16856702 unoffical iron kingdoms players handbook

8/12/2019 16856702 Unoffical Iron Kingdoms Players Handbook

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The Iron Kingdoms

Players Handbook

(unofficial)The Iron Kingdoms and related products are a copyright 2001-2002 Privateer Press. All rights reserved.


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The Birth of the IronKingdoms

More than a thousand years ago, the land that is now called theIron Kingdoms was a mire of warring human city-states. Strong

leaders would come and go, but in the chaotic realm then known asthe "Thousand Cities" no one could care out a kingdom for long.

The continent!s len and #waren nations, much older, wiser andmore stable, obsered the tragic human conflict but chose not toinole themseles. $n the rare occasions when they were attacked

by a foolish human warlord, their res%onse was &uick anddeastating. 'efore long, the Thousand Cities learned not tomeddle with them.

(ust when things looked blackest, when it seemed as if the humanciili)ation of the continent was doomed to an eternity of conflict,

the first $rgoth longboat arried on the beach near what is now thecity of Cas%ia.

The $rgoth e*%lorers were re%resentaties of a tightly disci%linedmilitary society hailing from somewhere across the +ulf of

Cygnar. They were a nation of humans, but they were saage,callous folk with many dark and unsaory customs. Seeing an

o%%ortunity for con&uest, they immediately launched an inasionand a war of domination. The citi)ens of the Thousand Cities weretaken by sur%rise, but they fought aliantly and to no aail. The

land eentually fell under $rgoth control, though there were twocenturies of scattered bloody resistance before the Thousand Citieswere totally subdued.

The $rgoth m%ire occu%ied the land for a total of si* hundredyears. #uring this time the inaders contem%lated assimilating the

eles and dwares, but the %rice of attacking these %owerfulnations was deemed to be too high. The *eno%hobic and

un%redictable eles were left alone, and the dwares of hulbecame occasional $rgoth trading %artners and nothing more.

Some humans still hold a grudge, accusing the dwares of beingcollaborators, but this is uncommon by the time of the /itchfire

Trilogy.0

The $rgoth rule was without incident for four centuries. Ineitably,a rebellion began to take sha%e, and another two centuries ofscattered conflict began. The $rgoth m%ire was eentually

defeated and drien back across the sea, but during their retreatthey took the time to destroy almost all of their records, artifacts

and structures to this day, historians know little about themdes%ite their centuries of occu%ation. The $rgoth also salted the

fields, %oisoned wells and %ut cities to the torch. The Scourge wastheir final act of barbarism.

There are many strange legends from the last days of the rebellion tales of dark, mysterious allies that hel%ed to drie away the

inaders. Some say that it would hae been im%ossible to defeatthe $rgoth without hel%, and the rebel leaders had to make

dangerous deals with infernal %owers. If this is true, the Iron

Kingdoms hae yet to %ay off this ancient debt. Considering the%oor historical record from this time %eriod, no one has been able

to %roe anything one way or the other. $nly time will tell if thelegends hae substance.

/ith the $rgoth drien away, some o%%ortunists tried to takeadantage of the situation, and small conflicts began to break out

1ust as they had in the old days of the Thousand Cities. The leadersof the rebellion had other %lans, though, and the budding warlords

were %ut down &uickly and brutally. /hile the rebel armies ke%tthe %eace, their leaders conened in Coris. Though the city still

smoldered from the Scourge, it was the best meeting %lace in therealm centrally located and easy to trael to. /ithin the coldmarble chambers of Coris City 2all, the rebel leaders held the

Council of Ten. /eeks of furious debate followed, but when it wasall oer the famous Coris Treaties had been drafted, and the IronKingdoms were born.

Strictly s%eaking, the term "Iron Kingdoms" refers to the lands ofMen3 those kingdoms which signed the Coris Treaties after the

rebellion against the $rgoth. There are fie official Kingdoms in

total4 Cygnar, Khador, 5lael, $rd and the 6rotectorate of Menoth.In the frigid north, near the +lass 6eaks, the dwaren kingdom ofhul is found. To the northeast lies the mysterious homeland of the

eles, Ios. In %ractice, the nearby len and #waren nations areoften included when Men s%eak of the "Iron Kingdoms," a fact

which annoys lenkind to no end0 and these realms will be fullydetailed along with their human neighbors. The last kingdom

informally included when s%eaking of the "Iron Kingdoms" is thehostile island nation of Cry*, ruled oer by the dragon 5ord Toruk.7ll these nations and others yet to be discoered share the

continent of Immoren.

Nations of the Iron

Kingdoms

The Kingdom of

CygnarCygnar is the largest and most%owerful of the Iron Kingdoms.

Its ca%ital is Cas%ia %o% 8.9million0, located at the southern

end of the 'lack ier. It is alsothe home to Coris %o% 8::k0,

City of +hosts, birth%lace of theCoris Treaties, and a critical

trade ne*us for the realm. Cygnaris a lawful land, led King 5eto

aelthorne. It is a wealthykingdom with a strong military,

and it is home to skilled wi)ardsand engineers. Cygnar has a

so%histicated goernment and


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culture, and is known to all as the 1ewel of the Iron Kingdoms. $fcourse, the King!s men can!t be eerywhere, and there is still %lentyof lawlessness and adenture in the wild lands that lie outside

Cygnar!s modern cities and roads.

King 5eto the ;ounger, as he is known, dethroned his elder brother

ingers. Situated near

the end of the #ragon!s Tongue ier, >ie >ingers is a trade ne*usand naal station. There can be found the roughest sailors of boththe riers and the seas. Sometimes een %riateers in serice of the

5ord of /yrms will hide their colors and come to %ort for su%%lies or unwilling recruits. 7nother famous city of $rd is Midfast,

which guards the northern border and has re%ulsed both barbarianhordes and Khadoran skirmishers in its bloody history.

The %resent ruler of $rd is King 'aird II, a great loud bear of aman who is rumored to hae lied a debauched youth and ke%t the

friendshi% of many criminals and cutthroats. King 'aird was thirdin line for the succession and had the crown thrust u%on him after

the unfortunate deaths of his older brothers. It is rumored King'aird secretly en1oys tri%s to >ie >ingers, and that his true court is

there rather than among the ca%ital in Merin.

The Kingdom of Llael

7n unremarkable kingdom with little naturalresources, magical or technical skill, 5lael

manages to eke out an e*istence by e*%loitingits %ro*imity to the 'lack ier trade route.

The realm has but one true blessing am%lede%osits of coal, without which its economy

would be truly cri%%led. The largest coal townin the realm is 5eryn, scarcely a league from

where the 'lack ier crosses oer into hul.

The King of 5lael is the head of state in title only, and it is theCouncil of =obles in the ca%ital of Marywyn that sees to the day-

to-day o%eration of the goernment. 5lael has a torturouslycom%le* system of goernment, making the #waren Moot look

like a %aragon of efficiency. Currently, 5lael is actually without aregent3 when the last king %assed on, the line of ascension was a bitmuddled, and the matter has been tied u% in the courts for eight

years. In the interim, the Council of =obles has a%%ointed a 6rimeMinister 5ord #eyar +labryn I?0, but it looks like a %ermanent

%osition a little more eery day.

The Protectorate of Menoth

The 6rotectorate is the newest of all the IronKingdoms. It was born of a religious schism

within Cygnar, wherein worshi%%ers of theancient god Menoth began to contest the

state religion, the Church of Morrow.Menoth!s followers were small in number,but their faith and %iety were unrialed. The

deout and ocal grou% felt that the Churchand the Kingdom as a whole were slidinginto corru%tion and decadence. They warned

of the %rice of wickedness, and of thecoming 7rmageddon, %roducing %ortents and %ro%hecies to su%%ort

their claims. The common folk %ut little stock in their alarmisttales, and the matter was gien no official attention by Morrow!s

6rimarch. @ltimately, this was a critical mistake the worshi%%ersof Menoth, weary of being ignored, decided to take action.

Their discontent simmered for seeral years while they assembleda secret army of )ealots. /hat once was a good intentioned though

misguided0 moement began to take on sinister cult-like traits. Thee*tremist grou% began a cam%aign of sabotage, designed to

destabili)e the state Church and %roide "eidence" for their%ro%hecies of disaster. Their cam%aign was not wholly successful,but it did touch off o%en hostilities inoling the Church of

Morrow, Menoth!s followers and Cygnar!s standing army.

/hen the dust settled Menoth!s followers were in control of afragment of the eastern region of Cygnar. 7fter weeks of

negotiations it was decided that Cygnar would officially retaincontrol of the eastern territory, but that the state religion would be

different there. The arrangement %ersists on %a%er to this day, but in%ractice the 6rotectorate of Menoth is a se%arate kingdom, ruled by

a strict theocracy. 7ny citi)en or isitor who breaks the strict rulesof conduct is %unished seerely, and the worshi% of Menoth

%ermeates eery as%ect of life. The mortal leader of the6rotectorate is the 2igh Scrutator and >ist of Menoth, 2is

minence the 2ierarch +arrick


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/i)ardry and sorcery are uncommon among the Khador, but theirregiments are well su%%lied with fearsome battle-clerics.

In years gone by, Khador has

had an aggressie,e*%ansionist agenda.

Centuries %ast hae seen

skirmishes with its neighbors,and Aueen


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cowering slaes in the obsidian %alaces of the wealthy, or ase*%ensie liestock at the waterfront markets.

