Crownlands Hex Map, Part 2

Once again, another two-part hex map. Fortunately, the remaining two regions should be more sparsely populated, so this is likely going to be the last of this size.

Click here to enlarge

Each hex equals six miles. See here for part 1.

Crownlands Hex Map, Part 1

Another month down, another hex map for the Year of the Gazetteer. Once again, this is going to be a two-parter; see here for the other half.

Click here to enlarge

Each hex equals six miles.

The King in the Mountain

Gustav I, the Great, the Unifier, the first Emperor of a unified Vardessy, is still alive today.

Though it has been nearly 800 years since his conquests, the first Emperor never died. As a young man, when campaigning through the various kingdoms of the Vardessian Plain, he was wounded in battle, where he encountered Liamere, a princess of a fey realm located nearby. Though he was mortal, Liamere took pity on Gustav and took him into her castle to nurse him back to health. During this time, they came to know one another - and, though Gustav had married Iosa of Helmn, the two fell in love.

Both knew this was a fraught situation. It would surely shame the legitimacy of the Vardessian throne if its Emperor was unfaithful, and for a fey maiden to love a mortal was unheard of. So too, Gustav would eventually grow old and die. Liamere could not bear the thought of losing her beloved to the ravages of time, and she shared with him an elixir that would grant him eternal life.

But Gustav's mission was not done. He still had men waiting on him, and he still had many battles to fight before he had united Vardessy under his crown. He soon departed Liamere's castle to return to the mortal realm, where he rejoined his armies and cemented the power of his new empire.

In time, Gustav began to regret his tryst with the fey maiden, knowing that he had failed his loyalty to his wife. He returned to Falkenau to rule the empire, and never spoke of his deeds. But while the people around him - including his wife - grew old and died, Gustav remained young, for Liamere's blessing had made him immortal. He had ruled for seventy years, yet still appeared for all the world like a young man of twenty-five. He knew there would be questions - and so too, he was aware of the squabbles of his courtiers, many of whom would surely make plots against the throne if they suspected he was using unnatural means to prolong his lifespan and prevent anyone else from taking power.

At last, Gustav made a speech before his court where he admitted to his unfaithfulness. Knowing that there would be resistance to an eternal rule, and feeling it best to pass on his title, he abdicated the throne, dividing the Empire between his three sons, which began the first Vardessian Civil War as each of the heirs struggled for control over the empire. But Gustav would not be present to witness it.

He fled to Mount Euring, one of the highest peaks in the low Vardessian Plain, and a place he had become familiar with in his travels. Beneath the mountain there existed a great dwarven vault, one that he had been gifted with treasures from within. There, Gustav sealed himself, where he slumbered through the centuries so that when Vardessy needed him most, he would be ready to return. Until then, he would leave the Empire to other hands.

Today, the mountain is the site of the Abbey of the Eternal King, a Voltanite monastery that reveres Gustav as a living saint. Though their practices are not recognized as orthodoxy by the Cult, they remain a position of power in Vardessy as the guardians of the Emperor, safeguarding his vault so that he may be ready to protect his land in a time of great need, and they have been granted a fief to honor their service. The Emperor's vault is located deep within the bowels of Mount Euring, guarded by an ancient dwarf named Withun who Gustav personally entrusted with the duty of watching over his chambers.

The monks know the languages of the birds, and every year, Gustav wakes from his slumber for one day to ask of what has happened to Vardessy since he last awoke. One monk, always an elder entrusted with such a great honor, consults with the birds to hear everything they have witnessed that year, and relays the news to Gustav. Every year for the nearly 800 years, he has gone back to sleep, entrusting his successors with handling the situation. But it is said that should his aid be needed, he will take up the sword once again in the defense of the Empire.

Heralds and Hounds

The Vardessian Crownlands are a wealthy, well-settled, and castellated land, one with a long history of noble traditions, where feudal authority is close at hand from both the Emperor and several powerful counts that serve him. It is only fitting that there would be a number of knightly orders headquartered there, many of which derive great prestige from their proximity to the Emperor. In fact, two of the most prominent play an important role in the Emperor's court.

