VoB - Svalsing

[Dorian]

Luthor Holtz.

As requested I have put considerable study into the nation of Svalsing for you. This was difficult because, as you know, Svalsing was a part of the Nissian Empire for approximately two hundred and fifty years. As such, like the rest of the Nissian Empire, it was cut off from the outside world until it gained freedom some eighteen years ago. As a result the knowledge I have brought together of Svalsing either predates the Nissian Invasion or is extremely recent. Here is what I have pulled together.

First off here is the map we relied upon until most recently. It was pulled out of Strassburg archives and predates the Nissian invasion. Forgive the damages to it, as it is a document of considerable age.



Here is the map that was drawn together by our recent expedition to Svalsing, when we went in to authenticate the rumours of the rich veins of blood ore. We drew up this map by copying the main details of the old map above, and then modifying it where necessary, with the aid of our contacts within Svalsing.



Of further note to you will be this. Written by Hans Snel, it is taken from his recent works “The coming and going of the tides; The rise and fall of the Nissian Empire.” Whilst mostly of little use to us, it does briefly mention his trip to Svalsing and what he saw there. Being only 8 years old it is the most recent documentation of the country available.


“And so here I was, preparing to enter the small nation of Svalsing. Despite spending a lifetime compiling notes on the Nissian Empire I had never once set foot on Nissian territory. With their very strict laws forbidding foreigners to enter the empire, to do so would most certainly be a death sentence. What knowledge I had had been pulled from libraries of Nissians former states, such as Grossni, Vishnu and Isenbad. While the libraries and archives of these places filled in many gaps, the places lacked the Nissian culture I had so wanted to encounter, primarily because the peoples of these countries, despite being under Nissian rule for centuries, were of northern blood. These dark skinned gravel throated men would never give me a true idea of what the fair skinned Nissian people are like.

Svalsing however, is different. Like Nissia its people are fair skinned and from a climate closer to ours. Also, Svalsing was most recently made independent of all former Nissian States, doing so only nine years before writing. Its borders finally open I would get as close to Nissian culture as possible to an outsider.

As I crossed the imposing Bluttenburg Mountains, I saw the remnants of the tensions between the Nissian Empire and the west, an imposing guard tower of the Strassburg guard marking the border of the two nations. Knowing I was now well and truly into Svalsing territory made me giddy with joy. Here I was, crossing the perilous mountain range that stopped the ancient Balorians to entire a land previously cut off from the outside world.

And what an imposing world it was. Coming down the mountain pass after many days of travel the Valley of Svalsing lay before me. A damp land of mist and forest, with dark pine forests and low lying swamps. Out of one such swamp came the mighty Curgesing river, the vein of Svalsing upon which floats the life of this nation. After many long nights reading I was at last viewing this magnificent land. Some days later I arrived at the capital of Sinestadt, a peculiar city, mixing old Svalsing gothic like architecture with the more practical designs of the Nissian peoples. On one hand you have the rambling streets and alley ways of the old city, and on the other you have the more recent ordered lanes built to house workers and there families. Three stories tall buildings, built side by side with not and inch between, each floor housing a family. This rather pragmatic way of thinking felt alien to me, being used to the unique and rambling houses one saw in my home back in Gustenburg.

And the people too were different. I’m told that Sinestadt has the highest population of Nissians within Svalsing and that its people are the most open to outsiders as a result. None the less I didn’t receive the warm welcomes one would get travelling within the west. Here the market vendors didn’t even seem overly interested in bleeding me dry, as is usual for merchants dealing with people from other lands. While polite, the local people did not go out of their way to be welcoming to me. While far from hostile, the fact that this place was meant to be the welcoming part of the nation had me worried.”

Here he goes on for sometime about his finds at the local library and the former Nissian Empire. It’s a long painful read and as such I have left it out of this report. Some pages later he mentions his travels around the nation once more, however briefly.