The inhabitants of this blighted land all lie in fear under the

shadow of their ruler, an ancient dragon named Toruk. The 5ord of/yrms, as he is known on the mainland, has utterly dominated his

territory for centuries, and his %riateers terrori)e the western

coasts of Cygnar and $rd. Toruk is belieed to be the oldest dragonin the world %erha%s een the first dragon. 2e uses his immensesi)e and %ower to stay %ersonally inoled in the %olitics of his

realm, gleefully%utting down would-be rebels or rabble-rouserswith claws and fire. 2is royal court is held in a gigantic black stone

%alace, warmed by the heat of the wounded earth beneath. >or now,King Toruk seems content to rule his remote island realm, but

eeryone fears the day he decides to e*%and his border

The Bloodstone Marchesast of the 6rotectorate and Cygnar, theland becomes dry and harsh. Thin

forests &uickly gie way to s%ires ofreddish rock, baked earth and blowing

sand. The land is so hostile andseemingly worthless that little

e*%loration has been done to date, andthe few brae adenturers who hae

attem%ted to cross this desert haeneer come back. The common

wisdom is that the 'loodstone Marchesare an unbreakable barrier, and what

lies beyond is surely not worth the%rice of the crossing.

=o one, not een the most mad andreclusie hermits lie in this blasted and withered realm. The only

settlement anywhere near the 'loodstone Marches is the smallmining town of 6ierson!s 6it. The 6it lies on the edge of the

Marches, a few leagues from the rier, and the hard folk who liethere make their liing digging for coal or gold and shi%%ing it out

to Cygnar or 5lael. The 6it-folk know more than anyone about the'loodstone Marches, but their adice boils down to this stay out.

RacesStrictly s%eaking, the term "Iron Kingdoms" refers to the lands ofMen. There are fie Kingdoms in total4 Cygnar, Khador, 5lael, $rd

and the 6rotectorate of Menoth. In the frigid north, near the +lass6eaks the #waren kingdom of hul is found. To the northeast lies

the mysterious homeland of the les, Ios. In %ractice, the nearbylen and #waren nations are often included when Men s%eak of

the "Iron Kingdoms," a fact which annoys lenkind to no end0and these realms will be fully detailed along with their human

neighbors. 7ll these nations and others yet to be discoered

share the continent of Immoren.

#wares are a common sight in the human-dominated territories,but les are solitary and rarely leae their ancestral home. $therraces from far away are seen from time to time, but it is without a

doubt Men, #wares and les who make u% the ast ma1ority ofImmoren!s %o%ulation. If a #M wants to use gnomes, halflings or

any other classic fantasy race there!s no reason not to the world ofCaen is a big %lace and there!s room for eeryone. 2oweer, these

other races are alien to the core of the Iron Kingdoms game settingand will not be deelo%ed in IK materials. 7s the IK line deelo%s,

new races suitable for %layer characters will be uneiled.

"umans

Total IK Population: 20,00,000

The Iron Kingdoms are the lands of humanity, first and foremost.

They are by far the most numerous races in the region, and it istheir struggles, wars, and history that hae sha%ed this land. The

humans of the Iron Kingdoms are a aried and hardy crossselection of cultures, all arising from ancient tribes of warlike

%eo%les who hae lied, loed, fought and died in the region sincebefore recorded history. The bulk of their history is filled with

endless strife and battle, and the relatie calm of the last fewcenturies is unusual. 2oweer, een since the Coris Treaties therehae been many bloody conflicts, border dis%utes, re%ulsed

barbarian inasions, and di%lomacy by assassination. So far asmany are concerned, the "%eace" of the Coris Treaties is anillusion, barely maintained as heads of state turn a blind eye to

iolations of agreements and hire mercenaries to coer their tracks.

Indeed it seems highly likely that humanity in the region will soon

reert back to its usual habits of o%en warfare, as %ressures mountfrom many &uarters and threaten to %ermanently undermine the

%eace. /hen this ha%%ens, it may not be %ossible for the dwaresand eles to aoid taking a side. hul in %articular has become far

more friendly and integrated with humanity in the last seeralcenturies, %erha%s to their ultimate misfortune. en Ios, which has

always stayed sheltered and hidden, may find its fate linked to itsboisterous and iolent neighbors.

Language Info%2umans s%eak a wide ariety of languages acrossthe kingdoms, and there are a number of "dead" archaic tongues in

use by scholars. ach kingdom has its own tongue, althoughCygnaran has become the dominant language among humanity and

seres as a common trade language throughout the realm.

#l!es

Total IK Population: !0,000

There are actually two ty%es of eles in the Iron Kingdoms, the

eles of Ios, and the =yss, also known as the winter eles. The=yss are a ery small offshoot of the most common elf, numberinga%%ro*imately 8:,:::, almost all of which lie isolated dee% in thenorthern mountains of Khador. The ast ma1ority of eles in the

Iron Kingdoms dwell in the hidden land of Ios, shunning allcontact with outsiders.

len history is %erha%s the richest of all the races of the IronKingdoms, but they are so secretie and %aranoid of other races

that few know of their background, legends, or beliefs. To


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humanity in %articular they are an enigma, one that has e*ed themfor millennia. Some few eles do enture out of Ios, and lendi%lomats hae established cool and aloof contact with the leaders

of all the kingdoms of mankind. There are also those who haebeen e*iled from their homeland or drien by their own %ur%oses

to a life of e*%loration and adenture, but eles remain a ery raresight in the human cities.

@nknown to all e*ce%t dwaren scholars, the eles hae not alwayscalled Ios their home. 6erha%s four millennia ago, the eles came

into the region as a ragtag assortment of refugees. They fled somegreat disaster to the east, and hid in the land of Ios alongside their

liing gods. The dwares made %eaceful contact with their newneighbors but found them cold and unfriendly een in those days,

refusing all offers of aid or su%%ort. Since those first days a eil ofsecrecy has always clouded the ciili)ation of the eles, and onlyescorted and carefully watched outsiders are allowed within its

borders. The dwares claim they used to hae more contact withthe eles in days of old, and that things hae become %articularlydifficult in the last few centuries. There are also rumors of

des%eration among the eles, and iolent radicals who hae banded

together to strike out against the other %eo%le of the region. lene*iles hae been im%licated in a number of recent crimes,increasing the wariness that humans hae always felt for their

secretie neighbors.

The truth is eery elf knows a secret %ain and agony for they know

their last goddess will likely die within their lifetime, and with herthe doom of all their %eo%le. The eles face imminent e*tinction, a

fact that weighs on the mind of een the most carefree anddebauched of their number. Some seek to ignore this ominous truth

by fleeing into a life of adenture and %leasure, while others holdonto ho%e and feel their fate can be aoided by heroic deeds.$thers are bitter and angry and look eerywhere for enemies to

blame, targets u%on which to ent their rage.

It should be noted the =yss tribes of the north do not seem asconcerned for their future as the eles of Ios, %erha%s because of

their own religion and %atron. ;et, they are similarly isolated anddo not freely mingle with other races.

Language Info%The eles of Ios s%eak Shyr, un&uestionably themost com%le* language of the Iron Kingdoms, and the most

difficult to learn. Shyr has not changed significantly in millennia,so its roots are unknown. /ritten Shyr is a nightmare to learn as

there is no actual al%habet and eery word has its own writtensymbol. The =yss do not s%eak Shyr, but instead use a muchsim%ler language called 7eric. 5iteracy is not common among the

=yss.

"alf #l!es

Total IK Population: l",000 #estimated$

2alf eles are &uite rare, as one might e*%ect there aren!t many

cases of relationshi%s like that between eles and humans. In mostcases this ha%%ens where an elf has decided to leae behind their

homeland and has fully integrated themseles into human society,then went so far as to take a human mate.

7mong humanity half-eles face some sus%icion and %re1udice, but

mostly curiosity. They are &uite memorable to those who saw themand therefore trying to be incons%icuous as a half-elf wouldn!t beeasy without taking measures to hide it. les would be

considerably more %re1udiced toward half-eles. 6otentially, someconseratie eles may treat a half-elf een worse and with more

scorn than a regular human.

=aturally these are the general attitudes, there are always going tobe e*ce%tions or s%ecial circumstances.

Darfs

Total IK Po&ulation% '('))()))

The dwares are the ne*t most %o%ulous and influential of theraces natie to the Iron Kingdoms. Their ciili)ation in hul is

ancient by the measure of humanity, and the city of +hord wascounted a wonder of the age een four thousand years ago. 'y their

own records, the dwares were the first ciili)ation of the region,and their clan-based society was well entrenched by the time the

eles fled to Ios, while humanity was still wandering the nearby%lains in saage hunter-gatherer tribes. Most of the old records

hae gone to dust or lost their reliability in translation and reision,but it seems likely hul was the beacon of western Immoren

ciili)ation when the great old len m%ire controlled the east.

#es%ite the age of hul, the dwares who dwell there seem little

interested in e*%ansion or e*%loration. They beliee in building,one stone at a time, one building at a time, each castle or towerdesigned to last the ages. @nlike their warlike human neighbors,

the dwares hae neer attem%ted to con&uer or sub1ugate others,but any attem%ts to inade their own lands hae met with swift andmerciless re%risals. The old human barbarian tribes and warlords

soon learned the folly of meddling with these small yet stalwart%eo%le. It is worth noting that een the $rgoth did not inade hul

when they sub1ugated the rest of the region, although some humanscholars %oint fingers of blame at the dwares and claim they

en1oyed trade with a single em%ire of mankind. There was indeedsome %eaceful commerce between the $rgoth em%ire and hul, but

the dwares also %layed a crucial role in the successful rebellion,so most hae forgien them this earlier "collaboration."