The Imperial Heralds are the more famous of the two. This is by design. They make up the elite ranks of the Emperor's personal army, and are tasked with serving as his bodyguard. All of them bear gleaming armor and ride white horses meticulously bred for their strength, speed, and grace, and when they flank the Emperor's entourage, it is a sight that commands respect for his authority over the realm. Even in times of peace, the Heralds serve their use as a tool of propaganda, projecting the Emperor's wealth and power through his ability to maintain and equip such fine warriors.

Art by dashinvayne

The Heralds are not merely for show, though. They are a capable fighting force all their own, and the Emperor trusts only the finest knights of Vardessy and beyond to serve in his personal guard. They are expert swordsmen, chosen for their bravery and skill, and some even know magic. In addition to guarding the Emperor, Heralds are tasked with missions to deal with threats to the Empire itself and serve in leadership positions on the battlefield.

To be chosen for the ranks of the Imperial Heralds, a knight must have proven themselves with great and valiant deeds. As such, every member already has a respectable career behind them by the time they are granted admission to one of the order's castles; they serve a term of two years, during which they accept orders from the court and display the arms of the Heralds in place of their own heraldry. Every Herald is hand-picked by their Grandmaster, Heimnet von Krause, an ancient man who makes his selection based on the visions granted to him by Voltan. Occasionally, his visions lead him to choose warriors who are not yet knights, and though these choices have been controversial, he insists that Voltan's will cannot be contested. The current Knight-Commander, Matilda of Apelhof, was one such selection - she was a low-born mercenary regarded as crude of character and devoid of manners, though a respected warrior on the battlefield. Although many knights and courtiers alike doubted her capabilities when her station was announced, she dedicated herself to the cause that Voltan willed for her, and demonstrated herself to be well worthy of the honors, leading to Harald IV choosing her for a permanent position in the leadership of the Heralds' fighting force.

Art by Insist

However, the Empire has other machinations where the Heralds would be too formal, or their presence too conspicuous for the task at hand. For this, there exist the Hounds of the Emperor - the secret police of the Vardessian crown. They are tasked with any purposes it would be unseemly for the Empire to directly get involved in - clandestine dealings, espionage, intimidating political rivals, and, if necessary, making them disappear.

Officially, the Hounds are not spoken of. Their entire existence is somewhat of an open secret. Their exact number or membership is unknown; many of them adopt cover identities as monks, or dignitaries in foreign courts, but work to further the Emperor's goals behind the scenes. There even exist entire monasteries that are fronts for the Hounds, keeping suspicion away while their members train.

Their typical operations involve keeping a close eye on anyone who may become a threat - or an asset - to Imperial authority, and steering things in the right direction to ensure the Emperor's aims are furthered. Harald IV has made use of the Hounds in his pursuit of cementing his waning authority, but they are a powerful faction in their own right, and their loyalties are not guaranteed. There have been rumors that more than one Emperor who died in a hunting accident was in fact assassinated by his own Hounds because they favored the heir to the throne.

However, there are also times where a more direct approach is favored. The Emperors of Vardessy have not been above using the threat of the Hounds to frighten the nobility into compliance. When the orders are given, they don menacing black armor and ride massive destriers, setting fire to entire villages and laying waste to anything in their wake. Those who witness their devastation liken the Hounds to the knights of Hell itself - and that is an image that the Emperor is happy to cultivate.

Thayngen

Many of Vardessy's poets and chroniclers have enumerated the Three Great Cities of the Crownlands as Falkenau, Helmn, and Thayngen - in that order. The pedant will argue that Thayngen is not actually part of the Crownlands, however. It holds the status of a free imperial city - that is, the city is a self-governing entity, subject only to the Emperor, and free of feudal oversight from its immediate neighbors. As such, the city is treated as a distinct province in and of itself, even if it sits entirely within the borders of the Crownlands.

