Map Thread XIX
- Thread starter water123
- Start date
- Status
What basemap did you use?I finished the riding map for Columbia for my TL, so here’s the blank map. I’ll take bets for what party will win what seats. There are the nationalists, the conservatives, the greens, the liberals, and the socialists, from right to left.
My bet... successful German political regime means allowance of Austria to be anschlussed. I doubt that Yugoslavia would end up with those borders. I would go for more of Serbian Kosovo, perhaps Macek-Cvetkovic borders between Croatia and Serbia.Hi everybody! Here's a map of an alternate 2010's Europe, in a TL where Weimar Germany remains a stable political regime and succeeds to retake Dantzig and Memel by referendum, and in this TL, there was a different WW2 with a Rome-Moscow-Tokyo axis, resulting in the implosion of the USSR in the mid-1940s.
And in advance, happy new year !!
Also I would see more Ukrainian separatolism being a big problem in Poland
Operationsplan Sonnenwende des OKH
On 10 May 1940, Germany launched Fall Gelb (Case Yellow) - the invasion of France and the Low Countries. The attack succeeded to an extent that exceeded even Adolf Hitler's wildest expectations. Within six weeks, France and the Low Countries had fallen and nearly all of the British Expeditionary Force was interned in German Prisoner of War camps (after a failure to evacuate by sea at Ostend). The shocking victory would see British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ousted in a cabinet revolt, and the new British government seeking an armistice with Germany. By September of 1940, the "Polish War" would be concluded. In addition to reclaiming Alsace Lorraine, Eupen-Malmedy, and North Schleswig, Germany made a number of small strategic annexations in the West, imposed limitations upon the French military, and required France to pay war reparations. However, in return for these gains - and tacit acceptance of Germany's annexation of Poland, the German Military withdrew from the West. Hitler had secured his western flank such that he could pursue his real aim: the destruction of the Soviet Union and the incorporation of European Russia's vast agricultural and mineral resources into the Nazi domain. After the final peace negotiations in the West had been concluded, Hitler ordered the German High Command to draft Operation Barbarossa: a plan to conquer the Soviet Union up to an "Arkhangelsk–Astrakhan line" in 1941.
Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, quickly became aware of Hitler's intentions to attack East. Stalin had always assumed that Germany would be unable to attack the Soviet Union so long as her armies were tied down fighting France and the United Kingdom - which would give the Soviet military time to reorganize and rearm such that they could face the German threat. However, the unexpected sudden conclusion of the war in the West had upended Stalin's entire calculus. Germany would now be ready to attack the Soviet Union after the Spring Rasputitsa had concluded in 1941. Germany's actions after the conclusion of the Polish War made it patently clear to Stalin that Germany was gearing up to attack. Despite the conclusion of hostilities, Germany did not demobilize any of its army divisions. Additionally, Germany began to station troops in Finland and Romania, while commercial and non-aggression treaties were concluded with Yugoslavia and Greece (which secured Germany's southern flank).
War games conducted in Red Army staff colleges almost universally indicated that the Red Army would suffer significant losses and lose significant territory with their current defensive echelon strategy if the Germans were to invade. Against this backdrop, General Georgy Zhukov, the victor of Khalkhin Gol, proposed a preemptive attack to Stalin. Arguing for a limited offensive into German Poland (as well as a spoiling attack into Romania), Zhukov believed that a surprise attack could destroy significant numbers of German formations on the border, which would inhibit the Wehrmacht's ability to attack the Soviet Union. While war game simulations suggested that Zhukov's proposed attack would often fail to gain much ground or inflict many casualties, compared to the defensive echelon strategy, the front-line at the end of 1941 was closer to the German-Soviet border. Stalin was never fond of gambling on Offensive actions he wasn't certain he could win, but he felt the strategic situation forced his hand. The Soviet Union needed time more than anything else, and even if the attack might fail, Zhukov's preemptive attack could buy the Soviets enough time to survive the German invasion Stalin knew was coming. With some reluctance, Stalin approved the plan, and the Red Army began planning to launch an offensive at the end of June.
In May of 1941, German reconnaissance aircraft detected the first movements of Soviet offensive assets towards the German-Soviet border. While denied by the Lithuanian government-in-exile, Nazi Germany allegedly received supplemental intelligence from resistance fighters in the Lithuanian Activist Front confirming this movement. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (German High Command ) was now presented with a dilemma. Should the present offensive Barbarossa plan be maintained? or should the plan be scrapped in favor of a defensive posture? While many German generals, such as Heinz Guderian, argued that the best way to defeat the Soviets was to launch a preemptive attack - even if it meant moving the timetable for Barbarossa forward, more cautious elements within the OKW prevailed (as there was significant concern that the swollen river conditions would not allow the Barbarossa attack to be undertaken until too late), and Operationsplan Siegfried was drafted. Under the Siegfried plan, German infantry would hold prepared defensive positions, while the Panzer groups would be used as mobile reserve to smash any Soviet breakthroughs. Operating under the assumption that the Wehrmacht could inflict a casualty ratio equal to or greater than the Finnish inflicted upon the Red Army in the Winter War, it was believed that after two months of fighting, the Soviets would be worn out, which would allow a German advance to the Düna and Dnepr rivers before the onset of winter. The German Army would build up from that position over the winter, and launch a decisive campaign in the Summer of 1942.
As it represented a significant scaling down of his Barbarossa plan, Hitler refused to accept the cautious plan, and immediately ordered the OKW to draft a new plan. While the OKW worked on a new draft of Siegfried, Hitler conferred directly with his favorite general, Erich von Manstein, to see if the mastermind of the Fall of France had any brilliant plans to achieve victory in the East. Within a few days, von Manstein presented his Führer with the rough outline of a plan: "the backhand blow." Hitler fell in love with the plan immediately, and ordered the OKW to prepare an operational version of the plan.
The premise of the "backhand blow" was simple. Germany would allow the Soviets to attack first. German infantry formations were concentrated in prepared strong points known as Widerstandsnest ("Resistance Nests"), which were located astride the expected paths of any Soviet offensive action (but at least 20-30 miles from the border). Attacking these strong points in German Poland would tie down much of the Red Army in place. The German Panzers, assembled in launching-off points a few miles behind these strong points, would not be used as mobile reserve as in Siegfried. Rather, after waiting for the Soviet attack to get bogged down, the Panzers would smash through Red Army lines, and conduct a deep double-envelopment. Encircled, and cut off from supply lines, nearly all of the entire strength of the Red Army would be destroyed on their forward positions in a modern Cannae. From there, the German Army could advance almost unopposed towards the key cities of Leningrad, Moscow, and Rostov-on-Don. While some within the OKW were concerned that the plan was too ambitious, "the backhand blow" was formally drafted as Operationsplan Sonnenwende (Operation Plan Solstice), and received Hitler's enthusiastic approval.
The Soviet attack (known as Operation Star) would occur on 30 June 1941. While making decent progress on their first day, the Soviets advanced stalled as soon as they encountered the first Widerstandsnests, with the Red Army suffering significant casualties. The Red Army sustained particularly large losses among their tanks, which were interspersed throughout their infantry formations, rather than concentrated in mobile units. Hoping to sustain offensive pressure across the front to break the German lines, Zhukov ordered Soviet reserves committed on 2 July 1941. The German strong-points continued to hold, though a few days into the attack, some infantry formations were beginning to be exhausted by the Soviet offensive, and the OKW was worried that some-strong points might soon break under the pressure of the sustained Soviet advance.
As consequence, on the night of 4 July 1941, the codeword "Dortmund" was transmitted to field headquarters of all of the Panzer Groups. The following morning, Operation Sonnenwende would be launched.
