Cygnar
One of the great powers in the Iron Kingdoms, the southern nation of Cygnar is beset by enemies within and without. She is ruled by a king most consider just and is the most rapidly modernizing state in western Immoren. Her people are proud of the freedom and opportunities available to them, counting among their numbers some of the most brilliant minds on Caen. They are aware they enjoy higher quality of life than many others in the region, who understandably envy their prosperity. Even the lower classes in Cygnar live better lives than those elsewhere, due to advances in mechanika and laws implemented under the current sovereign reforming labor practices.
Cygnar has become a center of industry and trade known throughout the Iron Kingdoms. Blessed with abundant resources, a long coastline, a diverse geography and citizenry, and many other assets, the nation is sometimes referred to by her people as the “Jewel of the Iron Kingdoms.” Her blue and gold banner features the heraldic symbol of Cygnar, the unmistakable Cygnus. The Cygnus dates back to the unification of Cygnar at the end of the Rebellion, formalized during the Corvis Treaties, and was chosen as a symbol of the solidarity of the southern peoples. It also represents the bright future of this new nation, whose people relied on their combined faith and courage to battle the Orgoth and forge the weapons that would ultimately defeat those tyrants.
Traditionally, Cygnar has been the nation most accommodating to outsiders and other races—in addition to humans of all ethnic groups, gobbers, trollkin, dwarves, and ogrun are welcomed for the most part. Her lands are split between many feudal duchies and provinces, but Cygnar’s cities are her greatest strength. The nation’s bustling capital, Caspia, is called the City of Walls after the towering fortifications surrounding it and running throughout its varied districts. The walls of Caspia are so massive and ancient that entire neighborhoods and thoroughfares exist within them. More than a million citizens live and work within the maze of these walls.
A hub for commerce by ship, road, and rail, Caspia is also one of the oldest cities in western Immoren. It is home to both the throne of Cygnar and the Sancteum, a sovereign city within the city that is the seat of the Morrowan faith. Cygnar was initially founded by Menites, and Caspia still retains many impressive temples to the Creator. The civil war that divided the capital into the twin cities of Caspia and Sul resulted in most southern Menites relocating to the Protectorate of Menoth, with the result that today Cygnar is predominantly Morrowan. Although the nation feels the strain of the Protectorate’s crusades, the Crown nonetheless still advocates religious tolerance, and its small Menite minority have a proud legacy going back to Priest-Kings Golivant and Cinot.
Cygnar’s cities are among the most modern in western Immoren, her people among the best educated. Most Cygnaran cities feature solid infrastructures with reliable plumbing, well-maintained roads, and measures to combat corruption and foster vital industry and public health. Only the poorest quarters of cities are squalid, and even there, representatives of the Church of Morrow make efforts to help the truly destitute. Cygnar boasts a large middle class of successful craftsmen, merchants, mechanikal innovators, and scholars, and the gap between the poor and those of means is less pronounced than in other nations.
Ceryl, to the northwest, is the nation’s second-largest city, once the heart of the ancient kingdom of Thuria. Now it is a shipping center that is home to the northern fleet and is famed for the skill and lore of its arcanists. In the northeast, Corvis sits at the confluence of two major rivers, where a steady flow of riverboats passes through the bustling docks amid multiple-storied buildings that are slowly sinking into the muddy ground. Far to the south is Mercir, a city only easily reached by boat. In this relative isolation, Mercir has developed its own distinct culture, including a larger than normal population of trollkin, who are sometimes exploited as cheap labor. Highgate, in the west, is seen as a guardian of the Broken Coast. From its perch among the Wyrmwall Mountains, its massive steam-powered cranes hoist ships from the waters to safeguard them from Cryxian pirates. These cities and the other major Cygnaran towns are all vibrant urban centers conducting vital manufacturing work amid complex local politics. Many boast pioneers in industry and scientific advancement as well as a number of prestigious universities. Yet with prosperity comes other dangers, and each city and major township is preyed upon by criminal communities seeking to exploit any opportunity.