Thayngen's status as a free city is one that goes back centuries, and it has always held onto a strong local character because of this. The city is governed by a burgomaster elected from a council of guildmasters and local authorities; most of these officials do not hold noble rank, and in fact, Thayngen prides itself as a city of, by, and for the common people, staunchly resisting any overreach by the nobility that threatens to encroach on their autonomy. The current burgomaster is Alte Bosch, formerly the master of the Guild of Silversmiths. Although a fiery demagogue who has the support of the people due to his impassioned speeches, Alte is a short-sighted fool who often makes bold promises he has no intent (or even ability) to deliver on, and often the other council members have needed to pull him into line if his bluster gets out of hand. In fact, there are a number of guilds competing with one another behind closed doors, trying to manipulate the Burgomaster one way or another to favor their agendas.

Some sights in Thayngen include:

• 
  With the guilds of Thayngen being as powerful as they are, it is no surprise that the city's central square boasts many guild halls, large and lavish and brightly painted; the guilds are in fierce competition with one another to try and claim the attention and favor of the people, and they spare no expense on flaunting their power. The most powerful guilds, and the ones with seats on the town council, are the Guilds of Silversmiths, Bakers, Weavers, Fishermen, Traders, Potters, Coopers, and Butchers.
• Separated from Thayngen geographically, but still falling under the jurisdiction of the Burgomaster, is the Thayngen Citadel, a fortress that exists to house the city's population in times of siege; it is also where the city guard train and keep their barracks. The Captain of the Guard, Lucia von Achlen, also sits on the town council. She is a stern woman who is reluctant to take orders from anyone, and has often impeded dialogues when they haven't gone her way. Many council members find her a frustrating impediment, but she is far too well-armed to do anything about.
• Thayngen's philosophy of self-governance resonated with the traditions of the Swordbrothers of the Freikantons. When these warriors were hired by Thayngen to fight off an orc raid, many of them were drawn in by the city, and established a company there. Today, the Boar Spear Guild is the largest Swordbrother company in the Crownlands, and its members have served in many battles. Their tradition holds that their members must prove themselves by taking on odd jobs and performing individual quests before they are sent off to larger-scale battles, so there are always desperate souls seeking work.
• The Tournament of Saint Withun, honoring a saint in the Cult of Kerne, is a jousting tournament held in Thayngen for the guilds every year. A tilting field is set aside outside the walls, and often this becomes the site of a great festival, as merchants flock to the site to sell their wares to the retinues of visiting knights and to the people attending to watch the hastiltudes.

• In addition to the Tournament, one of Thayngen's most celebrated pastimes is calcio - a game that traces its history back to the City-States, in which two teams of players compete to force a ball into a goal on the opposite side of a square, with all manner of physical violence short of weapons or magic being permitted to get there. The Square of the Lions is unofficially the city's calcio field, and every year, the different guilds face off in a tournament, with the winner getting to fly a banner from their hall until the next tourney.
• Although Thayngen has not held the residence of the Emperor in many years, in no small part due to resistance from the fiercely independent townsfolk, it has been a destination on the Imperial Itinerary before, and an Imperial palace stands there. The palace has long since been abandoned, its doors shuttered and its furniture covered in dust, but Imperial law forbids it to be demolished without permission of the Emperor, and in his aims of tightening control on his domain, Harald IV has no intentions of doing so - even if he hasn't used it, to let go of it would mean conceding his grip on Thayngen. Rumors speak of plenty of riches contained within if one can manage to break in. Other rumors speak of ghosts.
• There are many temples in Thayngen - so much so that the Quarter of Spires is set aside for them. The most powerful are the Temple of Torvald, the Temple of Kerne, and the Convent of the Holy Wheel, devoted to Nehalennia. But there are many temples, monasteries, and priesthoods that congregate there, and often one may hear fierce theological debates between rival sects at the taverns and squares.