The dwares of hul hae a ery stable and com%le* socialstructure based on clans, and is arguably the most democratic

society of the Iron Kingdoms. #es%ite an outward a%%earance ofsolidarity, dwares fight fre&uently among themseles. 2oweer,while bloody, these battles are highly rituali)ed and controlled by

rigid laws. >euds and dueling are a %erfectly legitimate andencouraged method to sole dis%utes among the dwares, and eenbuilding contracts and construction rights are fre&uently decided

by skirmish.

There are seeral hundred thousand dwares currently liing

outside hul, with conclaes in all the Iron Kingdoms. They haebecome increasingly friendly with humanity in the last seeral

centuries, %articularly with the kingdom of Cygnar. 'oth racesshare a strong a%titude for mechanika, a similar work ethic, loe of

%rofit, and other alues. ;et des%ite other friendshi%s, the dwaresare loyal to their own kin before any others. The security and

safety of hul is of %rimary im%ortance een to those conclaesoutside their kingdom.


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Language Info%dwares s%eak hulic, an ancient language itselfderied from a now archaic language called #ol-hul. Mostdwares also s%eak Cyganaran if they hae any contact with

humanity, and may know other human tongues. hulic has a%articularly com%le* written al%habet, actually com%osed of two

distinct al%habets each used for different %ur%oses.

*o++ers

Total IK Po&ulation% ,()))())) -estimated.

+obberkind has %ros%eredin recent centuries, and it

is belieed these small andcleer %eo%le may now

outnumber the eleswhose numbers hae been

waning0. 2oweer, they donot hae their own nationor ciili)ation, and are

scattered widely across theIron Kingdoms. >urther,they are an e*ce%tionally

ada%table s%ecies and hae changed to accommodate a wide rangeof terrain. There are few %laces in the Kingdoms where gobbers

hae not managed to find a niche for themseles, een among thebarren sands of the 'loodstone Marches.

+oblins were not well-understood or a%%reciated for much of thehistory of the region, and they were killed on sight during the

Thousand Cities era and also by the $rgoth inaders. >or thisreason gobbers were forced to find shelter in remote locations and

areas inhos%itable to mankind. 2oweer, in the years since therebellion there has been a change of thought as regards this s%ecies

and they hae gained a measure of acce%tance %reiouslyunknown. $f all the kingdoms, 5lael and the 6rotectorate haebeen the most reluctant to gie u% old %re1udices, and gobbers

there are fre&uently %ersecuted as they were in the %ast.

'ut in the other kingdoms gobbers hae begun to integrate withhumanity, establishing well-built towns in close %ro*imity to

human neighbors, and many en1oying a nomadic lifestyle traelingthe roads of the realm, looking for work and selling their wares.

+obbers are &uite intelligent, and hae a %articular knack foralchemy and mechanical work, both of which has made them

useful as skilled workers and assistants to those who can %ut asidetheir %re1udices.

It is now understood there are two distinct s%ecies of gobbers,which includes the "common gobber" found in most cities and the"bogrin" or "bogger" which is a larger, tougher, and wilder gobber

more inclined to attack %eo%le and iolently defend their territory.Ciili)ed e*am%les of both s%ecies hae found acce%tance in theIron Kingdoms, although the bogrin are often considered

dangerous until %roen otherwise. Their e*act numbers are notknown, but it is belieed there are e&ually as many common

gobbers as bogrin, each making u% half of the oerall gobber%o%ulation. The faorite terrain of the bogrin seems to be

mountains and dense forests, away from cities and towns. Thosefew rare gobbers seen in the sands of the 'loodstone Marches are

also belieed to be bogrin.

Language Info%+obbers may once hae had their own language,

but now s%eak a dialect of Molgur called "+obberish." Mostciili)ed gobbers also s%eak at least broken Cygnaran and may

know other human languages de%ending on where they lie.

Ogrun

Total IK Po&ulation% /))())) -estimated.

5ike gobbers and trollkin,ogrun hae only recentlybegun to be understood and

acce%ted by humanity,finding uneasy acce%tance in

some of the cities and townsacross the region. This is

because in old timesencounters between these

two races usually ended inbloody fighting, and humanslearned to fear the giant

ogrun with their enormousstrength and skill at battle. This antagonism was escalated byseeral factors, in %articular the fact that many ogrun lie on the

Scharde Islands, sering 5ord Toruk as his most loyal soldiers.There is also an offshoot race known as the "'lack $grun" liing

in the mountains of Cygnar and Khador, which are noted for itscruelty, saagery, and %ro%ensity to enslae wayward humans.

It was actually the increased contact between dwares andmankind that hel%ed gain ogrun some acce%tance. =early half of

the ogrun of the Iron Kingdoms lie in hul, haing established%eaceful communities alongside their dwaren neighbors. Indeed,

the two races hae a strong affinity for one another rooted in oldfaors and agreements. The ogrun of hul are a noble race of

%eo%le, noted for their e*ce%tional skill in metalworking as well asbeing both great soldiers and laborers. >urthermore, 1ust like theireil kin of the Scharde Islands, the ogrun of hul demonstrate an

innate loyalty and deotion to their sworn leaders that makestreachery irtually unknown among them.

$grun are an uncommon but not unknown sight in the cities of

mankind, and a number of ogrun communities hae s%rung u% inthe mountains of Khador and Cygnar. 7lthough they still face fear

and %re1udice due to their si)e and fearsome a%%earances, ogrunhae begun to find work in the larger human cities.

Language Info%$grun may once hae had their own language, butnow s%eak a dialect of Molgur called "Molgur-$g." $grun born in

hul are also fluent in hulic, although they may not be literate.Those of the Scharde Islands will s%eak the "Scharde Tongue"dialect of Cygnaran used by the humans there. $grun born

elsewhere commonly learn the dominant human language, oftenCygnaran.

Troll0in

Total IK Po&ulation% ))())) -estimated.

7lthough belieed to be

fewer oerall thanogrun, the trollkin are amore common sight in

human cities. Thema1ority of trollkin lie in


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eastern Cygnar, although a great number are also found in theranks of 5ord Toruk!s armies in Cry* and the Scharde Islands.There are some found in the other kingdoms, but in substantially

fewer numbers. They are rarest by far in the 6rotectorate ofMenoth, which has little tolerance for races other than humanity.

5ike the gobbers and ogrun, the trollkin hae had an uneasyrelationshi% with humanity for most of recorded history, considered

unthinking monsters until the last few centuries.

Trolls hae long been one of the most %ernicious and dierse

breeds of monsters to %lague the Iron Kingdoms, with a wideassortment of dangerous ty%es. >or many centuries the much more

intelligent trollkin were lum%ed in with the rest of trollkind andkilled wheneer they were seen. Ironically it was the tribes of

saage human barbarians that first made %eaceful alliances with thetrollkin bloodlines. It is belieed a grou% of now e*tinct barbariansdee% in Cygnar!s /yrmwall mountains were some of the first

humans to negotiate trade and truces with gobbers, ogrun andtrollkin, teaching these races the Molgur language which wouldsoon become the dominant tongue among them, albeit with

different dialects. Trollkin became a common sight fighting

alongside barbarian inaders across the Iron Kingdoms,%articularly out of the /yrmwall Mountains and the SchardeIslands. This unfortunately did little to endear them to the more

ciili)ed warlords.

/ith the waning and irtual e*tinction of the human barbarian

tribes, the trollkin bloodlines outside of Cry* reali)ed they werefacing difficult times ahead. Conse&uently a number of farsighted

trollkin made %eaceful contact with the ciili)ed humancommunities. #uring the last great barbarian attacks, the trollkin

had e*tricated themseles from their former allies and someactually aided kingdom armies against the threat, therefore %roingtheir willingness to integrate into the kingdoms. Since that time a

number of trollkin communities hae begun to thrie %articularlyin eastern Cygnar, and trollkin are a reasonably common sight incities such as Coris, Cas%ia, >harin, and Mercir. There are also

small %ockets of trollkin tribes in the Scarsfell >orest of Khador,near $hk. Trollkin hae %roen to be &uite skilled laborers and

hae a %articular knack for stonemasonry.

Trollkin face the most %re1udice along the western seaboard of $rd

and Cygnar, where the trollkin of the Scharde Islands are stillconsidered a serious threat. The only %ort town where trollkin are a

common sight is in >ie >ingers, which harbors many smugglersand %riateers from Cry*. Similarly there is strong anti-trollkin

sentiment in most official kingdom naies.

Language Info%Trollkin may once hae had their own language,but now s%eak a dialect of Molgur called "Molgur-Trul." Trollkin

fre&uently learn Cygnaran or other human tongues de%ending onthe kingdom of their birth. Trollkin on the Scharde Islands s%eak"Scharde Tongue," a dialect of Cygnaran used by the humans there.

LanguagesB5iingB 5anguages are actiely s%oken and widely used.

$bscureB languages are actiely s%oken but know only to a smallgrou%. #eadB languages are no longer s%oken but by scholars orclergy for studying ancient documents.