The civilized Cygnaran countryside with its lush farmlands is divided by several untamed regions, including the extensive Wyrmwall Mountains, the Gnarls, and the Fenn Swamp. Though the nation maintains several highways and rail lines, these wild areas remain inhospitable and are populated by savage humans, wild trollkin kriels, and all manner of predatory beasts. Travel between major cities can be risky, with occasional military patrols and overworked road wardens able to protect only the main roads and railways.
In the past few years Cygnarans have seen the fall of their allies in Llael, the loss of the northern Thornwood Forest to the encroaching Khadoran Empire, and years of turmoil in their capital and neighboring Sul due to open warfare with the Protectorate. Cygnar remains on friendly terms with the nation of Ord but that kingdom’s sovereign has proven reluctant to enter into a formal alliance and has shrewdly negotiated for considerable concessions in return for even the most grudging and minimal military assistance.
Cygnar’s King Leto Raelthorne has a reputation as a just and resourceful monarch who has ruled with intelligence in an extremely difficult time. A far cry from his hated brother, Vinter Raelthorne, Leto took the crown and freed Cygnar from tyranny. Despite holding strong against multiple enemies, though, King Leto has seen his support eroded by years of strife and several significant—if arguably unavoidable—defeats. While many military experts insist no monarch or general could have done better in the same circumstances, the loss of Llael and the Thornwood combined with considerable trollkin-related unrest have given considerable fuel to Leto’s detractors, particularly in the north of Cygnar. He retains many staunch supporters, but increasingly strident voices claim he has been too indecisive amid the nation’s wars.
The recent clashes between Caspia and Sul are a testament to Cygnar’s precarious position. Hostility began during the Llaelese War while Cygnar’s troops abroad were engaged against Khador, with Protectorate forces laying siege to Caspia’s eastern gates. This was unsuccessful but demanded retaliation, and the Cygnaran Army eventually breached the walls of Sul. Their invasion into this city proved to be costly and extended, consuming the lives of thousands on both sides. Eventually the Protectorate reclaimed Sul and conducted a counter attack on the streets of Caspia, one which seemed near to swallowing the entire city in conflict and threatening the palace. Disaster was only narrowly averted after a prolonged battle in which the king himself took up his blade. In the end, the battle ended when the Protectorate’s hierarch was struck down by one of Cygnar’s commanding warcasters. Their morale broken, the Sul-Menites withdrew, and there has been a tense cessation in hostilities between the two cities. Massive garrisons in both cities stand ready to continue the conflict at the slightest provocation.
Despite these threats, Cygnar is well defended. Many say Cygnar’s greatest asset is her advanced mechanika; indeed, the nation is unequalled in the synthesis of magic and science. Her advanced technology is no more evident then in her specialized military forces such as the fabled Stormblades and gun mages. But even frontline infantry field high-quality rifles and other ordnance and fight alongside some of the most sophisticated warjacks ever designed. Cygnar’s ability to manage the division of military resources between its armies has been key to its endurance. Each operates independently to confront various threats, one in the north, one in the east, and one in the southwest, all supported by the reserves of the smaller Fourth Army. Similarly, the Royal Navy has divided its fleets between theaters of operation. Cygnar’s navy is peerless in its technological might and has become pivotal in preventing incursions from the sea.
It would seem war is changing the pace of Cygnar’s technology as swiftly as it is changing the pace of her people. Her foundries produce more weapons, warjacks, alchemical components, and material to support the war effort, and goods and rare materials throughout the kingdom are now rationed for the military. In truth, the Cygnaran spirit preserved in the hearts of her soldiers is the nation’s true strength. The people of Cygnar are bloodied but unbowed. Every Cygnaran knows at least one friend or family member who has died as a consequence of war, but even after massive losses over recent years, many citizens are still eager to take up arms in the defense of their crown and country. They are more than willing and ready to defend themselves and their beloved kingdom from those who would crush the principles of freedom and all for which Cygnar stands.
Structure
The nation of Cygnar is divided into Duchies, which are subdivided into Provinces, with each being the domain of an Earl.
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