Topic: GP's Fluff from WFB Online Campaigns ... And More ...

[GamesPoet]

To start ... here is a previously written ...

Timeline for the Von Wallenstein, Mardonia, Sforza, and Van Koschumberg Families, plus a few others ...

2187 … Albert von Wallenstein graduates from the Averheim Military Academy as a 2nd Lt., and he is assigned the command of a unit of crossbows in the Aver River Regiment that are quartered nearby his family’s estate.  Thaddeus Mardonia purchases handguns from an Averland weapons trader traveling through the Border Princes, and then trains a crew of marines to help protect his four shipping vessels from pirates in the Black Gulf.  Bartolomeo Sforza starts the Sforza Condotta Company in Tobaro, and the unit distinguishes itself in a rear guard action during one of the many battles fought at Tramonto Bridge as the Tobaroan military makes another retreat from Estalia.  Adalbert van Koschumberg, leader in Marienburg of one of the many lesser merchants, so-called by the greater merchant families (that of the Winklers, Koopmans, van Onderzoekers, Stegers, Starkes and van Marnixes [1]), attends the Marienburg Emperor Phillip III’s wedding to the daughter of Averland’s Count Joachim II Sigmarus [2], where it is said that Van Koschumberg provided imported Tobaroan cheese as part of the appetizers at the post-ceremony reception, and wine obtained from the Von Wallenstein Family Vineyards in Averland.

2199 … Bad weather and harvests bring a time of famine to the Empire, and the Aver River Regiment is forced to fight an increasing number of bandits, smugglers, and thieves throughout its region of responsibility.  Albert von Wallenstein, previously promoted to full lieutenant, leads the forces that counter the various security threats in the region.

2200 … Albert von Wallenstein leads a portion of the Aver River Regiment’s troops against a force of Stirland soldiers.  The hungry enemy crossed the Aver River during the prior autumn, and into the Moot, seeking to control the apple orchards of Sauerapfel, but the town was soon purged of the blight as Von Wallenstein’s troops overwhelmed the invaders at the start of the next spring.  Thaddeus Mardonia purchases another vessel bringing his shipping fleet to a total of eight vessels.  Bartolomeo Sforza appoints his son Ludovico as commander of his condotta company’s missile contingents.  Adalbert van Koschumberg reaches the height of his wealthier days.

2201 ... The Crisis in Marienburg breaks out into open warfare, the Aver River Regiment is broken into two battalions.  This leads to a promotion for Albert von Wallenstein to Captain of the newly formed 2nd Battalion.  Von Wallenstein hires Thaddeus Mardonia of Matorea with his ships and merchant marines, along with Bartolomeo Sforza, his son Ludovico Sforza, and their mercenaries.  Von Wallenstein’s now father-in-law, Adalbert van Koschumberg, has his son Jan’s Westerland Archer Company also aide in the unsuccessful defense of Marienburg.  Bartolomeo dies outside the walls of Marienberg, and Ludovico takes over command of his father’s Tilean mercenaries.

2202 ... Capt. Albert von Wallenstein and the 2nd Battalion of the Aver River Regiment stay in Marienburg to help bring order to the city after its occupation by the three Imperial factions.  The Van Koschumberg Mercantile House barely survives the aftermath of the war, when their main warehouse and fleet of five ships are all burned.  Adalbert purchases one of Thaddeus Mardonia’s vessels to serve as a point of shelter for the Van Koschumberg family, and Adalbert attempts to re-establish himself and his family’s economic identity, yet it would not be the same nor greater until after his passing.  Thaddeus Mardonia returns Ludovico Sforza and his troops to Tobaro, where Ludovico grows the size of his family's condotta company, and like so many mercenaries, he comes up on the short side of the Great Tilean Conspiracy, where the various Tilean leaders had "hired", but don't pay up the various mercenary companies that obtain “jobs” across Tilea, after the warfare in Marienburg had concluded.