#ialects hae a difficulty modifier rating of D8 to DE. The rating

has two %ro%oses. >irstly, it indicates the ma*imum #C %enalty alistener who is unfamiliar with the dialect can incur to a

com%rehension related task. It also indicates how long it takes tobecome accustomed to the dialect. 7cclimation takes one week of

fre&uent e*%osure for eery D8 of the dialectFs difficulty rating.#uring acclimation the ma*imum #C %enalty dro%s at one %oint

%er week. /hen it is reduced to )ero, the character has acclimatedto the dialect.

Cygnaran

Status4 5iing

7l%habet4 Cas%ianS%oken by4 2umans of Cygnar

Trade 5anguage of the Iron Kingdoms

#ialects4 Swa%ie DG0 ier H Swam% folk Imeran D80 $fficial language of the%rotectorate of Menoth>ie Cant DG0 - Town of >ie >ingers

Scharde Tongue DE0 - Scharde Islands

/hile it is commonly s%oken, Cygnaran it!s not really a uniersallanguage as it does hae its origins with a %articular culture and

%eo%le. Those of the kingdomof Cygnar, and at its roots a

smaller more ancient kingdom of Cas%ia, which is gone now

e*ce%t as the name of the ca%ital of Cygnar.0 'ecause ofCygnar!s influence, most %eo%les of the IK can s%eak

%assable Cygnaran. Similar to how in some %eriods of

history folks in uro%e might hae known >rench or anotherwides%read language to ease communication.

Khadoran

Status4 5iing7l%habet4 Khardic

S%oken 'y4 2umans of Khador #ialects4 Menh-Khardor D904 Menoth worshi%ing

barbarian tribes

Llaelese

Status4 5iing7l%habet4 Cas%ian

S%oken 'y4 2umans of 5lael#ialects4 =o common dialects

Molgar

Status4 5iing7l%habet4 Molgur

S%oken 'y 4 Some 'arbarian TribesTrolls

$gres+obbers

#ialects4 Molgur Trul D904 TollkinMolgur $g DG04 $gers

+obberish DE04 +obbers


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Ordic

Status4 5iing7l%habet4 Cas%ian

S%oken 'y 4 2umans of $rd#ialects4 =o common dialects

RhulicStatus4 5iing

7l%habet4 hul H hul-unicS%oken 'y 4 2umans of $rd

#ialects4 Miner hulicB D804 #waren Miners inother countries

1hyr

Status4 5iing

7l%habet4 ShyricS%oken 'y4 les of Ios

#ialects4 =o common dialects

2eric

Status4 $bscure - 5iing

7l%habet4 7ericS%oken 'y4 Tribes of the /inter les =yss0


Cas&ianStatus4 #ead

7l%habet4 Cas%ianS%oken 'y4 Scholars, Clerics H Monks of Morrow,

/i)ards#ialects4 =o common dialects

The main "dead language" similar to 5atin0 used to be the

language in the area around what is now Cas%ia back in theThousand Cities days. This is the root language for

Cygnaran. Many old historic documents and religious te*tswere maintained in this language so it is fre&uently learned

by the highly educated, although it is no longer s%oken.

Dol3Rhul

Status4 #ead

7l%habet4 hulic H hul-unicS%oken 'y4 #waren Scholars, (udges


Khard

Status4 #ead

7l%habet4 KhardicS%oken 'y4 Khardorian Scholars, Clerics of Menoth,

/i)ards


Orgoth

Status4 #ead

7l%habet4 Cas%ianS%oken 'y4 Scholars, Clerics H Monks of Morrow


Calendar

The current year is :G 7.

The calendar currently in use was originally created by the dwares

and later ado%ted by humanity when they started to hae fre&uentcontact with them and decided they liked it better than their own

more %rimitie one.

It!s a 8G-month calendar, with J-day weeks, and E weeks %er

month. There are always 9 days %er month those dwares liked tokee% things orderly0. So there are L9 weeks a year, and GE days ayear. The seasons are also 8G weeks long, and therefore don!t start

and end %recisely at the start of s%ecific months.'asically, s%ring starts at the start of the Grd month, then each

season follows 8G weeks after that. So Summer is the 9nd week ofthe th month, >all starts the Grd week of the th month, and

/inter starts the Eth week of the 89th

month.0

2lignmentStrictly s%eaking there is no alignment. Instead, %eo%le are

basically good, neutral or eil based on actions and conse&uences.#o bad things %eo%le will %robably not like you. ach character

knows dee% down that they good or eil with a tendency to breakout the other way on occasion. +ood %eo%le do bad things, suffer

guilt and %otentially atone. /hile il %eo%le sometimes do goodthings, iew it as a weakness and attem%t to eradicate the tendency

from their lies. If good %eo%le %erform a lot of eil acts then theymust ask themseles if they are indeed eil.

ReligionThe Primary *ods of Men%


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Morro 4 Thamar

2umans in the Iron Kingdoms hae two main %atron deities. The

%ro%het Morrow good0 is the lord of goodness and light, and isworshi%%ed by most humans. 2is fraternal twin sister Thamar

eil0 is the %atron of the selfish and wicked. The two started out as

ordinary humans, thousands of years ago, but they came to belieethat any %erson could im%roe their lot in life almost without end.7fter a long, hard %ath, they ascended into diinity and

enlightenment, sacrificing their %hysical bodies so that they couldwalk the earth in s%irit, %roiding guidance to those who needed it.

The twins! 1ourney is recorded in the weighty nkheiridion of7scension, the %rimary religious te*t of the Iron Kingdoms. "'y

the twinsN" is a common e*clamation in the lands of Men.

Sadly, the siblings fought near the end of their 1ourney, and their%aths dierged. Morrows chose the %ath of selflessness, deciding toguide and %rotect Men in their 1ourney through life, nudging them

to the %ath of irtue and self-im%roement that he discoered.Thamar chose to guide Men in a different way. She is the whis%erer

in shadows, always urging %eo%le to take the &uick and easy %ath,

to ma*imi)e their short-term earthly gains and %leasures regardlessof the conse&uences.

It is said that eery human at some %oint has to make a choice

between the two %aths that Morrow and Thamar eentually isiteeryone and secretly test them. "The


11/23

This %osition is always gien to the most %owerful and faoredcleric of the faith. The 6rimarch %resides in the 7rchcourtCathedral in Cas%ia, and holds the %ositions until his death, at

which time he ascends to sere as an 7rchon in the host of Morrow,combining his s%irit with the %ast 6rimarchs.

#$archs -"is eminence( 2ccordist #$arch5.

The G e*archs who sere in the 7rchcourt Cathedral alongside the

6rimarch are referred to as a single body, the *ordeum. The*archs are the e*ce%tionally influential clerics who hel% to

oersee all the im%ortant decisions of the church.

6icars -"is #$cellency( the righteous 6icar5.

>re&uently organi)ed into


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7sc. Corbenm0 8:977lchemy, 7strology, Magic OMagicP

7sc Markus f0 G:L7

Soldiers, Town +uard O/arP

7sc. Sheann f0 L::7Merchants, 'ankers O5uckP

' 'efore ebellion

7 7fter ebellions

7scendant domains are shared with Morrow

Thamar

5ittle is know of the church of ThamarFs structure. Their Clericsare occasionally seen indiidually through out the Iron Kingdoms,

s%reading ThamarFs word to the %eo%le who are the most rece%tie,often in the seedier side of a larger city or an isolated small town.

The Domains of Thamar%#eath, #estruction, il, 5uck, Magic,Trickery, /ar

Cleric 7ea&on of Choice for Thamar%

Morningstar or #agger

1cions of Thamar

The following lists all the current Scions that sere as Thamar!s

most %owerful diine serants and sere as %atrons for those whoworshi% the goddess. 2aing a %atron Scion is common both for

eil clerics as well as su%erstitious criminals.

Sc. 7idan4+rae-obbers, Treasure Seekers and 7denturers OarthP

Sc. 'olis +amblers

Smugglers H il Merchants O5uckP

Sc. #elesle=ecromancy and #eath O#eathP

Sc. #rayce

Thiees H Corru%t 5eaders OTrickeryP

Sc. kris

Infernalists, #iiners and Tyrants O6lantPSc. Khora6atron of 7ssassins, Murderers, Thugs and nforcers O#estructionP

Sc. 5ukas

Madmen, a%ists H the #e%raed OilP

Sc. =iara/i)ards H Sorcerers OMagicP

Sc. oth

Soldiers, Mercenaries and 'andits O/arP

Sc. Stacia

okers, 7rson, Cham%ion of >emale /i)ardry O>ireP

Menoth

Man's Ancient PatronThe worshi% of Menoth is ancient, %redating the Church of Morrow

by millennia. Menoth is a strict, engeful deity, credited by mosthumans een those who follow the Twins0 with the creation of the

world and eerything within it. It!s un&uestionable that Menothe*ists, for his %riests were once the %owerful ruling class of the

land. 7las for Menoth, the more u%lifting and tolerant message ofMorrow began to take hold with the %eo%le, and today the worshi%of Menoth is rare outside the 6rotectorate.

Menoth is usually de%icted as a masked giant, towering oer his

frightened worshi%%ers. 2e demands adherence to a strict code ofconduct %art of which is %roiding constant tribute to Menoth and

his %riests. The notion that a man may "ascend", so central to theworshi% of Morrow and Thamar, is blas%hemy in the church of

Menoth. To Menoth, man!s %lace is to sere his creator, and hisreward is to %ass &uietly into obliion.

