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"Living under the threat of Norscans all the time, it does something to the Nordlanders. They're half-Norscan themselves."

—Klaus Von Rothstein, Opinionated Merchant


Nordland, officially the Grand Barony of Nordland, is an Electoral Province of the Empire that lies on the northwestern shores of that realm. The lands of Nordland did not truly exist during the founding of the Empire, for the Was Jutones of both Nordland and Westerland refused Emperor Sigmar's invitation to his Empire. It wasn't until the 8th century IC that the Was Jutones were finally subjugated and forced into the Empire as a new province by Emperor Sigismund II.[1a]

Since its incorporation as a province, Nordland has become famous for hosting the Second Fleet of the Imperial Navy and its heavily tolled coastal roads, which provide both safe passage for rich merchants heading towards the city of Marienburg and the main source of income for its provincial government. Many sea fortresses and watch-towers line the coast of Nordland, as Norscan raiders from across the Sea of Claws are an all-too-common threat that can't be ignored without dire consequences. Raids and retaliatory raids between the Nordlanders and their cousins across the seas are so ingrained upon their history and culture, that none can fathom any other way of living[1a]

The State Troops of Nordland, including the Nordland Marines, wear the distinctive blue and yellow uniforms of their province. The provincial banner, on the other hand, bears a depiction of a Sea Eagle clutching a shield with an image of an Imperial warship, the heraldry also used as the coat of arms of the province's Elector Count Theoderic Gausser. Traditionally the noble who serves as Elector Count of Nordland is also the prince of Marienburg as well, and this has been a point of contention since that city-state seceded from the Empire in 2429 IC. Other oft-seen emblems of Nordland include the Imperial Cross, various ships, anchors or fish icons, and the five-pointed crown of the sea god Manann.[1a]

History[]

"This land is the frontier of Sigmar’s domain. We hold the line on the shore and at the forest edge. We’re proud folk and we have every right to that pride."

—Werther Lehmann, Dietershafen shipwright[3f]

Nordland first became a province of the Empire in 767 IC, after centuries spent on the edge of Sigmar's domain. Originally, its people were comprised of Was Jutones under the rule of Adda the Stalwart, who refused to cede their lands to the Teutogens and follow Marius to the mouth of the River Reik. Ruled by an independent dynastic line called the Silver Kings, the Jutones were able to maintain their independence due to the fear that Sigmar's people had of the nearby Laurelorn Forest.[3a]

The wealth of the Jutones eventually attracted the attention of Wilhelm "Bullshanks", second son of the Elector of Middenheim. The Middenlander marched to conquer the petty kingdom, taking Salzenmund and dethroning the last Silver King from his Zinnentor fortress. The ‘Nord Lands’ became the new Barony of Nordland and part of the Empire.[3a]

For four hundred years, Salzenmund flourished as a vassal of Middenland. The principality was ruled by the Moltkes, a proud warrior dynasty from Middenheim who guarded Salzenmund’s silver wealth from the greed of the Drakwald elector to the south. [3b]

Electoral Province (1070 - 1420 IC)[]

In 1070 IC, Emperor Boris ‘Goldgather’ Hohenbach arranged for the Moltkes’ imprisonment in Altdorf and secured both town and province for his lackey, Duke Voltimand Salzwedel, who was happy to give silver to the Emperor in exchange for territory and an Electoral vote.[3b]

The Black Plague devastated the province. The malady spread from trade towns and the coast to Salzenmund, wiping out most of the Nordland population. When Norscan raiders landed on the coast and sailed up the River Salz, they found settlements choked with corpses. The Skaeling Harald the Roarer took Salzenmund, but the castle held out. Duke Osric was safe at the Emperor’s court, while his daughter and son, Carin and Markus, resisted the Norcan assault.[3b]

In 1114 IC, the Skaven assaulted the town in force, taking Harald and the besieged Salzwedel heirs by surprise. Norse and Salzenmunder formed an uneasy alliance to push the Skaven into the hills, where they skulked in the valleys, waiting for a chance to return.[3b]

