BLIGHTED CYGNAR
CORVIS CODEX — NO QUARTER 73
To learn about the events leading to the circumstances described in this article, be sure to read Wrath of the Dragonfather by Zachary C. Parker.
For centuries, the dragons of western Immoren engaged in a cold war, awaiting any sign of their progenitor making his next move to reclaim the power he had bestowed upon them. In recent years, however, events conspired to provoke the dragons into sudden action — a combination of Everblight’s influence and the discovery of a long-disembodied athanc provoked a dragon war over central Cygnar. The cities of Orven and Ironhead were the most affected, both places where Cygnarans lived alongside well-established Rhulic enclaves. These places were directly assailed by dragons and their corrosive blood, incurring great casualties and an aftermath of destruction complicated by massive blight. Through the brave actions of a number of heroic individuals, these cities managed to survive, but even years later, reconstruction efforts have been slow, costly, and hampered by unusual obstacles.
ORVEN
The Event
In the winter of 609 AR, a fierce and unexpected battle erupted over the skies and streets of the Cygnaran city of Orven upon the arrival of the dragon Charsaug. Soldiers drawn from the city’s garrison, part of the 14th Division of the Cygnaran Army, fought heroically to protect the city from the dragon, though there was little they could do to injure the immortal and titanic creature. Charsaug had apparently been drawn to the city after detecting the athanc of a legendary dragon in the custody of Major Prime Victoria Haley and Knight of the Prophet Constance Blaize. While this athanc had been kept in a sealed containment device, this mechanism had begun to fail, prompting its detection.
Making matters worse, agents of the Legion of Everblight also joined the fray: a pair of powerful blighted Nyss warlocks named Saeryn and Rhyas, who rode gargantuan dragonspawn to battle Charsaug in the air while Cygnaran Storm Striders blasted at the intruders with lightning from below. While these warlocks turned their attention to Charsaug instead of the Cygnarans, a second dragon, Ashnephos, joined the fray, escalating the potential collateral damage. Realizing the city could not endure such an onslaught, Major Haley’s forces rushed from the city by train toward Ironhead Station, taking the athanc and its containment device with them. The dragons followed behind. While the city was eventually secured, the resulting devastation changed its face and will continue to impact the region for some time.
The Disaster
The battle damaged structures and destroyed buildings throughout the city, many of which were obliterated in an instant by dragon fire or by collateral damage from the weapons fire of defenders, which included cannon volleys from Orven’s Rhulic enclave. While the conflict took place mainly within the industrial and commercial districts, the battle originated in the northwestern quarter, a section of the city tightly packed with homes, businesses, and pubs. The city’s defenders managed to divert Charsaug away from the densest population centers, but despite their efforts, the death toll was high in the end. Worse, injuries to Charsaug caused the dragon’s blighted blood to spill down onto several populated areas. The number of citizens afflicted with permanent blighting as a result of this was limited primarily by the fact that many of those so exposed were slain outright, a dubious blessing. By the time Ashnephos, Charsaug’s twin, arrived to aid its sibling, many inhabitants of the city thought their destruction was guaranteed.
The Lady Warthunder, a heavily armed military train, contributed to the defense and served to help Major Haley escape the city. As the train sped out of Orven, however, the twin dragons reduced the city’s rail yard to ashes.
While the soldiers aboard the Lady no doubt saved tens of thousands of lives in Orven by drawing the dragons away, this chase would not end without major consequences. Wainwright Crossing, the major rail bridge over the Banvick River to the east, was destroyed during the pursuit. Even by 611 AR, two years later, the repairs to this bridge remain incomplete, as efforts have suffered numerous setbacks, and vital materials have often been delayed by the need to use alternate routes.
As the speeding train battled against the twin dragons in the mountainous region between Orven and Ironhead Enclave, an ancient terror reached Immoren for the first time in sixteen centuries. Toruk, the father of all dragons, returned to the mainland to do battle against his offspring.
Toruk’s impossibly swift crossing of the distance between Cryx and western Cygnar had dire consequences for the human kingdom. Beneath the Dragonfather’s flight path, the dead rose from the earth to attack the living. Many cemeteries and small churches that fell under the shadow of the Dragonfather’s wings were unhallowed by his passage, their graves tainted. A number of opportunistic necromancers in the region have since used this to their advantage, pillaging corpses for their own nefarious purposes, though agents of the Church of Morrow were quickly dispatched to mitigate the damage.
