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Imperial Artisans ... The Painters, Crafters & Writers Guilds => The Imperial Office => Topic started by: Le Pistolet on April 15, 2010, 01:43:32 PM
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EDIT: All of this can be read in on my Blog, where it is readily filed, and not interupted with other comments. http://sonnefurt.blogspot.com/
My liege,
You asked me to compile notes on the Barony of Sonnefurt, the territory of Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg. I have begun my compilation by assessing the geography of the barony and its various towns and military strength. My work is purely factual at this moment in time, but as my research progresses I will keep you informed as the the personalities, the true military strength and other details of the region.
Enclosed are maps of the region drawn by Nuln’s greatest cartographers and an analysis of each location in the area. I hope you find this useful.
Your faithful servant,
Leopold
The area in red shows the Baroness' influence in relation to the Province of Wissenland
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/MyWissenland.jpg)
This is a more detailed map of the area and its locations.
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/img013.jpg)
Towns
My liege,
You asked me to compile notes on the Barony of Sonnefurt, the territory of Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg. I have begun my compilation by assessing the geography of the barony and its various towns and military strength. My work is purely factual at this moment in time, but as my research progresses I will keep you informed as to the personalities, the true military strength and other details of the region.
Enclosed are maps of the region drawn by Nuln’s greatest cartographers and an analysis of each location in the area. I hope you find this useful.
Your faithful servant,
Leopold
The area in red shows the Baroness' influence in relation to the Province of Wissenland
NB. Militia indicates the maximum number of men able to be drafted and who act as town/village watch on a regular basis. Garrison indicates professional troops paid for and kept up by the Baroness.
Towns
Sonnefurt
Size: Town
Ruler: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Population: 873
Wealth: 3
Economy: Agriculture, Wool
Garrison: 100
Notes: Ford across the River Sonne
Road to Khazid Grentaz
Houses small barracks of Sol River Patrol
Ferry to Ertingen
Sonnefurt Villa
Size: Mansion
Ruler: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Population: 70
Wealth: 3
Economy: Wine
Garrison: 20
Notes: Most common residence of the Baroness
Houses the Baroness’ personal guard
Vineyards produce the best wine in the Barony
Ertingen
Size: Small Town
Ruler: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Population: 469
Wealth: 3
Economy: Fishing, Wine
Militia: 43
Notes: Ferry to Sonnefurt
Vineyards on the Dieten Hills
Strazen
Size: Village
Ruler: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Population: 93
Wealth: 1
Economy: Agriculture
Militia: 27
Ostrach
Size: Village
Ruler: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Population: 198
Wealth: 1
Economy: Subsistence
Militia: 36
Notes: The Martin Bridge is located to the North
Bezeinhof
Size: Hamlet
Ruler: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Population: 67
Wealth: 1
Economy: Timber, Wool
Militia: 13
Martinskorf
Size: Hamlet
Ruler: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Population: 56
Wealth: 1
Militia: 8
Thalfang
Size: Small Town
Ruler: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Population: 481
Wealth: 3
Economy: Agriculture, Wine
Militia: 58
Notes: Aschen Bridge is located to the North
Aschen River floods annually providing fertile soil
Places
Martinswald
Upper Martinswald contains Morr’s Chasm. People say they have seen rat shaped beasts emerge from the Chasm in the past.
The Bezau Hills
Foothills to the Black Mountains. Contain many Goblin Lairs, several are well known. Source of the River Martin.
The River Martin
Splits the Martinswald into two Upper and Lower Martinswald. Feeds the River Soll.
Sonnefurt
Ford across the River Sonne. Traversable in all conditions save heavy rain or storms. Floods once a year.
The Dieten Hills
The western side hosts several vineyards maintained by Ertingen residents. The eastern side is said to be haunted with many barrows, and there is an ancient cairn which overlooks the source of the River Dieten. The Ertingen-Strazen Road skirts the hills due to the local fear of them.
The Aschen Hills
A hermit’s cave is located in the hills. The hermit is said to be a sorcerer, perhaps of the Dark Arts. Source of the Aschen River
The Aschen River
Feeds the River Soll.
Well I started on my background writing for Sonnefurt. The town itself features on the map we have here on the library (a colour version is included above) and some of the other towns (Ostach, Thalfang and Ertingen) are on Mad Alfred maps and gazetteers. I have taken the best from both maps to make up the best of the region, the wood which became the Martinswald appears on the big map at the top, but not on the Mad Alfred ones, but the River did, so I took them both to create a varied environment for battles and the such.
The information on Mad Alfred's site seems to make the region very small, which is true, but the numbers were not even enough for me to make a 2000 point army of men, so I've rectified that by changing some of the numbers.
Garrisons relate to men actually stationed in the towns who are professional soldiers (my Spearmen and Swordmen) whereas Militia make up the rest (Halberdiers, Crossbowmen and Archers) so I should be fine.
The 'Places' I have described I feel give the area a decent range of opponents, from Goblins and Beastmen to Skaven, Vampires and Chaos.
Comments welcome. :happy:
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Great choice! :icon_biggrin:
And some really imaginative work there. :eusa_clap:
During the SE of 2524 event, this area saw little done here, and what you've put together fits in nicely and goes beyond. I really like how you've found a way to work opportunities for other armies to be in the area for additional fluff opportunities. :icon_cool:
Also, the Baroness was treated as a Wissenlander, and although "Soland" forces marched through her area or maybe that was north of the river Soll, she stayed away from the conflict because she was basically surrounded and so far removed from the rest of Wissenland that it was figured she had no choice. Originally there was a poster with an army that was going to write about taking over her lands, but the poster had a life issue get in the way of continuing with the event.
On the other hand, the pass in the mountains to the south was used by Baron Eduard Dreisch of Scharmbeck, who marched his army that way to "take back" some territory in that direction. Dreisch was a red haired and bearded character that I ran with, who had a bit of a gambling and flamboyant personality, and who linked up with my Averland merc character, Heinrich von Furstenberg. Together they performed joint military operations in southern Wissenland during the SE of 2524.
By the way ... that colored map is fairly snazzy, where did you find it?
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This was a really good read. I love these sorts of background 'databases'. I use the same model as this myself.
I agree about the Mad Alfred populations, they're way too small. And tbh, I'd probably add on some more to your towns as well, but thats just my personal preference.
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Well I'm glad my work has been appreciated, and even more glad that I'm able to fit in with your stuff without trampling all over it :happy:
By the way ... that colored map is fairly snazzy, where did you find it?
I found it by typing 'Wissenland' into Google Images, the link is here : http://www.nationaldinosaurmuseum.com.au/Staff/Warhammer/Wissenland%20small.jpg
I agree about the Mad Alfred populations, they're way too small. And tbh, I'd probably add on some more to your towns as well, but thats just my personal preference.
Hmmm I might add a few on to each then, they do seem a bit stupid. I'll edit it accordingly...
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My liege,
In continuing my notes on the Barony of Heisenberg I have begun to research the key personalities of the area. They range from the Baroness herself, her military leaders and other prominent figures. The sources are drawn from people in the area and from various other accounts. I hope you find this information pleasing.
Your dutiful servant
Leopold
Officials:
Baroness Katrina von Heisenberg
The Baroness rules over the small Barony of Sonnefurt. She is fairly young, at 27 and is by all accounts very beautiful, as well as being intelligent and very charismatic. The von Heisenberg family came to rule Sonnefurt two generations ago, with the Baroness’ grandfather, Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg, distant and last surviving relative of the ruling Tol family. Her father, Baron Max von Heisenberg passed away just under a decade ago and has ruled, with help for the first few years, ever since.
The Baroness spends roughly three quarters of the year in her private villa in the hills South of Sonnefurt, and the rest of the year, normally the deep winter months, in the city, in her large town mansion. On several occasions she will make the long trips to her ancestral home of Heisenberg and Messen, as well as occasional trips to Nuln, where she visits her distant relatives of the Liebewitz family, the family of Countess Emmanuelle. Relations with the Countess, her second cousin are frosty at best and it is commonly believed that the Countess is jealous of the youth and beauty the Baroness possesses, as well the fact she is the second most successful female member of the family. Relations with the rest of the family in Northern Wissenland are on good terms and the Baroness has quite a bit of sway at Court and many allies with a lot of money.
The people of the Barony love their Baroness, and she is well respected amongst her peers and her councillors. Her harsh attitude towards Solland rebels has made relations with those in Wusterburg and Kreutzhofen a little tense in recent years, but they respect her leadership of her Barony, and border disputes are infrequent. Cooperation has occurred between the local regions, especially in the face of larger threats to the entire region. However, Baron von Kalb of Kroppenleben is the Countess’s biggest rival, constantly vying for total control of the trade routes with Karak Hirn, of which Sonnefurt controls half, and scheming against the Baroness.
The Baroness does not lead her own armies, for she is more of a political mind than a fighter, but she does coordinate armed efforts and offers her tactical insight. Her links to Messen, Heisenberg and Nuln do offer the opportunity, on the most dire of occasions, for armed help, but during the rule of the von Heisenberg family, this has only be required the once. The Baroness, however, does sometimes join the army to inspire the men, but will retreat back behind her lines before the fighting begins.
Marshal Richter Eichhorn
Richter Eichhorn is Marshal of Sonnefurt, and supreme commander of the Barony’s armed forces. When the other forces are not needed, he is primarily in charge of the Baroness’ personal bodyguard and follows her around the region when she needs it, but becomes the region’s ruler on her visits out of the Barony.
Marshal Eichhorn is a very dashing man, but is also extremely battle hardened, having risen through the ranks of the Soll River Patrol, before being noticed by Baron Max von Heisenberg. At that point, as a young man, he was appointed the towns Bailiff, second in command to the former Marshal, Kurt Salzemund, who, along with his hunting party, disappeared mysteriously when hunting in the Upper Martinswald, near Morr’s Chasm.
Having been in the Soll River Patrol, Eichhorn is very adept at negotiations with the post in the town, run by Captain Strotmann, and often secures small numbers of men to fight for Sonnefurt, and sometimes even entire regiments are sent in aid if the cause warrants it.
Bailiff Karl Reiter
Karl Reiter is Sonnefurt’s Bailiff. He commands the areas militias, and overseas the training of both Sonnefurt’s garrison and that of the locals. He has risen through the ranks of the Sonnefurt garrison and has shown himself to be adept in raising significant forces and has revolutionised the way in which they are now trained.
In most issues, Bailiff Reiter bows to Marshal Eichhorn’s supremacy. In battle, he carries the Standard of Sonnefurt.
Father Josef Schmidt
Father Josef runs the Church of Sigmar’s Sanctuary, a worship place and charity found in Sonnefurt; he is also the Baroness’ spiritual advisor and will often be found visiting her villa giving her advice. The Barony of Sonnefurt is fairly religious and Sigmar is the most prevalent god. Father Josef’s Sanctuary provides security and a roof over the head for the least well off, travelling Templars, and various religious figures and followers. It also functions as a normal worship place and sees many regular attendees.
Father Josef is a charismatic man, fairly young for such a prominent priest in the area. He often joins the Baroness’ armies on the battlefield and has been known to lead them in smaller skirmishes. He is famous for inspiring the men with great speeches and filling them with faith in Sigmar. He is a competent warrior, as are many of Sigmar’s priests, and is a revered tactician in the Baroness’ arsenal.
Jusk Stromsson
Jusk Stromsson is the Elder of the small Dwarf population that have established themselves in Sonnefurt after migrating from Karak Hirn. The Dwarfs are mainly stonemasons, and have helped with the expansion of the town and its surrounding villages. As the Elder, Jusk is sometimes consulted for advice by the Baroness, but he and his community are normally left alone. In the last three generations the Dwarf population have only taken to the battlefield with the army of Sonnefurt once, against a giant goblin horde, and have earned their place as a potential mercenary force in times of great need, for this reason, the Baroness maintains cordial relations with sometimes rough, arrogant and crude Dwarf.
Captain Leo Strotmann
Leo Strotmann is a Captain of the Southern Division of the Soll River Patrol and is stationed with his men in the town of Sonnefurt. Captain Strotmann served under Marshal Eichhorn in the River Patrol and has a great respect for him. The Soll River Patrol is not officially part of the army of Sonnefurt, but due to their proximity, and duties to the protection of the entire region the river flows through, their soldiers are often seen on the battlefield. Captain Strotmann regularly bends the rules concerning troops to fit his esteemed superior’s needs, but will never commit too many men to a cause, unless higher orders come from the headquarters in Wissenburg.
Captain Strotmann is also seen as the most eligible bachelor Sonnefurt has to offer, being young, handsome and holding a reputation as daring and valiant in battle. There are sordid rumours about his past relations with the Baroness, but none of these have been confirmed to be true.
Lieutenant Markus Frey
MMarkus Frey is Lieutenant of the small outpost of the Southern Wissenland Road Wardens, a military organisation of Road Wardens who patrol the roads on horseback, keeping them safe from bandits and other, more nefarious creatures. Even the largest outpost in the Barony is only small, and is located in Ostrach, patrolling the roads each side of the River from Sonnefurt to Wusterburg. The Lieutenant is on good terms with Captain Strotmann of the Soll River Patrol, for the two organisations often work together for the protection of lands all over Wissenland. For this reason, he has learned to respect Marshall Eichhorn, and often pledges men to his armies in order to keep the towns, and thus the routes through, safe from outside attack.
Mayor Günter Fink
Gunter Funk is the Mayor of the regions second largest town, Thalfang. Mr Fink is a portly gentleman, and very typically a noble man. He is not particularly liked within the region, but he pays a lot of money to the Baroness to keep his position, earned through his large vineyard on the Aschen Hills. This is where he lives for the most part, distancing himself from the people of his town, for they too do not particularly like him. He insists that he should take part in the Baroness’ councils, and often over asserts himself, far beyond that which his position warrants. However, under his leadership, Thalfang has actually grown in size, and this means he will maintain his position until someone better is found to replace him.
Mayor Walter Heim
Walter Heim is the Mayor of the regions third largest town, Ertingen. Mr Heim is fairly young, having only just inherited the position from his father, Ewald Heim, a close friend of Baron Max von Heisenberg. Lacking in confidence of his position, Walter rarely attends the council meetings, and only attends when the Baroness insists. The reaction to his leadership has not yet sunk in, but there is a spirit of hope that Ertingen will become the second most dominant town in the region under him.
Other Personalities:
Grubart the Grey
Grubart the Grey is a famous practising wizard who lives in the Barony of Sonnefurt. Grubald is a wanderer and is said to have been wondering for several generations, drawn for some reason to the region. Children all know of him and he is well loved, performing magic tricks and spectacles. He has also been known to have close links with the von Heisenberg family, ever since the rule of Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg, offering them his great wisdom and magical talents on the battlefield. He has forged a strong relationship with the Baroness, and she regards him as a Grandfather figure, sending men to find him when great decisions need to be made. Grubald is often seen when the host of Sonnefurt take to the field of battle, just like he was two generations ago, and will presumably be for many more.
Theobald ‘the Tinkerer’ of Thalfang
Theobald is a resident of Thalfang and famous for his eccentricity and for ‘tinkering’ with machinery. Records have it that Theobald studied to become an Engineer in the city of Nuln and the Baroness also put forward his fees, but he failed his exams for an unknown reason but many presume the Countess had an influence over the University to spite the Baroness. He returned to his hometown and became determined to outdo the Nuln engineers, and has been trying to ever since. Mayor Funk has had to order Theobald to move his house and experiments out of the town, for previous accidents in his former townhouse cause fires and damage unseen since the Goblin devastation of 2418.
Mercenaries/Princes
Seeing as the Barony borders the Border Princes, mercenary captains, despots, Kings, Princes and many manner of nobility and aristocracy pass through the land. Occasionally they will help the Baroness for a price, but the Baroness and Marshall Eichhorn aren’t keen on employing mercenaries, realising they pay no allegiance to the land, and fight only for money, not risking their life for a move that could save the region.
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Wow. More good stuff! :icon_cool: :eusa_clap: :::cheers:::
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Wow. More good stuff! :icon_cool: :eusa_clap: :::cheers:::
Thankyou very much :blush:
I am currently working on the timeline of the Barony, from 1707 to Present day. It's getting very detailed and I've barely reached 2000 yet... :unsure:
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I've started a time line for my imaginary Averland town. I'm always torn as to how much is enough. I'm trying to leave room for other ideas to be included in the future, while at the same time providing more detail closer in time than what is provided for further back in time. It woudl make sense that things thta happend long ago might have less information about them, and in some situation potentially wider gaps between pieces of info.
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I've started a time line for my imaginary Averland town. I'm always torn as to how much is enough. I'm trying to leave room for other ideas to be included in the future, while at the same time providing more detail closer in time than what is provided for further back in time. It woudl make sense that things thta happend long ago might have less information about them, and in some situation potentially wider gaps between pieces of info.
Yeah, I found that leaving big enough gaps were the hardest challenge, I tried to leave significant periods inbetween events, but not overly so I would skip out an entire century or something.
Anyway, this is the result, and I hope it could perhaps help you GamesPoet :happy:
My Liege,
I have spent a great deal of time compiling a history of Sonnefurt from records in various locations, but mostly the Great Library at the University of Nuln. I have attempted to cover anything important in the town’s development and I do hope you do not find it too burdensome to read. The history begins after the sacking of Wissenland by Gorbad Ironfang, as records from before are hard to track down.
Your obedient servant,
Leopold
0-1707- Not much is known, other than a town has existed by the ford of Sonnefurt’s name from the beginning of the Empire. The town belonged to the Pfeifraucher family of Kreutzhofen and was a small agricultural town, as were Thalfang and Ostrach.
1707- Sonnefurt and its surroundings completely destroyed by the invasion of Orc Warlord Gorbad Ironclaw. Many Orcs and Goblins remain in the Martinswald and the Bezau Hills to the South.
1710- Reconstruction begins. Dwarf population doubles.
1715- The first Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt, Ostrach and Thalfang is called, independently to Kreutzhofen, to deal with the Greenskin menace in the Martinswald. A general militia is raised, and many of the Goblins are driven from the area, further into the hills.
1722- Riots in Sonnefurt concerning the poor leadership of Kreutzhofen since the destruction in the wake of Gorbad Ironclaw. Sonnefurt has had no funding, whilst Kreutzhofen has continued to grow. Riots are unanswered.
1734- Goblin raid sacks Ostrach but is repelled by Sonnefurt and Thalfang militias.
1756- Abstract poverty hits the region due to a failed harvest in all areas. Riots are brutally suppressed by Kreutzhofen troops. Resentment continues.
1778- Flood of Thalfang, dozens perish in the icy waters.
1804- Morr’s Chasm opens. Reports tell of an unnatural green light glowing in the skies above.
1815- Martinswald declared safe enough for habitation, villagers migrate and small scale timber industry is established.
1817- Reports of rat-formed beasts in the Martinswald, near Morr’s Chasm. Reports are said to be nothing but rumours.
1825- Villages of Bezeinhof and Martinskorf officially recognised after ten years.
1856- One hundred years after riots in Sonnefurt, the inhabitants pay homage to the fallen by taking to the streets in mourning. This is seen as a reborn insurrection, and troops are rushed to the town. Resentment burns anew.
1860- Otto Pfeifraucher, youngest son of the current Baron, Karl Pfeifraucher, is mysteriously murdered while hunting in the Martinswald. He is found naked with stab wounds from many different weapons.
1861- The Pfeifraucher family set up barracks in Sonnefurt to suppress any insurrection to their command.
1897- Reports of conflict between the Soll River Patrol and supposedly undead forces near the Dieten Hills. Reports are widely disbelieved.
1932- Financial crisis hits the Pfeifraucher family. Sonnefurt is sold to an unwitting customer, a merchant from Marienburg, Dieter Wulstberg and is widely popular with the people, celebrations of independence are held. Under Baron Wulstberg, the town and its surroundings grow and prosper like never before.
1987- Ertingen is put up for sale by the Pfeifraucher family, Dieter’s son, Albert, purchases it and the new village of Strazen further up stream.
1989- The Sonnefurt-Ertingen Ferry is built.
2011- More reports of undead attacks from the Dieten Hills.
2032- Sonnefurt celebrates two hundred years of independence. The region is flourishing more and more each year. Population of the town reaches its peak.
2101- Known as the ‘Dark Year’. Goblin raids combined with famine mean Sonnefurt reaches a level of poverty not seen since the wake of Gorbad Ironclaw.
2142- After having recovered finally from the devastation of the ‘Dark Year’, Sonnefurt celebrates three hundred years of independence.
2209- Reports of rat-formed beasts emerging from the Martinswald and attacking the town of Thalfang, many die in the battle.
2270- The last of the Wulstberg family, Hans Wulstberg, dies. Sonnefurt risks takeover from Kreutzhofen once again. The people instead form a temporary Council of Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt, like in 1715.
2295- It is decided that after quarter of a century of wise leadership, Head Councillor and rich merchant Frederick Tol is to become Baron of Sonnefurt.
2304- Magnus the Pious establishes his court in Nuln after the Great War against Chaos. Sonnefurt gains diplomatic recognition the Tol family is recognised as its rulers.
2397- Baron Lucas Tol builds the Baron’s villa to the south of Sonnefurt.
2424- After the sacking of the Nuln by Goblin Warlord Grom, many noble Wissenland families move south for protection. This includes Herman Tol’s illegitimate cousin, Phillip von Heisenberg.
2428- Baron Herman Tol dies with no heirs. After much debate, the Council make Phillip von Heisenberg Baron of Sonnefurt.
2432- Heinrich von Heisenberg is born, beginning truly the Von Heisenberg line in Sonnefurt.
2451- Baron Phillip von Heisenberg arranges for Heinrich to marry Lea Schafer, sister to the Freida Schafer wife of the current Count of Wissenland and Nuln, Count Frank von Liebwitz.
2452- Max von Heisenberg is born.
2458- Goblin raid on Sonnefurt is repelled by intervention from the Soll River Patrol. The River Patrol establishes a permanent barracks in Sonnefurt.
2461- Baron Phillip von Heisenberg dies. His son Heinrich von Heisenberg becomes Baron.
2467- Ostrach’s crops become diseased and the town is only saved by support from Sonnefurt. The town’s crops have never truly recovered and it remains in poverty.
2472- To save the Barony from total economic downturn in the face of the loss of Ostrach's production, Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg marries his son Max to Vanessa Zell, sister to Herman Zell, a prominent merchant in the town from the Border Princes. He also makes him a Lord in order to coax him to bring business to the Barony.
2481- Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg dies. His son, Max von Heisenberg becomes Baron.
2489- Captain Richter Eichhorn of the 9th Soll River Patrol Regiment is noted for his service to Sonnefurt in a battle against a raiding Goblin party. He is offered the position as the town's Bailiff and accepts.
2496- Marshal Kurt Salzemund mysteriously disappears whilst hunting near Morr’s Chasm with no trace of him of his hunting party. Bailiff Richter Eichhorn becomes Marshal
2497- Current ruler, Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg is born
2513- Baron Max von Heisenberg dies; Katarina von Heisenberg rules with the help of a newly reformed Council of Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt for she is deemed too young to rule singlehandedly.
2515- Katarina von Heisenberg comes of age and becomes Baroness.
2524- Sonnefurt, surrounded by hostile Solland insurrectionist, stays out of the ‘Solland Effort’ but is poised to repel possible invasion, especially from the hated Kreutzhofen.
2526- Kroppenleben frames Sonnefurt for industrial sabotage and uses it as an excuse to launch a long planned war against the Barony. They receive limited aid from Kreutzhofen. Thalfang and Ostrach are both captured and Sonnefurt besieged. The campaign fails when Sonnefurt's allies from Meissen, Heisenburg and the Nuln Volunteers break the siege.
Present
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My Liege,
In my previous letters I have covered mainly political and geographical aspects of the Barony of Sonnefurt, but now I have some information that should truly interest you, their military strength. The Barony’s army looks deceptively small, with only a very minor garrison in Sonnefurt, but the Baroness can call upon a great wealth of support if she had both the money and the need. I have already covered the key personalities who lead the armies in the region in my previous letter, but here are the exact details of the regiments.
Your humble servant
Leopold
Organisation of the Sonnefurt Military
The Barony’s military is a comprised of several regiments which are built using a complex system of regular and irregular soldiers, with great use of mercenaries and hastily formed militias in times of great need.
Uniform
The professional or semi-professional soldiers are obliged to wear the traditional Grey and White of Wissenland. Sonnefurt is denoted by the family colour of the Von Heisenberg family, a crimson red. This is used in markings on the uniform and extra flair often added by the soldiers themselves to show their allegiance. Irregular forces are not obliged to follow the colourings of the professional forces but often do so to be distinguishable as fighting for the Barony.
The Barony’s military carry standards depicted the symbol of the Baroness, the Rose and the Briars. The style of this depends on the artist, but it is clear to see waving above the regiments in battle.
The Sonnefurt Regiment
Also referred to as the 1st Sonnefurt Regiment of Foote in official documents, mainly when on campaign in the Wissenland armies, the Sonnefurt Regiment is the first and only professional regiment of the town. The men perform their duties as town guards, watchmen, police, fire service and soldiers and are paid handsomely for their actions. They receive the best training in the Barony and the best funding (besides the Baroness’s privately funded bodyguard).
The 1st Regiment of Foote also includes a ranged element in close support, and many are trained in the art of black powder by specialist trainers from the Gunnery School of Nuln.
The Barony Halberdier Corps
Comprised of a combination of semi-professional soldiers who in turn form the South Soll Coalition (Thalfang and Ostrach citizens) and the Dieten Townships Militia (Ertingen and Strazen) Regiments. In times of relative peace or small skirmishes, these two sub-regiments protect their assigned territories as town guards, able to be called upon at any time. The soldiers subscribe to the regiments for a period of four years, and have to undergo training within the town of Sonnefurt and a subject to being called up to fight for both Sonnefurt and even in the South Wissenland Regiment should Wissenburg call. The strength of the regiment normally relies on the amount of men who are currently on tours of duty, but can be increased as needs must in times of great military hardship. In return they can expect billets on campaign, wear official Sonnefurt uniforms and are equipped and paid by the town’s purse.
The Sonnefurt Irregulars
Each town in the Barony retains an irregular regiment of men they can call upon in times of great need. These differ from the semi-professional regiments in that there is no official training, equipment, uniform or commitment. The Barony does not fund the formation of the militias, seeing it as a personal choice of its citizens. Anyone is allowed to join the militia, providing they are of age and a citizen of the Barony. In recent years there has been a surge of Dwarfs joining under Jusk Stromsson’s campaigning. Irregulars sign their name on a sheet in their respective town halls should they wish to fight, and choose to fight should the bells toll. As such Sonnefurt can never count on an exact number of men to send to battle.
Von Heisenberg Guard
Some of Sonnefurt’s only professional troops besides the town guard, but they are not official troops of the Barony. They are Zweihanders who guard the Baroness day and night, and are often sent off without her. Should the Baroness take to the battlefield they form a tight protective shield around her. They are equipped directly by the Baroness herself and are not obliged to fight for Sonnefurt unless the Baroness decrees it. The men are chosen from the best soldiers in the Barony, and often some mercenaries who pledge allegiance to the Baroness for a constant wage and a place to settle down.
Ostrach Sharpshooters
The sharpshooters are one of the only regiments in Sonnefurt to not fall into a wider regiment under the towns banner, but to pledge allegiance to another town. This stems from the military origins of the town after it struggled to survive with the destruction of its economy after the Dark Year. The regiment select their soldiers however from across the Barony, taking on only the best sharpshooters. Due to a lack of funding there is no official uniform but the men take pride in the Barony and dress appropriately, but the lack the style of professional soldiers.
The Sonnefurt Battery
Sonnefurt owns a small number of warmachines which have been acquired over its long history from the forges of Nuln and as gifts from the Von Heisenberg relatives in the North. The men paid to crew these machines have been specially trained, and are often overseen by the best engineers in the town when the are brought onto the battlefields. The men are paid more than most other professional soldiers, due to the risk involved, but are few in number and are required to maintain and preserve the machines.
Mercenaries
As the Barony only has limited numbers of troops, should it find itself in great danger, it can rely on the many soldiers who make their way through their lands in exchange for some coin. The mercenaries most often hired are cavalry, as the Barony has no mounted regiments or Knightly Orders it can call upon. However, sometimes mercenary pike regiments are employed to supplement the Barony’s infantry. The mercenaries wear whatever they choose, and have no allegiance to the Barony’s besides the wage they are paid, and as such tend to display their own livery rather than anything related to Wissenland.