“Having done with my studies I then left Sinestadt to head south, to see the Nissian border for myself. Purchasing a spot on a small vessel I was taken down the Curgesing to the town of Ippsval. This town, while much smaller than Sinestadt showed a lot more authentic Svalsing architecture and culture, with little apparent Nissian influence. The locals were quiet and kept to themselves so after a nights stay I continued my journey south. Riding along a road that paralleled the Adindrau Forest, which nearly thwarted the Nissian invasion and provided the Hajduks with a refuge following Drachenfeldts defeat. This forest was truly dark and the stuff of children’s nightmares. It is easy to see how such a thick wood would present an army with a notable roadblock on the way to victory.

A couple days later I came to the border. Here was the new tower built by the Nissians to fortify the fraying edges of their world. This large keep, standing majestically tall, was plan and made of dark granite. Its highest towers could clearly see to the coast, able to watch for anyone brave enough to attempt to cross their border. As I drew near I was warned to stay away. At a distance of some hundred feet I was finally looking into Nissia and could see its armour clad soldiers standing watch over its borders. So so close to where I had wished to be for so long, yet still too far. Sadly this was the closest I would get to this great nation. “

Again he goes off topic and into realms of little use to us. Finaly here is my own report to you of the Blood Ore veins found in Svalsing.

“Luthor Holtz.

At your request myself and a small team travelled to the nation of Svalsing to investigate reports of Blood Ore mines here. After several weeks travel my team came to the mines. And what we found is simply astonishing.

Deep in the mountains we found the remnants of an old Nissian mine, clearly abandoned when the Nissians pulled back east. Within the mines is quite simply the richest veins of Blood Ore I have ever seen anywhere within the Bluttenburg mountain ranges. What would normally be pulled from three very large mines could possibly be harvested from this one modest mine, let along other parts of this area. After this find we set about the other tasks you asked of us.

The local populace is quiet and shut off to outsiders. It is my own opinion that to get them to work for us would be time consuming and expensive and it would be far more profitable to pull in a more experienced but cheaper workforce from the west. It would save on time in training the workers, and being so far from home would mean that we would have a lower chance of desertion. We would need to provide a well trained security force however, as there is the very real threat of “Hajduks” furiously patriotic outlaws who prey on anyone wandering outdoors who seems to be a profitable catch. A solid team of mercenaries should be able to put off any threat posed by these backwards woodsmen however.

As for transportation of product, there is already a well developed road from the mines to the nation’s capital, Sinestadt. Here the ore can be loaded on to barges and taken downstream to the port town of Wellsheim where it can be loaded onto ship and taken back west. I’m no expert but I believe this to be the faster and safer option, whilst using fewer men to do so, therefore being economic as well.

Also, I believe the entire operation could be set up easily over one winter with a skeleton crew, allowing the main workforce to arrive in the following summer ready for mass mining of the product. A small team of various experts could have the entire operation ready for the main workforce to just step into during the months where the passes entering the valley are closed. This would further cut down on costs, however the lead team will be stuck in country till the passes open again after the summer. However, if well planned I’m sure this shall be of little problems.

Overall I would say the venture shall be a complete success and we should get underway at the earliest possible time, so that we may take advantage of this opportunity before anyone else steals it from under our nose.

Regards, Shorn Shuldtz.”

[Dorian]

Geography of Svalsing

Nestled at the end of the Bluttenburg mountain range, in a valley opening like a gaping mouth to the sea, Svalsing is a small nation. What follow is a description of its main geological features.


Bluttenburg Mountains

The mighty Bluttenburg mountain range forms a natural barrier between the nations of Strassburg, Grossni, Saragonia, Nissia and Svalsing. High and formidable, these mountains have proven impassable to many, often only being crossable by precarious mountain passes during the summer months. The Bluttenburg mountain range is the only place known to man that the valuable Blood Ore is found. As such it has been the focus of many an exploration expedition of late.

To the south the range terminates towards the sea, taking on the fork of a serpents tongue as it does so. This tongue forms a large valley which is the natural border of the Svalsing nation.

The mountains them selves are tall and treacherous, bringing the demise to many a traveller. The lower slopes of the mountains are often covered with conifers whilst its peaks are almost always barren or ice capped. To attempt to cross these mountains via anyway other than a established pass is almost always a death warrant.