During the dragons’ battle, their blighted blood rained down from the skies, some of which collected into noxious and hazardous pools that have persisted. These blighted concentrations have attracted dragonspawn and are frequented by reanimated corpses, specters, and other threats. While Orven took the brunt of the immediate destruction, the surrounding wilderness was also greatly affected. Much of the blasted landscape carries the scars of dragon blight, with twisted and transformed wildlife competing against dragonspawn for meager resources. Both hunting and mining have become perilous for the people of the region, and many have left their homes in search of safety.
The Restoration
The twin pillars of Orven’s community are its human and Rhulic populations. For generations, both peoples have lived in relative harmony, learning to appreciate and respect each other’s strengths and differences. These bonds were never more apparent than during the aftermath of what the locals took to calling the “ash storm,” when both communities came together to begin the city’s extensive reconstruction efforts.
While few places in the Iron Kingdoms have anything resembling organized disaster relief, the Cygnaran crown did send aid to the people of Orven, mainly in the form of supplies, military reinforcements, and prison crews to help the locals with rebuilding efforts. With the high degree of cooperation between various local and military groups, most of the city has been repaired in the last two years, with all major roads and commercial buildings restored to working order.
Despite these efforts, the people of the city continue to struggle, as many are still displaced by the destruction of their homes and businesses, increasing Orven’s homeless and criminal populations to unprecedented levels. Refugees from Orven have flocked to other nearby cities, such as New Larkholm and Ramarck, raising issues of poverty and unrest due to increased overcrowding.
The greatest source of Orven’s financial troubles is the destruction of the Wainwright Crossing rail bridge and the failure of all subsequent reconstruction efforts to it, despite several attempts by both local and military construction crews. This is not a reflection on the competence of the repair crews but rather due to the dangers of the region, as dragonspawn and other blighted creatures continue to roam the area.
What’s more, a once small but vicious farrow tribe called the White Tusk scavenged nearly all the useful weapons and steel from the Lady Warthunder. Using this fallen Cygnaran military equipment, including malfunctioning storm chamber technology, the White Tusk tribe has increasingly become a source of concern for anyone traveling the region.
Spoken among the work crews are tales of the spirits of the fallen trencher company that fought on the Lady Warthunder, and how they linger around the bridge. These restless soldiers attack the living in a futile attempt to complete their mission, unable to distinguish between enemy and bystander. This has been a major aspect of the difficulties in repairing the bridge, though efforts continue. In the meantime, the city of Orven has endured a decline in business and opportunities for its people, though it is hoped this will pass when the reconstruction is completed. Some have thrived amid new opportunities created by the situation, while others have increasingly relied upon expert members of the local Rhulic enclave to provide aid to their neighbors.
The Aftermath
As the birthplace of Primarch Arius, the now-deceased former leader of the Church of Morrow, Orven has long held a significant place in the hearts of the Cygnaran faithful. With this in mind, the church immediately made Orven a priority, sending substantial aid to its citizens.
Within days of the event, Orven received many Morrowan apothecaries and church alchemists bringing medicine to heal the sick and wounded, missionaries helping families locate lost loved ones, and priests sanctifying graveyards and putting errant spirits to rest. These actions have once again endeared the populace to the church, which proved diligent in its work to bring relief to the bodies and spirits of the people of Orven. It is no coincidence that Orven has experienced a resurgence of faith in the last two years, with several new Morrowan churches and shrines erected in the city.
Outside the city, several efforts have been underway to secure the area for safe travel. In the earliest days after the incident, the increased dragonspawn activity made traveling by foot or horse a dangerous proposition. Word spread, attracting hardy monster hunters looking to prove themselves. Within months, monster hunters from across Cygnar and Ord flocked to the area, lured by both the challenge and opportunities offered by lucrative contracts. This is a risky endeavor that has already resulted in several fatalities, but some few have earned valuable experience and a steady income hunting dragonspawn.