• Other holy men and women of Thayngen prefer to live their own lives, uninterested in the politics of the cults. Wilhelmina Abeln, a recluse schooled in the mystic arts by the Cult of Seidra, runs a small library tucked into the back of an alley somewhere, where a respectable archive of grimoires and arcane texts is kept for those who know where to look. It is frequently visited by scholars and magicians who discuss their findings and revelations with one another, becoming somewhat of a community gathering place.
• One of Thayngen's proudest landmarks is its clock tower, which sits on a hill so that its bells may be heard from any quarter of the city. It is operated by Ruprecht Elbram, an eccentric and reclusive wizard who lives in its loft; the city granted him the job in the hopes of keeping him busy so that he wouldn't cause too much chaos with his experiments.
• 
  Thayngen's town square contains a chopping block in which those condemned to death are executed by beheading. The executioner's axe has been passed down from generation to generation - and now, it has tasted blood so many times that it has developed a taste for it. The axe functions as a berserker battleaxe, and the executioner, Gislin, has of late been demanding more executions, even for seemingly minor crimes, to sate the axe's hunger, so much so that the city's magistrates are becoming worried. If they don't supply him with bodies, he may need to find other victims...
• Like any city, Thayngen has plenty of rumors. One holds that the sewers of the city are full of rat men, a rumor that is backed up by a spate of disappearances of beggars that have gone missing from the streets without a trace. The truth is stranger yet - an oytugh lives beneath the city, and occasionally devours anyone who gets too close to the openings to the sewers when food grows scarce.
• Another rumor claims that, long ago, an accomplished thief named Theodemir von Aschen committed many a grand heist from the guilds of Thayngen using a pair of enchanted boots that allowed him to jump higher than any wall. Supposedly, he hid the boots in a tunnel somewhere in the city, but no one has been able to find it. Clues in the notes he left behind, scrawled in the pages of several old books kept in various archives, point to a well by the tanner's quarter. But what else might be down there?

Helmn

Falkenau - the de facto imperial capital of Vardessy - is rightly held as the first among the great cities of the Crownlands. But if that is the case, then the second is the city of Helmn. While Falkenau was the capital of Talhoff, Helmn was the capital of Mittengen, and these two lands, joined by personal union, formed the nucleus from which the Vardessian Empire grew.

While Falkenau sits on the banks of the Vardess River, amidst its floodplains, Helmn is further inland, resting in the hillier uplands. It is the second largest city in the Crownlands, and a powerhouse in its own right, boasting several influential guilds and establishing itself as a wealthy trade center.

Some sights in Helmn include:

• The Helmn Basilica serves as the city's town hall and center of community. Facing a busy market square, it is where representatives of the guilds and other officials meet to conduct business regarding governance of the city, as well as where the people gather for official ceremonies on holidays. A large balcony faces the square, reserved for the Emperor to make announcements to the gathered crowd on his visits.
  
