"You will have heard, my lord, of a region to the east of the Tilean city-states ... sometimes known as the land of the Border Princes. This land is reckoned by its own people to be civilised enough, and it is not unlike Estalia or Tilea in that the men of every little princedom think themselves better than their neighbours, and are ever-ready to consider that they have been deprived of some portion of that share of wealth and privilege which would be theirs if justice prevailed throughout the world. Men of Estalia or the Empire will confidently assure you that there are no cities in the region, and that even the grandest of the so-called princes are merely upstart brigands. Those whose notion of a city is formed by knowledge of Magritta or Altdorf are justified in saying that no such place exists in the Border Princes, but there are walled towns in the region much greater in size than Arjijil, which the people -- who know no better -- think of as great cities. Such places are sometimes little more than huge fortresses, to which the entire population of a region might retire in time of invasion. Each one has its own prince, and each one has its own tiny empire -- for even such small cities as these must rely on the produce of a legion of farmers."
- —Orfeo the Minstrel explaining the Border Princes to Alkadi Nasreen, Caliph of Arjijil[8c][40a]
The Border Princes,[1d] (sing. Border Principality[17a] or Border Kingdom[31a]) also known as the Borderlands,[1c] the Border Princedoms,[32a], Border Kingdoms,[17a], The Princes,[41a] and the Border Principalities,[33a] is a vast region within the Old World located east of the Tilean city-states between the Black Mountains and Black Fire Pass to the north and the shores of the Black Gulf to the south. This region of vast wilderness is home to a multitude of petty kingdoms of Men that were established by highly ambitious adventurers who sought to create a realm of their own. These adventurers were often political or religious refugees fleeing from other Human realms of the Old World such as the Empire, Bretonnia and Tilea, but also from even more distant lands such as Kislev.[1d][13b]
Most Old Worlders think of and refer to the Border Princes in much the same way as they would the Badlands -- an amorphous and largely lawless area, cut off from civilisation by the mountain chain comprised of the Black Mountains, The Vaults and the Apuccini Mountains. The fight that certain eastern princes are waging against the Greenskin hordes who pour across the Blood River and out from Mad Dog Pass goes virtually unnoticed.[47a]
As such, these lands are infamous as the homes of a wide variety of bandits, mercenaries, cut-throats, pirates and other lawless fugitives. Following the Battle of Black Fire Pass, Human colonists and adventurers during the time of Emperor Sigismund the Conqueror led a campaign of conquest towards the Empire's southern borders and fought off the Greenskin tribes that used to inhabit the lands, clearing the way for many nobles and colonists from all across the lands of the Old World to settle and claim patches of this territory as their own.[1b][1d]
But what they will find is a land even more dangerous than their previous home, where petty princelings war on each other, farmsteads are raided by marauding Greenskins and pirates from Sartosa will come looking for plunder and slaves.[19b]
History[]
The history of the Border Princes is one of controversy, in which different scholars from different realms have made different claims from time to time. Each of these conflicting claims about the history of the region is delineated below.
Early Historical Claims[]
"My people have roamed this land for centuries. We were here long before your Empire existed, long before your people forged weapons and conquered your own lands. My forefathers were here when the Nehekharans first set foot upon these shores, and one of my ancestors greeted Amenemhetum himself as he landed."
"Alaric: 'Nehekhara is a desert, yes, but the Nehekharan Empire was once the greatest civilisation in the world. They conquered and occupied most of the nations we know today, including the Border Princes. I believe it was Amen-emhetum the Great, back in-'
Dietz: 'You're sure this tomb is one of theirs?'
Alaric: 'The Border Princes have been held by many different civilisations, including both the Nehekharans and the Arabyans.'"
Heraldry of the Border Princes as depicted in Total War: Warhammer.
The lands of the Border Princes have always been a rugged and uncivilised wilderness, stretching back into ages past. It is said that the Nehekharans built settlements within these frontiers during the time of the Priest-King Settra the Imperishable when he unleashed his quest to conquer the entirety of the Old World.[1c]
Probably with the diminishing of Nehekhara's power, the land was later occupied by the Arabyans, who are said to have welcomed the arrival of the Nehekharan Priest-King Amenemhetum the Great. This is supported by an ancient map of ancient Nehekhara, which shows the territory of whjat is now the Border Princes as part of the territories under the influence of Nehekhara around -1200 IC.[12c][58a]
After conquering large parts of what is now Tilea, Amenemhetum led additional campaigns to conquer the Border Princes between the Black Mountains and the Black Gulf, drawing on ambitious generals like Karitamen the Death Scarab. More than perhaps anyone else, Karitamen was instrumental in helping Amenemhetum carry out his conquests.[12d]
A map of the Border Princes in the early 26th century IC.
Legends say that many centuries later, in the first decades of the first century of the Imperial Calendar, it was the goddess of war and strategy Myrmidia who was incarnated in Human form to conquer these same territories, her divine mission to unify the southern realms of the Old World beneath a single banner. This imperial domain under her rule was later known as the Reman Empire.[24a]
It was during those times that Myrmidia discovered texts in the ancient city of Tinea penned by the High Elven scholar Gaelen. She was intrigued by the complexity of the anatomical drawings found within, so passed them on to the cult of her mother, Verena, the goddess of knowledge and justice. Over 2,000 years later that text, Gaelen's Anatomy, is a primary medical textbook of the Empire, celebrated by the Tinean Fellowship.[23a]
After the fall of the Nehekharan Empire, the Border Princes served as the location to which multiple Human tribes migrated in order to escape the turmoil in the east, some settling within those lands while most continued on through Black Fire Pass.[1a]
In former times, the Border Princes were largely inhabited by savage tribes of Greenskins, but now the land is fiercely disputed by the hardy Human colonists and many Orc and Goblin tribes.[1b]
Imperial Historical Claims[]
Following the Battle of Black Fire Pass, Emperor Sigismund the Conqueror promptly invaded the lands and eradicated what remained of the Greenskin threat, eventually forming the Province of Lichtenberg in the process during the sixth century IC. Yet, following the fall of Lichtenberg sometime later, the region would eventually become the frontier from which new lands and new kingdoms were formed by the desperate, the corrupt, or just the plain adventurous.[1b]
Some areas of the Border Princes were first settled during Humanity's earliest northward migrations, approximately 3,000 years ago, while other parts have only been developed more recently. Imperial scholars believe the region's name originated over 1,500 years ago when a number of adventurers -- including many disillusioned with the then-rapidly disintegrating Empire -- set out with their followers to colonise the mountains and drive out the Goblins.[47a]
The leaders of these groups dubbed themselves "princes," though most had been stripped of their previous noble titles, and many were no more than simple adventurers. People from all of the Old World nations fought side-by-side during that time, and the most successful among them carved out petty princedoms, wielding authority through sheer force of arms. That situation remains largely unchanged to this day.[47a]
Bretonnian Historical Claims[]
Heraldry of the Border Prince Rebels as depicted in Total War: Warhammer.
During the Great Crusade Against Araby word reached Bretonnia that the war had been carried to Araby itself, and so another huge army of Bretonnian knights began to gather to reinforce the crusade to assist King Louis the Righteous. The leaders could not decide whether to take ship in Estalia or march over the mountains into Tilea.[3a]
There were several problems. Firstly, nearly all the ships in Estalian and Bretonnian ports had already sailed to Araby with the first army. Secondly, the nearest port of embarkation was the Tilean city-state of Miragliano, but the mountain passes approaching it were infested with Skaven, making the passage hazardous in the extreme. Furthermore, any large army passing in the vicinity of Skavenblight was certain to be decimated by plague. The third insurmountable problem was that the seas around the southern ports of Tilea were infested by pirates operating from Sartosa.[3a]
Ultimately the deciding factor was the knights' great loathing of setting foot on a ship. They protested that this would tarnish their honour and upset the warhorses. It was finally decided to attempt to reach Araby by the long and hazardous land route to the east. This bold but extremely perilous plan was the idea of Baron Tybalt du Bois de Balzac, who was immediately elected commander of the expedition.[3a]
A mercenary of Ricco's Republican Guard carrying the head of a Border Prince's adversary.[1o]
Tybalt pointed out that by going this way the Bretonnian knights would join forces with other crusader contingents making their way south from the Empire and a contingent heading east from Tilea. These contingents would rendezvous at the Dwarf port of Barak Varr. Here they would have the option of enbarking on well-built and sturdy Dwarf ships or marching along the coast of the Badlands. Many knights approved of the latter route, relishing the opportunity to punish the land of Settra as well as invading Araby from the rear. The ambition and confidence of the Bretonnian knights truly knew no bounds.[3a]
Thus this second great crusading host marched east through the Solland in the southern Empire, gathering more support as it went, and followed the old Dwarf roads across the Black Mountains. Beyond these they entered a new land and encountered Greenskin tribes. The army battled against Orc and Goblin warbands every day as it pushed eastwards, but progress became very slow in the face of this heavy opposition.[3a]
It took the army almost a year to reach the vicinity of the Dwarf hold of Barak Varr. Here the Bretonnians received word that King Louis had defeated the forces of Sultan Jaffar in a decisive victory at Al-Haikk, and so the long war was over. Deeply saddened that they could not experience the riches and honour to be won in the Great Crusade, the army of young knights prepared for a long trek home.[3a]
Never one to be put off by minor setbacks, the ingenious Baron Tybalt pointed out to his army that they were already upon the threshold of a new land to be conquered. There were honour and riches aplenty to be had by carving out domains for themselves within this new land. All that needed to be done was to vanquish the Orcs and Goblins. After such long hardships, this was exactly what the knights wanted to hear, and they set about the task with impetuous enthusiasm.[3a]
Once in the Border Princes they drove the Greenskins into the Blood River and butchered them, and set about building great castles to hold back any future attacks. Thus the region that has become known as the domains of the Border Princes came into existence, and the ancestors of many of the princes who rule there to this day were among those knights who followed Tybalt.[3a]
The Anarchy[]
The Border Princes in 2276 IC during the Anarchy with the names of the various reigning Border Princes of the time.