Another common sight in the area is a number of self-styled “master alchemists” claiming to posses the cure to dragon blight or other related ailments. These devious charlatans are only interested in profiting off the misery of others, offering useless balms and potions at extravagant prices. Perhaps the most egregious offender is a man named Ennis Gilroy. Gilroy has proven to be both unscrupulous and successful in his endeavors. Claiming to possess a method to remove blight from the ground and make soil farmable again, Gilroy offers his services at an exorbitant rate. He then hires the poor and displaced to dig up a blighted field and dump the contaminated soil and debris in places such as Rimmocksdale Lake. This has contaminated the surrounding deep soil even further, and reports of strange blighted fish and creatures in the lake and surrounding hot springs have increased drastically within the last year.
Not all efforts at cleansing the landscape are insincere or ineffective, as the clients of the gobber-owned Mog and Mag’s Sanitation Services can attest. Former assistants at the Order of the Golden Crucible, these gobber twins heard of the plight of Orven and set about finding a way to solve the problem using their alchemical expertise. Within a few months, the pair had invented an innovative and ingenious, if slow, method to safely siphon and extract blighted waste from soil and water. Despite charging a modest fee and regularly foregoing payment on a case-by-case basis, the brothers’ business has boomed. The pair oversees crews totaling three dozen humans, gobbers, and trollkin standing by for such contracts.
While their process takes time and involves alchemical solutions that are only available in limited supply, Mog and Mag’s Sanitation has so far restored several square miles of terrain outside Orven, bringing newfound hope to those working the land in these regions. Unfortunately, this process does produce blighted waste that must be disposed of. At present, the only solution is to store these blighted contaminants as deep as possible in nearby caves and tunnels, including several depleted and abandoned mines. The impact on the wildlife of the mountains remains to be seen, and there has been discussion that these efforts may open up Mog and Mag to legal consequences in the Cygnaran courts.
In terms of building reconstruction, several neighborhoods have been entirely torn down and rebuilt, and these efforts remain ongoing. Clan Lord Horud Lakestone has roused the clans of the Orven Enclave dwarves to lend their expertise and assistance in these matters. Clan Lakestone invested funds in this effort and now technically owns a number of these new structures, essentially broadening the enclave’s reach. Additionally, some of the Church of Morrow’s funds to help the region have gone to pay for dwarven workers, a legitimate exchange but one that has bolstered the clans. Altogether, this has caused some political friction between human and enclave leaders. Many of Orven’s human citizens bitterly recall it was dwarven ordnance raining down on their former neighborhoods during the clash with the dragons. There has been a general expectation that the dwarves should volunteer their services rather than being paid, which many local dwarves consider unreasonable.
IRONHEAD ENCLAVE
The Event
Mere hours after the disastrous events in Orven, even greater devastation came to Ironhead Enclave, as the dragon alliance clashed against their progenitor, Toruk, the Dragonfather. This major dragon clash took place immediately above the Enclave, showering the earth below in blighted blood mixed with pouring rain. More than once, a dragon would crash to the ground, shattering the earth and toppling buildings before ascending once again to rejoin the titanic battle above. In the most dramatic turn of this draconic battle, Blighterghast was sent hurtling from the sky to smash straight into the Enclave. His impact made a crater that penetrated multiple layers of the dwarven city, bathing the entire area in his heavily blighted blood. Enough blood was spilled that numerous dragonspawn spontaneously came into being. This resulted in one of the largest dragon-related disaster in the history of the Iron Kingdoms. In the end, Blighterghast and the dragon alliance prevailed, driving Toruk away from the mainland, but the cost that such a victory had on the people of Ironhead Enclave will be paid for for years to come.
The Disaster
The human-run subterranean city of Ironhead Station weathered these events with little damage, shielded by the mountain above it. The destruction to the railway, however, impacted its economy, causing shortfalls and trade problems. The adjoining dwarven enclave suffered badly as a result of its location, being considerably more exposed. Unlike its human counterpart, Ironhead Enclave is situated on the surface of the mountain, and even its considerable underground structures were not deep enough to escape unscathed. While the city did not endure any dragons deliberately rampaging through its streets, the impact of Blighterghast unleashed tremendous destruction and lasting blighted spillover.
The damage to Ironhead Enclave was extensive, with approximately a third of the city’s buildings and structures destroyed and another third damaged. While this wreckage was horrific for the city, it ultimately proved to be the least of the Enclave’s troubles. As the dragons battled overhead, their blighted blood showered the streets below, disfiguring the population. It is calculated that nearly five thousand people lost their lives. These casualties might have been worse if the population hadn’t reacted so quickly both to seek shelter and to come to the aid of the injured.