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Brill stuff!
I wonder who this mysterious Leopold is and his equally mysterious master.
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Brill stuff!
I wonder who this mysterious Leopold is and his equally mysterious master.
Ah, well that is for me to know and you to find out. It may form the premise of a short story in the future, we shall just have to see.... :happy:
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Sounds like some cowardly rebels have their hands in this!
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And more good stuff there! :icon_biggrin: :::cheers:::
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I've finally had a chance to look over this and I'm impressed. I really enjoy this level of detail people put into the hobby. In some regards, I think this stuff is really the most fun, too.
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Very nice, you should include a Knightly Order in there with it's own chapter houses. Make's mine look like I need to put more detail in. Mine's just an Order based in Ostland, but it has it's own knights, greatswords, crossbow and halberd regiments, and an ordinance train (artillery). It even has it's own castle too. (Just check out the Templars of Ostland thread on here). I might include a Wissenland regiment from Sonnefurt when my army gets a little bigger. :smile2: Right now I'm working on building the Ordens Army first though. Nice fluff! :happy: I really liked the mercenary knights bit too. Good way to recruit men for little pay. :engel:
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I really should do something like this for Wusterberg shouldnt I...
As an aside there was some cattle rustling went on in the early party of 2524 in Sonnefurt...but that was about it.
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I might include a Wissenland regiment from Sonnefurt when my army gets a little bigger. :smile2:
You're welcome to but seeing as we're already struggling to form an army, you may have to pay through the nose. Shipping fees to Ostland may be pretty pricey too.
I really should do something like this for Wusterberg shouldnt I...
Definitely, I think it's the best part about the hobby :happy:
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Le Pistolet is back, and is bringing new fluff! :::cheers:::
I have gone back over the old fluff, correcting mistakes and adding extra details so it might be worth a re-read (mainly just the characters). Due to 8th Edition looming with horde units and 3000pt armies, I have upped the populations, but have not gone wild. The units also have their size missing as I have no idea how large I will be fielding units.
Anyway, here is some detail on the towns festivals and holy days, and this (combined with some detail I added to the older stuff) should give you more of an idea as to Leopold, his master and their motivations...
My liege,
I thought I should include some details of the region’s holidays and calendar. Obviously, many of these are the same as ours, but I have added notes as to when the Baroness leaves the region, leaving it exposed for our advancement.
Your obliging servant
Leopold
Nachexen
Year Blessing
Von Heisenberg Day (Heisenberg) - a day of celebration in Heisenberg- The Baroness visits family in Heinsenberg and Meissen for two weeks.
Jahrdung
Spring Equinox
Pflugzeit
Sigmarzeit
Sommerzeit
Summer Solstice
The Baroness’ Birthday
Vorgeheim
Day of Mystery
Nachgeheim
Countess Emmanuelle von Liebewitz’s Birthday- The Baroness visits Nuln and returns after visiting her northern relatives. You should have at least two weeks of her being absent during this month.
Erntezeit
Autumn Equinox
Independence Day- A day of celebration in remembrance of the resistors to Kreutzhofen oppression.
Brauzeit
Sonnefurt Wine Pressing Festival
Kaldezeit
Remembrance Day- a day of mourning for those lost during the Dark Year
Victory Day- a celebration of victory after the Dark Year
Black Power Week- Nuln’s annual celebration- The Baroness visits Nuln and once again visits her northern relatives. This again gives you another week or two of her prolonged absence.
Ulriczeit
Winter Solstice
Vorhexen
Witching Day
The dates and festivals were found here: http://www.warpstone.org/pdfs/articles/WFRP%20Information%20Booklet.pdf
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Great Stuff mate!!! I did a similar thing with Grovodin (kislevite township) but I seemed to have lost steam with the effort...
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That seems to be the trend. :smile2:
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That seems to be the trend. :smile2:
Although I may have lost steam, I'm back in force now :biggriin:
My liege,
As you know I have detailed greatly the Barony of Sonnefurt, but have neglected to mention your ultimate conquest, Sonnefurt itself. I have included details of the town’s districts as well as their famous landmarks that may interest you. I hope you find this pleasing, as it will not be long before Sonnefurt becomes your summer home.
You lowly servant,
Leopold
Sonnefurt Township
Sonnefurt Hill
The Sonnefurt Hill is an overstatement. Seeing as the land is almost entirely flat, the small mound towers over the town. This mound is reserved for the Baroness and her extensive Mansion and grounds, and can be seen from all around.
The Baroness’ Mansion- Located at the very top of the hill that overlooks the Sonnefurt and the dockyards. It was constructed in the same manner as the Baroness’s Villa and is ornate, much more ornate than the Kroppenleben Manor. The mansion has everything one needs from a townhouse, a chapel, a feasting hall, large gardens and its own small barracks. The Baroness hardly lives in this mansion, but it still retains a large standing guard.
Upper River Side
The Upper River Side is the most expensive district in the whole of Sonnefurt. It houses the privileged elite and the aristocracy and the shops and bars reflect this demographic. Many extravagant town houses have been built here over the years and a rich, bustling and cultured community has been established.
The von Heisenberg Theatre-The Theatre was first commissioned by Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg. It runs many shows using his generous bursary to hire in travelling troubadours, actors and spectacles from all over the Empire.
The Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt- The Council have their Council House within the Upper Riverside as many come from the local aristocracy who have townhouses within Sonnefurt. The Council had now almost purely administrative duties but I shall leave a description of them for another letter.
The Garden of Mórr- The Garden is the town’s cemetery for the greatest and richest people of Sonnefurt, including the Von Heisenberg family mausoleum. The towns other cemetery is located outside the town walls in a superstitious attempt to prevent the dead ever making their way back into the town.
The Upper River Side Marina- As many merchants from the Barony have a house in Sonnefurt the best way to travel is often by boat. The Marina is a small harbour for the private boats of these rich citizens. Private boats are a luxury in Sonnefurt however, as there is a heavy tax due to the monopoly granted to the Ertingen Ferry.
Gilles’ Wine Bar- This bar has the reputation of being the most expensive bar in Sonnefurt and is reserved almost entirely for the town’s aristocracy and wealthy merchants. Run by a disgraced Brettonian Knight it serves the finest Brettonian wines as well as local wines, including some from the Baroness’ personal Villa vineyard. On occasions the Baroness has been seen in the Bar, and I believe you too will enjoy its delights.
Lower River Side
The Lower River Side is a downmarket version of the Upper River Side. The population consists of the town’s middle class and mixes in areas with some upper class families, short on money and forced to move. The district houses the vast majority of the town’s population, and is the largest district in the town.
The Sanctuary of Sigmar-The Sanctuary is run by Father Josef and is the largest religious establishment in the town. Its location in the Lower River Side makes it popular with the common people and many from the Dockyards too, but the richer members still attend for feast days and religious celebrations. The Sanctuary also acts as a place to stay for the least fortunate, Sigmarite Templars and wandering religious fanatics and leaders.
The Judicial Court of Sonnefurt- Run by the now almost defunct Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt, the Courthouse is where the worst criminals in the region are tried. Being on the council, Marshall Eichhorn uses the Court to sentence mercenaries with unconvincing charges so they will fight for him. It is located in the Lower River Side on request of the Upper River Siders, who didn’t want ‘criminal scum’ in their district.
The Ertingen Ferry- The ferry is run by an old Dwarf who drives a paddle steamer twice a day between the two towns. The cost is not extortionate, but the more common way for the poorer folk of the town to cross is by commissioning a rower from the dockyards, who run services for a small fee, undermining the ferries monopoly granted several hundred years ago.
The Troubadour- This tavern is known as the loudest tavern in Sonnefurt, and on a quiet night, with the right wind, the noise can be heard as far off as Ertingen and Ostrach. Travelling musicians give this tavern its name, and amongst the most popular regular band are the Hirn Yodellers, a group of Dwarfs whose guttural signing often shakes the ground of the Lower River Side.
Donald Mach’s Tavern and Restaurant- Reputedly the best restaurant in south Wissenland, this tavern and restaurant is run bizarrely by a Halfling and an Ogre. Donald Mach is the experience chef, naming his speciality dish, the ‘Hanburga’ after his Ogre companion, who invented the dish.
The Military District
The Military District is a small district in central Sonnefurt. It has no other purpose but to house the military and a few families of officers and provide some training facilities for the standing garrison.
The Shrine to Myrmidia- A small shrine to the goddess of War. Paid homage to on holy days and before and after combat by the soldiers
The Sonnefurt Barracks- The barracks for the 100 strong garrison of the town. The barracks includes some training grounds, but often the troops take the ferry to Ertingen to practise their manoeuvres in more open countryside. I have already detailed the regiments who call these barracks home.
The Soll River Patrol Outpost- The small outpost of the Soll River Patrol in Sonnefurt. The garrison of the outpost varies depending on the whims of the headquarters in Wusterburg. I have also detailed the most frequent regiments who are based in Sonnefurt
The South Wissenland Road Warden Outpost- A very small outpost of Road Wardens, the outpost serves only as a base for passing wardens and is manned by a small team of professionals sent from the headquarters in Rohrhof. Each town and village in the area has a similar outpost, as you well know, and in the Barony of Sonnefurt, the largest is strangely found in Ostrach.
Market District
The Market District is where the vast majority of the commerce happens in Sonnefurt. There is a myriad of shops, taverns, inns and other haunts in this district. Many merchants and their families and other middle class families live here as well as in Lower River Side.
The Hirn-Sonnefurt Banking Corporation (HSBC)- The office of the ancient bank in Sonnefurt. Run by Dwarfs who enjoy nothing more than hording vast amounts of wealth deep underground, the bank is a favourite of all the rich merchants and aristocrats of Sonnefurt, including the Baroness herself.
The Chamber of Customs and Commerce (CCC)- The Chamber of Customs and Commerce is in charge of all business conducted in and out of the town, including the trade with Karak Hirn and Nuln. As such, the Chamber holds the seal of Sonnefurt, recognised by the Dwarfs on all personal letters, trade agreements and exports. If you were to secure this my liege, then you would be able to control all trade with Karak Hirn.
The Broken Lance- This tavern is the haunt of many mercenaries and is run by an old grizzled mercenary veteran. Many fights break out of this tavern and it is under constant surveillance by the Town Watch. This is where most of the knights forced into service for Sonnefurt are found.
The Despot’s Head- This Tavern is renowned for troublemaking. What is not commonly known is the amount of Solland rebels who frequent the premises and hold secret meetings regularly in the basement. This is the tavern where I have spent my time in Sonnefurt, and the men here are willing to help us in our quest.
The Dwarfen Quarter
The Dwarfen Quarter is fairly self explanatory, as it is the small district reserved for Dwarfs. Although the Dwarfs are not counted on the official population records due to their lack of Imperial Citizenship, there are over 200 living within the town. The name of the ‘Quarter’ comes from the origins of the town, when it was so small, the district took up at least a quarter of the town. Now Sonnefurt has expanded, and the old Dwarfen walls have been used to build other districts, whilst the new walls were commissioned by the Dwarf stone masons.
Skeggi’s Workshop- The most well renowned workshop in the whole Dwarfen Quarter. Skeggi has been making suits of armour and weapons amongst other items since the first days of the von Heisenbergs. He made the suit of armour which Marshall Eichhorn wears into battle that has been enchanted to deflect all but the most grievous of blows.
The Runic Tankard- A Dwarf run tavern that has a long history in Sonnefurt. Apparently it was one of the first taverns to be granted a license by Bugman, the famous Dwarf brewer, himself. The tavern lies on the edges of the Dwarfen Quarter so that it can attract a wide demographic of customer, as humans are normally wary of entering the Dwarf Quarter alone. Jusk Stromsson can often be found drinking in this tavern.
The Dockyards
The Dockyards are the poor district on the fork of the Rivers Soll and Sonne. They house the working classes who live within the town. Fishermen, joiners, dockers and boat builders make their residence here, running their workshops from the town. The folk of this district are fairly exploited by the rich merchants in the city, and as such harbour resentment. If we were to show them some favour, we could secure some support for our takeover.
Shrine to Lacothea- Lacothea is the Goddess of the River Soll and the fishermen, boat builders and river patrol all worship her due to the fact that she dictates their livings. The shrine is small and simple but is visited by many weekly.
The Fishmarket-The fishmarket is a long established traditional market where the local fishmongers sell their wares. Despite the smell of both the fish and the dockyard people, even Upper River Siders venture to the market as River Soll fish and crabs are exquisite meals
Sonnefurt Lighthouse- The Sonnefurt Lighthouse sits on the furthest point of the Sonnefurt dock wall. It was built after many merchant ships got lost at the fork between the River Soll and the River Sonne, grounding themselves on the ford at low tide. The lighthouse is the only building in Sonnefurt that retains the Pfeifraucher emblem on its wall, due to its necessity limiting its demolition and reconstruction.
The Eriksson Joinery- The best boatyard and carpenters in the whole of Sonnefurt. Run by a Norse family for several generations, they use fine Martinswald timber to construct merchant ships to ease the trade with Nuln and Wissenburg.
The Cardinal’s Inn- This Inn doubles as a brothel and has a strong religious theme. The girls dress in lewd mockeries of the Sisters of Sigmar and the blasphemy often attracts many rogues not from the Empire itself.
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Although I may have lost steam, I'm back in force now :biggriin:
There was no intent to include you in that statement. A lot of folks get started on things and just don't finish for whatever reason. Myself included.
Keep up the good work!
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Sweet stuff! :eusa_clap: Please keep it up!
I wonder whether the Baroness came to power by virtue of the uncertainty principle?
Something like this:
"Oh brave nobles and merchants, who will ye name our next ruler?"
"Dunno."
"Dunno."
"Dunno."
"How 'bout that girl there?"
"Okay."
Good choice, anyway. She'll be very hard to assassinate. Any assassin will either know where she currently is, or where she's going, but never both.
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Seems as reasonable as any other method of selecting nobles...certainly better than some kind of farcical aquatic ceremony.
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I wonder whether the Baroness came to power by virtue of the uncertainty principle?
Something like this:
"Oh brave nobles and merchants, who will ye name our next ruler?"
"Dunno."
"Dunno."
"Dunno."
"How 'bout that girl there?"
"Okay."
Good choice, anyway. She'll be very hard to assassinate. Any assassin will either know where she currently is, or where she's going, but never both.
In essence, the von Heisenberg family were very lucky to come to power. The summary is that after Grom's invasion, the von Heisenbergs, distant relatives of Frederick Tol, the chief councillor, came down from Heisenberg. When Tol died heirless, they were in the vicinity and related, so it didn't take long for the people to choose them, better that having Kreutzhofen poking their noses in again.
And yes, hopefully she would be hard to, but the essence of the plot it to have her out of town. You never want to assassinate a relative of the province's Countess, even if they don't get on...
Thanks for the motivation guys, makes it really easy to get some done. (as well as avoiding doing too much revision.... :icon_rolleyes:)
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Ahhh that makes the workrate clear now lol
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Sorry, Le Pistolet, I was making a silly connection to the "Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle" from quantum physics.
Well done that you didn't fall for it. :-)
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It was very clever though, I appreciated it :D :::cheers:::
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Ahhh that makes the workrate clear now lol
Yeah, revision makes me super productive at Warhammer, seriously think I don't do any unless its May-July. Don't worry though, this isn't interfering but providing a welcome distraction to unwind.
Sorry, Le Pistolet, I was making a silly connection to the "Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle" from quantum physics.
I'll just nod a pretend I know what you're talking about. :icon_lol:
As for the all important matter of Sonnefurt however, I have now almost sorted out the Council of Fifteen who run the Barony and that should be up later, but I am incredibly stuck for what to do next, I think I'm getting everything covered now.
What would you lot suggest? If you were planning on taking over a town what would you want to know about it?
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Hehe, good question. :icon_biggrin:
I'd like to know who the "community leaders" (I hate that term) are - the people other people listen to. For example, that old grumbling notary. See what can be done to convince them before any violence starts. It's much easier if you have the people on your side.
Second, I'd want to know where the food comes from. Controlling the palace/Rathaus/whatever is all fun and games, but of little use when there's nothing to eat.
Third, I'd like to know whether the current rulers have any rumours about themselves. If there aren't any, let's start some. Discredit them in the eyes of the local population. It should be something beleivable, preferably heinous.
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Well, I think I have your first point sorted, just finished the notes on the Council, people should listen to them.
I can definitely do some more detail on the rumours of the town, as you have read there's been a couple concerning the Baroness and the River Patrol Captain and then in this next piece, the Captain and a noble heiress. I imagine Leopold has been keeping his ears to the ground in Sonnefurt so would know the gossip and scandal, especially from the fishwives of the dockyards....
As for food, I think I will build upon that, perhaps in something on the regions economy? I realised I haven't covered what it is that makes the town quite a big trade port, but theirs also agriculture and other such things. Food is definitely important, Sonnefurt is the home of Donald Mach's famous 'Hanburga' after all. :engel:
Anywho, here's the Council for you.
My liege,
I thought I should do some research for you into the fifteen members of the Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt. Although the Baroness, and hopefully your esteemed self someday, rules the Barony, the support of the Council is needed for major decisions concerning its activities. I have made sure to character profile each member so you can decide who to influence the most.
Your compliant servant
Leopold
The Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt
The Council itself has a long history, established first in the wake of the invasion of Gorbad Ironclaw and standing as a representation of the long resistance towards the Pfeifraucher family of Kreutzhofen. Originally the Council was a Council of Nine, then Strazen, Martinskorf and Bezeinhof were recognised. Later the religious leader was permitted entry. In recent years the Council, strapped for money, has allowed members who have lived in the town for over twenty five years and have the right amount of money to buy their way into the council. So far only two people have achieved their positions this way.
The Council’s duties are now fairly administrative, but they have the power to vote on certain decisions proposed to them by the ruling Baron or Baroness. In the meantime, they run the Judicial Court of Sonnefurt and run administrative tasks, compiling censuses, tax records, procuring trade deals and monitoring dealings within the town and the Barony. They can also decide on whether the Barony sends troops outside of its jurisdiction to aid anyone else in Wissenland or the Empire.
My liege, in a previous letter, I have already mentioned several of the Councillors in my records of Officials, for they are the mayors of the large towns. The other Councillors are detailed below.
Mayors and Town Leaders
Mayor Günter Fink
Mayor of Thalfang- detailed in a previous letter
Mayor Walter Heim
Mayor of Thalfang-detailed in a previous letter
Mayoress Elinor Helemburtus
Elinor is the Mayoress of Strazen, widow of the former Mayor Tomas Helemburtus. After the wake of his death, she has assumed his role with great popularity within the small community. She is said to be fairly attractive, but aging severely with the stress of her new found position. On the Council she does not have a great deal of influence or sway but is renowned for her logical and level headed views. Mrs Helemburtus has close relations with Walter Heim of Ertingen and the two settlements often lobby in favour of the North Soll Coalition, the name of the alliance between them.
Mayor Willi Vogt
Willi Vogt is the Mayor of Ostrach. His family is well established in the area and can trace their roots back far before the devastation of Gorbad Ironclaw. For this reason, Willi Vogt is regarded as fairly arrogant, claiming superiority in decisions over even the Baroness as his family have been in Ostrach longer than her family has been in South Wissenland. Mr Vogt was known to have disagreed strongly with the decision to stay neutral in the Solland Effort, proclaiming that as proud Wissenlanders they should fight any Solland insurrection wherever it may appear. On the Council, his forceful approach renders some negotiation difficult as it often turns to a shouting match, especially with Mr Fink of Thalfang
Elder Maggie Gaffwiger
Maggie Gaffwiger is the village elder of Bezeinhof. She is an old, frail woman, but has a great knowledge of the history of the region and despite her peasant background, has learned to read and record the Barony’s history. She rarely makes appearances at the Council unless absolutely necessary due to her age but when she attends she is a useful asset, using mistakes of past decisions to influence the present decisions.
Chief Sepp Sydow
Sepp Sydow is the village leader of Martinskorf. He is respected in his town as an excellent hunter and woodsman. On the Council he is regarded by others, particularly Fink and Guttmann as a simpleton for he will often resort to bellowing to get his point across. However, no one is likely to disagree with him
Other Important Figures
Marshal Richter Eichhorn
Supreme Commander of Sonnefurt’s Military- detailed in a previous letter
Father Josef Schmidt
Priest of Sonnefurt- detailed in a previous letter
Jusk Stromsson
Dwarf Elder of Sonnefurt- detailed in a previous letter
Aldred Guttmann
Aldred is a prominent merchant in Sonnefurt, running the human side of the Hirn-Sonnefurt Banking Corporation. As such his relations with the Dwarfs of Karak Hirn are excellent. He is a stuffy and boring man, wearing small pince-nez spectacles. His knowledge of mathematics and excellent record of study at the University of Nuln make him a useful asset to the Council. He is not well liked however for his pedantic, laboured approach to negotiations, but apparently, this is why the Dwarf negotiators admire him.
Miengot Elzacher
Miengot is the youngest man to have been known to run the Chamber of Customs and Commerce. Like Aldred Guttmann he has a excellent record from the University of Nuln and a great command of mathematics. Unlike Guttmann however, Miengot is an amiable man and is apparently fairly funny. He is commonly found at the Von Heisenberg theatre and holds a large stake in its business, paying an annual donation to the upkeep and hiring of actors. On the Council he is well liked, and will often be the only one able to handle Guttmann’s approach to mathematical ideas.
Lady Frederica Zell
Lady Frederica Zell is the heiress of Lord Hermann Zell, an important merchant within Sonnefurt. Due to him being bed stricken with a disease that will prove fatal, she represents the interests of the Zell family on the Council. The Zell family are a well established name in Sonnefurt and have been for many years. Their interests mainly lie with the keeping of the trade routes with the Border Princes open, as the Zell family have links there and strong trade ties. Lady Frederica is among the most eligible women in Sonnefurt, and it is said Captain Strotmann of the Soll River Patrol has been courting this beauty. On the Council her youth makes her inexperienced in debates and her relative stupidity renders her almost entirely useless and easily manipulated.
Marius Blech
Marius Blech is the richest person in the Barony of Sonnefurt bar the Baroness herself. Not much is known about his past, except that he rose from the depths of the Dockyards to come to prominence just before the Baroness came to power. He is said to have criminal connections and running a smuggling business from the Border Princes, but nothing has been proven. He represents the interests of the working Sonnefurt men in the Council. His sly personality makes it difficult to trust him, and the only reason he gets his way is due to his reputation of using his Ogre bodyguards to devastating effect.
Newer Additions
Lord Herwin Augustus
Lord Herwin Augustus is a wealthy lawyer who has risen to prestige in Sonnefurt, allowing him to buy his way into the Council many years ago to the disdain of the town leaders, already upset with the mercantile influence. Lord Herwin is a modest man, not dressing as befits his money and rank, but instead he refuses to drink, party of indulge, making him appear a very boring man. As a lawyer, Lord Herwin is an adept debater and often manages to secure his desires within the Council. However, he is obviously used by the Council, for he enjoys being a lawyer, and is often told to preside over the Judicial Court, meaning the other councillors can avoid the task.
Prince Imre Lank
Prince Lank was formerly King of a small Border Princedom over the mountains. He was thrown out in a coup by his rebellious army and fled with all his wealth, finding a home in Sonnefurt. Like Lord Augustus, he used this wealth to buy his influence in the town and buy himself a position on the Council. His thick accent makes it hard to understand him and no one takes his views on Sonnefurt seriously, seeing him still as an outsider. His contributions to the Sonnefurt Barracks have, however, earned him the respect of Marshall Eichhorn.
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I was thinking, if we divy up Wissenland a bit more, the whole land will have a forum member in charge of a part. :wink:
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You'll just need a fourth guy, then you're done.
:icon_wink:
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I was thinking, if we divy up Wissenland a bit more, the whole land will have a forum member in charge of a part. :wink:
Its true.... then all we will need is some forum of narrative story which could describe the various forum members warring over their neighbors processions
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Its true.... then all we will need is some forum of narrative story which could describe the various forum members warring over their neighbors processions
I would be very much up for this, particularly in Wissenland. Perhaps it could be based around Baron von Kalb of Kroppenleben (Leopold's master) trying to take over Sonnefurt, with some renewed Solland tensions?
Anyhow, here are the rumours that I promised:
My liege,
Although you may complain about the extensive tab I have been accumulating within the bars, taverns and inns of Sonnefurt, I can guarantee I have not just be fritting it away, but it has been essential in my research. I have been able to ply certain gossips with drink and it has acted like the best magic in making their tongues wag. This way I have gathered a lot of information otherwise unknown, old wives tales, rumours, gossip and scandal as well as myths and legends concerning the town. I hope you can find a use for them.
Your meagre servant
Leopold
Gossip and Scandal
The Baroness
Although the Baroness keeps herself to herself, there are a series of rumours concerning her night time callers. Captain Leo Strotmann was said to be one of these callers, although now it is common knowledge he is courting Lady Frederica Zell. Marshal Eichhorn has been rumoured to have had an affair with the Baroness too, mainly due to the fact he often accompanies her everywhere, even if not strictly necessary. However, this rumour is also disputed by the contrary rumour relating to their falling out. Apparently Marshal Eichhorn was seen leaving her town mansion in a hurry, chased by his own men of the Baroness’s body guard
The Baroness is also said to have a problem concerning her love for the Sonnefurt wine. A man told me he knew a man, who knew a man, who knew a man, who works in the Baroness’ kitchens and he reputedly said that the Baroness manages to get through a lot of the local wine, regularly consuming a bottle a night. This source obviously has dubious backgrounds, but I found some records after some delving which show that a lot of wine is produced, and hardly any of it reaches further than the Villa.
The Baroness’ regular disputes with the Countess Liebewitz are common knowledge. Sonnefurt has had many embargoes placed on it as the result of constant bitter and petty fights between the second cousins. The Baroness often refuses to appear at the Countess Court when she is summoned and the tensions escalate every year. It would be easy to convince the Countess to do more to restrict Sonnefurt prior to a takeover, crippling its economy and will to fight.
Marshall Eichhorn
I have already mentioned the Marshall’s alleged affair with the Baroness but other scandal surrounds the Marshall. The main rumour that is heard is a long established one. Many believe that Marshall Eichhorn was behind the mysterious death of former Marshal Kurt Salzemund. Of course, many dispute this rumour, claiming that it was the magic of Morr’s Chasm or even rat shaped humans who dwell in that area. These people are often however widely criticised and denounced as madmen and it is more commonly believed that the Marshall was behind the assassination. The Marshall stands firm on his stance it must have been rat men, but nothing has been done to section nor punish him.
General Rumours
The Solland Resistance
In my time at the Despot’s Head Tavern I encountered many Solland insurrectionists. They meet regularly in the tavern’s basement and plot to take down the Baroness. Foiled attempts in the past have included a barrel of gunpowder somehow smuggled under the Baroness’ bed and trying to kill the Baroness as she rode in the Martinswald, slaying only one of her bodyguards. Despite these attempts the town watch have not yet located the key members, and this leads me to believe they are being paid off by the richer rebels.
The insurrectionists are not particularly strong on their own, but apparently they are well connected and funded by certain families in the town. I believe that with a bit more funding, they may be able to help us in our attempts to be rid of the Baroness.
The Sonnefurt Gentleman’s Club
The Gentleman’s Club is a publically known organisation in Sonnefurt but the rumour that surrounds it is its true business. The men of families of merchants and nobles join the Club which is now taking on a cult status within the town. Between them they own the vast majority of the city, rivalling Marius Blech for control of the town’s business. Membership is publically stated, and the most prominent members include Miengot Elzacher, Aldred Guttmann, Lord Herwin Augustus, Prince Lank and Lord Zell, father of Lady Frederica, meaning they have considerable sway on the town’s Council.
The Gentleman’s Club are fighting a secret war against Marius Blech for total control of the town, and they often utilise the courts to close down some of Blech’s enterprises. Crossing the interests of the Gentleman’s Club for anyone without considerable legal or physical protection is an incredibly dangerous undertaking, and many wrongdoers in the city have experienced the rich men’s vigilante style justice.
Marius Blech’s Underworld
Marius Blech definitely is a hot topic on the lips of the gossips in Sonnefurt. His meteoric rise in riches is not only reputed, but well known to be the doing of his criminal connections within the Dockyards. He owns The Cardinal’s Inn and is said to be its greatest customer. The brothel is apparently the base of his operations, but raids by the town watch have found nothing to prove his connection other than ownership.