Domains for Menoth8s Clerics

Menoth domains4 OKnowledge, 5aw and StrengthP. Some eil high-leel clerics who are faored by Menoth!s become Scrutators, thefeared church %olice and %olicy-makers. 6owerful Scrutators can

een gain access to the domains of il and #estruction

Cleric 7ea&on of Choice for Menoth49lail

Cyriss

Maiden of Gears

Cyriss, Maiden of +ears, Mistress of =umbers, also known as theClockwork +oddess, is a fairly recent addition to the land!s

%antheon. 2er worshi% became known only a few centuries ago, atabout the time Men and #wares began to build so%histicated

machines and dele into new kinds of math and %hiloso%hy. Cyrissis a true neutral goddess, largely unconcerned with the fate of

indiiduals. Most of her effort is s%ent writing and oerseeing thenatural laws that goern the realm of science and engineering,

though she will take action directly or through her followers whensomething threatens the natural order of things. She a%%ears as a

humanoid, but she is not a human goddess3 her worshi%%ers areMen and #wares in a%%ro*imately e&ual %ro%ortions.

@nderstanding the mind of Cyriss and reealing the true nature ofthe multierse is a %rocess of diine reelation to her worshi%%ers.

>or this reason engineers and scholars often %ay Cyriss theirres%ects, but true fanatics and clerics are e*tremely rare with the

culture of Men and #wares so dominated by their traditionalreligions. 2oweer, with the s%read of science and mechanika

across the land, Cyriss may soon begin to increase the si)e of her

flock.


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Many of the most deout followers of Cyriss beliee that machinesare holy, and those who build and tend them are society!s su%eriorcaste. Some een beliee that in mathematics there may be found

some su%erior method for managing the world!s affairs a %lacefor eeryone, and eeryone in their %lace, with some kind of diine

calculating machine oerseeing eerything with cold %recision.Cyriss! eil worshi%%ers are taking ste%s to build such a machine,

but luckily they are few in number and thought to be far from theirgoal.

Cyriss is somewhat uni&ue in that she is worshi%%ed in roughlye&ual %ro%ortions by all races with any kind of scientific or

engineering skills.

Cyriss #omain4 OKnowledge, 6rotection and TraelP

Cleric /ea%on of Choice for Cyriss% Light mechano3flail

The Dar!en 9athers

The #wares do not hae a single %atron deity. Instead, theyworshi% a grou% of diine forefathers, the thirteen e*em%lars that

s%awned their race. These diine +reat >athers founded theoriginal Thirteen >amilies millennia ago, and their blood is said to

%roide all #wares with their legendary fortitude. The +reat>athers! most direct descendants are called the Stone 5ords, and

these %owerful and res%ected indiiduals sit at the head of the#waren Moot today as they hae since the first days. 'eing

strong with the +reat >athers! blood, the Stone 5ords who are all

high-leel %aladins0 are unusually hardy and lie a ery long time,often sur%assing two hundred winters.

ach #waren >ather is, %ractically s%eaking, a demigod, though

#waren folk only worshi% them as a lawful neutral unit. 7nindiidual +reat >ather is neer singled out as a cleric!s sole

%atron, for this is considered disres%ectful and ignorant. The>athers as a grou% gae life to #warenkind, and as a grou% they

will always be worshi%%ed. =onetheless, each >ather has his own%ersonality, holidays, %arables and s%here of influence, and it is

common to say a %rayer or a curse in a %articular >ather!s name asthe situation warrants it.

+reat >athers #omains4 O+ood, 2ealing, 5aw and /arP

#hurg - >irst >ather of 'attle Master of 7*es0#ohl - >ather of Mining#our - >irst >ather of Smithing /ea%ons0+hrd - >ather of /ealth and (ewelcraft+odor - >ather of 5aw and $ration

2rord - Second >ather of 'attle Master of 'lades0(hord - >ather of S%ying and Information

$dom - >ather of >easting and ather of Magic and Secrets

$rm - >ather of 'uilding and StoneworkSigmur - >ather of 2istory and ecords

@do - Third >ather of 'attle Master of 2ammers@ldar - Second >ather of Smithing 7rmor0

Domains for the *reat 9athers8 Clerics

#waren clerics who worshi% the >athers hae access to thedomains of arth, +ood, 2ealing, 5aw and /ar. 7lthough somehumans find it sur%rising, the ma1ority of clerics of the +reat

>athers are female. This tradition stems from the fact that the firstclerics of the +reat >athers were their own wies, known as the

Claywies. 2oweer male dwares are also %ermitted to sere asclerics and hae become more numerous in the last few centuries.

Cleric /ea%on of Choice for the +reat >athers%7arhammer

The *ods of the #l!es

It is rumored that the secretie eles hae liing gods. #ue to their

*eno%hobia not much is known of them.

The De!ourer 7urm

7lthough often referred to as a legendary monster rather than a

god, the #eourer is the ancient foe of Menoth, bane of humanity!screator. 7lso known as the 'east of Many Sha%es, 5ord of6redators, and the @nslee%ing $ne, the #eourer is an ancient

force of natural chaos that hates eerything ciili)ed. /henMenoth was the dominant religion, the #eourer was considered

the great foe, although its role as enemy of mankind has beenreduced since the rise of the twins.

#es%ite its re%utation the #eourer has always drawn worshi%ersamong many races, %articularly those liing in the wilds or of

chaotic alignment. Many human barbarians, gobbers, trollkin, andogrun worshi% the #eourer, and claim this god is the most ancient

%ower from the dawn of the world. Since the near e*tinction of thehuman barbarian tribes, there are no longer any large territories in

the hands of #eourer worshi%ers. The largest %ockets are found inthe mountains of Khador, the 'loodstone Marches, and theScharde Islands. Small cults to the #eourer can be found across

the Iron Kingdoms, usually in remote locations or in secret tunnelsbeneath cities and towns. 2uman druids in the Iron Kingdomsbeliee their %ower deries from the #eourer, but do not actually

worshi% this entity.

Domains for the De!ourer8s Clerics

The #eourer is a chaotic-neutral deity and its clerics can be ofany chaotic alignment and of any race. The domains aailable to its

clerics are 7nimal, Chaos, Strength and #estruction.

Cleric 7ea&on of Choice for the De!ourer 7urm%7*e

Dhunia

Great Mother of Caen


14/23

Considered a %rimitie religion by the "ciili)ed" races of the IronKingdoms, #hunia!s worshi% is wides%read among the more%eaceful gobbers, trollkin and ogrun. 7ccording to these races, the

world and all life are as%ects of #hunia, the great mother of theworld. Their creation myths de%icts #hunia as their diine mother,

and the #eourer as their diine father, and insist that Menoth didnot make the world een if he was the creator of humanity. >urther,

worshi%ers of #hunia do not e*%ect to e*%erience an afterlife whenthey die, but instead beliee in reincarnation where their souls are

recycled by #hunia to be born again. #hunia!s faith is relatiely%assie and has no large agenda or %lans, nor is there any form of

central organi)ation or structure. ach race has its ownre%resentation of the goddess, but the most common is a ery

abstract scul%ture or figurine of a %regnant woman.

The Church of Morrow has tolerated this religion since it a%%earsto hae no designs on human worshi%ers, although those who

beliee in her are treated with condescension. The followers ofMenoth are not so tolerant, and consider #hunia sim%ly anotherface of the #eourer /urm.

Domains for the Dhunia8s Clerics

#hunia is a neutral deity and its clerics can be of any neutral

alignment neutral, neutral good, neutral eil, chaotic neutral, orlawful neutral0. The domains aailable to its clerics are 6lant, 7ir,

arth, >ire and /ater. 2er %riesthood is deoted to the %rotectionand surial of their local communities, een if eil. The means of

ensuring surial are often ruthless as inter%reted by eil clerics,and include torture of those within the community who are seen asa threat.0

Cleric 7ea&on of Choice for Dhunia%Auarterstaff

Lord Toru0

The last of the so-called deities of the land is the mostcontroersial, the great dragon king of Cry*, 5ord Toruk. Most

religions and citi)ens of the Iron Kingdoms do not consider 5ordToruk a god, and indeed would consider it blas%hemy to refer to

him as such. =onetheless 5ord Toruk has forced all of the citi)ensof his realm to acknowledge him as their ruling deity, and to bow

down before his chosen %riesthood. >urther, there are rumors 5ordToruk has encouraged small cults to his worshi% on the mainland,

sering as informants on the goings-on of the other kingdoms.

5ord Toruk has ruthlessly su%%ressed all other religions on theScharde Islands, which were formerly dominated by the worshi% ofthe #eourer /urm. /orshi% of a god other than 5ord Toruk is

%unishable by immediate torture and death. =onetheless some fewworshi%ers of the #eourer and also Thamar hae suried within

his territory.

Making it difficult to entirely discount these claims are re%orts that5ord Toruk!s clerics do hae granted domains, s%ells, and other

clerical %owers. 2is %riesthood is nontraditional in seeral ways,most significant being they must %eriodically isit 5ord Toruk%ersonally and maybe een drink his blood. They are also ery few

in number and hand %icked by the dragon himself.

