Trens e Locomotivas
As máquinas de transporte dos Reinos de Ferro
No technological innovation has changed the face of western Immoren more than the steam engine. Steam power is best known for its direct applications in warfare: a mighty warjack crashing through lines of troops, belching smoke from its chimneys, is usually the first image people get when they think of the Iron Kingdoms, for good reason. However, the steam engine’s role has been pivotal in both warfare and industry.
The New Iron Road
Literally changing the continent, railroad tracks extend thousands of miles across Caen. Cygnar’s modern rail connects much of the country, and Khador has rapidly extended its own lines to better use the resources of its recent conquests. With no end in sight to the great wars, the need to expand the railways grows ever greater, and each year more cities are connected to their nation’s great rail lines.
The rail boom in the Iron Kingdoms is a relatively recent phenomenon. The earliest serious rail system was a Khardic experiment with a fixed track connecting a mining depot in Skirov to the refineries located in Korsk. This line was composed of small rail tracks laid down between mills and lumber operations in the north. Laborers used these wooden tracks to push carts of lumber short distances with teams of oxen walking a parallel path. The Korsk-Skirov line was simply an extrapolation of this concept. These rails were made of iron; the cross-ties remained wood. To help with drainage, the rails were built on elevated ballast. This early railway took almost 27 years to build and was completed in 478 AR.
A crowd of hundreds gathered in Korsk to witness the launch of the Korska, the first steam-powered locomotive. This primitive engine could pull 30 tons with a maximum speed of 16 miles an hour. The Korsk-Skirov line was approximately 218 miles long, and the Korska could make this trip in roughly 15 hours — a journey that had previously taken more than a week.
Those kayazy who had previously sneered at the project were soon scrambling to take advantage of the economic opportunities it unlocked. Both the Cygnaran military and the Steam & Iron Workers Union took note. Tracks connecting Caspia to Steelwater Flats were completed in just a few decades. From there Cygnar achieved a miracle of engineering unsurpassed since. The 78 miles between Steelwater Flats and Ironhead Station are some
of the most mountainous in Cygnar; instead of taking a tortuous route between the two cities, the Cygnaran military’s engineering corps and the Steam & Iron Workers Union instead opted to drill a tunnel directly through the mountains. When the line was completed in 577 AR, 60 miles of the track ran underground. The engine Caspian was the first to run the line, bearing a load of 40 tons in just under four hours. With this fast and powerful engine, the rail boom in western Immoren truly began.
End of the Line: Rail in the Other Kingdoms
Only Cygnar, Khador, and Rhul have truly embraced railroads. The Cryxian Empire has found little use for the short rail lines it would be able to build across its archipelago, although some of its industrial centers use small, elevated lines to transport raw materials from refineries to factories.
Ord has begun to experiment with freight rail by building a small line connecting Merin with the port of Berck. The rail has facilitated the speed of trade, which had been handled largely by slower riverboats. Although Ord has seen financial gains, it is small enough and its iron resources meager enough that the investment to connect other cities might not be worth it. Ord would benefit the most from rail lines facilitating trade with either Cygnar or Khador, but the current state of tension between these nations makes such a prospect unlikely. Connecting to Point Bourne would have been ideal, allowing Ord to tap more directly into the flood of trade through Bainsmarket and down to Caspia. With Khador in control of the Thornwood, this dream has been postponed indefinitely. Some have suggested a shorter coastal rail line connecting Berck to Corbhen and on to Five Fingers to facilitate Dragon’s Tongue River trade. Several Five Fingers high captains have endorsed this prospect, and they might have enough financial clout to make it happen. There is no question the project would provoke additional criminal competition and bloodshed to control such a lucrative trade artery.
The Protectorate of Menoth has expressed interest in establishing a rail system, but it lacks a preexisting infrastructure upon which to build. With the Northern Crusade far beyond the Protectorate’s most fortified supply depots, it has seriously considered the idea of a rail line extending from Tower Judgment to Leryn. Beyond the staggering financial investment, the primary obstacle is the skorne. Given the extent of skorne fortifications in the nearby Marches, it is unlikely any such rail construction could proceed, even if the line could also be secured against Cygnaran and Khadoran interference.
Tracks of the Swan — Cygnar’s Railways
Though trains were first built in Khador, the refined look and function of the Cygnaran steam locomotive is the standard by which all trains in the Iron Kingdoms are judged. The engine car that hauls the train is dominated by a massive steam engine at its fore.
A top the engine are the chimneys that vent the huge streams of coal smoke, making the train visible for miles. Here the engineer and his assistants fuel the great boiler system from a large stock of coal located at the car’s rear. A huge firebox at the front of the engineer’s cabin converts stored water into steam to drive the mighty locomotive forward. A variety of instruments allows the engineer to brake, accelerate, and monitor boiler pressure. Iron like the rest of the train, all windows are sliding panels that can be slammed shut in case of an attack.
The railways pass through dangerous frontiers, so the engine is typically the most heavily armored car in the train. Dense armor plating covers every surface, and the train’s nose terminates in either massive iron bumpers or a huge (and often sharpened) cattle-catcher to push aside any obstructions.
Usually, behind the engine a passenger car serves as the barracks and bunker for the rail wardens (or the Winter Guard, who perform a similar role in Khador) accompanying the train on its journey. On trains that transport military hardware and regularly travel near the war fronts, this car might be fitted with one or more mounted swivel guns or a single rotating cannon turret. It also holds a weapons locker, along with folding bunks for the men to sleep in shifts.
Typically almost a quarter of this car is occupied by a single warjack that is marshaled by one of the train’s dedicated engineers. Usually this is a heavy steamjack, capable of assisting with labor or armed with a cannon to assist in defense. When not in use, the warjack sits on a reinforced platform with an adjacent ramp for rapid deployment.
After the barracks car begins the string of cars comprising the train’s freight. Depending on the nature of the line, anything from grain and ore to troops and private passengers can be found aboard. Almost every train carries at least a few kinds of freight; more than one poor configuration has seen a passenger car endure the odor of a cattle car directly ahead of it. If the train is traveling close to an active front or otherwise expecting to meet hostile forces, barracks cars appear intermittently among the freight. This is also done when the train is carrying a particularly precious cargo like a consignment of warjack cortexes.
At the rear is a caboose, typically used as a final barracks and armory as well as sleeping quarters for the train’s civilian crew. On heavily armed trains, sometimes a second steamjack and its attendant mechanics also occupy this car.
