Middenheim

The imperial province of Middenheim is the veritable heart of the Holmgardian Empire, an ancient realm of rolling hills, tangled woods, and swathes of fertile farmland between the Alchen and Meve river basins surrounding Holmgard. The land features rolling farmlands villages, and walled towns hacked out of the forbidding forests of the ancient world; it is the main breadbasket of the realm, and one of its most populous regions. It is also the seat of a Elektorreik - an Elector Count, who is always the sitting Emperor.
Middenheim was once divided up among several proud Valmeric city-states, all of which were conquered by the Empire. Their cultural and linguistic influence is still felt - names ending in ceastre, scir, bury, and so on are all of Valmeric origin, and a significant population of assimilated half-elves resides within the lands of their ancestors.
Culture


Culturally, Middenheimers tend to follow a version of the Tyrian faith that eschews much of the polytheistic, animist roots of the religion. Depictions of Tyr in animal form are rare here, and he is typically depicted as a benevolent elder, usually similar in appearance to whatever Emperor commissioned the depiction. In the fashion of the ruling dynasty, men typically wear their hair long, slightly curled, with a respectably sized beard and a curled, pointy moustache, but do not incorporate the complex braids and faded patterns more common in the North. Fashions among men are distinctive, with large, elaborately wrapped cloaks with heavy broaches the norm, along with knee high upturned boots and billowing trousers and tunics. Additionally, men are expected to carry a small knife, called a reac, which is typically blunt on the edges and only useful for stabbing. Women tend to wear their hair long, braided, and favour long white dresses. The richest women wear fur, with white fur being a sign of extreme wealth. 
Food in the region is heavily influenced by the Halfling chefs of the south, consisting of spicey stews, poultry dishes, and above all, deeply fried chicken placed between a sliced bun - a famed dish called a "po'lad".

Geography

The land of Middenheim borders the Greatwood and Westmark to the west, Lupenheim, Drakenheim, and Thyssenmark to the north and east, and Tesenheim to the south. The borders of the region are primarily formed from the the tributaries and branches of the rivers Alchen and Meve. As the river Meve wends its way towards the Sea of Blades, it widens such that one can barely make out the opposite shore, and it is fordable only north of Holmgard.
The river valleys of Middenheim feature black podzol, excellent for growing wheat, barley, and millet. Many villages are spread along the Imperial highways, most no more than a days ride from the next settlement, dot the region. Yet even in the heart of the realm are they threatened. The forests of Middenheim - barely tamed even in the Empire's glory days - are far from safe. In southern Middenheim lie the ancient hills of Tor-Haneth and the Niflung woods, a dense, impenetrable tangle of brambled undergrowth containing fey, madcaps, and kelpies.
The tallest point in the region is Mount Charadon, a isolated peak of the Vestalvian mountains, the rough border between Middenheim and the Greatwood. Mount Charadon's single, spear-like point looms over a glimmering lake and a vale full of vinyards, the fruit of which is processed into wine by the devout Tyrian nuns of St. Hildegaard's abbey, a long march from the nearest town of Burg St. Albrecht.
To the north, the terrain becomes increasingly broken and barren, until the land merges with the spectacular black spires of the Obsidian hills. Among the most incredible landmarks of this is the Eye of Tyr, a perfectly circular depression in the ground nearly several miles across whose lowest point contains a perfectly still lake.