Though the vast majority of blight affecting survivors was superficial, most of Ironhead Enclave’s citizenry show some physical signs of dragon blight. Superficial deformities include rocky growths, bone spurs, eye discoloration, and other cosmetic malformation. Despite the emotional trauma brought on by these physical changes, the hardy dwarven people adapted quickly, going about their lives and uniting together for the good of the city. The prevalence of these changes has helped mitigate the degree to which they are considered a stigma, at least within the community.
During the event, every able-bodied dwarf joined up to help in the defense of Ironhead Enclave and, more important, in the disaster relief after Blighterghast’s impact. Regardless of status or occupation, thousands of the Enclave’s citizens took up arms, helped put out fires, or pulled their neighbors from the rubble. Though the city was ultimately spared from a direct draconic assault, by the time the immortal beings departed, they had left lasting scars on the city, its people, and the land itself. The degree to which the pervasive blight has affected the region is still only partially understood and might require outside agencies — like the enigmatic Circle Orboros — to correct.
The Restoration
Unlike Orven, there was little cooperation between the Rhulfolk of Ironhead Enclave and the neighboring Cygnarans in the aftermath of this attack. Ironhead Station largely left the people of the Enclave to fend for themselves and seemed more focused on the situation in Orven. In fairness, Cygnar was swept up by the Second Cygnaran Civil War and then months of fighting Khador in the Thornwood. While these conflicts were focused primarily in northern Cygnar, they kept the kingdom’s government preoccupied. The people of the Enclave were less aware of these factors, seeing only that their neighbors were not there for them. Dwarven leaders rallied the people to solve their own troubles, reinforcing the fact that they remained Rhulic and not Cygnaran citizens. Some degree of mutual support with the Orven Enclave took place, but the clans in each city remained focused on the damage done to their respective communities.
Rhulic industriousness eventually prevailed, and a great deal of the Enclave’s infrastructure was repaired within the first year of the attack. Still, the dwarves took notice. While Rhulic pride kept them from airing grievances with the Cygnaran authorities, some ruling clans in Rhul advocated ways to express their displeasure more meaningully. A few, such as clan Blackheel, went as far as to suggest increased prices on trade goods between Ghord and Caspia. Relations between Rhul and Cygnar were not severely strained overall, but the people of Ironhead Enclave have become considerably more insular than they once were.
All areas of the Enclave that could be expeditiously rebuilt have been seen to, yet this leaves several sizable regions cleared but largely untouched. These sections of the city are so heavily blighted that they are considered a hazard to all life and reconstruction impossible until some sort of solution can be found. Some of these areas are relatively small — where dragon blood splashed down on an individual building or street, for instance — but this also includes the crater-like epicenter where Blighterghast impacted and where a great pool of blood collected and seeped into the ground and levels below. Attempts to isolate and remove blighted rubble and stone are ongoing, but each affected zone offers its own challenges. It is an expensive, dangerous, and time-consuming endeavor. Most of these blight zones are cordoned off to the public, contrasting these ruined locations against the newly reconstructed surrounding buildings.
The Ironhead Elder Council has taken pains to quell rumors regarding the scope of the destruction here, and most of the clans have agreed to keep this an internal matter. The people of Ironhead do not wish their tragedy to be known by the Cygnaran population nor the Moot back in Rhul. The council fears appearing incapable of caring for its citizens and also knows the scope of those affected by the blight might permanently damage the reputation of the community. This would cause a loss of face and political clout they are unwilling to endure. This has further prompted the council to go as far as sending only dwarves free of blight back to Rhul to update its government.
It is not uncommon to see druids of the Circle Orboros in the immediate surroundings. These blackclads have been hard at work for years, attempting to repair the damage to the natural life of the region and to heal the wounds done to the several major ley lines flowing through the adjoining mountains. These druids face grueling and dangerous work, not only from the blight interfering with their powers but also from horrific dragonspawn that continue to roam the surrounding plains and mountainsides.
The worst of these areas are referred to by some as the dragon-scarred wastes, avoided by all except the most daring necromancers and occultists searching for unusual sources of power. Some of the monster hunters employed near Orven have taken to offering their services to Ironhead or the blackclads, willing to test their mettle as skilled dragonspawn hunters at “competitive rates.”
