Ebenreich

Estermark

The Griffinlands

East Gate

Ebenreich is one of six major provinces in the Kingdom of Whytehold. It is one of the smallest of the regions, but is home to Whytehold itself, and is the heartland of the kingdom.

Ebenreich is home to the King's Plateau, a vast plain which is elevated by about two metres above the rest of the land around it. The only way in, without climbing, is through one of the many castles or fortified gatehouses that line the perimeter of the plateau. For this reason, it is often stated to be the safest place in Tyrrus.

Ebenreich is the spiritual heart of the Kingdom, for both the Church of the Light and the Abbey of Metallurgy. The people of Ebenreich, especially among the towns and villages, are some of the most pious and disciplined folk in the entire Kingdom.

Ebenreich is located in the south-east of Tyrrus. It has a natural border with its neighbouring provinces, with the Strom river to the south and west. It borders the White Cape to the south, and Rivenwald to the west. It also borders the nation of Thassalia to the north-west.

The title of Duke of Ebenreich usually also goes to whoever rules Whytehold. Currently this is Queen-Commander Anjelika Weisenburg.

### Emblems

The emblem of Ebenreich is a white crown encircled by a golden halo on a red background. This is in reference to the White King, who unified the Weits of the region and founded Whytehold.

## Regions

Ebenreich is generally split into four regions, called a "Dioclese"

### The King's Plateau

The heart of Ebenreich, and therefore the heart of the kingdom, is the Dioclese of the King's Plateau, a vast stretch of land which, over centuries of construction and earthworks, was made to be elevated slightly above the land around it. This makes marching an army into the region incredibly difficult and slow.

The King's Plateau is almost entirely cultivated, whether it be farms, pastures, or urban towns and cities. The ordinary residents of this domain tend to be less martially inclined than the rest of the kingdom, due to the inherent safety of their region. However, there is a culture of idolising strong individuals, and knights who visit the region can expect a warm welcome. Almost all tournaments and competitions in the kingdom occur in the King's Plateau.

#### Castles

Other than Whytehold itself, there are four main castles on the King's Plateau, each of which is located on the edge of the plateau itself, and serves as a large, fortified gatehouse. These four castles are: Wintergate, Nordgate, Westgate, and Eisengate.

#### Towns and Cities

Whytehold itself is the largest and most prominent city in the region, located on a hill at the far east of the region, next to the river Strom. It is an old city, with a storied and tumultuous history.

The next largest city in the region is Kirkenhold, the centre of Light worship in the kingdom. The Archbishop of Kirkenhold is the most influential religious leader in Whytehold, and is second only to the Heirophant of Sollan in the hierarchy of the Church of the Light. The 'White Cathedral' in Kirkenhold is the largest cathedral in mainland Tyrrus.

Koperhold is the next largest town in the region. Long ago, Koperhold was given to the Abbey of Metallurgy, in recognition of their services to the kingdom. As such, Koperhold is the only town where the faith of the Greatsmith is more prominent than Light worship.

The remainder of the population of the King's Plateau tend to live in parishes, small villages surrounding a central church or cathedral, which are incredibly common across the region. Most of these are named after famous knights and priests from history.

### Wächterland

The Dioclese of Wächterland lies between the King's Plateau and the River Strom. It is a highly fortified region, but also a prosperous region. The domain's proximity to Rivenwald and Silvershire makes it a hub of trade within the kingdom.

The most important city of the region is Brücke, which sits bestride the River Strom, and is one of the only passages from Rivenwald to Ebenreich.

The fortress of Stromgard sits on the fork of the river Strom, and has protected the river for centuries.

### Estermark

Estermark is a high, hilly, and mostly empty area of land in the north of Ebenreich. Before the Worldshaking, this region was huddled up against the Sunrise Mountains, and was fairly unimportant. Since the Worldshaking, many of the mountains in this region have been levelled, resulting in an easy passage from the Kingdom of Whytehold to Izir. This passage is now known as "Crusader's Canyon".

The town of Hanstadt has recently been constructed in the region, and profits from the travel of armies across the region from Whytehold to Izir. It is the last place to gather supplies before heading out into the desert.

### East Gate

The Dioclese of East Gate is a small region, dominated by the thin mountain passage which goes to Izir. The East Gate itself is the only major castle in the region, and is a heavily fortified building, protecting the passage. The passage leading up to and beyond the East Gate is heavily decorated with religious paraphernalia, and common folk can frequently be found praying here, pleading to the gods for the safety of the knights and soldiers who make the journey through the East Gate to bring war to the enemies of the Kingdom which lie beyond.

## Culture

Ebenreich is a deeply pious region, where the common folk frequently invoke the names of the Light Gods and diligently pray nightly. Each household will reliably have a copy of the Tome of Truths, and children are taught to never stray from the will of the Light.

In addition to worshipping the gods, the people of Ebenreich are also devoted to the great knights and commanders of the Kingdom, treating them almost reverentially. When a parade of knights pass through the region, or an army marches forth on their mission, they will always be followed by a mile-long line of fanatical common folk, cheering and praying in their name. This zeal is multiplied hundred-fold when the Queen-Commander or the Heirophant visits.

This rural fanaticism can sometimes cause problems for people of Whytehold itself and their rulers. Often the common folk take it upon themselves to enact Aldin's justice, and will hang criminals or 'heretics' from roadside trees, or crucify them upon wooden structures bearing the symbol of the sun. Such punished individuals can also be seen hanging from the edge of the plateau, a grim warning. The fanaticism is not particularly discerning, and there have been cases where travelling Metallurgists have been attacked by zealous mobs, who view them as heretics to the light and traitors to the kingdom.

The Civil Guard and the Marshals are officially instructed to stop this kind of behaviour when they see it, the common folk should not be acting as judge, jury, and executioner. However, many of them still let it happen, and even support it. For this reason, the unlawful militant group known as the Witch Hunters have quite a strong following in Ebenreich, though they mostly stay away from the city of Whytehold itself, where the people are less likely to support their brand of justice.

## Government

The governance of Ebenreich is mostly handled from the city of Whytehold itself, and follows the same pattern as the rest of the kingdom. For example, each of the Diocleses has a "Marshal".

However, due to the fact that Ebenreich is not on any of Whytehold's front lines, military authority is less important for the administration of the area. Therefore, a lot of towns tend to be more theocratic in nature, putting more power in the hands of local religious leaders. Many towns and villages will have a "Judge", usually appointed by the priesthood or the townsfolk, and often not officially recognised by the national government