Domains for Lord Toru08s Clerics

Creating 6C clerics of 5ord Toruk is discouraged, due to the closecontact they are re&uired to maintain with their master. Moreinformation on his %riesthood and their actiities will be released

in later %roducts. Clerics of 5ord Toruk hae access to the #omainsof #eath, #estruction, and il. 5ord Toruk is chaotic eil, and his

%riesthood can be either chaotic or neutral eil.

Cleric 7ea&on of Choice for Lord Toru0%Serrated falchionthough Toruk!s clerics on the mainland will carry a less obiouswea%onN0

Classes

Bar+arians- 2uman barbarian tribes hae %layed an im%ortant

role in the history of the IK, but their time is mostly oer. They are

on the erge of e*tinction today, with only a few small %ockets ofdwindling numbers here and there, usually in the more remote andhostile regions of the Kingdoms. Some of

the less ciili)ed races hae more barbarians sometimes called"berserkers" instead0 among them.

Bards - Most bards hae a military background in armies ormercenary com%anies as chroniclers and lorekee%ers. They are not

roguish taern %erformers those are %robably %rofessionalmusicians or maybe a rogue who likes to sing when he!s drunk0.

Clerics - The number of religions is relatiely small, but their

richness and detail will more than make u% for it. The 7scendants

of Morrow and the Scions of Thamar offer tons of interesting %athsof customi)ation for the good or the wicked, and the other gods

will offer %lenty of distinctie &ualities. esurrecting is not%ossible in the Iron Kingdoms.

Druids - #ruids are ery scarce, treated with fear and sus%icion

wheneer they are seen. They are %art of an ominous organi)ationof dangerous and territorial indiiduals, all outcasts from regular

society. These are not your friendly guardians of nature.

9ighters- >ighters are e*tremely im%ortant in the Iron Kingdoms.Their nature has remained unchanged for centuries.

Mon0s- Monks are rare. There are two %rimary organi)ations of

monks, those who sere the Church of Morrow, and those whosere the Tem%le of Menoth. The former are the guardians of therelics of Morrow and the 7scendants, the latter are a harsh %oliceforce that hel%s to kee% the citi)ens of the 6rotectorate in line.

Paladins - Most good religions hae %aladins that sere them.

They make u% a critical %art of the %rotection of their faiths. Theyare the most traditional among the Church of Morrow and the

dwaren +reat >athers.

Rangers 7 minority com%ared to regular fighters, most rangersare woods-fighting s%ecialists of the arious Iron Kingdom armies,

and the ma1ority has no association with druids. Those solitaryrangers who seem to en1oy being alone in the woods are treated

with similar scorn and sus%icion as druids.

Rogues - 5ike fighters, rogues are an essential %art of the Iron


15/23

Kingdom and are not much changed from their traditionalre%resentation. 7s might be e*%ected some rogues do sere inarmies as scouts, but most are criminals and %art of the seedier side

of life.

1orcerers- Sorcerers definitely cro% u%, but their number is small.2istorically they hae gotten a bad ra% and hae had %eriods of

%ersecution. Most of those %re1udices hae diminished e*ce%t in%laces where magic in general isn!t welcome like the 6rotectorate0.

7i:ards- /i)ards are an im%ortant class, although their number is

small. /i)ardry is a ery difficult art, often considered more workthan the rewards it brings. Many wi)ards gie u% research after a

few leels and turn to alchemy, mechanika, or other more%rofitable %ursuits. >or these reasons, high-leel %owerful wi)ards

are e*ce%tionally few.

Im&ortant InstitutionsThere are many guilds and organi:ations s&read through out

the Iron Kingdoms( ranging from !arious merchant guilds

controlling local trade to the thie!es guild -if there is such a

thing. &lying their trade on the seedier side of life; Most ha!e a

limited s&here of influence( usually limited to a city( region or

0ingdom; "oe!er( there are a fe institutions that are

re&resented through out the Iron Kingdoms; The most nota+le

organi:ations are the 7i:ards *uild( nion

The union( as it usually calls( e$ists to &rotect the interests of

or0ers in the steam and iron trade; That includes steam

engine mechanics( engineers ho design ne contra&tions andor0ers ho sha&e metal for industry; *unsmiths ha!e their

on guild system and are not su+ect to >nion standards;

Many armorsmiths( ea&onsmiths( +lac0smiths and eelers

are also mem+ers( +ut mem+ershi& is far more im&ortant for

mechanics and engineers( ho may +e una+le to find

em&loyment ithout it; There are non3affiliated steam and

ironor0ers( +ut anyone ho cares a+out their so&histicated

steamor0s ill see0 out a >nion engineer;

>nion mem+ers must +e &aid certain minimum rates of la+or(

in e$change for hich the >nion guarantees the customer that

mem+ers meet certain minimum s0ills standards; Many sho&s

are >nion only; Don?t +other trying to a get a o+ in a >nion

sho& unless you ha!e the traditional gear3sha&ed &endant of aunion mem+er;

To oin an a&&licant meet ha!e a minimum s0ill ran0 modifier

in one or more rele!ant s0ills; The &ros&ect &ays the union a

,g& a&&lication fee( and they ta0e a test administered +y a

master craftsman; The difficulty of the test de&ends on the s0ill

and e$&erience of the &ros&ect; If the test is &assed to the

satisfaction of the &roctor( the a&&licant is aarded a >nion

+adge ran0 and num+er; >nion ran0s ith minimum s0ill

modifiers -s0ill ran0 only. accreditation standards are as

follos%

Core 10ill 2reas -see ne s0ills.%

Iron Construction

1team Poer

1teamac0

>nion grading system

*rade , 2&&rentice

>sually lasts at least a year of the orst o+s( e$tremely lo &ay

and constant ha:ing;

10ills in oneCore 10ill 2rea

, ran0 Knoledge, ran0 of single Craft

*rade ' Eunior Eourneyman

#ntry Trade &osition;


F ran0 Knoledge

F ran0 single Craft

*rade F Eourneyman

1enior Trade &osition

10ills in oneCore 10ill 2reaG ran0 Knoledge

G ran0 single Craft


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*rade @ 1enior Eourneyman

9oreman


H ran0s Knoledge

H ran0s single Craft

*rade G Master

9loor Manager


,) ran0s Knoledge

,) ran0s single Core Craft

,) ran0s single Core Profession

*rade / Master of Iron Construction( 1team Poer or

1teamac0s

Oner or Manager of 9actory

10ills in oneCore 10ill 2rea%

,) ran0 2reas of Knoledge

,) ran0 all Core Crafts

,) ran0s all Core Professions

*rade H *rand Master

6ery fe indi!iduals ualify; #$&erts in the field these are the

indi!iduals the e$&erts call hen they need hel&; There are only

,G in all the Iron Kingdoms;

10ills in allCore 10ill 2reas%,) ran0 2reas of Knoledge

,) ran0 all Core Crafts

,) ran0s all Core Professions

To ad!ance in ran0 another test is needed as ell as minimum

s0ill le!els in 0ey areas; It is common for a s0illed indi!idual to

s0i& union ran0s hen they ta0e the ad!ancement tests;

2ttaining a grade does not necessarily mean that you can or0

on all &ieces of eui&ment; The a&&licant must +e trained on

ho to use s&ecific &ieces of eui&ment and recei!e their

ualification -tic0et. on that &articular eui&ment; This

training usually has a com&onent of su&er!ised use for a

s&ecified num+er of hours; The ualification &rocess is usually

done in com+ination ith the grading system; 9or instance( touse the steam &oered hammer and an!il( the union mem+er

must +e *rade F and recei!e their tic0et -including /) hours of

su&er!ised use. +efore they are alloed to use the eui&ment

unsu&er!ised;

>nion mem+ershi& does not automatically mean that the

character runs the >nion at higher le!els; If the character

ishes to re&resent the union they may need to ha!e e$tra

s0ills; >nion re&resentation ran0s and reuirements are as

follos%

9actory Re&resentati!e res&onsi+le for uality standards and

or0er elfare on the factory floor; Can call sto& or0 meeting

at ill and organi:e ith a&&ro!al;

Requirements

, s0ill ran0s Intimidate or Di&lomacy

, s0ill ran0s Knoledge -union &olicy.

*rade F union mem+ershi& minimum

Cha&ter Boss The Leader of the local >nion Cha&ter o!ersees

>nion acti!ity ith in local area or city; They also are

res&onsi+le for local &olitical lo++ying and union standards;

They are em&oered to authori:e short term stri0es -,d@ days.

at a moments notice -,d@ hours.

Requirements

F s0ill ran0s Intimidate or Di&lomacy

, s0ill ran0 1ense moti!e

F s0ill ran0s Knoledge -union &olicy.

' s0ill ran0s Knoledge -local Politics.

, s0ill ran0s Knoledge -local underorld or local No+ility.

*rade G union mem+ershi& minimum

Regional >nion Boss In charge of regional acti!ity; O!ersees

regional &olitical lo++ying and union standards; They

sometimes +ecome in!ol!ed local >nion issues if there is some&recedent +eing set or the local acti!ity has regional effects;

Requirements

G s0ill ran0s Intimidate or Di&lomacy

F s0ill ran0s 1ense moti!e

,) s0ill ran0s Knoledge -union &olicy.

G s0ill ran0s Knoledge -regional Politics.

F s0ill ran0s Knoledge -regional underorld or regional

No+ility.