Passenger Cars
Though hauling people from one place to another might seem a natural use for trains, the concept has taken some time to catch on. Most trains in Cygnar and Khador were originally intended exclusively for shipping freight and military supplies. Ironically it was the escalation of war abroad that facilitated the wider adoption of passenger fares, made possible after entire cars were designed to rush soldiers to the front lines or reallocated from one army to another. Before this, passengers often had to make do with whatever limited space was available, which was usually less than ideal for long travel. Given the speed of the rail lines, customers were willing to pay for such space, but now passengers buy space on military personnel cars that would otherwise run empty. Travel plans can be preempted without warning, however, if the Cygnaran or Khadoran armies require the room. Combined with ever-rising fare prices, this uncertainty causes most thrifty citizens to choose slower but more affordable road and river transportation.
Steelwater Rail has considered placing a second engine at the rear of a train to preclude the need to turn on rail tables at smaller depots. The considerable expense and additional weight, however, will likely delay this innovation for some time.
Cygnar’s railroads are extensive and have become a part of everyday life for many of the kingdom’s people. The nation boasts the most advanced railroads and steam locomotives in western Immoren despite the infighting between its competing private rail companies.
Most of the engines and lines are privately owned by Cygnar’s two largest rail companies, the Caspian Railway Society and Steelwater Rail, though a handful of smaller companies control branch lines. All these companies are serviced by the Steam & Iron Workers Union, who receive contracts for engine creation and maintenance.
Steelwater Rail is Cygnar’s oldest rail company, and its iconic red-trimmed and hunter-green engines have come to define Cygnaran railroad power. The company dominates most freight rails in the kingdom and still controls the lines most used by Cygnar’s military, making it a vital interest to the employers of mercenaries for security. Although the crown attaches military support to critical shipments, the Cygnaran Army is generally willing to trust the rail wardens Steelwater Rail keeps as a private militia. The company also designed the standard-gauge tracks used by most of the smaller rail companies in the kingdom.
The Caspian Railway Society grew out of a disparate coalition of steam workers and shipping interests. In its first years Caspian Rail was almost destroyed by Steelwater Rail, which engaged in shameless sabotage and disruption against it. Open hostilities and bloodshed became alarmingly regular. The crown stepped in and mediated a truce between the companies, seeking to use Caspian Rail as a wedge in its own negotiations with Steelwater Rail.
Caspian Rail has interests in all aspects of the railroad industry but has found its niche transporting perishable freight. It played a clever game against Steelwater Rail to gain control of the most lucrative grain and livestock contracts out of Bainsmarket and now virtually controls the “Market Line” running to Caspia. In response, Steelwater Rail spitefully crown. Though company officers might sometimes complain about military interference, Cygnar’s treasury pays quite well, as obliged by long-standing contracts. Based out of the lakeside town of Steelwater Flats, Steelwater Rail arose out of mechanik shops and other steam workers who had won bids on the early line to connect the town with Caspia. The conglomerate eventually consolidated into a single company with aspirations to monopolize all of Cygnar’s railways.
Steelwater Rail has centered its operations on industrial freight, and the bulk of its railcars are designed to transport ore and other minerals. The company has undisputed private control over all freight rail traffic from Caspia to Orven and from Steelwater Flats to Ramarck. Although they do not technically monopolize the industry, the vast majority of Cygnar’s mineral wealth now moves on Steelwater Rail trains — a reality the Cygnaran crown occasionally has cause to lament. The company’s wealth has made it intractable in negotiations and spurred allegations of war profiteering in recent years.
Despite their obvious greed, Steelwater Rail does have a reputation for efficiency and innovation. They take great pains to keep their shipments on time and are one of the most regular refused to continue their planned line connecting to Point Bourne, an opportunity Caspian Rail gleefully snatched. Connection with Point Bourne provided trade profits from the Dragon’s Tongue port, which Caspian Rail quickly used to fund its new passenger rail trains.
In control of the Point Bourne rail depots, Caspian Rail is poised to attempt to lay the long-desired Ceryl connection. In late 607 AR the Church of Morrow finally agreed to the crown’s request to help fund the creation of this line, but
the difficult terrain of the Cloutsdown Fen and the dense woods of the Gnarls represent considerable obstacles — to say nothing of the numerous hostile trollkin who make their home in the Gnarls. Even with all the coin in Cygnar, the Point Bourne–Ceryl line might prove to be a pipe dream. Given these problems, Steelwater Rail has made a counteroffer to the Church of Morrow for a connection from Ceryl to Orven. Although this route would be longer and in some ways more challenging, it would avoid the hostile trollkin of the Gnarls and would also directly connect Caspia and Ceryl, Cygnar’s two largest cities. Steelwater’s cause might find a champion in the church primarch, who hails from Orven and would like to see his city prosper. The possibility of a rail connection to Ceryl has prompted envious muttering in Corvis, which will likely continue to rely on river trade unless the military decides to take a more direct interest.
Thanks to Caspian Rail, Cygnar now has the only dedicated passenger train in western Immoren, the Royal Diligence, though even it is periodically co-opted to transport soldiers. Steelwater Rail was quick to expand passenger service on its own lines in response, but its passenger cars are both less comfortable and available on fewer routes than its competitor’s. Private rail travel is still somewhat expensive, but for a moderate price any citizen can travel from Caspia all the way to Bainsmarket in a single day and night. Previously this 428-mile trip could take more than two weeks. Caspian Rail and its blue-gray engines with gold trim have captured the imagination of the Cygnaran people.
Although small towns and villages along the Market Line are eager to build stations, Caspian Rail has final authority over where it will place facilities. Furthermore, the current wars make passenger rail uncertain. With the recent loss of the Thornwood, Point Bourne and Corvis have become vital cities to the Cygnaran Army, and the military traffic heading to these destinations has placed a strain on rail travel. Even so, passenger rail is increasingly a larger part of Caspian Rail’s business, and the company is expanding service wherever possible.
The Iron Highway — Railroads of Khador
The Khadoran Empire often suffers from a conservative approach to new technology, instead settling to expand on existing ideas. If a mortar works well, it reasons, an even bigger mortar will work even better. When the rail boom in the Iron Kingdoms began, however, Khador was fortunate to have Simonyev Blaustavya as its regent.
