Stecer

Stecer is the capital city in the Steel Realm of Otheia. It is located at the juncture of the River Stace and the River Neffe. It has a population of about 8,000 inhabitants, and is the largest city in the Stace valley.

## Stecer

### Inhabitants

8,000. Primarily Otheiae, small minorities of other groups

It is known colloquially as the City of Iron, as it has long been renowned for the manufacture of swords, cutlery, hardware, tools, and mass quantities of wrought iron. There are 10 companies in the city which produce finished ironmongery of various forms, and 4 ironworks in the city which cast merchant bars from ore, along with about a dozen beyond the city which all supply it with the vast quantities of iron consumed by its industry. The ironmongers and smiths of the city formed the city's *Brotherhood of Industry* in the city's ancient past, which continues to be the dominating economic force in the city to the present.

The city became the capital of the Steel Realm in 251, when the Atrad branch of Roral, the Karas of the Steel Realm, recognized the city's economic and industrial might, as well as its size as the largest city of the Steel Realm, and moved their court to the city.

### Geography

The city of Stecer is built at the confluence of the River Stace and the River Neffe, a few kilometers northeast of the Iron Hills. More directly, it is built between the Heights of Stace to the southwest and the two rivers. It is protected from enemies taking their heights by Fort Drun, built on the steep Drun Hill, a few meters from the southwestern gate of the city.

The Town of Amara is directly west of the city along Stecer Road and the River Stace, about 10 kilometers downstream, while the hamlet at Ledann Manor is roughly 12 kilometers to the south along the High Street.

The Iron Hills of the Steel Realm are rich with deposits of iron ore, which is heavily mined. In congruence with coal from across the Realm, and charcoal from the realm's dwindling forests, which are transported along the rivers and railroads, these provide the lifeblood of the city's economy. The city's food is imported from the surrounding region, as almost all of its available land is dedicated in some way to supporting its industry.

### Transportation

It is possible to reach Stecer by the High Steet, from the south and West, and from Stecer Road, from the northeast. There are two railroads, for transporting coal, vital to the city's industrial economy, that terminate near the city, one coming from the south and ending at the western shore of the River Neffe, and one terminating on the northern shore of the Stace.

The River Stace is also navigable by barge, though the Neffe is too shallow for anything but a small stream.

### History

Blacksmiths smelters have been uncovered in the city dating back to the end of the Migration Period, adding to the city's image as the historic center for smithing in Nomos.

#### Age of Kings

The settlement was first mentioned as "Stace Manor" in the middle of the Age of Kings. Swords and weapons originating from the region of the modern Steel Realm have been uncovered across Otheia, from Aslock to the Borderlands, and these are believed to have come from the area of Stecer. Despite this, the settlement's main export at the time was agricultural tools, with swordsmithing taking a secondary, or even tertiary, role in the settlement's economy.

#### Warlord Era

In the Warlord Era, Stecer, which had until this point been a mere village, would grow to become a fortified town. It would at this point begin to expand its ironmongery operations, and the Brotherhood of Industry was formed to regulate and control this trade.

It is exactly due to this reputation for ironworking and swordsmithing that it came under threat several times during the Warlord Period. Many battles were fought over the town throughout this period, to control the flow and production of its blades. It is in this time that the smiths there began to specialize into making blades to fill military orders.

The most famous battle for Stecer occured roughly 30 years before the Glorious Revolution. An army from the Kingdom of Haralast seized the city, and was in turn besieged within its walls by the forces of Aral, who controlled Stecer at the time. This siege would lead to the infamous massacre at Blood Creek.

#### Augkarate Period

Following the Glorious Revolution, Stecer would be allotted to the Steel Realm, a Petty Realm under the control of the House of Roral. It would continue a steady expansion, both economically and in terms of population. It would be protected by a series of forts surrounding the city, built between 170 and 350, and would have a modern wall constructed in 301 to protect the city itself. In 251, the court of the Kara of the Steel Realm would be moved to the city, seeing it gain even more influence in the country.

It has become known as the definitive center of industry in Otheia, producing metallic items, from sword blades to wrought iron plates, on a massive scale never seen before in the north. Due to this, it is also the home of many inventors, who make use of the city's skilled ironworkers to perfect their inventions. For example, the Rathcel Pump was invented within the city's walls.

### Population

Between the years 0 and 370, the population of the city rose drastically, from a mere 1,800 inhabitants to over 8,000. While the majority of the population is Ironmen Otheiae, there is a sizable minority of other Otheiae subcultures who moved to the city to conduct trade. In addition, there are several other races within the city, including a small community of Uthono, a small family of Khayvatu and a single recorded Kamengrader.

### Economy

The city's economy is dominated by its ironmongery. Its chief manufactures are cutlery, hardware, and it has several iron-foundries, and it also has flour mills, however, it is most well-known for its swords. There are 8 companies within the city which produce blades, as well as two state-managed mills which do the same. While some, such as the Sedte company, also produce items such as wrought iron plates at their mills, and may occasionally produce other items such as cannon, these 8 companies chiefly specialize in producing sword-blades for export.

These companies are capable of filling massive bulk-orders of swords cheaply and rapidly, such is the scale of their operations. These swords are then sold to public or private buyers of all sorts, from single individuals looking to arm themselves, to militaries seeking to keep arms in reserve for an emergency. These blades are often bought by other companies, such as the Aslock Warm Sea Company, to then be sold further afield. Blades from Stecer have found their way into the armories of Ariac, Berlby, and further afar, to lands such as Lirei and the Lemi'Wenizi kingdoms, in some cases becoming even more common than native-made weapons. These swords are often produced without a hilt, that the buyer might attach one native to their own culture. In this form they are one of the most commonly traded goods in Nomos.

The ironmaking of Stecer goes further beyond mere swords, however. It produces vast quantities of utilitarian tools, such as billhooks and axes, to household hardware such as pots and pans, all of which are sold and traded throughout the world for their quality and comparatively low price. However, many of these are not produced within the city of Stecer itself, but rather in its surrounding communities, such as Ledann Manor, which produces large quantities of scythes.

Stecer is, however, capable of producing high quantities of large iron (and other metal) plates, which its subordinate communities are not. These plates, hammered out of wrought iron by large trip-hammers at its many mills, go on to see use in its industrial sectors. For example, many plates are sold south to the Warm Sea Company for the construction of its Diving Bells. These plates are key to the industry of the Steel Realm, and are used in many innovative inventions, such as the Rathcel Steam Engine.