Map of Masserschloss in the Border Princes.[1d]
Masserschloss, formally the Principlaity of Masserschloss, is one of the larger and more stable principalities to be found amid the constant turmoil and ambitions of the Border Princes.[1a]
History[]
Like many lands in the Border Princes, Masserschloss has a rich and interesting history; evidence of prior events can be found in the ruins and queer landscape that defines the area today.[1a]
Ancient History[]
Approximately 2,000 years ago, a group of Humans settled in the Masserschloss region. Exiled from their homeland because of their perverse religious beliefs that involved Human sacrifice and foul service to the Ruinous Powers, they sought out a new home.[1a]
They chose this patchwork land because their enemies hunted them, and the threat of reprisals and burning at the hands of witch hunters remained a source of fear. So they bided their time, lying low until they were strong and numerous enough to withstand any attack.[1a]
Aside from the occasional mob of Greenskins, the region remained relatively quiet for almost four centuries, but the Chaos Cult grew, swelling its numbers with disaffected Tileans, Men of the Empire, and others. The cultists grew bolder, spreading out and raiding the few settlements in the region for sacrifices and much-needed supplies. None could stand against the awful mutants that made up their numbers, and the Chaos Cult grew more powerful. They even dared to attack a Dwarf caravan or two.[1a]
This heightened activity worried the Dwarfs, who responded by stepping up their presence in the region, sending more warriors to the holdfast that overlooked the area. With the escalating violence, the Dwarfs soon learned the cult had more sinister plans than to just add to their ranks.[1a]
From captured cultists, they learned of a profane ritual that would pull a Greater Daemon from the Realm of Chaos to despoil the lands. The Dwarfs had to act quickly, and so they mounted an offensive against the horde of Chaos thralls. But despite their best efforts, the Chaos Cultists were too numerous and supported by foul Chaos Champions, Chaos Sorcerers, and terrible monsters.[1a]
For 200 years, the Dwarfs continued to fight but languished in a stalemate, simply containing the Chaos threat and doing little to eradicate it. Though the Dwarfs managed to stall the ritual, they knew it would be just a matter of time until it succeeded.[1a]
And then the time came, but instead of tearing a hole in the fabric of reality, there was a fearsome burst of light followed by rolling earthquakes. The sun was blotted from the sky, and death ruled the land. After three weeks, the debris in the air finally cleared, revealing a land forever changed.[1a]
What were once verdant hills was now a broken land, with the raw wounds in the earth exposed. The Chaos Cult's temple and its surrounding community was buried, and all sign of the Dwarf stronghold was erased.[1a]
But worse, somewhere beneath the rubble was a vile Daemonic presence that poisoned the area. Soon, all life died out as the foul toxins spread throughout the region. Even the rocks could not bear the corruption and shattered under the sheer weight of its awfulness. Where once there were trees and grass, sand and stone now ruled. It was dead and all but empty.[1a]
For hundreds of years, no one came to Masserschloss. None dared enter the accursed wasteland, for it was said that the very elements hunted the living. The wind flayed flesh from the bone, and the earth greedily leached fluids from the body. Even the sun had an unhealthy cast, burning the sky like a pestilential wound. And at night, Ghosts of the past haunted the land, stealing the souls of those they found. Though the wasteland was cursed, its fearsome reputation did little to dissuade people from settling around it.[1a]
Small communities sprang up throughout the area, founded in the hopes of starting a new life, to reclaim the land out of a desperate goal to forge something lasting, something permanent in this shattered region. And for a century, the population grew, until the start of the seventeenth century IC.[1a]
First Prince[]
Abdul Al'Shar was an ambitious warlord from Araby. Not content with his lot in Araby, and perhaps as a reaction to the Great Crusades that despoiled much of his homeland, he looked north, intending to do to the Empire what they had done to Araby.[1a]
He gathered his armies, set sail, and landed in the region of the Border Princes. He knew he needed new supplies to make a serious attempt against the Empire, which was starting its slow decline into the unrest and anarchy of the Age of Three Emperors. So he intended to create a petty kingdom to swell his numbers with mercenaries and plant crops enough to feed his forces.[1a]
What he found was a land infested by Greenskins; a place of desperation, plague, and death. He led his army north, but he watched with horror as each new engagement with the Orcs whittled away his numbers, unravelling his plans and destroying his dreams of conquest.[1a]
Faced with annihilation, Al'Shar settled for a piece of land and ruled over the scattered homesteads and struggling villages. Luckily, the poisonous desert had stopped expanding, and much of the horrors it was said to have held had since ceased. He invested more resources when his scouts discovered an area rich with iron.[1a]