Simonyev was already familiar with the benefits of rail as head of the Blaustavya Shipping Company and used his position to expand and modernize his country’s infrastructure as quickly as possible. Though Khador pioneered the first rail line, progress stalled for several decades after the costly Coin War in Llael. Having heard of the success of Cygnar’s Caspian and the rapid track-laying occurring in both Cygnar and Rhul, Blaustavya strongly suggested that his fellow kayazy make it a priority to fund rail expansion. Despite several train accidents in the rush to catch up to the other kingdoms, the Khardov-to-Ohk line was completed in 601 AR. Dubbed the “Iron Highway,” this line packed thousands of rural Khadorans uncomfortably onto cargo cars and hauled them to the nation’s modern cities. The majority of these former peasants found work as factory laborers and helped fuel the Khadoran war machine.
Granted the title of great vizier, Blaustavya remains a trusted advisor to Empress Vanar, who has seen for herself the huge impact the railroads have had on her nation and continues to have them improved and expanded. She and most of the kayazy consider passenger rail a trivial project and waste of wartime finances. Blaustavya, however, has quietly encouraged some passenger projects by independent rail companies. As in Cygnar, cars originally intended to move soldiers easily convert for passenger use.
Blaustavya Shipping & Rail (BS&R) controls the bulk of rail operations in Khador, with Khorsk-Khardov Railworks Konsortium and BS&R’s sister company Troykyev Iron & Steam keeping their shares. The Khadoran government is more interested in results than personal wealth, and these companies have been known to engage in some of the scurrilous dealings and sabotage that plague Cygnar’s rail interests. Still, their rivalries are subtle, and what violence does break out between them is almost always masked as the work of Cygnaran spies and agent provocateurs.
This control from the top has given Khador the ability to lay new track and create functioning rail lines faster than any other nation. With the fall of Llael, BS&R leaped to integrate the occupied territory with Khador’s rail line. Completed in fewer than four years, the new “Umbrean Line” connects Korsk with Laedry by way of Rorschik, and work continues apace to connect Merywyn as well. This massive project has cost the state a staggering weight in bullion and the lives of hundreds of workers, many of whom were prison laborers. The largest steam train in all of Immoren, the Khardic Colossal was the first engine to run the line and greatly impressed the inhabitants of Laedry. The Umbrean Line has proved a boon to Khador’s efforts in occupied Llael and was instrumental in supplying troops to the siege that broke Northguard and culminated in the annexation of the Thornwood.
The Umbrean Line is now regularly serviced by the Might of Korsk. Although not as massive as the Khardic Colossal, this new engine and its sister Empire’s Pride are the first of a new kind of Khadoran steam locomotive. BS&R has funded a great deal of research into more efficient steam boilers and fireboxes, and this new class represents the fruit of their labor. The fireboxes are still oversized, but some of Blaustavya’s innovations to increase pressure might be applied to warjack boilers in the near future.
These new engines maintain the old design philosophy of heavy armor and weaponry; sabotage has plagued Khador’s train lines since the most recent war in 604 AR began. Because of BS&R’s close ties to the Khadoran High Kommand, the Khadoran military protects the rails more than in Cygnar, even going so far as to create specialized rail wardens called the Khadoran Rail Korps. These units use barracks cars as mobile fortresses and have become adept at fighting on moving trains. Their blunderbusses have sent more than one group of Llaelese rebels running into the forests, dragging their wounded and dead behind them. The battle mechaniks assigned to attend to the trains are sometimes given an old warjack if one can be spared from the front, and they prefer the Destroyer chassis for such duty. Given the unpredictable nature of sabotaged tracks or other ambushes, the Rail Korps highly values the versatility of the Destroyer.
Khador has also experimented with using the trains themselves as weapons of war. When Kossite scouts observed a Llaelese rebel camp in a small copse of woods on the Umbrean plains, the Lady Ayn and its tremendous cannon were sent to shell the area. Many rebels were killed outright, and the rest were flushed into the open where they were quickly dealt with by the men and women of the Rail Korps.
Rail in Rhul
The clans of Rhul used a vast series of connected mine carts for centuries before taking notice of the human nations’ new railroads. The Rhulfolk immediately recognized the utility of modern rail and began building an expanded rail system with a speed that astonished their neighbors. The three-pronged set of lines connecting Ghord with Griddenguard, Groddenguard, and Ulgar were completed in less than a decade. A miracle of engineering and efficiency, the original Rhulic lines crossed over and under the huge mountains of their land. Rhulic Rail’s first locomotive made the journey to
and from Ghord in 573 AR.
Two more projects were begun after the completion of Rhul’s first three lines, but only one has been completed. The Ghord-Drotuhn line lays incomplete only 50 miles from Drotuhn. In the spring of 607 AR two separate track-laying crews vanished while working in a valley in the Borokunn Mountains. A division of Hammerfall troops accompanied the third crew dispatched. They found a handful of survivors who spoke of atrocious monsters lairing near the unfinished tracks.
The moot in Ghord correctly surmised these were the same blighted horrors that had begun to plague other parts of their nation. Work on the line is indefinitely on hold, but it is only a matter of time before the moot assigns a warcaster and a large task force to clear the way for the rail to be finished.
The Ulgar-Brunder line, however, was completed ahead of schedule. This line is perhaps the most impressive in all of Rhul. The bridge over the Ayeres River is a marvel of Rhulic engineering. When the rail moves to the south it runs parallel to the shore of the Armsdeep for most of its length before a second massive bridge crosses the Fleetsfill River and the line terminates in Brunder.
The next major project under consideration is a southern line that would connect Ghord with Hammerfall. Connecting Rhul’s most important fortress with the rest of its major cities would
be an obvious boon, but the terrain itself is extremely difficult. Between the capital and the citadel lie some of the deepest ravines and hardest stone in all of Rhul, to say nothing of the dangerous wildlife lurking in that region. If this line is ever completed, it will open the way for rail to be extended on to Horgenhold and Hellspass. Plans are already being considered to connect Farhollow and Ulgar. Rhul could be the first of the Iron Kingdoms to have all its major cities connected by railway, though some clan lords insist Farhallow is too remote and insignificant to make this worth the effort.
Rhul’s trains share many similarities with Khador’s; they
are heavily armored and loaded with dedicated troops. The strangely large doors and troop ramps of their railcars stand apart, though. These make sense given the large population of ogrun that make up Rhul’s population: they provide easy entry to the vehicles for the dwarves’ larger brethren.