The long period of civil war in the Empire of Man remembered as the Anarchy was good for the Border Princes, and many exiled Imperial nobles found new allies within its boundaries. Men like Karl Raachwald, the "Hermit Prince", or Gunter Dunkelmund, the "Broken King", formerly of Reikland and Middenland, respectively, made good money recruiting veteran soldiers from the region for their Imperial patrons. Equally, Prince Jurgen Esselhafen, the so-called "Lord of Paupers", fought proxy wars in the name of Marienburg, his task being to keep southern ports open for illegal trade.[34a]
The Empire was far from the only nation of the Old World to benefit from the rogues inhabiting the Border Princes. Exiled Bretonnian knights such as Sir Cecile Gastonne, the "Black Knight", Adalene Monteaux, the "Cursed Maid of Mousillon", or Sir Julien Pontenne, "the Craven", were all known to give shelter and aid to Bretonnian knights questing in the south.[34a]
Some Border Princes were even more brazen when it came to their mercenary nature, such as the Tilean Prince Fredo Tordorno, known as the "Bastard Prince," or Karolina Aquilena, the "Slayer of Queens". Estalian princes, such as Desa Donalba, the "Bloody Baron", or Lord Fulma Ortegeta, "Don of the Red River", were barely more trustworthy, and only when dealing with their own kind.[34a]
Then there were outsiders like the Kislevite Boyar Valdos Uvetovsk, "the Oath-breaker", or the Norscan Jarl Skallagrison, the "Thane of Crows", men best avoided for the dark deeds they were purported to have indulged in.[34a]
War of Settra's Fury (2276-2277 IC)[]
Origins[]
In 2276 IC, the chivalrous Baron Cyricus Carrard of Quenelles mustered a great host of bold Bretonnian knights to ride south and east, to crusade with him beyond the Badlands and deep into the heart of the Land of the Dead.[35a]
The inspiration for this holy quest came by way of portents uttered by a mysterious courtier in the hall of an exiled knight of the Border Princes, who told of the resurrection of an ancient and powerful Nehekharan Tomb King, Septhah the Amaranthine. The baron was unwilling to let a potential threat go unanswered and hoped to strike down the foul Tomb King before he could even leave his sarcophagus.[35a]
Alas, despite all their gallantry and heroism, it was the baron and his allies who met their end in the sun-blasted desert after Carrard was struck down by Septhah himself. Leaderless and outnumbered by the awakening Undead, the surviving knights of Quenelles were driven into the Badlands where, on the highlands overlooking the Black Gulf, the Bretonnians met the Undead in a desperate battle. Through daring heroics, and by the will of the Lady of the Lake, Septhah was slain and the surviving knights returned to the Border Princes.[35a]
But by slaying such a valued commander of Nehekhara's legions, the knights of Bretonnia raised the ire of Settra the Imperishable and he wasted little time in plotting retribution. The source of Settra's ire was twofold; not only had the knights of Bretonnia crusaded through his lands and filled their saddlebags with riches from his ancient kingdom, they had also struck down King Septhah the Amaranthine, one of Settra's most loyal and trusted commanders.[57a]
With the lands of Bretonnia set firmly in his sights, Settra commanded the port of Zandri to prepare his fleet for the treacherous voyage up the Black Gulf and his armies to be raised from their tombs beneath the sands. Day and night the vast horde of skeletal labourers worked, their undead fortitude allowing them to carry out their lord's bidding without need of food or rest, whilst Settra's vast legions stood motionless on the quayside as they waited to board the vast fleet of freshly repaired and newly constructed barques.[57a]
Settra's plan was quite simple. Rather than waste months sailing through potentially hostile seas, he would instead overwhelm the fractured lands now known as the Border Princes in order to secure a foothold in the Old World. From these freshly reacquired Nehekharan strongholds, he would be free to march through The Vaults and launch his assault on Bretonnia's southernmost provinces.[57a]
The Great King entrusted the command of his vanguard to an aggressive and ruthless Tomb Prince by the name of Ptolethor the Radiant who had, in life, commanded Settra’s vast naval forces. Ptolethor's objective was simple and brutal; conquer the settlements of Kasos and Thessos and drive streams of terrified refugees ahead of him. As these frightened townsfolk sowed fear and panic across the Border Princes, the prince would join his liege-lord in the assault on the coastal town of Matorea.[57a]
At Settra's command, skeletal legions were raised from beneath the sands to serve the ancient port-city of Zandri, the shipyards lurching into life as the construction of an invasion fleet began.[35a]
News of this activity quickly reached the Border Princes, where the survivors of Baron Carrard's crusade sheltered. Realising that Settra's wrath would soon descend upon them, the Border Princes looked to their defences. Levies were conscripted, coffers were thrown open to hire mercenaries and stockpiles of weapons, armour and materiel were assembled in preparation; if the lord of Nehekhara expected to find the Border Princes unprepared, he would be sorely mistaken.[35a]
The vanguard of Settra's invasion force landed at the northern end of the Black Peninsula, where it wasted little time in laying siege to the settlements of Kasos and Thessos. The objective was to raze the settlements to the ground and drive scores of refugees ahead of the Undead host, sowing fear into the population of the Border Princes as it advanced towards the Citadelle Bouelia and then onwards to the large coastal town of Matorea.[35a]
However, Tomb Prince Ptolethor the Radiant, in command of the vanguard, did not account for the fearsome resistance he would face. Riding to the defence of the two settlements came several infamous warriors, outcasts from their homelands who had fled to the Border Princes years before and had grown powerful in this lawless and warlike land.[35a]
Through long and bitter experience of past battles against the Undead legions of Nehekhara, these fallen princes and the veteran mercenary regiments they commanded knew that the key to victory against the armies of the Undead was to bring down the foul wizards and cadaverous Liche Priest that animated the skeletal forces.[35a]
Armed with such knowledge and incentivised by promises of fortune and fame, these veteran armies were able to inflict significant damage on Ptolethor's forces in their defence of both Kasos and Thessos, but not enough to stop the Tomb Prince's vast host from grinding the defences to dust and putting the Human garrisons to the sword. With the first part of his grim task complete, Prince Ptolethor continued his march towards Citadelle Bouelia.[35a]
Having sheltered the survivors of Baron Carrard's ill-fated crusade at Louen Keep, Sir Cecil Gastonne was not at all surprised when the whispers of Settra's impending invasion reached him. The "Wyrm Slayer" acted decisively, summoning his banners to him and dispatching a rider to carry the news to King Louen Orc-slayer, hoping that the Bretonnian king would hasten to his aid. Despite his exile from Bretonnia, Cecil was still well-loved within his homeland for his heroism and skill-at-arms, and he remained a faithful guardian of the realm even from beyond its southern borders.[35a]
Yet, unbeknownst to Cecil, a massive Orc Waaagh! had erupted from the foothills of the Pale Sisters and rampaged across the Marches of Couronne, drawing the king, as well as the dukes of Gisoreux, Artois and Couronne into a conflict in the northernmost reaches of Bretonnia. Though the king was unable to ride to the Border Princes himself, he immediately sent word to his dukes in the south, imploring them to hasten to the aid of their estranged countryman. When the king's messenger arrived in the court of Duke Gastille of Brionne, the "Red Hand of Brionne," he needed little encouragement from his Prophetess of the Lady and chief advisor, Lady Élisse Duchaard, to marshal his forces and make for the Border Princes.[35a]
Declaring an Errantry Crusade to quickly raise a force of brash young knights, eager to prove themselves in battle, the Red Hand of Brionne and Lady Élisse rode swiftly south-east, through the Old Dwarf Pass towards their goal. Upon arriving in the Border Princes, news reached the duke that Prince Ptolethor's Undead forces had laid siege to the Citadelle Bouelia. Worse was word that a much larger fleet, commanded by Settra himself, had been sighted in the Black Gulf, with the coastal town of Matorea lying directly in its path.[35a]
But not all of the tidings were filled with woe, for Sir Cecil had mustered his forces and marched on Matorea in order to meet Settra's hordes head-on. Without hesitation, the duke hastened towards the Citadelle with the hope of lifting the siege before it was too late.[35a]
As the duke's army neared the Citadelle Bouelia, the sky above darkened portentously. Cresting a hill, the wide plain from which the formidable stone castle reared came into view -- and a morbid sight awaited them. Even following the lengthy battles at Kasos and Thessos, Ptolethor's Undead legion was vast; rank upon rank of sun-bleached skeletons marched towards the walls of the Citadelle in macabre unison, slowly and tirelessly eroding the fortress' defences like crashing waves against the shore.[35a]
Whilst the duke surveyed the enemy host, his eyes settled upon the form of a great, skeletal beast striding through the ranks of the Undead; a rider shrouded by a dusty canopy commanding its movements. The air around the beast swirled with the tell-tale signs of malign magic as banners fluttered in a non-existent breeze and nearby regiments of skeletons jerked into action with unnatural urgency.[35a]
Lady Élisse Duchaard appeared at the duke's side and quickly confirmed his suspicions; hidden beneath the ancient sunshades on the back of the Necrolith Bone Dragon lurked the Liche Priest Neferkare the Hierophant, the being responsible for raising Prince Ptolethor's army from the dead of the desert.[35a]
With his target in sight, the duke barked orders to his archers to rain fire upon the foe and for his knights to shatter their battlelines with lance and sword. Whilst his forces engaged the enemy, the duke would descend from the skies atop his Royal Pegasus and strike down the Undead wizard perched atop the Bone Dragon and put an end to the magic animating the Undead army.[35a]
Battle of the Citadelle Bouelia[]
The Undead reacted slowly to the arrival of the duke's forces. Entire ranks of skeletal warriors fell beneath volleys of flaming arrows loosed by the Bretonnian peasantry before the undying soldiers of Nehekhara had even turned to face the threat. Gradually, as the Liche Priest Neferkare the Hierophant acknowledged the arrival of the Bretonnians, the Undead reformed their ranks to address the foe.[35a]
Led by Élisse Duchaard, the charging knights of Brionne covered the ground between the crest and the Undead ranks swiftly, their lances levelled. The thunderous charge of the knights exploded into the clamour of battle as the tremendous weight of galloping warhorses struck the Nehekharan phalanxes, lances splintered against bronze-face shields and devout battle cries rose from the brave knights of Brionne.[35a]
Riding her Unicorn to battle beside the knights of Brionne, Lady Élisse flexed her arcane might, expertly unravelling the skein of magic by which the Liche Priests controlled the Undead forces. As Neferkare felt the Winds of Magic shift unexpectedly towards Lady Élisse and his ability to resurrect the hordes of warriors crushed beneath the charging knights diminish, he turned his great skeletal mount towards the Prophetess of the Lady.[35a]
However, before the behemoth could reach its prey, the Red Hand of Brionne descended from the heavens, his lance poised to strike at the Liche Priest. At the last moment, the broad head of the Necrolith Bone Dragon snapped around, unleashing a torrent of foetid breath that engulfed both the duke and his noble Royal Pegasus steed. Yet the duke's charge could not be thwarted and, as the iron-shod hooves of his Pegasus shattered the skull of the skeletal beast, the Red Hand of Brionne's lance skewered the shrivelled heart of his enemy.[35a]