Blech is a loan shark, involved in racketeering and money laundering, runs protection rackets and owns most of the homes in the Dockyards. He operates a smuggling business which brings in all manner of people from the Border Princes to Nuln and further on. His boats are never checked by the Dock Watch for fear of what they might find. His reputation comes mainly from the fear of his minions, particularly his Ogre bodyguards, who do more than just break legs in order to get money back or ensure Blech’s interests.
Local Myths and Legends
Morr’s Chasm
Morr’s Chasm opened in 1804, and reports all over south Wissenland, and from Karak Hirn tell of the ‘Witch Lights’ an unnatural green light that came from the Martinswald that night and glowed for weeks on end as Morrslieb neared the Old World. The Chasm itself no longer glows green but looks like a black abyss. Residents of Martinskorf are wary of the Chasm and venerate it with great suspicion.
There are several interpretations of the Chasm. As the name suggests, locals believed it to be an entrance to Morr’s Underworld, linking its opening to the nearing of his moon. Certain mad men claim it is an entrance to underground rat men caves and Dwarf records, which are incredibly hard to obtain, are said to corroborate with this view. Morr’s Chasm has been linked to the death of the former Marshal Kurt Salzemund and many others, but still no one knows the real reasons.
The Hermit of the Aschen Hills
The Hermit of the Aschen Hills is a folk figure in Thalfang and the entire region. No one knows his origins but many claim he is a sorcerer of dark orientation. The fact that no one can remember a time without the hermit adds to the claim he is not mortal. Anything bad that happens in Thalfang, the failure of the harvest, the failed childbirths, birth defects, disease and a myriad of ill omens, is blamed on the hermit. The Hermit is used to convince children to behave, claiming he will eat their soul if they do not obey their elders.
Scholars from Nuln studying the folk history of the Empire believe the hermit may be just one of a series of cult leaders and magisters of the many dark cults that penetrate the Empire. They also believe that his power extends further than just failed harvests, and believe the various hermits have chosen the Aschen Hills for a reason, perhaps for summoning foul demons. Attempts to hunt down any of the hermits have proved fruitless and have since been stopped to avoid unnecessary danger.
The Ghosts of the Dieten Hills
The eastern side of the Dieten Hills houses an ancient barrow of a former tribal chieftain. Residents of Ertingen and Strazen have always been wary of the hills, and wives tales warn anyone from wandering across the mountains alone. Howls of wolves and whistles of unnatural winds on the hills terrify any travellers and as such the Ertingen-Strazen Road skirts the Dieten Hills.
Reports from the Soll River Patrol of battles against the undead near the Dieten Hills are massively disputed by all but the madmen of the region. Although superstitions regarding the undead exist in the region, no one believes the dead will walk to the extent they do further north.
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I was thinking, if we divy up Wissenland a bit more, the whole land will have a forum member in charge of a part. :wink:
I just said almost the exact same thing on my wusterburg thread!
the real dream would be to have every town in the empire detailed by a forum member!
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Just a quick one for tonight...
My Liege,
Due to a recent windfall I have managed to locate a copy of the Barony of Sonnefurt’s tax records, something I thought you would be very interested it. It details all the taxes put upon the residents of the local towns and their purposes. Of course, when you come to power, some of the budget can be redirected to your own personal coiffeurs.
Your acquiescent servant
Leopold
Imperial Taxes
These taxes are little different to the taxes imposed on Kroppenleben, as they are issued from Altdorf itself. In fact they are common taxes across the land, but I have included them so you can see how they affect the Barony.
Poll Tax- 1 GC per annum for every owner of property in the Empire
Printing Tax-One silver shilling per document or book printed on any press in the Empire
Black Tax- Gunpowder is taxed for one tenth of it price wherever it is sold in the Empire.
Barony Taxes
These taxes are solely applicable to the Barony of Sonnefurt. You will notice many that are similar to one we implement, but they are implemented differently. Some are imposed by Nuln, but do not affect us in Kroppenleben.
Soll Tax- Imposed by the city of Nuln. It is collected from any citizen who uses the River Soll as a regular trade route (regular is classed as once a month). The tax is calculated at 2GC per foot, per vessel, per annum. The Soll River Patrol is exempt from this tax. The tax is in fact part used to fund the Patrol.
Entry Tax- Imposed by the Baroness on entrants into the town of Sonnefurt who do not live or own a residence within the confines of the Barony. The tax is charged at 2 shillings per leg and 1 GC for a cart or coach.
Port Tax- Imposed on merchants not bearing a signed letter from the Baroness or Council of Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt who want to use the docks of either Sonnefurt or Ertingen. In Sonnefurt the tax varies depending on the size of vessel, from 2-6 GCs, in Ertingen, the tax is cheaper, ranging from 1-4 GCs
Dock/Marina Tax- Collected from anyone in the town who docks their vessels in Sonnefurt or Ertingen, charged at 10 shillings per foot, per vessel, per annum.
Commercial Property Tax- Collected from anyone who owns property used for commercial business, whether it be a shop, a warehouse, a tavern or a wharf. The tax varies depending on the properties location, use and profits. It can range anywhere from 1-5 GCs per foot per annum.
Guild Tax- Collected from guild membership money at five percent of guild profits per annum
Liberty Tax- Originally imposed by Dieter Wulstberg to fund his purchase of the Barony’s towns from the Pfeifraucher family. It charges one percent of household incomes across the region.
Wanderer’s Tax- Collected solely from those who do not reside within the Barony, but have stayed in Sonnefurt for over one week. Charged at 1GC a week and collected when the traveller leaves the town.
Exceptions
Certain residents of the Barony are exempt from certain taxes.
The Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt- The Council are, besides the Baroness, the only people exempt from every local tax.
Nobility- the nobility are exempt from all taxes imposed by the Baroness bar the Liberty Tax and the Marina Tax.
Dwarfs- Due to charters set down by Magnus the Pious, Dwarfs are exempt from all taxes concerning their guilds. They are exempt from the Liberty Tax too and pay a much lower rate for Commercial Property Tax as not to drive them away.
Council Verified Exceptions- The Council can exempt anyone they see fit from taxation, except the Liberty Tax. This exemption often comes at a price and is very rare.
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Religion today. Most of the lesser and Tilean Gods are inspired by Mad Alfreds work on a campaign based around Sudenland.
My liege,
The religion of the Empire, and Wissenland, are common knowledge to you of course, but I felt I should send you a short letter concerning smaller deities and saints worshiped in the towns and the cults that have developed around them. The people of Sonnefurt and the entire Barony are incredibly religious, verging on superstitious, so it worth knowing of these quirks so you do not offend when you come to rule.
Your faithful servant,
Leopold
Gods and Goddesses
Sigmar, Taal, Rhya, Morr and Ulric
The people of the Barony of Sonnefurt worship these gods just like we do, and put veneration in the order shown above.
Lacothea
Lacothea is the Goddess of the River Soll. Those who depend on her for their livelihoods pay her the most attention, so she is particularly popular with the workers in Ertingen and Sonnefurt and the village of Strazen. In Thalfang her worship is particularly strong, even with those who do not work on the river. The flood of the River Soll is vital for the town’s economy, for without the fertile land provided by the Soll, the town would have no food for the winter. The worship of Lacothea in Thalfang is done with mixed veneration and fear, for the Great Flood of Thalfang in 1778 is still remembered as a time where Thalfang residents upset the Goddess and paid the dear price.
The Cult of Lacothea is primarily concerned with keeping the natural order of the River Soll intact. The Soll River Patrol contributes many members to the Cult and is considered its military wing. There are no specific feast days for the Goddess, except the celebrations of the flood held in Thalfang to coincide with the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Equinox, to pray for the flood and thank the Goddess for it respectively. The most famous member of the Cult is Captain Strotmann, for many of the ruling classes, including the Baroness, tend to ignore the Cult and are happy for it to run peacefully.
The Old Faith
The Old Faith is still revered in certain parts of the Barony. The villages of Bezeinhof and Martinskorf worship the Old Faith and hold small village celebrations at the various ancient stone circles within the Martinswald and even as far as the Bezau Hills. The Old Faith is not regarded as the chief religion like in some wilder parts of the Northern Empire, but is still regarded with great respect. Reports say, however, that the worship is dying out slowly with each generation, and it will not be long until all traces of the Old Faith in the religion become little more than memories.
The Cult of the Mother is the leading Cult of the Old Faith, and runs all over the towns and villages which are close to the Black Mountains. In the Barony of Sonnefurt the Cult’s leader is Maggie Gaffwiger. Sepp Sydow is a devote member of the Cult and is venerates the Old Faith to a degree verging on fanaticism. This makes the Cult a prominent problem when it comes to timber demands in the Council and it has been known for the Cult to get proactive and violent when their holy land is threatened by the townsfolk.
Deanosus
Deanosus is Tilean God of Wine, Vineyards and Revelry and has slowly permeated the culture of southern Wissenland due to immigration over the years and has been accepted by many in the Barony of Sonnefurt. Deanosus is particularly worshiped by the rich families in Sonnefurt, and the most famous shrine to the God can be found in the back of Gilles’ Wine Bar in the Upper River Side. Deanosus is also venerated by the wine merchants of the Barony and the owners and workers on the vineyards of Ertingen and Thalfang.
The Cult of the Vine is a very small cult within the region, reserved only for the very richest and most indulgent members of the aristocracy. They are a Cult of revelry and excess and it is rumoured the Countess attends their meetings at the high class parties in the town. The Baroness’ Villa Wine bears the head of Deanosus and the sacred vine, adding more to this presumption.
Panasia
Panasia is another Tilean Goddess, the Goddess of Music, Poetry and the Arts. She is little worshiped, except by the artists and musicians of the region, and is barely known to most residents of Sonnefurt. However, former Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg was a known devotee and built the Von Heisenberg Theatre in the Goddess’ name and it functions as the Barony’s largest shrine to the goddess. The Troubadour Tavern houses a small shrine too, and the loud noise is often passed off as ‘worship’ of the Goddess.
Phaestos
Phaestos is another Tilean deity, the God of Crafts and Smiths. He is primarily revered in the Market District of Sonnefurt as well as the boat builders of the Dockyards, as well as the smiths of all the towns in the Barony. No large, public shrines have been built to the god, as the majority of smiths in Sonnefurt are in fact Dwarfs, but private shrines are permitted in workshops all across the Barony.
The Pilgrim
The Pilgrim is the wandering Halfling God and has a very small following in the Barony. Despite being a Halfling God, he has been brought to Wissenland by migrating Halflings from the Moot and Averland and his worship has slowly made its way down the Soll to Sonnefurt. Due to his role as the patron of wanderers and those that travel the roads and rivers of the Old World, his worship is mainly focussed on the Barony’s merchants, the Soll River Patrol and the South Wissenland Road Wardens. However, worship is not strong amongst these, and the Pilgrim plays a very small role in the Barony’s religion.
Saints and Respected Folk Heroes
Father Karl Victor
Father Victor was Sonnefurt’s first holy man. He is said to have met with Sigmar and fought at the Battle of Black Fire Pass. He brought religion back to Sonnefurt and converted the people to the worship of Sigmar. He founded the Church of Sigmar in the town which was they rebuilt as the Sanctuary of Sigmar, honoured to him and funded by his money. He is seen as the founder of religion and many tales are told to children about his supposed feats at the battle of Black Fire Pass. Some of these claim he held Sigmar’s standard, his hammer, and that he felled five hundred Orcs, and every single story is different. As such he has ascended to a Saintly and legendary figure in the region and is respected by most devout Sigmar followers.
Mad Edgar
Mad Edgar once lived in Thalfang and was said to have been diagnosed with a disease that would end his life before the end of 1804. This however, was the same year Morr’s Chasm opened. Eager to cheat death, legend states that one night he was seen venturing towards Morr’s Chasm with the aim of lowering himself down to meet with and bargain with Morr. He is said to have returned over five years later, looking no different save for a few scars and a deep green glow in his once blue eyes. He had no recollection of what happened to him in the Chasm, but many believe that he fought with Morr for his life and won, because he lived reportedly for another fifty years, becoming Thalfang’s oldest ever resident and holding that title to this day.
Other reports infer that Edgar may have been tested on by the ‘rat men’, feeding him with ‘Wyrdstone’ which had unique healing properties and prolonged his life. His scars are also said to be the result of strange dissection experiments. However, due to the imaginary status of these ‘rat men’ the story involving Morr is much more believable.
Edgar is solely venerated by the superstitious, who believed Morr shined on a resident of Thalfang and that Morr’s Chasm really is an entrance to his world, blessing the Barony with his presence. Edgar is often the basis of any celebrations centred around Morr in the region, although these are not frequent.
Hans Hettinger
Hans Hettinger was a common dock worker in Sonnefurt until 1822, when the mourning after one hundred years since the first riots against Kreutzhofen turned into a bloody battle on the streets of Sonnefurt and Kreutzhofen troops slaughtered many innocent townsfolk. Hans Hettinger not only organised the smuggling of many women and children to Ertingen for safety, but also led the Defence of the Dockyards. The Defence of the Dockyards is a famous moment in Sonnefurt’s history, particularly for those living in the dockyards. The skirmish lasted fifteen days and was a heroic guerrilla effort by many resent filled dockers. The resistors were all killed, including Hans, but are now considered as martyrs and represent the uprising of the downtrodden for all Sonnefurt’s working classes.
Mention of Hans Hettinger evokes pride in these people, and as such his followers are considered dangerous by even the Baroness, for they recall his name every time taxes are raised. The celebration of the Sonnefurt Resistance on Victory Day is always a time of tension, and the watch are put on guard just in case trouble arises. In light of your take over, I would suggest an increased watch in the Dockyards to quell any trouble that will inevitably arise.
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Sometimes I get the feeling I go into too much detail...
Ah well :biggriin:
My liege,
Enclosed is the short chapter of Marcus Streinhold’s fabulous book ‘My Wondrous Voyages in Wissenland: The Land and its Merry Folk’ that concerns the Barony of Sonnefurt. You may have read the section that concerned our Barony, I myself found it very enjoyable. The book is an excellent source of information on all people of the Barony, and not just those who live in Sonnefurt.
Your modest servant
Leopold
‘My Wondrous Voyages in Wissenland: The Land and its Merry Folk’- The Barony of Sonnefurt- Marcus Streinhold
And now we come to the Barony of Sonnefurt, Wissenland; the domain of Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg.
The Merry Folk
The people of the Barony call themselves Sonnefurters, even if they live in the surrounding towns and villages. Generally a pleasant people, the warmer temperature of the south makes the people a lot more agreeable and easy going. The Sonnefurters are typically country folk, despite the large town of Sonnefurt and all that is associated with it.
Most Sonnefurters work the land as farmers, shepherds, fisherman and workers in the vineyards. Their days are dominated by their work and as such interruption to the flow of life is not well appreciated. The Sonnefurters are particularly independent, even for Wissenlanders, due to their history of oppression. As a result, influence from Nuln is widely disliked and like the Baroness, the Sonnefurters do not hold the Countess in high regard. They are wary of strangers from ‘the North’ as they do not trust their motivations for coming to the Barony, seeing them all as tax collectors or minions of evil overlords. Despite this, they are warm and welcoming towards those that are obviously foreign, like the large amount of foreigners and mercenaries who pass through the Barony, as they relate them to Dieter Wulstberg, the famous Marienburger who saved the Barony from Kreutzhofen influence.
The Towns and Villages
The towns and villages of the Barony are often overlooked in favour of the large town of Sonnefurt by most outsiders, and just looking into the quirks of the townspeople does not give a wide picture of its merry folk. Detailed below are the general stereotypes of the people who live in these outlying settlements.
Ertingen-Those in Ertingen are generally regarded as the closest to the townspeople of Sonnefurt. The ferry that links the towns does not realistically travel very far, and the two towns can see each other clearly. In fact, the two towns are often mistaken for one town divided by a river by visitors, and this is where it earns its rarely used name of ‘Little Sonnefurt’.
The people of Ertingen, or Ertingers, however, fiercely reject this interpretation, flaunting their later acquisition from Kreutzhofen as a fact of this. They see themselves as more down to earth and outside of the politics of Sonnefurt. This is true, as there are significantly fewer merchants in the town and the rich people of Sonnefurt even regard Ertingers in the same light as the Dockers of their own town. Contrary to this opinion, they are not as rough and oppressed as the Dockers and are actually pleasant people.
In fact, Ertingen is probably the nicest town outside of Sonnefurt in the Barony, and I actually preferred it to Sonnefurt itself, finding it more agreeable and a true country town, rather than one tainted by Nuln. This is what makes Ertingen a favourite with travellers, and the town has many inns, taverns and hotels for those who don’t want to stay in Sonnefurt, or want to be on the north side of the river.
As well as a rivalry with Sonnefurt the town also harbours deep resentment for Thalfang, as Thalfang is generally regarded as the Barony’s second town, due to its marginally higher population. Thalfang are the perpetuators of the image of ‘Little Sonnefurt’ in an attempt to link them with the rich, snobbish Sonnefurters.
Thalfang- Those in Thalfang, commonly known as Thalfangers, or simply ‘Fangers’ , are commonly regarded as country folk, despite living in the second largest town in the Barony. They are mostly farmers, and do not see a lot of travellers due to the distance they have to keep from the river due to the flood at the fork of the Soll and the Aschen rivers. As such they are seen as more hostile to outsiders and as a generally gruff folk.
Thalfangers are also the most superstitious of all the Sonnefurters, especially as regards Lacothea, the minor Goddess of the River Soll, due to the floods and the fact their livelihood depends on the river. Their superstitions are also exemplified by the common myths of ‘the Hermit of the Aschen Hills’ and ‘Mad Edgar of Thalfang’, and most of the feast days are times of great celebration in Thalfang, and the town holds the biggest festivals for even the most minor of days in the whole region, resenting the apathy of the rest of the Barony.
‘Fangers’ like to flaunt their superiority over Ertingers and are actually the ones who keep up the rivalry, as Ertingers were once fairly indifferent to Thalfangers, until Thalfang’s population expanded marginally with the movement of refugees from country homesteads into the protection of the town after the Dark Year.
I didn’t linger long in Thalfang, only staying a night, and feeling the disapproving eyes of the residents due to the way I dressed and my evident links to Nuln. As such, there are hardly any places to stay, the taverns do not have many bedrooms and there is only one inn. The people seemed friendly to each other, however, but conversation dissipated when I walked into any establishment.
Ostrach- Ostrachers are known as the poorest folk in the whole of the Barony and have been since the end of the Dark Year. As a result, the town is almost completely militarised, for one of the only available profitable jobs is the army. Ostrachers therefore are a very hardy folk, the older generations are hardened by their time in the army and the youth have grown up on tales of heroism and a strict daily life enforced by the discipline instilled by their parents.
There is little in the town in the way of shops, but Ostrach is known for having the most taverns, inns and hotels per person in the whole Barony, and in the whole of South Wissenland. This gives the Ostrachers a reputation of being alcoholics and wasters. However, many of the local people do enjoy taking advantage of the delights of ‘Alcoholic’s Avenue’
The Ostrachers are the proudest Sonnefurters of them all, owing to their role in the defence of the Barony. They are fierce supporters of the Baroness and were actively involved throughout the years in resistance movements against the Kreutzhofen rulers. They fiercely keep the history of the Barony alive through many folk tales, songs and ballads that resound from the inns and taverns each night, and Ostrach bands are always well received in the city, at the taverns and the theatre.
I honestly do not remember a huge amount of my time in Ostrach, except for the huge throbbing pain in my head the next day. Evidently, the people were fairly welcoming and I do remember enjoying learning the songs, although for the life of me, I cannot remember a word, though reports tell me I sang along at the top of my lungs. Despite the rough exterior of the townspeople of Ostrach they do know how to have a good time, and it is worth spending some time with them to learn more about the Barony that one would find out anywhere else.
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I have created a blog for anyone following the development of Sonnefurt, and who wants to read it in an ordered fashion.
The address is:
http://sonnefurt.blogspot.com/
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My liege,
I discovered more useful information concerning the people of the Barony of Sonnefurt, and thought it might interest you. The information comes from a paper entitled, ‘Dialects of Wissenland: Nuln to Kreutzhofen’ and is written by Frank Rein, a prominent language scholar at the University of Nuln. I believe that knowing about the language influences will mean you do not offend or mock the inhabitants for their strange sounding dialect.
Your devoted servant
Leopold
The Sonnefurt Tongue
The influence of mercenaries and foreigners is greatly recognised in the Barony, especially in the Sonnefurt tongue. The intonation and inflection of their version of Reikspiel pays a lot to the languages of the Border Princes as well as some Breton influences and this makes it different from other Soll-side accents. These influences render their language as laid back as the people are themselves, and earns them the reputation of sounding like country bumpkins and peasants. As such, the more prominent merchants and families of the trading town try to adopt a more widely accepted Nuln accent, often failing and creating the oft mocked ‘Nulnurt’ sub-accent. The Baroness, although rarely heard by the common folk, has a more northern accent, owing to her family’s background in Heisenberg, but, over the years, has apparently developed certain Sonnefurt and southern nuances.
Many of the more educated Sonnefurters speak more than one language, but with the variety stemming from the Border Princes, there is no common second language. The workers and farmers often have no reason to learn foreign languages, unless their family is descended from a far off land.
There are certain unique phrases that come from the Barony, and I have detailed a few below.
People
‘Northerner’- in the Barony of Sonnefurt this relates to anyone who lives north of the ruins of Bugman’s Brewery. It is not an endearing term.
‘Uppsoller’- shortened from ‘Upper Soller’ this phrase relates to anyone living on the Northern bank of the River Soll.
‘Sotsoller’- shortened from ‘South Soller’ this phrase relates to anyone living on the Southern bank of the River Soll
‘A Raucher’ – stemming from the Pfeifraucher family the phrase relates to anyone regarded as a an oppressor, a villain or wrongdoer. The use of this phrase is slowly dying out however as the days of the Pfeifraucher family are being forgotten.
‘A Hans’- stemming from the famous resistance fighter Hans Hettinger and relates to anyone regarded as a rebel.
‘Wanderer’- this relates to any foreigner, mercenary or travelling merchant who visits the area.
‘Lowlanders’-this name relates to all Dwarfs who live within the Barony and can trace their ancestry back to Karak Hirn. It is a name used by humans and dwarfs alike.
‘Dockers’- this name is a name used by the richer people in the town of Sonnefurt to relate to anyone they regard as working class. It is not an endearing term.
Places
‘The City’- this, surprisingly does not commonly refer to Nuln to most of the regions habitants. Most of the common folk wrongly believe Sonnefurt to be a city, just like Nuln, for many have not ventured out of the Barony. Those more educated know the difference and enjoy pointing out the lack of culture of the peasants.
‘Morr’s Chasm’- this is the commonly given name for the mysterious hole that opened in 1804 in the Martinswald.
‘The Howling Downs’-a common name for the Dieten Hills in relation to their supposed haunted nature due to the cairn that was built millennia ago.
Sayings
‘As mad as Edgar’- this saying refers to the folk hero ‘Mad Edgar’ and is used to describe anyone who is strange, bizarre or does anything eccentric
‘To drink like a Baroness’- this saying refers to the rumour of the Baroness’ excessive wine drinking habits.
‘To sing at the Troubadour’- this saying refers to the Troubadour tavern, the loudest place in the whole of Sonnefurt. It is used to describe making excessive noise.
‘I’ll be at the Villa’- a sarcastic phrase referring to the Baroness’ tendency to spend most of her time in her country villa rather than in Sonnefurt itself. It is commonly used when anyone will be away from home for a long time. It is particularly used by soldiers with an ironic twist, as they will most definitely not be in a luxurious villa.
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Great stuff mate.... I hope there is more coming....
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Very nice fluff. Is the baroness hot? Of course she is :engel:
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The Countess is jealous of the youth and beauty the Baroness possesses,
So in answer, yeah she's not half bad :icon_wink:
When I get the model made I'll be sure to make her live up to her flufftastic beauty.
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Fluff Update Time! :biggriin:
I will probably add the below maps to the Geography section in my first post eventually, but I thought I'd post them here first of all. Also, due to the restrictions of Blogspot.com, these are an W-E.com exlusive :happy:
Sonnefurt:
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/SonnefurtRegions.jpg)
I shall explain the paint added lines.
Top left is the Lower River Side
Top middle is the Upper River Side
Top right is The Dockyards
Middle is The Market District
Middle right is The Sonnefurt Hill
Bottom s The Dwarfen Quarter
Right is The Military District
Ertingen
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/Ertingen.jpg)
The river to the South is the River Soll
Thalfang
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/Thalfang.jpg)
The river to the East is the River Aschen
Ostrach
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/Ostrach.jpg)
The Baroness' Villa
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/TheBaronessCountryVilla.jpg)
The mountains in the background are the Bezau Hills
I have stolen all of these images from various Role Playing websites, sorry to anyone reading who made them, but I'm shamelessly exploiting your work :engel:
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Wow nice finds mate.
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At first I was going ask ... how did you come up with those so fast and what are you using to create them ... yet by the end of your post there was no need. Neat things to find, although when I begin doing more detailing of the area in Averland that I'm currently creating, I'm want to come up with a new map. However, I can see how the ones you've found could work.
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Although these maps were pre-made I had to trawl through plenty of them in order to find suitable ones for the different towns. Sonnefurt was originally Wurtbad in Stirland, but when I looked at all the buildings it looked perfect.
I also did some editing on the Sonnefurt map, removing the 'Wurtbad' banner in between the bottom two shields and replacing it with smaller homesteads. I also cut and pasted the Baroness' gardens to turn it into the towns cemetery on the outskirts of the town , including the mausoleums that can be seen.
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Very nice finds indeed. I think eventually I will redo the map I have done for my town as it just doesn't settle well with me, which is unfortunate considering the time I put into it already...
I found an interesting link that pertained to the city map generator you previously used. It combined that with photoshop (a fellow posted an article on another forum). The end result was very amazing, but alas I have no photoshop.
If anyone is interested in that check out this forum: http://forum.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?1150-Award-Winner-A-medieval-town-map-tutorial-in-Photoshop
This is what the finished product looks like:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/sierragulf27/Koppollex_realistic_thumb.jpg)
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Thanks for posting that, I'll check it out.
And Wiss, I'm curious, when you said your map doesn't settle well, how do you mean?
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I'm not sure I really like the layout and it's a bit gawdy. It'll have to do for now, though.
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When I had and spent more time developing such things in my youth, now that I think about it, I'm not sure I was ever really satisfied with how such things came out, but I used them anyway, too. Some how when I look at other folks' creations it often seems better than mine. Probably because I see them grow slowly, and what others make is shown all at once, which might be increasing the impressiveness of the result. At the same time, I'm typically more familiar with mine than when I see their's, and their's seems like more of a never before seen adventure.
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I completely agree with that. I judge myself pretty harshly when I look back over my previous efforts. I constantly read stuff and wonder why I never thought of something similar, or why didn't I make mine more realistic, or something, in retrospect, seeming silly or farcical.
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I completely agree with that. I judge myself pretty harshly when I look back over my previous efforts. I constantly read stuff and wonder why I never thought of something similar, or why didn't I make mine more realistic, or something, in retrospect, seeming silly or farcical.
you could stop being a slacker and re-write it :P
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I completely agree with that. I judge myself pretty harshly when I look back over my previous efforts. I constantly read stuff and wonder why I never thought of something similar, or why didn't I make mine more realistic, or something, in retrospect, seeming silly or farcical.
As I create, I'm usually recreating along the way. I do this with painting, writing, modeling, etc. It even happens when I game as I think back on "why didn't I see that coming" or "why didnt' I do that instead" ... lol. Eventually I'll let the self critism go, no sense in dwelling on it for long, and move on to something new. Sometimes I like the creative process itself more than the end result. Yet sometimes, I can find things I'm quite satisfied with even though to some it might not be. With many things in life, it ends up being self-satisfaction that counts, and not expecting perfection.
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you could stop being a slacker and re-write it :P
Why would I rewrite something when I haven't even finished others? Orcs...