Duke Osric died alongside the Emperor in Carroburg and soon rival factions vied for power as Skaven despoiled Nordland. Duchess Carin sought help from Graf Mandred von Zelt of Middenheim, and after an arduous march north the legendary Emperor broke the Skaven at Dietershafen. On the rest of his campaign, Carin rode with Mandred and forged new alliances with the nobility of other provinces. She returned to Salzenmund with a fresh army, routed the demoralised Skaven, and married a Moltke in a political alliance.[3b]

Age of Wars[]

In 1244 IC, Count Einrich Moltke defeated several armies of Orcs and Beastmen before his famous victory over the necromancer Dieter Helsnicht, the Doomlord of Middenheim. The count returned from the Battle of Beeckerhoven in triumph, gloating that it took a Nordlander to deal with a Middenheim problem.[3b]

In 1267 IC, his son Gottfried secured a momentous victory against Dark Elf corsairs from the Black Ark Ecstasy of Pain. The Druchii had taken countless captives from northern Bretonnia and wiped out the army of Duke Phillipe of Lyonesse, but when they made landfall on the Nordland coast, they met stiff resistance. The Dark Elves were routed into the sea and Count Gottfried brought back a substantial chunk of masonry smashed from the Black Ark by a warlock under his command. The stone was dragged many miles by ‘freed’ Bretonnian captives as a trophy and it became the foundation of a new western wall of Castle Salzenmund.[3b]

This was a historical high point for Salzenmund and Nordland alike. Count Gottfried grew arrogant, proclaimed that the town and province were the finest in the Empire, and laid claim to the disgraced province of Drakwald.[3b]

In 1375 IC, Count Adalbert ‘The Bear’ Moltke tried to end the Age of Wars by brokering an accord between Ottilia and the Nuln emperor at Castle Salzenmund. At a crucial moment in negotiations, eight figures appeared around the castle and sacrificed themselves. The nobles looked on in terror as blood gushed upward to form a swirling vortex in the sky. It yawned open, a daemonic army of Khorne poured forth, and the slaughter began.[3b]

In the aftermath, Salzenmund was a smoldering ruin and civil war erupted. The victor was Duke Hjalmar of Hargen, who unified the province in 1401 IC. He relocated the court to Dietershafen and managed to become Emperor for six years. Due to his unpopularity, the electors agreed that Nordland should lose its Electoral status, and the province fell apart.[3c]

Province (1420 - 2020 IC)[]

By 1420 IC, Prince Ludger Moltke ruled over a handful of farms, villages, and a ramshackle town amongst the ruins of the former Nordland capital. When a Chaos army under the leadership of Brakh Metalmane descended from the Middle Mountains, Ludger Moltke made an alliance with Jarl Asvaldr of the Skaelings, who controlled several coastal settlements in Nordland. The combined force defeated the invaders and Ludger married Unni, the Jarl’s daughter, who gave birth to Angmar Moltke.[3c]

Angmar grew up fighting with Skaeling warriors on seaborne raids. When he came of age, he returned to Salzenmund with a host of Norsemen and Dwarfs, where his dying father implored him to reunite the province. Angmar vowed he would. Within days of inheriting the title, the new count took his warhird through the province, offering protection from Ostland, Beastmen, and bandits in exchange for tribute and fealty.[3c]

Angmar restored Nordland through diplomacy and implied threat. His legacy lives on in Nordland’s feudal politics and the remnants of Norse law practised in Salzenmund.[3c]

Fall of the Moltkes[]

The resurrection of Nagash in 1681 IC brought terror to the Old World. For one night, the dead stirred and walked the land. In Salzenmund, the bones of ancient sacrifices floated to the surface of the Ormsdeep and assembled into multi-limbed monstrosities that clambered into the streets, draped in algae and dripping wet. They snatched up countless townsfolk and dragged them screaming into the lake. Dieter Helsnicht was seen simultaneously in many locations throughout the town, charged with unholy power. By morning the undead had collapsed once again. In Castle Salzenmund, Einrich Moltke III was found frozen in death, surrounded by the inanimate bodies of his ancestors. There was not a single mark on his body. He left no heir. The Doomlord had his revenge — the Moltke line was extinct.[3c]