On 10 May 1940, Germany launched Fall Gelb (Case Yellow) - the invasion of France and the Low Countries. The attack succeeded to an extent that exceeded even Adolf Hitler's wildest expectations. Within six weeks, France and the Low Countries had fallen and nearly all of the British Expeditionary Force was interned in German Prisoner of War camps (after a failure to evacuate by sea at Ostend). The shocking victory would see British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ousted in a cabinet revolt, and the new British government seeking an armistice with Germany. By September of 1940, the "Polish War" would be concluded. In addition to reclaiming Alsace Lorraine, Eupen-Malmedy, and North Schleswig, Germany made a number of small strategic annexations in the West, imposed limitations upon the French military, and required France to pay war reparations. However, in return for these gains - and tacit acceptance of Germany's annexation of Poland, the German Military withdrew from the West. Hitler had secured his western flank such that he could pursue his real aim: the destruction of the Soviet Union and the incorporation of European Russia's vast agricultural and mineral resources into the Nazi domain. After the final peace negotiations in the West had been concluded, Hitler ordered the German High Command to draft Operation Barbarossa: a plan to conquer the Soviet Union up to an "Arkhangelsk–Astrakhan line" in 1941.
Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, quickly became aware of Hitler's intentions to attack East. Stalin had always assumed that Germany would be unable to attack the Soviet Union so long as her armies were tied down fighting France and the United Kingdom - which would give the Soviet military time to reorganize and rearm such that they could face the German threat. However, the unexpected sudden conclusion of the war in the West had upended Stalin's entire calculus. Germany would now be ready to attack the Soviet Union after the Spring Rasputitsa had concluded in 1941. Germany's actions after the conclusion of the Polish War made it patently clear to Stalin that Germany was gearing up to attack. Despite the conclusion of hostilities, Germany did not demobilize any of its army divisions. Additionally, Germany began to station troops in Finland and Romania, while commercial and non-aggression treaties were concluded with Yugoslavia and Greece (which secured Germany's southern flank).
War games conducted in Red Army staff colleges almost universally indicated that the Red Army would suffer significant losses and lose significant territory with their current defensive echelon strategy if the Germans were to invade. Against this backdrop, General Georgy Zhukov, the victor of Khalkhin Gol, proposed a preemptive attack to Stalin. Arguing for a limited offensive into German Poland (as well as a spoiling attack into Romania), Zhukov believed that a surprise attack could destroy significant numbers of German formations on the border, which would inhibit the Wehrmacht's ability to attack the Soviet Union. While war game simulations suggested that Zhukov's proposed attack would often fail to gain much ground or inflict many casualties, compared to the defensive echelon strategy, the front-line at the end of 1941 was closer to the German-Soviet border. Stalin was never fond of gambling on Offensive actions he wasn't certain he could win, but he felt the strategic situation forced his hand. The Soviet Union needed time more than anything else, and even if the attack might fail, Zhukov's preemptive attack could buy the Soviets enough time to survive the German invasion Stalin knew was coming. With some reluctance, Stalin approved the plan, and the Red Army began planning to launch an offensive at the end of June.
In May of 1941, German reconnaissance aircraft detected the first movements of Soviet offensive assets towards the German-Soviet border. While denied by the Lithuanian government-in-exile, Nazi Germany allegedly received supplemental intelligence from resistance fighters in the Lithuanian Activist Front confirming this movement. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (German High Command ) was now presented with a dilemma. Should the present offensive Barbarossa plan be maintained? or should the plan be scrapped in favor of a defensive posture? While many German generals, such as Heinz Guderian, argued that the best way to defeat the Soviets was to launch a preemptive attack - even if it meant moving the timetable for Barbarossa forward, more cautious elements within the OKW prevailed (as there was significant concern that the swollen river conditions would not allow the Barbarossa attack to be undertaken until too late), and Operationsplan Siegfried was drafted. Under the Siegfried plan, German infantry would hold prepared defensive positions, while the Panzer groups would be used as mobile reserve to smash any Soviet breakthroughs. Operating under the assumption that the Wehrmacht could inflict a casualty ratio equal to or greater than the Finnish inflicted upon the Red Army in the Winter War, it was believed that after two months of fighting, the Soviets would be worn out, which would allow a German advance to the Düna and Dnepr rivers before the onset of winter. The German Army would build up from that position over the winter, and launch a decisive campaign in the Summer of 1942.
As it represented a significant scaling down of his Barbarossa plan, Hitler refused to accept the cautious plan, and immediately ordered the OKW to draft a new plan. While the OKW worked on a new draft of Siegfried, Hitler conferred directly with his favorite general, Erich von Manstein, to see if the mastermind of the Fall of France had any brilliant plans to achieve victory in the East. Within a few days, von Manstein presented his Führer with the rough outline of a plan: "the backhand blow." Hitler fell in love with the plan immediately, and ordered the OKW to prepare an operational version of the plan.
The premise of the "backhand blow" was simple. Germany would allow the Soviets to attack first. German infantry formations were concentrated in prepared strong points known as Widerstandsnest ("Resistance Nests"), which were located astride the expected paths of any Soviet offensive action (but at least 20-30 miles from the border). Attacking these strong points in German Poland would tie down much of the Red Army in place. The German Panzers, assembled in launching-off points a few miles behind these strong points, would not be used as mobile reserve as in Siegfried. Rather, after waiting for the Soviet attack to get bogged down, the Panzers would smash through Red Army lines, and conduct a deep double-envelopment. Encircled, and cut off from supply lines, nearly all of the entire strength of the Red Army would be destroyed on their forward positions in a modern Cannae. From there, the German Army could advance almost unopposed towards the key cities of Leningrad, Moscow, and Rostov-on-Don. While some within the OKW were concerned that the plan was too ambitious, "the backhand blow" was formally drafted as Operationsplan Sonnenwende (Operation Plan Solstice), and received Hitler's enthusiastic approval.
The Soviet attack (known as Operation Star) would occur on 30 June 1941. While making decent progress on their first day, the Soviets advanced stalled as soon as they encountered the first Widerstandsnests, with the Red Army suffering significant casualties. The Red Army sustained particularly large losses among their tanks, which were interspersed throughout their infantry formations, rather than concentrated in mobile units. Hoping to sustain offensive pressure across the front to break the German lines, Zhukov ordered Soviet reserves committed on 2 July 1941. The German strong-points continued to hold, though a few days into the attack, some infantry formations were beginning to be exhausted by the Soviet offensive, and the OKW was worried that some-strong points might soon break under the pressure of the sustained Soviet advance.
As consequence, on the night of 4 July 1941, the codeword "Dortmund" was transmitted to field headquarters of all of the Panzer Groups. The following morning, Operation Sonnenwende would be launched.
The Race weren't really portrayed as genocidal (MAD scenarios aside). I'd say they sometimes came across as more decent colonisers than many human OTL empires ever did.
They did mention some wishing that the humans had nuked each other to death before the Race arrived or that they would have nuked people the planet if they had any of their own, as they didn't want competition. It is part of why the end of one book had them racing to keep the Nazis from detonating a bomb in Poland, as it would give away that they could produce uranium and plutonium of their own, instead of just using that scavenged from the one bomb site. Ahhh, and the Race nuked Washington just for the hell of it. One of the bigger issues is that the Race has no concept of love I would say. No families, no guilt selling their eggs, propensity to gang rape if a woman has ginger...
And the MAD scenario you are referring to is in the last book with them threatening to send shippings crashing into Earth, correct? Even before then the Emperor was apparently deciding to have the planet wiped off like, human and Lizard alike.
Didn't Earth like straight up invade the Race Homeworld to be like "how about ya fuck off before we wipe you all out on your own soil?"
No. they made threatening noises (it is notable the first ship was called Admiral Peary and the second one Commodore Perry) by way of scoffing at the Race being able to fight them on even terms due to their technological backwardness at the time, followed by the Emperor or his Ministers threatening to have a ship fly straight for Earth. That was near the end of the book, with the beginning have them thinking over destroying the whole thing due to it 'tainting' the Race. I really do think they should have had a different name for them. Such as whatever The Race is in their own language. Saves everyone a lot of trouble.