The mountains of Rhul host a wide variety of hostile and predatory creatures. Trolls, dregg, and farrow tribes are common throughout the region, and stranger creatures like dolomites are regular nuisances. To deal with these constant threats, at least a couple dozen dwarven warriors and engineers as well as several ogrun accompany every Rhulic train. No train carries fewer than four swivel guns, and some freight cars even allow additional guns to be mounted if the train is expected to meet more hostile forces than usual. In addition, every Rhulic engine features at least one turret-mounted cannon.
Despite the precautions the Rhulfolk take, ambushes have derailed three trains in the past five years. Worse still were the entire locomotive and crew slain by a gorgandur that had awoken beneath Slannog’s Point. A group of adventurers was hired to deal with the enormous creature, and though they never returned the gorgandur has not been seen again. Only time will tell whether it was defeated or merely returned to its slumber.
The Royal Diligence
The Royal Diligence, first launched on the Caspia–Steelwater Flats line in AR 589, is perhaps the best-known train in Cygnar. Originally named the Royal Valiant, the engine took almost four years to build and represented the best of Cygnaran steam locomotive technology. Its steam engine and largest components were fabricated at the main Steelwater Rail facilities. Master Engineer Thomas Brookfeld considered the engine his finest accomplishment and personally oversaw every major step of its construction.
Upon completion, the engine could pull a load in excess of 46 tons and had an unencumbered maximum speed of 29 miles an hour. Steelwater Rail originally commissioned the Royal Valiant to increase its steel freight traffic to Caspia, and the engine spent the end of the century running steel and other industrial goods to the capital and back. Had it not been for a complicated turn of events, the Royal Valiant might have remained a dedicated freight engine and never inspired the imagination of the Cygnaran people.
Late in 602 AR, Caspian Rail accused Steelwater Rail management of hiring mercenaries to disrupt the Lady Shevann, a Caspian Rail engine that was being repaired by Steam & Iron Workers Union members at an affiliated service depot outside of Fharin. Two Caspian Rail mechaniks and three gobbers were killed. Although the incident did not go to court, the crown became involved. Caspian Rail agreed to drop their charges in exchange for heavy remuneration. Steelwater Rail made a counteroffer of the Royal Valiant, which Caspian Rail gladly accepted.
Caspian Rail had already long planned for its own passenger line. With the boon of the Royal Valiant engine and knowing Cygnar’s need for additional troop transport, Caspian Rail was able to accelerate its scheme. In early 605 AR Caspian Rail announced its first three passenger cars — to be pulled by the now-renamed Royal Diligence. To appease the military, Caspian Rail gave them first priority with these cars, and though they often occupy at least one, they rarely require all three. For the first time in history any citizen with 50 crowns could ride the railways all the way from Caspia to Bainsmarket. The route was extended once track had been laid to Point Bourne, though most passenger trade disembarks at Bainsmarket.
The Royal Diligence has become a familiar sight on the Market Line; locals near the line still turn out to see it roll past their homes or into station. Its multiple chimneys, light-blue paint, and the massive gold Cygnus on its front make it one of the defining images of Cygnar. The Royal Diligence can be seen making its thrice-weekly departures from Caspia to Steelwater Flats, stopping once in Fharin and once in Bainsmarket before making the final connection to Point Bourne. Passengers can pay an additional 10 crowns to continue to this final stop.
Chief Engineer Alain Shedwick (male Caspian Amk 8) runs all the Royal Diligence’s journeys. Shedwick has been with Caspian Rail for more than 25 years and is one of the company’s most trusted engineers. Middle-aged and on the verge of portliness, Shedwick is a kind man much beloved by his crew, even more so for his unflinching dedication to the Diligence. On two occasions Shedwick has personally fought against Khadoran and Menite raiders who attacked his “baby.”
Shedwick is accompanied by several other engineers. His chief assistant is the gobber Slek (male Bdg 6). Slek has spent the past several years becoming familiar with every gauge, pipe, cog, and rivet on the Royal Diligence. The bond that has grown between the engineer and his assistant astounds new crewmembers; the two of them can communicate wordlessly when responding to the myriad problems and mechanical mishaps aboard the engine.
Accompanying Shedwick, Slek, and the other engineers are several apprentices who do the backbreaking work of shoveling coal and stoking the furnace. Completing the engine’s crew are two of the mercenary band who stay on guard in the cabin.
Directly behind the engine is a barracks car painted in the standard light blue and gold of all Caspian Rail cars. This car carries the Rolling Thunder, a mercenary band operating out of Fharin. Led by Taryn Heifer (female Thurian Ftr5/Rog4), the band specializes in guarding rail traffic. Twelve members of the band currently make their homes aboard the Royal Diligence. In the rear of this car they keep their mostly reliable Mule, nicknamed “Belcher.” The warjack’s furnace is kept at a low boil for the duration of the trip and its chimney protrudes out a hatch in the roof of the cabin to prevent asphyxiating the occupants.
Just ahead of the barracks are three boxcars carrying weaponry for the trenchers and long gunners of the First and Second Armies. These are some of Caspian Rail’s older cars, and their gray paint is turning brown with rust. These cars carry enough chain guns, ammunition, smoke bombs, and rifles to replace those lost to casualties or accident for three months.
Next are the three passenger cars currently hauled by the Royal Diligence. Each comfortably carries 40 passengers (or 80 soldiers, uncomfortably), with a small booth for two people to sleep in privacy. The sleeper cabin costs a premium and is generally bought only by royalty or wealthy industrialists. Conductor Frenklys (male Midlunder Exp4) greets passengers here and takes their tickets. Frenklys takes great pleasure in his distinctive “All aboard!” call as the train departs each station. Two members of the Rolling Thunder are also present in each passenger car. They are supposed to remain on guard at all times but on more than one occasion have become distracted by a quiet dice game and nips from a hip flask.
Behind the passenger cars are two open-topped freight cars carrying rations for the Cygnaran Army. Prepared in Caspia, the rations are to be transferred to a military caravan in Bainsmarket destined for the new front lines not far from the city. The rations are bound tightly in wax paper, and each car is covered by a waterproof tarp.
The last car of the train is a heavily armored caboose. Its bright red paint is streaked with rust in some particularly vulnerable spots, but overall it is kept in good order because it serves as the crew’s sleeping quarters and kitchen. Inside are four bunk beds with two levels each. A coal-burning stove occupies the far end of the caboose. Conductor Frenklys keeps his books and received tickets at a desk here. At each passenger, freight, and refueling stop, the Royal Diligence idles from 20 minutes to an hour, during which crewmembers cook quick meals or switch shifts with those already in this, their home away from home.