The Barony of Nordland was inherited by Krentz- Bildhofens of Middenland, while the Principality of Salzenmund was claimed by Sovereign Countess Eleonore Gausser.[3c] Eleonore proved to be an effective leader, whose treaties with Queen Marrisith ensured the goodwill of the Laurelorn.[3c]

From 1910 IC onwards, the guilds of Salzenmund rose to prominence and the nobility courted their prestige and wealth. When merchant knight Lord Gunter Ostrein married the daughter of Count Reinard Gausser, their progeny began the Ostrein line of princes.[3d]

The Ostreins brought an entrepreneurial spirit to Salzenmund. They opened the town to Wood Elves, Dwarfs, Halflings, and even wizards. They loaned silver to Stirland, Talabecland, and Middenland nobles to bring more wealth to the city.[3d]

Electoral Province (2020 - 2368 IC)[]

After the extinction of the Ostrein line, the Magister Counts came to power. Talius the Exalted was a powerful illusionist who managed to reunite Nordland and Salzenmund. In such a vast, fragmented domain as the Empire of Man was in the late Age of Three Emperors before Magnus the Pious reunited the nation, witch hunters and Sigmarites struggled to assert their prohibition on wizardry. Talius was an opportunist who heard about the events in Salzenmund and saw an opportunity to make his own fortune.[3d]

Today, nobody knows anything about Talius' true name, appearance, or his real ambitions. He seems to have been a devious but benevolent autocrat. Talius founded a school for poor children, introduced the Cult of Verena to the town, reduced taxes, and improved trade with Ostland and Middenland. He also restored Nordland's Electoral status through further trickery.[3d]

In 2050 IC, Talius disappeared and passed his title to a former apprentice — Countess Ludmilla Gausser, more commonly known as ‘The Sapphire Mask’. Several more Magister Counts followed Ludmilla by the same tradition of master to apprentice, although it soon became primarily a dynasty of Gaussers. The era of Magister Counts came to an end when Count Ernald Gausser inherited the title, a man who couldn’t even read, let alone cast a spell.[3d]

Great War Against Chaos[]

Baron Thorsten "Redhelm" Nikse was a bloodthirsty man and an enthusiastic hand-to-hand combatant. After he took the throne in 2291 IC, he did his best to avoid the tedious business of ruling in favour of fighting Beastmen or Norscans wherever he could find them. When Chaos began to rise in the north, he didn't wait for Magnus the Pious' call. He and his army boarded ships on the Ormsdeep to "take the fight to the enemy in Norsca." The sole survivor of this expedition returned ten years later, describing the last sight of Baron Redhelm hacking into a mutated leviathan with a boathook as the waves took them both.[3e]

Redhelm's son Roderic was only a year old when he inherited rule of Salzenmund, so the town and province were run by the grandmaster of the Knights of the North Star, Lord Herbert von Laue. He guided the town on a steady path and brokered peace with the Eonir Wood Elves of Laurelorn, on instruction from Emperor Magnus.[3e]

The newly-elected emperor, the first to claim the allegaince of the entire Empire for many centuries, was unwilling to grant Nordland a position as a full Electoral Province, but he granted Salzenmund an Imperial charter naming it an independent city-state. In 2368 IC Baron Ludwig Nikse married Brunhilde Todbringer. The Treaty of Schoninghagen settled the fate of Nordland and Salzenmund alike -- both were once again tributary to the City of the White Wolf. The Gausser family were enraged and refused to accept the treaty’s validity.[3e]

Province (2368 - 2512 IC)[]

When Baron Helmut Nikse died, his son Werner Nikse saw fit to bring the city closer to Middenheim. He married his daughter Anike-Elise to Graf Boris Todbringer, but the alliance provided little advantage to Salzenmund -- in 2502 IC, it was the new emperor, Karl Franz, who marched north to fight invading Norscans on the coast, rather than Graf Boris Todbringer.[3e]

Turmoil of 2512 IC[]