*rade G union mem+ershi& minimum

National >nion Boss 1ets standards for each nation and ill

lo++y at the highest le!els of no+ility; #!ery nation has a +oss;

The union also has a Liaison Boss in Rhul;

Requirements

H s0ill ran0s Intimidate or Di&lomacy

G s0ill ran0s 1ense moti!e


H s0ill ran0s Knoledge -local Politics.

G s0ill ran0s Knoledge -local underorld or local No+ility.

*rade H union mem+ershi& minimum

Iron Kingdoms Boss Residing in Cas&ia and in Charge of

Cha&ter J,( this is ultimate decision ma0er for the union; "esets >nion &olicy for technology and trade &ractices for all the

Iron Kingdoms and re&resentati!es in Rhul;

Requirements

,) s0ill ran0s Intimidate or Di&lomacy

s0ill ran0s 1ense moti!e


,) s0ill ran0s Knoledge -Iron Kingdoms Politics.

s0ill ran0s Knoledge -Iron Kingdoms underorld or

No+ility. *rade H union mem+ershi& minimum

Mem+ershi& dues are ty&ically @ of any fees collected hile

&erforming or0 as a union mem+er; Mem+ers ho are caughtcheating the >nion of their dues are ty&ically e$&elled for one

year; Those ho ate e$&elled tice are not elcomed +ac0;


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Mem+ers can also +e e$&elled for running a croo0ed sho& and

tarnishing the >nions? good name;

TechnologyTechnology doesn8t re&lace sords and sorcery(

it or0s ith it;

7 gun isnFt really reliable enough or reloads fast enough to outdateswords, or een bows. Steamboat and train trans%ortation is

focused highly on commerce, being too e*%ensie, unreliable andnot s%read e*tensiely enough to re%lace the horse. Steam1acks

re&uire too much maintenance and fuel to oer%ower armies offoes.

1team Poer

/hile the magical arts are &uite adanced in the Iron Kingdoms,the last few centuries hae seen the deelo%ment of something new Steam %ower. The most common e*am%les of steam %owered

gadgets are forms of trans%ort, Steamboats that drie trade u% anddown the riers and coastlines of the realm, the barely emerging

ail system connecting distance communities to larger Cities,Steam1acks and arious steam-%owered factories.

Trans&ortation

Steam!oats

/here Sail and ow 'oats used to %ly their trade oer the naturalrier highways, Steamboats hae now become a regular feature

among them. /hile these boats are more e*%ensie than their older

counter%arts, they still suffer from the high %rice and aailability offuel. ngine reliability has also meant that larger boats must stillhae igging for sails in emergencies3 smaller boats still use oarswhen thereFs no coal or e*%erience engine failure.

Rail system

Considered one of the most ambitious %ro1ects in the Iron

Kingdoms, ambitious new rail systems are being built by bothCygnar and Khador. Cygnar has chosen to construct a heay railsystem able to trans%ort large amounts of cargo oer short

mountainous distances. Khardor, haing a less deelo%ed rier androad system, limited funding and fewer technological resources,has chosen a sim%le medium rail system to moe cargo oer their

relatiely flat landsca%e. TheyFre an*ious to bridge the tyranny ofdistanceB between their ma1or cities.

The Cas%ian 2eay rail line will be used gauge of track

significantly larger than of the Khador Medium ail 6ro1ect,making it im%ossible for trains from each kingdom to use theotherFs tracks. +oods moing from Khador to Cygnar ia the rail

system will re&uire com%letely off loading goods and %assengersfrom one train system to the other.

Iron ore demand has nearly doubled in cost since these %ro1ectsbegan, making anything made of iron more aluable andconersely, more e*%ensie to %urchase.

The Cas&ian #$&ress

Cygnar, haing a well established rier and road system hasfocused its considerable resources on %roducing a small network of

2eayB rail lines, designed to connect the rier and road systemthrough the central mountainous region and to %ossess a more

reliable trans%ortation system to Coris and beyond. $ncecom%leted, the train system will be mainly used for moement of

bulk goods and high %aying traelers.

/ith Cas%ia as the central hub, the first line currently under

construction, a few leagues stretching from both cities, will linkCas%ia to >harin, then to Coris and eentually to Merywyn in

5lael. The second %hase links Cas%ia through the ManeeMountain range to the coastal city of 2ighgate, eentually

e*tending u% the coast to >ie >ingers in $rd.

The Kingdom of Cygnar iews the system as im%ortant but not to

the e*tent Khador has. #ue to the si)e of the heay rail line, theha)ardous task of caring into mountainous terrain and swam%land

is made een more difficult. This, cou%led with eer increasinge*%ense of iron, deelo%ment has been slow. The +oernment is

%ushing with its limited budget to get the %ro1ect back on trackB,feeling some %olitical com%etition with The Khador Kingdom,

cutting corners instead of s%ending more on resources. /orkaround mountainous region of >harin, for instance, has become

increasingly #angerous with the minimum safety standards oftenbeing ignored. Many workers hae walked off the 1ob or hae beenkilled in accidents, only to be re%laced by less skilled risk-takers

des%erate for a decent %aying 1ob.

The Cygnar trains are highly com%le*, automated and heailyarmored steam1acks called ail1acks. ach train is one hundred feet

long, ten feet high and sha%ed like centi%ede with a %air of ten-footwheels %er segment. The segmented body allows for tight turns

through the mountainous %assages. 7 com%le* network ofmachinery o%erates each segment connection and drie train. Thickiron skin, with %artially e*%osed moing %arts and cogs, coers


18/23

most of the to% and sides. The first small segment is the ail1ackFshead facing forward, This is then followed by a the larger segmentsthat make u% the bulk of the e&ui%ment, three segments for water

storage which automatically feeds into the following combustionsegment, s%routing two smokestacks in the form of a irst, an alchemist who can make blasting

%owders #C 90 must be found. 6owder charges are matched%recisely to an indiidual wea%on3 miscalculations can result in

dangerous malfunctions.

6ower Charges and %ro%erly si)ed lead shot are sewn into small

chemically treated silk %ouches, which are then wra%%ed in ornate


19/23

%a%er and labeled with the makerFs name, the date, and the ty%e ofgun they are intended for. To reload, the user needs to o%en thebreech and %lace the silk %ouch in the combustion chamber. The

trigger s%ring must then be %rimed by means of a crank of leel./hen the gun is fired, a needle %ierces the %owder charge %ouches,

causing them to mi* and e*%lore. The silk flashes into dust, and thebullet is sent on its way in a s%urt of flame and smoke.

Cost for ammunition can ary de%ending on location and demand3at time ammunition is unaailable at any %rice. 7mmunition is

fragile3 it is ruined if it gets wet or takes 8 %oint of %hysicaldamage. It is also flammable, and any e*%osure to flame willdestroy it. 7lchemical blasting %owered burns fiercely, but like

modern gun%owder they will not e*%lode unless confined. 5astly,since ammunition is magical, it can be rendered inert tem%orarilybe dis%el magic. The ease with which it can be su%%ressed de%ends

on the leel of the creator, but in general a dis%el check of #C8will render blasting %owers inert for 8dE rounds.

Most ammunition contains a sim%le lead ball, but there are othero%tions aailable. Incendiary, %oisoned or een enchanted

%ro1ectiles are aailable for the right %rice. Cannon fire a muchlarger %ro1ectile, and so there are some es%ecially fiendish

%ro1ectile o%tions of the cannoneer to choose from.

1teamac0s

Steam1acks are adanced mechanika constructs. 7 steam engine%roides their motie %ower, but they are gien awareness by

so%histicated wi)ardry. The human Kingdom of Cygnar originallydeelo%ed the technology for warfare oer two centuries ago, but it

has since made its way into more %eaceful uses. The iron giants cannow be seen %eacefully toiling away anywhere there is heay labor

to be done. @nits may gras% huge tools in their %owerful claws, orthey can be fitted with %icks, shoels, or thundering steam-hammers.

There are many different kinds of steam1acks, from %lodding

dockside laborers to swift military units that wield shields,cannons, and %otent magic %rotections. Most steam1acks are

between eight and twele feet tall and weigh four to si* thousand%ounds, but in days %ast units ten times that si)e hae been fieldedin battle. These once fearsome behemoths now lie in ruins, but

their smaller and more efficient cousins hae taken their %lace.

'eing the state of the art in both the wi)ard and engineerFs trade,steam1acks are uncommon and e*tremely e*%ensie. Their

construction is not commissioned lightly, and they are generallyowned and o%erated only by %owerful merchant guilds or royal

militaries. =onetheless, they are becoming a more common sitethroughout the Iron Kingdoms, es%ecially in industrial centers.

To remain actie, a steam1ack needs constant refueling of twenty%ounds of good-&uality coal and twenty gallons of fresh water are

re&uired eery few hours. The fre&uency of refueling de%ends onthe e*act model, of which there are many. $lder, less-efficientmodels need water and coal eery hour, while a newer unit might

be able to run for three hours without tending. Chea% sulfurous coalor een firewood can be used in a %inch, but doing so reduces theefficiency of the unit.

'ecause of their constant hunger and thirst, steam1acks make %oorcross-country traelers. They are taken to battle or work sites in an

inactie state, %ulled along on giant wagons behind a do)en horses.7 caraan of coal-tenders usually follows, and water tanks as well

if the destination is dry. 'etter still, if rail has been laid down to thework site, one steam engine can easily delier a work crew of

steam1acks and their su%%lies.