Warring State of Libya
Expansion of the Free State of Sabha - (2021-2025)
[r/ImaginaryMaps] - [DeviantArt]
Introduction
“Look, slavery isn’t that bad. At least I give them a sense of being actually useful for once, right? RIGHT!?”
- Martin Geoff, during an elaborate interview with an unfortunate travel journalist.
The Free State of Sabha, the Pearl of Fezzan - the glimmering speck of light that shines across the cold desert. While Libya succumbs to famine and poverty, this small but resilient community tamed the dunes and built a utopia which has become the envy of all. It’s also an amoral and hedonistic cesspit, a society that transformed the dysfunctional market of human-trafficking that permeates throughout Africa into an exploitative and systematic enterprise that made millions or even billions to fund their so-called paradise.
But before the rise of Ljubomir and Martin Geoff, the political environment around Fezzan can be described as a series of city-states and independent villages scattered throughout, interconnected through the means of trade; exchanging goods ranging from water to barley. Sabha, in particular, is a strong economic hub that relies on its oases and irrigation system to produce crops. While slave auctions have become commonplace after the Khalifa Haftar’s demise, the local city council attempt to curb down this market but to no avail. Living in the city can be described as mediocre and stagnant for most, but it wasn’t until the arrival of the two and their band of mercenaries came to the city, changing the landscape under their whim.
Expansion of the Free State of Sabha - (2021-2025)
[r/ImaginaryMaps] - [DeviantArt]
Introduction
“Look, slavery isn’t that bad. At least I give them a sense of being actually useful for once, right? RIGHT!?”
- Martin Geoff, during an elaborate interview with an unfortunate travel journalist.
The Free State of Sabha, the Pearl of Fezzan - the glimmering speck of light that shines across the cold desert. While Libya succumbs to famine and poverty, this small but resilient community tamed the dunes and built a utopia which has become the envy of all. It’s also an amoral and hedonistic cesspit, a society that transformed the dysfunctional market of human-trafficking that permeates throughout Africa into an exploitative and systematic enterprise that made millions or even billions to fund their so-called paradise.
But before the rise of Ljubomir and Martin Geoff, the political environment around Fezzan can be described as a series of city-states and independent villages scattered throughout, interconnected through the means of trade; exchanging goods ranging from water to barley. Sabha, in particular, is a strong economic hub that relies on its oases and irrigation system to produce crops. While slave auctions have become commonplace after the Khalifa Haftar’s demise, the local city council attempt to curb down this market but to no avail. Living in the city can be described as mediocre and stagnant for most, but it wasn’t until the arrival of the two and their band of mercenaries came to the city, changing the landscape under their whim.
History
“I never thought we could make it this far. Expected my head to roll over before we make it to the city, glad I was wrong.”
- Ljubomir, recounting his past doubt on their first operation.
The Free State was established on April 21st, 2021 - the day when the two, backed by hired guns, seized the city of Sabha through intrigue and coercion. Martin, seeking opportunities to amass his wealth and provide a foundation to build his paradise, begin to bring the slave auctions out from the shadows and turned it into a functioning market. 4 Months later, after accumulating enough funds from the endeavor and investing it into expanding its infrastructure, he improved the city from its mediocre state and elevated the standard of living reminiscent of the pre-civil war.
Confident on his success, he launched an expedition to Brak on October 13th, marching across the highway with 500 mercenaries backed with heavy guns. The operation was a success, but none could secure the city permanently as they plan to expand further. Thus, at Ljubomir’s request, a garrison composed of levied slaves was formed to secure their spoils and was given a title to suit their purpose, the Jaysh Al-Khadam. Martin was impressed by their discipline and loyalty, to the point that he formed other corps to fulfill mediocre roles ranging from construction to maintenance.
While Ljubomir was subjugating towns on the northern hemisphere, some folks from the West, ranging from libertarians to venture entrepreneurs, flocked to Sabha with the promise of new opportunities and economic freedom. Their skill-sets benefited the Free State, providing helpful amounts of expertise that will eventually help it to modernize; inventing more efficient methods of irrigation and robust industry that none throughout Libya and even Africa could match.
In 2023, after developing the northern hemisphere, Ljubomir recommended him to commence another expedition against Ubari and Murzuq, two cities that defied the Free State by helping runaway slaves from falling into their hands. The attempt to secure them was a disaster at first and nearly cost his life. Martin resorted back to subterfuge to sow discontent between the two, eventually succeeding in capturing Murzuq peacefully and launch another offensive against Ubari and establishing a permanent base for the levy Garrison.
After securing the highway connecting Sabha to Murzuq, he begins to shift his focus on domestic affairs; forming the Board of Representatives to give his rule a clear sense of legitimacy and expanding the neglected infrastructure throughout his domain to secure the flow of trade. On his personal venture, he wrote a manifesto on his thoughts on improving capitalism and proposing the idea of a union of entrepreneurs entitled to the sweat of their brow - the Manifesto of the Free. Witnessing its success, fringe towns beyond Murzuq seeks to join the Free State to reap its prosperity. Martin embraced them with glee, proclaiming this endeavor as definitive proof of his success.
After months of preparation, expanding the core army and levy garrisons, Ljubomir commenced its largest expedition yet; seeking to occupy a vast stretch of land beyond the Serir Al Gattusa before it could fall into one of many warring factions of the Libyan National Army. Eventually, through diplomacy and conquest, the Free State of Sabha has captured the city of Al-Fugha and cemented itself as one the most powerful factions within the civil war; a foreign force backed by a powerful economy and robust military.
In 2025, during the height of their power, the Free State expanded its market beyond Fezzan and eventually beyond the southern fringe of North Africa and the Sahel Region. Brak, from a small town housing, has grown into a large inland shipyard. From small motorboats to expansive yachts, most of them are sold to the corsairs scouring throughout the Mediterranean after the sanction was imposed against them.
“I never thought we could make it this far. Expected my head to roll over before we make it to the city, glad I was wrong.”
- Ljubomir, recounting his past doubt on their first operation.
The Free State was established on April 21st, 2021 - the day when the two, backed by hired guns, seized the city of Sabha through intrigue and coercion. Martin, seeking opportunities to amass his wealth and provide a foundation to build his paradise, begin to bring the slave auctions out from the shadows and turned it into a functioning market. 4 Months later, after accumulating enough funds from the endeavor and investing it into expanding its infrastructure, he improved the city from its mediocre state and elevated the standard of living reminiscent of the pre-civil war.
Confident on his success, he launched an expedition to Brak on October 13th, marching across the highway with 500 mercenaries backed with heavy guns. The operation was a success, but none could secure the city permanently as they plan to expand further. Thus, at Ljubomir’s request, a garrison composed of levied slaves was formed to secure their spoils and was given a title to suit their purpose, the Jaysh Al-Khadam. Martin was impressed by their discipline and loyalty, to the point that he formed other corps to fulfill mediocre roles ranging from construction to maintenance.
While Ljubomir was subjugating towns on the northern hemisphere, some folks from the West, ranging from libertarians to venture entrepreneurs, flocked to Sabha with the promise of new opportunities and economic freedom. Their skill-sets benefited the Free State, providing helpful amounts of expertise that will eventually help it to modernize; inventing more efficient methods of irrigation and robust industry that none throughout Libya and even Africa could match.
In 2023, after developing the northern hemisphere, Ljubomir recommended him to commence another expedition against Ubari and Murzuq, two cities that defied the Free State by helping runaway slaves from falling into their hands. The attempt to secure them was a disaster at first and nearly cost his life. Martin resorted back to subterfuge to sow discontent between the two, eventually succeeding in capturing Murzuq peacefully and launch another offensive against Ubari and establishing a permanent base for the levy Garrison.