Many Nordlanders resent the rule of Middenheim, calling back to times past, when Nordland decided its own fate and took its own place among the Electoral Provinces. The separatist movement has no central control or organization, but outbreaks of rebellion have appeared throughout the province. Some signal their loyalty with the hourglass emblem, which echoes the symbol of resistance used by Count Ostrein of Nordland in 2015 IC against Middenheim troops at the Battle of Elstwater Keep. It is an open secret that Nordmarshal Theodoric Gausser supports independence from Middenheim, as his ancestors ruled Nordland in the past and rival the Nikses. While Gausser publicly denounces violence and destruction to the Nordland cause, he plots to overthrow the Nikses. To this end, he has formed alliances in Altdorf and elsewhere, and is plotting to restore the electoral power of the province he will rule. After the Turmoil of 2512 IC, the province regained its electoral vote and political status a Great Province once more.[2]

Geography[]

"I know all about Nordland, ladies and gentlemen. In the south they live in the woods, eat leaves, and wish they were from Middenland. In the north they live in rockpools and marry fish. In the middle they sit on little hills and spend their silver on last century’s fashions. And the Elf queen tells them all to comb their hair and wash their faces."

— Seymour Taungar, Altdorf wit[3f]

"What kind of ruler is he that controls less than half of his province..."

—A Reikland noble[1a]
Map of Nordland

A map of Nordland

Nordland is the Empire's northernmost province and the most important stretch of coastline in the realm. It is a remote region and sparsely populated, where a desolate shoreline contrasts with rolling highlands and deep woodland. The province borders Middenland along the line of the Great North Road which passes from Middenheim to Marienburg. In the west, the Nordland frontier ends at the edge of the Laurelorn Forest where the Wasteland begins. To the east, the border with Ostland has shifted many times over the centuries -- although it has always been west of the Middle Mountains.[3f]

A huge tract of Nordland belongs to the Laurelorn Forest. This is Eonir land and not truly under the Elector Count's rule, a matter best not mentioned in the company of Nordland's nobility. Nordland's people can be divided into three cultures. The broad strip of land along the shore supports rugged coastal communities. These people revere and fear Manann, the god of the sea, and live from fishing and maritime trades. In the south, settlements are surrounded by woods close to Middenland both physically and culturally. They rely on the forests, and favour Ulric and alliance with Middenheim. The central highlands around the Silver Hills are the most populous lands in the province, a little wealthier than elsewhere and more open to the rest of the Empire.[3f]

In law, the length of Nordland's territories extends from the Ostland border, all the way to the edge of the Wasteland, and north from the Great North Road to the shores of the Sea of Claws. The Elector Counts of Nordland have accumulated an impressive collection of titles and claims over the millennia, which if enforced, would make them rulers of the entire northern portions of the Empire. Reality has a way of foiling the most grandiose ambitions, however, and the count's rule extends to barely half of the lands he claimed.[1a]

Two great forests blanket the Nordland coast, leaving Men to exist in pockets carved out of the solid woodlands and along the barren shoreline. The eastern section of the province includes the edge of the Forest of Shadows, which dominates the majority of Ostland. It extends as far inland as the Erengrad-Middenheim road, crossing north of Beeckerhoven and finally ending on a banks of the River Salz. The Forest of Shadows has a dark, and dreaded reputation in Ostland, and that reputation has carried over to the people of Nordland. Predatory giant spiders are known to lurk deep in the forest, while Beastmen and Chaos mutants have been seen in increasing numbers since the time of the Great War Against Chaos. Lumbering parties rarely travel far into the woods anymore, unless accompanied by a regiment of armed soldiers. The increased danger has led to a fall in the timber harvest, hurting the local economy and leading to rumblings that the count is not doing his job.[1a]

1006emp16

Coastal windmills of the Nordland coast.

West of Salzenmund and the Silver Hills lies the Laurelorn Forest, which stretches west to the borders with the Wasteland. Technically a part of the count's domain, the Laurelorn is in truth a wholly independent realm. Its rulers are the reclusive Eonir Wood Elves of Laurelorn, the descendants of the High Elves who chose not to leave the Old World at the end of the War of the Ancients. By agreement with the Elector Count of Norland, the Elves allow Imperials to settle the area between the Rivers Salz and Demst, which enters the Sea of Claws at Hargendorf. The agreement strictly limits numbers however, and the Elves must approve before any new Human settlements are made. This they have been loath to do, placing restrictions on what the settlements may harvest from the forest.[1a]