• Just across the square from the Basilica is the Great Market Hall. Originally, it served as Helmn's town hall, but as the city grew more populous and influential, it became clear that a larger structure was needed for assemblies, and the Basilica was constructed in its stead. Now the original building serves as an indoor marketplace, and on market days it is packed wall to wall with stalls and merchants hawking their wares.
• One notable guild in Helmn is the local chapter of the League of Three Crowns. While Helmn is not a port city and does not have access to the Sea of Bartel, the League's influence is still far-reaching enough to establish a branch here, managing shipping and trade along the roads. Other trading companies in Helmn regard the League as an unpredictable foreign presence, but they still bring in respectable wealth - much to the envy of some other guilds.
• 
  Helmn sits over a natural hot spring, and the Grand Baths of Helmn are considered one of the city's wonders. This sprawling complex of bathhouses is used by all walks of life, from everyday people to the noble elite, and even the Emperor has a private bathhouse set aside as part of his estate in the city. Plenty of clandestine deals go on here, with corrupt nobles taking full advantage of the privacy the Baths provide them with - to say nothing of the security of knowing they can conduct such business while their partners are unarmed.
• The College of Fencing and Swordplay is one of Vardessy's most renowned academies of the fighting arts. The Helmn fencing style is practiced throughout the Empire, and many treatises on fencing technique come from here. Anyone looking to train in combat would find a worthy teacher here - assuming they can win their favor, of course.
• The center of religious life in Helmn is the Abbey of the Veil, a monastery devoted to Marseah. The monks enjoy a high position of power in the city's affairs, and the Abbot, Gunther Kolbe, is a member of the town council. When the Emperor is not around, he is in effect the most powerful person in Helmn, and has multiple influential guilds and officials at his back, though he knows better than to get in the Emperor's way. The Abbey is named for its possession of one of the holiest relics in Marseah's cult - a veil said to have been wrought from a sunbeam, which can render its wearer invisible.
• 
  Helmn is built over a total of six hills, each of which is considered a separate district. Some of them are quite steep, with stairs and ramps cut into the earth to help the people navigate. There are some quarters of the city that horses cannot move between, necessitating the Guild of Porters to carry loads up the hills from the roads below. At night, the cramped streets, sharp turns, and high vantage points amidst the valleys can prove dangerous, as muggers can exploit the terrain to set up ambushes.
• The Maiden's Fountain, located on the Wilkenstorf Hill, is one of Helmn's most iconic landmarks. Depicting a young woman decanting water from a golden jug, it commemorates a legend that, long ago, a knight from Helmn encountered a naiad in the woods and won her favor by slaying a dragon. In return, he was given her golden jug, which he returned to the city and installed at a place of honor. According to local lore, one who drinks from the fountain will be gifted with supernatural luck.
• One of the more notorious denizens of Helmn is Nicodemus von Eyers, a wizard regarded as somewhat of a local celebrity, and also a local nuisance. He lives in a tower on the edge of Essert Hill to conduct his experiments - and he has been driven further and further away from the center of town, by order of the city council over the years, because his experiments kept going haywire and causing a commotion. He is always looking for those who are willing to help with his research and provide him with knowledge and ingredients for his spells, but his magic has a habit of going wrong.
  
• The Boar and Barrel is a tavern in Helmn located in a poorer part of the city. While not the most famous establishment in town, it is a favorite recommendation of locals who know where to look. Not only does its clientele form a tight-knit community, with several patrons knowing each other well, it boasts a ring where wrestling contests are held every week for the amusement of guests.
• Helmn's Elven Quarter is located on Griesau Hill, the least densely settled of the Six Hills of Helmn; for this reason, it still possesses a substantial amount of green space, and the elves tend to the trees to maintain communication with the natural world. There was once a great forest outside of Helmn where many elves lived; it has since dwindled as the city expanded, forcing the elves to assimilate, but the memories of the elders trace back generations, and they know much ancient lore (the fact that they are in communion with the spirits of their ancestors doesn't hurt, of course). The Elven Quarter is a tightly-knit, self-sufficient community in its own right; although within the walls of Helmn, they are largely left to govern themselves.
• An open secret in Helmn is the existence of the Catacombs. The city was built on porous rock, and a vast system of tunnels and chambers exists beneath the surface, some of them predating even the founding of the city itself. In ancient times, the Catacombs protected the people in times of siege, but they have grown with the construction and demolition of new buildings, and many smuggling rings and thieves' guilds make their homes here. Some rumors even speak of tunnels that extend as far as Falkenau and Thayngen, and some of stranger denizens yet...
  

Falkenau

Formally, Vardessy has no permanent capital - the capital is wherever the Emperor is, according to the tradition of the Imperial Itinerary. Still, only a fool would deny that Falkenau is the first and foremost of the Empire's great cities. Not only is it the largest in Vardessy - and indeed, on the western coast of the continent - it is where the Emperor holds court for half of the year, and a city renowned for its wealth, culture, and power.

Falkenau sits on the banks of the great Vardess River, which stretches as far as Lescatie and empties into the Gulf of Three Fingers. Along the way, it waters the Vardessian Plain. Both the plain and the Empire are named for this river, which forms a major artery of trade. It is perhaps unsurprising - some would even say fated - that the kingdom that would rise to unite Vardessy would control the Vardess. The Kingdom of Talhoff had access to great wealth thanks to the trade brought in by traffic on the Vardess, and its central location on the Vardessian Plain was a strategic asset. But the symbolic value of Falkenau's control of the Vardess's estuary could not be denied, and in the eyes of many justified Gustav the Unifier as the rightful ruler over all of Vardessy.