Even as the tortured screams of the slain Liche Priest echoed in his ears, the duke and his Pegasus crashed to the earth -- humbled and near-fatally wounded by the Undead draconic beast's desiccating breath. Moments after the duke had fallen, as he struggled to gasp for air and grasp his sword, a roaring mummified warrior, bedecked in golden armour and ancient finery rose above him.[35a]
Enraged at the death of his Hierophant, the Tomb Prince Ptolethor held his centuries-old blade high in preparation to strike down the injured duke. Before his blade could fall, a powerful gale arose, knocking the prince sprawling to the dirt, as Lady Élisse, having seen her duke plummet from the sky and battled her way to his side, unleashed a torrent of elemental energy at Ptolethor.[35a]
This brief distraction bought the duke time to offer a prayer to the Lady of the Lake and drag himself to his feet. As he implored the Lady for her aid, the power of the Holy Grail flooded through him, healing the worst of his wounds and engulfing him in a pale, silvery light. Mere moments after the Red Hand of Brionne had found his feet and drawn his weapon, Prince Ptolethor had also regained his footing and hurled himself at the duke.[35a]
The duel between the two generals lasted for what felt like an eternity; though Duke Gastille was the superior warrior, the prince's Undead fortitude allowed him to sustain as much damage as the duke was able to inflict. However, without the regenerative magic of his Hierophant, Prince Ptolethor began to falter before the Red Hand's onslaught and was at last struck down by the Grail Knight as the battle reached its end. Though victory had been won, there was little respite for the gallant knights of Brionne -- Matorea lay many miles away and its defenders would need the aid of the duke's army if they were to turn back Settra's forces.[35a]
Battle of Matorea[]
Whilst the Red Hand of Brionne was raising his Errantry Crusade, the infamous Bretonnian exile Sir Cecil Gastonne, "the Wyrm Slayer," had already begun making preparations to meet the advancing Undead armies of lost Nehekhara. Long had the Wyrm Slayer hoped that he would one day return to the good graces of those he used to serve. As such, Cecil saw the protection of Bretonnia's south-eastern borders as his sworn duty, and no threat to fair Bretonnia would pass through his lands unchecked or unchallenged, be they man, monster or Undead.[35a]
The knights of Cecil's household were fearsome fighters and veterans of a dozen campaigns, and each of them had chosen to join their lord in exile and give their life in his service if need be. Alongside these gallant knights stood many peasant soldiers; bold and courageous warriors who had proven themselves in battle at the Wyrm Slayer's side. In addition to these more traditional Bretonnian fighters, Sir Cecil had many mercenaries in his service; their loyalty secured by coin from his treasury, their respect earned by his prowess as a warrior and commander.[35a]
With the approach of the Undead hordes, Cecil threw open his coffers once more, recruiting brigands, mercenary gunners and even outcast wizards to his ranks. The Wyrm Slayer cared little for the past crimes of a mercenary, his honour was tarnished enough that fighting in such questionable company would do little to damage it further. What mattered was that he purge the land of evil. With a force assembled, the likes of which was seldom seen in the Border Princes, the Wyrm Slayer ordered his host to make for Matorea -- unaware that, at that very moment, Duke Gastille and the knights of Brionne rode towards the Border Princes.[35a]
Upon his arrival at Matorea, the Wyrm Slayer found a populace ruled by fear. Even whilst the army of the Tomb Prince Ptolethor had all but annihilated a number of settlements to the west, the people of the coastal town had held their nerve as they prepared their defences. However, news of a larger Undead fleet leaving the port of Zandri, commanded by Settra the Imperishable himself had unleashed a wave of panic which resulted in a mass exodus of fearful common folk.[35a]
Cecil wasted little time in taking charge of the situation and demanded that the town's commanders present themselves to appraise him of the situation. From a fractured group of mercenary captains, the Wyrm Slayer learned that the town's defences were crumbling as whole regiments fled from their posts and joined the huddled refugees that were abandoning the settlement. Sir Cecil quickly stemmed the flow of fleeing soldiers by dividing his own forces up amongst those of the town, bolstering the defences ten-fold and swiftly restoring order. What remained of the panicked populace took heart under the Wyrm Slayer's confident command and within a week of his arrival, the town of Matorea stood ready to face the royal host of Settra with steely resolve.[35a]
Sir Cecil awaited the arrival of the Nehekharan fleet with great unease; whilst all necessary preparations had been made, his greater concern was for how long his rag-tag army could hold Settra at bay without reinforcement. So, as heavy rain clouds chased away the sun and the dark sails of Settra's fleet loomed on the horizon, the arrival of an outrider carrying news of the duke's victory at the Citadelle Bouelia and their imminent arrival at Matorea was a most welcome relief.[35a]
Yet the real outcome of this battle is unknown, shrouded forever in legends and ballads. Some claim that the Bretonnians handed the Imperishable a rare defeat, others that the the host of gleaming knights and brave peasants were lost in a gallant but doomed cause against the unrelenting tide of the Undead.[4][35a]
Storming of the Vaults[]
The military maneuvers of the major armies involved in Settra's attack on the Border Princes and The Vaults in 2276 IC.[56b]
In the year 2276 of the Imperial Calendar, the Tomb King Settra the Imperishable was roused to fury by the audacity of the crusading lords of Bretonnia that dared disrespect his regal majesty in the Land of the Dead. In response to the brazen trespass of their forces onto his lands, Settra led his Undead armies on a campaign of vengeance, and death stalked the Old World.[56b]
When Settra the Imperishable of Khemri began his war of 2276 IC, the scattered realms of the Border Princes lay directly in his path. The petty lords that held sway over the region mustered their forces to stage a valiant defence, but they were quickly overwhelmed and forced to retreat.[56b]
At Matorea, the Bretonnian exile, Sir Cecil Gastonne, fought bravely before abandoning the walls of the ancient city to the invaders and retreating to Louen Keep, his own impregnable fortress. There, joined by the knights of Brionne, the Wyrm Slayer resisted the undying king for many long months, delaying the advance of the Undead.[56b]
Despite such delays, the Undead were not halted. At Settra's command, his lieutenants led their forces northwards, into the foothills of The Vaults. Gradually, these armies divided and advanced towards distant Bretonnia. Whilst skeletal legions overran the walled towns that defended the mountain passes, and the Liche Priests of the Mortuary Cult searched amongst the deep valleys for forgotten riches, the scattered defenders of the Border Princes regrouped. Joined by the Dwarfs of the local mountain holds, mercenaries and outlaws mustered in defiance of the great king of Nehekhara.[56b]
On Hallowed Ground[]
The military maneuvers of the major armies involved in Settra's attack on the Border Princes and The Vaults in 2276 IC.[56b]
As winter descended upon the ruins of the Border Princes in 2276 IC, the Tomb King armies of Settra continued their implacable advance west into The Vaults. Dividing at the great king's command into smaller forces, the better to swarm through the many mountain passes, the Undead host marched ever closer to the borders of Bretonnia.[56b]
Upon the arrival of Matorea's refugees at Louen Keep, whilst the Duke of Brionne and Sir Cecil Gastonne, "the Wyrm Slayer", hurried to tend to the defences of the castle, Lady Élisse Duchaard strode unescorted towards the heart of the ancient fortress. There, illuminated by a warm light that streamed through stained glass windows high above, she found a chapel devoted to the Lady of the Lake.[56b]
Entering the chapel, Elisse paused. Sensing the sanctified presence of the chapel from afar, she had imagined finding a forgotten and forlorn place, one kept by a sullen and unchivalrous outcast only to maintain the appearance of piety. What she actually found was a sanctuary devoted to a beloved deity, a clean and well-lit space lined with exquisite tapestries depicting the trials of Gilles le Breton and his devotions to the patron goddess of Bretonnia.[56b]
Sinking to her knees before the altar at the chapel's heart, Elisse was filled with a sense of the Lady of the Lake's presence all about her. Here, in an unsightly fortress built far beyond the borders of fair Bretonnia by impious warlords, a knight of questionable honour had built a shrine to chivalry. As she prayed, Elisse felt the power of the Lady swell around her, infusing the ancient fortress with a warmth and strength that invigorated the weary warriors that now filled it. Even as the revenant armies approached, this hallowed fortress would stand immovable, slowing Settra's advance and confounding his plans.[56b]
Whilst the forces of the Mortuary Cult had laid siege to the Dwarf fortress-city of Barak Varr, bold messengers had ventured into the darkness of the Underway far below. Through ancient chambers carved from the very bedrock of the mortal world in the Dwarfs' Golden Age, along tunnels built to connect the distant holds of the Dwarfs and large enough for entire battalions of Dwarfen warriors to march fifty abreast, they travelled quickly.[56b]
When these messengers arrived at the gates of Karak Izor and Karak Hirn bearing word that Settra's armies marched against the nations of the Old World and made war against the Dwarfs of Barak Varr, the Dwarfs within were troubled. Watchtowers had seen the thick black smoke that rose from the burning towns of the Border Princes to the south and east, and Rangers had watched from afar as colossal barques had plied the waters of the Black Gulf, yet none had considered that the denizens of the Land of the Dead would dare march against the Dwarfen holds.[56b]
In response, the kings of these holds summoned their thanes. Listening to the messengers from Barak Varr and the reports from grizzled Rangers, the Dwarfs bristled at the thought of cowering behind the sturdy walls of their holds whilst evil things overran the mountains. Unanimously, the lords of Karak Izor and Karak Hirn swore to gather their clans, muster their throngs and march to meet the Undead legions of Nehekhara upon the field of battle.[56b]
Whilst Settra's royal host advanced across the Border Princes, the agents of the Mortuary Cult approached the mountains. Battalions of skeletal warriors flanked by the towering forms of Ushabti, Necropolis Knights and shadow-shrouded Necrosphinx marched in uncanny unison under the stern gaze of Liche Priests, whilst creeping and burrowing Tomb Scorpions and packs of slithering Necroserpents ranged ahead.[56b]
Advancing along the Winter's Teeth Pass and the Trantio Road, following the River Limnalla, the Tana Dante and the River Treblecz into the foothills of The Vaults, Undead warbands led by Liche Priests spread. Where these warbands encountered enemies, be they bands of outlaws and mercenary companies sheltering in the mountains, or the vanguard of the Dwarfen throngs from Karak Izor and Karak Hirn, brutal battles erupted. When the Undead's advances brought them upon walled towns and fortresses, they were besieged and, too often, quickly overrun.[56b]
Yet despite their successes, the progress of the Undead armies was slow, for the Liche Priests of the Mortuary Cult had their own agenda. Long ago, in these very mountains, many temples of the Mortuary Cult had been built, and in their hidden chambers forgotten secrets lay concealed, secrets that had been lost with the fall of Nehekhara's once great empire. Thus at every opportunity, armies led by Liche Priests diverted from their course to explore sites thought to conceal lost troves of forgotten wisdom. Whilst hordes of the Undead toiled to excavate these forgotten chambers, the priests that commanded them pored hungrily over the unearthed treasures laid before them and gloated over their findings.[56b]
