“That is the best part of the city. No matter who you are, where you've been, or what you do, there is always a spot for you here. So long as you don’t mind a few roommates…” -Mikey White, Vegasian Waterbed Salesman
The largest city in the Anvil and one of the few settlements that can really be called a city, Steelbridge is the unofficial capital of the Hammer Inlet Coalition. Unofficial because the Coalition isn’t actually a nation, but theoretically a loose alliance of equals, but as the largest  and most economically powerful of the settlements in the Coalition, its word tends to hold more weight when compared to other Coalition towns like Cobb, Kaleb’s Grove, or Resilience.

With a population that fluctuates somewhere between 2,000-3,000, it’s a crowded and bustling community compared to most that can be found throughout the wasteland. With its back to the water and heavy investment in their defense forces, they’re capable of keeping most zombie and raider incursions away from their walls, creating a major trading hub where the only threat one can regularly expect is from other lineages. It’s a strange place for many wastelanders to experience, a glimpse of what civilization could potentially be like everywhere, one day.

The area where Steelbridge stands has been inhabited more or less continuously since the Fall, at least as far as the unreliable records recovered since indicate. A major trading hub in most of its forms, its strength and population ebbing and flowing with the passing of time, history is both long and generally dull.

About two generations back, the town was known as Shelter. After striking an agreement with High Steelbridge, the name was changed, and the new union of settlements began reaching out to other local towns, outposts, and hamlets to create the Hammer Inlet Coalition. The result has been a massive boom in trade and a stark reduction in conflict between lineages throughout the region. It isn’t ‘peace in our time’ but it’s better than what there once was.

Common and Rare strains

Most common: Townies (Especially Baywalkers), Saltwise, and ‘Civic’ variants of all lineages.

Least common: Gorgers, Mutants, and ‘Wasteland’ variants of all lineages. 

Faiths in Resilience

Most common: All faiths can be found here. There is even a financial institution known as the Citadel that makes sure that all nine pillar faiths are represented in the city and have a say with the Steelbridge High Council. 

Least common: Any of the doomsday cults are generally asked politely to leave before they make any sort of trouble in the community. Those who refuse to leave often disappear without a trace. 

Important Factions

The Steelbridge High Council: This group is, essentially, a city committee under a fancy name. The members of this 12-person committee are elected yearly, and any major policy changes need a 9-person majority to pass. Generally this results in a very stable system of laws that rarely changes, but that’s slow to react to change when it does occur. Bureaucracy is, as always, the bane of civilization

The Citadel: Not a temple or place of worship, but a place where the heads of the nine pillar faiths gather. The gathering hall of this organization is in Steelbridge, and it’s where their nine-person council meets to deliberate and make decisions that go down the line. Most religious groups throughout the city have a connection to the Citadel, who maintain a loose grasp on the morals and ethics of Steelbridge through their influence on the faith of its citizens.

The ORCAS Foundation: A collective of farmers and other agriculture specialists that keep food on the table. While not headquartered in Steelbridge, the Foundation has many warehouses in the city and its goods pass through constantly, their representatives constantly busy ensuring the people of the Coalition have what they need to keep going.

The King-Fishers: The docks of Steelbridge are the King-Fishers’ territory, and through agreements with the Popular Committee they maintain them, run them, and ensure any ship that docks is properly licensed and registered. Their offices on the docks keep these records meticulously, and since most goods are shipped by water from the town - they have an interest in keeping business flowing to keep their own income high.

Resurrection: The graverobbers, necrologists, and mortis practitioners of Resurrection have a minor but important presence in the town, primarily maintaining the city’s morgue. As of recently, their powers and responsibilities have increased greatly as they have gained the official stamp of approval from the Ossuary Society. This has gained the attention of the Steelbridge High Council who have granted them the right to oversee all matters of Necrology in the Anvil. Why the Steelbridge High Council would do such a thing is currently unknown, but many rumors suggest that palms were greased, blackmail was given, or they simply did not want to do it any longer. 

The Scriveners & Jacks’ College: The most powerful company within the city itself, the S&J college is headquartered in Steelbridge, and most of the factories, workshops, and other centers of industry are run exclusively by their workers. They also maintain the ramshackle source of hydroelectric power to the town, referred to simply as ‘The Dam’.

Lynchpin Entertainment: This organization of entertainers is headquartered in Steelbridge, and runs a large theater - the Lost Road Theater - where live plays are performed. Despite such grandeur, most entertainers in the town, from buskers and mimes to brothel workers, pay their dues to LE.