Three Rivers
Three Rivers is the easternmost outpost of the Ironworks, a major trade city at the junction of three rivers perpetually shrouded in smog from its smelteries. Grey, dark buildings crowd the waterfront. Burned-out pre-Fall rubble houses the poor. The distinct lack of lighting is broken only by the red glow of Iron Slaves being moved through the streets at night. While other places within the Appaloosa Expanse may be considered unsettling, Three Rivers occupies the darker end of the spectrum with deliberate conviction.
The city operates on a rigid three-caste system. The wealthy caste consists of Pureblood families descended from strong-willed businessmen, now wealthy beyond reason and driven mad by inbreeding and the absence of any real threat to their power. Their tastes run to the debauched and bloodthirsty; even Hedonists avoid their parties. The working caste are proud folk speaking a common dialect difficult for outsiders to parse, organized through the Tree Rivers Union, working the mines, shipments, and smelting plants with a "work hard, drink hard" ethic that defines the Timeclock, their warehouse-sized bar. The slave caste consists of Iron Slaves purchased from Ironworks shipments at Clemency Market, a trade hub built on a bridge over one of the major rivers with shipping cranes hauling cargo from passing vessels. The rich get first pick of incoming slaves; the unsold are used in private entertainments that rarely leave survivors.
Power rests with the Heinz family, whose cathedral-like manor and its blackened spire loom over the fog. The three Heinz siblings have controlled the city for roughly a decade since the mysterious death of their parents. The Phipps family, reduced to second place after backing the wrong side during the Ironworks takeover, maintains a palace of yellowed glass domes filled with exotic plants tended by blinded Iron Slaves, with matriarch Arabella biding her time for a reckoning that has not yet come.
The city operates on a rigid three-caste system. The wealthy caste consists of Pureblood families descended from strong-willed businessmen, now wealthy beyond reason and driven mad by inbreeding and the absence of any real threat to their power. Their tastes run to the debauched and bloodthirsty; even Hedonists avoid their parties. The working caste are proud folk speaking a common dialect difficult for outsiders to parse, organized through the Tree Rivers Union, working the mines, shipments, and smelting plants with a "work hard, drink hard" ethic that defines the Timeclock, their warehouse-sized bar. The slave caste consists of Iron Slaves purchased from Ironworks shipments at Clemency Market, a trade hub built on a bridge over one of the major rivers with shipping cranes hauling cargo from passing vessels. The rich get first pick of incoming slaves; the unsold are used in private entertainments that rarely leave survivors.
Power rests with the Heinz family, whose cathedral-like manor and its blackened spire loom over the fog. The three Heinz siblings have controlled the city for roughly a decade since the mysterious death of their parents. The Phipps family, reduced to second place after backing the wrong side during the Ironworks takeover, maintains a palace of yellowed glass domes filled with exotic plants tended by blinded Iron Slaves, with matriarch Arabella biding her time for a reckoning that has not yet come.
Demographics
Three Rivers operates on a rigid three-caste system. The wealthy caste consists of Pureblood families descended from strong-willed businessmen, now wealthy beyond reason and driven to depravity by inbreeding and the absence of genuine threats to their power. Even Hedonists avoid their parties. The working caste are proud folk speaking a common dialect difficult for outsiders to parse, many from the mountain region seeking employment. They mine, move shipments, and work the smelting plants, organized through the Tree Rivers Union under foreman Abigail McCaddum. The slave caste consists of Iron Slaves purchased from Ironworks shipments at Clemency Market. The rich get first pick; the unsold are used in private entertainments that rarely leave survivors.
Government
Three Rivers falls under Ironworks jurisdiction and follows Ironworks structure and laws. Local power rests with wealthy Pureblood families, primarily the Heinz family, whose cathedral-like manor and blackened spire dominate the skyline. The three Heinz siblings have controlled the city for roughly a decade since the mysterious death of their parents. The Phipps family, once co-equal in power, was reduced to second place after backing the wrong side during the Ironworks takeover. Matriarch Arabella Phipps bides her time in her glass-domed mansion, waiting for a reckoning that has not yet come. Carthage Units guard Heinz Manor. The working caste's interests are represented through the Tree Rivers Union, but the Union operates within limits set by the wealthy families above.
Defences
The three rivers themselves provide natural defensive barriers on multiple sides. Industrial smog provides persistent visual concealment over the city. The wealthy caste maintains private security forces including Carthage Units guarding Heinz Manor. The physically separated quarters for each caste create natural internal checkpoints. The bridge-built Clemency Market with its shipping cranes controls access from the waterways. The working caste's familiarity with the industrial infrastructure and tunnel systems provides a decentralized defensive capacity that no formal garrison could match. The city's value as a trade hub and Ironworks outpost ensures it receives institutional support against external threats.
Industry & Trade
River-based trade is the economic foundation. Shipping on three rivers makes the city incredibly useful for both import and export, with Clemency Market handling the bulk of incoming commerce from a bridge equipped with elaborately constructed shipping cranes that haul cargo from passing ships. Mining, ore extraction, and metalworking feed the smelteries that produce the perpetual smog blanketing the city. The slave trade adds another revenue stream, with Iron Slaves purchased from Ironworks shipments and distributed through auction at Clemency Market. The Cutting Room, a members-only club spanning an entire city block, generates entertainment revenue for the wealthy caste through performances that range from music to murder. The Timeclock, a warehouse-sized bar with over ten full-length counters, serves the working class from closing whistle to opening whistle.
History
Three Rivers became the easternmost outpost of the Ironworks, its position at the junction of three rivers making it too valuable for any faction to ignore. The Heinz and Phipps families competed for dominance. When the Ironworks takeover came, the Phipps family backed the wrong side and was reduced to a subordinate position. The Heinz family consolidated control, building their cathedral-like manor with its blackened spire as a monument to their victory. The three Heinz siblings inherited power roughly a decade ago after the mysterious death of their parents, a transition that no one in the city has dared to question publicly. The rigid caste system calcified under generations of Pureblood rule, separating the population into physical quarters and enforcing the hierarchy through architecture, economics, and violence.
Dark Ironworks trade city of rigid castes, smog-choked industry, and slave auctions on a bridge