Depot 16: Cygnaran Military Rail Fueling Station
Located 25 miles east of Point Bourne, Depot 16 is undoubtedly the most active (and dangerous) military rail depot in all of western Immoren. It was built in late 606 AR in the foothills of the Dragonspine Mountains by Caspian Rail, who used it as a staging point while they laid their rails from Bainsmarket to Point Bourne. They never intended it to become the fort it is today.
After the line was complete, Depot 16 was used as a refueling facility for trains as they descended the mountain passes.
A wooden fence surrounded the facility, which contained a barracks and housing for Caspian Rail crewmembers and station workers, several switching tracks, a turning table, coal sheds, and a warehouse for sundry goods that doubled as a workhouse for repairs. Until recently, no more than 15 Caspian Rail employees made their homes at the depot. The territory was firmly in Cygnar’s grasp, and the Khadoran front lay more than two hundred miles to the north.
With the fall of Northguard and the subsequent annexation of the Thornwood by Khador, Point Bourne and its surroundings have become the new front line in Cygnar’s ongoing war with their northern enemies. Now the Point Bourne–Bainsmarket line and Depot 16 have become two of the most critical assets on Cygnar’s northern front, and the small depot has been heavily fortified and invested with Cygnaran troops.
A huge set of earthworks has been erected around the depot, surrounding a much larger area than the original fencing did. Large wooden spikes and scrap metal barricades are embedded in the outside of the two half-circles that enclose the depot. Trencher chain guns are mounted into the manmade hillock, placed at intervals to create the most efficient target zones. Gated passes at the east and west ends of the earthworks allow trains to enter and leave. Two squads of trenchers patrol the earthworks at all times.
Caspian Rail employees still use the original structures built by the company. Because of the very real dangers at this depot, these workers earn significantly larger wages due to hazard pay. Those few passengers willing to risk the trip all the way to Point Bourne are asked to stay aboard and endure the occasional search by station soldiers and are offered no amenities until they reach the city proper.
The Cygnaran military has constructed additional barracks for their own use, and these now permanently house two full trencher platoons. A platoon of long gunners also guards the depot alongside the trenchers. At any time various other squads and platoons are either stationed here or are passing through. Assigned to the general region is Major Elston Danworth (male Midlunder Ftr7), commander of the 12th Infantry Battalion; he has made Depot 16 his de facto command squad.
Massacre on the Market Line
No one who works the Royal Diligence likes to speak of this incident, and questions are met with cold stares and silence. In the summer of 607 AR the Royal Diligence had just left Bainsmarket heading south when an attack from trollkin and dire trolls brought the line to an abrupt halt. Taryn Heifer was lucky enough not to have been on board this trip, as she was attending to family business in Fharin, but many of her former mercenary crew died to troll teeth in the initial attack. Whether by accident or design, soldiers heading south from Point Bourne to convalesce were the primary targets.
Those attempting to defend the train watched in stunned disbelief as several gargantuan dire trolls tore away one of the hospital cars filled with injured members of Cygnar’s First Army. The entire passenger car was hauled into the distance and never seen again. Horrifying tales have been told of the likely fate of those wounded soldiers at the hands of ravenous trolls. The Diligence recovered and the car was replaced, but no one has taken security for granted since that horrible afternoon. Both the mercenaries and soldiers assigned to protect the train have stayed armed and alert, but no one can escape the fear of additional attacks. Even having a warjack on board does little to reassure passengers against the possibility of a rampaging dire troll.
Because of the vital role the station plays in defending the railroad, Major Danworth has had more luck than many other officers in requisitioning warjacks. The depot’s garrison currently holds two Grenadiers, an Ironclad, and a prized Defender. The mechaniks keep at least two of these ’jacks ready for combat at all times and will prime the engines of all four if a Khadoran attack is imminent.
Despite the supposed cease fire in effect between Khador and Cygnar along the Black River, Depot 16 has suffered almost weekly attacks, most small but disruptive probing strikes. The rail line has had to be repaired on 14 separate occasions as Khadoran scouts or mercenaries in their employ have destroyed portions of the track. Regular casualties from snipers and other incidental fire have led local soldiers to make morbid jokes of the notion of any cessation of hostilities with Khador. Recent fortifications being built by the Khadorans across the river only add to the tension.
In the meantime, the trenchers and long gunners of Depot 16 weather regular minor skirmishes. To this point, the earthworks have held and the Cygnaran casualties have been minimal. The troops of Depot 16 make light of their duty to guard the “big smokers,” as they’ve come to call the trains, but everyone stationed here is uneasy and expects full war to erupt soon enough. They know they will be right at the front of it, as will the iron rails they guard.
Fonte: No Quarter 24
BLAUSTAVYA SHIPPING & RAIL
Blaustavya Shipping & Rail, or Big Iron as it is more commonly known, began as a conglomerate of shipping and railroad interests. Founded by Kayaz Simonyev in 551 AR, the company has become the foremost mercantile power in the Motherland.
It moves goods, food, and coal across the entire breadth of Khador. As well, BS&R has a substantial interest in commercial fishing, canning, and merchant security out of Ohk, dealings with heavy industry in Korsk, and a massive distribution center based out of Khardov. Most other merchant companies and guilds live in the shadow of Big Iron.
With rail stations in Ohk, Khardov, Korsk, Skirov, Laedry, and Merywyn, BS&R moves goods rapidly, effectively, and inexpensively. It is the largest commercial user of steam engines and steamjacks in all of western Immoren, and it has acquired several companies that produce the mechanical parts it needs to maintain its equipment. In fact, through Simonyev, BS&R controls the contracts to repair steamjacks and warjacks for the Khadoran military. Big Iron’s sister company, Troykyev Iron & Steam, benefits immensely from these contracts.
Immediately after the Llaelese War, the government contracted Big Iron to extend rail to Laedry and then to Merywyn as quickly as possible. The company spent a small fortune on this effort, which required several cities to participate in forging rails. BS&R was given access to thousands of prisoners from various khardstadts to assist in the effort, and work proceeded twenty-four hours a day. Many lives were lost during construction, but in the end the High Kommand judged the effort worth it, because the military trains can now reach deep into occupied Llael.
The identifying symbol on all Big Iron trade trains, steamjacks, and vessels is “the stack,” a stylized steam stack billowing plumes of smoke. It is stamped on cars and engines of their armored trains, displayed on placards on their warehouses, and emblazoned on the sails or steam stacks of their ships. Since the creation of the first rail line in Khador, Blaustavya has become a household name in the nation’s metropolitan centers.