The Humans chafe under these restriction, and the nobles have pressured Grand Baron Theodric Gausser to demand a re-negotiation. Impatient as ever, some Men have made illegal settlements in the area, which the Elves have threatened to remove by force, if need be. Some observers fear a coming clash between the Elector Count's knights and the warriors of Laurelorn, but the recent troubles with Chaos has held Salzenmund's hand, and forced both parties to stand down until after the greater threat has been resolved. There are still worries however, that the Elves might see this as a time to assert their rights upon the Imperials whilst they are at their weakest.[1a]

Beyond the River Demst is the core of Laurelorn, a place Nordlanders call the "Witches Woods" out of their superstitious fear of the Eonir Elf Queen. Imperials are forbidden to cross into it under pain of death: even the Elector Counts of Nordland are under this ban. What lies within the Witches Woods is unknown: some have speculated that the Elves have no capital, living a nomadic life under the trees, whilst others believe it to be the home of the Elf Queen herself. Old books, on the other hand, mention a nameless city of glass deep in its heart, a place that glows with its own light. Whatever the truth, it is certain that neither creatures of Chaos nor Greenskins last long once they enter the Forest, for the Elves defend their home savagely against all comers.[1a]

The coast of Nordland is an often desolate place, where a hard people eke out a living from the sea. The whole coast is frequently blanketed by thick fogs and lashed by storms in fall and winter. This has made the Nordland coast a tough home for the Imperial Fleet, but since Marienburg seceded from the Empire the fleet has had no choice but to base itself here. The fleet's primary anchorage is in the growing town of Dietershafen, which uses the province's ample timber supply in a burgeoning shipbuilding program to combat the Norscan sea raiders from the north.[1a]

From the westernmost settlements at Hargendorf east to Neues Emskrank, the shore comprises sandy lowlands, often interrupted by marsh and bog. West towards Norden, the shores become more rock and covered by shingle as it rises to the hills along the coast and the territory of Ostland. Here on the Drosselspule Bay, fishermen harvest vast numbers of herring and cod, most of which is salted and exported south. Wreckers are still common along the Nordland coast, as some people supplement their meager incomes with the pickings of ships they have led to their deaths.[1a]

Inhabitants[]

"Nordlanders are real woodsmen, alright, but they’re dumber than Snotlings when they’re on the water!"

—A Marienburger mercenary[1a]
Nordlander woodsmen

Nordlanders are known famously for their skills as woodsmen and forestry

The people of Nordland are descendents of the ancient Was Jutone tribe. Close brothers to the Udoses and Was Jutones tribe of Ostland, the Nordland branch of the tribe eventually became estranged from the more easterly settlements of their peoples. Eventually the early Nordlanders fell in battle, becoming vassals of the belligerent Teutogens, and frequent victims of Norscan raids. During the chaos that reigned in the aftermath of the Great Plague, much of Nordland's coast was invaded and colonised by the Norscans, leading to a mingling of the tribal bloodlines. Emperor Mandred Ratslayer, faced with graver threats elsewhere, had little time to answer the pleas of the Nordlanders, much to their horror.[1a]

As time passed and populations mixed, the Nordlanders adopted many of the customs of their Norscan cousins. Courts frequently resort to trial of combat, the contest taking place on a white sheet pegged to the ground. The first person to stain the sheet red with his blood is declared the loser and the guilty party. Older houses often have runes carved into their doors and window frames for luck and spiritual protection, and along the coast the longhouse style is still common. At feasts and gatherings, Norscan bragging contests have evolved into more genteel storytelling events, with each speaker trying to outdo the last. So great is the Nordlanders love of stories that they have become famous around the Empire as great storytellers.[1a]

At their best Nordlanders are solid, straightforward, and honest folk, looking down upon (while lacking the guile of) the mealy mouthed words of politicians, poets, and soft Reiklanders. The folk of this province are said to be amongst the loudest and frankest of all the empire. They seem to lack any subtlety, tact, or common sense. Several local legends involve heroes who blurt out the truth at the vital moments, thus saving the day. Other provinces point out this is because Nordlanders are too stupid to lie.[1a]

