Borgenghast

Borgenghast (eastern europe) is within a mountainous terrain, with deep river valleys, pine forests and a hammer house of horror feel. The area is highly superstitious, with rightful cause as horrors can be found both in the shadows and lurking right next to you. And these aren’t limited to the horror of monsters, ready to destroy or worse, but the horror of man and the things we inflict on one another.

Borgenghast is the name of the capital city, as well as the empire. It has a germanic feel overall, and is on the side of a massive river that cuts through the empire. Most trade takes place alongside the river and canals that connect the many villages, hamlets,towns and cities. As a result of the river being so valuable to trade and the like, river pirates have become a local issue.

While much territory is mostly unexplored, there is a constant wariness for what lurks out there in the mountains and pines.

The city of Borgenghast is not without its own variety of shadowy threats, with it being suspected and whispered that many of the nobles have succumbed to darkness and have become vampires. It is likely unfounded as just because the nobility are naturally pale skinned anyway, tend not to entertain during the day and are heavily protected, it doesn't mean they’re vampires, right?

The politics of Borgenghast are just as dangerous, if not more so, than the wilderness, with the emperor’s family and households, along with the three noble houses being in power beneath the emperor. These houses are the House of the Red Rose, The House of the White Rose and the House of the Black Rose. These houses constantly are contesting for the ear of the emperor and for power, while tending to not get along with each other. Their activists are known as Thorns, and this vying for attention lends itself to spies, unceremonious and unjust deaths, and intrigue.

The city itself is separated into 3 levels, with higher levels being the location of those who are richer and more powerful.

Can you believe it? They do!
One key thing to be remembered when venturing to Borgenghast is that ALL arcane magics are outlawed within the empire. It’s controlled by the inquisition who will hunt down those who practise such arts. This isn’t to say they don’t exist here, but that they are not practised in the open, for fear of being called a witch,wizard or warlock and being taken by the inquisition, with the risk of being burnt alive as their retribution. This has also caused the population to look at problems another way, with an explosion of weird science, artifice and other tinkering that toes the line, becoming the new and acceptable magic.

Magic users who are travelling through tend to be registered and have to keep themselves on good behaviour.

The common worship is that of Loviatar, the goddess of pain. Self flagellation is a common sight within religious orders and much of the populace here, with pain being seen as a cleansing good. It is believed there is only a finite amount of pain in the universe and the suffering of deserving others reduces the amount that will come to those who did no wrong. This also ties into the burning of witches, since the agony they experience is able to reduce that of those who did no wrong.