The Aftermath
While the majority of Ironhead’s population suffered
only minor blighting, there were those in the city who were less fortunate. A small but not insignificant minority experienced severe and unmistakable blight. The nature of the changes is extremely varied from one individual to the next but are all nearly impossible to hide. Some have developed hardened, scaly skin that is cold to the touch. It is common for the afflicted to exhibit stony, angular growths on their foreheads, elbows, and knuckles. Some individuals have had hands and fingers turned into claws, while others have developed stunted, wing-like protuberances on their backs.
The most alarming changes are not physical but mental. Some have had their personalities and habits changed entirely. The most commonly reported change among the heavily blighted is extreme compulsiveness. These blighted Rhulfolk become utterly and obsessively driven to perfect a given craft, generally one practiced more reasonably before the blighting. While some few have found productive ways to channel these energies — such as by tirelessly assisting reconstruction — others are driven to laboring over strange and often disturbing projects, including crafting baffling works of sculpture, smithing, or construction. Many of these bear draconic or serpentine elements, appreciated only by others similarly blighted.
Some of the most severely blighted populace have been taken in and housed at the Ward of the Claywives, a house of healing funded by the elder council and supported by the local priests of the Great Fathers. The healers of the ward do their best to look after these blighted individuals, though some families opt to care for family members discreetly in their homes in order to preserve their dignity. While this course of action is seen as more honorable, there are risks. Many families have trouble keeping their afflicted relatives’ obsessions under control; there have been a number of incidents in which these blighted dwarves have injured or even killed those caring for them, especially if prevented from fulfilling their compulsions.
Not all of the most heavily blighted population have been accounted for, a topic of no small concern. Many heavily blighted citizens disappeared into the many tunnels and ruined underground passages beneath the city, where they created a new society for themselves. These dwarves have joined one of several furtive dragon cults, most of which are devoted to Blighterghast. The largest cult calls itself the Blightborn. Its members have entirely renounced the Stone Fathers, hoping to earn the favor of their dragon god by constructing large and elaborate underground structures in his honor. The activities and intent of these cultists are largely unknown, but they have been busily involved in creating their own deeper tunnels and buildings and festooning them with peculiar works of art. These projects have been kept secret and are guarded by some of the largest of Blighterghast’s dragonspawn.
Rumors surround these cultists, from accusations of kidnapping to outright murder, though little proof has been offered to the city’s authorities. For its part, the Enclave has made the recovery of these people a priority — as long as it can be done discreetly, so as not to draw attention from the Cygnaran authorities or, even more so, the Rhulic Moot. So far, few have been willing to explore the unknown depths. There have been thankfully few violent encounters despite apprehensions.
One of the most tragic stories since the disaster involves Thelrick Grimshield, son of one of Ironhead’s councilors, who proved instrumental in the defense and restoration of the city during and after the devastation. During the crisis, Thelrick led from the front, putting himself in grave danger to personally coordinate efforts to protect his people and subsequently exposing himself to large amounts of dragon blight. Through sheer will, Thelrick maintained a hold of his mind while his body transformed until the major rebuilding efforts were nearing completion almost a full year after the dragon battle.
Once satisfied his people were taken care of, Thelrick retreated into isolation, his mind eventually slipping
into madness. So far, the council of elders has kept Thelrick’s disappearance a secret from the populace, who would lose morale knowing that one of their heroes had succumbed. Some among the Grimshield family believe Thelrick now leads the Blightborn, as he was seen carving a strange symbol on the walls of his home in the weeks leading up to his disappearance. This same symbol now appears painted or engraved on the walls of newer structures and machines in the lower portions of the city.
Ironhead Enclave has had to contend with an alarmingly large number of dragonspawn in the region, most of them thought to have arisen from Blighterghast’s blood. Making their homes in the city’s sewers and ruined buildings, these dragonspawn are simple-minded but violent creatures, seeking primarily to kill to feed, showing at least enough cunning to stalk isolated victims. Surviving witnesses claim these dragonspawn have been seen protecting the subterranean cultists as well as refusing to attack those who bear the most obvious marks of the blight.
It remains to be seen if the Enclave will ever fully recover from this disaster, and certainly it is likely the city will never again be entirely the same. Most of the surviving inhabitants hope the blighted regions can be cleansed and restored and also that in another generation or two, the blighted deformities will vanish. The hidden cultists below the city belie this, suggesting an alien new culture that has no intention of leaving.
