Schisseplatz is a loose federation of states united by their mountainous location and werewolves.
Located to the east of Merdreterre, Schisseplatz extends from the foothills of the Pernicious Mountains to the chasms of The Fracture that separates it from топографический океан.
Ithulvania is the northern most principality, with an isthmus jutting out into the Cold And Miserable sea. It known most for its “Dwarven hospitality,” frostbite, and the highest per capita deaths from mining accidents and blunt trauma (which is a single category of morbidity among the Ithuvanians).
To the south and west of Ithulvania, those fleeing “Dwarven hospitality,” will find themselves in the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. Grand Fenwick is the smallest of the Schisseplatzen states, so it is naturally the most bellicose. Grand Fenwick is in a perpetual war with the rest of Schisseplatz. Grand Fenwick is open and welcome to all visitors, who are warmly embraced with a letter of conscription, personally signed by the Duke or Duchess as a keepsake or family heirloom in the event of death on the battlefield. Grand Fenwick is known for its fine military uniforms and mass funerals.
To the east of Grand Fenwick, the deserter from the Grand Fenwick army will find herself in the capitol principality of Schisseplatz, the majestic Fredonia. Little can be said of Fredonia, as nobody has been seen coming or going from Fredonia in quite some time. There is no news from the capitol, and it is generally agreed upon across the rest of Schisseplatz that this is just good government at work.
South of Grand Fenwick and Freedonia, the lucky survivors of the journey south will find themselves in the majestic mountain kingdom of Hostenwall. This rustic nation is known for towering mountains, snowy winter retreats, tall conifers, vampires, werewolves, wraiths, and other vengeful spirits suffering the long torments of the undead. Vistors to Hostwall are merrily greeted by townspeople with quaint ritual of being dowsed in holy water and wolves’ bane before being run out of town at the end of pitchforks. Be sure to try the torte and pastry on your flight out of town, as their are supposedly delicious (and please confirm the rumor if you succeed in this perilous undertaking).
Finally, the most fortunate and to-date unheard of survivor of a journey from Ithulvania through Hostenwall will find themselves in the rugged mountains of Vulgaria. This southern most state in Schisseplatz is generally considered a tyranny by the population imprisoned there. It is best known for it’s rugged and rocky peaks and corpses dangling from pikes on display all year long. The lucky escapee from Vulgaria will find herself in Merdreterre — while the unlucky one will find herself in Vichy-Merdreterre, which is as bad as Vulgaria only flatter and leafier. The ruler of Vulgaria is the Count Yezhov, who is tall, pale, about two-thousand years old, and occasionally travels as a bat or plague of insects. If you leaving Vulgaria, which is generally advised, remember to take a note from any one of the long-suffering subjects of Count Yezhov to the relatives who have since fled his unholy rule.
South of Vulgaria, you will surely congratulate yourself on finally reaching the Sea of Many Terrors which may take your adventures to the baking hot land of Thela Hun Jinjeet or further south to the welcoming mosquitoes of Marshland.
During the epoch of Sorcerers, the region was called Wolkencukkuklund, where Antimony built his tower in what is now called “Freedonia.”
Geography
Schisseplatz is comprised entirely of rugged, mountainous terrain, featuring high, snow-covered peaks and deep vales. There are many lakes and lochs, fed from the melting snowpack of the high peaks.
At lower altitudes, the hillsides are heavily forested with conifers, birches, and aspens. At higher altitudes, the terrain becomes grassy up to the snow line.
The dominant geographic features of Schisseplatz is The Fracture: this is the deep ravine that separates Schisseplatz from топографический океан. The Fracture is one of the many catastrophic results of cataclysmic war between the ‘patalogical Sorcerers. Water from the Cold and Miserable Sea floods southward into the Sea of Many Terrors. Turbulent waters make crossing The Fracture at its base nearly impossible. Turbulent winds make flight over it treacherous. For this reason, the Dwarves of Ithulvania finally got themselves together and built a bridge at the only suitable location they could find (see travel to and from, below).
The highest peak in Schisseplatz is Mount Krumphet, towering over the border between Holstenwall and Vulgaria. Whatever lurks above the cloud-shrouded peaks of Mount Krumphet has kept Count Yezhov from expanding his territory northward. And, that should be enough said about that.
Economy
The principal economies of Schisseplatz involve mining. There is very little arable land in this mountainous region. There is, however, quite a bit of mountain in this mountainous region. The denizens of Schisseplatz work with what they have.
There is some shepherding and dairy. Mostly, these brave entrepreneurs keep the werewolves and rocs well fed. For this reason, sheep and goats are preferred to cattle, as it is easier to carry a silver dagger than a balista up and down the mountain tracks.
The main exports of Schisseplatz are precious metals and gems.
The main imports of Schisseplatz are turnips.
Each principality of Schisseplatz maintains its own currency pegged to various different precious metals or gems. Which metal or gem will vary depending on rising or falling value of that metal or gem. They do this because of the on-going competition between the principalities to be the wealthiest, and this system allows the keep the competition fierce; on paper, anyway.
A practical upshot of all this is that anyone with clairvoyance will likely find easy work at the local currency exchange office.
