The Königratzfell Reich

"Order, by Grace of God."
The Königratzfell Reich is a militaristic nation located in the north and center of the continent of Erfar. It is inhabited by the human variation known as Reichen.

Geography
The climate is bracing and continental with chill, dry summers and cold, harsh winters. Most of the landscape is taken up by the central plains and valleys, but there are scattered pine forests in the foothills of the Bildschirm Mountains in the north and some more temperate woodland to the south. The Bildschirm Mountains themselves are effectively tundra, being constantly exposed to the icy winds from Ewigland, to the North. Snow in this region is almost permanent, especially at higher elevations. Along much of the coastline are sharp cliff faces, with short rocky beaches below. The unusual rock formations found here make useable coast land scarce, with the exception of the Securan Bucht and Fortian Meerbusen regions.

The Reich borders Ewigland to the North and both The Free Shires and The Southern Republic to the South. It's other borders are maritime, with the Grausmeer Sea and the Isle of Zee to the East and The Never-ending Ocean and Taranis to the West.

Fauna/Flora
The vegetation varies across the realm, with verdant grasslands and flower fields common, populated by various small animal species, including sheep and deer. Many of the Bülderboar in the Reich have been domesticated, and used as beasts of burden on farms and in factories. In the North, some manage to survive in the wild amongst the valleys. All have adapted to the more rugged climate, growing furry manes, and a thicker coat. Eagles and other birds of prey are widespread, ranging in size from that of a common pigeon, to almost human height. They hunt smaller land animals, and are in turn prey for the iconic Griefen.

Roaming in large herds across the central plains are a species of equestrians known as Einespitzen. Black and grey horses, with dark manes, they have a single protruding horn on their forehead.

In the pine forested regions, many more small mammals make their homes among the trees. These include common squirrels, foxes, and the dangerous Tobendachse. A well loved countryside animal, often protected in rural areas, the Tobendachse are a common heraldic symbol for jaeger and forest dwellers.

Moving further north into the mountains, more dangerous creatures begin to appear, most commonly Bergtrollen and Draufgänger. Large ravens also roost in the wooded highlands, which are extremely aggressive and viewed as a pest by northern communities.

History
Before the formation of the Königratzfell Reich, most nomadic Reichen living in Erfar were extremely vulnerable to the predations of Draufgänger and the vicious winters of the region. Eventually, as agricultural and technological principles improved, more permanent settlement became possible, and the city of Securus was founded in the Securan Bucht area.

Before long, the Reichen learned basic stonework and metallurgy, and used this to advance to the point where two additional cities were founded, Fortia as a gateway to the Bildschirm mountains in the North, and Castellum in the South, watching the Grausmeer Sea. Due to a lack of means of communication, for many years these settlements operated independently of each other, however, their common race and culture kept them on friendly terms. The central plains between the three cities were used as shared agricultural and mining land, and during this era, many more breakthroughs were made in the field of steam power, industrialization, and military organisation.

This focused and peaceful age continued until the discovery of the island of Taranis, off the coast of Securus. A scheduled patrol of naval vessels on watch for leviathan sea creatures was blown off course by a shock storm, and were shocked to discover the soaring mountain towns and workshops of another civilization. The Kommandant for the patrol, Wachtmeister Eidrich Rübenn, ordered the fleet's immediate return to Securus Anschluss.

After this first contact with a sentient race, albeit at a distance, the Reichen were in a state of uncertainty. For many years, their ordered philosophy counted on humans being the only race to populate the landscape, efficiency and structure demanded it. The sketches made of Taranis depicted a city with seemingly no calculated layout or planning, with buildings erected decidedly unoptimally. Such an affront to order could not be allowed to stand.