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

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the Khadoran military, exports from Crucible Arms
have reduced to a trickle compared to their former
levels, resulting in ammunition shortages in Ord,
Cygnar, and Llael.
Winds of War
CruCible arms has been forCed to CanCel its Cygnaran
ContraCts. for years the Company had luCrative dealings for
the supply of heavy ordnanCe munitions, Custom-made magiC
items, and alChemiCal goods for military use, but sinCe these
items Were largely manufaCtured by Wizards of the order of
the golden CruCible and are not in the best interests of the
oCCupation government, the ContraCts have been CanCelled.
needless to say, the Cygnaran military is anxious to reCover
proprietary alChemy and meChanika sChematiCs that had been
entrusted to the offiCes of CruCible arms.
Greybranch Expeditionary Company
The Greybranch Expeditionary Company, based
in the Llaelese city of Rhydden, transports goods—and,
to a lesser extent, people—back and forth between Llael
and parts without. Consequently, Greybranch maintains
a presence in most settlements in and around the
Marches, including Corvis and Ternon Crag. In recent
years their caravans have come under increasing attack by
Khadoran troops and mercenary companies who suspect
Greybranch expeditions of moving goods, information,
and rebels in and out of defiant and unoccupied areas of
Llael. As one might expect, mercenaries and adventurers
accompany most caravans these days, and the pay for such
duties is quite substantial.
Sovereign Coal Alliance
Composed of three of the major coal families and
a half-dozen of the smaller coal families, the Sovereign
Coal Alliance, or just Sovereign Alliance, was a coal
expediter and price regulator for much of the coal
shipped out of Llael. While Sovereign Alliance did
not control all of the coal exported from Llael—as a
result of the resources of the families involved—they
were the single entity capable of easily arranging for
large-scale shipments throughout the kingdoms. This
convenience meant that Sovereign Alliance could also
charge slightly more per ton than other individual coal
barons throughout western Immoren. Because they
got more per ton, many of the other minor coal barons
were also more than willing to sell coal to Sovereign
Alliance rather than deal with the hassles inherent in
shipping their own product.
Surprisingly, the invasion and occupation of Llael
has caused little difficulty for Sovereign Coal. Very few
of their workers, mercenaries, or leaders were among
the casualties. They quickly and smoothly adapted to
the presence of the Khadorans and have agreed to ship
their coal exclusively to Khador, at least for now. The
board is lobbying for the opening of other markets
(such as Ord) with a cut in the profits going to the
Khadoran treasury. This smooth transition has caused
a number of ugly rumors, and many Llaelese despise
this company more than ever. Though the occupation
has forced coal priced to rise in Cygnar and Ord, the
Sovereign Coal Alliance’s deal with the Motherland
has secured lower coal prices in Khador.
Sovereign Coal has a ruthless reputation and is
rumored to have no qualms resorting to dirty tactics
Llael, and Merywyn in particular, has long been home to many rich merchants
getting fat on the trade of alchemy, coal, and the good fortune of location. Being
between so many great nations allowed them to levy taxes and tariffs as they pleased
on everything passing through their roads and rivers. The Khadoran invasion
proves location isn’t always a good thing, though. Sometimes the middleman gets in
the way. All those riches are for the Khadorans now.
—Gunner Wadock, Cygnaran tradesman
to preserve its interests. They even have their own
mercenary company, known as the Ash and Soot
Brigade, to protect the mines from threats such as
bogrin clans or human interference. The Khadoran
military has this company on a short leash, forcing them
to abandon some of their weaponry and to endure
the presence of Khadoran officers assigned to watch
them. Sovereign Coal is interested in bringing steam
World Guide 81