Sensing the opportunity to rebuild after his losses to the Orcs, Al'Shar focussed all of his efforts on the mine. Months passed, and it seemed less and less likely that Al'Shar would recoup his losses from the initial invasion, and a year later, one of his lackeys murdered him while he sat on his chamber pot.[1a]
Over the next 200 years, Al'Shar's principality fell to a series of lesser and lesser men until what little law there was collapsed under the weight of its own corruption. The iron mines that had supplied this land with wealth dried up. The realm fragmented, consumed by civil war until the whole region simply fell to the rampaging Greenskins and later to other Men who came to settle.[1a]
Era of Strife[]
Lacking a strong ruler, the Greenskins tumbled into the region. They raided the scattered settlements and slaughtered the Humans with abandon. But despite the risk of a horrid death at the hands of bloodthirsty Orcs, refugees from the Empire and elsewhere still settled here.[1a]
Conflict was common; Men fought each other, as well as Orcs, Goblins, and even the scattered Beastmen that seemed to spring out of the ground. The land became famous for its instability even by the loose standards of the Borderlands.[1a]
During this tempestuous period, strong rulers carved out new principalities, such as Masserschloss and others whose names have been erased by the fires of war. And with them came a sort of tenuous peace, the first felt in decades. But then, nothing lasts in the land of the Renegade Crowns.[1a]
Shattering this brief period of stability was a wretched necromancer named Bragthorn. Fleeing the Templar Witch Hunters, he vanished into the Border Princes where he could continue his exploration and study of dark magic without interference.[1a]
He constructed a tower built from Human bones and waged a war of terror on the principalities. He dispatched countless shuffling Zombies and clattering Skeletons to kill, maim, and loot the villages. For decades, Bragthorn held the land captive, each year ordering more appalling acts of violence. And then suddenly, the attacks stopped. The necromancer's tower was silent, and the Undead vanished from the land.[1a]
At Present[]
With the necromancer seemingly destroyed, a deed falsely claimed to have been accomplished by Dieter von Masserschloss, the region faces a new period. The peasants have worked to rebuild their homes, and there is a sense of hope in their hearts. Still, the Green Menace is active again, and each season, the Orcs raid from the desert or the swamps to butcher the Humans and take their hard-earned food and cattle.[1a]
Politically, Masserschloss is the dominant principality in the Border Princes, but two relatively new princes have forged new realms of their own. Allied against the elder and larger princedom, it seems conflict looms on the horizon for the region once more.[1a]
Notable Events[]
- 522 IC - Chaos Cultists from Tilea flee to the Border Princes and establish a colony in an area of the Verdant Hills in what will become Masserschloss.[1a]
- 922 IC - Chaos Cultist activity spikes and they begin raiding nearby communities in a quest to find more sacrifices for the Dark Gods. The Dwarfs respond by sending a company of warriors to erect a stronghold to monitor cultist activity in Masserschloss.[1a]
- 900 to 1100 IC - Sporadic violence between the Dwarfs and the Chaos Cultists rage in Masserschloss. The Dwarfs learn that the cultists are seeking to complete a terrifying ritual that will open a gateway into the Realm of Chaos and release Daemons into the Old World, and so the stronghold turns its resources to constructing a powerful weapon to crush the cultists.[1a]
- 1109 IC - In Masserschloss, the Chaos Cultists succeed in opening a gateway into theRealm of Chaos as they had long sought, but they are all destroyed by the rampaging Daemons who emerge from it. The gate eventually collapses in a terrific explosion of magical energy that buries the temple and its supporting cultist community intact.[1a]
- 1110 to 1500 IC - The period known as the "Dark Years" plagues the region of Masserschloss.[1a]
- 1501 to 1600 IC - After nearly four centuries of being uninhabited, new settlers brave the badlands to erect new communities.[1a]
- 1606 IC - The Arabyan warlord Abdul Al'Shar invades the region, conquering the villages and claiming the land for his own.[1a]
- 1810 IC - The region's iron mine closes, and the dominion of the Arabyan sheiks over the region ends.[1a]
- 1800 to 2470 IC - The period known as the "Era of Strife."[1a]
- 2471 to 2521 IC - The terrible reign of Bragthorn the Necromancer.[1a]
Three Princes[]
With the end of the necromancer Bragthorn's reign of terror, Masserschloss is largely controlled by one powerful prince, but there are two others who contest his rule and govern smaller domains of their own.[1]
- Dieter von Masserchloss - Dieter von Masserschloss is the current Prince of Masserschloss.[1c]
- Dhuoda - Dhuoda is an exiled Bretonnian noblewoman and the leader of the small realm of New Bretonnia.[1c]
- Massimo Caldieli - Massimo Caldieli has ruled his corner of Masserschloss for just a few years. He rose from humble roots in Tilea and once lived the life of a bandit.[1b]
Notable Locations[]
The following settlements can all be found in the region of Masserchsloss.[1d]
Dieter's Domain[]
Masserschloss has a number of homesteads and tiny communities, but most of his people congregate in the following locations.[1d]
Masserschloss[]
