Gernzlov

Gernzlov is a large and rich county in the Eastern Kingdom of Dovenar. Elfcorn and Pepperfruit is farmed across the rich farmlands of Gernzlov, and great Elf mages can be found in its hills and irradiated groves. Gernzlov borders Vlostrov to the Northwest, Parstovar to the West, the Kingdom of Hain to the South, the Scouringwood Wastes to the North, and the Kingdom of Nidever to the East. 
Gernzlov is pious and deeply feudal; it is also very market-oriented, in that it prioritizes the production of mutated cash crops and sometimes imports food from neighboring Graefsher. The land is mostly made of great lush farming valleys, with the patch odd forested hills here and there. At its fringes, it is becomes thickly forested: in the West, this is the Wovenwood, and in the North it is the bloody frontier forest of Yulgern. 
Gernzlov is culturally very infused with Hainish Culture and religion; the local Rosgens have long perpetuated a very conservative monolithic religious identity, with very little tolerance for outsiders.
Gernzlov is ruled by House Geinman, a powerful Hainish clan able to rival the monarchy of Dovenar - as such, they have very little obligation to follow the crown in most things. The local group of the Geinman family is known for their superior parties and feasts.

The Lords

The Count of Gernzlov is Lord Bardran Geinman, a stoic and pious human-starspawn known for their charity, their ascetecism, and their skill in law and managing their court. Lord Bardran has all the trappings of a stodgy lawful authority figure, but he is, at heart, a man with who yearns for freedom and for change: he has been known to for outbursts of rule-breaking idealism, especially in his person life. Scandals from his youth, when he fully embraced his free spirit, still follow him in court, though he has managed to break the power of this gossip with sheer nonchalance. He is a bit of a caged bird, broken over the years by his family's power. He is generally competent, but not the best about budgeting. Count Bardran is very easily annoyed by stodgier nobility, and is prone to picking fights. 
There is also a local Rosgen, Mother Besha DevLannenyolt, a Hainish starspawn dryad woman known for her aloof attitude and as a former wizarding adept in Trostev. The Rosgen is a capable mage and good teacher of both magic and theology, who has built up the local seminary capacity of Gernzlov and bolstered the local priesthood with many newly-minted recruits. She is, however, an out-and-open supporter of the Geinman family even over the Queen, which has alienated her from the surrounding clergy outside of Gernzlov; she has failed to match this with any other connections, but has simply relied on Geinman patronage. Mother Besha is a hard drinker with a fondness for feasting, known for being viciously protective of her household. She is, like the prior Rosgens of Gernzlov, very conservative and Hainish.
Beyond Gernzlov Keep, the count governs distantly through a series of vassals. Around 50 - 80 knightly families have estates across Tolinchoff. Each has a small following of men at arms, and a reasonable amount of autonomy. There are likely 40 - 80 small villages, ranging from small hamlets of 50 people to small 'towns' between 300 and 900 people. Only a few more notable villages will be named, representing the general vibes and acting as potential locations for adventurers stopping along the road.

Geography

There are 27 named locations along the roads of Gernzlov, so not all of them are going to get equal attention. Some areas will get particular focus with their own sections:

• The Elfengrove, a magical basin with an old history
• Yulgern, the Northern marches of Gernzlov also called 'Upper Gernzlov'
• The Wovenwood, the forest to the West of the valley known for its many local spirits
• The Fangwood, the forest in the East of the valley known for its large "direbeasts"

Aside from these are 16 locations, most of which are going to get extremely minor writeups intended more to inspire than to fully flesh out.