After securing the highway connecting Sabha to Murzuq, he begins to shift his focus on domestic affairs; forming the Board of Representatives to give his rule a clear sense of legitimacy and expanding the neglected infrastructure throughout his domain to secure the flow of trade. On his personal venture, he wrote a manifesto on his thoughts on improving capitalism and proposing the idea of a union of entrepreneurs entitled to the sweat of their brow - the Manifesto of the Free. Witnessing its success, fringe towns beyond Murzuq seeks to join the Free State to reap its prosperity. Martin embraced them with glee, proclaiming this endeavor as definitive proof of his success.
After months of preparation, expanding the core army and levy garrisons, Ljubomir commenced its largest expedition yet; seeking to occupy a vast stretch of land beyond the Serir Al Gattusa before it could fall into one of many warring factions of the Libyan National Army. Eventually, through diplomacy and conquest, the Free State of Sabha has captured the city of Al-Fugha and cemented itself as one the most powerful factions within the civil war; a foreign force backed by a powerful economy and robust military.
In 2025, during the height of their power, the Free State expanded its market beyond Fezzan and eventually beyond the southern fringe of North Africa and the Sahel Region. Brak, from a small town housing, has grown into a large inland shipyard. From small motorboats to expansive yachts, most of them are sold to the corsairs scouring throughout the Mediterranean after the sanction was imposed against them.
Conclusion
“It’s surreal to see these folk being content with their lot in life. Some of them are fine on being enslaved as long as Martin takes care of them.”
- An anonymous journalist during a conference in the Hague.
The Free State of Sabha has become an enigma to the international community. Despite being built under the forced servitude of innocent folks, who migrated from their homes to seek a better lot in life, Martin Geoff has elevated the poor conditions that tormented the people of Fezzan into a near-luxurious state; elevating the living condition from its stagnate state and providing folks with easy access to goods that none from the coast could afford.
A journalist documenting the situation in Fezzan recounts his experience with the slaves in Murzuq, claimed that some of the slaves have a surprisingly positive outlook on the Free State, albeit with some minor woes. He even noted that one of them even volunteered to be sold just to receive its benefits such as free sustenance and shelter. Despite this, many have tried to find ways to avoid capture. They either risk themselves to take the longer route from Egypt or through the core territories of the Libyan National Army.
In 2026, their paradise seems to be eroding, albeit at a very slow pace. With the rise of the Green Army threatening their water supply and the gradual progress made by the countries in the Sahel Region to curb down human trafficking, they begin to face a situation where their reliance on slavery could no longer be sustainable and forced to form an alternative solution.
Regardless, the Free State of Libya has proven itself to a reliable trading partner for many factions across Libya and even to the tribes and communities around the Sahel Region to some extent; providing them cheap but reliable goods ranging from fresh fruit to even powerful guns. People in Fezzan admire their commitment to improving their once nightmarish life, even excusing human trafficking a necessary means to survive.
“It’s surreal to see these folk being content with their lot in life. Some of them are fine on being enslaved as long as Martin takes care of them.”
- An anonymous journalist during a conference in the Hague.
The Free State of Sabha has become an enigma to the international community. Despite being built under the forced servitude of innocent folks, who migrated from their homes to seek a better lot in life, Martin Geoff has elevated the poor conditions that tormented the people of Fezzan into a near-luxurious state; elevating the living condition from its stagnate state and providing folks with easy access to goods that none from the coast could afford.
A journalist documenting the situation in Fezzan recounts his experience with the slaves in Murzuq, claimed that some of the slaves have a surprisingly positive outlook on the Free State, albeit with some minor woes. He even noted that one of them even volunteered to be sold just to receive its benefits such as free sustenance and shelter. Despite this, many have tried to find ways to avoid capture. They either risk themselves to take the longer route from Egypt or through the core territories of the Libyan National Army.
In 2026, their paradise seems to be eroding, albeit at a very slow pace. With the rise of the Green Army threatening their water supply and the gradual progress made by the countries in the Sahel Region to curb down human trafficking, they begin to face a situation where their reliance on slavery could no longer be sustainable and forced to form an alternative solution.
Regardless, the Free State of Libya has proven itself to a reliable trading partner for many factions across Libya and even to the tribes and communities around the Sahel Region to some extent; providing them cheap but reliable goods ranging from fresh fruit to even powerful guns. People in Fezzan admire their commitment to improving their once nightmarish life, even excusing human trafficking a necessary means to survive.
Last edited:
Hi there.
With regard to colour, I find it easiest to just go with what looks good to me, if others like the scheme then that's fine.
With regard to the map, as Fred says it looks like a standard map but, personally, I would introduce more variance within the blocks of colour, you never get an area that is entirely one terrain type, even a plain undulates. Additionally, I would add tributaries to what appears to be a major river/river system.
It just depends how much you want to put into a map. Is it going to be your main map? Does it need the detail? How would the terrain affect the states/peoples? What would they use for borders?
Hi there.
The map I'm trying to make is based on another map here (the map is in french):
In the manga although the map is very often present and fairly well done, it gives little detail on the reliefs and rivers (even less in the sea of corruption).
I try to gather as much information as possible on this subject but I can not find others. I could extrapolate but I would deviate from the original work of Hayao Miyazaki.
Mwahaha! I think it is time to return to my Pharaoh Bonaparte thing...
Could you tell more about your map? Why is Persia so goddam big? What is India, Oceania, Patagonia and south Africa? How is doing China and Russia?
You could use the shading to give you some variation, I see darker areas to the north, lighter nearer Dork.
Perhaps run this through GIMP [https://www.gimp.org/] you don't have to have a recent version, its the effects that should inspire you.
What exactly is this an ISOT of? If you don't mind me asking?
Iraq and Southwest US ISOTed to a virgin earth?
Looks cool though! Always good to see a virgin earth ISOT post, especially a detailed and creative one like this.
There was a part further back than that comparing the Tigers-Euphrates river system to that of the Rio Grande-Pecos. Originally, someone suggested simply swapping them geographically.
And though the Virgin Earth idea is sound, something more interesting would be those two areas swapped and sent back in time. Maybe 100 years?
.
On this day 10 years ago I created my account 
To celebrate I wanted to share with you a WIP I have been working on in my spare time.
The family tree/map (also WIP-ish)
To celebrate I wanted to share with you a WIP I have been working on in my spare time.
The Account of Varno
Little is known about the life of the Saxon historiographer Varno [cf Warini], but his history of the Nierhingar dynasty is the oldest surviving account of pre-Roman Dania, or Danaland as it is known to the Danes. Varnos history survives only in the form of three Latin manuscripts dating from the *12th century. The original Saxon account written in the Gothic alphabet and dating to the late *8th century has been lost to time but the surviving manuscripts appear to be rather faithful translations as they even preserve the introductory devotion to “Eelandsmund, pious lord of the Saxons,” and the derogatory references to Roman Christianity, which is remarkable as the manuscripts certainly were produced in an Imperial Trinitarian environment. The anonymous translator has in most cases furthermore preserved the original Danish suffixes, most notably “-ur”, which are conjugated in the same manner as Latin words ending in “-us”. A minor loss of information has occurred due to the imperfect match the Latin script and the Danish language. Sometime before the beginning of the *9th century the /h/-phoneme disappeared from the languages of the British sprachbund, leaving the letter “h” without a practical function before being revived to represent the phoneme /þ/. The later reintroduction of /h/ has resulted in the doubling of vocals to represent /h/ as in word like “Aaraldsei”.
Varno’s sources are unknown but he seems to draw from a variety of different traditions to construct a history of the Danish. His account is divided into two parts: a supposedly euhemerised version of a pagan theogony and the history of the Niehringar dynasty, which ends with the baptism of the first Christian Danish king: Uhirmir of Gefiunei.