Masserschloss surrounds the prince's fortress in the heart of a rich valley. Sustaining itself by producing barrels, casks, and jugs for vintners and brewers throughout the region and beyond, it has a brisk trade, serving as the key economic presence in the region.[1d]
Gryphon's Crag[]
In the hills, on the edge of the badlands, is Gryphon’s Crag. About ten years ago, a Chaos Cultist from the Empire settled here, drawn by the legends of an ancient temple buried somewhere in the wasteland.[1d]
He tried to explore the terrain himself, but the inhospitable environment made travel extremely difficult for a single man. And so, he turned his attentions to the townsfolk. One by one, he seduced them, turning their hearts to the worship of Chaos.[1d]
And almost ten years later, he's converted nearly all the townsfolk and has the support and supplies necessary to make extended forays into the swirling wasteland that hides the ancient site.[1d]
Sweetwater[]
This tiny community mines coal from the rumpled hills that lay to the north of the principality. Once an active mine, most of the coal has since been played out. Still, there are a few tenacious miners who refuse to pick up and move, scouring the hills for the meagre coal that remains.[1d]
Sweetwater is disturbing to travellers since much of the town is abandoned. Furthermore, the few people left are strange, and there are whispers of mutations and other strangeness to boot.[1d]
Gunther's Foot[]
Gunther's Foot is a wretched little hive that is home to a pair of extended families that huddle on the shores of a dreadful bog. Years ago, the families came together when a son and daughter wed. But in the generations that followed, they have become so in-bred, there's no way to separate one group from the other.[1d]
Most of the people here are so twisted and mutated, they can barely function. Thus, most have become content to gibber and drool in piles of their own leavings, chuckling at each other's misfortune.[1d]
Massimo's Domain[]
Massimo has had little luck in sustaining any kind of population. His poor tactics and his half-hearted approach to rule have driven off most of the indigenous population.[1d]
Dove's Landing[]
Morning Glory's Alley
Dove's Landing is the only real community in this principality. It is a small village of about 180 people. Situated on the shores of a swamp, it makes its livelihood catering to travellers coming from the mire or the poisonous desert.[1d]
A group of Shallyans have established a small hospital here, but they bicker with the prince about taxes. Despite the squabbling, the prince protects them whenever they face a threat.[1d]
Morning Glory[]
There aren't many homesteads under Prince Massimo's protection, and those that remain do so because they can't leave or are too entrenched to pick up and go elsewhere. Morning Glory is one such homestead, composed of an extended and very in-bred family who openly worship Slaanesh.[1d]
Ordinarily, such activity would have them stamped out, but given their isolation at the edge of the principality near the mountains, they have so far avoided attracting unwanted attention.[1d]
Dhuoda's Domain[]
Of the three principalities, Dhuoda's may be the smallest, but within her region, there are two villages and a smattering of homesteads.[1d]
Lady's Boon[]
The seat of Dhuoda's power is a small village called Lady's Boon. Situated in the hills for defence, she has spared no expense in fortifying the community against attacks from Greenskins and rival princes.[1d]
The architecture and culture is clearly Bretonnian, replete with a Grail Chapel. Though the locals are sceptical about Dhuoda's religious inclinations, there is a growing movement here to worship the Lady of the Lake.[1d]
Karl's Folly[]
Larger than Lady's Boon, Karl's Folly has steadily grown since the discovery of silver in the area. Situated as it is on a stretch of land that offers swift passage through a wretched mire, its sees a lot of traffic from travellers, merchants, and adventurers. Since it is so valuable, and given the community's wealth, it is also well-fortified and protected by skilled mercenaries.[1d]
The village takes its name from an ill-conceived and unfinished guildhall that stands in the centre. The village founder, Karl, wanted a hall large enough to match anything in the Empire. The ambitious would-be prince was toppled after he nearly bankrupted the community to complete the structure. And so, the village gained the name Karl's Folly.[1d]
Karsack[]
Several families live in this homestead. Situated as it is near Lady's Boon, it benefits from the protection of that village while having a little more autonomy. What makes this place interesting is that it is also home to an exiled wizard named Ludmilla.[1d]
An ardent supporter of democratic ideals, she was forced out of Altdorf when the Colleges of Magic learned of her ties to a group of violent agitators. She slipped out of the College before they could seize her, and she fled to the Border Princes to lay low. Since coming to the homestead, the local population has grown, attracted to her power and the protection she offers.[1d]
Goldstone[]
The other significant homestead is Goldstone. Built around a particularly rich copper mine, the place has been active for centuries. Wealthy, powerful, and well-defended, the families here invest their riches in protection.[1d]
Unclaimed Domains[]