As word of the evil things that stalked the Border Princes spread throughout the mountain realms, Dwarfen war parties -- representing the clans and guilds of the holds began to muster in readiness to defend their homes and march to the aid of their allies. Ahead of these throngs came members of the Slayer Cult in huge numbers. Oathbound to seek out and battle evil things in penance for past wrongs, these warriors of the Ancestor God Grimnir stalked the mountains hunting Trolls, and they were drawn to the gathering darkness and din of battle that hung over the Border Princes like moths are drawn to a lantern's glimmer.[56b]
Whilst these wandering Dawi berserkers made their way towards the turmoil, many passed through the Yetzin Valley, north of the thriving mine of Khazid Gentaz, in which stood Kadar-Helgad, a shrine to the Dwarf warrior god Grimnir surpassed in grandeur only by Karak Kadrin, the Slayer Hold. Here they paused, some to pass time in quiet contemplation of their fates in the darkness at the sanctuary's heart, others to tend and sharpen their weapons in Grimnir's forges. Others quatted ale and regaled one another with tales of the battles they had fought and monsters they had vanquished. All visited the shrine keepers, reciting their names and the names of the clans to which they had once belonged in hushed tones and recounting their deeds in service of Grimnir that they might be recorded in the shrine's books of remembrance.[56b]
Leaving the shrine, warbands of Slayers spread amongst the mountains. Most headed south towards Louen Keep and the distant ruins of Matorea, whilst others headed east and west, hunting the armies of the Liche Priests as they advanced.[56b]
Death Stalks The Vaults[]
As the year drew to its end, the inexorable advance of the Undead continued, even in the face of furious resistance from the denizens of The Vaults. Forced to march to war during the long, cold months of winter, the defenders of The Vaults were further weakened with each defeat they suffered. Each engagement saw the armies of the many warlords that ruled the region further diminished, and the toppling of ancient fortresses left the survivors with ever fewer safe havens in which to shelter from the punishing cold and the relentless Undead. Even mighty Karak Izor became strangled by besieging enemies, the fury of its artillery challenged by wave upon wave of attackers, and the runic wards that rendered its lower halls all but impregnable threatened by the burrowing constructs of the Liche Priests.[56b]
By contrast, each victory seemed to embolden the Tomb King armies of Nehekhara. Untroubled by the harsh climate, the lifeless legions seemed to advance with disturbing nonchalance, the Liche Priests of the Mortuary Cult seeking out the sites of more forgotten Nehekharan temples and ancient tombs whilst their minions traversed high passes filled with snow.[56b]
In ancient chambers, the Liche Priests awakened great winged Khemrian Warsphinxes, mighty creatures that had once guarded the peaks in the name of the Mortuary Cult. Beneath the hidden tombs of forgotten Nehekharan warlords, the Liche Priests uncovered whole battalions of interred warriors and, though their bodies had long ago crumbled to bone and dust, these unremembered corpses yet gripped the weapons they had wielded in life in their calciferous grasps, seemingly awaiting the words of the potent necromantic incantations that would return them to unlife in the service of mighty Settra.[56b]
When the summer sun began to warm The Vaults, and with the year of 2277 IC already half-spent, the vanguard of Settra's armies finally stood within the Mondidier Pass, upon the very threshold of Bretonnia. Hierophant Ashurtak had led his host of Undead across mountainous pastures and through deep valleys, leaving in his path broad swathes of death and destruction. Yet despite his victories, the campaign had been punishing. Countless battalions of skeletal warriors lay shattered in the hierophant's wake, crushed under the heavy boots of Dwarfen infantry and by the fury of mercenary artillery. Scores of towering magical constructs, mighty beasts carved long ago into the likenesses of forgotten Nehekharan gods, had been vanquished by Dwarfen Slayers and cast into bottomless ravines.[56b]
Worse, many of the Liche Priests that had set out on this campaign of vengeance had been slain in its many battles. The final death of each had diminished the hierophant's power, and he secretly feared that he lacked the resources to maintain his armies once his king arrived to lead the host into Bretonnia. Hungrily then, the ancient and cadaverous priest looked upon the expanse of Athel Loren, the great forest spreading across the lush, green landscape before him. To most, the forest was a vast primordial wilderness, but to the hierophant's Undead eyes it crawled with arcane power, the Winds of Magic surging around and between the towering standing stones that marked its borders.[56b]
Whilst he awaited Settra's pleasure, Ashurtak sent warriors to explore this forest. There was power here, and he intended to wield it.[56b]
Settra's Fury[]
Hundreds of miles south and east of the Mondidier Pass, unbeknownst to Hierophant Ashurtak and his minions, mighty Settra had become embroiled in a war of grim attrition and the besieging of a castle that showed no signs of crumbling.[56b]
At Louen Keep, the great king of Nehekhara had thought to toy with the scions of Bretonnia who had defied his will at the Citadelle Bouelia and Matorea, before tearing down the meagre walls behind which they cowered and putting them to the sword. In truth, the Tomb King had found the ancient fortress to be all but impregnable, whilst its defenders displayed remarkable stoicism in the face of his wrath and fought with infuriating heroism.[56b]
Built in centuries past by the warlords of Lichtenholm in the Border Princes, the foundations of the ancient fortress ran deep, whilst the towering Dwarf-built walls seemed all but impervious to an attacker's artillery. Since falling into the possession of a lord of Bretonnia when Baron Tybalt du Bois had conquered the region and having served as the abode of a succession of Bretonnian knights in the centuries since, the fortress had been expanded many times.[56b]
Each new phase of construction and expansion had been accompanied by ceremonies and rituals, sanctifying the ground upon which the keep stood and the stone from which it was built to the Lady of the Lake, the patron deity of Bretonnia. Most recently, aided by the many mercenary and hireling wizards in the employ of Sir Cecil Gastonne, Lady Élisse Duchaard had, through her own rituals and prayer, filled the ancient castle with the strength and purity of the Lady of the Lake.[56b]
Thus far, the magics of Settra's minions had proven unable to breach the walls of the fortress. Far beneath the cold earth, where Tomb Scorpions, Necroserpents and Sepulchral Stalkers burrowed, the magic of the Bretonnian wizard weakened Settra's minions, rendering them immobile and turning their bodies to dust. In the heavens above the keep, where flocks of Carrion flitted about the immense silhouettes of Necrolith Bone Dragons, the air crackled with a power that held the creatures at bay.[56b]
Worse, the immense walls of the fortress had withstood the assaults of the towering Necrosphinx and Necrolith Colossuses that accompanied Settra's royal host, causing the great king to change his plan of attack, and he had waited impatiently whilst long caravans of skeletal labourers dragged his war machines from the decks of the ships moored in the waters before Matorea. This slow process was rendered all the more laborious by the warlords of the Border Princes for, in Settra's wake, many had returned from their places of hiding to reclaim their petty fiefdoms from the ruins.[56b]
Even as his war machines were dragged into place before the ancient castle, Settra was further frustrated by the arrival of Dwarfs from Karak Hirn. Whilst warbands of shaven-headed Slayers threw themselves against the shields of his skeletal infantry, Dwarfen engineers worked quickly to entrench their own artillery amidst the hills to the north and soon began bombarding the great king's armies from afar.[56b]
Such defiance was all but unknown to mighty Settra and, though he relished the challenge a strong and defiant enemy represented, his wrath continued to build. There was no quick victory to be found in the Border Princes, and all who wasted his time would pay.[56b]
Third Battle of Black Fire (2520 IC)[]
During the rise of Waaagh! Ironjaw, a Greenskin horde rapidly grew in size as it rampaged northward, assimilating numerous Greenskin factions along its path. The Madcraw Clan eagerly joined, believing they were finally fulfilling their ancient prophecies.[51a]
As the Waaagh! advanced, several other tribes, including the Yellow Eye Goblins, the Bloodaxe Alliance, and the Blackvenom Tribe, were subjugated and absorbed into the horde. The Greenskin onslaught left a trail of devastation across the Border Princes before finally reaching the southern end of Black Fire Pass in 2520 IC in what would be known as the Third Battle of Black Fire.[51a]
End Times (2522 to 2523 IC)[]
While the Vampire Lord Mannfred von Carstein was touring the Border Princes in search of the Fellblade, the principalities of the region were already involved in a violent war with the Skaven.[7b][55a][55b]
Between Autumn 2522 and Spring 2523 IC, countless forts and villages of the Border Princes had already been destroyed by the ratmen, especially those of Clan Mortkin, and their inhabitants enslaved in the Under-Empire.[7b][55a][55b]
Government[]
"Aye, we've a prince. Why, we've had a dozen in just the last year! They're pop'lar in these here lands."
- —Sap Reinhorf, Dirt Farmer.[1d]
A brutal Border Prince ruling over his petty domain.
The regional rulers which have staked a claim within these lands are known collectively as Border Princes, hence where the land gets it name. Each prince would rule a small realm, which have the prestigious and over-exaggerated title of Principality, yet it is usually a realm that would barely qualify as a Knight's fief in more civilised lands.[1f]
Most princes have a court, a group of hangers-on who help the prince to run his principality in return for rewards or until they have enough clout to murder him and take over. The size of the court does increase with the size of the principality, but the relationship is quite weak; it is much more dependent on the personality of the prince. A large court tends to indicate a weak prince who feels the need for support. A very small or non-existent court also tends to indicate weakness in that the prince feels he cannot allow anyone else to have real power. Large and small courts are very common in the Border Princes.[1e]
Regional Politics[]
Map of the eastern Border Principalities with some of the temporary realms that existed in ca. 2509 IC during the time of the Champion of Nurgle Tamurkhan's invasion of the region.[13a]
Some princes insist on referring to their dealings with other princes as “international diplomacy,” but some princes have an inflated view of their own importance. The more realistic ones talk about local relations when dealing with other princes and reserve “international” for dealings with real nations, such as Bretonnia or the Empire. Everyone recognises the most significant relations are those with other princes, as the major nations of the Old World do not regard these petty states as important. Since a mayor in the Empire might have power over more people than most princes, you can see their point.[1f]
Still, politics in the Border Princes are vicious because the stakes are so small. A prince who loses his principality might be able to get a new one, just as good, after a couple of lucky battles or one lucky assassination. Thus, there are a lot of princes who think that it is worth risking everything to grab a bit more power or a bit more security. Cautious stalemates and watchful peaces are very rare in this area. This makes life exciting but deeply unstable.[1f]
Society[]
"Ha! You call this starving lot of dogs peasants? Why the wretches in Couronne were better fed than this lot. Useless, every last one of them."
- —The Last Words of Sir Jacques Duflot.[1g]
Dirty walled hamlets such as this are considered large within the standards of the Border Princes.