2203 ... Ludovico and his Sforza Condotta Company join the Cerulean League during the Mercenary War in Tilea, where the various leaders of the region seek the actual employment of the newly formed four great mercenary organizations (besides the Cerulean League, the other three being the Gold Company, the Tyrian Guild, and the Vermillion League [3]) that arise out of the Great Tilean Consipiracy.  Thaddeus Mardonia provides S'forza with naval support.  Towards the end of the warfare, the Tobaroan Doge Giacomo seems to slip deeper into his madness, and Ludovico orders the mortar barrage that opens the attack on his home city, but Tobaro does not fall.


[1] From “The Empire in 2217, from Breytenbach and Van der Tricht, prepared by Vement, Averhiem Press, 2419. http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php/topic,45082.0.html

[2] From "Treachery and Greed Campaign Background: Timeline", listed under the year 2187, http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=34584.0

[3] From "Treachery and Greed Campaign Background: Timeline", listed under the year 2203, http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=34584.0

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Fast forwarding ...

2494 … Heinrich von Furstenberg born in Averland

2522 … Most recent GW year for WFB, and end of Storm of Chaos

2523 ... A2 in Araby.

2524 ... The Solland Effort of 2524, Capt. Heinrich von Furstenberg leads his first mercenary activity outside of Averland at age 30.

2528 ... A3 in Araby, Francis van Koschumberg (3rd son of William Slavata van Koschumberg, next to Adam, and Joachim), at his father's instruction, leads his "Fleet of Fortune" from Marienburg, including the hiring of Thaddeus Madonia IV with his son Frederico Mardonia, out of Mattorea in the Border Princes, along with Graf Heinrich von Furstenberg, Brother Adlai, and Bodaggrimore of the Golden Lions, as well as Captain Maximillio Sforza.

2530 ... Commander Joachim van Koschumberg's 2nd Expedition to Cathay leaves Marienburg along with Capt. Maurice Van Winkleton, Admiral Gerlof Van de Bylt, and hires Octavio Piccolo's Tilean mercenaries for the trip.

2532 ... Joachim van Koschumberg, with his fleet and forces, arrive in Cathay to participate in the Great War there.

2535 ... Joachim van Koschumberg returns with his fleet and the remains of his army to Tilea, and then Marienburg.

2536 ... In the summer, Maximillio Sforza's advisor Dabir Azim meets with Fatin Indelacio.

2537 … Without a contract, Maximillio Sforza joins the Araby Intervention Force, unsuccessfully seeking a major contract, which causes him to seek out other smaller contracts while leading the AIF vanguard as part of its effort to prevent the Protectorate from dominating in Estalia, and by the end of the war, he finds his army’s way across the region, gets at the Protectorate militarily, and then returns home.

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This may or may not be amended and edited accordingly at some point.

Hopefully more fluff to follow along the way ...

[GamesPoet]

Here is a brief piece of fluff, previously unpublished elsewhere, regarding the Matorean naval commander named Thaddeus Mardonia ...

From “A Biography of Thaddeus Mardonia, Mercantile Border Prince” by Julio D’Agostino, Tilean Historian and Storyteller

“The funding for the new ship had been acquired with both Princess Cecilia’s backing, and Geraldo Gucciano’s investment of coin.  Tomas Mercado’s ship yard produced what is said to have been the best ship he’d produced up to that time.  It likely took multiple seasons, and the merchant vessel is said to have been well armed with cannons, including four culverins that could probably throw a forty pound shot a fourteenth of a league.  Not long after, for there was honor to be maintained and a debt to be repaid, Captain Mardonia set sail with his new ship the White Moon, on to the Black Gulf, and beyond.

We don’t know how many ports were stopped at, because whatever log Captain Mardonia kept has been lost to vagrants of time.  There are a few records from Tilean counting houses and mercantile guilds at Remas, Mirigliano, and Tobaro,  and these show the taxing and purchasing of mostly cloth, silk, and wool, although there were also some kegs of ale, cases of wine, and bushels of grapes.  And we also have Kantatino’s famous long poem entitled “The Legend of A Matorean Captain”, which speaks of how on the return trip, the White Moon encountered calm winds and four war galleys flying the red and yellow flags of the Knights of Myrmidia.

