside for shelter during
heavy storms.
Blacksmiths and forges abound in the Zerutsk
quarter—named for the enormous lake that borders
it. Smoke clings to the air and soot dusts the streets
lightly from the many chimneys and steamships that
stop at the public wharf. Many of the city’s ogrun and
trollkin live and work in this quarter finding jobs as
cheap labor or dockhands, for other sections of town
are more likely to label them as outsiders.
Khador’s capital city stands as the gem in Queen
Ayn’s scepter, and she makes sure that each and every
citizen is aware of her pride in its majesty. Flags fly
from nearly every tower, bearing the gold and crimson
insignia, and she or Premier Horscze gives daily war
reports to the masses in front of the palace. New
warjacks parade around town along with the veteran
World Guide 215