The first part of his account has often been regarded as a rather fanciful invention by Varno. This part of his account has little in common with other surviving versions of pagan theogony or Danish origin myth and seems to be much closer linked to Biblical traditions and Christian narratives popular at Saxon court around that time. It consists mostly of an abridged retelling of Genesis and Exodus to which some names were added to explain the ethnogenesis of the different European nations and tribes. Here he asserts that Dania first was settled by descendants of Japheth, among them Gautur, Hiustur and Ranar from which the Danish tribes took their name. Varno connects the Nierhingar dynasty to a second wave of settlers, who were led by Dan, of the Israelite tribe of Dan. This Dan he also calls Ungdanur to distinguish him from the tribes original patriarch of the same name, to whom he refers as Gamaldanur. He ends this part with the assertion that the Danes settled all of today's Dania and that they were initially ruled by judges, but that their ancestral Israelite faith had been lost and replaced by the worship and divination of the dead.
According to Varno the Niehringar descended from Nierhur and his wife Nierha, who were last in line of several “heros of the Danish, who are venerated as gods by the simple minded”. Uhirmir stems from Gautur the only recorded son of the couple, who had according to Varno “lived twenty generations ago”.
Varno records the following lineage for Uhirmir:
Translation of the second part of Varnos account (also known as “The Nierhingar”)
Sprung from Nierhur and Nierha are the Nierhingar kings, ancestral lords of all Danes.
The first king of the Danes was Gautur Nierhingur, who lived twenty generations ago and whose domain was limited merely by the surrounding sea and the inhospitality of the far north. Believed to be a God by the idolatrous among the Danes, Gautur is said to have perished from the world of humankind and taken up his place among his forefathers in the realm of the Gods.
Gautur was succeeded by Guma, who ruled the longest of all kings and was henceforth called Gammalfrair. Gammalfrair warred against the Fenni and drove them from the Danish lands. Having reached the age of 144 years the king left the realm to his son, to wander the wilderness. The Danes belief him to still roam in the forests at night and that he turns to inanimate stone at the break of dawn.
In the third generation Iormun Ungfrair ruled the Danes, but his reign was mared by hunger and infighting. Iormun married Vi, daughter of Ingvi, father of skalds, to end the waring, but hunger would persist nevertheless. In the first year of hunger he sacrificed his right hand to the Gods, thus one third would have food. In the second year he sacrificed his right eye, thus two thirds would not starve. In the third he sacrificed himself and the Danes were awarded with plentitude.
Iormun was succeeded by his sons Hiohmundur and Gumaldur. In their search to reclaim the immortality their father had sacrificed, they ventured far north fighting the Fenni in many battles, but unable to reach the abode of the Gods, they returned empty handed to the land of the Danes. In their absence the realm had been governed by their mother’s father the nefarious Ingvi, who slew the returning Gumaldur with the help of the treacherous Svear and banished Hiohmundur to the wilderness. Under the rule of King Ingvi the sun lost its glow, nothing grew and the Danes suffered the longest winter known to mankind. First the return of the banished Hiohmundur, who had given, according to the idolatrous, his sight and his offspring to the Gods, brought spring. Known for his divine knowledge of the runes, which he spread to the Danes, Hiohmundur would henceforth be known as Runfrair.
The first king of the fifth generation of the Nierhingar was Nierhaldur, son of Gumaldur. He was drowned by his brother Eeihbalhur. Uugi The youngest son of Gumaldur married Sigurgisli of the Scaldingar, scion of Ingvi, and burned to death Eeihbalhur and his whole kin.
Uugis sons Leicur and Ingvaldur ruled the Danes together, but their vices would be their downfall, as Leicur drank himself to death and Ingvaldur enraged his fellow Svear who hung him from a tree. Upon their demise Ragindomur son of Nierhaldur became king. The Danes believe that he had escaped the bloodlust of his uncles and cousins by turning into a raven with the help of the giants and that he feasted on the corpses of Leicur and Ingvaldur before returning to his human form. He was murdered in his sleep by his wife, who dragged his corpse to the sea and watched him be swallowed by the waves.
Snaeragi followed his father as king. During his return from the lands of the Hiustar (cf. Tjust), where he had sacrificed to the idol Hor, he was ambushed and killed by the Fenni.
His son Alahaar became king after him but was poisoned by his daughter Alahiilda, who was the wife of Gnir Scaldingur of the line of the drunkard Leicur. They fled to the lands of the Marir (cr. mare) to escape revenge.
Tirredur, son of Snaeragi, the next king of the Danes ventured into the realms of the Marir to avenge the death of his father but was slain by Iorbalhur, his sister’s son. The Mara Frostauha allowed Iorbalhur and his father to rule over Danaland as long as Gnir spend a third of every year with her in the high mountains at the edge of the sea. Gnir obliged and ruled for twelve years, spending eight months of every year in the south and four in the north.
In the thirteenth year Gnir Scaldingur was murdered by Alahiilda who did not want to let her husband go. The furious Frostauha send their monstrous child Vintur-Ingvi to kill his father’s murderer and claim his patrimony. Vintur-Ingvi slew a thousand Danish warrior before tearing asunder King Iorbalhur and claiming Danaland as his birthright. Although of imposing stature and monstrous appearance he was dimwitted, gullible and followed his mother’s every word. Eiravan, son of the slain Tirredur, disguised himself as a wanderer and made the foolish Vintur-Ingvi believe that his mother had departed for the island of the Romans. He waded into the sea only to drown beneath the waves. After witnessing her son’s death Froustauha set her ship aflame and died amidst fire and smoke. Eiravan became king of the Danes but ruled less than a year before he was slain by the supporters of the late Iorbalhur.
Eiravan was survived by four daughters and his pregnant wife. His daughters were all married to wicked men; the first to a treacherous coward, the second to the a thief, the third to a poison maker and the fourth to an oathbreaker. All four desired to reign over the Danes but they were all judged unworthy. In their stead the unborn son of Eiravan was chosen. The boy was named Gnir and is to this day widely known as Blohbarn as the Danes believe that he had not be born, but ripped himself out of his mother’s womb, to depose the four usurpers. Gnir Blohbarn was raised by his mother’s father Eifari, who in order to establish peace within his kin and the realm of the Danes, gave each of Gnir’s sisters one tribe to preside over. Enraged by the wrongdoings of his kinsman the young king burned Eifari alive. King Gnir fought 48 years to depose the usurpers, slaying every twelfth year one of his sisters’ husbands, but peace would not be bestowed upon the Danes as Gnir had committed great crimes against his kin. Exhausted by war he married his only child Domaldur to one of his sisters’ daughters, Dirborg of the Aarhaingar. From this Persian marriage one girl was born, the frail Horborg, during whose birth the queen bled to death. Gnir than insisted that Domaldur wed another of his kinswomen, Sin of the Gautar. Sin gave birth to the hideous Niermundur, upon whose sight she killed herself. Domaldur, on his father’s insistence entered a third Persian marriage with Calda of the Svear. With her he fathered Ingnir the Blind, who killed his mother as he could not recognise her. Lastly Domaldur married Usnotra of the Gutar, with whom he had the cunning Ohni, who deceived her father and poisoned both her mother and king Gnir.
The weak Domaldur became the Danish king of the twelfth generation, who was blinded by the machinations of his four incesteous children. His offspring believed themselves divine and build great temples for their idolatrous cults. Niermundur begat the abominable Surtur with his sister Horborg and Ingnir the Blind was lured by Ohni to father the monstrous Hiostdis. Praised as gods incarnate, the most idolatrous of the Danes traveled to the royal halls to worship the children, but who ever made sacrifice to them would see their lineage fall to ruin in due time. As Domaldur grew to old age his impure children died one after another. Freed from their malicious influence Domaldur took himself a fifth and last wife, Lofn who was of pure flesh and spirit, and with whom he fathered Frairgestur, who settled beyond the sea in the lands of the Romans.
