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Description

Like many members of the ancient warrior houses, Lady Kaithal ti'Zaljan was not well disposed to the Colonies on the Northwestern Continent. It was not an objection to expansion, she did firmly believe that it was the destiny of the Drow to rule this world - the issue was who had established themselves in this far land. She could respect the audacity and determination of House Jalnoth to carve out a home for themselves in the Far West even if they had been small-minded incompetent spendthrift reprobates, but they set a precedent which gave the dregs of society an easy path to power and prominence. Instead of proving ones' worth to the race through martial skill or mystical prowess against the High Kingdom, Dwarves or the battle hardened human realms of Ilvamicum, at most all a Discarded wretch needed to do was fight off some savages that barely have iron tools and the odd bandit while exhibiting basic sense and they'd could easily obtain a plot of land. The fact that they were competitors on the grain market was a secondary but significant factor in her opinion. Even so, she had eventually financed a few of her vassals to establish themselves about a century ago and regardless the colony of Kzeth Cendoliath* did have a surplus of resources and space, which would serve her needs.

A week ago, she had arrived in the colonies mostly on High Council business. There had been changes in the city since her last visit thirty seven years ago but mostly her opinion remained the same, a ramshackle facsimile of the ancient city that was now slightly larger. On her agenda was a visit to the holdings of House Gilyeil to see one of the most promising developments, leaving with a small retinue. As she approached noticed something strange: a train of wagons laden with iron plates being pulled along by a Valcas style engine along a set of rails. The vehicle had been imported a few weeks before the creation of the Mechanical Military Relevance Board and was grandfathered through. It was not all bad, the smoking things were useful for moving bulk cargo and slaves about the colony overland. Still she was glad that the reasonably compliant House Cytrath had been issued a monopoly on their use and a ban had been issued for running Drow passenger services.

House Gilyeil was one of House Zaljan's greatest vassals, initially a minor merchant house which acted as one of their factors in international trade they had done well in the last century and a half by establishing a foothold in the Far West after the war with the Raptors, becoming the nucleus of a new fishing town and eventually building some Drydocks. After Barded Leviathan was put into order, she'd poured money into it and made sure that they got contracts. In no small part she was here to see her investment.

After greetings were made, she soon got to work. Refreshment was offered, but she politely declined a full meal for herself after arrival and settled to have a flask of amber wine brought along for her convenience. First they went by the Timber Yards where logs were shaped and boards were processed, then the rope walks and forges, the workhalls where slave carpenters shaped forms and after that one of the main observation towers. The ascent was a bit of a pain, but the view was exceptional. Before her six massive hulls were taking shape surrounded by scaffolds, cranes, ramps and piles of supplies as teams of workers swarmed over them and around them under the supervision of stern overseers. Two of them were little more than keels while four were well under way, with hull planks and black iron plates.

"I see that our investment has paid off." She admitted. The fact that facility had quadrupled in size and capacity over the last five years was a good sign. "Going by your last report, the four ships to the left would be completed in ten to fifteen months. Are things still proceeding on schedule?"

"Indeed my lady." Weifran ti'Gilyeil said.

"And the issue with the cranes have been resolved?"

"The final issues were sorted out last week. The last of revised boilers arrived last month from House Galxrath. With then we've had no burst seems and coal consumption has been reduced by twenty percent."

"Very good. The last thing we need are more delays."

"We've also have begun switching from hammering armor plate to rolling them out. This has improved daily output and general quality."

"Indeed." Lady Kaithal said as she moved over to get a glass of wine. In truth, she had little concern about the technical details of shipbuilding or the ways it had changed over the last few decades. The main thrust of improvement here was still a matter of applying sufficient labour to the problem. What did matter about this venture was that new Ironclad ships were being delivered to the navy and that House Gilyeil was delivering them on time. Part of this was recouping her investment as House Zaljan got a cut of Gilyeil's dividends, part of this was securing connections with House Galxrath who provides the engines and other such mechanisms for the new ships as well as their cannons and rough armor plating and of course undermining House Celizoth and the rest of the Merchant Reformist ilk. Barded Leviathan was a massive construction push and despite their efforts Celizoth was still profiting by it. Every contract that was snatched from Reformist hands was a minor victory for the cause of maintaining the proper order of things even in the face of the new mechanical age.

*"Child of Cendoliath". New Cendoliath was considered as an alternate but rejected as there are no meaningful deposits of Obsidian in that part of the world.

From the Beginning...