Some sights in Falkenau include:

• 
  The Imperial Palace, of course, can hardly be overlooked. As the foremost residence of the Emperor, it is a place of great luxury and many wonders. As Emperors through the ages have built upon and expanded their holdings, the Palace has become what is practically a district in and of itself, with a number of halls, chapels, and outbuildings with accommodations for servants and visiting dignitaries. When the Emperor is not around, the Palace is overlooked by his most trusted advisor, Chancellor Karl von Hafnerstein. The Chancellor is fiercely loyal to the Crown, and watches goings-on in Falkenau closely to keep an eye on any plots against his master; in fact, he has a tendency to be overzealous and paranoid in his judgments, and some of his investigations have been false alarms. He maintains that this is only a sign that he is alert in his duties.
• 
  The Imperial Citadel, on the other hand, is an imposing castle that sits on a hill overlooking Falkenau to the north. With its thick walls and heavy garrison, it is designed to be a redoubt that the Emperor can retreat to if Falkenau is attacked. Of course, it has been centuries since such a thing has been necessary, and the Emperors have come to treat the Citadel as a second palace. The Emperor Wilhelm III famously circumvented the Imperial Itinerary while suffering from gout by moving from the Imperial Palace to the Imperial Citadel, thus technically relocating while remaining in the same city.
• Among the most famous parts of the Imperial Palace is the Grand Menagerie, a collection of exotic beasts from across the land, many given to the Emperor as gifts from foreign powers. These range from bears to lions to stranger beasts yet, and the Emperor's most prized possession is a pair of hippogriffs given to him by the Patriarch of the Cult of Torvald. To present the Emperor with a new addition to his Menagerie would certainly win anyone his favor.
• Though Falkenau sits inland from the Gulf of Three Fingers, it is still close enough that ships may travel down the river to dock at the Lion's Port, situated on a bend in the Vardess. Trade and commerce from all across the western coast - and sometimes even beyond - passes through here, and all manner of merchandise can be found for sale. As can the sorts of establishments that attract mercenaries, privateers, thieves, and other less scrupulous sorts who know they won't be in town long enough to attract suspicion.
• 
  When Falkenau was built, it originally only occupied the northern bank of the Vardess. As time passed and the city grew, however, it expanded across both banks, necessitating a number of bridges be built across the river to connect the two. The most famous of these is the Bridge of Saint Leomund, which is so wide it boasts several homes and shops along its length, forming a tightly-packed street of its own. At night, some have even seen a ghostly figure staring off the edge of the bridge, as though looking for something in the water.
• The two largest temples in Falkenau are the Imperial Temple of Voltan and the Imperial Temple of Mimir. While the city holds temples of all sorts, in all shapes and sizes and housing all kinds of sects, these two stand as grand marvels of architecture, and the Emperor trusts the monks here with performing state rituals and serving as his advisors. The two temples have a long history of competing for both worshipers and Imperial favor, sometimes even seeking to sabotage one another.
• 
  There are also a great many guilds seeking endorsements when the Emperor is so close at hand. The most powerful guilds in Falkenau are those of the Weavers, Wainwrights, Cobblers, Smiths, Traders, and Bankers, but there are a multitude of other guilds as well - some more official than others. It is an open secret that the deeper warrens, sewers, and warehouses throughout Falkenau have become meeting places for a guild of thieves. Even the beggars of Falkenau function as a guild, with beggars designating certain streets and squares as their own and pledging to mutual protection of one another in exchange for sharing their wealth.
• Through its long history of many Emperors, with many storied exploits and conquests, Falkenau possesses a great many monuments, statues, and triumphal arches, forming a living history of the city and the Empire. One can walk down Falkenau's greatest streets and see works commemorating all sorts of esteemed figures and events. Perhaps the most impressive is the Mausoleum of the Emperors, which is built on an island in the Vardess joined to the mainland by the Bridge of the Eagles. It holds a tomb complex tended to by a convent sworn to Morthanos, which houses the bones of nearly every Emperor who has ruled Vardessy. And, some rumors state, stranger things too...
• Though the Great Theater of Falkenau is located in a district with a reputation for being lower-class, it still holds productions by some of Vardessy's most famed theatrical companies, and the Emperor maintains a private box in the stands to attend plays on festival days. To perform for the Emperor himself is a great honor, and no actor would wish to let him down.
• Falkenau is far from the most celebrated center of learning in Vardessy, but nevertheless it is home to the Falkenau University, a college of scholars that has claimed the scions of many noble families among its alumni. It is staffed by monks from the Imperial Temple of Mimir - and many of them are tasked with the unspoken duty of keeping eyes on the children of noble houses that may pose a threat to the Emperor.
• 
  Not everything in Falkenau is pomp and circumstance. It is still a city that ordinary people - and many of them - call their home, and there are plenty of establishments they frequent. One of Falkenau's greatest and most storied inns is the Hound's Head, which has been in operation for hundreds of years, owned by a family of dwarves who have passed the establishment down through the ages. The current proprietor, Udush Thobomarul, has heard many rumors from his clientele, and his impeccable memory means he can recall those from even years ago.
• Last but certainly not least is the Shrine of the Key - which houses a large brass key set to fit the lock on the city's north gate. Local legend states that whoever controls the key will control all of Falkenau, and that should it fall into the wrong hands, the city will come to ruin. The Emperor keeps the shrine under a close guard, just in case there is some truth to this story. Certainly, any claimants to the throne would be eager to legitimize themselves through claiming the key...