After his father’s death Frairgestur returned to the lands of the Danes together with his wife Trudur, daughter of Ullur of the glistening sky, and their son Aardstein, to claim the kingship. They were hosted by Biorn of Vandillsoolmur (Sword Isle) in whose hall they feasted. Frairgestur slew the monstrous Surtur but was blinded by the bright fire of the monster’s club. Stumbling around without sight he was betrayed and murdered by his host Biorn who wedded Hiostdis and claimed kingship over the Danes.
The infant Aardstein and his mother escaped from the halls of Vandillsoolmur hidden in an ale barrel, floating down the river and along the coast to the homestead of the smith Aagvin, who took them in and lived with them as if they were his own kin. Trudur died as she attempted to retrieve the remnants of the late Frairgestur, whose corpse laid bare without burial, and so Aardstein was raised by Aagvin, whom he believed to be his father, and was called Vatnar (water+army) to conceal his true identity. In the 24th year of his reign king Biorn commissioned Aagvin, foremost of all Danish smiths, to forge a new chain to bind Dolgur, the progeny of Queen Hiostdis and the late Surtur, who had grown to enormous proportion. Dolgur was without eyes, mouth, limbs or mind. His body was like that of a serpent covered with wolf-like fur and his hideous head was covered with a fine veil of silk and silver who Hiostdis had made for him. Neither chains nor ropes had been able to bind the monster, which tore apart every rope layed around his neck and on whose armless and legless body no chain could remain. Aagvin conferred with the Mari, who were in his debt, and received from them the bones and hair of Vintur-Ingvi, from which he forged an ever tightening chain, which he then presented to Biorn. Aagvin declined the reward Biorn had offered him and claimed the chain to be a gift to celebrate the king’s hospitality. To the shock of Biorn and Hiostdis the chain did not merely restrain Dolgur but slowly strangled the monster. In its mortal agony the beast shook the foundation of the earth and caused the island of Vandillsoolmur to sink beneath the waves. Only Aagvin survived and revealed to the Danes that his foster son Vatnar was Aardstein, son of the Frairgestur. Aardstein ruled as king for 60 years and build the royal halls of Grein (branch) from which the Nierhingar would rule.
Biartur succeeded his father as king in Grein but his reign was cut short by the rebellious Gautar who ambushed him and carried his corpse to Ruhmarc (clearing+march). Biartur was survived by his son Qedulfur, as king in Grein, and his brothers Arngeir and Stein, as kings on Gefiunei (Gefion+island) and Scanei. Together they fought king Ingar (Ingvi + army) of the Gautar, who claimed dominion over all Danes. The Gautar were beaten in the battle of Ruhmarc and and Ingar was killed by the spear of Arngeir, which pierced the Gaut’s skull. Arngeir, the hero of Ruhmarc, was ambushed and killed by the Ranar (of Ranrike). The bodies of Biartur and Arngeir were buried at Grein.
On Gefiunei Arngeir was succeeded by his son Vifastur, who also claimed Grein after the death of Qedulfur, who had neither wife nor child nor brothers. Even Stein traveled to Grein to claim it as his but the Danes elected Vifastur as their king and old Stein returned to Scanei, where his kin still rules. A faithful of the Biorningar murdered king Vifastur at a feast.
Vifastur’s was succeeded by his son Valdaricur as fifth king in Grein. Under his rule Qanbrandur (woman+fire/swordblade; from latinised brytonic Gvenabram [white/blessed+Abraham]) of the Romans arrived and preached of his three-faced idol. Valdaricus allowed him to build a church close to the temple of Nierhur and Nierha in the forest of the Aarhaingar (Harudes) but the pagans burned it to the ground when the misguided Cvanbrandur wanted them to bow to the emperor and his idol. Cvanbrandur continued to Scanei and the Svear, where he was not welcome before traveling to the Ranar where the Biorningar hosted him and let him build a new church. King Valdaricur married Scongifu, queen of the Anglacin (Angles+kin), and fathered with her Tirulfur and Iiortvardur. King Valdaricur died fighting the Poieserians (from slavic po+jezera [by+lakes]; Ratzeburger See), who burned Grein and took with them Tirulfur and Iiortvardur as hostages. Queen Scongifu ruled Danaland in her sons’ stead and let the town of Grein be rebuild in Saxon fashion. Under her rule the Saxon Lord Ufrestadi (Unfrestand [the Untempted], from Germanic *fraistona [to try] cf. Gothic fraistubni [temptation]) worked miracles among the Danes and asked for the queen’s hand in marriage. He converted a great number of Danes and his church still remains to this day in Grein, albeit he himself moved on to the Poieserians, where he was forcefully drowned in the Slaesaer (Schlei+see). Upon the murder of the pious Ufrestadi the sea rose and swallowed his murderers and their kin. To atone for the sins of his brothers’ the king of the Poieserians released the sons of Valdaricur and sent them home to Danaland.
Tirulfur ruled as the sixth king in Grein, whereas his brother visited Stein of Scanei and Ohmundur and Hormundur, hiustarkings (Tjost+kings) of Hingdalur [thing+dale], who had him murdered on the orders of the Gautish Biorningar king Starci (strong), who had laid claim to all of Danaland and had even conspired to kill his Ranish kinsmen. From among those Ranar Tirulfur took his queen, Biiildur. Hormundur was slain by Tirulfur in the halls of Nes (cape) on Gefionei, for his betrayal of Iiortvardur. The enraged Ohmundur blamed his brother’s death on Starci and clubbed him to death, before he himself was killed by the Gautar. Queen Biiildur surrounded herself with Roman advisors and let them build churches throughout Danaland but all of them were ruined by deluge or by fire.
When Tirulfur died he was succeeded as seventh king in Grein by his son Iormunricur, who unlike his mother was not deluded by Roman idolatry. He married Velirada (very+happy, slavic) of the Poieserians, who saw Christ in her dream and let herself be baptized in the Saxon fashion, being henceforth known as Bersaba after the wife of King David and mother of wise King Solomon. Iormunricur years were short and he died before his son Uhirmir was of age.
Bersaba’s sister-in-law Iildis expelled young Uhirmir and his god-fearing mother from Grein and ruled with her idolatrous husband Mangnir, son of Manvin Scaldingur. Iildis and Mangnir ruled over the Aarhingar Danes until they were both killed by Mangnir’s brother Usirgur. Usirgur sent as a token of goodwill the royal stone of Grein to Queen Bersaba in Nes but was unwilling to cede what his brother had stolen: Uhirmir’s birthright to reign in Grein. Queen Bersaba sent henceforth a request to the great Eelandsmund (from saxon, saviour+protection) of the Saxons that her son might be baptized and raised in the fashion of his people. Eelandsmund honoured her wish and sent forth his servants to baptize and anoint Uhirmir as the rightful eight king in Grein and of all the Danes.
Little is known about the life of the Saxon historiographer Varno [cf Warini], but his history of the Nierhingar dynasty is the oldest surviving account of pre-Roman Dania, or Danaland as it is known to the Danes. Varnos history survives only in the form of three Latin manuscripts dating from the *12th century. The original Saxon account written in the Gothic alphabet and dating to the late *8th century has been lost to time but the surviving manuscripts appear to be rather faithful translations as they even preserve the introductory devotion to “Eelandsmund, pious lord of the Saxons,” and the derogatory references to Roman Christianity, which is remarkable as the manuscripts certainly were produced in an Imperial Trinitarian environment. The anonymous translator has in most cases furthermore preserved the original Danish suffixes, most notably “-ur”, which are conjugated in the same manner as Latin words ending in “-us”. A minor loss of information has occurred due to the imperfect match the Latin script and the Danish language. Sometime before the beginning of the *9th century the /h/-phoneme disappeared from the languages of the British sprachbund, leaving the letter “h” without a practical function before being revived to represent the phoneme /þ/. The later reintroduction of /h/ has resulted in the doubling of vocals to represent /h/ as in word like “Aaraldsei”.
