The Heldannic Order - Vaults of Pandius

GEOGRAPHY
has been a problem source of undead for
decades. Given the Principalities’ ban on
clerics and other proselytizers, relations
with the Order are cool.
To the south are the Ethengar Steppes,
home to the Heldanners’ ancestral
enemies. Many communities and
settlements have been destroyed by the
nomadic Ethengars during their periodic
bouts of aggression. Even the Heldannic
Order has been unable to deter these
raids.
Finally, the Kingdoms of Vestland and
Ostland rest to the southeast. The
inhabitants of these kingdoms are closely
related to the Heldanners, and their
languages are very similar.
Climate and
Environmental Notes
The Heldannic Territories lie between
45° and 51° North Latitude on the eastern
seaboard of Brun. Cold arctic winds
blow down from Norwold during the
winter months. During the other three
months, strong easterly winds roll off the
Western Sea of Dawn, bringing with
them squalls and thunderstorms.
The Freiburg region has winter-time
temperatures that average 10°-25° F (-12°
to -4° C). Small lakes and rivers,
including the Isar, ice over in middle to
late winter, but they are rarely capable of
supporting human weight. Snowfall
averages only 2.5 inches per month, more
near the mountains. Infrequently, the
Wendarian weather system pushes over
the Menguls. These instances usually
result in additional snow being pulled off
the peaks.
Spring is wet, with daily lows and highs
around 25° and 35° F, respectively (-4° to
2° C). It rains once every other day, on
average and produces 4 inches per month
in the worst areas.
Summer time is mildly warm and
humid, 50° to 60° F (10° to 16° C). Low
altitude, south-easterly winds scour the
land before expending their energies on
the Menguls.
Fall has one of the few regular dry
periods, right before the cool winds turn
cold. Temperatures average 30° to 40° F
(-1° to 5° C).
Cities and Towns
Freiburg: The capital of the
Heldannic Territories is the city of
Freiburg. It occupies what was once the
town of Haldisvall. Freiburg and its
outlying communities are covered in
greater detail in the next section.
Altendorf: Altendorf was originally
the Heldannic town of Ynvarhöfn, and it
was the first major settlement in the
Territories to fall after Freiburg.
Altendorf was only lightly damaged in its
capture and remained a classic northern
town with wooden palisade walls and
winding streets until the Revolt of 978.
As a consequence of the rebellion, the
Heldannic populace of Altendorf was
accused of sheltering many of the
seditious participants. Those who could
fled into the hills or the Altenwald, but
many others were forcibly relocated to
other areas within the Territories. More
than a few were deported to locations far
removed from the Known World.
A new population of Hattian settlers
was brought in and they rebuilt the town.
The wooden walls were retained, but they
remodeled the streets and houses to fit
with Hattian architecture. Today,
Altendorf (4,800, inc. 960 military and
240 priests) has the lowest proportion of
native Heldanners of any town in the
region.
Altendorf is the provincial seat for all
territory north of the Elber. Its primary
industry is logging, but the local timber
has rapidly thinned. Loggers now
journey to the Altenwald where they can
harvest trees without having to
continually shift location. Also, a fair
amount of crop and animal farming takes
place around the town.
Grauenberg: Once known as
Skolgrim, the dark town of Grauenberg
(3,800, inc. 760 mil., 190 priests) guards
the southwestern border of the
Territories. Even before the coming of
the Knights, the town was used to
invasions by the Ethengar Horde or the
dark creatures that escaped the wilds of
Glantri. Grauenberg is designed for
defense, with low stone buildings
surrounded by a large wall.
The ethnic barriers are at their weakest
in Grauenberg. The external dangers have
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led the native Heldanners and the Knights
to work together in the interest of
protecting the town.
The Experten, both the Order’s
specialist vampire hunters and
freelancers, are based in Grauenberg.
Despite their best efforts, vampire
activity continues in the town and
countryside. The town has limited
industrial capacity, but it does operate
some nearby mines (including salt).
Grauenberg is also becoming an
important trade hub that connects to
Wendar, Glantri, Darokin (via the
Overland Trade Route) and the Ethengar
– when they are peaceful.
Hockstein: The Heldannic town of
Torgsdal fell in one of the bloodiest
campaigns of the conquest. Surviving
Heldanners were corralled into ghetto
slums, while the Knights claimed the
nicer areas and remade the town in their
own image. Unlike neighboring
Grauenberg, Hockstein is a deeply
divided town. Despite the passage of
time, the relationship between the two
ethnic groups is still sour, resulting in
daily examples of prejudice, violence and
hatred.
The center of the town (4,300)
resembles a fortified Hattian encampment
and contains a large military contingent
from the Order (860 military, 215
priests). The outskirts, especially the
northeastern corner, contain traditional
wood and thatch houses, but they are in a
very poor state.
The town acts as a collection point for
the local farm produce, but the poor
relations between the various factions
have led most other industries to desert
the area. Hockstein is the worst example
of the Order’s conquest, and it would
take a very strong leader on either side to
heal the wounds.
Grunturm: Grunturm is a major
keep in the Schoenbergen’s Bläuchen
River Valley. The force stationed here
(450 soldiers, 75 priests) is tasked with
defeating or delaying Ethengar raiders
who might hit the coastal settlements.
The garrison and priesthood are
supported by 125 civilians.
Eisenturm: The Eisenturm is an
exact replica of the Grunturm. Eisenturm
(300 military, 100 priests) monitors the