Gernzlov Keep is the capital settlement, a castle-town in Southern Gernzlov. This is also the center of power for the local Rosgen. Gernzlov Keep is a stable town with a competent governing steward. The local townsfolk are more or less prosperous, though the class divides are vast and obvious. A minor disease outbreak is the closest thing the town has to ongoing drama, though this is not an unusual event. The local Rosgen's temple is rather large and nice, as is the count's formidable fortress. Between them is an unusual site: the Rainbow Menagerie. This is a cross between a zoo and a botanical garden, most notable for its whimsical mobile hedges: large floral shrubs that actual are on uncanny dryad legs, that have animal intelligence and have been trained to re-arrange themselves in humorous performances. All sorts of docile, often-plantlike Ederstone beasts from across Stildane are kept here. Gernzlov has a local spice market, and a tradinghouse from the spice merchant family known as House Alvain based in Keilbar.
Here are some brief writeups for the main agri cultural ring surrounding the Elfengrove:

• Hufinbrosh is a prosperous town with pious and respected knights and a large feasting hall, where many of the count's family parties are thrown. Currently building up foodstock for another feast and hosting a visiting knight.
• Fefenhof is a fairly wealthy village with very unkind and extractive lords. Currently, a group of visiting minstrels have been raising money among the villagers promising to build a nice tavern/inn here, but some worry they may not fulfill their promises.
• Barinkar is a wealthy village connecting to the main road into Hain. The local leaders are respected for investing some of the money into local mills and other infrastructure, though one knightly family has also started ranching monstrous mounts from the wasteland - which have caused some damage and inconveniences to the local farmers.
• Gludshall is a hillside castle-town that is currently rebuilding from a terrible mudslide. The road and castle are repaired, but the villagers are struggling to bounce back and reconstruction efforts are ongoing for the poorest. The lord of the castle is in terrible debt, and is a puppet to their creditors.
• Tarlfdorf is a commercial crossroads village with paths into Hain and Nidever both. It is a place of many peddlers and lively festivals. It is also currently dealing with some very unwelcome adventurers, who have long overstayed their welcome with the local villagers - while the gentry consider them entertaining security, the villagefolk worry that they may turn to violence.
• Dorben is a small village on the road to Nidever, a homey and locally-proud little farming village that is still bitter over being ripped off by some peddlers - they believe from their rival village Tarldorf. They are known for their grudges. Fitting, given that the local knights are currently bickering.
• Plinhof is a small village, reasonably profitable even if most of the money never leaves noble hands. Town gossip is still focused on a semi-recent lawsuit between the gentry that was resolved in court, but with great drama.
• Eltinhost is a village that is recovering from a burst of intense recent violence - an adventurous knight with a claim recently ousted the previous dominant knight in a brief and bloody battle that damaged the village.
• Fustinhof is the prime village on the Northern road, known for hosting knights, adventurers, and settlers. The local knight is deeply callous about commoner lives and welfare, but keeps the place functional. Monsters semi-frequently attack Fustinhof, and the town tavern proudly displays trophies of them; currently, the town is preparing a party to celebrate the slaying of a recent monster and the monster hunters who did it.
• Shelbok is a historic and wealthy village, the place where Pepperfruit was first farmed. The gentry here are, like many, not exactly fond of sharing their wealth beyond strict necessity, and are not warm to their serfs. The village is still recovering from the brutal execution of an accused witch, who supposedly used Curse Magic to harm their neighbors - but some have doubts if they really did.
• Mekibek is a nice town, with gentry who have been more willing to invest in their holdings and villages. Substantial ancient ruins dot the edge of town - more than most settlements. Odd sinkholes also sometimes open up in farms in the area, which are not fully understood.

In the far east, Castle Addelhold marks the start of the Kingdom of Nidever, though Gernzlovan gentry and peddlers are often present. There is a small Prism and Dwarf settlement and mines nearby. Addelhold's overlord is currently dependent on merchant groups for their budget, and are very much at the beck and call of the Burghers. The locals are known for their militarism and mandatory martial training, with those who can becoming men at arms rather than risk the local mines - which have a reputation for being particularly prone to collapse or explosions.

Type

Region

Location under

Andrig

Included Locations

• Elfengrove
• Fangwood
• Yulgern

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Dovenar

Contested By

• House Geinman