It seems that as the sun was rising, the enemy vessels maneuvered with their oars into position with their sterns toward the White Moon to fire their aft cannons, and to present themselves as narrow targets as possible.  Then as they rowed the four galleys closer to their prey, they fired ranging shots that fell short of the White Moon’s position.  Captain Mardonia ordered two of his culverins to fire at the largest galley, the flag ship of the attackers, and thus angering the enemy flotilla’s commander, and who then ordered one galley at a time to row closer, and blast away at their target while the others would reload from further back.  Half the morning and into the afternoon, both sides continued exchanging shots, killing men, putting holes in the side of wooden hulls, smoke billowing across the water, making it more and more difficult to see each other.

By midafternoon, a slight breeze arose for a few minutes, and Capt. Mardonia had the White Moon come around just enough to present less of a target, while bringing his own stern guns into action.  Then the four enemy ships responded by attempting to close, but as they moved abreast of the White Moon, and into pistol range, Capt. Mardonia held his own ship’s fire, ordered his gunners to load case shot, and waited until the enemy was so close that their ships top decks could be raked accordingly.  The largest galley had its poop deck disintegrate, another ship’s forecastle lost its front braces and fell into the sea, while large numbers of enemy sailors fell to the decks with many having multiple wounds inflicted.

The chaos that ensued, gave Capt. Mardonia’s men enough time to slither their boat a little further along, load their cannons for another round of fire, and unload a second volley, this time again including some shot.  That seems to have been enough, because Matorean records show that the White Moon made port, although the income side of Tomas Mercado’s ledger listed a hundred and two repairs made to the White Moon’s hull, masts, sails, and rigging.”

[Xathrodox86]

A very interesting read. It's always cool to read about the events, which took place after the "canon" year of 2522.

[GamesPoet]

The events shown for after 2522, and mentioned above, with the exception of "The Solland Effort of 2524" (conducted here on W-E, were all created and wrapped around the Animosity Campaigns of A3 (in Araby for a 3rd time), A4 (in Cathay), and A5 (in Estalia).  I had additional characters in A6 (in the Northern Wastes), and hopefully will provide some additional info on those at some point. And so far, the mention of events prior to 2522 were wrapped around campaigns conducted by W-E folks including "The Crisis in Marienburg", and "Treachery and Greed".

[Inarticulate]

Treachery and Greed was my favourite online campaign, very well run and great fluff! I’m always drawn back to the Solland Effort though, great community fluff writing effort there. Can’t believe how long ago it was now though!

[GamesPoet]

I'm in the process of slowly developing fluff for this thread, including some amendments to the time line in the first post.

For now ... I would love to go see this ...

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=rupea+romania&FORM=wsbs01&filters=IsConversation:%22True%22+BTEPKey:%22Encyclo_WL_RupeaCitadelRomania%22&trivia=1

This location is almost how I picture the Citadel for my Averland characters who live on the Aver River across the ferry from cattle market in the Stirland town of Scheibbs.

I have yet to give the main small town a name, but the town is situated at the corner of where a stream flows into the Aver River from the south (not on most maps) and into the hills to the southeast, and the dirt road from the ferry leads down along the east bank of the stream, past the Citadel on the rocky knoll to the east, and all the way south to a small vassal village protected by a two towered keep with a double gate and a small moat surrounding it, and from here a footpath extends out to the Town of Bieswang on the main northerly east to west road from Averheim to Pfungzig.  Forming the center of the main small town near the Aver River is the road that goes west crossing the stream via a small stone bridge and into the woods where there is a logging camp with another vassal village, and the road goes east along the Aver River to the town of Sauerapfel in The Moot.

Besides lumber from the logging camp, and cattle from the local farms in the hills, the main small town is surrounded by vineyards which are the primary source of the wealth in the area. The main white grape is Reisling, although Sauvignon Blanc is also a specialty, while the primary red grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Bretonnia grown as well.  Since 2401, one grower has been giving a go to Tilean Primitivo, yet rarely has their been a very good year.  For some reason, red raspberries also grow well here, and this helps provide a lucrative trade with the halflings of The Moot.

The Aver River Regiment is based at the Citadel and has the responsibility of patrolling the Aver River to the edge of the woods in the west all the way along the Aver River and along the border of The Moot, frequently traveling through the southern edge of Mootland, and to and along the Blue Reach all the way to the World's Edge Mountains.  They've often found themselves battling bandits, beastmen, orcs and goblins, undead, and of course unruly Stirlanders.  The latter has been known to hurt the cattle trade from time to time.