Varno’s sources are unknown but he seems to draw from a variety of different traditions to construct a history of the Danish. His account is divided into two parts: a supposedly euhemerised version of a pagan theogony and the history of the Niehringar dynasty, which ends with the baptism of the first Christian Danish king: Uhirmir of Gefiunei.
The first part of his account has often been regarded as a rather fanciful invention by Varno. This part of his account has little in common with other surviving versions of pagan theogony or Danish origin myth and seems to be much closer linked to Biblical traditions and Christian narratives popular at Saxon court around that time. It consists mostly of an abridged retelling of Genesis and Exodus to which some names were added to explain the ethnogenesis of the different European nations and tribes. Here he asserts that Dania first was settled by descendants of Japheth, among them Gautur, Hiustur and Ranar from which the Danish tribes took their name. Varno connects the Nierhingar dynasty to a second wave of settlers, who were led by Dan, of the Israelite tribe of Dan. This Dan he also calls Ungdanur to distinguish him from the tribes original patriarch of the same name, to whom he refers as Gamaldanur. He ends this part with the assertion that the Danes settled all of today's Dania and that they were initially ruled by judges, but that their ancestral Israelite faith had been lost and replaced by the worship and divination of the dead.
According to Varno the Niehringar descended from Nierhur and his wife Nierha, who were last in line of several “heros of the Danish, who are venerated as gods by the simple minded”. Uhirmir stems from Gautur the only recorded son of the couple, who had according to Varno “lived twenty generations ago”.
Varno records the following lineage for Uhirmir:
- Gautur Nierhingur
- Guma Gamalfrair
- Iormun Ungfrair
- Gumaldur
- Nierhaldur
- Ragindomur
- Snaeragi
- Alahaar
- Tirredur
- Eiravan
- Gnir Blohbarn
- Domaldur
- Frairgestur
- Aardstein
- Arngeir
- Vifastur
- Valdaricur
- Tirulfur
- Iormunricur
- Uhirmir
Translation of the second part of Varnos account (also known as “The Nierhingar”)
Sprung from Nierhur and Nierha are the Nierhingar kings, ancestral lords of all Danes.
The first king of the Danes was Gautur Nierhingur, who lived twenty generations ago and whose domain was limited merely by the surrounding sea and the inhospitality of the far north. Believed to be a God by the idolatrous among the Danes, Gautur is said to have perished from the world of humankind and taken up his place among his forefathers in the realm of the Gods.
Gautur was succeeded by Guma, who ruled the longest of all kings and was henceforth called Gammalfrair. Gammalfrair warred against the Fenni and drove them from the Danish lands. Having reached the age of 144 years the king left the realm to his son, to wander the wilderness. The Danes belief him to still roam in the forests at night and that he turns to inanimate stone at the break of dawn.
In the third generation Iormun Ungfrair ruled the Danes, but his reign was mared by hunger and infighting. Iormun married Vi, daughter of Ingvi, father of skalds, to end the waring, but hunger would persist nevertheless. In the first year of hunger he sacrificed his right hand to the Gods, thus one third would have food. In the second year he sacrificed his right eye, thus two thirds would not starve. In the third he sacrificed himself and the Danes were awarded with plentitude.
Iormun was succeeded by his sons Hiohmundur and Gumaldur. In their search to reclaim the immortality their father had sacrificed, they ventured far north fighting the Fenni in many battles, but unable to reach the abode of the Gods, they returned empty handed to the land of the Danes. In their absence the realm had been governed by their mother’s father the nefarious Ingvi, who slew the returning Gumaldur with the help of the treacherous Svear and banished Hiohmundur to the wilderness. Under the rule of King Ingvi the sun lost its glow, nothing grew and the Danes suffered the longest winter known to mankind. First the return of the banished Hiohmundur, who had given, according to the idolatrous, his sight and his offspring to the Gods, brought spring. Known for his divine knowledge of the runes, which he spread to the Danes, Hiohmundur would henceforth be known as Runfrair.
The first king of the fifth generation of the Nierhingar was Nierhaldur, son of Gumaldur. He was drowned by his brother Eeihbalhur. Uugi The youngest son of Gumaldur married Sigurgisli of the Scaldingar, scion of Ingvi, and burned to death Eeihbalhur and his whole kin.
Uugis sons Leicur and Ingvaldur ruled the Danes together, but their vices would be their downfall, as Leicur drank himself to death and Ingvaldur enraged his fellow Svear who hung him from a tree. Upon their demise Ragindomur son of Nierhaldur became king. The Danes believe that he had escaped the bloodlust of his uncles and cousins by turning into a raven with the help of the giants and that he feasted on the corpses of Leicur and Ingvaldur before returning to his human form. He was murdered in his sleep by his wife, who dragged his corpse to the sea and watched him be swallowed by the waves.
Snaeragi followed his father as king. During his return from the lands of the Hiustar (cf. Tjust), where he had sacrificed to the idol Hor, he was ambushed and killed by the Fenni.
His son Alahaar became king after him but was poisoned by his daughter Alahiilda, who was the wife of Gnir Scaldingur of the line of the drunkard Leicur. They fled to the lands of the Marir (cr. mare) to escape revenge.
Tirredur, son of Snaeragi, the next king of the Danes ventured into the realms of the Marir to avenge the death of his father but was slain by Iorbalhur, his sister’s son. The Mara Frostauha allowed Iorbalhur and his father to rule over Danaland as long as Gnir spend a third of every year with her in the high mountains at the edge of the sea. Gnir obliged and ruled for twelve years, spending eight months of every year in the south and four in the north.
In the thirteenth year Gnir Scaldingur was murdered by Alahiilda who did not want to let her husband go. The furious Frostauha send their monstrous child Vintur-Ingvi to kill his father’s murderer and claim his patrimony. Vintur-Ingvi slew a thousand Danish warrior before tearing asunder King Iorbalhur and claiming Danaland as his birthright. Although of imposing stature and monstrous appearance he was dimwitted, gullible and followed his mother’s every word. Eiravan, son of the slain Tirredur, disguised himself as a wanderer and made the foolish Vintur-Ingvi believe that his mother had departed for the island of the Romans. He waded into the sea only to drown beneath the waves. After witnessing her son’s death Froustauha set her ship aflame and died amidst fire and smoke. Eiravan became king of the Danes but ruled less than a year before he was slain by the supporters of the late Iorbalhur.
Eiravan was survived by four daughters and his pregnant wife. His daughters were all married to wicked men; the first to a treacherous coward, the second to the a thief, the third to a poison maker and the fourth to an oathbreaker. All four desired to reign over the Danes but they were all judged unworthy. In their stead the unborn son of Eiravan was chosen. The boy was named Gnir and is to this day widely known as Blohbarn as the Danes believe that he had not be born, but ripped himself out of his mother’s womb, to depose the four usurpers. Gnir Blohbarn was raised by his mother’s father Eifari, who in order to establish peace within his kin and the realm of the Danes, gave each of Gnir’s sisters one tribe to preside over. Enraged by the wrongdoings of his kinsman the young king burned Eifari alive. King Gnir fought 48 years to depose the usurpers, slaying every twelfth year one of his sisters’ husbands, but peace would not be bestowed upon the Danes as Gnir had committed great crimes against his kin. Exhausted by war he married his only child Domaldur to one of his sisters’ daughters, Dirborg of the Aarhaingar. From this Persian marriage one girl was born, the frail Horborg, during whose birth the queen bled to death. Gnir than insisted that Domaldur wed another of his kinswomen, Sin of the Gautar. Sin gave birth to the hideous Niermundur, upon whose sight she killed herself. Domaldur, on his father’s insistence entered a third Persian marriage with Calda of the Svear. With her he fathered Ingnir the Blind, who killed his mother as he could not recognise her. Lastly Domaldur married Usnotra of the Gutar, with whom he had the cunning Ohni, who deceived her father and poisoned both her mother and king Gnir.
