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

322 Iron Kingdoms
108.1.141.197
sky vented from monstrous necrotite processing
plants, and necrofactoriums beneath the streets
ooze with necrotech creations. Living or dead, all of
the inhabitants are dedicated to the dark industries
dominating the region.
Aside from the pulsing hammer of construction
and the grinding of heavy machines, Dreggsmouth is
deathly quiet. Voices rarely lift above a whisper, thralls
hiss and chitter sibilantly, and laughter is unknown lest
it be a hideous necrosurgeon’s cackle. Omnipresent
smog taints the skies, and other than the depressing
dockside dives and taverns, few places cater to vice.
The poison clouds above coupled with the monotony
and dull rhythm of industry tend to wear on those
dwelling in town until they seem only marginally more
alive than thralls themselves.
Though the Dragonfather’s vast fleet is decentralized
throughout innumerable hidden bays
and ports pocking the Scharde Islands, Dreggsmouth
is home to the largest concentration of these vessels
in the kingdom, for the majority of the notorious
blackships are built there. Skilled craftsmen versed
in the ancient Orgoth secrets of their construction
oversee the vast work crews performing the task of
assembly. Thralls do the heavy lifting, and mortal
laborers perform the more complex tasks.
Dreggsmouth is also where much of the necrotite
powering the realm’s soul furnaces is mined and
processed. The Scalesflow River empties into the cove
having passed through Skell and in the process carriying
vast quantities of raw necrotite southward and depositing
it in the cove bottom. The necrotite is dredged up from
the silt, and several hundred dredging rigs—towering
five stories in the fetid air—cover the surface of the cove.
Giant gears some twenty feet in diameter constantly—
and maddeningly—squeal and grind as the crankshafts
turn, their dredging systems scooping the foul necrotic
muck up to the grim light of day.
A labyrinth of natural sea caves beneath the
foundations of Dreggsmouth has long been the
site of a vast necrofactorium operated by an army
of necrotechs and their thrall servitors. Within, a
multitude of inhuman perversities are born; armies
of thralls and Cryxian ‘jacks emerge each year from
the extensive networks of tunnels. Seldom, if ever, do
the living inhabitants of Dreggsmouth venture into the
depths below the city. Most of the city’s population is
unaware of the activities going on beneath them.
Dreggsmouth itself is protected by thick rock walls
reinforced with rusty iron straps and patrolled by wellarmed
mercenaries, and the waters of the cove are
patrolled by the dreaded Cryxian blackships. The City
of Broken Skulls, as it is sometimes called, does not
forbid visitors, but outsiders seldom visit Dreggsmouth
without specific interests. Anyone who dares visit for
whatever reason is advised to mind his own business
and avoid asking too many questions.
Noted Persons
Vurrak Charnelforge the Meatsmith (male black
ogrun Bbn6/Exp5): Raised in a clan of proficient
stronghammer smiths adept at the forging of blood
steel (see black ogrun entry, MN1), Vurrak went to
Dreggsmouth to apply his trade and has done so for
nearly two decades. His name is renowned among the
dockmasters, and some Cryxian admirals keep a supply
of “meatsmithed” gear below decks for special occasions.
Every piece of work he does is mixed with a full ounce
of flesh, scale, or bone taken from the purchaser to
“attune each weapon to its wielder.” Whether or not this
actually serves a purpose other than Vurrak’s sadistic
urges is unknown, but his work is too good to question.
The black ogrun’s constant service under the blighted
isles has imbued his dark skin with a slightly scale-like
appearance, but his most prominent feature is a row
of armored plates riveted into the flesh and sinew the
entire length of his right arm.
Master Shipwright Kress Soratt (male Scharde
Exp12/Ftr8): Soratt is a rail thin, sickly man who is
one of the few living mortals to master the arcane
lore required to build blackships. A consummate
perfectionist, the shipwright works tirelessly to oversee
the construction of these vessels. His health is failing,
so Soratt speaks in barely audible whispers that cause
him to pause regularly to cough up blood. Though his
body is likely to expire soon, Soratt doubts he will be
allowed peace, for his work is simply too important to
allow death to keep him from it.
Lord Captain Derevnia Vrace (female Scharde
Ftr15): Though slowed by age and the rigors of
war, Captain Vrace possesses reserves of strength
that have made her a legend among the pirates of
Cryx. After losing her right eye and much of her face