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Long time and no update, but this project fell stagnant after I pretty much covered every aspect I could imagine about Sonnefurt..... :roll:
Anyway, I have come back as I re-read all my background and wanted to develop on it with a story, hoping it'd make me want to paint up some of the people mentioned within it (my hobby time has almost entirely gone out the window, I need all the motivation I can get)
So if you are interested here is a link to the story, Sonnefurt in Flames. Some of you were interested in the role of Leopold in my letters, well the story explains the motivation :icon_wink:
http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=37936.0
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New update, inspired by re-reading Inarticulate's great profile of General Hans von Plauten:
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/countess.gif)
Baroness Katarina Maxine Henrietta von Heisenberg
Born: Sonnefurt, Wissenland IC 2497
Nationality: Imperial (Wissenlander)
Titles: Baroness of Sonnefurt, Baroness of Ertingen and Strazen, Head Councillor of the Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt
Previous Titles: Lady von Heisenberg.
Religious Beliefs: Sigmarite, prominent member of the Cult of the Vine (Deanosus)
Spouse: N/A
Children: N/A
Born in IC2497 in Sonnefurt to Baron Max von Heisenberg and his wife Vanessa Zell. She was the only child of Max and Vanessa to live after many years of attempting to conceive and many disastrous miscarriages and still births. As such, she was seen as a gift to the couple and spoilt ridiculously. She had a privileged upbringing, with the finest education from professors from Nuln and Max’s great friend and scholar Arthritiknes. She became well versed in politics and Imperial history, being trained from a young age to take over from her father as his only child.
Being second cousin of the Countess, her upbringing brought her into constant contact with the Court of Nuln. As she grew up and developed her beauty became apparent and the Countess grew jealous of her looks and her success as the heir to the Barony of Sonnefurt.
When her father died in IC 2513, Katrina was only sixteen years old, and was not legally able to become Baroness until she matured in IC 2515. In the period her education was stepped up in the law and politics of the Barony and her Councillors ruled for her.
Upon becoming Baroness, a large celebration was thrown, and the Baroness soon came to earn the reputation as a party-goer and socialite, gaining a poor reputation as a drunk and reveller too. Father Schmidt tried to reel her in, and in recent years she has been showing more maturity, but still hints at her former ways.
She is currently seeking a husband and has been courting some of Sonnefurt and Nuln’s most prestigious bachelors, hoping to seek a fitting alliance with another town or merchant family and to produce an heir so that neighbouring towns do not seek to fill the position of Baron themselves.
Occasionally the Baroness can be seen leading the armies of Sonnefurt on the battlefield, not wanting to let her opponents see her as weak. She is always accompanied by her personal guard however and never partakes in actual combat.
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/marshall.jpg)
Marshall Richter Hans Karl Eichhorn
Born: Wittenhausen, Wissenland, The Empire IC 2465
Nationality: Imperial (Wissenlander)
Titles: Marshall of Sonnefurt, Councillor of the Council of Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt
Previous Titles: Captain of the Southern Division of the Soll River Patrol, Head Councillor of the Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt
Religious Beliefs: Sigmarite, prominent member in the Cult of Lacothea
Spouse: Susanne Mundt (b.2467, m.2489)
Children: Victor Oskar (B.2489)
Hans Richter(B.2494)
Elisabeth Frieda (B.2497)
History
Richter Eichhorn was born just outside of Wittenhausen in the Winter of IC 2465 to a relatively poor farming family. His father owned a small farmhouse but they lived a meagre existence until Richter left at the age of sixteen to join the military, hoping to send his money to help his family.
He joined the newly formed Soll River Patrol, being enlisted into the 9th Regiment as a foot soldier and being stationed at many towns along the river’s banks. He worked his way through the ranks to become Captain of the Regiment in IC 2486, at the age of just 21.
The 9th Regiment were then stationed in Sonnefurt and Richter moved to the town and was established good relations with the Baron, Max von Heisenberg. It was during this time he began courting Susanne Mundt, the daughter of a local business man.
In IC 2489, after a successful battle in which the 9th Regiment repelled a Goblin raid from Ertingen, Baron von Heisenberg offered the position of Bailiff to Richter, as the position had recently opened following the loss of former Bailiff Bruno Hapsberg to disease. Richter gladly accepted, hoping to settle down with Susanne in Sonnefurt, and married her three months later.
Richter acted as Bailiff to Sonnefurt under Marshall Kurt Salzemund until IC 2496 when the Marshall was mysteriously killed in the Martinswald whilst hunting near Morr’s Chasm. Richter could not provide an alibi and was prime suspect in the Marshall’s disappearance, with reports and Richter’s own excuse of ‘rat-men’ being widely discredited. No trial was held however and the investigation ground to a halt. Richter was soon made Marshall by Baron von Heisenberg as there were no other suitable candidates.
Upon the death of Baron Max von Heisenberg, Richter assumed the role of Head Councillor of the Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt due to the Baroness’ lack of maturity. He ruled in this capacity until she reached the age of eighteen in IC 2515.
He continues to act as Marshall, assuming military command on behalf of the Baroness and acting in his capacity as a member of the town’s Council. He retains links with the Soll River Patrol, particularly his former 9th Regiment, who are once again currently stationed in Sonnefurt after being stationed in many other towns along the river. He leads the armies of Sonnefurt to battle often despite his age and has brought his tactical prowess to bear many times.
Family Life
Victor Oskar- the eldest son of the Marshall. Moved to Nuln to study and is currently a Doctor, lecturing in Philosophy and Theology at the University. Married to Henrietta Hofstadter, the daughter of a dean of the University.
Hans Richter- followed his father’s military footsteps. Currently a Major in the Grand Army of Wissenland, stationed in Wissenburg. Married to Martha Balgart, the daughter of a renowned Wissenburg merchant.
Elisabeth Frieda- stayed in Sonnefurt and is as of yet unmarried. Close friends with Lazy Frederica Zell and the Baroness herself.
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Great beard, that! Love character profiles. It's surprising how much a picture adds to it. Need to remember to do more of that.
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Good job! The lady looks a bit like C. Cardinale from the facial expression. Where do you have the picture from?
It's surprising how much a picture adds to it. Need to remember to do more of that.
Indeed.
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Thanks for the comments, the pictures took ages of trawling through Google images so I'm glad they had the desired effects. I figured that seeing as my modelling is drying up, I'm free to make them look however I wish...
I can't remember where the Baroness' picture came from other than she was from a website about Renaissance Spain and is a representation of a Countess/Princess/Queen from the period. I didn't keep hold of the address. just downloaded it, sorry.
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Just a quick update from me...
Firstly, 'Sonnefurt in Flames' is finished, if anyone wants to check it out, then follow the link in my sig :icon_wink:
Secondly, the whole events of Kroppenleben's attacks have had to be addressed, as I managed to outdate a lot of my own background. I could be bothered to go back through all of this, but changed everything on my blog:
http://sonnefurt.blogspot.com/
I have some ideas for a few more updates now. More stories and more detailed background like economy, the Heisenberg family tree and the extent of the links with the Northern towns and Nuln.
Its exam period so definitely expect some stuff :icon_lol:
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Economy of Sonnefurt
Sonnefurt’s location in Wissenland gives it a unique advantage in terms of trade. It lies on the far side of the Black Mountains to the many kingdoms of the Borderlands, meaning it can gain much foreign trade, it is situated below the great Dwarf hold of Karak Hirn, meaning business between the hold and Wissenland often takes place in Sonnefurt and it is also situated on the River Soll, a waterway perfect for business within Wissenland. These advantages mean than Sonnefurt’s economy is booming significantly, even in the wake of a costly war.
There are many different types of business in the Barony, they're are listed below.
Farming/Fishing
Farming is the main priority of many people who live in Thalfang and Strazen, and to a lesser extent, a small percentage of people living in Sonnefurt and Ertingen. Ostrach was formally the key to the Barony’s production, but its crops failed in 2467 and have never recovered.
Most arable crops are farmed, as the Soll and Sonne rivers provide excellent fertility in the region. Thalfang particularly enjoys fertile lands due to the flooding of the Aschen and Soll rivers, but this can come at a destructive cost.
Sheep, pigs, goats and cattle are all farmed in small numbers in the Barony, for there is much fertile grassland on which they can roam. Banditry is a significant problem for the cattle ranchers of the Barony, and many have resorted to violent methods to protect their livelihoods.
Fishing is a large business in Ertingen and Sonnefurt, as well as smaller one in Strazen and to some extent Thalfang. The rivers of the Barony provide abundant fish and river crabs for anyone who can afford the costs of keeping boats in the Sonnefurt and Ertingen docks and most fishermen can beat the taxes with the profit they gain. There is a large fish market every month in the Sonnefurt dockyards that attracts even the most high class of Sonnefurt citizen.
Most of the produce is used to feed the Barony itself, little is exported out. This change has become prevalent in the last century, perhaps due to the need to feed Ostrach too after its failure to produce. Furthermore, under the guidance of the Von Heisenberg family, trade quickly opened up with contacts further North and in Nuln, turning Sonnefurt into a flourishing river port.
There are many, many farms in the Barony and all are run independently by their owners and it is up to the farmer to sell his own produce as he sees fit. However, they are at risk of being put out of business by the large exporters, who could secure lucrative deals with other towns to feed the Barony. This has led to the Council of Sonnefurt putting limits on certain imports to protect the economies of the outlying towns villages against the wills of the Sonnefurt merchants.
Timber Production
The small villages of Bezeinhof and Martinskorf are the centre of the Barony’s timber industry and it is the only business that supports their economies. The Martinswald is extensively and routinely felled to produce wood for the booming ship building industry. There are two main logging companies in the Barony, who employ many citizens between them. Both companies are fiercely competitive but the clever granting of permissions to the separate halves of the Martinswald has kept competition fair and the woodland from suffering.
The Upper Martinswald Timber Company
Type: Timber Production
CEO: Herr Frank Albrecht
Located: Thalfang
Notes: Granted sole permission to the Upper Martinswald
Main employer in Martinskorf
The Upper Martinswald Timber Company
Type: Timber Production
CEO: Herr Jorg Osterhagen
Located: Sonnefurt
Notes: Granted sole permission to the Lower Martinswald
Main employer in Bezeinhof
Wine Making
The fertility, climate and rolling hills of the Barony make it famous for its wine and several prominent vineyards exist in the land. Clever marketing has meant that Sonnefurt wine has become well recognised within elite circles in Wissenland and Nuln and enjoys regularly subscribers who have many crates shipped to them from the Barony.
The Baroness has granted several vineyards licenses to carry ‘Barony of Sonnefurt’ on the labels of their wine. As it is uncompetitive to sell wine from the region under a different name, many vineyards have amalgamated into large vineyards to gain the benefits of the licensing.
The Mayor’s Vineyard
Type: Vineyard
CEO: Mayor Gunter Funk of Thalfang
Located: Thalfang (Aschen Hills)
Notes: Funk’s wine commands a higher price than all other wine from the Barony due to the fertility of Thalfang producing a finer grape.
The Dieten Distillery
Type: Vineyard
CEO: Herr Michael Thiessen
Located: Ertingen (Dieten Hills)
Notes: Largest single vineyard in the Barony, an amalgamation of many former vineyards
Finds employing new workers hard due to fear of the Dieten Hills.
Sonnefurt Vineyard Federation
Type: Vineyard(s)
CEO: Herr Thomas Lemann
Located: Offices in Sonnefurt, vineyards in Ertingen and Thalfang
Notes: Herr Lemann used to run a single vineyard, but bought out many others to form his federation. He is the Barony’s largest wine magnate and produces over half of the Barony’s wine exports.
The Von Heisenberg Vineyard
Type: Vineyard
CEO: Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg
Located: The Baroness’ Villa (Bezau Hills)
Notes: Rarely exports, mainly serves the rich of the Barony and the Court of the Baroness and her Council.
Ship Building
With the rapid rise in river based trade, Sonnefurt and the traders that use the port have an increased desire for ships to transport their wares. Ships have also become a status symbol within the town itself, as the Marina in the Upper River Side attests. The business is growing slowly due to this fashion, but heavy taxes imposed on river travel mean that it is a luxury business, rather than one driven by necessity. As such there are only a few well established shipbuilders in the city who tend to take most of the business.
The Eriksson Joinery
Type: Boatbuilder and Carpenter
CEO: Herr Ralf Eriksson
Located: Sonnefurt (Dockyards)
Notes: The Norse secrets mean that they build exquisite boats that are much sought after.
Have an exclusive timber contract with the Lower Martinswald Logging Corporation
Stein’s Ships
Type: Boatbuilder and Carpenter
CEO: Herr Eduard Stein
Located: Sonnefurt (Dockyards)
Notes: Relatively new but has acquired recent contracts from the River Patrol itself
Gileh’s Workshop
Type: Boatbuilder and Metalworker
CEO: Gileh Aelf
Located: Sonnefurt (Dockyards)
Notes: Unusually run by a Dwarf but surprisingly popular. Makes steam powered ships favoured by merchants for reliable travel up and down river.
Manufacturing
The Barony prides itself on a wealth of manufacturing businesses including metalwork, carpentry, masonry and construction. Each of these industries and its related workers are registered to a guild which is approved for business by the Baroness and the Council. The skilled craftsmen of these guilds provide the Barony with all the services they need, but also provide a wealth of goods for export should the Barony not be in need of them.
The Dwarfen Quarter of Sonnefurt itself is the manufacturer of some of the finest goods in the South of Wissenland, and can gain a large amount of money from prospective buyers. They have taken advantage of tax exemption to expand their business across the Barony. They also sustain the economy by being the main buyers in the town of good from Karak Hirn, wanting their home comforts whilst in the lowlands.
Military
Sonnefurt’s military industry in times of war comprises manufacturing guilds of the region but in times of peace is relatively small. Due to the proximity of the Soll River Patrol, however, there are a few permanent business’ geared towards the military. Furthermore, a few mercenary companies have attempted to establish themselves in the town, hoping to win contracts for the Barony’s protection.
The Beyer Foundry
Type: Foundry
CEO: Maximilian Beyer
Located: Sonnefurt (Military District)
Notes: Recently commissioned to make the artillery for the 9th Regiment of the Soll River Patrol
Skeggi’s Workshop
Type: Blacksmith
CEO: Skeggi Grufrik
Located: Dwarfen Quarter
Notes: Most famous artisan in Sonnefurt
Makes the equipment for the Von Heisenberg Guard
Forged Marshal Eichhorn’s enchanted armour
The League of Military Gentlemen
Type: Mercenary Company
CEO: Captain Alonso Capitore
Located: Sonnefurt (Market District)
Notes: Company are credited with turning the tide in the siege of Sonnefurt and are the most popular choice for mercenaries in the region.
Order of the Fallen Star
Type: Mercenary Company
CEO: Varies
Located: Sonnefurt (Lower River Side)
Notes: Not to be mistaken for a Knightly Order
Charge huge prices due to be a group of former princes and nobles from the Border Princes
Mining
Not a large business in Sonnefurt, with only the one company, but a profitable enterprise which has attracted many investors.
Sonnefurt-Tierhugel Mining Company
Type: Mining
CEO: Lord Hermann Zell
Located: Tierhugel
Notes: Pays subsidiaries to the Baron of Scharmbeck
Banking
There is only one bank in Sonnefurt, a recent addition to handle the growing wealth of its citizens. The bank struck a deal with Karak Hirn to keep some of its money in return for wise investing in human ventures and for guarding valuable human assets in their impenetrable mountain fortress. The bank is expanding throughout Wissenland and the Southern Empire, with its local, southern feel, earning it the title of the “Empire’s ‘Local’ Bank”.
Hirn-Sonnefurt Banking Corporation (HSBC)
Type: Bank and Investor
CEO: Herr Aldred Guttman (Human CEO)
Located: Sonnefurt (Market District)
Notes: The Corporation handles both Dwarf and Human money, there are vaults in both Karak Hirn and Sonnefurt so that money is not all lost in result of either falling. The vaults are deep below Sonnefurt guarded by watchful Dwarfs
Service
The service industry in Sonnefurt is enormous, owing mostly to the frequent travellers, rich merchants and ships crews who visit the Barony. There are too many taverns, bars, inns and hotels to list but all turn good profits and keep the Barony in wealth.
Ostrach is particularly famous for its ‘Alcoholic’s Avenue’, an entire high street lined with taverns and inns and is a favourite with travellers for its reputation. Thalfang on the other hand, with is distaste for foreigners and has relatively few inns, but many different bars to cater for its residents. Sonnefurt hosts the most bars and inns in the Barony, and has a range for every taste, from the most expensive to the lowliest, most common dives.
Trade
Trade is the single largest bringer of money to the Barony. Although the Barony exports and imports on a very small basis, it is still the centre of a booming trade economy after having recently secured the entire monopoly of trade with Karak Hirn. This is mainly due to it playing host to many Empire-wide companies which employ many white collar workers in the town. Many merchants have also established their own, home grown companies to deal with the needs of the province.
Smuggling is a small problem with so many ships making their way in and out of the town and wanting to avoid the taxes imposed by the Chamber of Customs and Commerce. However, the town watch and the Soll River Patrol are tasked with keeping this under control.
Soll Shipping Company
Type: Shipping
CEO: Herr Albert Schneider (of the Sonnefurt branch)
Located: Sonnefurt (Market District)/ Headquarters in Nuln
Notes: Only established after the war with Kroppenleben and attempting to establish its prominence in the town. The head offices can be found in Nuln.
Sonnefurt-Hirn Trading Company
Type: Supplier and storage
CEO: Herr Arthur Guttenberg
Located: Sonnefurt (Dockyards)
Notes: Trades on behalf of merchants from Wissenland and Nuln and the dwarfs of Karak Hirn. Stores the goods for large fees in its many Sonnefurt dockyards. Recently gained a lot of business from the defeat of Kroppenleben and the revoking of their shared monopoly.
South Wissenland Trade Federation
Type: Buyer, supplier and storage
CEO: Herr Dominik Beckenbauer
Located: Sonnefurt (Market District)
Notes: Has offices in most towns in South Wissenland. Recently moved its head office from Wusterburg to Sonnefurt due to concerns over the Solland tendencies of Baron de Cryx. It is not concerned with trade from Karak Hirn, but between its associated towns and cities.
Foreign Realms Trading Corporation
Type: Foreign investor, buyer, supplier, storage
CEO: Herr Stefan Schmitz
Located: Sonnefurt (Lower River Side)/ Headquarters in Altdorf
Notes: Uses Sonnefurt and its links to the River Soll to aid shipping of good back from the lands over the Black Mountains. Has offices all over the south of the Empire.
Sonnefurt Storage Company
Type: Storage
CEO: Herr Marius Blech
Located: Sonnefurt (Dockyards)
Notes: Stores goods in warehouses across the town. Often believed to be a cover for the smuggling operation associated with Marius Blech.
Nuln-Sonnefurt Corporation
Type: Supplier and buyer
CEO: Herr Torsten Irner (in Sonnefurt)
Located: Sonnefurt (Upper River Side)
Notes: Conducts exclusive trade contracts between former Nuln residents living in Sonnefurt and their business interests in the North.
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Really great!
I love the addition of the Soll Shipping Co. and Tierhugel Mining, brilliant!
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You gave me the inspiration, its the least I could do to repay you for the inclusion of Marschall von Plauten in Sonnefurt in Flames. Notice in some of the companies that characters from the story are present- Albert is heading up the Soll Shipping Company whilst Eduard has turn his hand to boat building at Stein's Ships. :icon_wink:
I have been working on something else this evening, only something small, but it ties some loose ends together:
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/familytree.jpg)
As you can see, she is some form of cousin to the Countess of Wissenland (does anyone actually know? I'm useless at genealogy) and Herman Tol, the man who ruled Sonnefurt before the Heisenbergs was a distant relative of Heinrich, who when Herman died, inherited the role of Baron of Sonnefurt. Lady Zell is also the Baroness' cousin, which I will touch upon at a later date.
I now have plans to expand this family tree, and whilst the UK is anticipating a Royal Wedding, I thought I'd do one of my own, the Baroness is open to proposals. Seeing as she is nearing thirty with no heir she needs to take a husband to secure the longevity of the Barony, otherwise Baron von Kalb may rear his head again.
I am working on three proposals from three very different men. I will also tomorrow open up propositions from the fluff community, with guidelines and the such. There will then be votes or something and the Baroness will be wed :happy:
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Politics of Sonnefurt
The politics in Sonnefurt are a varied and complicated thing. Politics is rarely considered by the peasantry of the Barony, although many do have their own ideas and causes which they follow. It is mainly the rich merchant class of the town of Sonnefurt itself that form the political factions. Due to the vast amounts of money within the town, these factions are backed with serious wealth and contacts.
There are several key factions who lobby the Baroness to pursue their causes. However, many people subscribe to more than one of these factions, making the political background hard to negotiate and often fragmented and tumultuous.
Roseists
The Roseists are the pro-von Heisenberg faction in the Barony, so called for the heraldry of the Baroness and her family, the crimson rose and briars.
Ideology: Roseists desire the furthering of the Baroness’ influence in Wissenland and Nuln and the securing of further power for her. This is often confused with pro-Sonnefurt sentiments, as the two factions share the desire for Sonnefurt to prosper, but many who support Sonnefurt’s expansion would prefer it without her renewed links to Nuln, or even the northern cities of Wissenland.
Supporters: The Baroness, The Sonnefurt Military, The Baroness’ Court and close friends, some merchants and citizens.
Popularity: Relatively low, but enjoys an elite following. Is the predominant faction due to its support for the Baroness and her ultimate power in the Barony.
Key Support Bases: Sonnefurt (Upper River Side)
Important Subscribers: Marshal Richter Eichhorn, Lord Hermann Zell, Lady Frederica Zell, Father Josef Schmidt
Allies: Merchant Venturers
Neutral: Wissenlanders, Lowland Dwarfs
Enemies: Tolists, Solland Separatists, Sonnefurt Traditionalists
Tolists
The Tolists are the pro-Sonnefurt but anti-von Heisenberg faction in the Barony, named after Herman Tol, the leader of the Barony prior to the Von Heisenberg family, who earned his position through dedication to the town and its people.
Ideology: Tolists support the expansion of the towns influence and the incoming prosperity. They are however against the leadership of an aristocracy and prefer a meritocracy, with leaders appointed after years of service on the Council and voted by their peers. They are fairly radical in their ideas and as such many are scared to admit to subscribing to the faction for fear of being reprimanded.
Supporters: Limited open support, but suspected amongst many merchants and Solland sympathisers
Popularity: Unsurprisingly very low, entertains an underground following.
Important Subscribers: Supposedly Lord Herwin Augustus (unconfirmed)
Key Support Bases: Unknown
Allies: Solland Separatists
Neutral: Sonnefurt Traditionalists, Merchant Venturers, Wissenlanders, Lowland Dwarfs
Enemies: Roseists
Wissenlanders
Wissenlanders are the pro-Sonnefurt but anti-Nuln and anti-Solland faction in the Barony.
Ideology: Wissenlanders prioritise trade and expansion of Sonnefurt through Wissenland, forsaking Nuln in favour of Wissenburg and the other larger northern cities. They wish for Sonnefurt to become a great city of Wissenland rather than a distant town linked to Nuln as is the route it is heading. The support the Baroness’ links with Meissen and Heisenberg but dislike her reliance on Nuln.
Supporters: Many peasants of the Barony and towns people from outside Sonnefurt who see the influence of Nuln eating away their Barony’s values. Does not see much favour from the merchants however.
Popularity: Relatively strong
Important Subscribers: Mayor Willi Vogt, Dominik Beckenbauer (CEO of the South Wissenland Trade Federation)
Key Support Bases: Thalfang, Ostrach
Allies: Merchant Venturers
Neutral: Roseists, Tolists, Sonnefurt Traditionalists, Lowland Dwarfs
Enemies: Solland Separatists
Sonnefurt Traditionalists
Sonnefurt Traditionalists are the most ardently pro-Sonnefurt faction, and are also incredibly conservative in their outlook.
Ideology: Sonnefurt Traditionalists desire to return to the humble beginnings of the Barony before there was too much interference from the Northern towns and Nuln. For this reason they can be considered moderately anti-von Heisenberg, but are not strongly associated with this camp. They praise the Baroness’ expansion of the Barony but want to cease her dealings with Nuln and Wissenland to cleanse the Barony of the taint of the city.
Supporters: Peasants, established landowners, farmers
Popularity: Moderately popular, support matched by severe unpopularity amongst merchants
Important Subscribers: Lord Herwin Augustus, Mayor Willi Vogt, Mayor Gunter Funk, Chief Sepp Sydow, Elder Maggie Gaffwiger
Key Support Bases: Thalfang, Ostrach, Bezeinhof, Martinskorf
Allies:
Neutral: Wissenlanders, Tolists, Lowland Dwarfs
Enemies: Solland Separatists, Roseists, Merchant Venturers
Solland Separatists
Solland Separatists are the Barony’s pro-Solland faction. They are the only faction who takes the cause militantly.
Ideology: Solland Separatists want to oust the Baroness in favour of a Solland supporter. They wish to cut ties with both Wissenland and Nuln and join forces with other Solland towns in the South.
Supporters: Unknown, the cause is considered treason and punishable by death
Popularity: Gained some popularity during the War with Kroppenleben, but currently unknown.
Important Subscribers: No one has confessed
Key Support Bases: Sonnefurt
Allies: Tolists
Neutral: Merchant Venturers, Lowland Dwarfs
Enemies: Roseists, Wissenlanders, Sonnefurt Traditionalists
Merchant Venturers
Merchant Venturers are a self interested faction, unconcerned with the political direction of the Barony and more concerned with lining their coin purses.
Ideology:Merchant Venturers desire the expansion of Sonnefurt at any cost. They are open to trade with anyone, including Nuln and even much further afield as long as it brings wealth to the region. Thus they support the Baroness in any decision to open trade with a new town, but will lobby against the closing of trade routes.
Supporters: On some level, most of the merchants of the Barony
Popularity: Strong.
Important Subscribers: Aldred Guttmann, Miengot Elzacher, Mayor Walter Heim, Mayor Gunter Funk, Marius Blech, almost every single CEO of companies based in Sonnefurt.
Key Support Bases: Sonnefurt
Allies: Wissenlanders, Roseists
Neutral: Solland Separatists, Lowland Dwarfs
Enemies: Sonnefurt Traditionalists, Tolists
Lowland Dwarfs
The Lowland Dwarfs are a self interested faction, unconcerned with the politics of the humans they live with, but interested in protecting their assets, interests and way of life.
Ideology: Lowland Dwarfs want Sonnefurt to be affluent as it gives them a way to sell their wares and make their fortunes. They support trade with everyone, but would prefer it if trade with Karak Hirn were limited, allowing the Dwarfs to sell their goods for a higher price.
Supporters: The Guild of Dwarfs
Popularity: Very strong but limited to Dwarfs
Important Subscribers: Jusk Stromsson
Key Support Bases: Sonnefurt (Dwarfen Quarter)
Allies:
Neutral: Roseists, Tolists, Wissenlanders, Sonnefurt Traditionalists, Solland Separatists, Merchant Venturers.
Enemies:
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Law and Order
Like most places in the Empire, Sonnefurt experiences a good deal of criminal activity, however, being in the country, a lot of this is banditry and petty crimes which can be dealt with effectively by the right authorities. However, with the influx of trade into the river port, a new breed of criminal has developed over the years, and organised crime mobs have penetrated the Barony slowly and covertly.
The Barony has many systems in place to deal with the crime that persists throughout its lands.
The Judicial System in Sonnefurt
Sonnefurt Judicial Court(s)
The Judicial Court is the highest authority on the law of the Barony, succeeding only to the Courts of Wissenburg on cases of incredible importance. It makes the law and oversees it on behalf of the Baroness, who has no control over the law, a fact dating back to the time of Herman Tol, who thought it immoral for the Baron of Sonnefurt to have too much power.
It is overseen by the Council of Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt, who either preside themselves, normally for the more interesting cases, or hire lawyers to act as judges. Due to political manoeuvring on the Council, it is normally Lord Herwin Augustus who is tasked with assigning the judges and presiding most of the important cases.
The Judicial Courts act as the main courtrooms of the city of Sonnefurt, dealing with petty crime but will also oversee cases deemed too important to leave to the Barony’s municipal courts and cases that provide problems for the entire Barony. The Judicial Court is the only authority besides the Baroness that can declare someone an outlaw.
Due to political intrigue in Sonnefurt, no juries are permitted at the Judicial Courts, and the decision lies on the Councillors instead. This can mean than the Council manipulate justice to serve their own ends, like Marshal Eichhorn using it to recruit soldiers and mercenaries. However, the system is surprisingly fair, particularly under Lord Augustus, for his love of being a lawyer means an utmost respect for carrying out the procedures properly and fairly.