The overwhelming majority of communities in the Border Princes are small. Outside the principalities, there are no communities larger than a hamlet, and the largest settlements of the region would only count as small towns in the more civilised parts of the Old World. While the Border Princes are rarely models of good government, they do, on the whole, provide some security to their subjects. They are, in short, better than nothing, and in the Borderlands, "nothing" is clearly visible a few miles away. Hence, most people living in the region live in one or another of the principalities, and all the larger settlements are found there.[1g]
A member of a Border Horse cavalry unit of the Border Princes.[30a]
Most principalities contain a large number of villages.[1h] Outside the boundaries of these petty fiefdoms, there are no towns between each individual principalities. There are not many villages, either, but there are quite a lot of homesteads. Homesteads often dot many regions within the Border Princes and are usually home to but a single family of farmers.[1i] Communities in the Border Princes have many features in common with communities elsewhere; homes of varying quality, a Temple or Shrine to the locally favoured God, a marketplace, probably a mill, and so on. One feature that sets communities in this region apart is the level of fortification. There are no undefended communities, and all villages have at least an earth and wood rampart with a gate that is guarded at all times. Within these fortifications, homes are generally built to be defensible. It is common for the entrance to be on the first floor, for example, and for the ground floor to have solid stone walls or thick earth ramparts with no openings. There are, of course, other equally dangerous regions of the Old World, but the Borderlands is more extensive than most of them.[1i]
Communities also have distinguishing features. Some of these are pure colour, as far as adventurers are concerned. Perhaps the blacksmith is very fat, or the villagers are particularly devout worshippers of Sigmar.[1i]
Paper is a rare good in the Border Princes, rarer even than parchment, for want of factories where discarded linen might be collected and pulped; all the paper which made its way to a city like Khypris had originated in Tilea.[8a]
Notable Perils[]
A group of Orcs planning a cunning assault over a Human settlement.[1n]
The Border Princes are full of perils. War, plague, famine -- these kill many of the inhabitants long before their time. The inhabitants of the region rarely worry about these threats, however. They are far too busy worrying about the monsters. Some scholars have speculated that the Border Princes have no more monsters than any other region of the Old World but that the absence of government makes them bolder, making the monsters seem more numerous.[1j]
Scholars who have actually been to the Border Princes know that this is ridiculous; the inhabitants of more civilised areas might think that their actions have no effect on the number of foul creatures plaguing them, but these scholars know better. Without organised hunts, monsters in the Border Princes are far more numerous, and bolder, than elsewhere.[1j]
Giants, Great Eagles, Griffons, Hippogriffs, Hydras, Jabberwock. Manticores, and Wyverns are monsters likely to be encountered in the Borderlands.[1n]
Greenskins are the most common monsters in the Border Princes, outnumbering all the others put together. This is a constant reminder these lands were taken step by bloody step from the Greenskins in the first place and that the lands just across the Blood River are controlled by these creatures. All kinds of Greenskins can be found in the Border Princes, though Hobgoblins are rare. Orcs are, of course, dominant, though they are probably outnumbered by the weaker species of Greenskins. The largest Greenskin lairs are about the same size as the largest Human towns, making them a major threat to any nearby communities.[1n]
Beastmen are the most common of the creatures of Chaos and make up the bulk of such monsters in the Border Princes. Many of them serve other creatures, but most bands of Beastmen are still led by Beastmen, who often allow a small number of mutants to join them. These mutants are generally in a very inferior position, but they are allowed to live and eat as long as they are useful, which is a step up from their treatment in civilised society. Beastmen always aim at raiding the surrounding country. They are not interested in settled rulership and are far too aggressive to think of keeping to themselves.[1n]
Estalian mercenaries conquering a domain in the Border Princes.[1]
The Undead are another common meanace found in the Border Princes, though they are not as widespread as they are in areas such as Sylvania in the Empire. Some Undead are associated with ancient ruins. Others are independent of such relics of the past, though they may have escaped from them at some point.[1n]
Certain legends in the Empire, Estalia, and the Border Princes represent folk memories of subterranean enclaves of Lizardmen cut off from Lustria after the Great Catastrophe. Fanciful tales of scaly "Daemons" are likely just superstition and only a credulous fool would believe them.[28a]
Language[]
There is no common language across the whole of the Border Princes, though the closeness of all the Human languages of the Old World as descendants of the ancient tongue known to scholars as "Old Worlder" means that most people can make themselves understood. Bretonnian, Reikspiel and Tilean are the most common, but the Border Princes have residents from all over the Old World and beyond, even from far places like Araby and Grand Cathay.[1m][47a]
Yet communication in the Border Princes can sometimes be difficult as it is a polyglot land. While most of the population can speak or can at least understand the Reikspiel, many other languages are common as well: Arabyan, Cathayan, and of course, the languages of the Elves and Dwarfs and the other races who travel the region. Linguists can often make a handsome living in the Border Princes from the merchants and statesmen who require their services.[40a]
Magical Practices[]
As elsewhere in the Old World, the peasantry of the Human realms of Tilea, Estalia and the Border Princes are wary of magic-users. Because these lands lack a centralised government, and do not have organisations similar to the Imperial Colleges of Magic or the witch hunters to control the use of spellcraft, the wizards of these regions are in a similar state that those in the Empire were in before Teclis's arrival.[14a][39a]
Many spellcasters are mere hedge-wizards, using their powers for the good or evil of the community they live in, but in mortal danger of corruption by Chaos. Wizards from rich backgrounds may be lucky enough to be sent to the Empire for magical tutelage by their parents, but because this is not mandatory many simply try to master their powers by themselves, perhaps acquiring grimoires proscribed in the Empire, and tempted by dark powers to succumb to the practice of daemonology or necromancy.[14a][39a]
The lawless Border Princes can be a haven for renegade spellcasters. Some princes welcome the intimidating presence of a magic-user in their court. Indeed, a few territories are actually ruled by warlocks who maintain control using their awful power. However, other rulers might kill trespassing wizards out of hand, fearing the double-edged sword that is the arcane powers they wield.[14a]
It is said that centuries ago the Bretonnian monarch called the "Sun King" exiled many necromancers into the Border Princes.[2a]
Religion[]
The Border Princes attracts outsiders and the dispossessed, many of whom bring their gods with them. However, that land makes a mockery of faith and ambition alike, and few cults have established a lasting presence there.[53a]
Despite this, it is undeniable that priests have many advantages when it comes to spreading their cults or establishing their own principalities in the Border Princes. First, they have divine backing in the form of miracles, which gives them a vital edge in conflicts. Second, they find it easy to draw fanatically loyal followers, men and women who follow the priest as the voice of a god. Third, they can get institutional support from their faiths, giving them the required capital.[1p]
However, there are very few such princes. The main reason is that the majority of priests have better things to do with their time than carve a petty realm out of some of the most undesirable real estate in the Old World. Martial priests can fight in wars that matter, scholarly priests stay somewhere with books, and ambitious priests scheme for positions with real power in a real country. Accordingly, most of those who head for the Borderlands are lacking in real talent and, thus, lacking in the ability necessary to create and maintain a principality.[1p]
The few exceptions generally feel a special calling from their god, which further strengthens their advantages. The competent priests who head to the Borderlands often succeed. They organise their principalities in a similar way to the Temples and military orders of their cult, and they generally do not claim any titles other than the ones granted by the Cult hierarchy. A few megalomaniacal exceptions claim to be the god incarnate, of course, but most such lunatics try their luck in realms such as the Empire.[1p]
The most common deity is Myrmidia, gpoddess of war and strategy, as the challenge of establishing a firm bulwark against the Greenskins appeals to them. Sigmarites are also surprisingly common. For them, it is the feeling that they are taking the fight to their god's ancient enemies that motivates them. Ulricans are not uncommon in the region, but they rarely set up principalities; they prefer wandering and taking the fight wherever it needs to go.[1p]
The less martial deities are far less represented. Priests of Taal and Rhya, the gods of nature, have a presence, trying to preserve wildernesses in one of the less settled regions of the Old World. A few priests of Manann, the god of the sea, set up along the coast, but the land-based portions of their domains tend to be very small. At sea, it is a different matter. Individual priests of the other deities may establish a theocracy to fulfil some perceived command of their god, but there would be no more than one across the whole region.[1p]
Maybe due to their disdain with violence there are no principalities headed by priestesses of Shallya.[1p]
Templar settlements enstablished in the Border Princes house highly trained and devout warriors of one of the established gods of the Old World Pantheon. Myrmidia and Ulric are by far the most common patrons, but Manann, Sigmar, Taal, and Verena also have their followers.[1q]
Old Gods[]
- Rhya - Rhya is the goddess of nature, fertility and agriculture and the wife of Taal. In the surroundings of the town of Aldium, Rhya is worshipped under the name of Arya. Arya's worship is mysterious and clandestine, and has to do with assuring the fertility of the fields. In fact, her followers spill Human blood upon the fields, but the goddess represents the fecundity that sustains the lives of the people of Aldium, and for them this is a petty price to pay for her benevolence.[8b][29]
Classical Gods[]
- Fury - Fury was a shieldmaiden of Myrmidia and she was venerated as a minor god after her death.[29]
- Khaine - Khaine in his Human aspect is the outlawed god of murder, patron of assassins, and the brother of Morr. Tileans have no equivalent for Ulric at all although some brave theists have dared to draw comparisons between him and Khaine.[29]
- Margileo - Margileo, the "Guardian of Honour", is a minor Classical God. Despite being little known in the Empire, he is venerated in the southern province of Averland. Grungi's Baldric the Star Signs dedicated to Dwarfs and soldiers is associated with Margileo.[29d][52a]
- Myrmidia - Myrmidia is not only the patron goddess of Tilea and Estalia, she's also the goddess of war and strategy, the daughter of Morr and Verena. The Cult of Myrmidia is the most widespread faith in the Border Princes.[1p]
- Nahmud the Dark Maiden - Nahmud was a woman rescued by Myrmidia during her time as a mortal who, in thanks, warned the goddess of an ambush that lay ahead, and the resulting battle, the Massacre of the Three Gorges, proved to be the turning point in Myrmidia's campaign.The is a road called Dark Maiden Pass which links southern Tilea with the south of the Border Princes across the Apuccini Mountains.[7][29]
- Shallya - Shallya is the goddess of mercy, compassion and healing, the daughter of Morr and Verena and sister of Myrmidia.[29]
- Scripsisti - Scripsisti is the minor goddess of scribes and calligraphers who is worshipped as an aspect of Verena.[29]
- Verena - Verena is the goddess of knowledge and justice, the wife of Morr and mother of Myrmidia and Shallya. As part of the Cult of Verena's mandate to spread learning and justice, there are some Verenean priests who take to wandering to the Borderlands where tyrants rule and the ideas of justice and learning are either ignored or set aside in favour of despotism.[29c]
Other Gods[]
- Handrich - Handrich is the god of commerce and the patron deity of merchants and traders. Handrich is Ranald's younger brother, sometimes considered a former mortal who ascended to divinity. The Cult of Handrich is popular in some of the city-states of the Border Princes, a popularity that is steadily increasing as commerce becomes the lifeblood lof the various small principalities of the region.[29b]
- Gunndred - Gunndred is the god of rustlers and blackmail. He stands for taking what his cultists want by force and fear, leaving frightened victims behind. His cult is currently rather localised, but it does seem to be spreading. Gunndred's largest cult is based in the Border Princes.[29a]
- Sigmar - Sigmar is the god of civilisation and righteous war. He is the mortal founder and patron deity of the Empire of Man.[29]
- Stromfels - Stromfels is the predatory god of storms and the dangers of the sea. He is the sworn enemy of the god of the sea Manann and his followers, venerated mainly by pirates and other individuals like wreckers that take advantage of deaths that occur in the sea.[29]
Foreign Relations[]
Bretonnia[]
"My father's father's father was a Knight Errant of Bretonnia. Our family upholds the honour of true nobility, unlike some here."