[Zygmund]

Following with great intetest.

-Z

[GamesPoet]

Amended fluff for my small town on the Aver River provided above.

[Cèsar de Quart]

Wallenstein is the man, even when he's fictional.

I'll be following this!

[GamesPoet]

This fictional character was given the historical figure's name when I learned of the historical Wallenstein's activity associated with the 30 Years War.  I wasn't as well versed on the historical commander, and yet wanted to drift into the mind set of a man some what construed by various sources as a mercenary leader who folks were concerned about the possibility of turning on them.

With my fantasy character named after the historical one, I played on the side of Marienburg during the "Crisis in Marienburg" on-line campaign.  The story involved Averland allying with Marienburg because of their mercantile interests and family connections between the Marienburg ruler and the Averland Count, and at that time in the Empire's history (as told by Rufus in his fluff for the campaign), the other factions of the Empire were in conflict with Marienburg, and thus Averland as well.  My character is a relatively young man when he is assigned to lead one of two battalions, half of the Aver River Regiment, and hasn't quite gotten into his full maturity as a commander yet, which I imagine is further down the road in the time line of the Empire.  Not sure if I'll develop the character further or not.

Also, I chose not to include the character in the "Treachery and Greed" on-line campaign because I couldn't come up with a way for how he'd be a member of such an expedition to join the Cerulean League, especially since Averland had drifted back into union with the Empire, and I had a Tilean mercenary family I wanted to expand upon anyway.

[GamesPoet]

Today I have officially named my home brew town in Averland, and I am calling it Verborgenburg, meaning "hidden castle".  I have got more fluff I've been writing regarding the town's history, some of which goes back to my first involvement with Warhammer in 2008.  However, there is more to be added before putting it up here on W-E.

In the meantime, here is a bit regarding my home brew knightly chapter called The Knights of the Aver River ... these knights pattern themselves off the Empire's Reiksguard in their manner of armor and weapons, although wear different colors, the black and yellow of Averland with blue highlights.  Their founding member was a man named Siegmund von Friedlichwald.  Seigmund grew up in the small lumberjack town of Friedlichwald that is located in the forest between Averheim and Verborgenburg, but grew up with dreams of becoming a Knight.  Eventually he traveled to Altdorf where he joined the Reiksguard, and soon there after "retired" from them to found the Knights of the Aver River.  This knightly order patrols from just within the sight of Averheim, along the Aver River to the Moot, along its southern border to the Blue Reach following it all the way to World's Edge Mountains.  Their Chapter House is located at Verborgenburg in Averland, a town located in the hills between the forest and the Moot, and directly across the ford that is near Scheibbs in Stirland.  The Knights of the Aver River have an agreement, along with the Aver River Regiment, to aide the Moot in times of need, and patrol along it's southern border accordingly so as not to interfere in the day to day happenings of the halflings who live in The Moot.

[GamesPoet]

Here is a fluff piece about my main character from the last Animosity Campaign that I enjoyed ...

Sir Gottfried von Lenzfeld, Crusade Commander for the First Saint of Sigmar, Templar Grand Master for the order of the Knights of Sigmar’s Saint

Sir Gottfried was born on the 18th of Sigmarzeit (the Imperial festival day that is both the day Sigmar was coronated and abdicated).  He was raised by his mother Ida and her family, who claim Solland heritage, in the smallest hamlet under the jurisdiction of Eppiswald, a subsistence farming community called Lenzfeld in Wissenland.  There he grew up working hard and learning to farm from his uncle, and using his grandfather’s pistol to shoot a chicken thief dead, but some say it was a fox.

It is told that Gottfried is the illegitimate child of the aging Lector Raphael von Mauchen of Eppiswald in Wissenland.  His mother named him after the von Mauchen name sake, Gottfried von Mauchen, who during the Wizard’s War of 1881-1893 IC, did a great deed and was granted all the land associated with Eppiswald, by the Baron Wolf von Mecklenburg of Pfeildorf.  Both Gottfried and his mother have harbored the idea that someday Gottfried might live to inherit ownership of his ancestor’s lands.