Attached to the Judicial Courts are a series of chambers, where the few lawyers of the Barony work. Many of these lawyers are employed by the Judicial Court directly and represent mainly defendants, and also relatively poor accusers. Their wage comes partially from the Council themselves, but also from small fees charged to their customers. These employed lawyers are also trained judges and many oversee the petty crimes deemed worthless by the Councillors.
The lawyers not employed by the Courts work in a freelance market, selling their skills and motivation to the highest bidder. This does often mean that the richer a client, the more likely they are to win, as Council paid lawyers lack the motivation to truly defend their client.
The Judicial Courts also have a network of jail and holding cells underneath, which serves as the main prison in the Barony. The lowest depths of these prison cells run parallel to the towns sewer system, and this is where the worst criminals are often left to rot if they are not to be executed.
Municipal Courts
The Municipal Courts of the Barony are found in the town halls of each of the towns and villages of the Barony. These Courts oversee the petty crimes of their towns, and refer cases to the Judicial Courts in Sonnefurt if the case is deemed too important. The Municipal Courts are only allowed to issue fines and minor punishments. If the fine required is larger than 300GC or the punishment more than a flogging, then the cases are immediately assessed by the Judicial Courts and then the punishment approved.
Each Municipal Court has an attached jailhouse somewhere in their town. These jailhouses are often only used for brief punishments and holding the accused before trial. If a prisoner is deserving of a greater punishments, they are moved to the jails in Sonnefurt.
Law Enforcement
The Town Watches
Each town in the Barony has its own town watch. Outside of Sonnefurt, in the outlying towns, these watch for threats to the Barony and the towns themselves, as well as watching for criminal activity within the town. In Sonnefurt, the town watch is only tasked with watching from crime, there are separate lookouts employed to keep an eye on the towns safety.
The Town Watches number from four to ten men per patrol, depending on the location and are tasked with lighting the town’s lamps every night, and declaring every hour the time and the state of the town (eg one o’clock and all is well). Should they catch a criminal, they are allowed to uses reasonable force to capture them, and can keep them overnight in their jailhouses. Sonnefurt has many of these dotted around the town, most other towns only have the one attached to their municipal court.
The Soll River Patrol
Although not officially part of the Barony’s law enforcement, the 9th Regiment act as a tool for keeping crime levels low, particularly in Sonnefurt and Ertingen. They lead their own patrols from time to time to crack down on smuggling. Anyone caught smuggling with be kept in the River Patrol Jailhouse in the Military District of Sonnefurt, awaiting trial at the Soll River Patrol Headquarters in Wissenburg.
Vigilantism
Vigilante justice is not condoned by the authorities of the Barony but is often let slide as it reduces the workload of the system hugely. Of course if the acts of vigilantism are taken too far, then it becomes a matter for the Courts to deal with, and thus they prefer it not to happen. The main areas vigilante justice takes place is in the farmsteads and the countryside of the region, due to the lack of law enforcement in place. Farmers take matters into their own hands against bandits and poachers, and are often armed to protect their livelihoods. In the towns vigilantism is often limited to fights or property damage, but this can cause run-ins with the local town watch.
Punishment
Below are several examples of the different crimes that can lead to different punishments.
Fines(amount depends on whim of Judge and seriousness of crime)
Failure to pay taxes; failure to complete censuses; incorrect storage of goods; illegal crossing of the River Soll
Stocks (sometimes combined with flogging, amount of time depends on whim of Judge and seriousness of crime )
Adultery; bestiality; cheating at gambling; drunk and disorderly behaviour
Flogging (level varies on whim of Judge and seriousness of crime)
Theft; minor assault; poaching; cattle rustling; failure to heed militia call (if signed up)
Jail (amount of jail time depends on whim of Judge and seriousness of crime)
Industrial sabotage; fraud; smuggling; unlicensed pimping; money laundering; violent assault
Mutilation
Rape (castration); blasphemy (branding); armed robbery (pistol hand)
Execution
Unlicensed magic (burnt at stake); witchcraft (burnt at stake); heresy (burnt at stake); murder (hanging); banditry and outlaws (hanging); treason against Barony (decapitation); treason against Wissenland(referred to Wissenburg); mutiny and sedition (firing squad); desertion from Sonnefurt military (firing squad)
Fines are administered in the Courtroom, they are paid to the local authority
Stocks are located in the Market Squares of all the towns. Sonnefurt has one in each district’s public areas.
Floggings are carried out in public, normally where the stocks are located.
Jail sentences of length are all served below the Judicial Courts of Sonnefurt.
Mutilations are deemed too gruesome for the public, they are carried out in private, with the exception of branding, which takes place in a very public location and is normally carried out by a Priest of Sigmar.
Executions are incredibly public events, drawing large crowds from all over the Barony depending on the criminal’s notoriety. The public will be notified well in advance of any execution and notified of the criminals path so they can jeer and torment him before his death. Burnings at stakes and decapitations take place in Sonnefurt’s main Market Square. The heads of victims are placed on pikes at the entrance to Sonnefurt. Hangings are carried out by the hometown of the criminal and take place at the gallows outside of each town. They are left to hang for several days. Military executions are private, only army personnel are allowed. They occur in the Military District of Sonnefurt and are performed by randomly selected soldiers.
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(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/rose.jpg)
A Brief History of The Von Heisenberg Family
An Excerpt from Karl Shilton’s “Of Blue Blood: A Guide to the Noble Houses of Wissenland"
Like much of the nobility in Wissenland, the Von Heisenberg family find it difficult to trace their roots back further than 1707, as many records of the period were lost during Gorbad Ironclaw’s invasion of the province. However, it is known that the family prior to the invasion ruled over the town of Heisenberg, the town from which their name originates.
The first name to emerge from the records in the 18th Century is Otto Kirsch, being noted as being made Lord of Heisenberg in 1776 by the ruling Baron of Meissen. This was the family’s entry into the nobility of Wissenland, and Otto took the name of his protectorate town in its honour, consigning the Kirsch family to the annals of Heisenberg history.
Between the 19th and 23rd Centuries, the Von Heisenberg family consolidated their position within the nobility of Wissenland. They invested in the flourishing trade in the Barony, making themselves particularly wealthy, and continued their legacy through tactical marriages, mainly for wealth, rather than position, for they sought to establish their lineage more, before attempting to scale the hierarchical ladder. Due to their low standing, the records give little information but names and dates of births, deaths and marriages, which can all be found in the accompanying indices.
It is not until the 24th Century that the Von Heisenberg name truly appears again in any worthwhile form. In 2304, when the great Emperor Magnus the Pious established his Court in Nuln, the noble families of northern Wissenland began to grow more and more important. Lucas von Heisenberg, the patriarch at the time, attended the Court regularly as the chief consort of the Barony, send on behalf of his Baron, Victor von Liebewitz, ancestor of the current Countess of Wissenland.
This may not at first seem particularly important, and indeed, the von Heisenberg name only again appears on certain documents, but the very fact they were trusted with the task shows a great advance in their prestige. From my research of the Von Liebewitz family, I discovered that, as owners of many different Barony’s across the land (for they were not at this point the Counts), they delegated to important families in each region to act on their behalf. This thus means that the Von Heisenberg family, whilst only officially being Lords of Von Heisenberg, were being unofficially treated as the Barons of Meissen. Of course, they were not permitted to alter anything without Von Liebewitz approval, but were in charge of the day to day running of a large and affluent area.
The family do not appear in any further extent until over a century later in 2424, the year of Grom the Paunch’s invasion of the Empire and his siege of Nuln. It is recorded that Michael von Heisenberg, the then patriarch, fought valiantly in many battles across Wissenland, leading armies drawn up on behalf of the von Liebewitz family. It is noted that he acted as one of many generals, and was designated his own bodyguard on the field of battle, signifying his importance. However, Hector was fatally wounded by a barbed arrow of a sneaky goblinoid, killing him two days after receiving the wound, dying of infection. There is still a small memorial to him this day at Two Roads Rock near a small town in Reikland, where the battle took place.
Michael’s death left the Von Heisenberg family in a serious crisis, as their lineage was effectively cut. Michael was an only child and had married, but none of his children had survived past the age of seven. He had however, sired a bastard in Heisenberg’s neighbouring town of Penzfeld with Maria Bohm, the daughter of a prominent merchant, Gustav Bohm. The bastard, named Phillip, came forward upon his father’s death to take his position, but was refused by the current Baron, Ralph von Liebewitz.
The mass migration of Wissenland families to the safer lands down South during the invasion of Grom the Paunch encouraged Phillip to follow suit, attempting to establish the family’s roots once again in new territories. He made the journey to the Barony of Sonnefurt, where his maternal aunt, Katherin Bohm had married to the current late Baron Lucas Tol, and their son, Herman now ruled.
The Von Heisenberg name disappears for four years as Phillip settled into life in the southern Barony, apparently in the then prosperous agricultural town of Ostrach. His name suddenly reappears with great force in the family name’s crowning moment in 2428, with the death of Baron Herman Tol.
Baron Tol had no living descendants, being an only child and unmarried due to his relative youth. I have found records from the minutes of the meetings of the Council of Sonnefurt during this period, many of which desired for Sonnefurt to once again be ruled by them instead of an aristocrat. Throughout the Barony’s history, independent of being within the Barony of Kreutzhofen, it had been ruled by two families, the Wulstbergs and the Tols. Both had come to power without birth rights, either through wealth or meritocracy, and the Council seemed unwilling to break with tradition.
However, Katherin Bohm (Tol), now incredibly elderly, campaigned for Phillips recognition and stated that despite his illegitimacy, common law stated that the last remaining relative, even bastards, can rule in the wake of a death and disputed lineage. The Council reluctantly agreed, apparently due to the fear of Frau Bohm even in her old age, but also due to renewed tensions about Solland in the area, requiring a lineage to protect their town, and a link to a once prominent Wissenland noble family was actually deemed invaluable. Thus not only did Phillip manage to gain legitimacy, he also brought the Von Heisenberg name up in Wissenland notoriety.
Phillip ruled as Baron for many years, making the town prosperous by using his renewed links to the North to trade using the Soll. It was under Phillip that many traders started using the port, and the town expanded greatly under his influence.
Phillip had a son, Heinrich, in 2432, establishing the Von Heisenberg line in Sonnefurt officially. He brought up his son to follow in his footsteps as a Baron. His links to the northern towns of Wissenland brought him into contact with the Schafer family, an important noble line who had married well, with Frieda Schafer married to the current Count, Frank von Liebewitz. He arranged for Heinrich to marry the younger daughter of the family, Lea Schafer, linking his family directly to their ancient liege-lords. Heinrich then had a son, Max, in 2452, and a daughter, Anne in 2456 sealing the union permanently.
In 2461, Phillip died, leaving behind a legacy to continue where all his hard work had got him, ushering in the golden age of the Von Heisenbergs. Heinrich became Baron and lead the Barony through a difficult time, where his father’s once hometown of Ostrach suffered diseased crops, a plight it failed to recover from, plunging the Barony into economic downturn as the other towns struggled to pick up the loss.
To save the Barony from total economic downturn in the face of the loss of Ostrach's production, Heinrich married Max to Vanessa Zell, sister to Herman Zell, a prominent foreign merchant in the town from the Border Princes. He even made the Zell family minor nobles so that they would bring in business to the port. It succeeded and foreign trade boomed in the region.
Heinrich died in 2481, making Max von Heisenberg the new Baron. Sonnefurt continues to grow hugely under Von Heisenberg influence, with trade from their Northern contacts in Meissen, Heisenberg and Nuln as well as business growing further afield.
Since their wedding, Max and Vanessa had been attempting to conceive an heir to the Von Heisenberg line, but Vanessa suffered many miscarriages and still births, no pregnancies came to fruition. As Max’s sister Anne had also lost several infants in their early years,, there was nearly no hope of an heir, and Max was beginning to grow ill. The Council began to worry for the future of the Barony under the Von Heisenberg name. It is not noted whether Max was unfaithful in hope of siring a bastard, but all accounts uphold he was incredibly loyal to his wife, despite their problems. As of yet, there are no records of illegitimate children appearing.
Fortunately, in 2497, Katarina von Heisenberg was born, to the joy of the entire Barony. As Max slowly became aware that he was dying, and that he would not father a son, he began to teach Katarina to rule properly. He succumbed to his disease in 2513, leaving Katarina, at only sixteen, too young to rule alone.
Katarina ruled for the following two years with the help of the Council, until she matured in 2515, officially becoming Baroness. She has ruled well since, a valuable addition to the Von Heisenberg name. The Barony has prospered greatly during, and there are great hopes the lineage will continue when she marries.
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More good stuff here! :icon_cool: :::cheers:::
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Not a real update but I thought I should post it anyway...
I just rather crudely edited an old map of Bristol, UK (my hometown and the town which Sonnefurt is partially based on) and turned it into one of Sonnefurt and Ertingen.
Enjoy, despite my crappy editing skills.
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/Old-Map-Bristol.jpg)
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Nice stuff
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I like it! :icon_biggrin:
In looking lcoser at the map, I can see where you edited it, but it actually seems quite ok and makes there be a bit of a pattern to it despite any in consistentcies elsewhere, which I'm easily imagining how those can be explained.
Sonnefurt is at the top, with Ertingen at the bottom, correct?
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Glad you guys like it.
I'm hoping the inconsistencies may be explained by it being an 'old map'. :icon_lol:
Yep, Sonnefurt on top and Ertingen on the bottom. :icon_wink:
I might re-edit it at some point, perhaps making Ertingen a little bigger, it is supposed to be the Barony's third largest town, closing on Thalfang...
EDIT: Done
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It looks ok, yet I also liked it how it was. I can see why making it look bigger could make sense.
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It looks ok, yet I also liked it how it was. I can see why making it look bigger could make sense.
I think both parts needed to be a bit bigger as I wanted it to properly represent the scale of the town, not just be a rough outline of it. Sonnefurt is growing rapidly and is expanding greatly. Ertingen is also full of huge merchant houses of those who couldn't stand living in the posh suburbs of the city but still wanted links to the Soll.
If you're interested, heres the original map of a very, very old Bristol: http://www.oldmap.co.uk/images/Old-Map-Bristol.jpg
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GAH thanks alot Le Pistolet, now I have a crushing need to begin writing my own background again about the Contyre family and Stattenland, my own province...
I hope you are happy.
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I hope you are happy.
I am, and very much so, gives me something to read :happy:
Glad I could be a slightly irritating inspiration. Hope to see your stuff soon :icon_wink:
PS I changed the map again, completely forgot about the River Sonne :icon_rolleyes:. I will hopefully shortly be putting up an annotated version too :icon_wink:
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The Military is the aspect of Sonnefurt that changes most, mainly due to my whims about which models I want to see. However, I now have a plan, and have factored in contingencies so that I dont always seem to be fielding Sonnefurt's military at its full capacity in a 2000 point game. Anyway, I have it sorted now, so here goes (its rather long.... :icon_rolleyes:)
Sir,
If you remember correctly, you asked me to ascertain the military strength of all the towns and cities in our Grand County so that you can assess Wissenland’s military strength. Herein is attached a detailed overview of all of the Barony’s of the land, their military capacity and nuances. I hope this is what was required of me.
Yours humbly
Sergeant Hofstadter
The Barony of Sonnefurt
The Barony of Sonnefurt has a relatively haphazard approach to its military. The Baroness relies on her Marshall, a certain Richter Eichhorn, once a Captain in our provinces’ Soll River Patrol, along with his Bailiff and Sheriffs to organise and recruit the soldiers. However, the Lord-Mayors of the local towns are responsible for the raising of the militias. This creates an ineffective and disorganised military which struggles to bring itself to full strength at any occasion. However, in a recent territorial dispute with neighbouring Kroppenleben, the use of volunteers, allies and mercenaries meant the Barony actually somehow defeated a superiorly organised military force.
Due to the complexity of the military of the Barony, I shall break it down to make it more manageable.
Command
Executive command of the Sonnefurt’s military at any occasion always falls upon the Baron’s chosen Marshall. Currently this is Marshall Richter Eichhorn, chosen by the former Baron Max von Heisenberg and reinstated by his daughter, the current Baroness, Katarina von Heisenberg. This is not to say the Marshall is not sworn to follow the orders of the current Baron, as he falls under their command at all times, but the Baron’s normally defer to the Marshall for his expertise in military tactics.
The position of Marshall is purely based on merit, and is normally chosen from a member of the Barony’s own military. Marshall Eichhorn was different however, having been poached from the Soll River Patrol.
The Marshall is entitled to appoint his own Bailiff, with the consent of the ruling Baron, who acts as his second in command. This job currently falls to Bailiff Arthur Kuhn, appointed from the ranks of the Sonnefurt Regiment. The Bailiff is tasked with managing the Sheriffs on behalf of the Marshall, as well as being the acting commander of the Sonnefurt Regiment, overseeing their training, upkeep and recruitment. The Bailiff will lead the armies of Sonnefurt in tasks which the Marshall cannot oversee, which presumably will increase as the Marshall grows ever older. Finally the Marshall is also tasked with carrying the standard of Sonnefurt into battle on behalf of the town.
The Sheriffs are appointed in each town by the Marshall, with consent of the towns Lord Mayor. The Sheriffs task is to manage the militias of each town on behalf of the town’s Lord Mayor. They will lead the militia into battle, but have no other position besides this rank. The current Sheriffs are: Jonas Kerrmann in Thalfang, Dietrich Kurst in Ostrach and Tobias Aulen in Ertingen. In Sonnefurt itself, Father Josef Schmidt acts as the Sheriff, declaring it part of Sigmar’s mission to protect the Barony.
Organisation
The military of the Barony has two distinct groups, the professionals and the irregulars. The irregulars form by far the largest part of the Barony’s military, making it incredibly difficult to assess the total capacity of the Barony’s military strength. However, there are several main regiments that appear on the Barony’s Order of Battle
The standing regiment of Sonnefurt are called the 1st Sonnefurt Regiment of Foote, sometimes dropping the ‘first’ as it is self evident. These soldiers are the professional soldiers, required by the law of the Empire, and the soldiers that will be called up to fight for Wissenland. They also act as the town watch in Sonnefurt.
The Sonnefurt Volunteers is the official name given to the regiment formed from the militias of Sonnefurt’s own townsfolk.
The Dieten Township Militia is the official name for the regiment made up of the militias of Ertingen and Strazen, the Ertingen Irregulars and Strazen Levy respectively.
The South Soll Coalition Militia is the official name for the regiment comprised of the militias of Thalfang and Ostrach, the Thalfang Yeomen and the Ostrach Men at Arms respectively.
The Ostrach Sharpshooters is the official name for the semi-professional regiment recruited from across the Barony that resides in Ostrach.
Recruitment
The Sonnefurt Regiment is recruited, unlike the militias, from the entire Barony. For many peasants, it is an attractive option, for the Barony is relatively safe and pay is decent. To save on having too large a standing army and having to pay for housing, Sonnefurt makes use of a rotary system, meaning that soldiers spend years in the service, and years out until they have completed their set number, and payment is then received. This means it is possible for the farmers of the land to be professional soldiers and still maintain a farming business on the side through their family. The vast majority of the Sonnefurt Regiment seem to be recruited from Ostrach, as it is a poor town and thus has a military background, as many seek the riches of war.
The Sonnefurt Volunteers are just that, volunteers that are innumerable and appear at random when the cry for war goes out from the Sanctuary of Sigmar. They rally at the Church en masse and are then delegated as detachments to the professional militias by Father Schmidt. Anyone is permitted, provided they are a resident of Sonnefurt, whether they be man or Dwarf. If there are many volunteers, then they may for their own regiment with the permission of the Bailiff.
In order to maintain their position as Lord Mayor of their town, the Mayors in Sonnefurt are obliged to maintain a militia for each town of a certain quota of men, decided upon each year by the Marshall and Bailiff and overseen by the Sheriff of the town. The militias are recruited on a voluntary basis, a muster list being recorded of those obliged to fight for the Barony when called upon. Notice will be given to those required to fight by the town’s Sheriff, however sometimes anyone available will be drafted in quickly to react to an immediate threat. If the number of volunteers is insufficient then men of a certain age will be picked at random and instructed to fight.
The Ostrach Sharpshooters are unique in that they are a semi-professional regiment, not a militia or a standing company. They thus recruit from across the Barony, basing their recruitment solely on merit and accuracy with a crossbow. Pay is good and the regiment have many applications at their bi-annually tryouts. Many of the men over the years have come from the villages of Martinskorf and Bezeinhof as their skills as hunters give them keen eyes. As semi-professional soldiers, the regiment is not stationed at all times, but when called up, all must answer the call.
Training and Equipment
The Sonnefurt Regiment are paid for and equipped mostly by Sonnefurt’s coin purse and in part by the taxes imposed by the Empire. The standard equipment required of a standing regiment is a halberd, a suit of chest armour, boots and uniform. As this is the minimum, this is how Sonnefurt equips its soldiers. However, the regiment does enjoy a detachment trained in the use of black powder weaponry from Nuln, unofficially named the Sonnefurt Fusiliers, a gift from trade links further north.
Training is regular, interspersed between shifts on the town watch, sentry duty and patrols of the Barony. The training is overseen by the Bailiff of Sonnefurt. The upkeep of the military is funded by the Barony and the regiment have their billets in the Military District in the town itself.
The Sonnefurt Volunteers are self equipped, bringing whatever they can find to battle. There is no official training either and combat experience is not required.
The Dieten Township Militia are equipped and paid for by Lord Mayor Walter Heim, and Lady Mayoress Elinor Helemburtus, each overseeing the equipment of their individual town’s militias, but liaising so that equipment correlates. As the Lord Mayors only have to provide weaponry and training, the militias equip themselves with a uniform and their own armour. The two Mayors opted to equip their militias with the half-pike, an option chosen for its ease of use in battle, so that they could call upon anyone, and save drastically on training their militias. Training occurs as such only once a year in each town and is compulsory for anyone who has their name on the muster.
The South Soll Coalition Militia are equipped and paid for by Lord Mayors Willi Vogt and Gunter Funk. The two men are incredibly competitive and both relatively rich and as such try to outdo each other with the equipment provided for their militias. The two Mayors managed to agree to equip their militias with halberds and glaives. In order to encourage their militias, the two have begun to provide better armour for veterans, and as such, in comparison to the Dieten Township Militia, the South Soll Coalition seems better armed and equipped. Training is fairly regular for the men of the militias, as the Mayors want their soldiers to represent them well on the battlefield. Many of their militiamen go on to join the regular regiment after service in the militias.
The Ostrach Sharpshooters are a unique regiment, paid for by Mayor Vogt as a personal favour to Sonnefurt, established many generations ago by his family, and funded by an aeons-old investment ago for their construction. Each Sharpshooter is required to provide his own crossbow, as it is an honour to be accepted. No uniform is provided either and is the prerogative of the Sharpshooter himself. The Mayor thus only funds their wages and bonus for accuracy and kills, but this still costs him a large amount of money.
Markings and Heraldry
The Sonnefurt Regiment are denoted by their cut and slash uniforms, standard across the Empire. They are coloured in the grey and white of Wissenland, but are marked by the crimson red of the Von Heisenberg, having sashes and feathers this colour at the digression of the individual soldier. In battle they carry the Sonnefurt colours, bearing the Rose and Briars of the Von Heisenberg family. Those who form the Sonnefurt Fusiliers are permitted to die the cloth covering their arms a darker grey to avoid soot stains.
The Ertingen Irregulars have no official uniform, but most choose to bear the colours of Wissenland and Ertingen. Ertingen’s official colour is yellow, owing to former Solland alliances of the Heim family when they paid allegiance to Kreutzhofen. The Heim heraldry is the Sun of Solland.
The Strazen Levy are also not required to wear a uniform, but those who represent their town bear its colours and those of Wissenland. Strazen’s official colour is a pale blue, the colour of the Helemburtus family. They also bear their heraldry of the family, the White Stallion.
The Ostrach Men at Arms are required to wear the colours of Wissenland, under the orders of Mayor Vogt. They are however also permitted to show their town allegiance with minimal use of the Vogt Green, a dark green. The Vogt family heraldry is that of the White Lion of Wissenland.
The Thalfang Yeomen are also obliged to wear the livery of Wissenland by Mayor Funk. Furthermore, in order to distinguish themselves more from their rivals, they are encouraged to decorate themselves with the Funk family colouring, a deep purple, owing to their wine heritage. The Funk family use the Fleur de Lys as their heraldic symbol.
The Ostrach Sharpshooters are independent to the militias and can decide their own livery. Due to the mixed origins of the recruits and that no equipment is provided, no Sharpshooter looks the same. They tend to associate themselves to the Barony through the use of their respective town colours, or in the case of the few nobles who fight in the regiment, their own families. All tend to have the Wissenland colours prevalent on their outfits too, to distinguish themselves from any other rival provinces.
The Sonnefurt Volunteers wear whatever they have available at the time a call to war is heard. They sometimes wear sashes and ribbons with the Von Heisenberg colours or the Wissenland colours although this is not at all required. They are a mix batched of well dressed and shoddily clothed men who look a mess on the battlefield.
Other Notable Military Assets
The Sonnefurt Battery is a rather loosely applied term that covers all the artillery pieces in use at the time of conflict. Despite the Beyer Foundry churning out many artillery pieces in the town, few are bought by the town’s own military. We recently commissioned them ourselves to make weaponry for the 9th Regiment of the River Patrol. The Baroness deems that artillery is too expensive to maintain when the Barony sees little regular conflict. The available pieces are often in various states of disrepair and are crewed by experts, paid per battle to man the guns. These men are normally workers in their workshops and as such have no uniform, wearing what they so desire.
The Von Heisenberg Guard are the Baroness’ personally funded bodyguard, established by Phillip von Heisenberg when he became Baron. They are recruited from the best of the Barony’s soldiers and the best mercenaries in the region. They accompany her everywhere she goes, forming the garrison at either of her homes. They act only on her own orders, and as such do not see battle particularly often, for she likes to have them all travel with her. They may be commissioned to perform a task on her behalf on the battlefield but this is only in dire emergencies. If the Baroness chooses to go to war, they will protect her valiantly, but this only ever happens in the direst of emergencies. They last saw prolonged conflict in the war with Kroppenleben, but before that had performed mainly bodyguard and ceremonial duties.
Sonnefurt can also call upon many mercenary Knights when the time calls for it. The mercenaries that regularly appear are press ganged, accused of false charges or held on tenuous grounds and released so long as they fight for their freedom. Others are hired, but this is an expensive business which Sonnefurt does not like to resort to. Some are sons of rich merchants or nobles who want to prove themselves, but like to earn money at the same time. The mercenaries are not reliable unless the Barony pays a decent wage, so cannot be truly counted in their muster.
Recently, Sonnefurt called upon allies from Meissen and Heisenberg to aid against Kroppenleben, as well as the Nuln Volunteer army. These allies can be bargained for but are not a common sight unless the Barony is in dire peril.
I have also heard rumours that the 9th Regiment of the Soll River Patrol have been known to act against our direct orders from their Wissenburg headquarters and aid the armies of Sonnefurt. This must only be in covert actions however, or Captain Strotmann would have been reprimanded severely.
Order of Battle: The Battle of the Bezau Hills
This was the last major conflict in the Barony of Sonnefurt before the war with Kroppenleben, in the year 2419. The army of Sonnefurt faced a relatively large Goblin band descending from the Black Mountains into the Barony via the Bezau Hills, determined to pillage and kill the inhabitants. A large force was hastily assembled to defend the Barony, comprising a typical muster of Sonnefurt, as the call was unexpected, however, the raid threatened the Baroness' villa, and as such her guard were dispatched.
General: Marshall Richter Eichhorn
Left Flank
Commander: Sherriff Tobias Aulen
The Dieten Hills Township Militia Half-Pikes
50 Men at Arms
Accompanied by small detachment of 10 of the Ostrach Sharpshooters
George Languedoc’s Mercenary Company
10 Armoured Knights
Frau Hilda- Imperial Cannon from Ertingen
Centre
Commander: Marshall Richter Eichhorn
1st Sonnefurt Regiment of Foote
50 Professional Soldiers, 10 Fusiliers
Fett Gertrude- Imperial Mortar from Sonnefurt
Hasslich Bessy- Imperial Cannon from Sonnefurt
Detachement of the Von Heisenberg Guard
50 Highly Trained Soldiers
Right Flank
Commander: Sheriff Father Josef Schmidt
South Soll Coalition Militia Billmen
50 Men at Arms
Accompanied by a small detachment of 10 of the Ostrach Sharpshooters
Sonnefurt Volunteers
30 Free Company
Helga- Imperial Mortar from Thalfang
Subject to change
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More good fluff! :icon_biggrin: :::cheers:::
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Cheers GP, knowing someone's reading my efforts make it not seem like a waste of a evening :icon_wink: :::cheers:::
I have some more stuff planned, but I'm not sure what else to do after those are done, I'm trying to think of aspects not yet covered.