Previous: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Seventy Three
Next: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Seventy Five

Description

Like many members of the ancient warrior houses, Lady Kaithal ti'Zaljan was not well disposed to the Colonies on the Northwestern Continent. It was not an objection to expansion, she did firmly believe that it was the destiny of the Drow to rule this world - the issue was who had established themselves in this far land. She could respect the audacity and determination of House Jalnoth to carve out a home for themselves in the Far West even if they had been small-minded incompetent spendthrift reprobates, but they set a precedent which gave the dregs of society an easy path to power and prominence. Instead of proving ones' worth to the race through martial skill or mystical prowess against the High Kingdom, Dwarves or the battle hardened human realms of Ilvamicum, at most all a Discarded wretch needed to do was fight off some savages that barely have iron tools and the odd bandit while exhibiting basic sense and they'd could easily obtain a plot of land. The fact that they were competitors on the grain market was a secondary but significant factor in her opinion. Even so, she had eventually financed a few of her vassals to establish themselves about a century ago and regardless the colony of Kzeth Cendoliath* did have a surplus of resources and space, which would serve her needs.

A week ago, she had arrived in the colonies mostly on High Council business. There had been changes in the city since her last visit thirty seven years ago but mostly her opinion remained the same, a ramshackle facsimile of the ancient city that was now slightly larger. On her agenda was a visit to the holdings of House Gilyeil to see one of the most promising developments, leaving with a small retinue. As she approached noticed something strange: a train of wagons laden with iron plates being pulled along by a Valcas style engine along a set of rails. The vehicle had been imported a few weeks before the creation of the Mechanical Military Relevance Board and was grandfathered through. It was not all bad, the smoking things were useful for moving bulk cargo and slaves about the colony overland. Still she was glad that the reasonably compliant House Cytrath had been issued a monopoly on their use and a ban had been issued for running Drow passenger services.

House Gilyeil was one of House Zaljan's greatest vassals, initially a minor merchant house which acted as one of their factors in international trade they had done well in the last century and a half by establishing a foothold in the Far West after the war with the Raptors, becoming the nucleus of a new fishing town and eventually building some Drydocks. After Barded Leviathan was put into order, she'd poured money into it and made sure that they got contracts. In no small part she was here to see her investment.

After greetings were made, she soon got to work. Refreshment was offered, but she politely declined a full meal for herself after arrival and settled to have a flask of amber wine brought along for her convenience. First they went by the Timber Yards where logs were shaped and boards were processed, then the rope walks and forges, the workhalls where slave carpenters shaped forms and after that one of the main observation towers. The ascent was a bit of a pain, but the view was exceptional. Before her six massive hulls were taking shape surrounded by scaffolds, cranes, ramps and piles of supplies as teams of workers swarmed over them and around them under the supervision of stern overseers. Two of them were little more than keels while four were well under way, with hull planks and black iron plates.

"I see that our investment has paid off." She admitted. The fact that facility had quadrupled in size and capacity over the last five years was a good sign. "Going by your last report, the four ships to the left would be completed in ten to fifteen months. Are things still proceeding on schedule?"

"Indeed my lady." Weifran ti'Gilyeil said.

"And the issue with the cranes have been resolved?"

"The final issues were sorted out last week. The last of revised boilers arrived last month from House Galxrath. With then we've had no burst seems and coal consumption has been reduced by twenty percent."

"Very good. The last thing we need are more delays."

"We've also have begun switching from hammering armor plate to rolling them out. This has improved daily output and general quality."

"Indeed." Lady Kaithal said as she moved over to get a glass of wine. In truth, she had little concern about the technical details of shipbuilding or the ways it had changed over the last few decades. The main thrust of improvement here was still a matter of applying sufficient labour to the problem. What did matter about this venture was that new Ironclad ships were being delivered to the navy and that House Gilyeil was delivering them on time. Part of this was recouping her investment as House Zaljan got a cut of Gilyeil's dividends, part of this was securing connections with House Galxrath who provides the engines and other such mechanisms for the new ships as well as their cannons and rough armor plating and of course undermining House Celizoth and the rest of the Merchant Reformist ilk. Barded Leviathan was a massive construction push and despite their efforts Celizoth was still profiting by it. Every contract that was snatched from Reformist hands was a minor victory for the cause of maintaining the proper order of things even in the face of the new mechanical age.

*"Child of Cendoliath". New Cendoliath was considered as an alternate but rejected as there are no meaningful deposits of Obsidian in that part of the world.

From the Beginning...

Previous: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Seventy Three
Next: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Seventy Five