Upon coming of age, Gottfried left home to become a squire to a knight in the Order of the Black Hammers in Halgerbach, under the Grand Master Marius von Plauten.  The knight that Gottfried served died during the Chaos invasion of 2522, and Gottfried was bequeathed the knights armor, hammer, and horse.  Sir Gottfried saw his first combat during the Solland Effort of 2524, and continued his service to his previous Order over the years leading up to 2538.

When hearing a rumor that Sigmar’s First Saint had arisen in the north lands, and seeing little chance of rising in the Black Hammers further, Gottfried headed north with a handful of other knights to see firsthand a living saint.  Once they arrived at Sigmar’s Altar, and witnessed the situation for themselves, Gottfried founded a new knightly order called, “The Knights of Sigmar’s Saint”.  The order’s Inner Circle Knights are the originals who wear the black and red of their former order, but their shields are white carrying various yellow/gold adornments in symbolic servitude of the Saint of Sigmar, depending on what they’ve individually chosen, while all other knights are mostly clothed in the colors of white and yellow/gold.

At the beginning of 2539, The Knights of Sigmar’s Saint have quadrupled in membership.  Additionally, various mercenaries, merchants, pilgrims, priests, and soldiers have come to see the living saint, while looking for land to work in a world where the ice and snow of winter are so often the norm, yet receded in those times.  They found a home in the Crusade for Sigmar’s Saint, and in return for swearing fealty to the Sigmar’s First Saint, they have been armed, trained, and turned into an army by the new knightly order to defeat the Four if encountered while staking their claim in defending the world for the peace that Sigmar promises.

[GamesPoet]

Here is some additional fluff I've written for my town in Averland called ... Verborgenberg, first named last August 2020, although the ideas for it have been floating around since my entry into the WFB Old World in 2008.

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Maps and pictures of Verborgenberg ...

A map is provided below, and created very much prior to 2522 by a Stirland cartographer of questionable skill, thus the view being shown from the northern side of the Aver River.  Also, the map might have been drawn during a time of drought because clearly the water is usually much wider than has been shown here.  Or else that Stirland cartographer was worse than just being questionable ...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/RepsRupeaK%C5%91halomCetateaRupea.jpg

On the map there is a poor representation of the Verborgenberg Fortress located on the end of the ridge to the left.  The no longer in existent wooden bridge that once crossed the Aver River is shown to the far right, which burned sometime after the map was produced, and is now the location of the ford that crosses the river in this location.

Shown in the lower left corner, and on the Stirland side of the Aver River, is an ancient Temple of Taal and Rhya enclosed by a stone wall, with a circle of stones nearby dating back to pre-Sigmar times, the latter said to be made by the Verborgental tribe that is recorded to have lived in the area.

Also, visible is the Church of Sigmar featured prominently in the middle of Cattle Market Square.  And a second church, devoted to Morr and Verna, including a shrine to Shallya, exists just off the town’s center as well.  Both of these two churches can be seen in a more modern picture on the following website, along with additional pictures of the remains of the Fortress, and even a map with key to how the Fortress is laid out across the top of the ridge area …

http://fotogeograf.blogspot.com/2016/12/rupea-citadel-one-of-transylvanias-top.html

[GamesPoet]

Also ... I have fluff that has been generated for two rival towns in Tilea, yet these need additional work so I'll wait before providing info here.  For the moment I will just share their names ... Costanzio and Bracciano.  These ideas developed sometime around the end of the Treachery and Greed Campaign for being in the general area of where the Cerulian League held sway, although not sure if I'll actually place them there, maybe.

And I have a town that has been created, and placed on the coast line below Tobaro, where I am running some roleplaying for my nephews, yet not sure how or when or if I'll start placing any of that here.  Although the nephews aren't fully aware of this yet, I have begun to include various Chaos groups, the Skurvy Skaven Clan, and my Tilean Mercenary group that even has a couple units of Dark Elfs under their command.

I also have additional fluff, although not much, for an area of Hochland that I was toying with a ways back.  Not sure if I'll ever develop this to the point where it'll see enough light for sharing here or not.

I'm hoping to further develop some ideas for the Border Princes at some point too, yet don't know what will happen with that yet either.