- —Lord Bastond of Rushwater, Border Prince[18a]
Many of the Border Princes are descended from Bretonnian knights who fought in King Charlen's Errantry War against the Greenskins, a war that lasted 68 years and ended only 34 years ago. These knights did not leave in disgrace, and some still owe fealty to nobles back in Bretonnia, though given the barrier of The Vaults, this is almost purely notional.[18a]
The Bretonnian Border Princes tend to see themselves as Bretonnian and as maintaining honour, as opposed to the opportunists who make up the other petty princedoms. This has made Bretonnians in general unpopular with all the other inhabitants of the region.[18a]
Dwarfs[]
Save for the Empire and Kislev, none of the other Manling lands approach the importance of the Border Princes to the Dwarfs. The chaos of the Border Princes raises risks for the southern Karaz Ankor, but High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer leaves affairs there to Dwarf King Zamnil Grundisson of Barak Varr, whose commercial contacts along the Black Gulf provide excellent sources of information.[46a]
The Empire[]
To the south and southwest of the Empire, the lands of the Border Princes have long been both a thorn in the side of the Empire and a safety valve for its malcontents. The princes and petty lords of this land must deal with frequent raids by Orcs and Goblins, some of which are large bands trying to reach the Empire.[25c]
The local rulers of the Border Princes fear that, if the Greenskins raise enough trouble in the Empire, then the Elector Counts of the southern Grand Provinces may decide that the time to reannex these lands has come.[25c]
Tilea[]
Merchants from Tilea trade overland with the Empire thanks to routes that pass through the Border Princes.[43a]
The city-state of Trantio, which lacks a direct link to the Tilean Sea, has greatly benefited from these routes. However, the recent assassination of Giuseppi Cauto has undermined this advantage. Rumors suggest that his untimely demise was orchestrated by Heinrich Klug a member of a cartel of Marienburg, which seeks to ensure that his city remains the sole trade route between Tilea and the Empire.[43a]
Geography[]
![The typical vegetation of the Border Princes[1i]](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/9/97/Borderlands_flora.png/revision/latest?cb=20240101111857)
![The typical vegetation of the Border Princes[1i]](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/9/97/Borderlands_flora.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20240101111857)
The typical vegetation of the Border Princes[1i]
The geography of the Border Princes is defined by rugged terrain and natural barriers that isolate it from the more civilised regions to the west. Situated east of the Tilean city-states and separated from the peninsula by the Apuccini Mountains, it is bounded by the Black Mountains to the north, the Worlds Edge Mountains to the east, and the Black Gulf to the south, forming a wide rectangle. This geographic isolation contributes to the distinctiveness of the region, which is largely wilderness with only limited areas of fertile land.[8c][47a]
The landscape of the Border Princes is generally unforgiving, with poor soil even in the valleys where rivers flow. Woodlands are dominated by short, thorny trees, often forming dense and impassable undergrowth. Eastern areas are plagued by Goblin incursions, and hill regions harbour mutants, believed by some to be the offspring of Humans and Daemons of Chaos.[8c]
Communication and transportation infrastructure in the Border Princes are poor, consisting of rudimentary roads and challenging rivers. This limits the size of territories each prince can effectively control and hinders cooperation between the scattered towns. Despite the limitations, there is a constant drive for expansion driven by population growth and the need for more farmland. Expansion, however, is hindered by the inhospitable terrain and the resistance of outlying farming communities.[8c]
The harsh conditions breed resilient and wary inhabitants, both among the ruling class and the defenders of the land. Men-at-arms stationed in outlying areas must not only fend off external threats but also manage the resentment of the populace against distant rulers.[8c]
Countless bands of Orcs, from whom the River Orco, which divides the Border Princes to the north and flows into the Lagoon of Tears, takes its name, roam the war-torn countries. In addition, the Hobgoblin mercenary general Ghazak Khan and various green-skinned mercenary gangs like Oglah Khan's Wolfboyz have their camps in this region.[17]
To the south, the rulers of Luccini secured their northern border against all these threats in the Border Princes with the erection of the mighty fortress of Monte Castello. This huge fortification -- always manned by the best Tilean mercenaries -- not only guards the land route to Luccini from the Border Princes; the fortress on the Bay of Wrecks can also block the entrance from the Black Gulf into the Lagoon of Tears. Many armies of marauding Orcs and Goblins were stopped, repulsed and smashed at Monte Castello before they could invade Tilea proper. On the other hand, many of the mercenary knights come to Tilea from the Border Princes to seek employment in the city-states, such as Voland's Venators or similar heavy cavalry units.[16a]
Ancient Ruins[]
The Borderlands are well-supplied with ruins, many of them dating from just a few years ago. Indeed, the areas ruled by the Border Princes often have more ruins than living settlements. Recent ruins normally provide little more than shelter and building materials, but older ruins are a different matter. They may hide treasure, monsters, and dangerous forces that have lain dormant for millennia.[1a]
As a result, most of the petty princes of the region leave the ruins well enough alone. They would like their subjects to do the same, but very few have the resources to stop bands of lunatics, or adventurers, from exploring the relics of the past. Fortunately for the princes, the relics of the past generally deal with intruders in their own way. Just occasionally, however, something found or awakened within rewrites the politics of a region, at least for a little while.[1a]
Many peoples have passed through the Borderlands, and people fleeing from more established societies often come here to settle. That means very eccentric structures get built and then ruined.[1c]
Odd ruins include the remains of things built by the Greenskins (rare, as they do not build to last), or Hedge Wizards and Warlocks with grand ideas. A few Imperial Magisters have also fled to the Border Princes after political errors, and have built notably individual residences. Priests of heretical non-Chaotic deities build temple complexes according to their own ideas, while a wealthy but dim merchant might try to build a utopian settlement away from political interference just to fall into ruination.[1c]
Some ruins are so ancient or ruined that they are unidentifiable: stone circles over labyrinthine tunnels, barrow mounds with or without Wights, and natural caves with vivid paintings of unknown beasts on the walls. Rarely do these former settlements include things that really shouldn't be in the area, such as ruins that look like the remains of an Elven settlement, old sailing ships in the middle of mountains or deserts, fantastic cities, forests of petrified people, areas that are made entirely of glass, huge skeletons of long-dead horrors that were adapted for habitation in ages past, and more. Such remains raise the question of who actually built them and why they tried to make them look like something else. At the extreme, some Imperial adventurers have explored a ruin to slowly realize that it looked exactly like a ruined version of their hometown.[1c]
Ancient menaces and perils left over from the time when a ruin was active. Thus, they are somewhat mysterious as well as dangerous. these dangers can take various forms: Daemons, degenerate tribes, golems, plagues, swarms of different natures, Undead, or magical weapons that treat the precarious stability of a principality.[1c]
Arabyan Ruins[]
Most Arabyan ruins were left behind from the Sultan of Araby's attempts to invade the Old World. As a result, they are not among the oldest, and they are recognisably Human in origin. Arabyan buildings often have domed roofs and distinctive onion-shaped arches over doors. A single building is frequently constructed around a courtyard, which may contain a garden if the owner was wealthy; otherwise, it was a storage and work area. Most have only a single floor and are built of brick rather than stone.[1b]
Decoration almost never includes recognisable figures but can be very elaborate. These swirling, abstract patterns often look like the work of Chaos to men of the Empire, though those who know about Chaos can tell that it is not; it is too orderly. This decoration may be painted, in which case it has faded badly, or a mosaic that may be dirty but can still be seen.[1b]
Arabyan single rooms are watchtowers or the strong rooms of buildings that have otherwise vanished. Single buildings are normally the homes of the wealthy or small outposts for the military. Some are the keep of a small fortress, in which case traces of the rest of the fortress can also be found. Fortresses are more common than Temples or palaces and are composed of a central keep surrounded by a wall, with outbuildings in the space between the keep and the wall. Villages consist of a number of courtyard homes, while towns and cities are larger versions of villages.[1b]
Chaos Ruins[]
The anarchy of the Borderlands appeals to many followers of the Ruinous Powers; there is no central authority to send witch hunters after them, and a group need not be that strong, if it is fairly discreet, to resist anything that tries to defeat it. On the other hand, the other inhabitants of the area are as opposed to Chaos as the residents of any region, and dark Cults often have trouble remaining discreet for long. Thus, there are a lot of ruins of former Cult strongholds, dating from all periods and scattered across the whole region.[1c]
Chaos being what it is, these ruins can take almost any form, but almost all are hidden. The majority are underground, but surface complexes may be found in isolated valleys or the middle of badlands and swamps. The contents of a ruin depend on the particular Ruinous Power to which it was dedicated. Khorne demands battle, so arenas and barracks are common. Tzeentch is more scholarly, so the complex might be similar to a college, while Slaanesh would need feasting halls and Nurgle, plague pits.[1c]
Single room ruins of this type are isolated Shrines, with larger ruins generally being slightly larger temples. Town-sized ruins of this sort are almost unheard of and should profoundly worry any adventurers who find them. About half of all these sites include a Chaos Monolith—a place of power for Chaos Champions and Beastmen.[1c]
Dwarf Ruins[]
The Border Princes were never a major area of Dwarfen civilisation, but there was once a significant number of outposts scattered across the region and even a few town-sized holds. Dwarf ruins are always underground; occasionally very faint traces remain on the surface, but often there was nothing there even when the site was flourishing.[1c]
Dwarfholds make extensive use of stonework and are almost always in excellent condition, no matter how old the ruins, unless they have been deliberately damaged. If the Dwarfs were given time to leave in an orderly fashion, nothing portable of Dwarfen make remains. This is obviously not the case if they were slaughtered by a horde of Greenskins.[1c]
Smaller Dwarf ruins are normally guardposts and waystations and may connect to tunnels to larger areas of ruins. Some were constructed to monitor overland routes and have no such connections, however, and the long connecting tunnels from others have collapsed. Town-sized ruins are the remains of the largest Dwarf settlements in the area, and living Dwarfs may still lay claim to them. If such Dwarfs find out that adventurers have been disturbing their lands, they take action to get compensation.[1c]
Nehekharan Ruins[]
The scattered Nehekharan ruins are something of a mystery. The ancient Nehekharans, also known as the Khemri after their greatest city-state, once ruled vast areas of the Old World, including the Borderlands, and the remains of their civilisation still exist today. These ruins are substantial, monumental things. Fortress-sized and larger ruins sometimes include a pyramid, still visible across the landscape. Even smaller ruins are built with massive stone columns and twice life-size, or larger, statues.[1c]
While previous adventurers and tomb robbers have attempted to enter any visible ruins—leaving excavation marks on the outside of pyramids and collapsed walls in the sides of other structures—the floor plans are typically maze-like, having traps that often still work and thick walls that may conceal hidden chambers, or may simply be thick walls. Thus, any ruin could still contain treasures and horrors, and those worth noting on the map do.[1c]
Recent Human Ruins[]
The most common ruins in the Border Princes are the remains of recent attempts to settle the area. These can be destroyed in many ways and often are. Sometimes the neighbours resettle the site, but often it is simply abandoned, as no one has the resources to take over. As a result, these ruins are almost always above ground and almost always badly damaged in some way, even if only by the weather.[1c]
Human ruins can take almost any form, from an isolated farmstead to a wholly abandoned city. Architectural styles are similarly variable; although, Imperial, Bretonnian, and Tilean are by far the most common. Many buildings were put together from whatever was at hand and so do not have a readily recognisable style. Such ruins are a common part of the scenery of the Border Princes, and most are not worth marking on the map.[1c]
Those that are worth noting still contain a threat or a treasure, something that makes them attractive to adventurers. They need not be in better shape than anywhere else; a crumbling hovel may have an Undead monster in the basement, for example. They do, however, still have a role to play in shaping events.[1c]
Notable Locations[]
Forests[]
The Black Gulf and the Black Peninsula.[36a]
- Forest of Gloom - A forest near the Black and Worlds Edge Mountains.[1r]
- Hvargir Forest - A forest near the Black Mountains.[1r]
The Black Peninsula as depicted in Total War: Warhammer II.
- Kharnos Forest - A forest between Tilea and the Border Princes.[10a] The dense forests that rise from the rugged coast of the Lagoon of Tears into the Apuccini Mountains are home to brigands and outlaws beyond number.[15][27a]
Maritime Locations[]
- Bay of Wrecks - Though seemingly deep and tranquil, the waters of the Bay of Wrecks conceal jagged rocks that claim many vessels.[15][27a]
- Black Gulf - A vicious sea that is notoriously difficult to navigate. Only the Dwarfs can trundle up and down the straits with constant regularity, as their ships' iron hulls and steam-driven paddles are somewhat immune to the ripping tides and deadly currents that swirl underneath the dark water. That's not to say the ships of other races cannot sail upon the Black Gulf, but they must be master seamen to do so, or else they will find their vessels quickly torn asunder.[19a]
Mountains[]
The western Dwarf realms of the Karaz Ankor, north of the Border Princes.[10a]
The Vaults, a high mountain region where the Black Mountains, the Grey Mountains, and the Apuccini Mountains converge, serves as the focal point of this fragmented land. Each time the incursions of Chaos have swept through the area, the surviving Border Princes and their armies have gathered in the mountains' shadow to regroup and launch counter-attacks. Remarkably, they have always succeeded, despite receiving no assistance from neighboring regions.[47a]
The Vaults' verdant hanging valleys offer excellent pasture for cattle and modest but nutritious harvests. The rugged terrain also makes it ideal for carrying out campaigns of guerrilla warfare, attracting brigands and rogue adventurers who establish bases in its hidden recesses.[47a]
Of course, that is not to say the princes themselves are not akin to brigands and rogue adventurers![47a]
- Apuccini Mountains - Mountain range that divides southern Tilea from the Border Princes.[10a]
- Black Mountains - Mountain range that divides the Empire from the Border Princes.[10a][40a]
- The Vaults - Mountain range that divides northern Tilea from the Border Princes, Bretonnia and the Empire.[10a]
Plains[]
TYhe Border Princes; this map partially conflicts with the one of the Khyprian empire.