Culture
Art, music, literature, and dance across Schisseplatz is as varied and diverse as many other aspects of the principalities that comprise it.
In Ithulvania, for example, you find that art, such that is it, takes a mostly utilitarian quality. There are many elaborately carved pillars, but mostly because there are many pillars and a lot of dwarves with a lot of time on their hands. One might find entire libraries of scrolls, codexes, and folios, but not a word of fiction or poetry, unless one considers “dig here if ye seek peridots” poetry. You will find many tapestries and carpets, but that is because the stone walls and floors are cold, and careful inspections of embroidery will reveal the tapestries mostly detail instructions on how to build and operate a mine while the carpets more or less inform you of where you are and what lies before you or behind you. Stamped coinage in Ithulvania one will find a phrase in Dwarfish that translates roughly to “Don’t bother me, I’m busy” or “Bugger off!”
Grand Fenwick, by contrast, is brimming with color and sound. Each of armies, regiments, battalions, companies, and squads of Grand Fenwick have their on colors and patterns adorning their tabards. Childhood education is mostly taken up with memorizing it all. There are many military songs, stories, and plays detailing the many glorious defeats suffered by the armies of Grand Fenwick, each concluding that the resolve of this proud nation will carry it forward with perseverance through its next defeat and the many to follow.
Little today is known of the state of the arts in Fredonia, as the thick shroud of fog engulfing the many vales of the nation prevent the Grand Fenwickian spies perched on the freezing mountain tops from observing much of anything going on within the capitol principality.
As for Holsenwall, music and dance make up much of the lively folk culture that takes place behind heavy wooden doors, shuddered windows, and barred entry-ways of the taverns and town halls. The one great university of Schisseplatz is the Rotwang Institute in the city of Caligari — where one of the oldest and finest traditions of academic learning is focused mostly on ridding the beleaguered principality of its undead problem.
Most unusual of all the principalities in Schisseplatz is Vulgaria, where the student of art will find many macabre and monastic works of art created from the blood of the many long-suffering tortured people of the place. There are open air concerts formed the coordinated screaming of torture victims. Torture also forms the thematic and stylistic backbone of most of the literature of the place. Many art students venturing to Vulgaria are so enthralled with these unique expressions of creativity, they become works of Vulgarian art in and of themselves.
Politics
Schisseplatz is a federation of independent states, with the body of magistrates sitting in parliament in Fredonia. A privy council of three executives oversees the administration of laws that span the many principalities, with elections held every three years to rotate one of the privy council out of a nine year service in government. The election or appointment of magistrates and executives is grand public affair, watched by many. None of the elected or appointed officials are ever heard from again.
Each of the principalities of Schisseplatz is ruled by a single crown leader.
Ithulvania is ruled by their Ladyship of the Forge.
In Grand Fenwick, the Grand Marshal oversees the government and administration of the public, which is one and the same with the military.
In Freedonia, an elected Burgomaster oversees the administration of the public good; or at least that was how it was done and everyone just assumes it remains that way today. The headquarters of the Blightwalkers is found in Freedonia as well, and the Blightwalkers urgently request anyone finding it to please notify any one of the many branch offices located in cities through out Ur.
Holstenwall has a complex and elaborate bureaucracy of interlocking directorates and overlapping memberships. Much of the administration of government is taken up during daylight hours with internecine squabbling over who does what and during nighttime hours securing the doors, windows, and fireplaces.
The Vulgarian government is a refreshingly simple tyranny of Yezhov, which seems to be organized around straight-forward practice of cruelty and pain.
Religion
Religon is very popular throughout all of Schisseplatz. Many households, figuring that hedging is a good strategy for balancing a portfolio of Celestial life insurance will worship many different gods under a single roof. Prayers are frequently heard, especially among the fleeing or suffering.
Law
With the exception of Ithulvania and Vulgaria, law in Schisseplatz is generally thought of as capricious, arbitrary, and random. One general rule to help the intrepid spirit making their through Schisseplatz is that whatever the law is, it is not on their side.
In Ithulvania, the law is based much on the same principle as that of Merdreterre: as long as it doesn’t involve her Ladyship, the survivor is right.
Vulgarian law is refreshingly simple: Yezhov’s word is law, and mostly Yezhov says things like “kill him slowly,” or “have her tortured for the next one thousand years.” One always knows where they stand in relation to the law in Vulgaria.
Travel To and From Schisseplatz
There are few entry points and no direct routes through Schisseplatz. This is a product of its mountainous nature.
There tracks and paths up the mountain from Merdreterre, but no roads.
Sea travel is possible to ports in Ithulvania, provided the Dwarves will let you off the docks.
There are no known ports to Vulgaria. Sea trade to Vulgaria is typically directed to the port city of Fine in Vichy-Merdreterre, and then transported by slave to Vulgaria proper.
There is a massive bridge spanning The Fracture in central, eastern Holstenwall. It is guarded heavily by a multi-national force of defenders on the Schisseplatz side (centrally administrated from Fredonia, so engage them at your own risk) and only-the-gods-know-what on the топографический океан side.