The Imperial Itinerary

Falkenau is often held as being the capital of Vardessy, and not without reason - not only was it the center of the kingdom of Talhoff, the predecessor of the Empire, it is also one of Vardessy's largest and most storied cities, and the one where the Imperial Court spends the most time. However, legally, Vardessy has no capital city. Instead, the center of government is held to be wherever the Emperor is - for he and his court regularly move from place to place.

Two times a year by convention, occurring on the days following the equinox festivals of Eostrefest and Mabon, the Emperor, his family, his court officials, and the army of retainers, servants, and bodyguards attending to all of them set out from one city to another. Then, for the remaining half of the year, they hold court at their destination.

Traditionally though not officially, one of these yearly trips is always to Falkenau, so court is held there half the year. Where the Emperor rules from the other half of the year, however, is more varied. It is always an important city of Vardessy, and those of the Crownlands are favored for practical reasons; not only are they closer at hand, the journey there is safer, as it is less likely to pass through the domains of warring nobles and those with plots against the Emperor. Still, the Itinerary has been known to travel as far as Dernburg before, necessitating longer journeys and shorter stays in a given city.

To be chosen as an Imperial residence is a matter of great honor for a Vardessian city. Not only does it indicate that the Emperor himself found the city worthy of his attention, it also draws great prestige by the court's presence, attracting merchants and diplomats to the town. The court travels in a grand procession, too, riding in velvet-draped carriages and accompanied by shining knights and skilled minstrels. These processions draw great crowds eager to see the court pass by; for many citizens of Vardessy, this is their only opportunity to so much as be in the presence of anyone so powerful. So too, if the Emperor's journey is a long one, he will stop at any number of cities and towns along the way, usually staying in town for a day to perform his duties there and then leaving the next. To even be visited by the Emperor so fleetingly is something that many a burgomaster holds with honor.

There are a number of reasons for the Imperial Itinerary. As Vardessy is such a vast and disorganized land, to keep the Emperor moving between settlements allows him to be closer to his people and their concerns, promoting unity among them. While the Emperor is at a given town, the people there present their concerns to him, allowing him to settle disputes; this helps maintain order over the far-flung reaches of the realm. More practically, it also allows the court to keep an eye on any rebellious nobles that may need to be kept in line. In turn, the Itinerary is not without danger, for it puts the Emperor closer to rival powers that may wish to see him deposed - forcefully if necessary, and indeed, such a fate has befallen past rulers of Vardessy. Harald IV, in his efforts to strengthen the unity of the Vardessian nation, has been a staunch proponent of the Itinerary and has made an effort to travel to as many corners of his domain as possible during his reign. But so too, it is not lost on him that his philosophy is not the most popular with the regional dukes, and his court is prepared for the worst.

