Duchy of Labrotzia

The **Duchy of Labrotzia** is a tiny duchy in the northwest of Fleur, north of Wilemette and west of the Duchy of Montestaea, just south of the border with Skjol. It is one of the newer duchies, being first established as a much smaller parcel of land that was gifted to the newly knighted Sir Luka Petrikov in 111 AE. Now the area is ruled by the Baudet family, currently being ruled by the Duke Marcel Baudet from the regions capital city of Holberg.

## Description

Labrotzia is a small region, mostly coastal with some interior. The region is hillier and more forested than Wilemette and is quite typical to Montestaea in terms of topography. However, Labrotzia is harsher in its hills as it butts up against the southern edges of the Skordova Mountains. The region is covered by autumnal birch trees in the south and pine forests in the north, with breaks of swampy land full of mires and peat. The coast is harsh, with incredibly steep black cliffs that lead directly into sucking whirlpools and hidden currents.

The region relies heavily on imports of grains from the south in exchange for lumber and peat. The region excels in producing minerals, as many mines in the area regularly bring up tons of ores like iron, copper, and nickel. Labrotzia is a poorer region, though it is rich in the somber mix of northern cultures with southern charm.

## Cities, Towns, and Villages

The capital of the region is Holberg, a city barely big enough to be classified as such. The city is newer, built in earnest around its humble town beginnings around 100 AE. Currently, it stands as a fusion of Skjolian architecture and Fleurian ornament, with heavy stone buildings decorated with wooden carvings and washed out painted patterns. The city is known for its interesting cuisine, especially in its consumption of frogs and oily fish called Labrotzia Minnows. A manorial castle overlooks the city on the highest point of its hills, backed up against a cliff, called Petriven. Holberg is built upon a hill, each layer of the city reaching higher up its sides.

Two towns exist within Labrotzia: Skorzen and Vildonia. Skorzen lies on the border with Montestaea in the interior and is a beautiful town surrounded by orange birch trees. It specializes in lumber, trapping, syrup, and the production of a unique alcohol from birch tree sap called Matveraye after its creator, Mikael Matveraye. Skorzen is sometimes called the most beautiful town in Fleur. Vildonia is a coastal fishing town in the very north of the duchy. It is built into the cliff side, rickety wind washed houses stacked on top of one another leading down to a small strip of gravel. Vildonia subsists entirely off maritime activities. The town is very small, with a population of about two hundred. Usually the town is populated mostly by women, as the men are often away on fishing trips.

Hamlets of note are the settlements of Brotziana and Tombsend.

## History

Previously part of the Province of Montestaea, then called Skjol, the land was gifted to Sir Luka Petrikov in 111 AE by the Crown Princess Aryanja Wilem as a reward for teaching her disabled daughter Duchess Margo Wilem. The land originally included just the area around Holberg but eventually fused with the now defunct Duchy of Sud around 90 AE upon the dissolution of House Sudovich. Not much has changed within the Duchy since its combination with Sud.