The Citadel of Iron's Grasp[]
- Alignment: LE
- Capital: Nath Mornal (35,000)
- Notable Settlements: Jandhavar (12,450), Bamadin (6,750), Sercar (3,840), Murgmar (1,500), Vathan (450)
- Ruler: Grandmaster Amarius Vant (LE male half-fiend human cleric 12 of Asmodeus)
- Languages: Common, Goblin, Infernal
- Religion: Asmodeus, Sehanine (underground)
Adretia was until very recently a confederation of loosely aligned city states ruled by merchant princes. This was a prosperous but chaotic region that grew up in what was once the border regions between Arkhosia and Bael Turath.In the middle of the cities, but mostly ignored was an ancient Turathi fortress known as the Citadel of Iron's Grasp. However, that apathy turned into anxiety when the gates of the fortress opened once more and the armies of the Iron Circle poured out.
Now Adretia is a nation under occupation. The Iron Circle has conqered the region and enforces it's oppressive rule with an army of goblinoids, teiflings, and summoned devils. The Circle rules through fear; during their intial takeover they killed any nobles that resisted and the rest only mantain as much authority as the Circle allows them. The oppression of the average person is even worse as the Circle demands ruinous taxes and roving bands of goblinoid soldiers can take anything they wish.
That is not to say that there is no resistance to the Iron Circle. A group known as the Knights of the Crescent Moon fights a covert war against the occupation. The Knights were originally formed around a core of clerics and paladins sworn to the goddess Sehanine who were driven underground by the Iron Circle. The Knights are well liked by the common people, particularly in the rural areas. However, the Knights keep their activities low key and focus on rescuing prisoners and disrupting the activities of soldiers in isolated areas. They remember well the fate Of Sercar, which briefly managed to overthrow the Circle's rule but was not strong enough to mantain their freedom. The resulting massacre left the entire district decimated and the once thriving city of 30,000 with just a tenth of that population. The majority of the remaining population are soldiers or Iron Circle administrators.