Unterland
The easternmost region
of the Bürach Empire,
Unterland is a warrior society
that seeks to broaden the
Empire’s reach and renew
its flagging momentum. Of
all the provinces, Unterland
holds a particular bitter
rivalry with their neighbour
across the Grey Spine, the
Ostoyan Empire.
Assets
The Unterfolk are skilled hunters and trackers,
capable of living off of the wilds--a necessity
given the limited arable land in the province.
Their tracking skills have been sought for
mercenary work, even by foreign nations.
Raised by Maligant to be the most powerful of
warriors, the Unterfolk have made soldiering their
main profession. Such is their ability that even
common foot soldiers from Unterland make good
combat instructors in other provinces.
History
Unterland began as its own city-
state long before the other provinces
had united under one banner.
Once a weak tribe of hunters living among the
marshlands, the Unter people had the misfortune
of being surrounded by hostile tribes. With their
best soldiers lost to countless skirmishes, the
Unterfolk raised their prayers and offerings the
heavens and begged for salvation. It was the god
Maligant who answered them.
Maligant proved to be a god of strategy and
intelligent warfare. Under his tutelage, the Unters
selected adapt generals to lead their troops. They
learned to forge strong alliances and dissolve
them when they were no longer useful. They also
learned to win with surgical precision instead of
relying on brute force, and to break the enemy’s
spirit as well as their armies.
Their greatest conflict was undoubtedly the
Etienne War, when the Vorkan tribe marched
across the border to try and take their lands.
However, the Vorkan made the mistake of invading
during the wet season. While the Vorkans camped
beside a river, the Unterfolk released the water
from their dam to flood the banks. More than half
the invaders drowned, and the rest were forced to
retreat. Thus, the Unterfolk won the Etienne war
without losing a single soldier.
Soon after, the allied Unter tribes consolidated
under one territory: Unterland. They founded
their capital of Olstenburg, where rose their most
important institution: The Academy of Swords,
where the citizenry could learn the military
sciences. Every able-bodied youth was sent
to the Academy for two years of training and
military service.Thus, Unterland managed to grow a trained citizen
army that they could field at a moment’s notice.
Like the other provinces, Unterland joined under
one empire when Indorious I came into power.
They served a critical function: to defend the
nation and expand its borders. In battle, the
Unterfolk fielded their heavy cavalry, and infantry
composed of pikemen, swordsmen, crossbowmen.
When needed, they also employed their hunters to
wage guerrilla warfare in forested regions. Theirs
was a fighting force without compare.
However, there were some in Unterland who
refused to follow the Empire, seeing it as a form
of imprisonment. They left Unterland, crossing
the Grey Spine into a new land that they called
Ostoya. Their secession would plant the seeds of
bitter conflict.
The Unterfolk sage who joined in the assassination
of Emperor Leopold was named Dmitri Speir, a
retired general who formulated the plan and led
its execution. Once the deed was done, he wrote a
signed confession before committing suicide with
his own sword. The Hearthkeepers named him a
traitor, but defying their edict, Speir’s countrymen
buried him with full honours.
Of all the provinces, it was Unterland that suffered
most after the Gods’ End. With the chaos that
came from the death of the Four Divines, soldiers
were needed more than ever to protect the Empire
from both internal and external threats. This led
to a diaspora that saw thousands of men leaving to
fight wars or keep the peace elsewhere.
First and paramount among the Unters attention
was the new nation across the Grey Spine. Under
the Empire’s orders and with the pretext of
disciplining erring citizens, they invaded Ostoya
and set up outposts there. Unfortunately, their
initial momentum did not last; eventually, Ostoya
counter-attacked with armies of the living dead,
pushing the Empire back behind the Grey Spine.
Knowing that to lose here would mean losing face
throughout Etharis, the Bürach did not relent. The
years would see a long war of attrition that would
weaken both sides.
Today, Unterland’s reputation for military power is
significant but tarnished, as it is pulled into more
and more battles it has no choice but to fight
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