A side effect of the Itinerary is the need to construct suitable palaces for the Emperor's visits. As the court announces their planned destinations for the Itinerary two years in advance, some cities have used this time to build new residences for the court by the time they arrive, with guilds of masons and architects eager to impress the Emperor in the hopes of securing an endorsement. In some cases, the fact the visits are scheduled ahead of time runs into conflicts; on a few occasions, the Emperor has arrived to his destination only to find that a war has broken out in the meantime, forcing a ceasefire during his stay.

Furthermore, there is the matter of what to do with the palaces when the Emperor leaves. Some of them have been claimed by nobles or converted into monasteries. Other times, however, palaces have been left empty for years or even decades, waiting for the Emperor to return to them. There is no shortage of treasure left in these places, but so too, there are other things that may have claimed them in the Emperor's absence. And, should the Emperor wish to return to such a long-neglected hall, it may be necessary to clear it of anyone - or anything - that may have taken up residence since...

Heart of the Empire

Of all the states on the continent, the largest is easily the Vardessian Empire. For centuries it has stood as the most powerful of all the western kingdoms, with its ruler held as the premier authority of the civilized world. Although the centralized power of Vardessy is weak - in no small part due to the sheer vastness of its territory necessitating the investiture of considerable power in the feudal nobles who control its various regions - one can speak of the Emperor anywhere in the western kingdoms and know exactly who is being referred to.

It wasn't always this way, though. Long ago, the Vardessian Plain was home to many disparate kingdoms; although the people shared a common language and culture, they fought against one another as often as they recognized each other as cousins. Through the ages there were ambitious kings with dreams of uniting the Vardessian people under their banner, but none could manage such a daunting task.

The event that started the Vardessian unification came when the man now honored as Gustav the Unifier, at this point the king of Talhoff, married Iosa of Helmn, the queen of the neighboring kingdom of Mittengen. This merged their houses and united their domains into one. But Gustav did not wish to stop there. He was already one of the most powerful of the Vardessian kings, in no small part due to his location - not only was Gustav in control of Falkenau, one of the larger and wealthier cities in the region and a key port on the Vardess River, the two realms combined occupied a crucial position in the center of the Vardessian Plain, controlling the bulk of the coastline of the Gulf of Three Fingers. This made the newly joined kingdoms a regional powerhouse, from which they could easily mobilize forces to almost every corner of the region. In time, through a series of successful campaigns, Gustav united the Vardessian heartland and crowned himself the first Emperor of a united Vardessy.

The empire would continue to grow in the years following his initial conquests, but Gustav had still carved out a substantial domain for himself. But the point from which he started - the two kingdoms of Talhoff and Mittengen - would be enshrined as a province dubbed the Crownlands.

The name is a bit of a misnomer. It was chosen more for its symbolic value as the seat of Vardessian power, and only a small portion of the land actually belongs to the Vardessian crown directly; the rest, like much of Vardessy, belongs to numerous dukes, counts, and barons tasked with ruling in the Emperor's stead. Nevertheless, the Crownlands are regarded as the heart of Vardessy, and the point from which Imperial authority extends. It is here, among the marshy floodplains of the Vardess, the lowlands and the rolling hills, that the authority of the Lion Throne - and on it, Emperor Harald IV - is felt at its strongest.

Harald is a pragmatic man, accepting that his hands are tied by the machinations of the nobility, but still wishes the best for Vardessy and hopes to achieve it through whatever means are necessary. This has led to him stocking important positions with those loyal to his cause. But in the complex politics of the Empire, there is only so far he may reach. And many would argue he is overreaching his authority...