Although Big Iron is primarily a shipping concern, it also encompasses numerous subsidiary companies and merchant organizations, due primarily to Simonyev’s powerful influence (see p. 122). Big Iron controls the contracts for most military arms manufacturing, mercantile distribution, and organized heavy labor in Khador’s cities. A popular slogan in the royal court is that the interests of Blaustavya are the interests of Khador. While this may not be true for the less developed portions of Khador, it is a fact in the royal court and the major cities of this nation of iron.
Fonte: King, Nations and Gods
O Advento dos Trilhos
Se existe um culpado pela diminuição do tráfego nas estradas mercantis e nos rios, é o trilho. As primeiras estradas de trilhos foram construídas pelo Império Khárdico, por volta de 1.000 A.R. Essas “ferrovias” primitivas consistiam de trilhos de madeira, sobre os quais vagões ou carroças puxadas por cavalos moviam-se com maior facilidade, comparando-se com trilhas de terra. Pode-se dizer que foram as precursoras das modernas ferrovias.
O desenvolvimento da produção industrial na cidade de Korsk — especialmente o motor a vapor de Drago Salvoro — poderia ter tido um impacto signifi cativo sobre Immoren ocidental, não fosse a invasão orgoth. Certamente a produção industrial teria ocorrido um milênio mais cedo se não fosse pela intervenção da raça feiticeira que abafou todas as formas de tecnologia e inovação entre o povo de Immoren.
Mas nem mesmo os orgoth puderam erradicar completamente os grandes pensadores e inovadores. A tecnologia a vapor ressurgiu durante seu reinado negro, de várias formas, incluindo os magnífi cos Colossais. Séculos mais tarde, Khador começou mais uma vez um grande projeto de estradas de ferro, concebido durante os últimos dias do Império Khárdico: a linha Korsk-Skirov. Iniciado em 451 D.R., a ferrovia iria transportar minério das minas de Skirov até as refi narias de Korsk, rapidamente. Em 3 de Vendral em Khar-doven, 478 D.R., centenas de habitantes de Khardov testemunharam a chegada da primeira locomotiva autopropelida a vapor, a Korska, que passava por uma série de testes entre as duas cidades. Esta primeira ferrovia era uma linha de aproximadamente 350 km. A Korska, capaz de transportar até 30 toneladas à velocidade de 25 km/h dia e noite, terminava a viagem em cerca de quinze horas. A jornada levaria pelo menos nove dias a pé ou de carroça.
A viagem pelas ferrovias provou-se muito mais rápida e efi ciente que a viagem pelas estradas, mas aconteciam acidentes. Adesão mostrou-se um problema. Rodas de ferro sobre trilhos de ferro muitas vezes resultavam em derrapagens, e mais de um motor e toneladas de carga foram destruídos nos primeiros anos. Isso foi parcialmente corrigido na época moderna através do uso de rodas dentadas e amarras nos trilhos, fornecendo mais estabilidade nas áreas problemáticas.
Khador pretendia estender a ferrovia de Korsk a Khardov imediatamente, seguindo o sucesso inicial da linha Korsk-Skirov, mas estes planos foram interrompidos pelo início da Guerra das Moedas. Apenas décadas mais tarde houve fundos para estender a linha.
Nesse meio tempo, os trilhos de Caspia até Baixios da Água de Aço foram completados, em 534 D.R. Vinte anos depois, a ferrovia já chegava até o meio das montanhas, na Estação Cabeça-de-Ferro, lar da mina de carvão mais promissora de Cygnar. Os trilhos até a Estação Cabeça-de-Ferro são um maravilhoso exemplo da engenharia cygnarana — o único modo de realizar o projeto não era passar por sobre as montanhas, mas através delas. Em 577 D.R., a linha foi completada, e perto do fi nal do ano o trem batizado Caspiano percorria os 124 km — 96 das quais pelo subterrâneo — levando uma carga de 40 toneladas, em pouco mais de quatro horas.
Reconhecendo a inovação do transporte de grandes cargas com rapidez e efi ciência, vários kayazy ricos em Khador investiram na Transportes & Ferrovias Blaustavya. O Korska III tornou-se uma visão rotineira entre Korsk e Skirov (as duas locomotivas anteriores sofreram acidentes com trilhos), e a companhia encomendou dois outros motores a vapor da Forja Salvoro — Korska IV e Korska V. Em 564 D.R., começou a estender os trilhos a Khardov e Ohk. Contudo, em 567 D.R., o dinheiro estava escasso, e a construção de nenhuma das ferrovias estava sequer próxima de seu término. Surgiram especulações sobre os trabalhadores serem vítimas de sabotagem, pois os trens Korska em ambas as ferrovias foram destruídas enquanto a operação estava estagnada. Muitos khadoranos culparam os cygnaranos, que estavam ocupados escavando túneis através das Montanhas da Muralha da Serpente e construindo suas próprias vias férreas.
No fi nal da década de 570 D.R., a produção da linha Khardov-Ohk na Via de Ferro continuou, a passo arrastado. Quando as notícias do sucesso do trem Caspiano e da rápida construção de trilhos em outros lugares chegaram aos ouvidos de Simonyev Blaustavya, então regente de Khador, ele implorou — ou ordenou — que os outros kayazy investissem numa renascença das ferrovias. Outro atraso ocorreu quando um trem não obedeceu à distância obrigatória de um quilômetro entre dois trens, e houve uma colisão, ainda na estação, em Khardov. Os últimos vagões do trem mais à frente foram totalmente destruídos, e vários trabalhadores foram mortos ou feridos. Isto não deteve o lorde regente, que insistia no prosseguimento da construção da ferrovia de Khardov a Ohk.
Dinheiro vindo dos condes e dos senhores de terras kayazy manteve a produção, a despeito de algumas discordâncias da aristocracia. Isso foi de pouca importância para o regente. Ele concedeu aos kayazy (magistrados reais e civis, com poder maior a cada ano) autoridade administrativa independente dentro das cidades, em troca de seus investimentos na expansão industrial, especialmente na construção de ferrovias e estações ferroviárias. As ferrovias em expansão estimulavam a produção industrial, e uma estação em uma cidade portuária como Ohk aumentava a possibilidade de exportação para as indústrias locais. O dinheiro e a autoridade foram postos em bom uso, na opinião do Regente Blaustavya. A construção de fábricas mudou a aparência de diversas comunidades, como resultado da demanda por mais trabalhadores. Fazendeiros, pastores e aldeões com aspirações cosmopolitas vieram do campo, o que resultou num dramático aumento populacional nas cidades. A maioria acabou como operários, contribuindo para a máquina khadorana.