I have the intention of doing:
Crime- ie the role of Marius Blech and other crime syndicates in the town and Barony (a follow up to the law article)
The Baroness' Court- a reworking of my original personalities post, basically to explain who the characters are like Grubart and Arthritiknes
The Aristocracy of Sonnefurt- the different Lords and Ladys of the Barony and their role. Also how nobility in the Barony works.
I can't think of anything else though, any other suggestions?
I also want to do a few folk tales, the Defence of the Dockyards, the Dark Year, the King of the Dieten Barrow, the Hermit of the Aschen Hills, Morr's Chasm etc. These things could be fluffed out in another thread I think, but I'll get to that at some point.
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I demand a map! lol
And nice work on your background pistolet... one of these days I will get around to mine, but for now, my star wars roleplay calls.
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A map of where exactly? There are a few in the first two pages of this thread...
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You know, I think I missed it . will have to read back on it... and on Sonnefurt of course.
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A Collection of Drawings, Sketches and Paintings of the River Port of Sonnefurt
- Johaan Vertig
In my journeys around the South of our Empire, I have found many, many wondrous sights in our Empire's towns. The town that caught my imagination the most however was the humble river port of Sonnefurt. I stayed here for an entire year and endeavored to capture every angle of the wonderful town. On the next few pages, I will present my compiled paintings, and briefly describe them.
The Baroness' Mansion
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/baronesstownhouse.jpg)
A beautiful building which the Baroness herself does not actually tend to spend much time in, despite its splendour. It is protected and cut off from the centre of the town by a small moat, making it very private. I was lucky to get close enough to the mansion to paint it, as the Baroness' guard are very protective of their lady, even when she is not there. Fortunately they did not seem to mind a humble painter and I could paint this magnificent building.
The Von Heisenberg Theatre
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/theatre.jpg)
Sadly, seeing as this building is an exquisite piece of architecture, I have only so far managed to sketch this magnificent structure. This is truly the Von Heisenberg family's greatest donation to this town, and the building dominates the small square in which it resides. It is adorned with carvings of the Rose and Briars of the von Heisenbergs, which looks excellent, and is a testament to its Dwarfen masons.
The Upper/Lower Riverside Docks
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/dockers.jpg)
These docks see little commercial business, which is centred around the Dockyards, and is instead where the rich have their marina. As such it is a much nicer location and brilliant to paint. I do believe this painting shows the commotion of the area, but the pleasant nature of it at the same time.
The Ertingen Ferry
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/ertingenferry.jpg)
The nicest part of the riverside area is definitely the area surrounding the ferry to neighbouring Ertingen. There are many large townhouses here which are splendid to paint. This painting looks down the Soll, eventually going towards Kreutzhofen at its source. To the right I managed to capture the closest part of Ertingen. It is at these points the two towns are the closest, making many, like I did at first, think they were one and the same.
The Sonnefurt Lighthouse
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/lighthouse.jpg)
Jutting out into the fork between the Soll and Sonne rivers, this centuries old lighthouse is an imposing sight. It was built by the Pfeifraucher family many aeons ago, and has outlasted much of the architecture in Sonnefurt. At night, its four fires provide a welcome sight for the trade ships of the Soll.
The Dockyards
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/dockyards.jpg)
Definitely not a nice place to be, and especially not after dark. The Dockyards are the commercial powerhouse and slum of the town and the buildings there are dilapidated and decrepit. However, they are interesting to paint due to their quirky nature and I did enjoy trying to capture the despair of this neighbourhood.
The Upper River Side
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/townhouses.jpg)
In stark contrast to the Dockyards, the Upper River Side is a much nicer place to be as it houses the richer, more extravagant residents of the town. As such, their houses are wonderful townhouses, full of luxury and grand in every way. They were a joy to paint.
The Lower River Side
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/middleclass.jpg)
As this district houses the most of the residents of the town, it is crowded, but not to the extent of the Dockyards, and houses everything the people might need. There are many merchants living here, and thus shops and houses mix in an incredible interlocking nature, making use of all available space. It was hugely enjoyable to paint the people in their unusual surroundings and having lived in the area, I think it became my favourite district.
The Sanctuary of Sigmar
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/willsmemorial.jpg)
I have painted many churches of Sigmar in my time as an artist but I can safely say that Sonnefurt's Sanctuary is by far one of the most amazing ones I have seen and had the pleasure of painting. The tower is visible from all around the town, reminding its populace of their god, and its bells can be heard every hour echoing around the streets. The attached alms house is one of the nicest buildings in the town, it seems to make being destitute in this town a good thing!
The Dwarfen Quarter
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/dwarf_forge.jpg)
The Dwarf Quarter, in appearance is much like the Upper and Lower River Sides, but a predominance for stone is more evident, as is the size of the doors. Most of the Dwarfs own a workshop, and the entire district is one for manafacture. I managed to convince one Lowland Dwarf to let me draw him as he worked. Being an Empire born Dwarf, he does not share the waistline of his mountain cousins, and actually looks fairly skinny, perhaps because the Dwarfs compete so much for business, many are very poor.
Sonnefurt Market
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/marketdistrict.jpg)
he town's Market District is where many of the merchants and trading companies have their offices, and is actually very boring. For an artist however, the Market Square, in the very centre of Sonnefurt is a hive of activity almost every day and is the best place to capture Sonnefurters from all walks of life. In this painting you can rich nobles perusing the wares of poorer townsfolk, whilst the Sonnefurt military patrol in the background. I loved watching the activity of all these townsfolk as I sat and painted.
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Again, something a little different to what I had planned to write about the Barony. I am actually hugely interested in toponymy being a language student and this was a lot of fun to look up and work out. I used Google translate to find the roots of these words so they may be a little wrong. I also shoehorned stories around difficult things, but this was brilliant fun. I think I will start writing the prehistory soon. Maybe a short folk story concerning the three warring Kings and the arrival of Father Martin, perhaps in a ballad style...
A study of Imperial Toponymy: Volume X: Wissenland
-Monsieur Geoffrey Leblanc, Lecturer of’ Reikspeil and Imperial History’ at the University of Paravon
- Edited and translated from Brettonian by Otto Gerten of the University of Altdorg for Imperial consumption and study.
Chapter XIV: The Toponymy of Sonnefurt
Towns and Villages
Sonnefurt
Sonnefurt is named after the Sonnefurt, the ford that appears in the River Sonne that allows traders to cross and opens the link to the other side and to Kreutzhofen.
The River is named after King Sonne who had his fort on the location Sonnefurt now occupies and met a grizzly fate in its waters.
Thalfang
The roots of Thalfang come from a crude reworking of the name of the god Taal and the old Imperial word ‘fang’ meaning ‘catch’ or ‘haul’.
The origins for this naming come from the old legend which states that once, King Aschen, another tribal chief of the region and cousin of Kings Sonne and Eieten, came across an incredibly old man fishing at the fork between the River Soll and the River Aschen. He did not recognise the man who was fishing as one of his tribe, and believed him to be poaching fish that rightly belonged to his people. He challenged the man and the man made a deal with the King, stating that if he could catch more fish than the King, he was entitled to keep his haul. The legend states that during the competition, the fish just jumped out of the water at the man’s feet, and the King caught nothing. The angry King begrudgingly let the man take his catch, but the man refused, giving the huge amounts of fish to the King as a gift. The man then disappeared, and the King realised he had been blessed by the god Taal. He quickly set up a shrine to the god, and moved his fortress to this location, where he enjoyed bountiful fishing and his tribe flourished in the name of his god.
Ertingen
Ertingen stems from the name of a former tribal king, King Eieten and the suffix ‘–ingen’, meaning ‘descendants of’.
King Eieten is famous as being the King who slew the great King Sonne, making him the mightiest King in the region, inheriting the lands of his cousin and merging the tribes. However, the intense rivalry of the tribes meant they did not want to coexist or move to the large fort at the Sonnefurt. As such, King Eieten decided to build another fort across the river for only his tribe, his descendants. The two forts were linked by a ferry but were not merged. It is perhaps this relationship that explains why the towns are still not merged.
Ostrach
Ostrach literally means ‘east of the River’ in the old Reikspiel.
Due to it being a relatively recent town development, springing up post 1707 and the Orc rampages, it does not benefit from a rich back story. The town is indeed located east of the River Soll (although maps of the Barony and of Wissenland seem to show it to be on the South side, due to the infamous ‘Wissenland slant’ employed by Imperial cartographers). It is the only large settlement in the Barony not to be found on the River’s edge, owing to why it might be so distinguished as being distant from the River.
Strazen
Strazen roughly means the ‘lost one’.
This name refers back to it having been the former fort of King Eieten, but when he lost in a battle against his cousin, King Aschen, the fort was razed and he was forced to flee into the Dieten Hills to save his tribe.
Bezeinhof
The closest translation of Bezeinhof is ‘the square marked with warnings’.
This is thought to originate from the very early beginnings of the town, in 1805, when a very small settlement was established on the edges of the Martinswald, still rife with dark beasts that had fled to hide in there after the disintegration of Gorbad’s invasion. It is said that the entire settlement were slaughtered and disappeared without a trace, but strange markings were left on the buildings threatening any more settlements. This attack provoked a purging of the Martinswald for the next ten years, and it was declared fit for habitation and felling in 1815. The villagers of the newest town chose to remember their former settlers by naming their town after their fate, a reminder to themselves that dark things lay in the forest.
Martinskorf
Martinskorf simply means ‘Martin’s Courtyard’.
This was named as on the towns establishment in 1815, a statue to Father Martin was erected and the simple villagers decided to name it after their meeting place.
Places
The River Sonne
The River Sonne which gives the town and Barony its name is named after an ancient King, King Sonne. The King ruled over the lands around Sonnefurt, his primitive fort residing where the town now rests. The river took his name as it was in the river his body was unceremoniously tossed after he was brutally cut down by one of his cousins, King Eieten.
Ancient tales tell that he met with Lacothea as his body and spirit entered her holy waters and bargained with her to become the spirit of the river. It is said that he controls the appearance of the ford, for he wanted to spite his cousins by controlling their usage of the waterway, being able to render it entirely useless at his whim.
The Aschen Hills and The Aschen River
The hills are named after King Aschen, who had a large hill fort in the hills before his legendary encounter with Taal upon which he moved his tribe down to the fork between the two Rivers and established Thalfang. The River is only named the Aschen River as its source is derived in the Aschen Hills.
The Dieten Hills
The hills, an amalgamation of the word ‘the’ and King Eieten’s name were not named as he had a fort there, but as that is where he was killed and buried. The mysterious barrow found in this hills is said to be his, and due to his vengeful spirit he is believed to still roam the hills with his armies, who were crushed their by the converts of Father Martin, for King Eieten was the only King not to turn to the way of Sigmar, and was subsequently subject to the Father’s hammer.
The Bezau Hills
In Reikspiel ‘bezau’ translates as ‘entranced’, making the closest translation of the ‘Bezau Hills’ the ‘entrancing hills’.
This stems from 1804, when the green lights stemmed from the Martinswald upon the opening of ‘Morr’s Chasm’, the huge pit that emerged magically and is presumed to lead to the underworld. The goat and sheep herders of these foothills were the first to notice these lights, as their sheep began to wander uncontrollably towards it, as if possessed by the mystical lights. Thus, the hills gained their name.
The Martinswald and the River Martin
The forest (wald in Reikspiel) and the river are named after the legendary hero Father Martin, a follower of Sigmar and the bringer of religion and unity to the warring tribes of the region. Upon his return from the Battle of Blackfire Pass, he began a mission to cleanse the woodland, lasting many, many years, often leading the armies himself. It was on one of these excursions, many, many years later, he was to fall foul of Goblin trickery and succumbed to a poisoned arrow. He became entombed in the Sanctuary of Sigmar he had established and the people of the Barony named the woodland in his honour. The River was then named in the local tradition of what it passes through, being the Martinswald. The bridge that crosses this river is also the Martin’s Bridge, and whilst this is only named due to the river it crosses, it does bear carvings depicting his life, acting as his memorial.
Editors note. By the time of printing this 4th Edition of Monsieur Leblanc’s compilation, in 2526, the Martin’s Bridge was destroyed in resistance actions against the Kroppenleben occupiers. It has been rebuilt in a memorial to these resistance fighters. The masonry that survived the blast is now kept in Father Martin’s shrine in Sonnefurt’s Sanctuary of Sigmar.
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The Prehistory of Sonnefurt
Report commissioned by Baron Max von Heisenberg, performed by Arthritiknes
Little is known of the tribal history of Southern Wissenland, for nothing was permanently recorded, and thus the pre-history of Sonnefurt cannot be accounted for hugely. Likewise, many records that have existed were destroyed in 1707, making it incredibly different for anyone to work out the history of those 1700 years. However, on your commission my noble lord von Heisenberg, I have studied to the surviving tomes in Nuln, Altdorf and Wissenburg’s archives and libraries, as well as any archaeological finds from the Barony. I hope this will give you a clearer guide as to your inherited Barony’s heritage.
Yours faithfully,
Arthritiknes
Of the Warring Kings
Records from Karak Hirn actually do show that these Kings of Sonnefurt legend did actually exist. They are the only Kings mentioned in the records, proving they must have made the notice of the Dwarfs, and other Kings must have been much more peaceful.
The Kings were all related, cousins via a paternal grandfather. It is thought that they split his once enormous kingdom between them in a civil war due to petty differences that became exacerbated and turned into an ongoing pointless three way feud.
King Sonne ruled the land that lies between the Sonne and Martin Rivers and some land across the Martin River’s banks, and stretching back all the way to the Bezau Hills. These hills were however heavily wooded, and patrolled regularly by Dwarf warriors, who were a much mightier power than they are presently.
King Aschen ruled beyond his namesake hills, to the borders of King Sonne , a hotly contested area.
King Eieten ruled across the banks of the Soll, around the Dieten Hills, stretching back into some of the moorland, and reaching beyond the Sonnefurt and Aschen forks.
King Sonne was the oldest had the mightiest army and the most strategic location. His fort overlooked the vantage point of the river fork and was protected on two sides by the river, making it easier to defend and keep watch from the dark beasts of the woodland that would regularly take advantage of the civil feud to raid and pillage. King Aschen was the second oldest and had his hill fort deep in the Aschen Hills, heavily fortified to protect his people as he had a smaller army that could not stand up to King Sonne’s in pitched battle. King Eieten was the youngest and the most hot-headed, his army wanting to prove themselves as they had drawn the poorest lot of land. He located his fort on the banks of the Soll at Strazen, a weak position but brilliant for fishing and its harbour fed a large population.
The three Kings would regularly besiege each others forts and pillage, causing mayhem just to spite their bitter rivals. The battles were fairly inconsequential and the stalemate continued.
However, the stalemate was broken when King Aschen supposedly met with god Taal, who gifted him with a prime fishing location on which to base a new settlement, in what is now Thalfang. The bountiful fishing opportunities have long dried up as you know and farming is now the main concern of Thalfang, but his population, once smaller than the others, boomed significantly due to the plentiful fish. Seeing this as a blessing from the gods themselves, King Aschen decided to redouble his efforts in conquering the lands of his cousins.
He launched a devastating attack on King Eieten’s settlement, razing it to the ground and forcing the refugees to hide in the barren Dieten Hills, living a nomadic life trying to lick their wounds and launch a counterattack. King Aschen then turned on the mighty King Sonne, hoping to seal his victory by smiting down his biggest contender for dominance. There are archaeological records of a large battle taking place at Ostrach, with many dying on each side, but no major headway being made. It is said the two Kings fought an epic duel, but neither could best the other and their armies began to disintegrate around them, forcing them to withdraw to fight another day.
With his two enemies weakened, King Eieten seized a very underhand chance, and launched an attack by boat on King Sonne’s fort at night. His vengeful army ravaged the fort, burning buildings and slaughtering unsuspecting innocents. The King himself found King Sonne asleep in his longhouse and butchered him there and then. He then tossed his mauled body into the River Sonne, which came to bear his name.
Enslaving the rest of the population, for they had no King, King Eieten became the most powerful King in the region, for King Aschen was still recovering from his battle with King Sonne and could not hope to rival the numbers Eieten had on his side. Eieten ruled both Kingdoms for several years, establishing Ertingen as its capital, a place for his tribe to call home with King Sonne’s people as their servants. This period was the only period of relative peace in their entire history, as King Aschen was too afraid to take on his youngest cousin and risk total annihilation.
Of Saint Martin of Sonnefurt
It was at this point that a man approached King Aschen bearing the word of the great chieftain, Sigmar, who was at that point unifying the tribes to fight to drive the Orcs out at what would become the Battle of Blackfire Pass. The King knew he could not pledge any men to the cause without his cousin taking his lands whilst he was gone, and asked the stranger for help. The stranger, the man who became Saint Martin of Sonnefurt, rallied a large army of Sigmar’s followers from further up the Soll and he and King Aschen turned on King Eieten.
The battle ended in a catastrophic defeat for the followers of King Eieten, his captured soldiers from King Sonne even turning on him mid battle. He retreated into the Dieten Hills, but was hounded by Saint Martin and eventually the Saint found him and was able to smite the cowardly King with his mighty hammer.
The armies of the two defeated Kings were assumed under King Aschen’s new mighty Kingdom and he ordered them to participate in the Battle of the Blackfire Pass. Many stories exist about Saint Martin’s role in this battle, many of which are just legend, but it is known he led the three Kings forces and aided in victory for Sigmar.
After the battle, King Aschen ruled for several years, and Martin stayed to help unite the region into the new Empire that Sigmar was forming. The Kingdom became the Barony of Aschen, its capital being at Thalfang, not Sonnefurt as it now is.
Saint Martin aided the King for many years in cleansing the Barony of foul creatures so it could prosper, and lead many excursions into the woodland to clear it of the goblins that dwelled within. However, when leading an excursion near what is now Sonnefurt, for the Martinswald stretched to only ten miles to the banks of the river before being cultivated for agriculture, Saint Martin was struck by a poisoned arrow.
He was carried back to the small village that had been established in the ruins of King Sonne’s fort, and succumbed to his poison whilst resting there. He was buried and a small shrine built to remember him. This was housed by small building, which would eventually become the Sanctuary of Sigmar.
The Formation of the Barony of Sonnefurt
Upon the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Saint Martin, the cult of Sigmar was just extending to the people of the Barony of Aschen. Feverous devotion was displayed by many, remembering the teachings of Saint Martin and all he did for the Barony. King Aschen had long died, and was succeeded by his son, a weak willed Baron who had none of the prowess of his father and lorded over his citizens.
As such the Baron could not stop the religious fever surrounding the cult of Sigmar and consequentially Saint Martin. People flocked to his shrine and quickly a large population sprung up around it. Over the years this would become the town of Sonnefurt, which came to rival Thalfang in size and power in the region.
Neither the Baron nor any of his successors were able to control the people, and they succeeded many years later, forming the Barony of Sonnefurt, which was incredibly small in comparison to today, only encompassing the lands between the Sonne and Martin Rivers.
Its succession was not well planned, and the new Baron was equally as weak as Baron Aschen. It was no surprise when the tiny Barony fell victim to an annexation by the Pfeifraucher family after it had failed to truly establish itself even after over two decades of independence.
Over time, the Pfeifraucher family would come to annex Thalfang too, and the whole area would fall under the Great Barony of Kreutzhofen, only to gain its independence once again in 1932 as you and the people of the Barony well know.
The Coming of the Dwarfs
During this period of turmoil the Dwarfs began to descend into the Empire, looking for work opportunities and teaching the fledgling communities their ways. Their skilled masons constructed the foundations and fortifications that can still be seen today, although many were ripped down as the towns expanded and used in the construction of new districts. Sonnefurt’s harbour and lighthouse were commissioned by the Pfeifraucher family to expand the river ports business, and this construction was to mark the start of extensive trade with Karak Hirn, contributing to a large influx of Dwarfs to the region.
On the one hundredth anniversary of Saint Martin’s death, the Pfeifrauchers also commissioned the Sanctuary of Sigmar, a huge church to house the shrine of Saint Martin and the focus place for the worship of Sigmar through the Saint.
Many archaeological findings show that the Dwarf population expanded increadibly slowly steadily after the influx for many centuries, and eventually seemed to cease, and the Dwarfs began to withdraw into their holds to fight their enemies within. As the ‘lowlanders’ became cast out by their holds, there are no records in Karak Hirn or surviving in Sonnefurt from these Dwarfs. Thus, a large section of history is left unknown until records started again in 1708.
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Here is where the conclusive records end, except for a few dates. Kreutzhofen was hid incredibly hard by the Orc invasion and their records of this period almost entirely obliterated. However, I hope this has shed some light on our unique heritage for you my lord.
I have also compiled a timeline on what I believe must be the dates for these events for your pleasure.
-37 The conflicts between the three cousins begin, with evidence of many battles from this period.
-22 King Aschen supposedly meets Taal, Thalfang is founded
-17 King Aschen attacks King Eieten, destroying his fort at Strazen. King Eieten becomes a nomad in the Dieten Hills
King Aschen attacks King Sonne in a huge battle. Many are killed and both sides suffer horrific casualties.
King Eieten kills King Sonne and destroys his settlement, enslaving his subjects.
-16 Ertingen is founded. King Eieten rules over the Eieten and Sonne tribes.
-2 Saint Martin arrives and seeks an audience with King Aschen
In an alliance with King Aschen, Saint Martin kills King Eieten in battle in the Dieten Hills. King Aschen assumes all of his grandfather’s lands for himself.
-1 The Battle of Blackfire Pass
1 The Barony of Aschen is formed.
19 King Aschen dies, his son inherits his position as Baron
25 Saint Martin dies in battle after being poisoned. A shrine is built to him in Sonnefurt.
73 Johann Helstrum arrives in Altdorf, preaching that he has received a vision of Sigmar ascending into Heaven to become a god, and crowned King of the Gods by Ulric himself. Although controversial at the time, the worship of Sigmar Divine takes strong roots in the lands of the Unberogi, and spreads throughout the Empire.
75 The Cult of Sigmar reaches the Barony of Aschen
87 Sonnefurt succeeds from Aschen
107 Sonnefurt is annexed by the Great-Barony of Kreutzhofen
126 Thalfang is annexed by the Great-Barony of Kreutzhofen
154 The first walls of Sonnefurt are built by Dwarf masons.
162 The Lighthouse and Harbour of Sonnefurt are built, increased Dwarf influx
173 The Sanctuary of Sigmar is consecrated on the anniversary of Saint Martin’s death. It is dedicated in his honour and houses his shrine. It is a site of pilgrimage and comes to include an alms house to cater for all the vagrants of the city and its many pilgrims.
173-1111 Little is known of these period except that the towns of the Barony expanded under Pfeifraucher influence and with the help of the lowland Dwarfs.
1111 Black Death sweeps the Empire, many die, although no records survive in the region of how many. Dwarfs withdraw from the Old World and Sonnefurt presumably becomes stagnant.
Records end until 1708
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I recently stumbled upon these two websites whilst doing some more work on Sonnefurt:
http://www.io.com/~sjohn/demog.htm
http://www.writing-world.com/sf/hordes.shtml
The first one is exceptional. It entirely changed my perspective of Sonnefurt. All along I had thought it was a little small, especially when maps state that the distance between Sonnefurt at one end and Thalfang at another was over 30 miles, and that I was proclaiming the town of Sonnefurt was booming, but yet could only muster 300 or so in its army. This seemed stupid, especially after writing Sonnefurt in Flames, where I imagined much larger armies duking it out. Thus, my perspective of Warhammer has changed. It is no longer skirmishes (unless I so wish) but instead each man has to be worth around 10 men in reality.
To work out how big Sonnefurt's army should really be, I found the second link, which wittles down your population (worked out from the first link) and shows how many can fight. I added numbers onto this to represent it being Warhammer, with more men needed to fight than in your typical medieval town (there are goblins everywhere of course :icon_wink:).
Anyway, both links made my work seem a lot more realistic and are really worth having a look at.
I have also managed to compile a census of the Barony using them below. A map will accompany sometime soon, showing more exactly the locations of all the small settlements and the Shires I have mentioned.
(http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz137/lepistolet1992/img005.jpg)
Key:
Square: Major Town
Circle: Village
'X' Cross: Hamlet
'+' Cross: Isolated Settlement
Red Line: Shire Territories
Black Line: Major Road
Broken Black Line: Ferry Crossing
Dark Green: Woodland
Blue: Water
Brown: Hill
Light Green: Arable and Cultivated Land
Land
630 Square miles of land
315 square miles of agrarian land (Fertile River Banks, Aschen Hills, Bezau Hills)
148 Square miles of water (Rivers Soll, Sonne, Aschen, Martin, Dieten)
13 Square miles of unfarmed hills (Dieten Hills)
154 Square miles of dense woodland (Martinswald)
Population
Average of 90 Inhabitants per square mile
Population of approximately 56500 people
Distribution
Urban Population 30518 (54%)
Population of Sonnefurt: 5263
Population of Thalfang: 3157
Population of Ertingen: 3316
Population of Ostrach: 2653
Population of Strazen: 1857
Population of Martinskorf: 743
Population of Bezeinhof: 729
Rural Population 25982 (46%)
94 Villages (200-300 people) - 23212
40 Hamlets (50-80 people)- 2460
9 Isolated settlements (20-40 people) 310
By Shire
The Shire of Sonnefurt: 1 Large Town, 24 Villages, 9 Hamlets, 2 Isolated Settlements= Approx 16 000 people (28%)
The Shire of Thalfang: 1 Town, 25 Villages, 8 Hamlets, 2 Isolated Settlements= Approx 10 500 people (20%)
The Shire of Ostrach: 1 Town, 24 Villages, 7 Hamlets= Approx 9 500 people (17%)
The Shire of Ertingen: 1 Town, 7 Villages, 7 Hamlets= Approx 8000 people (14%)
The Shire of Strazen: 1 Medium Town, 10 Villages, 6 Hamlets= Approx 7000 people (12%)
The Shire of Bezeinhof: 1 Small Town, 2 Villages, 1 Hamlet, 4 Isolated Settlements= Approx 3000 people (5%)
The Shire of Martinskorf: 1 Small Town, 2 Villages, 2 Hamlets, 3 Isolated Settlements= Approx 2500 people (4%)
Size of Towns
The Large, Fortified Port of Sonnefurt -86 acres
The Town of Thalfang- 52 acres
The Port of Ertingen- 54 acres
The Town of Ostrach- 43 acres
The Medium Town of Strazen- 30 acres
The Small Town of Martinskorf- 12 acres
The Small Town of Bezeinhof -11 acres
Livestock
188100 Livestock
127908 fowl
60192 cows/pigs/sheep/goats
Nobility
The Von Heisenberg Family and 188 other noble families
Distribution
30 Nobles Families in Sonnefurt
16 Noble Families in Thalfang
17 Noble Families in Ertingen
14 Noble Families in Ostrach
10 Noble Families in Strazen
3 Noble Families in Martinskorf
3 Noble Families in Bezeinhof
94 Noble Families (One in each Village)
Analysis
The findings of the census seem to show a shift from the last census performed, and the majority of the population (54%) now lives in the seven main urban areas of the Barony. This is only 8% of the population and 4520 more citizens however, so is not an enormous change.
The population distribution is puzzling, as the Shire of and town Ostrach, a significantly smaller town than Ertingen, has a larger proportion of residents. Granted, the shire is bigger, but Ostrach is not a particularly affluent area. Perhaps more residents of the Ertingen Shire live in the town itself for the business opportunities, whilst Ostrachers prefer to live out as their town declines in importance. The Shire of Ostrach also includes the infamous “Sonnefurt-Bezeinhof Belt”, fertile ground along trade routes for the timber industries in the town, perhaps giving rise to more settlements along this area.