Curgesing River

Large and strong, this river has often been refereed to as the vein of Svalsing, for it is the artery upon which the life blood of this nation travels. When Svalsing calls, Curgesing provides. The river is used for everything, from food source and drinking water to travel and commerce. All towns of Svalsing straddle the river, and its banks are dotted with many smaller villages. Not a single span stretches across it, instead only being crossable by ferry.

This thick river comes down out of the mountain ranges, going straight where the Bluttenburgs fork out. Swelled by other smaller rivers along its route as it flows through gully and swamp until it is one massive mass of water surging towards the sea. The people of Svalsing have grown to rely almost completely upon this river just to get through day to day existence.

Adindrau Forest

This dark knotted wood mounts the border between Svalsing and Nissia. Thick and dense, with knotted undergrowth and twisted roots, it provides as good a natural barrier as the mountains. Untamed and mostly untouched this forest has often been left to its own devices by man, the locals shunning it and whispering dark rumours about what goes on under its knotted branches.

[Dorian]

Sinestadt

The city of Sinestadt [Sinn-Es-Stadt] is the capital of the small valley bound nation. Sitting upon the banks of the Curgesing this small city stands tall, its cluttered streets home to young and old, rich and poor. Upon the east back you have the city proper, with its old cluttered streets and bustling market, where herd drivers and farmers from across the nation come to sell their wares. It is said that if its in Slavsing, you can get it here, for a price. Around the markets is old town, a twisted warren of back alleys and streets. Home to merchants, Vendors and their families, old town is the centre of life in Sinestadt. It is here that the Town hall is located, as well as the Temple to Solarias. Also of note is The Mastiffs Behind, a massive Alehouse and Inn built by a Fellishman before the Nissian invasion. Whilst the Fellish family fled to Fellum before the invasion, the Alehouse lives on.

South of the market, towards the docks, is the warehouse district. Here massive buildings hold stock, grain and produce either preparing for a journey down river or being held after such a trip. Standing tall around the warehouses are the tall apartments built by the Nissians to house its large imported workforce. Whilst the Nissians are no longer within Svalsing, the apartments are still packed with lower class families, as many as three to a building, making use of the cheap housing. The streets here are long and straight, and contrast to the rambling alleys and streets of old town around the market.

This contrasts with north of Old Town, where the homes of the wealthy can be found. Here small estates have been built within the city walls, massive gardens surrounding beautiful houses that dwarf even the warehouses. It is here that the upper classes live. Set amongst this area is the majestic Solarias Cathedral, the largest temple to the sun god within Svalsing. Here there is also a shrine to Lunarion set amongst a cemetery where only the bodies of the wealthy families are interred.

But all the wealthy estates pale in comparison to the Valesia estate. Originally built to house the Nissian governors and their retinues, this massive property now houses the Valesia family and its retainers. Since the fall of the Nissian Empire the Valesia family has been the elected Rulers of Svalsing (Although it should be noted that elections only take place amongst the higher classes within Sinestadt and selected nobile families outside.) This massive property is simple breath taking to those who see it, which is few as the estate is fully fensed off and patroled by Svalsing militia guards.

Near all these wealthy families is the Svalsing Militias camp. The only established base for the small army of Svalsing. Here they train and lodge whilst performing guard duties and patrols of the city.

South near the city gate is the Temple to Lunarion. Here is a tall statue to the Moon Goddess and under her watchful gaze is the largest cemetery in Svalsing. Quiet and ordered, the tomb stones line the earth like a vast army at attention.

And around all this city on the east bank is a Large granite wall, set with watch towers. Built to stop the Nissian invasion, it was only completed on the East bank and as such failed to stop the city being over thrown.



Across the river on the west bank is a different story. Here the poor of the city squeeze a meagre existence out of the river. The few families who can afford it live in more Nissian apartments whilst most live in a slum around the docks. Crime here is rife, the Militia only sparing men to patrol the warehouses and ferry crossing. Here there is a temple to Solarias, though it has been seeing fewer attendants of late.