General Description: This is not really a nation but rather a loose collection of pirate towns that all owe a sort of allegiance to one major city.
Location/Boundaries: Situated along the eastern third of the Sidar bay (south shore of the Anteian sea), the so-called Steel Coast extends to the tip of the Dagger Horn and down the outer eastern coast of the southern continent. The boundaries are where jungle or desert make the land uninhabitable or where the coastline becomes too rocky to allow for a harbor.
Government: Very little. There is a "king" or sultan in the sole city of Kosos. He maintains his power through the use of loyal troops. The position is theoretically hereditary, but more often than not the king's strongest rival will take over if he is killed or becomes weak. The situation is similar in the scattered towns and forts along the coast. They are all ruled more or less by a strong-man and those crewmen loyal to him. Some places are fairly democratic in that all adult male citizens have signed a compact that (in theory) regulates their behavior and allows them to vote on the actions of the community.
Laws/Legal System: Laws, where they exist, are very simple. They regulate conflicts between people in terms of duels, weregild, fines, and corporeal punishment. Lex Talionis forms the basis for these laws an eye for an eye and so forth. Justice is meted out swiftly, often without a trial of any sort. If two men are at odds they will settle the dispute with a duel. The lord or captain of the settlement has the final say in any case, though to keep his men happy he will often allow them to make the decision. There are often, surprisingly, written lists of these basic rules. In Kosos the laws are only slightly more complex, including such things as tolls, taxes, and extradition of criminals. The only people who are imprisoned are captured hostages waiting for ransom.
Social Classes/Status: On the Steel Coast might makes right. Those who have martial might, an indispensable skill (navigation, surgery, etc.), or some other way to make men fear or respect them can get very rich and acquire quite a following. They will seldom die of natural causes, though. Like the gunslinger of the American West, their reputations are always on the line. Making a mistake, letting your guard down, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time can lead to someone challenging your control. A deposed leader is invariably killed or left adrift at sea.
Cities/People: The people of the Steel Coast are an incredible hodge-podge of races from all over. A large percentage of them have some Achaean or desert blood, since many of the women brought to the coast are from Achaea. They have, over the past centuries, formed a pidgin language of their own. It is based on Achaean with influences from many other tongues and slang words unique to the coast. Those who are educated enough to write do so in their native tongue. As mentioned above, there is one true city, Kosos. It was originally an Achaean colony that was lost during the 'dark ages.' The descendants of the original populace still live there along with pirates, adventurers, desert tribesmen, and ne'r-do-wells from both continents. This city is the only legitimate town in the region. The Achaean cities do recognize it and trade with it, as do the gaels, the March Barons, and the Empire. Because it is the only real source of legitimate trade in the region (though many pirates strike their own bargains with individual lords in the Marches or the Empire), its neutrality is respected by all the freebooters of the coast. Any crew who decides to threaten the city will be hunted down by their fellows and executed. From Kosos it is possible to book (relatively) safe travel to and from the nearest Achaean cities, as well as to venture (far less safely) further on down the coast. All of the towns and cities are fairly ramshackle. They are built of wood with stone foundations where possible, and all will have some sort of wall. The more powerful towns will have stone walls and artillery emplacements.
Military: This varies incredibly. Most adult males of the Coast carry arms and should be considered dangerous. They often fight for a living and will certainly do so to defend their homes and ships. They often do so for recreation as well. The size of a force a town or camp can muster, as well as its skill and equipment, varies greatly. The only place that has a regular standing militia/town guard is Kosos (and this force is fairly corrupt).
Education: The school of hard knocks is the only institution. Other than experience gained in the line of duty, so to speak, a man might arrange an apprenticeship as a surgeon, smith, shipwright, navigator, or the like. The Coast has a very low literacy rate. In a typical settlement of a hundred or more pirates, slaves, and camp followers only two or three will be able to do more than sign their names (and most can't do that).
Technology: The technology level is low, except where craftsmen from other places have been hired or pressed into service. The available technology varies with the availability of these craftsmen as well as the amount of plunder or trade goods the crew has been able to acquire.
Production & Industry: The building and maintenance of ships and weapons are the main industries on the Coast. The residents also often hunt in the mountainous jungles for food and trade goods (furs, herbs, slaves). Most villages will have some farmland, usually managed by the women where they raise vegetables, grain, pigs, and fowl.
Foreign Relations: The Steel Coast has poor relations with just about everyone, due to the prevalence of piracy throughout the region. Kosos always walks a fine line with their policy of neutrality, and when the raids get especially bad they may be forced to assist the surrounding states in hunting down the worst offenders. The region gets along best with the Empire, who uses some of the more disciplined and organized groups to disrupt shipping in the bay and assist their agents in various covert operations. They also deal regularly with certain March Barons who bargain to receive shipments of certain contraband substances from the interior of the southern continent. The Coast is the only region trading into the interior at this time. They regularly trade with a legendary place known as the City of the Sun. This kingdom of tall, dark skinned people is reached through a pass on the east coast of the continent.
Religion: The religious beliefs of the Coast residents are probably as variable as they themselves. Since there is such a low value put on human life on the Steel Coast, it's a good bet that few of the residents are particularly pious. They strongly resist anyone attempting to proselytize among them and missionaries tend to come to a quick end. They are, however, a superstitious lot as a whole and regularly leave sacrifices to spirits, gods, and even demons if they think it will bring them good luck. Some towns are rumored to have gone over to a violent and dark religion that centers on the propitiation of demons with particularly bloody human sacrifices. The priests of this religion, it is said, can cast curses on their enemies and bring a crew luck in battle and plunder.
Magick: All magick is a terrifying unknown. The uneducated men and women of the Coast fear it and those who wield it. Empire mages are particularly feared and wild rumors are spread about them they are demons themselves, they can kill with a glance, they will come back from the dead or curse their killer horribly, etc.
The Steel Coast doesn't have a unified Culture of which to speak. Local practices vary tremndously depending on where the majority of the people are from or the preferences of the local ruler. People from many of the various racial/linguistic groups of Praedia find themselves there.