It is also interesting to note the comparative size of the Shires of Sonnefurt and Thalfang, for they seem to encompass roughly the same amount of settlements. However Thalfang falls a whole 6000 people behind the predominant Shire of Sonnefurt, 4000 more than in lacks due to size of the main town. This is potentially due to the smaller settlements focussed around the wine growing fields of the Aschen and Bezau Hills which fuel a lot of the Thalfang economy. These settlements do not support as many people as the agricultural settlements of Sonnefurt and are thus perhaps smaller.
Finally, considering almost half the Barony’s lands are uncultivable, consisting of torrents of water or thick forest, the number of settlements is staggering. Furthermore, their distribution does not seem to hinder their development, and the villages are well spread out across the Barony, never overly competing with each other.
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That is some cool stuff there Le Pistolet, I will have to go through it again when I have more time... I.e. I'm not painting my Stattenland pistoliers for a tourney in just under two weeks.
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Well I finally finished it all... And my oh my has it given me some insight to writing my background about the Contyre household and the Principality of Stattenland...
Yeah, I upgraded it from a County, after realising that it is waaaay too big to be a county. I checked out those websites for resources you had, and, well, lets just say I was a little shocked.
So it is now a Principality.
Its so big, it has three baronies, a county and a dukedom all inside it!!!
And you heard it first.
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Well I finally finished it all... And my oh my has it given me some insight to writing my background about the Contyre household and the Principality of Stattenland...
Yeah, I upgraded it from a County, after realising that it is waaaay too big to be a county. I checked out those websites for resources you had, and, well, lets just say I was a little shocked.
So it is now a Principality.
Its so big, it has three baronies, a county and a dukedom all inside it!!!
And you heard it first.
Make a thread. The fluff-monster is hungry.
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Make a thread. The fluff-monster is hungry.
Nom nom nom
You'd better feed the fluff monster. :ph34r:
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Make a thread. The fluff-monster is hungry.
Nom nom nom
You'd better feed the fluff monster. :ph34r:
ROFL LOL. :icon_mrgreen:
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(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/5492803334_10d2e72af1.jpg)
Am I now trolling my own thread? Oops. :engel:
In serious news, post it. I finished exams today so need stuff to read, I've got three months of Summer to fill. Speaking of which, expect quite a bit more background to come out of Sonnefurt over the next few months, I'm back :biggriin:
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I've been working on it the last few days when I have time... but I cannot garuntee it will be ready for another week at least... But whatever I get doen I will post up.
Eventually. Keep watching the office for it.
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:icon_lol: Some how that was a very appropriate picture. :::cheers:::
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Ah, here we go ...
Baroness Katrina von Heisenberg
The Baroness rules over the small Barony of Sonnefurt. She is fairly young, at 27 and is by all accounts very beautiful, as well as being intelligent and very charismatic. The von Heisenberg family came to rule Sonnefurt two generations ago, with the Baroness’ grandfather, Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg, distant and last surviving relative of the ruling Tol family. Her father, Baron Max von Heisenberg passed away just under a decade ago and has ruled, with help for the first few years, ever since.
The Baroness spends roughly three quarters of the year in her private villa in the hills South of Sonnefurt, and the rest of the year, normally the deep winter months, in the city, in her large town mansion. On several occasions she will make the long trips to her ancestral home of Heisenberg and Messen, as well as occasional trips to Nuln, where she visits her distant relatives of the Liebewitz family, the family of Countess Emmanuelle. Relations with the Countess, her second cousin are frosty at best and it is commonly believed that the Countess is jealous of the youth and beauty the Baroness possesses, as well the fact she is the second most successful female member of the family. Relations with the rest of the family in Northern Wissenland are on good terms and the Baroness has quite a bit of sway at Court and many allies with a lot of money.
The people of the Barony love their Baroness, and she is well respected amongst her peers and her councillors. Her harsh attitude towards Solland rebels has made relations with those in Wusterburg and Kreutzhofen a little tense in recent years, but they respect her leadership of her Barony, and border disputes are infrequent. Cooperation has occurred between the local regions, especially in the face of larger threats to the entire region. However, Baron von Kalb of Kroppenleben is the Countess’s biggest rival, constantly vying for total control of the trade routes with Karak Hirn, of which Sonnefurt controls half, and scheming against the Baroness.
The Baroness does not lead her own armies, for she is more of a political mind than a fighter, but she does coordinate armed efforts and offers her tactical insight. Her links to Messen, Heisenberg and Nuln do offer the opportunity, on the most dire of occasions, for armed help, but during the rule of the von Heisenberg family, this has only be required the once. The Baroness, however, does sometimes join the army to inspire the men, but will retreat back behind her lines before the fighting begins.
Mention is made of the Baroness being 27. I'm prepping a possible suitor for the "Wedding in Wissenland" thread, and so in what year is this refering to?
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2497- Current ruler, Baroness Katarina von Heisenberg is born
Here's a nugget. And so in 2527, when she is looking for a suitor, she's actually 29 or 30 years old, depending on when her birthday is.
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Yeah, cos women never lie about their age ;)
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Bloody interesting fluff/backstory mate, Dont know how you can go into such detail. Inspires me to do one for my own army, not sure if thats a good thing though ;)
Will be keeping a keen eye on this thread.
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Thanks Chev, I don't know how I have either, but I've been working on it for long over a year now, so I reckon it's time that helps. I do have a lot more to add to it, but I decided to take a long break from it just in case I became bored, I'll be coming back to the background sometime soon, but in the meantime feel free to look over the Wedding In Wissenland thread for any further developments to Sonnefurt.
Sorry I missed your questions GP, haven't been checking this website nearly as frequently as I did a few months ago in term time. You worked it out right, the Baroness is indeed 29/30. I think I included the month her birthday was in the festivals and holidays but I can't remember it off the top of my head. It doesn't really matter however, its the fact she's turning 30 that means they want to marry her off...
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It's been a while, but the enthusiasm for the wedding has inspired me to continue a little more, now seems the right time, I never want this to get saturated, so a long break was just what I needed.
I intend to look at the aristocracy of Sonnefurt over the next few updates, as this may be of use to wedding candidates, particularly the first part, the Baroness' own court and courtesans. I may extend the members of the courts, because I have a few more characters I am cooking up, but they may have to come in at a later date.
I might detail all the minor noble families, and the hierarchy, from the Baroness, to her liegelords, to the manor lords and then the lowly knights. Of course this won't be huge detail, or may not happen at all, as there are supposedly over 100 noble families. I will probably cut this number down at little to make it manageable...
Anyway, here's the court, use the information as you wish wedding candidates, they will be turning up in stories and fluff relating to the wedding :icon_wink:
The Aristocracy of Sonnefurt Part I: Katarina’s Court
The Court of the Baroness
The Court of the Baroness comprises her greatest friends and many young nobles of the Barony, as well as other important figure and many, many servants. The Court moves around at the whim of the Baroness, taking up residence in her enormous townhouse in Sonnefurt in the winter, and at her country villa during the summer. The Court is a particularly lavish affair, with grand balls and parties thrown regularly, to which attendance is mandatory to stay on the right side of the Baroness.
Lady Frederica Zell
Lady Zell is the heiress to the Zell family fortune and lineage. She also takes her father’s position on the Council as he is now incredibly old and decrepit. Due to a tactical marriage by Heinrich von Heisenberg of his son Max to Herman Zell’s sister, Vanessa, Lady Zell is the Baroness’ cousin.
Lady Zell is several years older than the Baroness, meaning the Baroness is keen to keep her around, as it makes her seem youthful and even more beautiful, as Lady Zell’s stupidity and immaturity make people assume she is the same age as the Baroness, but looking much worse for it.
She is not well valued on the Council and as such spends most of her time at the Court of the Baroness, unless prompted by family members to defend their interests. This means she is a regular face, even though she tends to annoy the Baroness with her girlish senselessness. The Baroness only tolerates this as she is family, and can be influenced to act on the Baroness’ behalf on the Council.
She is courting Captain Strotmann of the Soll River Patrol, and her family hope that this will secure and heir continue to the family line.
Captain Leo Strotmann
As he is courting Lady Zell, the Captain often appears at the Baroness’ Court when he can afford the time off from his military commitments. He is deemed amongst the most eligible men in the Barony due to the prestige gained from his rank. He is clearly attempting to make himself a noble with his courting of several noble daughters, and even by his attempts with the Baroness.
It looked likely for a long while that Captain Strotmann would be made Bailiff of Sonnefurt, a position that currently lies empty in the Barony. However, when his courting of the Baroness finished abruptly, all likeliness was removed, as the Baroness became incredibly offended that he soon began courting her older, stupider cousin over herself.
Captain Strotmann attempts to keep on the Baroness’ good side, but this means he does not attend as regularly as possible, hoping to not offend her by constantly being at Lady Zell’s side.
Lady Anne von Heisenberg
Lady von Heisenberg is the Baroness’ aunt, the younger sister of former Baron Max von Heisenberg. She has always been a member of the Court as far as the Baroness can remember, being a prominent member of Max’s own Court.
Anne failed to produce children of her own from her first marriage to Lord Hans Edelher, a well known local Lord. Sadly the old Lord died whilst Anne was still young and childless, leaving her a grieving widow. When the Baroness was born, she became her mother figure, taking over from her sister in law who had passed away during Katarina’s birth. She educated her in being a noble lady for the first eight years of her life, teaching her courtesies and manners and how to behave at court.
However, her brother Max decided that her grieving would stop so that she could be married to Baron Adam von Trulben. The marriage was not perfect, for Anne would be the aged Baron’s second wife, and he already had an heir, Lucas, but Max needed to bring in Trulben’s business, and bypass their tolls on the Upper Soll. This marriage took Anne away from the Baroness, and left her in the care of Arthritiknes, without a female guidance figure for another six years.
At this point, Baron von Trulben died, and Anne was no longer welcome in Trulben, her stepson forcing her to leave, almost exiling her from the town, along with her twin children so that they would be no trouble as claimants to the lands of Trulben.
Anne returned, but on seeing the Baroness was now a woman grown at fourteen, decided not to resume the level of mothering she had given to Katarina, but instead focused on her five year old children. The Baroness resented this slightly, holding the twins entirely to blame for stealing her mother figure, especially when she most needed one upon the death of her father two years later.. As such she was occasionally, and still sometimes can be spiteful to both Anne and her children, but since the death of Baron Max, she has brought them closer and has come to see the importance of family.
Anne still acts as a motherly council, especially now as her children are well grown and mature. She looks out for all three and offers the Baroness guidance that only a mother could give. Whilst her council is not as valuable in many areas as the Baroness’ more trusted advisors, she is still a welcome opinion in many areas.
Lord Adam and Lady Ilsa von Trulben
The von Trulben twins are the Baroness’ cousins on her father’s side, being Lady Anne von Heisenberg’s two surviving infants. They are eleven years younger than the Baroness, and are beginning to come to prominence at court.
Adam is the splitting image of a young Max von Heisenberg, taking no features from his late father. Being only five years old when his father died, he also shares none of his personality or traits, being his own man. Anne brought him up to resemble Max, for he is currently both the heir to Sonnefurt should the Baroness fail to marry and die without naming any other, and the heir to Trulben should Lucas not take a wife soon. She has educated him to be a shrewd politician, and great nobleman. She had Marshal Eichhorn educate him in military strategy and he is currently hoping to earn his spurs in the League of Military Gentleman, joining soon after their liberation of Sonnefurt in the war against Kroppenleben.
The Baroness is acutely aware of Adam’s claim, and his reaching of maturity has inspired her to wed, hoping to quell his claim. In the meantime, she is pressing for him to stick with a military career, just in case she can’t produce her own heir.
Ilsa is the elder of the twins by half an hour, and never lets her brother forget this, as by rights she should be the heir to Sonnefurt and Trolben, but Imperial law overlooks the time of birth in favour of gender in the case of twins. She takes this quite personally, and has vowed to marry a powerful nobleman in a few years, to better her chances and best her younger brother.
Just as Adam is the exact image of his uncle, Ilsa looks much like a young Anne, and is very similar appearance to Katarina, but much younger. Fortunately for the Baroness, Ilsa’s attitude to men for her own gain has turned away many young suitors as she only seems to go for aging nobles, hoping they will die and leave her their estate so she too can become a Baroness.
The von Trublen twins have earned a reputation as the von Trouble twins, ever since their youth in Sonnefurt. They were known for getting under everyone’s feet at court, and for bullying younger noble children as they were of two noble families, and therefore superior. As they aged, they began spending the vast sum of money Lucas bequeathed from their father’s will to Anne and her children so they would leave Trulben, and have been spending it rather extravagantly on wild parties and stupid gifts.
Adam and Ilsa, like many twins, are incredibly close. They are each other’s biggest rivals, but closest friends and as such, the Baroness can feel left out if it is the three of them together. Anne seems to favour them too over Katarina, and sometimes she feels entirely neglected. The youth of the twins means the Baroness does not look to them for anything but entertainment, seeking no advice off them. If they mature then the Baroness may require their council on some matters, but until then they are free from any such duty.
Lady Elisabeth Eichhorn
Lady Eichhorn is the youngest child and only daughter of the Barony’s Marshal, Richter Eichhorn. She was born only two months after the Baroness, and they grew up together, becoming best friends. As such, Lady Eichhorn is always present at the Court of the Baroness, for her husband is a Nuln merchant and often away. Furthermore, her elder brothers are already fulfilling all of the Marshal’s expectations of his family, and her marriage was her only use in his eyes.
Lady Eichhorn is also stunningly beautiful, much to the chagrin of the Baroness, but as she was married the instant she turned eighteen, there has never been animosity or jealousy between the two . As well as her beauty, Lady Eichhorn is actually very intelligent, although this is overlooked due to her eldest brother being a Doctor at the University of Nuln. She is a good advisor when it comes to men, genuinely looking out for the Baroness’ best interests, but also making sure the relationship would last. It is partially her doing that broke up Captain Strotmann and the Baroness, advising her that there were better men for her.
Marshall Richter Eichhorn
Marshall Eichhorn is the Baroness’ most trusted advisor. He was her father’s best friend and companion, and was always like an uncle to her growing up. In the wake of her father’s death, he became her father figure, the most important man in her life. It is said that it was the grief of losing her father than supposedly confused the young Baroness, and led to her developing a girlish crush on the Marshall.
Of course, this was blown well out of proportion by the most gossip prone at court, and rumours have flown ever since, rumours often with little truth. It is true that the Marshall spend much of his time alone with the Baroness, being the Captain of her bodyguard, and this meant he was in her personal chambers and accompanying her on trips, but they are both adamant nothing has ever happened, whatever the gossipmongers may say.
As the Baroness grew tired of the rumours, and grew more mature in her own decisions, she relinquished her dependency on the Marshall and used him only for military decisions, and for decisions related directly to her protection.
The Marshall, being originally of low birth before he rose through the ranks to come to prominence under Max von Heisenberg, has little time for the court. He will gladly take care of protection, guarding all occasions with the Von Heisenberg Guard, but prefers not to attend unless the Baroness expressly demands. Unfortunately for him, the Baroness enjoys his awkward shyness and makes him attend most occasions. To put him at ease, she even raised him to the title of Lord Marshall, but he still shys from talking to noblemen. He will always wear military clothing, and will always carry a sword with him, which sometimes puts off the nobles, making them believe he trusts none of them.
Grubart the Grey
Grubart the Grey is a travelling wizard with long links to the Von Heisenberg family, and even the Tol family before them. No one knows exactly how old he is, some say as old as the Barony itself, and over the course of his life he has become very well known within the Barony’s citizens.
He is a hermitic and nomadic wizard, scruffy and unkempt with matted hair, battered clothes and gnarled skin. However, the Baroness has an incredible soft spot for him, as Max von Heisenberg credited him with bringing about her birth through elixirs that prevented his wife from giving birth to a living child. Although he was prone to wandering, he stayed relatively local through the Baroness’ formative years, and she came to see him as a grandfather figure, never having met Heinrich von Heisenberg.
When he chooses to appear at her court, he is a very knowledgeable advisor, his sage like wisdom helping solve many problems. He is also the Court magician, using his minor magical powers to delight the Baroness, who tends to devolve into a small girl, squealing and giggling at his displays. The only time it is known Grubart will appear is at the Baroness’ birthday ball, where he will bring a gift, usually enchanted, that will either solely delight her, or actually be particularly useful. At all other special occasions, the Baroness hopes he will reappear, but he nothing is every guaranteed with Grubart.
Arthritiknes
Arthritiknes is the Baroness’ personal tutor, an excellent academic, philosopher, mathematician, inventor and playwright who was chased out of his former home, a Kingdom in the Border Princes and came to Sonnefurt. He intended to only rest in the town on his journey to the University in Nuln,. On the one night he intended to stay in Sonnefurt, however, he visited the Von Heisenberg Theatre. During the play he rudely began shouting at the actors, also from the Border Princes, in his native tongue, and according to most sources, telling them they were murdering one of his best plays.
This outburst caught the attention of Baron Max von Heisenberg, who shared his father's passion for great plays, and commissioned Arthritiknes to write and direct many plays for the theatre, attracting audiences from all over Wissenland, and even Nuln. Arthritiknes became used to Sonnefurt and stayed, taking up the offer of being Katarina’s tutor when she was born, teaching her everything she needed to know to become Baroness. Following her eighteenth birthday, he turned his attention back to his academic work and writing more original plays.
He is too elderly and stuffy to bother with the Baroness’ parties, not that she minds at all, always seeing him as her boring teacher and now advisor rather than a friend. He is however famous for writing a special play for her each year on her birthday, which is attended by nobility from all around.
Father Josef Schmidt
Father Schmidt is another one of the Baroness’ closest advisors and mentors, being the head of the Sigmarite Church in Sonnefurt. He did not play a large role in the Baroness’ upbringing, being only five years her elder. He was however, a student of her personal priest, Father Marcus Freud and spent many of his teenage years in the Baroness’ household. It is said he took a fancy to her, despite being only a commoner, and this unattainable love forced him into his religious work with an even greater vigour.
His youth means he does enjoy the frivolity of the Baroness, but he is inclined to judge her excess, for he runs the Sanctuary of Sigmar, the Sigmarite Alms House in Sonnefurt, and of course cannot condone activities which could been seen as verging on the fringes of foul worship through over indulgence. However, he knows she is young and overlooks this much of the time, and will always be present to keep a careful eye on her and her associates.
Lord Jonas von Kalb
Jonas von Kalb is the second son of Baron Johann von Kalb, the instigator of the recent war between Sonnefurt and Kroppenleben. As the Baron was not imprisoned, despite Sonnefurt’s best efforts, a compromise was met, that the Baroness would take his son as a ward, a hostage to prevent the risk of another war between the two.
Jonas is not a fighter or ruler like his father or older brother, but instead an intelligent and manipulative young man, who prefers to use his sly wit and scheming to fight as opposed to natural brawn. He isn’t unhandsome, and has a roguish charm to him, a bad boy affect that seems to woo the younger, more naive noble girls
He is widely disliked at court as the son of the Baron who caused so much damage and pain in the Barony. However, being manipulative and cunning, he has won the charms of Adam von Trulben, and the two seem to have a loose friendship, despite the Baroness’ best efforts to split them apart. It is said that he has taken a personal fancy to Ilsa too, although she sees little interest in a lordling who isn’t an heir, and whose father has lost a huge amount of his former power.
The Baroness wants little to do with him, and has confined him to her villa for the most of the year, it being a long way from many nobles, and a long way from Solland rebels who may want to use him for their own purposes. However, he is welcome by courtesy to formal occasions, as the Baroness’ advisors hope to re-educate him from his father’s ways.
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OK here you go....
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff189/srparkhill/Empire%20Album/flag.png)
Provincial Flag/Standard of Sonnefurt Wissenland.
The twin colors of Yellow and White represent the twin elements of Solland and Wissenland heritage that the Barony has. This flag came into being some time after 1710 IC. The central element in this case is the Rose of the ruling family. This changes with the ruler/family.
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff189/srparkhill/Empire%20Album/RiverPatrol.png)
Emblem and Blazon of the 9th Sol River Patrol. The anchor representing the water element of their work/history. The grey denotes loyalty to Wissenland while the yellow is a nod to the former Solland River Regiments of the past.
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff189/srparkhill/Empire%20Album/Sonnefurt.png)
Shield of the Marshall of Sonnefurt. This blazon is awarded to the reigning marshal, which depicts the ruling household or Baron/Baroness at the time.
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff189/srparkhill/Empire%20Album/Town3.png)
Flag and Colors of the Thalfang Yeomen. Noted is the purple and Fluer De Lys, the white lion of Wissenland stands proudly rampant indicating that the regiment at some time was honored in despatches or received a citation from the Elector of Wissenland.
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff189/srparkhill/Empire%20Album/Town2.png)
Colors and Symbol of the Strazen Levy.
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff189/srparkhill/Empire%20Album/Town1.png)
The Crest and Arms of the Heim Family which is carried into battle by the Ertingen Irregulars. It would rarely be displayed on anything apart from the Heim Family property or persons in the event of a muster.
If you like the above I will do one for the Baroness for you as well... If not let me know will delete the post for you. :)
Cheers.
Lexi.
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Oh wow :-o
This is amazing stuff, love it. Was thinking of changing the military background, but now I might have to keep it this way, the heraldry is amazing!
Thanks :::cheers:::
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Are all those aristocrats going to be at the Suitors celebration?
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As for military background and heraldry, nothings writtne in stone, and being flexible with both could be good.
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Thanks will do you a Baroness one today but its 3am here in Australia and I need to sleep!
Enjoy though.... Glad to help anyone with fluffy stuff especially heraldry or design stuff. I used this extensively for a Birthright Campaign I ran for 9 years giving each noble and house a symbol and lineage. Was a lot of fun. So it is fairly easy for me to do. Cheers!
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All I did was take the descriptions that Pistole had on the web for the heraldric descriptions of different areas under the Military Tab... then expanded it a little with a few flaky type ideas like unit citation and whatever.... Ignore or use or modify as you like. When I design something I try to keep to a certain way... ie; A rampant lion means something different to a sitting one etc..... so that their is some continuity so to speak. I usually try at least somewhere to base it off real french or real english... but meh... the heraldry book of the empire throws all that out anyway.
Lex.
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Yep GP, I think they will all be there, plus maybe a few others, I will work on the nobility over the next couple of days and get it sorted. I'm thinking there could be more lords, and young nobles, like Mayor Funk's son and others.
I am thinking this will be the hierarchy:
Baroness
l
Lord Mayors
l
Fief Lords/Merchant (Landless Lords)
l
Manor Lords
l
Knights
A few of the Fief and Merchant Lords will be there, or their sons if they are too old, or daughters if the Baroness likes their company. They will probably be the most I detail go in to as per the nobility. There will probably be about 14 Houses and Fiefs. It's all a jumble at the moment but it will be figured out :happy:
I now have a plan for the heraldry too. I will keep it for the Lord Mayor Houses, I may detail some other heraldry for their liege houses in turn, but obviously I wouldn't expect this to actually be put into pictures, I wouldn't ask that of you.
The military thing will probably still change, like you say GP, keeping some flexibility. I essentially imagine that this far south in the Empire, nearer Bretonnia and the petty Kingdoms of the Border Princes, the feel is more feudal and backwards, as opposed to the state armies of the more developed States.
The Sonnefurt military will be those that go off to fight for Wissenland, professional soldiers who get paid. The Lord Mayors and their liege houses will then be able to raise large militias to make up the larger armies in desperate times like the war against Kroppenleben.
So many ideas, thanks guys, the juices are flowing again :::cheers:::
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Well that is a exalent update LP. Looking at it I allready have a plan in mind
Anywho I can see your point about your army. Yes I would say they would be rather ad-hock with knights in dirty plate and mail and deformed and rather avrage looking peasants in the foot troops
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(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff189/srparkhill/Empire%20Album/Town1.png)
How very Solland...
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Ertingen used to be part of Kreutzhofen until much later than Sonnefurt was, thus it was influenced by Solland much more than anywhere else. The Heim family are technically Sollanders, but you'll be unhappy to hear, they've long relinquished that history... :icon_wink:
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I keep telling you, the De Crux family can play the long game like no other...
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Well the Von Heisenberg roots are growing ever deeper with the passing of time, its gonna take a mighty Solland shovel and a series of De Crux weedkiller to get us out.
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Or, a marriage...
also, I like the heraldry idea. I am thinking about designing Heraldry for my Contyre family now :)
ANd no I have a colour scheme, I can do it.
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Ok last one for you....
The Baroness herself....
The shield is quartered, as the more complicated the nobility the more devices appear. Traditionally lesser noble families etc will have very complicated heraldry due to that much intermarriage etc attempting to get a leg up the ladder so to speak. However I have attempted to keep the Baroness a simple design.
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff189/srparkhill/Empire%20Album/baroness.png)
The First Quarter is white and grey to show the rulership and lordship of Wissenland above all others. This would be important from a propaganda point of view. It is filled with the white lion of Wissenland. Again to show who really rules here.
The Second Quater shows the helm of a Baronet/Baron as that is the rank of the title. Again it is in white and grey to show yet again the ascendency of Wissenland.
The bottom quarters are divided.
The chequery bottom shows the grey and white of Wissenland but the border is yellow to show with the rose of the family the binding of elements of Wissenland held together with the thread of Solland's past.
The other is to represent the history of the town and area... the land is yellow and the two rivers that traditionally split and bordered the regions of Wissenland and Solland are noted on the panel. The rivers however are white and grey bordered. They belong as always to Wissenland.
The idea here was to create something that was over arching Wissenland but with a nod to the Solland past. However the Baronesses will have children and if she has a son then the bottom right quarter is likely to change to that of her husbands heraldry. So it may become RED if it was Hochland for example or Purple if Sylvania etc..... The idea being over generational times to remove slowly the Solland influences on the ruling families devices. As each generation grows, leading to a more united Wissenland etc at al.
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Lets have fun painting them shall we?
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I have on my pc at home a bluffers guide to heraldry I can send you if you want, it gives the real world meaning to the quarters, symbols, colours and their placements
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Send who?
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Anyone who is interested, in fact when I get chance I'll just post it on the forum somewhere
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I'd be interested in that, Uryens. I'll send you a PM.
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Oooh, the Baroness' one is very nice.
I like the idea of the yellow more and more. I have got them painted with Red accessories, but that's probably because they don't want to be confused with a Solland army... :icon_wink:
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It comes down to actually seeing it... and yellow breaks up the white nicely and the grey... I can never imagine GW ever doing an army of White state troops... unfortunately the choice for the province is rather easy and hard. White will go with anything... but you should try and keep away from anything white and red or white and blue as they are representative of other provinces a LOT...
I find the same thing with Sylvania... I am with Purple... as a base color so I try and keep it a contrast or clash color like RED, BLACK, BONE as the prime candidate but you had red... and yellow complemented it. I did deliberately try and keep her heraldry just something a bit different for you.
Remember the Empire Heraldry book can mean whatever you like... there are no RULES for heraldry in Warhammer really. Its more German than British heraldry anyway... and thats a lot more subjective. Good luck with your fluff. And I was glad to help you out.
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Crime and the Sonnefurt Underworld
Smuggling and Trafficking
Being a river port and in the most southern corner of the Empire, bordering Bretonnia and the many states of the Border Princes, smuggling is a huge problem in Sonnefurt.
Huge quantities of foreign goods are shipped down the River Soll each year, and it is almost impossible to regulate the movements of ships in and out of each port and what exactly they carry in their holds. High tariffs are in place on foreign goods, such as textiles from Araby and wines and foodstuffs from Bretonnia, and to avoid these costs, many merchants smuggle these goods amongst other normal wares, selling them on to unscrupulous buyers in the larger cities of Nuln, Altdorf and Marienburg so that all parties make large profits.
Such is the extent of this low end smuggling that most authorities have turned a blind eye to it, and there are many campaigns for the reduction of tariffs and taxes on imports to reduce the costs of policing the waterways and reduce the necessity to check the holds of most vessels, which in turn allows many others to get past and slip through the net.
Sonnefurt has recently become known as one of the towns which hardly deals with small scale smuggling, and this has turned it into a den of this activity. However, the town does charge a higher ship tax than most other towns, and this is partly due to the refusal to enforce the laws greatly. Instead, the taxes taken are in most part paid to the Emperor as a reimbursement for the lost tariffs. As there are no trials or need for policing, this is beneficial to both the smugglers and the town itself. However, those suspected of smuggling too much to turn a blind eye to are either dealt with in Sonnefurt, or word is sent upriver or to the River Patrol, and they will be dealt with elsewhere.
