Unkerlant Travel Log: the Marches

The Marches lie in northwest Unkerlant. It is a wild, unsettled place, across the river from one of Unkerlant’s many natural barriers to the outside world, the Great Forest. The Marches are full of dark woods and moss covered rocks, mists and damp hollows. The March lords rules this place, and like their people, are fiercely independent. Most Unkerlanters consider them little more than bandit kings who extort money from visitors passing through. These “travel fees” are collected by the Moss Troopers who patrol the land as border guards. Many of the horsemen are recruited to join the King’s Heavy Cavalry regiment despite their questionable reputation.
Neumark in the north, like most Marcher settlements, is more of a fortress than a village. The outer walls are surrounded by sharpened stakes and a moat, protecting the populace and their scrawny cattle. Mundmier in the south is similar, but older and more moss covered. The main trade seems to be cattle rustling, and Sir Manfred, the nominal lord of the Marches does little to stop it. As long as the taxes arrive on time, all is well.

Unkerlant Travel Log: Bergstaat

Bergstaat is the largest land in Unkerlant, compromising the mountains in the north, and the flatlands of the south. Berstatters make much of these geographic distinctions as generations of highlanders and lowlanders have fought many bloody battles over slights real and imagined. The last, and possibly the bloodiest fight, occurred during the last War of Unkerlantian Succession when highlanders and lowlanders took opposite sides.
Gesehburg, home to the current master of Bergstaat, Baron Siegfried Von Bergstaat, is the highest town in Unkerlant. Loctated in the Widowfang mountains, Gesehburg offers splendid views of the bleak countryside. Many nobles travel here to take in the mountain air and dine on the often exotic highland cuisine.
Kruetzhofen, in the lowlands, is where the iron dug from the mountains goes to be forged. In contrast to Gesehburg crisp mountain air, the sky above Kruetzhofen is black with soot. Most townsfolk wear dark colors to mask the ash raining down on their shoulders. Despite the terrible air quality, Kruetzhofener are proud of their craft, and make excellent weapons and cannons.
To the south across the border lies Grenzstadt. Once part of Bergstaat, this village was lost during the partitioning of the last war. Many on both sides of the border still consider Grenzstadt part of Unkerlant. In fact, it’s one of the few things highalnder and lowlander agree on.
Years of internal warfare have made Bergstaaters great warriors. But, it takes any even better commander to turn their aggression from each other, to the enemy.

RECRUITS!!!

I'm off to RECRUITS this weekend. If you've never gone, it's a great convention here in the Midwest. If you're anywhere near the KC area this weekend, stop by. Only $5 to get in! Free if you're a student. I won't be running a game this year, but helping out a fellow Basement General run a Samurai game. Stop by and say "Hi!".

Unkerlant Travel Log: Verdenheim

Verdenheim is Unkerlant’s southernmost land. It suffered greatly from the last war of succession. Because of this Verdenheimer’s are a paranoid folk, imagining Borogravian spies everywhere. Outsiders have often been stung up on suspicion of espionage, with little to no trial.
The Von Wusterburgs, who have ruled Verdenheim for generations, have a long history of producing twins. This, mixed with their native paranoia, has led to some of the more memorable fratricides in the kingdom. Currently, another set of twins holds power. This time, however, they seem content to break with tradition. Brother and sister Electors Ernst and Lilly Von Wusterburg co-rule over a blighted and still recovering land. It is rumored Ernst is a little “slow”, and his sister Lilly actually rules.
Wusterburg the city is a walled menacing sight on a windswept plain. Its blackened walls still bear the scars of previous assaults and sieges.
Schambech is Wusterburgs’s other principle town. It has managed to escape most of the privations its neighbors have suffered. Schambech mostly exports a type of sour apple used in Unkerlantian cuisine. This osur apple is also used to make a brandy used not only for drinking, but in times of necessity, lamp oil.
Verdenheimer soldiers are a scrawny, tough lot, eager for a fight.

Unkerlant Travel Log: Sumpftlund

Sumpftlund is a swampy land full of bogs and fens, tucked into a bend of the Oberphaltz River. The “frog-eaters”, as they are referred to by other Unkerlanters, are a reclusive, independent people. No one’s sure they actually eat frogs, but they do hunt a more elusive animal, the great Red Boar. The size of a small horse, with the ferocity of a angry bear, the Red Boar of Sumpftlund is hunted across the bogs and thickets as a test of manhood. It is so revered that it graces the Sumpftlund flag.
Wissenburg is home to the Sinking Library. Unknowingly built on swampland, this great depository of Unkerlantian knowledge and history is so vast it was deemed easier to continually built new stories upward, rather than try to move the books to another location. Scholars are ferried back and forth all day, for a minor fee used to pay for the construction.
Streissen sits in one of the drier areas of Sumpftlund, in the mountains. Castle Streissen has never been taken by siege. Most armies that have tried end up dying off from the perpetual disease that grips the surrounding swamps.
Count Hans-Ludwig Sumpftlunden holds title of leader for this waterlogged land. He and his constantly growing brood, move throughout the countryside on a floating castle, never in one spot for too long.
Sumpftlunders are some of the best light infantry in Unkerlant, experts at laying traps and ambush.

Vanz Glortho

Introducing Vanz Glortho, Scourge of the Galaxy.

Unkerlant Travel Log: Wurten

Wurten falls inside Unkerlant’s grain belt, and like Averland, it is horse country. Wurten is proud of it’s cavalry traditon, and many a young noble has joined the Wuppental Dragoons as a right of passage. Wurten horses are a larger breed than their Averland cousins, and more ill tempered. Many of the Wuppental Dragoons are missing an ear tip or finger, but wear it as a badge of pride.
The town of Wuppental sits astride Lake Wuppental, a vast, brackish, cold expanse not known for it’s beauty, but for the number of lives it’s claimed.
Lonigbruk is a town of note in southern Wurten that takes advantage of the countryside’s many lakes and streams. The fishermen of Lonigbruk are a tough people, eking out a meager living in the cold waters of Wurten.
Wurten’s horses and fish have provided it with it’s biggest export, fertilizer. “Wurten prospers on two things”, the saying goes, “fish heads and horse sh*t.” As a consequence, Wurten’s people have often been accused of smelling too much like their product.
Olfactory jabs aside, Wilhelm, 12th Earl of Wurten, is much respected around Unkerlant as a just ruler. Although age and gout now keeps him from horseback, he is still considered one of the best cavalry commanders in Unkerlant.
Wurteners make passable soldiers, but better cavalrymen. You want them on your side, as long as they’re down wind.