Julich-Bergh

Graefschap Gulik-Bergh

Coat of arms of Elna II

Julich-Bergh (Middle Dutch: ᚷᚢᛚᛁᚲ-ᛒᛖᚱᚷ, *Gulik-Bergh*, [ˈɣyːlɪk bɛrx]) is a Bruther county in Hinterbar. The county has the highest global concentration of Bruthers outside of a holy site. The county is a feudal monarchy ruled by the Van Gulik dynasty, currently headed by Elna Adelheid II.

## History

The modern county of Julich-Bergh came into existence due to the inheritance of the barony of Mark by the Van Gulik dynasty in 302. The area was once separated into five independent states: Bergh, Exter, Gulik, Hecke and Ooge.

### Barony of Gulik

The Barony of Gulik was founded in the year 178 by Floris I van Gulik. He managed to convince the Bruthers of Gulik, Bergh and Exter to accept him as their sovereign lord. Guliker tradition states he managed to do this because the Bruther god of justice, Tiw, gave Floris I his blessing, ensuring a fair and just rule for the people of Gulik. When Floris I died in 206 his realm was passed on to his two sons. The barony of Gulik was granted to Arnoud I van Gulik, the barony of Bergh, which included Exter, was given to Gerard I van Bergh.

The barony of Gulik would continue to operate independently from the other sovereigns in the area, as Gulik had the strongest military. Despite this, Arnoud I refused to ever go to war with any of his neighbours, nor expand in any way in general. Under the reign of Arnoud I, Gulik would see the expansion of the baronial court and mining industry. When Floris II inherited Gulik from his father in 243 at the age of 44 the barony experienced strong stability, but little room for expansion. Little records exist from the rule of Floris II and it is unclear when his realm passed on to his son Arnoud II.

In the year 255 Arnoud II got married to Hildgard I van Bergh. The fathers of Arnoud and Hildgard were cousins, sharing Floris I van Gulik as their grandfather. This meant the realm of Floris I would be united again. In 256 they had a son, Floris III van Gulik, whom they named after their mutual ancestor. In 276 Floris III van Gulik married Elna I van Hecke, uniting their realms.

### Barony of Bergh

The barony of Bergh was formed in 206 after Gerard I van Bergh after the barony of Gulik was split between two sons. During the reign of Gerard I a castle was constructed as Bergh did not have any such structure. Around this castle a village focused on cultivating rye was established, which began a tradition that lives until this day. In 218 Gerard I got two twin sons: Gerard II van Bergh and Boudewijn.

In 236, a year before his only grandchild, Hilde van Bergh, was born, Gerard I died. His realm was split between Gerard II van Bergh and Boudewijn I Exter. The city of Exter would become independent from Bergh, but this would only last five years, as Boudewijn I Exter died from tuberculosis without an heir in 249.

In 254, at age 17, Hilde inherited Bergh and Exter from her father. A week after her rise to power, she granted Exter the privileges of a free city, as she "[did] not care for the city-dwellers" and believed that they would be "better off without too much feudal influence". A year later, Hilde married Arnoud II, re-uniting the lands of her great grandfather.

### Free City of Exter

Though controlled for a week by a foreign ruler, Exter has been operated independently from all other realms since 236, and independently from a feudal lord since 254. The settlement has a strong focus on guilds and the class of burghers. Exter is fully dependent on rye imports from the neighbouring peasant villages. In 282, Floris III mandated that all peasant villages of his realm had to provide Exter with enough rye to keep the city alive. This practice continued after he died in 302.

### Barony of Hecke

The barony of Hecke has existed for longer than the barony of Gulik, though it is unclear how much longer, as few sources exist from this era of history. Hecke has been ruled by the Van der Hecke (and later Van Hecke) dynasty for at least 140 years until the lands were inherited by the Van Gulik dynasty in 302. Only three rulers are known: IJsbrand van der Hecke, from whom a single source describing a tax feud exists dating back to the year 162; Dietrijc II van der Hecke (this implies there was a Dietrijc before him, but no records of a Dietrijc I exist) who died in 266; and Elna I van Hecke (264-302).

Dietrijc II van der Hecke was a known follower of Lopt, the Bruther god of death. In 260 he went to war with the abbey of Ooge to expand his power in the region. He won this war, and it is likely that the acquisition of Ooge is the reason the dynasty was renamed from Van der Hecke to Van Hecke. Six years later he "died under suspicious circumstances".

In 260 Elna I van Hecke was born to unknown parents, though Dietrijc II van der Hecke is her known grandfather on her fathers side. In 276 she got married to Floris III van Gulik, uniting Gulik and Hecke.

### Abbey of Ooge

Ooge has been an abbey since the Fayrian empire existed. It was established as a place of refuge for persecuted Bruthers in the hostile domain of Spinocia. The temple of Ooge was founded in 25 C.A. and was made entirely out of spruce wood that had to be imported from Ecatrine. Only after the temple had been founded were spruce trees planted in Hinterbar. In 260 Dietrijc II van der Hecke attacked the abbey of Ooge and destroyed the temple in the name of Lopt. It would take until the year 303 for Elna II van Gulik to restore the temple. She made it even larger than it once was in order to spite her great grandfather.

### Union of Gulik and Hecke

*Main article: Conflict with Floris IV*

Floris III van Gulik and Elna I van Hecke had four children: Truden, Menten, Floris and Elna. In 283 the baronies were hit with epidemic typhus, which killed a third of the population, including Truden and Menten. In 302 Floris III and Elna I were struck by lightning, killing them instantly. Floris IV was meant to inherit both realms, but he was murdered by his sister Elna II on 10 Mariana 302. She inherited all five former realms.