- Black Peninsula - A peninsula surrounded by the Black Gulf.[10a]
- Barrow Hills - There are particular areas that attract the Undead, the Barrow Hills in the Border Princes, is one of these places.[21a]
- Geistenmund Hills - These hills are haunted, and no man should dare them, on peril of his immortal soul.[2a]
- Raven Barrow - A domain plagued by the results of the Champion of Nurgle Tamurkhan's invasion of the Old World from the Far East in the early 26th century IC.[13a]
- The Fell Barrows - An area whose territories include Varenka Hills and the Vale of Webs.[13a]
- The Warrens - In the southern foothills of the Black Mountains lies a region of unusual rock formations known as the Warrens. The rocks for a virtual labyrinth of natural corridors, walls, and chambers, which are perfect hiding places for ambushers and cutthroats. A famous group of mercenaries called the Carrion Band is rumoured to make its home here.[40b]
- Vale of Webs[13a]
- Varenka Hills - Hills near Barak Varr.[10a] Dotted with ancient burial mounds, the Varenka Hills are a haunted place, shunned by those who dwell in the frontier towns that cluster along the banks of the nearby rivers.[27a]
Rivers[]
The Vaults serve as the primary barrier and boundary between Bretonnia and the Border Princes, 2515 IC.
- Blood River - Blood River is a river that separates the Border Princes from the Badlands.[10a]
- Howling River - Howling River is a river located by the city of Vitrolle.[12a]
- Tana Dante - Tana Dante is a river between the Vaults and Black Gulf.[10a]
- River Skiros - River Skiros is a river from the Vaults that joins the Limnalla River.[10a]
- River Stacnek - River Stacnek,[10a] also known as River Stzcnek,[10b] is a river between the Vaults and Black Gulf.[10a][10b]
- River Treblecz - River Treblecz is a river between the Vaults and Black Gulf.[10a]
- River Weiss - This river is located north of Barak Varr; it can be crossed thanks to the Shattered Pass.[54a]
- Wreckers' Run - Wreckers' Run is a river that divides Tilea from the Border Princes.[15][27a]
Roads[]
The Khyprian empire.
A few lords of the Border Princes have attempted to levy taxes and tolls on those who cross their lands but these attempts to garner additional revenues have met with only limited success. As such the Border Princes remain a crossroads of sorts for all types of travellers.[40a]
- Black Fire Pass - A road.[10a]
- East Trail - Travellers heading up to Mad Dog Pass from the East Trail often stop in Vitrolle to buy last-minute supplies, while those exiting the pass came there first to unload goods and purchase food and other items they had missed on their trek.[12a][27a]
- Great East Road - The road starts in Luccini and then continues left of the foothills of the Apuccini mountains to carry straight on through the Border Princes until the top of the Black Gulf, it's used to reach Barak Varr by ground. The explorer, Luka Huarugoin, used it to reach the Dragon Isles.[16b]
- Lissa Road - Road named after the Tilean heroine Monna Lissa, it links the south of Tilea with the Border Princes.[1r]
- Mad Dog Pass - This pass cuts through the Worlds Edge Mountains between two branches of the Howling River, north of Barak Varr and the Blood River.[Note 1]
- Old Dwarf Road - Also known as Via Nano,[10a] the Old Dwarf Road is a mountain pass which links the Border Princes with Tilea.[27a]
- Old Silk Road - The Old Silk Road has long been a trade route for the Tileans, Dwarfs of the Worlds Edge Mountains, and exotic people of the distant eastern empire of Grand Cathay. A few lords of the Border Princes have attempted to levy taxes and tolls on those who would cross their lands. But these attempts to garner additional revenues have met with only limited success. As such, the Border Princes remain a crossroads of sorts for all types of travellers.[10a][40a][40b]
- Khyprian Road - Bisecting the Border Princes, the Khyprian Road is famous for its relative safety. Its entire six-hundred mile length is cleared on both sides for many miles, ensuring would-be bandits have few places to hide.[10a][39a]
- Pavona Road - Pavona Road is a trade route in the Border Princes that leads to the Tilean city-state of Pavona, passing through the Dark Maiden Pass in the Apuccini Mountains.[1r]
- Shattered Pass - This pass can be used to cross the River Weiss; a milling town is built near the road.[54a]
- South Road - The South Road is a road that links the Dwarf sea-fortress of Barak Varr with the the Old Dwarf Road in the north of the Border Princes.[27a]
- Zandri Road- Also known as the Arabyan Trail, The Zandri Road lead to the undead domain of Zandri in Nehekhara.[15][27a]
- Trantio Road - Trantio Road is a trade route in the Border Princes that leads to the Tilean city-state of Trantio, passing through the Old Dwarf Pass between the Vaults and the Apuccini Mountains.[1r]
Settlements[]
- Achaes - Port city situated on the Black Gulf.[10a][Note 1]
- Aegis Castle - This settlement was present in the Border Princes in ca. 2276 IC during the Anarchy in the Empire.[15][27a]
- Akendorf - Part of the Northern Border Confederacy, Akendorf is currently ruled by Lord Durant as part of an electoral monarchy system. The town has a population of approximately 800 people and its economy is centred around timber, woodcarvings, the raising of hogs and fur-trapping.[1g][22][Note 1]
- Alfori - Princedom ruled by Duke Farnio Forzini.[7a]
- Alvazzo - Alvazzo is either a Tilean or Border Princes fort located near the Apuccini Mountains foothills that was once ruled by the Duke of Alvazzo.
- Arnalos - A settlement on the River Limnalia.[Note 1]
- Bechtersmoln - Bechtersmoln was a dreary walled village, located on the road to the western town of Grunnenburg. It was raided by a large band of Goblins.[44a]
- Black Venom Run - An area in the north-east controlled by Forest Goblin tribe withe the same name.[13a]
- Bosheit - Bosheit was an accursed village. Its inhabitants were unaffected by the famine which was plaguing the surrounding area. The reason was that a Ghoul King made a liar in the village and corrupted the men by teaching them how human flesh could be a valid replacement when the game was scarce. The village was set to flame by Hellbrandt Grimm and his mercenaries, casually engulfed in Bosheit's nightmare.[42a]
- Braken Keep - Braken Keep is a castle ruled by Count Braken, a self-proclaimed leader of a small princedom in the Border Princes. It serves as his stronghold and the centre of his domain. After discovering a hoard of gold and gems in an old ruined fort, Count Braken used his newfound wealth to rebuild and fortify Braken Keep, employing advanced Tilean construction techniques. It became a hub for his growing territory and trade. It also played a key role in a conflict with a clan of dispossessed Dwarfs from The Vaults, who claimed that the riches found by Count Braken rightfully belonged to them.[48a]
- Brovska - The Duchy of Brovska is part of The Northern Border Confederacy, it is ruled by Duke Beaucamp. It has a population of approximately 500, and there economy is based on Agriculture and cattle farming.[1g][10a]
- Blucherlitz - The town of Blucherlitz, a fastness founded by a dissident noble from the Empire, had enjoyed peace and prosperity for many years and grown rich on trade with the fey High Elves from across the sea. All of that now looks set to change, for the vast warhost of the Undead Tomb King Ramkhetep has marched from the Lands of the Dead, far to the south, through the Badlands and into the Border Princes, laying waste to the land as it approaches. Now Blucherlitz lies in a state of siege. Lines of earthworks surround the town as far as the eye can see. Legions of skeletons, driven on by the insane will of their mummified master, push massive siege engines -- crafted from bone -- into position around the walls of the town, while dread carrion circle above like vultures over a dying ox. The brave defenders of Blucherlitz are massively outnumbered, and surely, it is only a matter of time before the town falls and all of its inhabitants suffer the eternal damnation of Undeath. All hinges on one desperate gambit -- that the defenders can hold out long enough until help arrives. Weeks before the arrival of the Undead horde, Ranald, Lord Blucher, sent a plea for help to his High Elven trading partners. Surely his friends and allies will not desert them.[49a]
- Cabanal - A settlement on the Tana Dante river.[Note 1]
- Castello del Dimenticato - A walled town in the middle of the Black Fire Pass, south of Averland.
- Castle Blackstone - This realm includes the ruins of Castle Blackstone, a testament to the folly of one of the would-be rulers of this land. It is said Lord Blackstone wished to build a mighty keep to show all his power but refused to pay for labour and so instead recruited a necromancer to supply the work force. The castle, and all the wealth of the late Lord Blackstone, have been in the hands of the Undead ever since.[9a]
- Castle Drakweir - The people of Brovska whisper that the recently arrived lord of Castle Drakweir, Baron Jaardorf the Treacherous, rode into the Border Princes barely a few horse lengths ahead of the Duke whose trust he betrayed. This settlement was active during ca. 2276 IC.[15][27a]
- Catinari - Catinari was a small, ethnically Tilean principality of the Border Princes that was overrun by Orcs. Its prince, Catinari I, is searching for a new home for his people.[50c]
- Citadel of Myrmidia - This settlement was active during ca. 2276 IC.[15][27a]
- Citadelle Bouelia - An ancient fortress of stone that dominates the Border Princes, the Citadelle Bouelia stands sentinel over the Old Silk Road. It was here where the armies of Prince Ptolethor faced the Crusading Knights of the Red Hand of Brionne. This settlement was active during ca. 2276 IC.[15][27a]
- Dortmere - This settlement is located north of Barak Varr, along the River Weiss, not far from Shattered Pass.[54a]
- Dove's Landing - A small village of about 180 people.[1l]
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The land surrounding the Tomb King Karitamen's tomb in the Border Princes.[12c]
- Fatanbad - Fatanbad is an important settlement of the domain of Princess Fatandira, near the Mad Dog Pass.[12c]
- Fillns Rest - A settlement built not far from Karaz-a-Karak.[54a][Note 2]
- Goldstone - Goldstone is a homestead built around a particularly rich copper mine.[1l]
- Gryphon's Crag - Gryphon's Crag is a settlement on the edge of the badlands.[1l]
- Grunnenburg - Grunnenburg is a dreary little town raised on ancient ruins by Baron Harkov a century ago.[44a]
- Gulthac's Hold - Gulthac's Hold is an unclaimed land situated in a swamp between Massimo's and Dhuoda's principalities, this moderately sized village has survived thanks to the dangerous terrain. Composed mostly of Swamp Skimmers, the locals explore the mire to wrest ancient treasures from its brackish waters. The location and their occupation have hardened the villagers, enabling them to drive off countless Greenskin attacks. The village takes its name from Gulthac, their founder.[1l]
- Gunther's Foot - Gunther's Foot is a wretched little hive home to a pair of extended families that huddle on the shores of a dreadful bog.[1l]
- Halfear's Hold - Halfear's Hold is a domain plagued by the goblins of the Yellow Eye Tribe (Border Princes) and Tamurkhan invasion. Its territories include the The Desolation of Draken Coast.[13a]
- Heldegrad - Heldegrad is a settlement on the Tana Dante river.[Note 1]
- Karak Angazhar - Karak Angazhar is a Dwarf hold near the Black Fire Pass.[22]
- Karl's Folly - Karl's Folly is a village.[1l]
- Kasos - Also known as Kásos,[Note 1] Kasos is a settlement on the Lagoon of Tears, active since ca. 2276 IC.[35a]
- Khypris - Khypris is the capital of the vast Khyprian Empire.[8] An area between Scarosio, Mirasino and The Desolation of Draken Coast.[13a][Note 1]
- Klossi - Klossi is a settlement in ruin bewteen the River Stacnek and the Skull River, Klossi was already in ruin since ca. 2276 IC.[27a]
- Lichtenberg - During the 6th century IC, Emperor Sigismund the Conqueror invades the wild and tribal region of the Border Princes and found the province of Lichtenberg, building a series of castles to protect the Empire's southeastern flank.[25b]
- Lissa - Lissa, is a territory on the Border with the Barony of Mirasino, named after the great heroine Monna Lissa.[13a]
- Lost Hope - Lost Hope is an unclaimed territory torned by wars.[13a]
- Louen Keep - Louen Keep is the stronghold of Sir Cecil Gastonne. This ancient and near-impregnable fort has long been held by a succession of Bretonnian exiles, all tasked with defending the south-eastern approaches to their homeland. This settlement was active during ca. 2276 IC.[15][27a]
- Malko - The fortress-town of Malko is a large settlement.