No fi nal da década de 590 D.R., o desenvolvimento da indústria e do comércio era limitado apenas pelo crescimento da rede ferroviária. Trinta anos depois de seu início, a linha de Khardov a Ohk foi completada, em 601 D.R. A Via de Ferro estava pronta.
Por volta da mesma época, em Rhul, construtores e engenheiros anões relataram ao Debate, em Ghord, histórias dos recentes avanços humanos, especialmente a ferrovia — e apresentaram suas próprias propostas. Para eles, a locomotiva era, em essência, um carrinho de mineração modifi cado, e os anões vinham construindo trilhos há mais de mil anos. Suas profundas montanhas eram literalmente amarradas por centenas de quilômetros de trilhos. O avanço era uma simples questão de expandir o sistema.
Enquanto os humanos precisaram de anos para construir suas ferrovias, os anões jogaram-se à tarefa em hordas. Afi nal, foi a fi losofi a anã de construção que possibilitou seu progresso acelerado em tudo, através de trabalho determinado e concentrado. Talvez eles não sejam os maiores inventores no campo da mecanização, mas certamente são inovadores incríveis quando o assunto é melhorar um conceito específico.
A Ferrovia Rhúlica foi estabelecida em 563 D.R. As três linhas partindo de Ghord e ligando Guarda Gridden, Guarda Grodden e Ulgar — por sobre e embaixo das mon-tanhas — estavam terminadas em menos de uma década. O último trilho foi colocado em Guarda Grodden, e uma locomotiva a vapor fez a primeira viagem de ida e volta em 573 D.R. Hoje em dia, os rhuleses têm seis locomotivas, 540 km de trilhos e quatro fortalezas que servem como estações de abastecimento. Dois outros projetos estão em andamento: uma linha de Ghord a Drotuhn, começada em 600 D.R. e já alcançando quase três quartos do caminho, e uma linha de Ulgar a Brunder, com sua impressionante ponte de 1 km sobre o Rio Ayeres, onde ele deságua no Lago Braçada-Funda — contando com um terço já pronto, atualmente chegando à pequena cidade de Quedas Bruden.
As montanhas de Rhul são perigosas, habitadas por ogrun negros, bogrin, dregg, fi lhos do porco, trolls e até mesmo dolomitas (veja o MN1). Assim, cada locomotiva carrega pelo menos quinze guerreiros e construtores anões, um punhado de ogrun, pelo menos quatro canhões de rodízio e pelo menos uma torre giratória com um canhão longo. Os anões desejam estar preparados de antemão para qualquer incidente ao longo das jornadas. Nos últimos anos, diz-se que pelo menos cem escaramuças ocorreram nas ferrovias, especialmente nas linhas em construção. Na verdade, equipes de trabalhadores desaparecem constantemente, mas sempre existem mais anões e ogrun para tomar picaretas e machados de batalha, e levar em frente esses ambiciosos projetos.
Atualmente, Khador possui um total de seis locomotivas a vapor (veja a Tabela 2–3). A maior delas, do trem Colosso Khárdico, mede 60 m, pesa 1.000 toneladas e pode chegar à velocidade de quase 50 km/h. Esta é, de fato, a maior locomotiva a vapor operando hoje em dia. Khador possui 900 km de trilhos, com sete estações e treze torres de reabastecimento, e está atualmente trabalhando em três outras expansões saindo de Korsk, assim como em uma ferrovia de Khardov a Skrovenburgo.
Dizem os Boatos
Alguma coisa assombra a ferrovia rhúlica em Guarda Grodden. Uma locomotiva e sua equipe inteira desaparecera, assim como um contingente de anões de Forte Dourado, uma fortaleza e estação de abastecimento próxima, mandados para investigar. Uma segunda equipe foi enviada do forte um mês depois, e voltou após quinze dias, com histórias sobre a ferrovia em Cabo Slanogg reduzida a farrapos: “Nada além de terra revirada e metal retorcido, com centenas de buracos na rocha, cada um do tamanho de um ogrun!”. Depois de mais investigações, os anões disseram que a terra estremecia e rugia sob seus pés, e que voltaram rapidamente com as notícias, apesar de um ataque de dregg que deixou dois mortos.
A equipe de investigação concordou: o imenso gorgandur dos Picos de Vidro devorou a locomotiva e mais de cinqüenta rhuleses, incluindo sete ogrun. Algo deve ser feito, mas como combater um monstro tão gigantesco? Este assunto causa muita preocupação e discussões, e os rhuleses estão considerando seriamente enviar uma equipe de almas aventurescas para investifar Cabo Slanogg mais a fundo.
Enquanto isso, em Cygnar, em 601 D.R. os trilhos montados pela Ferroviária Caspiana já estendiam-se de Caspia até Mercado Bain, um dos principais fornecedores de alimentos em Cygnar, passando por Baixios da Água de Aço. Esta linha passou a se chamar Linha do Mercado, e é composta de intersecções de trilhos duplas, para aumentar a velocidade dos trens. A linha chamada Ferrovia de Orven foi conectada à Estação Cabeça-de-Ferro pelas Ferrovias Água de Aço em 603 D.R., multiplicando em dez vezes a quanti-dade de pedra e carvão transportada através do reino.
Contudo, a construção em Cygnar sempre teve suas difi culdades, devido à presença de duas companhias: as Ferrovias Água de Aço e a Sociedade Ferroviária Caspiana. Ambas seguem primariamente seus próprios interesses e necessidades operacionais, o que resultou em grandes problemas. Duas estações de carga, com conexões incompatíveis uma com a outra, foram construídas entre Mercado Bain e Fharin. Isso imobilizou o progresso durante quase quatro anos, até que o Rei Leto assumiu o trono e ordenou a construção de uma estação comum às duas companhias. O projeto foi completado em 601 D.R., por meio de trilhos móveis.
