Erde Realm

The **Erde Realm** is one of the states of the Six Realms. It is located between the Feuer Realm and the Wasser Realm. The realm was established by the Erde Father and the Mother of Truth & Secrecy.

## Leadership

The Erdefunfte family is the ruling highborn house of the Erde Realm, with several estates across the Realm. It is assisted by the lowborn Schmutzleben and Totersieg families.

The first Great Mage of the Erde Realm was Mareike Erdefunfte, and the realm has since had sixteen rulers. It's current Great Mage is Svetya Erdefunfte, and its Great Lady is Daniya.

The Erde Realm has no official standing army. However, following the calamity of the Schwarzdorf crusade in 202, brothers Bieder and Redlich Erdefunfte established the Viele compound beyond the borders of the Six Realms. Over the next two centuries, slaves within the Erde Realm were strategically purchased by the Erdefunfte family (under pseudonyms) and funnelled into the Viele, where they were trained as an independent specialised force loyal only to the Gebeiters (members of the Erdefunfte family). The army assisted the United Forces in the defence of the Six Realms in 401, when their existence was made public.

## Laws

The Laws of the Erdefunfte are the official laws of the Erde Realm. They are as follows:

1. Slave trading is legal and encouraged as a business endeavour.
	1. The acquisition and distribution of slaves is permitted, except in such cases where;
		1. Such acquisition would directly or indirectly prompt civil war; or
		2. Such acquisition was of a Great Mage.
			1. Immunity will not apply to members of the Great Mage's family, or those in its household.
			2. Immunity will not apply to those betrothed, engaged or wedded to the Great Mage.
			3. Immunity will not extend to include retired Great Mages.
			4. Immunity will not extend to include heirs or illegitimate Great Mages.
		3. Distribution is unexclusive to those engaged within proprietary acquisition.
			1. Where a slave has been unexclusively sold to multiple consumers, the rights to the slave shall fall to the consumer who first provides consideration.
		4. Acquisition or distribution is not in the interest of trade.
	2. Trading of slaves is permitted, so long as it is in the interests of business endeavours and not social procurement. 'Social procurement' is herein defined as acquisition of slaves for purposes other than distribution, holding or serjeanty (socage). All following acts are illegal and subject to penalty:
		1. Trade of slaves for pageantry; and
		2. Trade of slaves for intercourse; and
		3. Trade of slaves for sport; and
		4. Trade of slaves for entertainment, excluding instances where;
			1. The slave is to be used for musical entertainment; or
			2. The slave is to be used for literary entertainment; or
			3. The slave is to be used for theatrical entertainment.

## Rights

In the Erde Realm, an individual reaches majority at sixteen years of age. As with all realms, once majority age is reached, an individual is considered an adult under the laws of the Erde Realm.

## Locations

* Erdefunfte Palaces are a series of five residences owned by the Erdefunfte Family.
* Natterbach is a river that splinters the Erde Realm, flowing from the border shared with the Wasser Realm through to the delta shared with the Feuer Realm.
* Riesig Forest is a large woodland that spans the lower half of the Erde Realm, renowned for its one-hundred-foot high trees. It is the largest forest in the Six Realms.
* Schmutzleben Estate is the residence of the Schmutzleben Family. It boasts a lumber yard, private woodland acreage and a saw mill. It also functions occasionally as an auction-house for slave trading.
* Schwarzdorf is a small village settlement established at the mouth of the Schwarzdorf Passage. It was abandoned after its surrounding swamplands proved unsuited to crop farming, and served as an outpost for oil harvesting. It was nicknamed the ‘The Town of Black’ in 202, after it was burnt down following Sonnig Frischweise's final assault on the advancing Devonian army.
* Schwarzdorf Passage is a narrow thoroughfare between the mountainous range that forms the border of the Erde Realm. It is the most accessible passage into the Six Realms.
* Sklavestadt is the most densely populated city in the Erde Realm, well-known as a marketground for slave traders. The Schmutzleben Family’s main residence is located on its outskirts.
* Sumpftor is a gated port located partway up the Natterbach river.
* Totersieg Hall is the residence of the Totersieg Family. Its grounds consist of both crop fields and marshland. A section of the Riesig Forest also encroaches on the estate, and is bordered by a lumbermill.