- Masserschloss - Masserschloss a domain formerly ruled by a powerful Necromancer, this realm is now governed by Prince Dieter von Masserchloss.[1]
- Mirasino - The Barony of Mirasino is a contested territory, between Lissa and the Principality of Scarosio. Its territories include the Dread Hall and Lament beyond the river Tana Dante, in Lost Khypnia territory.[13a]
- Mirstadt - Mirstadt is an important settlement on the border of the domain of Mir Haflok, near the Worlds Edge Mountains.[12c]
- Morning Glory A homestead composed of an extended and very inbred family who openly worships Slaanesh.[1l]
- Mortensholm - An inland city.[10a][Note 1]
- Munzig - Part of The Northern Border Confederacy, is a simple dictatorship ruled by Graf von Erhard. It has a population of approximately 520, and there economy is based on timber, sheep and market industry.[1g][Note 1]
- Myrmidens - Founded by settlers from Luccini in Tilea, it is the largest realm of the Border princes with a population of approximately 7000.[1][Note 1]
- New Bretonnia - A small realm founded by the exiled Bretonnian noblewoman, Dhuoda.[1]
- Nynda - A settlement on the Tana Dante river.[Note 1]
- Organza Nova - A Border Princedom ruled by Prince Giovanni Badrinattl.
- Pendor Hill - An unclaimed land. To outsiders, this large community is a simple village, struggling to survive in a hostile world in the hills just outside of Dieter's Principality. In truth, this village is anything but ordinary. Populated exclusively by a massive Tzeentch Cult, they await the signal from their God to rise up. Pendor Hill stands in the hills that border Dieter's principality.[1l]
- Quaterain - Another significant and unclaimed village in the unclaimed lands is Quaterain. Located near a heavily forested swamp, this Bretonnian-founded community is known for its exquisite woodworking. They export lumber and finished product throughout the Border Princes and beyond, and Quaterain furniture is known as far away as Nuln. Though by far, most of their trade is with Masserschloss since it is too expensive and dangerous to rely on foreign trade.[1l]
- Rif al Sakhr - An Arabyan principality at war with the principality of Organza Nova.
- Sarngul - The Kingdom of Sarngul is a domain raided in the past by Tamurkhan's invasion. Its territories include Firbe Spots(?).[13a]
- Scarosio - A principality between Tilea and the Border Princes, its armies fight around the world as mercenaries.[13a]
- Sonnental - A human town under the Lahmian Sisterhood rule.
- Spica - An unclaimed land. As a community of Tilean tin-miners and tin-smiths, it does brisk trade with Masserschloss but also with Dhuoda since she is closer. Other than tin, there is little of interest here.[1l]
- Styrtia - Also known as Styratia,[Note 1] this settlement is part of The Northern Border Confederacy, is a traditional principality ruled by High Prince Bela. It has a population of approximately 450, and there economy is based on agriculture and cattle farming and vineyards.[1g]
- Sweetwater - A tiny miners community.[1l]
- Tinea - An ancient city once in the western Border Prince Confederacy, not far from the border of present-day Tilea.
- Talshunar - A lighthouse on a island near the Bay of Wrecks. This settlement was active during ca. 2276 IC. Raised from angular blocks of golden stone atop a lonely spire of rock, it is also called the Lighthouse of Talshunar.[15][27a][38a]
- Tengey - A town hald the size of Zenres is situated between the distant Skull River and the Worlds Edge Mountains, it was invaded by Prince Artilli Levrellian, shortly after, Levrellian dubbed himself prince of the area, designated Zenres as his capital, and settled in to rule.[26b]
- The Eagle Confederacy - A Confederacy. Its territories include Mgragh Doom(?). This domain was plagued by Tamurkhan invasion and the Black Venom Tribe.[13a]
- Tor Anrok - A High Elf outpost penned in the Border Princes on a map made by the mad cartographer, Rikhardt Schmied, not far from the town of Malko in 2430 IC.[40a] Maps from other cartographers of the 23rd century IC contrast its map placing Tor Anrok in the Badlands instead of the Border Princes.[27a]
- Ulfreya - The origins of Lord Harkon and the tales of how he came to reside in the ruins of Ulfreya are shrouded in mystery. Very few denizens of the Border Princes venture near his darkened keep. This settlement was active during ca. 2276 IC.[15][27a]
- Vanberg - This settlement is located north of Barak Varr, along the River Weiss, not far from Shattered Pass.[54a]
- Vassengast - Vassengast is a city of some importance in the eastern Border Princes.[37a]
- Verdanos - Also known as Vardanos.[Note 1] This settlement was active since ca. 2276 IC.[15][27a][23] Its markets are renown for their abundance of exotic animals.[22]
- Verldorf - Located in the mouth of the pass, lies the village of Verldorf. A trading post, its people are redoubtable, surviving as they do in the Border Princes without paying homage to Elector Count or Border Prince.[45]
- Vimera - Vimera is a small rural village situated among rugged slopes and gullies. The terrain is poor for herding, making it an uncommon route for large Zani forces, though small warbands sometimes raid the area. A wooden watchtower, built from logs and standing twenty feet high, guards the outskirts and provides a view over the surrounding land. Vimera is one of several nearby villages facing periodic attacks, including a later assault by mutants.[8c][8d]
- Vossheim - Vossheim is a transient town that appears in the spring and fades with the arrival of winter snows. Located in Black Fire Pass, the settlement is part gypsy encampment and part merchant's quarter, where tents of all sizes are pitched around a small, dusty crossroads.[50b]
- Wissenheim - Wissenheim is a town located north of Barak Varr, along the River Weiss, not far from Shattered Pass; it was burned by a raid of the Skaven.[54a]
- Zenres - The town of Zenres is situated between the distant Skull River and the World's Edge Mountains, it was invaded by Prince Artilli Levrellian, shortly after, Levrellian dubbed himself prince of the area, designated Zenres as his capital, and settled in to rule.[12b][26a][Note 1]
- Zvörak - The ancient walled town of Zvörak stands where the Old Dwarf Road from the west meets the Old Silk Road to the east. The town bustles with merchants and mercenaries. This settlement was active during ca. 2276 IC.[15][27a][Note 1]
Greenskins Tribes[]
The location of many Greenskin tribes in the southern Old World.[37a]
The Orcs and Goblins in the Apuccini Mountains and The Vaults can prove to be a problem not just for Tileans but also for Borderlanders. But in the Border Princes, Human states are more parlous, and the lands claimed by a petty marcher lord and the territory of an established Orc or Goblin tribe often lie uncomfortably close to one another.[37b]
- Black Mountain Boyz - The Black Mountain Boyz is an Orc tribe that has suffered heavy losses during its troublesome past. These Orcs migrate between the southern Empire, northern Tilea, and the Border Princes.[37c]
- Blackvenom Tribe - A Forest Goblin tribe who live in the north-eastern Border Princes.[37a]
- Gutrippaz Tribe - The Gutrippaz Tribe is a tribe of Orcs that originated in the Badlands and recently settled in The Vaults between Tilea and the Border Princes.[37a]
- Shifties Tribe - A Night Goblin tribe hidden in the north of the Border Princes.[37a]
Skaven Lairs[]
- Fester Spike - Fester Spike is one of the three major Skaven lairs located within the mountain range of The Vaults, alongside Putrid Stump and Foul Peak. Fester Spike occupies that mountain range's highest peak with tunnels stretching out for hundreds of miles underneath. The stronghold's economy relies on its mines, run by a number of clans holding different sections. It is common for the clans controlling the mines to fight each other in small skirmishes and, intermittently, engage in open warfare.
Forces of the Border Princes[]
A High Elven army marching through the Border Princes.[1]
All across the Old World, armies march endlessly to war. Whether due to territorial disputes between the squabbling rulers of the Empire, or the threat posed by invading enemies, there is never any shortage of violent work for soldiers and mercenaries alike.[56a]
In the Border Princes, this is especially true. Here, countless mercenary companies -- be they freshly minted regiments raised by a paymaster in the piazzas of Tilea, mutinous regiments fled from the Empire, the survivors of once-mighty armies scattered across distant battlefields, or grizzled veterans of wars beyond counting -- all find employ in the towns and fortresses of the Border Princes.[56a]
Such companies gladly join the retinues of the petty lords of the region, bolstering their military might in return for shelter and gold.[56a]
Notable Units of the Border Princes[]
- Border Horse - These are cavalry units of the Border Princes and their retainers from the area lying between the Black Mountains and the Black Gulf. They are descendants of Bretonnian and other Old Worlder adventurers who conquered and settled in this region.[30a]
Notable Borderlanders[]
- Sven Carlsson - A Border Prince. The militia from his realm are mounted on horseback and garbed in red uniforms and wear very heavy armour. Carlsson's Cavalry are very well trained in combat, as Carlsson himself is a retired mercenary, and values well-trained troops. Carlsson is a personal friend of Morgan Bernhardt and the two often come to each other's aid.[4]
- Lietpold the Black - Border Prince and mercenary general. He rides a barded warhorse to war and has some of the most ostentatious and detailed armour ever to grace the Old World.[5]
- Count Schuvaltz - A Border Prince in 2480 IC, Schuvaltz was in need of money and resources to raise an army, so he commissioned another army to plunder the land of Khemri. Only one survivor returned.[6]
- Farnio Forzini - He was the Duke of Alfori. During the End Times Forzini was captured by the Vampire Lord Mannfred von Carstein and turned into a Vampire. Later, he returned to his family lands and wreaked havoc upon his enemies.[7a]
- Massimo Caldieli - Ruled of his corner of Masserschloss for just a few years. He rose from humble roots in Tilea, and he lived the life of a bandit.[1]
Notes[]
- Note 1: This location has been portrayed on the Border Princes unofficial map made by Alfred Nuñez Jr., this map has been referenced during the years by canon material in several occasions, still these locations must be considered unofficial if not displayed on any other canon source.
- Note 2: These location names are obscured or difficult to read in the source material, so they may contain errors or be misspelled.[13a]
Interactive Map[]
Sources[]
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