Large scale smuggling however is becoming an increasing problem. Criminal organisations are pushing the boundaries of tolerance in Sonnefurt and are trying to get away without even paying the tax, or by not registering their ships, or any goods at all. These organisations turn huge profits with their illegal trade and have become so entrenched in the town that they are hard to oust. Many have bought off the watch and port tax collectors with huge bribes, and continue to smuggle unhindered.
Sonnefurt also experiences a fair deal of human trafficking. Slavery and forced servitude is illegal within the lands of the Empire (although not in its colonies) and as such the act of smuggling foreign peoples into the land with the intention of being sold into slavery is a serious crime. Many of these people are young women, brought from Tilea, Araby and Estalia, as well as many Border Prince Kingdoms to be sold as prostitutes throughout the Empire. Sonnefurt is used to bring these young women in and quickly ship them through to Marienburg, where the laws on slavery and prostitution are more lenient. As this business is incredibly lucrative, but horrendously dangerous for those caught, it is often carried out by experienced smugglers, and cartels.
Rustling and Poaching
Wissenland is hugely rural, and as such, experiences a huge amount or countryside crimes such as rustling and poaching. Criminal gangs of outlaws and thieves prey upon small farmsteads and towns, stealing their cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, often slaughtering them and selling them at said towns markets to make a further profit. The gangs are often well armed as rustling is met with a great deal of vigilante justice in the areas not patrolled by the watch. As such, the raids can turn bloody very quickly, and often result in murders and arson, as the gangs will destroy any farms which do not allow them to steal their animals with ease.
Poaching is also considered a crime in certain areas. Many parts of the Barony’s rivers and forests are considered free areas, where any man can hunt and take what he needs for Taal’s bounty, but some areas are the lands of the local nobility, the Lords of the towns and sometimes even the Baroness. Enforcing these laws is the Lord’s own responsibility, and it is not uncommon to see fences around certain areas of land to mark what is private.
However, many flaunt these laws as the Lord’s often keep the best game in their lands, and these creatures fetch great prices across the Barony. Thus, many are lured into breaking the law just to grab the juiciest pheasant or most succulent doe, a feat that would feed their family for weeks. Often gangs are formed to distract the Lord’s guards and patrols whilst others hunt, and the crime has become favoured of small bands of thieves, for it is almost impossible now to act alone.
Robbery and Theft
In the Barony’s countryside, those that have been deemed as outlaws don’t merely rustle cattle to keep themselves in money and food, many resort to stealing and armed robbery. Outlaw gangs are a huge nuisance on the roads of the Barony and take much policing to control. They often hold up stagecoaches, market wagons and nobles in hope of huge payouts. These robberies are inherently violent, and the gangs use their money to buy the best weapons to threaten their victims. Some of the outlaw gangs have become so notorious their names are known across the Barony and there are huge bounties on their heads issued by the Baroness herself.
In the cities, gangs also operate with the intention of robbing the rich. Most of these gangs exist within Sonnefurt, where the call of the rich merchants is too much to resist. Gangs range from single cat burglars, to small groups of street urchins taught how to pickpocket to a couple of men who mug unsuspecting victims in dark allies to even large groups of armed men who raid houses, killing the occupants and taking everything inside. Many of each group are prevalent in every town, and some have become notorious as their rural colleagues, and their names strikes fear into the town watches.
Famous Criminals and Organisations
The Nightlord
The Nightlord is Sonnefurt’s most notorious criminal mastermind. He is master of many trades, and almost of all crime within the town and the Barony, operating large smuggling, trafficking, prostitution, racketeering, money laundering, and fraudulent operations that range across much of the Empire. His actual name is unknown to the city watch and anyone who tries to investigate him, and he has create a ring of corruption around him through vast bribes and payments that anyone who even gets close to finding his real identity winds up floating down the River Soll in chains.
Many petty criminals and gangs pay homage to the Nightlord, seeking his permission for jobs, and are often obliged to give him a cut of their profits. The Nightlord thus has a huge network of criminals at his beck and call, and could completely overturn the Barony in days, plunging it into chaos should he feel threatened. The Baroness has thus been advised to leave him be, and to only instruct the watch to hunt his underlings and the petty criminals, in hope of halting some of his activity in the Barony.
Rumours fly around the Barony that Marius Blech, a member of the council, is the Nightlord, and he has not confirmed nor denied this. Any investigation into him has been mysteriously inconclusive, showing either that the rumours are true, or the Nightlord and Blech are friends or that Blech has many other secrets he wishes to keep hidden. For now, the rumours remain only rumours and the Nightlord stays at large.
The Falsetto ‘Family’
Perhaps the only organisation in the Barony that threatens to rival the Nightlord, the Falsetto family operate out of Ertingen but are active across the entire Barony too, although their influence is felt less in the Nightlord’s areas of Sonnefurt.
The Falsetto family excel in all areas of organised crime, and have created roots in the Barony’s underworld since their arrival nearly one hundred years ago from Miragliano. They have a network of Tilean contacts, called ‘Fratellis’ and everyone who works for them in considered to be in their ‘family’, adopting the fake name of Falsetto. The census turns more and more of these men and women up each time it is taken, much to the worry of the Council and Baroness.
However, it was the Falsetto family who supplied weapons and explosives to the Martinswald Resistance during the war with Kroppenleben, and this has resulted in a blind eye being turned for the foreseeable future, as they are considered to act in Sonnefurt’s interests, modelling themselves as respectable businessmen, even if they do contradict Wissenburg and Altdorf’s rules.
The Bajramovic’s
Hailing from the Border Princes, the Bajramovic’s are the newest crime syndicate in the Barony. They specialise in human trafficking, an area not embraced fully by the Nightlord of the Falsetto family, and have quickly taken the monopoly on this illicit trade. They run a smuggling line over the Black Mountains, an incredibly risky job, but one which means they are uncontested as the watch are not assigned to patrol these mountains and the Dwarfs who sometimes encounter them are not familiar with the trafficking laws of the Empire, and often let them pass as mere, foolhardy travellers.
The Bajrmovics are incredibly protective of their business and are highly dangerous. They carry the best weapons, often from Nuln, modified to their own needs. They are famous for their repeating pistols, nicknamed the ‘Uri Nein Miliz Gewehr’ or ‘Uri’s No Police Gun’ after its first user, Uri Bajramovic. The River Patrol have had many run ins with the traffickers, but are unable to stop all their smuggling, as it is often costly in life, for the River Patrol are no longer as well funded as the criminals they chase.
Wili das Jung or 'Babyface'
Wili is one of the most notorious outlaws in the Barony’s countryside. He runs his own gang, ‘The Kinder’, a group of very young men and boys who hope to make money and find glory by robbing the citizens of the Barony, poaching and rustling.
Although very young, the band are highly dangerous, and almost untraceable, as they can easily blend into any environment as young village boys and know the Barony incredibly well, having hundreds of places they can hide, in the woodland, in ruined farmsteads and the such.
However the band are believed to have been operating for over one fifty years, giving rise to the thought that Wili is actually a large halfling, who is now aging but still appears when dressed in his outlaws clothes, as a young boy. Those who have seen him and survived have reported that Wili is a plump young man (or, indeed halfling) sat atop a pony with curly an incredibly round, podgy face. This has led to his other famous nickname of 'Babyface', a name he chooses not to use himself, but is used by his enemies and those who have cause to hate him.
Das Metzger von Thalfang
Das Metzger, or Butcher, of Thalfang is the town’s greatest criminal overlord. He is said to be under the thumb of the Nightlord, but some say he has recently broken away, initiating a war between the two crime masters over the control of Thalfang. This has lead to many dead men and a criminal turning up in the morning, often horrifically murdered as the war escalates.
The Butcher was originally so called as he would hide either illegal or highly taxed goods within animal carcasses, a good which was not taxed and due to the smell, little investigated, for the Nightlord to smuggle. However, he has begun to earn his name for the way in which he murders his victims and enemies, using a brutal array of knives to slice them to pieces and hack away lumps of flesh, which some say are turned into pies at one of Thalfang’s famous pie shops.
The name however is thought to just be a name, not the man’s occupation, for all Thalfang’s butchers have been investigated, and none were found guilty. Mayor Funk has ordered a redoubling of efforts to find him so that the war will move out of his town’s streets.
The Dirty Rats
The Dirty Rats are an ancient order of mercenary hit men who first made an appearance in Sonnefurt 1804, hiring themselves out to the highest bidder. With many competing businesses, they found a lot of work and operated out of the town for hundreds of years. More recently they have begun to operate across the entire Empire, seemingly having a network across the land that allows them to travel as quick as lightning, and overrun places with their assassins.
The group are believed to be the best assassins in the world, and their training is believed to come from the Orient. In Sonnefurt, they are only hired by the most wealthy men, as their price is not at all cheap. It is almost impossible to track the assassins down too, as they are very secretive, and meetings often take place underground, in basements or near the river to stay out of sight.
Reports say that the Dirty Rats have a custom of wearing incredibly realistic rat head masks, looking a lot like the rat head beasts that have their stories told across the Empire. Some seem to have rope tails to add to the effect too, and often their weapons drip with a strange green, glowing substance. Ideas that the order may be the rumoured Skaven are thought to be hogwash, and it is obvious that reports of murder attributed to these beasts anywhere in the Empire were the doing of the Dirty Rats, hired by someone to do their bidding, not by another ratman.
Bonni and Claus
Bonni and Claus are thought to be a couple who operate in a fraudulent manner to acquire access to noble’s homes, or to ambush them on the roads in their stagecoaches. The couple are well known as Bonni and Claus Diebin and are notorious outlaws, hunted by the Barony’s watches; however their many stunts have allowed them to build up a huge repertoire of disguises, which makes finding them almost impossible.
They use their mastery of disguise and acting, thought to have been learned under the tutelage of Arthritiknes himself, to earn the trust of their marks, to gain tickets to grand events, such as balls or to convince nobles to stop for them on the road. Once they have convinced their targets, they will threaten them at gun or knifepoint, stripping them of all the wealth they have on them, or if in a house for a ball, stealing all the material possessions in the house, and those of the guests.
The couple have not been foolish enough to attempt to rob the Baroness, as it is thought that Arthritiknes would recognise them, however, this does not mean they have not come up with a plan to slip past him. Thus, guards are always on the lookout for a mysterious couple trying to gain access to the Baroness’ events.
‘Funf’ or ‘V’
Funf or V is the greatest burglar, assassin and single criminal in the entire Barony, and perhaps even the Southern Empire. However, despite his grandeur, he started his career humbly in the docks of Sonnefurt. It is said he would steal and kill for money, and became incredibly good at his work, but the Nightlord took a disliking to his operations in his area of the town, and had him tricked and captured. As a punishment for petty theft from his property, he wanted to take the man’s hands. However, Funf negotiated to just a few fingers , letting him choose which ones he lost. He chose his thumb, index and middle fingers of his right hand, and the middle and index of his left.
From this mutilation came the name Funf, and from his left hand, the old Reik symbol for five, the V, and held a grudge against the Nightlord forever.
Funf now works as a master assassin, skilled with his few fingers in holding specially crafted throwing knives, small blades and even an incredibly light rapier for use in his right hand. It is commonly believed the name of Funf also stuck due to the frequency in which he uses smoke bombs from Cathay, which make a similar noise to the name when thrown.
His activity is focused on disrupting the Nightlord’s business, targeting those who work with and for him, and working his way to getting at the man, for Funf knows his true identity, having met face to face and surviving, but wishes to have the glory of his death himself, and wants him to see how his business has been taken down by one man he hugely underestimated.
To make a living he hires himself out to the Nightlord’s rivals, including Das Metzger and even sometimes the watch, who ignore his activities for the greater good, believing the enemy of an enemy to be a friend. Thus Funf has free reign of the city, and is even under indirect commission from the Baroness to find the Nightlord.
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:wink:
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:)
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Long time no update!
Well, in fact, this isn't really an update, its an ongoing reworking of all my current work, in an attempt to bring my fluff back under control, and back into line with GW's official background.
With the new release, I have been inspired to pick up my army and actually start playing again. Before, writing was a replacement for this, and now I want my models to more accurately represent a possible army from my Barony. Thus, I am going back on a lot of what I have written to fit this, including ways of fitting in Steam Tanks, Demigryphs and the such into a small Barony's army. I have also decided I do not want to Baroness on the field all the time, as I feel this would be foolish as she is a massive liability. As such, I decreased her age to 21 and gave her motivation to stay away from battle (her father died in battle).
I have written up a first draft of the new history of Sonnefurt. A lot of it is the same bar some dates, and I bulked a lot of minor details out into bigger paragraphs. I want Sonnefurt to now feel like a smaller community of a few thousand people, and I hope I have also conveyed that it is constantly under attack, what with being next to an open Skaven community, a goblin infested wood, a Wight Cairn and the Black Mountains.
I will be reviewing a lot of the other information in due course and keeping you all posted. I may even create another thread to keep all of the new/reviewed stuff together, and close this one down.
And yes, this does mean that the Wedding in Wissenland is off for a bit, I haven't really decided where I want to go with that at all... :icon_rolleyes:
Anyway, heres the new timeline:
-------------No records remain from prior to 1707 -------------
1707- Sonnefurt and its surroundings completely destroyed by the invasion of Orc Warlord Gorbad Ironclaw. Many Orcs and Goblins remain in the Martinswald and the Bezau Hills to the South.
1710- Reconstruction begins. Dwarf population grows once again, for the first time since they retreated to their mountains during the Black Death. Their numbers double in a few short years. It is said this is the time the Strommson clan, ancestors of current Dwarf Elder Jusk Strommson moved to the area.
1715- The first Council of the Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt, Ostrach and Thalfang is called, independently to Kreutzhofen, to deal with the remnants Gorbad’s Waaagh that lingers ominously in the Martinswald. A general militia is raised, independent of Kreutzhofen, and many of the Goblins are driven from the area, further into the hills.
1722- Riots in Sonnefurt concerning the poor leadership of Kreutzhofen since the destruction in the wake of Gorbad Ironclaw. Sonnefurt has had no extra funding, protection or investment, whilst Kreutzhofen has grown massively through trade. Riots are unanswered, and many are injured during the violence.
1734- A raid of chaotic beastmen sacks Ostrach, killing hundreds and making many refugees. The beastlord Khrark Three-horn is hunted by a combined force of the South Wissenland Road Wardens and Sonnefurt and Thalfang militias rather than professional Kreutzhofen regiments, as the Baron claims he cannot provide the numbers needed.
1756- Abject poverty hits the Barony due to widespread failed harvests in all of Southern Wissenland. The poor and the hungry lash out at the authorities, and these riots are brutally suppressed by Kreutzhofen troops. Resentment continues across the Barony.
1778- The river Aschen floods the low lying river banks where many grow their crops in Great Flood of Thalfang. Dozens perish in the icy waters whilst they work and agriculture is halted for the rest of the year.
1804- Deep in the Martinswald, the geographical anomaly that is now named “Morr’s Chasm” opens. Reports tell of an unnatural green light glowing in the skies above. Many scholars come to the Barony from all over The Empire to study it. Many never return from their ventures.
1805- A year after disappearing into Morr’s Chasm, hoping to meet with the God of Death to cure his crippling illness, a Thalfang resident called Edgar returns perfectly healed but with a glowing green tint to his eyes. Many believe that he fought Morr for his life and won, and some believe he was experimented on by the rat-beasts. All that is known is that he survived another fifty years, becoming Thalfang’s oldest resident in history, and that he is still revered by many as a religious figure in the Cult of Morr.
1815- The Martinswald is thought to be relatively safe compared to previous years, as expeditions to clear the Beasts and Greenskins from it were stepped up. Despite the lingering danger, villagers migrate and small scale timber industry is established by merchants in the larger towns, exploiting these brave workers.
1817- Lumberjacks report small skirmishes with rat-formed beasts in the Martinswald, near “Morr’s Chasm”. These reports are denounced as nothing to worry about, and mere old wives tales, but those spouting them mysteriously disappear, or become very reluctant to answer further questions.
1825- The two woodcutting villages of Bezeinhof and Martinskorf are officially recognised after ten years. More people flock to these outlying villages due to this news, and the woodcutting community grows further. They are allowed to elect their own Mayors, subject to Kreutzhofen approval.
1856- One hundred years after riots in Sonnefurt, the inhabitants pay homage to the fallen by taking to the streets in mass mourning. This is seen by the current, slightly paranoid, Baron Karl Pfeifraucher as a reborn insurrection, and troops are rushed to the town to brutally subdue the memorial. Hans Hettinger, a simple dock worker, led the “Defence of the Dockyards” against these troops, a guerrilla campaign in the town of Sonnefurt, and in the surrounding countryside that lasted for 15 days and nights before Hans was caught and publically executed. His actions inspired future rebellion and to this day Sonnefurt citizens remember him as a folk hero.
1860- Otto Pfeifraucher, youngest son of Baron Karl Pfeifraucher, is murdered while hunting in the Martinswald. He is found stripped naked with stab wounds from many different weapons, and it is assumed he fell foul of bandits. Baron Pfeifraucher however, sure of a plot against his family by insurrectionists launches an investigation into the murder, but too many suspects are found in the Barony with the means and motivations and the case remains unresolved.
1861- In answer to his son’s murder, Baron Karl Pfeifraucher finances barracks and a permanently stationed garrison in Sonnefurt to suppress any insurrection to their command. This begins the long established Military District in the town, and many forges spring up, including the famous Skeggi’s Workshop and the Beyer Foundry.
1873- Due to the increased military industrial economy in Sonnefurt after the establishment of the Pfeifraucher barracks, the Sol River Patrol choose to garrison a regiment in the town. The 9th Regiment are stationed and their trade brings added prosperity to the blossoming industry in the town.
1897- Militias from Strazen report attacks from an army of the walking dead in the Dieten Hills. They are apparently led by a Wight Lord of some kind. Many rumour this Wight to be the long lost King Dieten, who gave his name to the hills. After these reports reach further afield, there is an increased presence of holy men and shady characters, thought to be secretive witch hunters.
1932- Financial crisis hits the Pfeifraucher family as Baron Ludwig Pfeifraucher loses huge sums of money whilst gambling. In order to finance these loses he auctions off family lands he deems worthless to him. Thalfang, Ostrach and Sonnefurt are all auctioned to an incredibly wealthy customer, Dieter Wulstberg, a merchant from Marienburg. He is widely popular with the people despite imposing the Liberty Tax to help pay for his acquisition, and celebrations of independence are held. Sonnefurt becomes a freestadt and Dieter is inaugurated as the town’s Burgomeister. Under his guidance and mercantile know how, the towns and their surroundings grow and prosper like never before.
1987- Ertingen is auctioned by the Pfeifraucher family, as even though Baron Ludwig Pfeifraucher committed suicide by tying rocks to his feet and jumping into the Sol, he still owed many powerful people copious amounts of money. In the auction Dieter’s son, Albert, purchases Ertingen and the village of Strazen further up stream.
1989- Albert issues a contract for Sonnefurt-Ertingen Ferry, connecting the two towns for the first time, but neither want to be merged and fiercely protect their independent identities to this day. The contract is won by an eccentric Dwarf engineer, Baldrick Sootbeard and his experimental paddle steamer, and has been run by his family ever since. Baldrick’s ferry is granted a monopoly on the crossing, and unlawful crossings can be fined.
2011- Residents report more undead attacks from the Dieten Hills, stating it is the same Wight King back again. The wine industry on the hills is hugely damaged by the abject terror instilled into the workers, many of who refuse to continue picking the fields. The resulting wine shortage is known locally as “The Drought”.
2032- Sonnefurt celebrates two hundred years of independence under the Wulstberg family. It is in this year that the Count of Wissenland offers Wilhelm Wulstberg the chance to become a Baron, which is taken, officially establishing the independent Barony of Sonnefurt. As a result the region flourishes more and more each year. Population of the town reaches a peak not rivalled until modern times.
2101- This year is locally known as the ‘Dark Year’. Constant raids by Beasts, the Undead and Goblins combined with famine and an incredibly harsh winter means Sonnefurt reaches a level of poverty not seen since the wake of Gorbad Ironclaw’s destruction. In the largest battle of the raids, the Second Regiment of Sonnefurt are utterly destroyed by a Waaagh, but ultimately protect Sonnefurt from falling to the Greenskins and repel the siege. The regiment was never reformed as a gesture of eternal remembrance for their sacrifice. A memorial can be found to them in the Garden of Morr in Sonnefurt.
2132- After having finally recovered from economical and social effects of the the devastation of the ‘Dark Year’, Sonnefurt celebrates three hundred years of independence. A grand statue of Dieter Wulstberg is dedicated by his descendants in a poignant ceremony. He accompanies the great statues of other Sonnefurt heroes, Hans Hettinger and Father Martin.
2209- Rat-formed beasts emerge from the Martinswald attack the town of Thalfang. Marshal Alfred Schmiller leads the attack which repels the beasts but is gravely wounded by a wicked poisoned weapon. He dies many days later at his home and his rants about walking rats are denounced as delusional and a result of strange poisons. His body is taken by mysterious men to be examined and never returned.
2239- A horde of marauding trolls and other foul beasts roll through the Barony from the Black Mountains, destroying everything in their path, razing the town of Bezeinhof almost to the ground. Neither the militias nor the Barony’s armies can put a stop to the rampage and all seems lost when the cavalcade of creatures moves for Thalfang. However, the horde is stopped when out of nowhere, the Knights of the Bloodied Claw descended upon them with sword and steel, vanquishing all before them. Amongst the knights were powerful Demigryphs, who easily killed the most powerful beasts.
It was later discovered that these Knights had a chapter house high above the Bezau Hills and had pursued the horde into the Barony. Hans Wulstberg, the then Baron, grants them funding from his treasuries and a long standing alliance is made with the chapter. The Templar Knights remain in the Black Mountains, but are at the Barony’s beck and call.
2270- Hans Wulstberg, dies as the last of the Wulstberg’s, without a legitimate heir. Sonnefurt risks takeover from Kreutzhofen once again as they manoeuvre to be re-issued the Barony to their name. The people, not wanting this fate, instead choose to form a temporary Council of Towns and Villages of Sonnefurt, like in 1715 and rule independently. This is approved by the correct authorities and Kreutzhofen are foiled.
2295- It is decided that after quarter of a century of wise leadership, Head Councillor and rich merchant Frederick Tol is to become Baron of Sonnefurt. Despite little precedence for such a promotion, the overwhelming support from the populace means that Wissenburg eventually cave after much lobby, and the Tol family are inaugurated as Barons of Sonnefurt in a ceremony in Wissenburg.
2304- Magnus the Pious establishes his court in Nuln after the Great War against Chaos. Baron Frederick Tol often attends this court and wins much favour with both the Emperor and the ruling classes of both Nuln and Wissenland, making a name for himself by riding on the laurels of his recent, unprecedented promotion. His political career boosts the recognition of Sonnefurt, and many courtiers venture southwards to visit the town and it quickly becomes a spot for rich tourists to stop on river cruises on the River Sol.
2397- Baron Gregor Tol builds the Baron’s villa to the south of Sonnefurt, abandoning the town villa built by the Wulstbergs. Many see this as a slight on the townspeople, but Lucas maintains a presence in the town for public show, whilst establishing the villa’s now famous vineyard as one of his hobbies.
2424- After the sacking of the Nuln by Goblin Warlord Grom, many noble Wissenland families move south for protection. Due to Sonnefurt’s recognition amongst the ruling classes, many seek it out as a safe haven for the rich, and bolster its population with their presence. Many also stay on even when Nuln is deemed fit for habitation. This begins the renaissance of the Upper River Side.
Also this year, after his father Michael’s death leading Count von Liebwitz’s armies against Grom the Paunch, a seven year old bastard child of the northern Von Heisenberg line, Phillip, is sent southwards so he cannot make claims on his father’s estates. He is sent to live with his aunt, Katherin Bohm, the wife of the then Baron, Herman Tol. The couple effectively adopt the boy, and Herman Tol even educates him in the running of the Barony, seeing potential in the young lad.
2438- Baron Herman Tol dies with no direct heirs. However, Katherin Bohm campaigns to have her young nephew, Phillip von Heisenberg accepted as the Baron, for he was the closest living heir and despite his illegitimacy, his family name was prestigious further North in Wissenland. The Council reluctantly agree rather than descend into another period without a clear ruler.
2442- Phillip marries local a merchant’s daughter, Julia Maurer, who he had met before his inauguration as Baron. Later this year, the couple produce their first child; Heinrich von Heisenberg, truly beginning the Von Heisenberg dynasty in Sonnefurt.
2461- Baron Phillip von Heisenberg arranges for his son Heinrich to marry Lea Schafer, sister to Freida Schafer, the wife of the current Elector Count of Wissenland and Nuln, Count Frank von Liebwitz.
2465- Baron Phillip von Heisenberg dies at the age of fifty, leaving the title of Baron to his young son Heinrich von Heisenberg. He is interred into the graveyard at the Baron’s Villa, where all the Von Heisenbergs are now buried, alongside the Tols.
2472- After several attempts, and an infant son Phillip who died in 2469 at the age of four, Lea gives birth to a fit and healthy Max von Heisenberg, giving hope to a continuation of the Von Heisenberg legacy in the Barony.
2489- To save the Barony from total economic downturn in the face of the loss of Ostrach's production, Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg marries his son Max to Vanessa Zell, sister to Herman Zell, a prominent merchant in the town from the Border Princes. He also makes him a Lord in order to coax him to bring business to the Barony.
2491- Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg dies from gout. Baron Max von Heisenberg takes over in his stead.
2494- A young and valiant Captain Richter Eichhorn of the 9th Sol River Patrol Regiment is noted for his service to Sonnefurt in a battle against a rampaging Ogre band that had devastated the surrounding area. The River Patrol were not obligated to act but nevertheless stepped in to destroy the threat. Baron Heinrich von Heisenberg offers Richter the position as the town's Bailiff as a reward for his services. Richter agrees so he can settle with a family, and leaves the Sol River Patrol.
2502- Marshal Kurt Salzemund mysteriously disappears whilst hunting near Morr’s Chasm with no trace of him or his hunting party. In his absence Bailiff Richter Eichhorn becomes Marshal, but this leads many to question whether he had a hand in the Marshal’s disappearance. His case is not helped as those who believe his innocence are widely disbelieved as they argue that the Marshal was taken by the rat-beasts.
2511- After 21 long and worrying years of attempts to conceive any child, and many miscarriages, Vanessa eventually gave birth to a girl, Katarina, despite fears she may be barren. Aware he probably won’t sire a male heir before he dies; Max begins to teach Katarina to rule, grooming her for becoming Sonnefurt’s first Baroness. He hires the best teacher in South Wissenland, a scholar from the Border Princes called Arthritiknes.
2517- Max von Heisenberg joins a contingent of the Barony’s soldiers send to fight on behalf of Southern Wissenland against the threat to the province of the undead hordes of Zacharias the Everliving. Despite Marshal Eichhorn’s best efforts to save him, the Baron perishes in single combat with a Vampiric Thrall. Fortunately the Marshal is able to stop the Baron from being turned into the undead, and brings his body back to Sonnefurt for public mourning. He swears he will never see the Baroness harmed in this way, and doubles the numbers of the Von Heisenberg guard for her protection.
At 16 years old it is decided that Katarina is old enough to take control of her father’s Barony, although many dispute the prowess of a woman, or the precedence for a Baroness. However, the Council refute any claims against her, as they believe that Sonnefurt has never been one to let precedence get in the way. Katarina is inaugurated on her 16th birthday.
2524- Katarina wisely decides that, seeing as she is surrounded by hostile Solland insurrectionists from Kreutzhofen and Kroppenleben, to stay neutral during the ‘Solland Effort’ but is poised to repel possible invasion. This makes her many political enemies at court.
2526- Kroppenleben frames Sonnefurt for industrial sabotage and uses it as an excuse to launch a long planned war against the Barony. They receive limited aid from Kreutzhofen. Thalfang and Ostrach are both captured and Sonnefurt besieged. The campaign fails when Sonnefurt's allies from Meissen, Heisenburg and the Nuln Volunteers break the siege.
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Looks pretty awesome Le Pistolet...
I was actually looking forward to writing some more background on Stattenland as well.
Hmm... its a pity most of our stories are set in the future otherwise collaboration on a story could be cool...