User blog:D0m0a/Nothgard: The Train

The Train
Taking into account the large extension of the Empire encompassing the Dominate of Nothgard states and Nothgard itself, is easy to classify it as one of the largest realms in the world, and evidently move from some points can take days or weeks, or ever months. By that, the Emperor Demian Magnus Aigos ordered the building of a transport that could help to connect easily the farthest cities and territories of the Empire with the rest of it, and after of some failed proposals and crazy ideas, the empire accepted and built what could be their biggest non-militarist project: the Train.

This type of transport consist on a large and heavy vehicle named locomotive with many steel wheels, with lots of large wagons with steel wheels connected to the train and to each other, all of them moving in line being pulled by the locomotive, all them following a steel railway built on the ground, being this the only way where the train can move.

The only place where it stops are on the cities, on stations that were built for maintain the train and give easy access to the people for get in and out of it, and take the goods from it. Evidently, this transport isn't free, and the price depends of how farther is the destination city.

Actually is a project for try to expand this to the Nothgard Country, but there is an evidently problem: the mountain ring that surrounds it. The Empire and the scholars, scientists and engineers are looking for a form of bypass this problem.

Locomotive
The locomotive that moves the train works thanks to the magitek imperial technology, combining the use of steam and Fire Gems, causing the engine to move, and made the locomotive move to the front. Also has the ability of go backward if necessary.

The locomotive itself is built using nothgil for made it durable against anything, taking into account the possible dangers that can exist during the travel. Also, the locomotive is manned by some engineers which work is made sure that the train moves and watch the front.

Wagons
The wagons that follows the locomotive are built for transport what is needed: passengers, goods, gold, animals... whatever that is needed to take from, for example, from point A to point E, stopping on the points B, C and D. In the part of the passengers, they have what is needed for made the travel comfortable, ever for monster girls as centaurs and arachnes, or even harpies, with windows for watch the landscapes during the travel.

The Wagons are divided by sections: The Stock wagon, for transport the animals; The Goods wagon, for transport goods and valuable objects; the Couchette wagon, for that the people can sleep if the travel will take all night; the Dinning wagon, for give meals during the travel as a restaurant; the 3rd class wagon, for the majority of people, peasants and monster girls; the 2nd class wagon, for people with money and status; and the 1st class wagon or VIP wagon, for very important passengers or people with large amounts of money. All them are accommodated for made the travel confortable as possible. Also, some kikimoras works there aiding the passengers in what they needed. Evidently all them, as any other monster girl working there, wear Spiritual Gems for security.

Security
Taking into account the quantity of people, animals and goods traveling on the train, is not stupid to think that the train can be assaulted by anything, as ferals animals, thieves, or ever wild monster girls trying to capture a future husband. For that, throughout the train are positioned soldiers designed for protect the train from any threat to the train, coming from outside or inside of it.

These soldiers, always commanded by a official, are scattered on the wagons of the train, of around 2 or 4 soldiers by wagon, watching at the sides of the doors of the wagon, making sure that everything is alright there. Ever some soldiers are positioned protecting the locomotive, the most vital part of the train because, if you capture the locomotive, you capture all the train. They had be spotted wearing the usual swords, spears, crossbows and axes, but also some of them seems to wear weapons created by the Assault Project.

There can also enter soldiers of the Dominate Army, the Monster Army, the Saurian Army or the Legion and watch the security, but usually the train soldiers are the cornerstone of the security of the train. Any other military group inside is a plus.

Military Train
By the absolute success of the train for the people, and observing the fast movement of the train. It has been built a military version, used only for the transport of military personal and weaponry, with fortified defenses and a larger number of soldiers, and ever defenses at the top of the wagons. It's rumored that a new version of the Iron Golem is being built based in this idea, but still nobody was able to see it.

(And sorry for who wanted images, but I can't find pictures of steampunk trains and wagons that likes me, but I think that will be not hard to think, right?)