Sometime before the Rule of the Dragons, Elves settled in the sylvan wonderland in the south of Gloriana.
Traditionally the home of the Halflings, this bucolic and verdant region known for its comforts and hospitality welcomed the elves.
Peaceful, cultured, educated, and scholarly, the region was ripe pickings for a Vulgarian invasion that occurred about five minutes after the cataclysm.
When Count Yezhov attempted to push the invasion northward, his forces ran into the dominantly Human armies led by Eukideme. That didn’t go so well for the Vulgarians. To this day, about the only thing that can frighten a Vampire is a Human.
These historical events give Vichy-Merdreterre the unique features that distinguish it as perhaps the worst place in Ur for anyone to have the misfortune to live. And, that’s saying something.
With exception of Abandon City, which straddles both Merdreterre and Vichy-Merdreterre, the boundary between these two nations is unambiguously marked by Imagino’s Line, an earthen wall dotted at regular intervals with manned fortifications and bloody skirmishes.
The authorities in Merdreterre claim Abandon City is part of Vichy-Merdreterre. In an unusual turnabout from their typical irredentist propaganda, the Vulgarians insist Abandon City is a sole possession of the Merdreterrens. Much of the fighting between Vulgaria and Merdreterre seems to be aimed at forcing one or the other nation into accepting Abandon City as the other’s.
Either way, the traveler in Merdreterre seeking entry into Abandon City will be greeted by the small section of Imagino’s line designed to keep something IN as opposed to keeping something OUT.
Similarly, on the Vichy-Merdreterre side of Imagino’s Line, the Vulgarians take a decidedly defensive posture, preferring to keep the horrors, aberrations, and torture abominations of Abandon City contained within the city walls.
To the south of Vichy-Merdreterre, is the Sea of Many Terrors, which most people prefer to Vichy-Merdreterre. There is, in fact, few things on Ur that people prefer less than Vichy-Merdreterre.
Geography
Vichy-Merdreterre is located on the south west end of the Fractured Content, bordered by Merdreterre to the north and the Sea of Many Terrors to the south.
To the west, one finds (to their horror) Vulgaria.
Imagino’s Line clearly divides Merdreterre and Vichy-Merdreterre.
Lake Unfathomable is located just south of Abandon City. The lake feeds both the Black and Unfathomable Rivers. The Black River is more or less blue before entering Abandon City and unmistakably black exiting the place. The Unfathomable River flows southward to a wide delta, with the occupied city of Fine on west side of the delta and the free city of Nyc on the east.
On either side of the vast Unfathomable River are the haunted forrests of Sidea and Sideb. Very little is know about Sidea and Sideb. Even the Vulgarians won’t venture into these woods. From time time to time, the trees themselves attempt to flee it.
Economy
There is none such that we can identify. All productivity supports the continuous and pointless war effort.
A gray economy operated by the Amalgamated Substrates of Ur is surely thriving.
Goods, mostly military in nature, arrive at night on secluded beaches featuring swarthy halflings in possession of a cart and a hooded lamp. The rare and ancient artifacts you receive is well worth the risk of endless torture for the unfortunate entrepreneur finding themselves in the company of Yezhov’s secret police.
Culture
While there are no arts to speak of in Vichy-Merdreterre, the traveller to the region will find a vibrant and thriving resistance sub-culture, complete with secret hand shakes, code words, special hats, and the occasional act of insurgent terrorism. It’s best not to sit near Vulgarian officers in public restaurants.
Politics
Vichy-Merdreterre is ruled by a democratically elected Steward, Q-Mosleigh Petin, who is serving his forty-second year of a four year term, achieving 100% of the popular again in the last election.
He is loved by the people.
Law
Law and order is overseen by Q-Mosleigh Petin’s secret police, which is made up entirely of Vulgarians.
The Resistance also sees to law and order, pronouncing summary death sentences on all members of the Vichy-Merdreterre government.
The traveler to Merdreterre is urged to make very good guesses as to which law at any given moment is the better law to chose, as getting it wrong is typically brief mistake.
Travel To And From
There are three ways to get out of Vichy-Merdreterre:
First, you can build a raft and attempt flight across the Sea of Many Terrors. If you can steer your raft, it is possible to make it past the coastal and harbor defenses of the City of Nyc, where you can throw yourself on the mercy of the Elves. If you can’t steer your raft, rest assured that being eaten by something rising up from the depths of the Sea of Many Terrors may be preferable than washing ashore on Thela Hun Jinjeet or Marshland.
Second, you can try to sneak past the garrisoned troops along Imagino’s Line, scale or otherwise breach the wall, and survive detection from the troops garrisoned on the other side of Imagino’s Line. You have better odds slipping through a tea strainer, with just as much chance of being boiled alive.
Third, you can take your chances in Abandon City. The Vulgarians will, as likely as not, allow you to enter Abandon City unmolested. Typically, if the guards in the sentry towers are making popcorn, they’re going to let you in. On the Merdreterre side, you can expect a stiff and firm resolve from Myrite’s Black Guard that Abandon City is where you should say.
One might observe that the traveler could make their way from Vichy-Merdreterre into Vulgaria, but this is a lot like saying a person could always escape a fire built in a frying pan for the fire built beneath it.
As for getting INTO Vichy-Merdreterre, there are ways to do this, but after much discussion we have decided it would imperil our mortal souls to help anyone get INTO Vichy-Merdreterre. You’re on you’re own with that particular folly.