Forskeld's banner displays a white frog on a crimson field, viewed from above with limbs splayed and eyes wide. Though peculiar to outsiders, the frog is an ancient symbol of the swamps and bogs that dominate the region, representing both rebirth and resilience. Local legends claim the frog to be a guardian spirit of the Bad Sumpf, a creature said to watch over the mists and protect the land’s secrets. The red field signifies the blood spilled defending their homeland, and the stubborn strength of those who remain.
Forskeld lies along the northeastern coast of Steinau, bordered by Zoutweide and Oberheim. Its terrain is a mix of lush, old-growth forests, grassy meadows, gently rising hills, and long stretches of coastal dunes. The region is dominated by the sprawling Bad Sumpf, a fog-shrouded swamp that covers much of its center. Rivers carve through the land, the Edelbach and Jagdfluss run through the heart of the region, while the Tannenfluss, Glutwasser, and Piel mark its outer bounds.
A once proud and resilient region, Forskeld was long known for its natural beauty, strong tradition, and unwavering loyalty to the Bucketheads. Despite its strategic disadvantages, surrounded by Royalist territories, it resisted fiercely during the War of the Sceptre and the Crown. Ultimately, however, Forskeld was one of the first regions to fall, overrun by the superior forces of Oberheim and its allies.
Origins and Development
Forskeld’s early history mirrors that of its southern neighbour, Zoutweide. Celtic tribes once ruled the forests and fens before being displaced by migrating Saxon and Frisian clans. Over time, these settlers carved out villages among the trees and meadows, constructing roads, monasteries, and strongholds in the wild.
Christianity spread into Forskeld not long after taking root in Zoutweide. Monastic life flourished in the forests, with the Abbey of Burcht becoming a renowned center of faith, scholarship, and natural healing. The swamp at the heart of the land, feared by many and thought cursed by some, became home to the Castle of Eisenfest, a fortified seat built to dominate the surrounding marsh and protect the bishop’s interests inland.
Militarization and Royal Tension
In the centuries before the war, Forskeld maintained an uneasy relationship with king Heinrich. Though loyal in word, its deep resentment and relative isolation from the island’s urban centres made it a stronghold of defiance against the contemporary absolutist tendencies of the royal family. Its nobles trained militias in the woods and hills, and many of Steinau’s most famed hunters and scouts hailed from the region.
Forskeld’s proud tradition of martial self-reliance would prove both its pride and its downfall.
The modest town of Burcht lies to the west of Forskeld, nestled between woodland and river. Home to the region’s oldest monastery, it remains a center for healing, herbalism, and religious pilgrimage. Though spared the worst of the war, Burcht now lives under the heavy surveillance of the Lapdogs.
At the far eastern edge of Forskeld lies Kirkeholm, a fortified city known for its impressive fortressed monastery and role as the birthplace of the current Bishop of Steinau. The city once served as a beacon of faith for the island, and its clergy were instrumental in calling for resistance against the Crown. Today, it stands quiet and tense, heavily garrisoned by Lapdog troops and stripped of its former power. The bishop, having quickly moved to Königshaven, is viewed by many locals as someone who abandoned his people.
Forskeld’s people are independent, devout, and deeply connected to the land. Forest festivals, hunting rites, and river-blessings are common, many of which blend ancient pagan roots with Christian belief. Archery, trapping, and herbal medicine are part of everyday life. Local folklore speaks of spirits in the swamp and ancient guardians of the glades. Martial training is a point of pride, with youths often taught to track, shoot, and survive in the woods from a young age. Families carry on ancestral weapons and war tales as tokens of honour.
Forskeld pledged itself wholly to the Bucketheads at the onset of the war. Its troops were well-trained, disciplined, and deeply motivated by religious zeal. For a time, it was believed Forskeld might hold its ground, bolstered by difficult terrain and strong defensive positions like Eisenfest. Forskeld’s geographic reality proved fatal. It was flanked by hostile lands; Zoutweide quickly fell, and Oberheim, the Crown’s military heart, launched a relentless campaign across the borders. Supplied through Mitrecht by their allies from Nederheim, Oberheim’s professional and well-equipped army outmatched even Forskeld’s finest. The Castle of Eisenfest was surrounded, besieged, and eventually razed by royalist forces, its ruins still fester in the Bad Sumpf. Despite tenacious resistance and knowledge of the terrain, the region fell after a series of grinding battles, its lines stretched thin, and its people betrayed by the Bucketheads' lack of support from Lunden and the Heartland.
Forskeld lies subdued but simmering. Though the war is over, the scars of betrayal and occupation remain fresh. Crown officials rule from Kirkeholm, while patrols regularly sweep through the woods and swamps to root out dissent. The ruins of Eisenfest remain a symbol of lost pride and abandoned faith. The people of Forskeld remain proud, quietly defiant, and tied to traditions the Crown struggles to suppress. Though broken, they are not entirely defeated, and many believe the forest still watches, waiting for a time to rise again.