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

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62 Iron Kingdoms
situation is more technical, and the Protectorate’s
primary diamond clients are dealers of contraband,
pirates, and arms smugglers—all clearly in violation
of embargoes placed upon the theocracy by Cygnar
and Khador.
Oil, however, is stockpiled under the edict of
Hierarch Voyle who has no desire to see it fall into
the hands of potential enemies. If they could, the
Menites would import many things, but Cygnar has
had a virtual monopoly on imports to the Protectorate
for generations. Until recently, the Protectorate’s only
other trading partners have been goblin and Idrian
tribes of the Bloodstone Marches who have little to
offer. Since the onset of Hierarch Voyle’s holy war
against Cygnar, Protectorate forces supplement the
theocracy’s needs via raids. No Cygnaran settlement
or community along the eastern borders is safe from
the predations of Menite excursions in search of goods
and converts.
Ios
Ios abstains from trading with the other kingdoms
of western Immoren. Centuries ago, Rhul had
rigorous commerce with Ios, particularly trading stone
for lumber, but very few living dwarves can recall such
dealings. Also, some tentative trade arrangements once
existed between Ios and the early sovereignty of Llael in
the immediate years after the Corvis Treaties, but those
arrangements eventually dwindled to virtually nothing
as well. These days, anyone purporting to sell Iosan
wares is assumed to be peddling either fakes or looted
property, and there are few exceptions. Nevertheless,
disloyal elves occasionally run contraband across
borders. This is an act of dire consequence if caught
by their kinsmen, yet some smugglers find that their
goods are highly sought after in the realms of men,
making the risk worthwhile.
Rhul
Long ago, the dwarves perfected techniques for
refining ores and minerals, and their craftsmanship
is second to none. Both raw materials and refined
Rhulic goods are sought across Immoren. Most Rhulic
traders prefer to operate within their own borders, but
the need for imports is great as the dwarves long ago
stripped their timber and grazing lands clean. Raw and
refined metals, quarried stone, and fine marble make
up their primary exports, sold in great quantities to
bring in agricultural goods, leather, wood, and salt.
Until recently the Cygnaran and Llaelese
monarchies were Rhul’s major trading partners,
but trade has been suspended with the Khadoran
occupation of Llael. It is a matter of great discussion
among the Rhulfolk and a predicament especially
scrutinized by the Moot of the Hundred Houses.
Something must be done, and quickly, or Rhul will
soon face some serious shortages. It is believed that
Rhulic ambassadors have been dispatched to Korsk to
confer with the Khadoran regime. At the same time,
agents of the Moot are thought to have been sent
south to Caspia as well.
Cryx
Cryx does not trade with the Iron Kingdoms as
such, although it is rumored that they deal contraband
for slaves in the underground markets of Five Fingers
and Port Vladovar. The most coveted cargos aboard
Cryxian vessels, of course, are pearls harvested from
the archipelago of the Broken Coast. Of particular
value are the giant black pearls from the massive, blacklipped
mother of pearl ubiquitous to White Shark Reef.
Some traders so desire them they will deal with Cryxian
vessels on the high seas away from port. Most sailors feel
fortunate to return unscathed from such dealings, given
the dangers posed by the pearl divers themselves and
the from pirate vessels following in their wake.
Currency
Coins of the Realm
Each kingdom mints its own coinage as a right
of sovereignty. However, Cygnar’s position as
unquestionably the most economically dominant
kingdom has made Cygnaran the standard trade
tongue. Most worldly individuals in western Immoren
speak Cygnaran fluently, and most people in major
ports and trading centers can understand enough
words and phrases to get by, albeit with thick accents
and poor grammar. In the same way Cygnaran