The weak Domaldur became the Danish king of the twelfth generation, who was blinded by the machinations of his four incesteous children. His offspring believed themselves divine and build great temples for their idolatrous cults. Niermundur begat the abominable Surtur with his sister Horborg and Ingnir the Blind was lured by Ohni to father the monstrous Hiostdis. Praised as gods incarnate, the most idolatrous of the Danes traveled to the royal halls to worship the children, but who ever made sacrifice to them would see their lineage fall to ruin in due time. As Domaldur grew to old age his impure children died one after another. Freed from their malicious influence Domaldur took himself a fifth and last wife, Lofn who was of pure flesh and spirit, and with whom he fathered Frairgestur, who settled beyond the sea in the lands of the Romans.
After his father’s death Frairgestur returned to the lands of the Danes together with his wife Trudur, daughter of Ullur of the glistening sky, and their son Aardstein, to claim the kingship. They were hosted by Biorn of Vandillsoolmur (Sword Isle) in whose hall they feasted. Frairgestur slew the monstrous Surtur but was blinded by the bright fire of the monster’s club. Stumbling around without sight he was betrayed and murdered by his host Biorn who wedded Hiostdis and claimed kingship over the Danes.
The infant Aardstein and his mother escaped from the halls of Vandillsoolmur hidden in an ale barrel, floating down the river and along the coast to the homestead of the smith Aagvin, who took them in and lived with them as if they were his own kin. Trudur died as she attempted to retrieve the remnants of the late Frairgestur, whose corpse laid bare without burial, and so Aardstein was raised by Aagvin, whom he believed to be his father, and was called Vatnar (water+army) to conceal his true identity. In the 24th year of his reign king Biorn commissioned Aagvin, foremost of all Danish smiths, to forge a new chain to bind Dolgur, the progeny of Queen Hiostdis and the late Surtur, who had grown to enormous proportion. Dolgur was without eyes, mouth, limbs or mind. His body was like that of a serpent covered with wolf-like fur and his hideous head was covered with a fine veil of silk and silver who Hiostdis had made for him. Neither chains nor ropes had been able to bind the monster, which tore apart every rope layed around his neck and on whose armless and legless body no chain could remain. Aagvin conferred with the Mari, who were in his debt, and received from them the bones and hair of Vintur-Ingvi, from which he forged an ever tightening chain, which he then presented to Biorn. Aagvin declined the reward Biorn had offered him and claimed the chain to be a gift to celebrate the king’s hospitality. To the shock of Biorn and Hiostdis the chain did not merely restrain Dolgur but slowly strangled the monster. In its mortal agony the beast shook the foundation of the earth and caused the island of Vandillsoolmur to sink beneath the waves. Only Aagvin survived and revealed to the Danes that his foster son Vatnar was Aardstein, son of the Frairgestur. Aardstein ruled as king for 60 years and build the royal halls of Grein (branch) from which the Nierhingar would rule.
Biartur succeeded his father as king in Grein but his reign was cut short by the rebellious Gautar who ambushed him and carried his corpse to Ruhmarc (clearing+march). Biartur was survived by his son Qedulfur, as king in Grein, and his brothers Arngeir and Stein, as kings on Gefiunei (Gefion+island) and Scanei. Together they fought king Ingar (Ingvi + army) of the Gautar, who claimed dominion over all Danes. The Gautar were beaten in the battle of Ruhmarc and and Ingar was killed by the spear of Arngeir, which pierced the Gaut’s skull. Arngeir, the hero of Ruhmarc, was ambushed and killed by the Ranar (of Ranrike). The bodies of Biartur and Arngeir were buried at Grein.
On Gefiunei Arngeir was succeeded by his son Vifastur, who also claimed Grein after the death of Qedulfur, who had neither wife nor child nor brothers. Even Stein traveled to Grein to claim it as his but the Danes elected Vifastur as their king and old Stein returned to Scanei, where his kin still rules. A faithful of the Biorningar murdered king Vifastur at a feast.
Vifastur’s was succeeded by his son Valdaricur as fifth king in Grein. Under his rule Qanbrandur (woman+fire/swordblade; from latinised brytonic Gvenabram [white/blessed+Abraham]) of the Romans arrived and preached of his three-faced idol. Valdaricus allowed him to build a church close to the temple of Nierhur and Nierha in the forest of the Aarhaingar (Harudes) but the pagans burned it to the ground when the misguided Cvanbrandur wanted them to bow to the emperor and his idol. Cvanbrandur continued to Scanei and the Svear, where he was not welcome before traveling to the Ranar where the Biorningar hosted him and let him build a new church. King Valdaricur married Scongifu, queen of the Anglacin (Angles+kin), and fathered with her Tirulfur and Iiortvardur. King Valdaricur died fighting the Poieserians (from slavic po+jezera [by+lakes]; Ratzeburger See), who burned Grein and took with them Tirulfur and Iiortvardur as hostages. Queen Scongifu ruled Danaland in her sons’ stead and let the town of Grein be rebuild in Saxon fashion. Under her rule the Saxon Lord Ufrestadi (Unfrestand [the Untempted], from Germanic *fraistona [to try] cf. Gothic fraistubni [temptation]) worked miracles among the Danes and asked for the queen’s hand in marriage. He converted a great number of Danes and his church still remains to this day in Grein, albeit he himself moved on to the Poieserians, where he was forcefully drowned in the Slaesaer (Schlei+see). Upon the murder of the pious Ufrestadi the sea rose and swallowed his murderers and their kin. To atone for the sins of his brothers’ the king of the Poieserians released the sons of Valdaricur and sent them home to Danaland.
Tirulfur ruled as the sixth king in Grein, whereas his brother visited Stein of Scanei and Ohmundur and Hormundur, hiustarkings (Tjost+kings) of Hingdalur [thing+dale], who had him murdered on the orders of the Gautish Biorningar king Starci (strong), who had laid claim to all of Danaland and had even conspired to kill his Ranish kinsmen. From among those Ranar Tirulfur took his queen, Biiildur. Hormundur was slain by Tirulfur in the halls of Nes (cape) on Gefionei, for his betrayal of Iiortvardur. The enraged Ohmundur blamed his brother’s death on Starci and clubbed him to death, before he himself was killed by the Gautar. Queen Biiildur surrounded herself with Roman advisors and let them build churches throughout Danaland but all of them were ruined by deluge or by fire.
When Tirulfur died he was succeeded as seventh king in Grein by his son Iormunricur, who unlike his mother was not deluded by Roman idolatry. He married Velirada (very+happy, slavic) of the Poieserians, who saw Christ in her dream and let herself be baptized in the Saxon fashion, being henceforth known as Bersaba after the wife of King David and mother of wise King Solomon. Iormunricur years were short and he died before his son Uhirmir was of age.
Bersaba’s sister-in-law Iildis expelled young Uhirmir and his god-fearing mother from Grein and ruled with her idolatrous husband Mangnir, son of Manvin Scaldingur. Iildis and Mangnir ruled over the Aarhingar Danes until they were both killed by Mangnir’s brother Usirgur. Usirgur sent as a token of goodwill the royal stone of Grein to Queen Bersaba in Nes but was unwilling to cede what his brother had stolen: Uhirmir’s birthright to reign in Grein. Queen Bersaba sent henceforth a request to the great Eelandsmund (from saxon, saviour+protection) of the Saxons that her son might be baptized and raised in the fashion of his people. Eelandsmund honoured her wish and sent forth his servants to baptize and anoint Uhirmir as the rightful eight king in Grein and of all the Danes.
The family tree/map (also WIP-ish)
I couldn't help but notice the Empire Dork
Beware, the Holy Dork Empire is a powerful theocracy and some heretics are burned at the stake for less.
- Status