Cygnar: At a Glance

Cygnar has long been considered one of the most welcoming and cosmopolitan of the Iron Kingdoms. In the wake of the Claiming, the kingdom’s commitment to openness has served it well, transforming it into a bastion of hope, an exemplar of religious and ethnic diversity, and the center of a technological and cultural renaissance. But even though Cygnar seems poised on the cusp of a new golden age, its long, tumultuous history suggests that this achievement will not be easy.
Caught between deadly and ambitious foes, Cygnar can ill afford to let down its guard. Trapped between Cryx and its nightmares to the south and Khador and its dreams of conquest to the north, Cygnar has long contended with internal strife, ranging from protracted battles with local trollkin kriels to the violent secession of what became the Protectorate of Menoth. For today, however, peace—or what passes for it in the Iron Kingdoms—reigns in Cygnar. Cygnar’s enemies have been quiet in the years since the Claiming, and new residents have flocked to the kingdom’s cities, drawn by the promises of work and opportunity.
The Church of Morrow has proclaimed a policy of religious tolerance throughout the land, making Cygnar a haven for Cyrissist cults and Thamarites who helped repel the infernal threat. All of these diverse groups have added their unique talents and insights to the kingdom’s cultural and technological revival.
Although this new policy of acceptance has helped Cygnar rebuild at a staggering pace, much of the nation still lies in ruins, and the relations between disparate groups have not always been smooth. The treaties with the United Kriels have held firm, leading more and more trollkin to move into Cygnaran communities, but the encounters between rural trollkin and their urban neighbors have led to sporadic violence, and Cyrissists and Thamarites—though technically welcomed—are still sometimes looked upon with suspicion by a wary populace.
Beyond its borders, the bright light of Cygnar’s golden age casts long shadows, and the nation’s prosperity draws the envious eyes of its rivals while old enemies stir in the dark places where reconstruction has not yet reached. Cygnar’s future depends not only on the resilience of its people but also on the resourcefulness of its young king, Julius Raelthorne.