At their worst, Nordlanders are churlish, uncouth, thoughtless speakers. This is even reflected in their dialect of Reikspiel, the Nordlander accent being harsh and fast to the point that words are almost barked out rather than spoken. Even the merchants of Nordland have this blunt approach, though they seem to be fine with double-dealings. Indeed they have found that shouting the final price has a profound effect upon merchants used to the subtleties of barter and negotiation. Many provinces point out that this is because of their mongrel Was Jutone, Teutogen, and Norscan Bloodlines, this mixed heritage having been a source of Nordlander shame for many generations.[1a]

Modern Imperials look on Norscans with a mixture of admiration and fear, seeing them both as powerful warriors and wild, uncivilized barbarians, not to be trusted around one's daughters or sheep. A popular Imperial saying runs "Character is in the blood", meaning the ancestry determines character. Thus the Nordlanders are often regarded as "Not quite like us" rougher and more uncouth even more so than the wild and hairy Middenlanders.[1a]

Another case of discomfort among Nordlanders comes form their current fashion among nobles especially in the north, for tracing ancestry back to one of the founding tribes. The purer the background the higher ones status climbs, and the summit is the tracing of a lineage back to one of the founding chiefs. Alone amongst the provinces, the Nordlanders ancestors were conquered by outsiders, which is a source of embarrassment for status-conscious nobles, particularly when dealing with arrogant Middenlanders and Stirlander bumkpins.[1a]

To compensate, most Nordlanders are more vocally and demonstratively loyal to the Empire and the Cult of Ulric than almost anyone else in the empire. Their efforts ring hollow to some, while others see them as examples of duty and patriotism. Whatever the motive, there is no doubting their bravery in battle. When in an army with troops from other provinces, Nordlanders are rash in their desire to close with the enemy. At the Battle of Frote in 2421 IC, the Nordland pikes were so anxious to come to grips with the forces of Chaos that they charged before an order was given, leaving them isolated on the battlefield and their own army's flank exposed. Since then imperial generals have been quietly advised to treat the Nordlanders "as they would a hound on a leash" - to keep them under control.[1a]

Renowned hunters and foresters, the Nordlanders woodland skills are so strong that even Hochlanders and the folk of the Talabec will grudgingly admit that they are "not too bad". Certainly Nordlanders are close to the land: the province has one of the largest communities of Rhya worship in the North of the Empire centered around the clannish villages south of Hargendorf. The Worship of the Harvest Mother without her consort Taal, is considered particularly dangerous in some circles of thought. Talabeclanders in particular are dismissive of this "women worship". They whisper that the Elves join the Humans for their religious rites at old stone circles deep in the woods, though speculation is rife, so no-one knows what really goes on in these ceremonies. The Elector Count is not comfortable with this, and is considering sending investigators to determine if the people of the Demst Vale are planning a revolt.[1a]

Notable Locations[]

  • Salzenmund - The capital-city of Nordland and the seat of Count Theodric Gausser.[1a]
  • Neues Emskrank - A formerly bustling port-town, Neues Emskrank has since fallen into hard-times and regress backed into a primitive fishing village.[1a]
  • Rol Valley - Once this valley had been home to dozens of villages, and farming communities that had prospered in the rich soil. Vast swathes of grain had filled the slopes, transforming the valley into a swaying sea of gold whenever a brisk northern breeze blew down into it. Thanks to the incomes it was possible to commission, in ca. 1070 IC, a detailed map of Nordland, made by the finest Tilean masters on the market.[4a]
  • Schuten - Located between Beeckerhoven and Norden on the road to Erengrad, the village of Shoten is a popular spot for travelers and merchants travelling along the coast of the Nordland.[1a]

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Sigmar's Heir (RPG)
    • 1a: pp. 63-68
  • 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Empire in Ruins Companion (RPG)
  • 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Salzenmund - City of Salt and Silver (RPG)
    • 3a: pg. 7
    • 3b: pg. 8
    • 3c: pg. 9
    • 3d: pg. 10
    • 3e: pg. 11
    • 3f: pg. 102
  • 4 Wolf of Sigmar (Novel) by C.L Werner
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