Steam1acks can understand Common and occasionally anothertongue if they hae been so designed. Instructions must be sim%le,

but steam1acks are ca%able of ealuating their enironment wellenough to %reent catastro%he. Steam1acks cannot s%eak, but theycan %roduce steamy hisses, clanks, and metallic groans.

7 steam1ackFs brainB is an intricate mechanika deice that can

account for u% to half of the unitFs %rice. It is a rugged s%hericalmatri* of co%%er bars inlaid with %latinum and gold, surrounding aswirling magical orte*. 6olished gemstone windows are inlaid

into the glowing orb, %reenting the ca%tie charge fromdissi%ating. Into this chaotic knot of energy is encoded all the unitFs

memories and cognitie faculties. If the corte* is breachedhardness L, 8: h%0 it is utterly destroyed, and the esca%ing charge

does 9d of electrical damage to anyone within 8: ft. ef. sae#C 8L for half damage0.

The corte* is hidden dee% within the steam1ackFs torso, cunninglymounted to %rotect it from im%act. $nly a trained mechanic or

high-leel rogue can access the corte*. emoing it re&uires asuccessful Craft4 Corte* skill check #C 9:0 or a successful

#isable #eice skill check #C 90. If the steam1ack is destroyed,there is u% to a JLR chance that the corte* will be salageable at

the #MFs o%tion. This can allow the s%irit of a wrecked warrior tofight another day in a new and im%roed chassis.

2andling a steam1ack re&uires the use of a deice, a torc or amuletthat marks the handler and which can be transferred from one to

another. There may be %assword %hrases, control codes orsomething like that used to identify a handler. The ty%e of handling

e&ui%ment gets smaller and more so%histicated the newer thesteam1ack model

Changing handlers for military war1acks is difficult due to theirmore so%histicated security3 howeer, it is com%aratiely easy for a

knowledgeable o%erator to transfer control of a basic steam1ackfrom one oice to the other. This is done all the time with

dockworkers in a day-to-day course of their 1ob.


20/23


21/23

7danced steam1acks can be instructed with relatiely com%licatedinstructions that reole around one task. >or e*am%le, the unitmay be told to moe a load of crates from a galley to a certain

warehouse or warehouses. /ithin this task, the construct can sortand stack cargo, een treating certain %ackages with more care than

others. /hen attending to its duties, an adanced unit is ery awareof its surroundings and is not likely to cause any accidental damage

or inconenience %eo%le. $utside of its a%%ointed duties, the unit ismore %rone to failure, acting no more intelligently than a basic

model.

7n adanced steam1ack can only be gie one com%licatedB orderat a time. >or e*am%le, it could be told, @nload all of these shi%s

into these three warehouses, filling the em%tiest warehouse first,or, unload this shi%, sorting the crates by si)e,B but the results

would be un%redictable if the tasks we mi*ed together.

These units can take sim%le commands from others besides their

handlers, such as stand downB or %lease moe aside,B %roidedthose commands donFt lead the steam1ack into immediate danger or

cause it to fail in its immediate task.

COMB2T

7danced models hae slightly better combat ability than basicsteam1acks. They are designed with a set of %reentie measures to

%rotect themseles and their work site. They only initiate combat to%rotect themseles or their work site, and they do not gie chase if

their assailant flees. They can be commanded by their handlers to

attack. Such commands can be more com%le* than a basicsteam1ackFs, such as attack all those dwares with a*es, then thedwares with warhammers,B but the battle commands oerride any

working instructions and the unit will need to be gien newinstructions when the combat is oer.

Tools%7danced steam1acks are sometimes fitted with tools that

could function as wea%ons, though they are usually used for cargomoement and sorting tasks. The #M can substitute anya%%ro%riate great or huge wea%on statistics if an adanced

steam1ack is %ressed into combat.

MILIT2R 1T#2ME2CK1

They make their laboring cousins look like toys by com%arison.

Ne 9eats 4 10ills


22/23

9irearms

"eats

#$otic 7ea&on Proficiency small arms- re&uired for use of

%istols or rifles. 7ailable only to >ighters, 6aladins and ogues

#$otic 7ea&on Proficiency Cannon 3 re&uired for use of

cannon. 7ailable only to >ighters, 6aladins cross skill0 andogues.

Craft 3 Blasting &oder any arcane s%ell caster of Lth. 7lsore&uires alchemy skill, s%ecial reagents, e*%ensie e&ui%ment and a

great deal of time.

S#ills

Craft -gunsmith. building and fi*ing guns, rifles and cannon,

+unsmithing is a ery difficult craft. 'ut they also sell &uite wellso it is lucratie to those who master it. 2oweer, they are ery

difficult to make and will be uncommon een by masterworkstandards. Creating a basic firearm re&uires G different com%onents

the stock, barrel, and receier0 each re&uiring different skillchecks, then a Eth check to assemble them together. So your basic

%istol is already something of a "masterwork" by craftingstandards, being een more difficult to craft than a masterwork

sword, for e*am%le. Creating a masterwork %istols D8 to hit0re&uire a higher #C on each of the com%onents, therefore making

these guns &uite rare and true master%ieces of the art. $n the otherend of the scale there can also be "shoddy" wea%ons that are -8 to

hit.

Requirement:

Knowledge4 >irearmsCraft4 Car%entry

Craft4 'lacksmith or (eweler

Profession -gunsmith. #esigning all kinds of firearms H

e*%losies

Requirement:Craft4 +unsmith

Craft -small arms. allows character to reload a wea%on, clear a

misfire and clean a wea%on to kee% it in working order. It does notallow design or re%air. 7ailable only to >ighters, 6aladins andogues

Craft -cannoneer. allow reloading and maintenance of heay-

%owder %ro1ectile wea%ons. 7ailable only to >ighters, 6aladinsand ogues

Craft -demolitions. @sing blasting %owders for bombs H

earthmoing

Requirement:

Knowledge firearms0

Knoledge -firearms. Knowledge of firearms H e*%losies

Iron Construction

S#ills

Profession% -Iron structure engineer. #esigning buildings

trans%ortation and factory Iron Structures to a blue%rint.

Requirement4Knowledge4 Iron StructuresKnowledge4 Metallurgy

Knowledge4 7rchitecture

Craft% -Iron 1tructures. Constructing buildings, trans%ortation

and factory Iron Structures from a blue%rint.

Requirement4Craft4 'lacksmith

Knoledge -Iron 1tructures. The study of all kinds of IronStructures e.g. 'ridges, railroads and &ui%ment0

Knoledge -Metallurgy0 The study of the manufacture,

strengths and weaknesses of metals and alloys.

1team Poer

S#ills

Profession -steam engineers. #esign innoatie Steamworks

Requirement4Knowledge4 Iron Structures

Knowledge4 Metallurgy

Knowledge4 Steamworks

Craft -1teamor0s. Construction of Steamworks fromengineerFs %lans and re%air e*isting machines

Requirement4

Knowledge4 SteamworksCraft4 'lacksmith, 7rmorsmith, /ea%onsmith or (ewelry

Knoledge -steamor0s. The study of all kinds of steam-

%owered machinery


23/23

1teamac0

"eats

Craft% Corte$ 7ailable to any arcane s%ell caster of Lth

leelwho has a Corte* 6roduction Certificate from the Steam H Iron

workers @nionB to %rotect the workers0. 6roducing a steam1ackFsbrainB also re&uires design of the sealed containment chamber and

creating the %ro%er enironment within the chamber to receie themagical com%onents. This is in addition to the huge e*%ense in

com%le* e&ui%ment and base com%onents.

Requirements:Craft4 (ewelry

Craft4 7lchemy

S#ills

Profession -1teamac0 engineer. @sed to design =ew andCustom Steam1acks or refit old ones.

Requirement4

Knowledge4 Steam1ackKnowledge4 Steamworks

Knowledge4 Metallurgy

Craft% 1teamac0 - can be used to design s%ecific wea%ons ortools for a steam1ack. It can also be used for any other steam1ack

skill, with a DL #C to the task being attem%ted.

Requirement4Craft4 /ea%onsmith, 'lacksmith, 7rmorsmith or (eweler

Craft4 Steamworks

Craft% 1teamac0 "andler - 2andlers need L skill ranks to

command steam1acks in basic tasks, J ranks to command them inadanced tasks, and 8: ranks to command war1acks. Commanding

a steam1ack is a standard action that does not draw an attack ofo%%ortunity

Craft% 1teamac0 10eleton 6roduce Steam1ack internal

framework.

Requirement4Craft4 'lacksmith

Craft% 1teamac0 Eoint 6roduce re-enforced Steam1ack 1oints.

Requirement4

Craft4 'lacksmith or 7rmorsmith

Craft% Motion 1er!os 6roduce artificial steam1ack muscles in

the form of steam %owered Seros. $ften re&uires fineworkmanshi% es%ecially for smaller steam1ack models

Requirement4

Craft4 /ea%onsmith, 'lacksmith, 7rmorsmith or (ewelerCraft4 Steamworks

Craft% 1teamac0 10in 6roduce tailored skin H Corte* housingfor basic and custom Steam1acks.

Requirement4Craft4 'lacksmith or 7rmorsmith

Knoledge% 1teamac0 The study of Steam1ack history,technology and models including war1acks

16856702 unoffical iron kingdoms players handbook

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