In addition to the communities within the various principalities, there are a few in the unclaimed lands.[1d]
Gulthac's Hold[]
Gulthac's Hold is situated in a swamp between Massimo's and Dhuoda's principalities. This moderately-sized village has survived thanks to the dangerous terrain. Composed mostly of Swamp Skimmers, the locals explore the mire to wrest ancient treasures from its brackish waters.[1d]
The location and their occupation have hardened the villagers, enabling them to drive off countless Greenskin attacks. The village takes its name from Gulthac, their founder.[1d]
Pendor Hill[]
To outsiders, this large community is a simple village, struggling to survive in a hostile world in the hills just outside of Dieter's principality. In truth, this village is anything but ordinary.[1d]
Populated exclusively by a massive Chaod Cult dedicated to Tzeentch, they await the signal from their god to rise up. Pendor Hill stands in the hills that border Dieter's principality.[1d]
Quaterain[]
Another significant village in the unclaimed lands is Quaterain. Located near a heavily forested swamp, this Bretonnian-founded community is known for its exquisite woodworking. They export lumber and finished products throughout the Border Princes and beyond, and Quaterain furniture is known as far away as Nuln. Though by far, most of their trade is with Masserschloss since it is too expensive and dangerous to rely on foreign trade.[1d]
Spica[]
The last village of consequence here is Spica, also called Spinda. As a community of Tilean tin-miners and tin-smiths, it does brisk trade with Masserschloss but also with Dhuoda since she is closer. Other than tin, there is little of interest here.[1d]
Notable Dangers[]
As if the all Human tensions pulling at the region weren't enough, there are foul creatures lurking in the forests and swamps of Masserschloss. Exacerbating the tensions between the three princes are a number of monstrous threats that work to destroy the settlements and seize the land for themselves.[1d]
Greenskins and foul worshippers of Chaos abound in Masserschloss, threatening everything the princes have spent their blood and treasure to carve out.[1d]
Chaos[]
One considerable threat facing the princes is that of foul Chaos. In addition to the corrupted villagers noted before, there are two wandering bands dedicated to the Ruinous Powers. The first is a band of Beastmen and mutants that survives by raiding small communities. Based in the forested hills in the west of Dieter's principality, they sell their service to both Greenskins and Humans. Though a considerable threat on their own, they pale before the horror that waits in the badlands.[1d]
In the centre of the desert is a massive horde of Beastmen and mutants that serves an ancient Daemon bound to the buried temple. Since it cannot leave its prison, it manipulates its minions by entering their dreams. The Daemon desperately wants to be free from its prison, so it has sent out a psychic call to any nearby Chaos Cultists, drawing them ever closer to its subterranean lair.[1d]
Greenskins[]
Though Chaos is a constant threat, the more immediate danger is the Greenskin infestation. In this region, there are four large groups that cause endless trouble. The first, consisting of a horde of Snotlings and Goblins led by Orcs and numerous Trolls, prowls near Dhouda's realm. The community has thus far repelled the attacks by the Greenskins, and many believe that this horde will move on to easier prey, invading Massimo's lands. That said, the horde does not create a lot of concern since they are disorganised, and their leaders, the Orcs, are too few to keep control for long.[1d]
If this group were all that Gulthac's Hold had to defend against, there is no question that they alone would eventually scatter the Greenskins. But another horde, ranging in the desert, makes frequent forays against this outpost. Consisting of over 1,000 Goblins and 100 Orcs, and led by 50 Black Orcs, this group poses a significant threat to both the outpost but also to Massimo's principality. Thus far, this group has not made a significant attack, but most see a serious offensive as inevitable.[1d]
The existence of these two groups underscores the importance of Dhuoda's alliance with Massimo. While they are allied against Dieter, both hope to work together and survive the growing Greenskin menace.[1d]
Two more groups threaten the region as well. The first is quite small, being a mix of Snotlings, Orcs, and Trolls that raids often and moves about a lot. Famed for using disposable Snotlings, this group ranges out from the scrubland swamp in the east of the region, but they rarely stay in one place for long.[1d]
The other group is not much larger, being composed mostly of Snotlings, though there is a high number of Black Orcs for their size. Having split off from another horde beyond Masserschloss, the Black Orc leaders work to recruit more Greenskins, to build a massive horde that would crush the filthy Humans that contaminate their land. Though this band is nomadic, they tend to lurk around the swamp to the northeast, raiding often to supplement their meagre resources.[1d]
Although they do raid, the leading Black Orc has bigger plans, and the group also raids other Greenskins, seizing slaves for its army, at least as often as it raids more civilised folk. If this group is not dealt with fairly early, it will soon become a major threat to all of the civilised folk in the region.[1d]