Ventos de Guerra
O transporte de cargas e passageiros ao longo da Linha do Mercado foi recentemente interrompido por atos de sabotagem. Logo antes do inverno, no meio do mês de Khadoven em 605 D.R., fanáticos menitas conseguiram infiltrar-se pela fronteira a norte de Vinha do Rei e chegar até as montanhas. Acabaram sendo vistos por batedores cygnaranos, mas não antes que chegassem à Ponte das Planícies, que atravessa a Ravina das Planícies na parte superior das Montanhas da Muralha da Serpente, ligando Fharin a Baixios da Água de Aço. A ponte foi destruída antes que as forças cygnaranas pudessem fazer algo, embora tenham conseguido retaliar e expulsar os agentes do Protetorado, matando quase todos no processo. Este ato de sabotagem prejudicou seriamente a habilidade de Cygnar enviar suprimentos e reforços vitais ao norte, e forçou o reino a depender de rotas fluviais ou terrestres, muito mais lentas.
O Rei Leto tornou prioridade a reconstrução desta ponte, e pediu a ajuda de engenheiros, metalúrgicos e até mesmo anões e ogrun numa região que se estendeu até Orven. Nos meses seguintes, a ponte foi reconstruída em tempo recorde, e a ferrovia foi restaurada. Boatos na Assembléia Real dizem que o Rei Leto endividou-se com os conclaves na Estação Cabeça-de-Ferro e em Orven, embora a natureza dessas promessas seja desconhecida. A restauração da linha foi um grande alívio para Fharin e Mercado Bain, mas o dano ao esforço de guerra já estava feito. Incontáveis vidas foram perdidas por esta falta de recursos no fronte, e os exércitos do norte de Cygnar estão apenas começando a se recuperar. Isto endureceu os corações dos cygnaranos contra o Protetorado de Menoth, e também demonstrou a necessidade de guarnecer a fronteira leste.
Diferente de Khador, Cygnar recentemente abriu estações de passageiros, e tornou a Linha do Mercado disponível para transporte público. Pode-se fazer a viagem de 684 km de Caspia a Mercado Bain num período de 20 horas a um dia e meio, dependendo da locomotiva e das paradas para reabastecimento. Esta jornada levaria mais de duas semanas por outros meios.
No total, Cygnar possui 1.000 km de trilhos, onze locomotivas, nove estações e vinte e quatro torres de reabastecimento. Embora o reino não possua uma locomotiva do tamanho da locomotiva do Colosso Khárdico, o Senhora Ellena é recordista em velocidade, viajando a 60 km/h. O trem uma vez atravessou a Linha do Mercado, de Mercado Bain a Fharin — uma viagem de 2 e seis dias — em apenas cinco horas.
Ferrovias? Sim, claro, são bem úteis se você precisa ir de Baixios da Água de Aço a Mercado Bain, ou de Orven aos Baixios… Mas preste bastante atenção ao velho Gunner: elas nunca vão substituir o mercador viajante. Afinal, sem caravaneiros, como o pessoal em Corvis ou Cabo Bourne vai conseguir suprimentos, hein? As ferrovias não chegam até lá. Duvido que um dia cheguem. Você consegue imaginar um desses trambolhos de metal encalhado no meio dos pântanos ao redor de Corvis? Já é difícil o bastante puxar uma carroça do meio da lama, como você vai desatolar um monstro desses? Além disso, trilhos não são a maneira certa de fazer comércio — são bons só para levar a mercadoria daqui até ali. Bom comércio exige um mercador que conheça seus produtos. Sem ver o lugar de onde eles vieram, como você pode conhecê-los? Eu digo, as ferrovias são boas para transportar gente e maquinário pesado, todos confortáveis e sem demora, mas nunca vão substituir a caravana mercantil e os mercadores viajantes…
— Gunner Wadock, mercador cygnarano.
Claramente, o advento da ferrovia trouxe os Reinos de Ferro a uma nova era. Cargas podem ser transportadas de maneira rápida e efi ciente, como em nenhuma outra época na história de Immoren. Em Cygnar, todas as grandes cidades estão ansiosas para estar conectadas umas às outras, embora os custos disso sejam pesados com cuidado. Mercir e Ceryl são as duas comunidades que falam mais alto de suas esperanças de conexão a Caspia. Contudo, as chances de Mercir são poucas, já que o terreno apresenta um desafi o muito caro, e as vias marítimas do Golfo de Cygnar são bem guardadas, facilitando a viagem de navio. A despeito da distância, o futuro parece mais promissor para Ceryl, especialmente se a Igreja de Morrow e a Ordem Fraternal de Magia forem convencidas a ajudar com os custos (as propostas estão sendo estudadas).
Conectar Ceryl a Mercado Bain exige mais de 650 km de trilhos novos. Isto custaria o equivalente ao resgate de um rei, mas aqueles que defendem a idéia apontam os benefícios do empreendimento. As Ferrovias Água de Aço entraram com um pedido de licitação com a Coroa, para construir uma rota alternativa de Ceryl a Orven. Embora seja mais curta, essa linha seria tão ou mais cara.
De qualquer forma, a construção de ferrovias continua. A locomotiva a vapor chegou rugindo à Era Moderna, como um novo produto dos Reinos de Ferro. Apenas o futuro dirá quais outras maravilhas estão por vir.
Rivalidade entre Ferrovias
Quando grandes nações entram numa corrida industrial, como Cygnar e Khador costumam fazer, a rivalidade inexoravelmente cresce até um conflito aberto. Oficinas e sindicatos disputam contratos, e as disputas transformam-se em escaramuças. Companhias férreas rivais sabotam parques de obras, linhas, armazéns, estações de reabastecimento e gigantes de trabalho. Engenheiros freqüentemente desaparecem, seqüestrados ou mortos. Saqueadores espreitam para emboscar locomotivas. Duas vezes nos últimos cinco anos, dois trens sumiram completamente em Khador, e outros dez foram destruídos em ambos os reinos — seis em Khador, quatro em Cygnar.
Por causa de todo esse risco e hostilidade, surgiram patrulhas de vigias ferroviários em ambos os reinos, semelhantes aos vigias de estradas. As locomotivas agora são equipadas com blindagem reforçada, e algumas possuem torres de canhões. De fato, o RAINHA AYN possui a distinção de levar o maior canhão já montado numa locomotiva — a arma pesa mais de 200 toneladas, e pode disparar cargas de 3 m de comprimento a até 3 km, a uma taxa de um disparo a cada 15 minutos. Possui a melhor locomotiva militar da atualidade, transportando tropas e equipamentos (como gigantes-de-guerra) através da Terra-Mãe. As rivalidades ferroviárias transformaram a locomotiva em algo além de um instrumento de comércio e transporte.
Fonte: Guia do Mundo dos Reinos de Ferro
