Madtown Commune
The Madtown Commune is a Red Star commune near Mill City that had grown to roughly half the local settlement's population by the time of the Ironworks era. Known for their inventors and engineers, the Commune produced practical innovations for agriculture and manufacturing that they traded with the Ironworks for supplies. Beneath that productive surface, the Commune covertly sheltered escaped Iron Slaves, reportedly maintaining one of the highest freed-Iron populations of any commune in the world.
The Commune's egalitarian structure had no formal leaders. All members considered themselves equal parts of the same machine. In practice, a middle-aged engineer named Jack Brunswold served as their spokesman and organizer, sitting in on almost every dealing the Commune had with Ironworks leadership. He denied holding any leadership role, but the rest of the Commune came to him for advice and major decisions, and his respect for dreamers and inventors set the cultural tone that allowed the community to thrive.
The Sainthood of Ashes within their number provided free medical care, taking difficult cases off the Ironworks' hands and earning a measure of tolerance from Mill City's authorities. That tolerance was precarious. The Chancellor had recently learned of this Red bastion and was displeased. Any misstep, any hint that the Commune was harboring escaped slaves or organizing against the Ironworks, could bring troops to their doorstep. The Commune walked a razor line between productive citizen and existential threat, and everyone who lived there knew it.
The Commune's egalitarian structure had no formal leaders. All members considered themselves equal parts of the same machine. In practice, a middle-aged engineer named Jack Brunswold served as their spokesman and organizer, sitting in on almost every dealing the Commune had with Ironworks leadership. He denied holding any leadership role, but the rest of the Commune came to him for advice and major decisions, and his respect for dreamers and inventors set the cultural tone that allowed the community to thrive.
The Sainthood of Ashes within their number provided free medical care, taking difficult cases off the Ironworks' hands and earning a measure of tolerance from Mill City's authorities. That tolerance was precarious. The Chancellor had recently learned of this Red bastion and was displeased. Any misstep, any hint that the Commune was harboring escaped slaves or organizing against the Ironworks, could bring troops to their doorstep. The Commune walked a razor line between productive citizen and existential threat, and everyone who lived there knew it.
History
The Madtown Commune grew organically near Mill City, attracting engineers, inventors, and laborers who shared Red Star ideals of egalitarian community. Their productive output, innovative agricultural tools and manufacturing techniques, earned them tolerance from the Ironworks despite their political philosophy. Over time, the Commune quietly became a haven for escaped Iron Slaves, offering housing and community to those who had fled bondage. Jack Brunswold emerged as the de facto leader, organizing the Commune's dealings with Ironworks authorities and championing the creative minds that gave the community its identity. The Chancellor's recent awareness of the Commune's existence cast a shadow over everything they had built.
