Rumors about Wollbach

Wollbach is the capital town of the province that shares its name - it holds a 'Thing' several times a year where people from the surrounding villages (and sometimes further afield) come to discuss concerns, air grievances, and trade goods. 

The leaders of Wollbach have put out word that the town is seeking to grow! They are starting both a new sawmill and a new iron mine - both of which need people. Loggers and miners, obviously. But also all sorts of other service people a growing town needs. 

The woods of Wollbach are even more wild than the rest of the Schwarzwald and makes travel to and from the province treacherous. To complicate matters, talk of raiders striking farms and peddlers in the region spread with word of the province’s new opportunities. Hunters, warriors, and trackers are all welcomed and the leaders are offering to personally hire skilled individuals to protect the upstanding citizens of the town.

Up until recently the Province of Wollbach was just shown as open wilderness on most maps of the area. Despite this, the villages of the Province have clearly been present for a few centuries and the residents haven’t seen hide nor hair of tax collectors or ruling nobles for generations. Such a place, with no functional king or lord, holds ample opportunity for business, station, and more villainous affairs. 

The Province is governed by a Proconsul who lives in the village of Wollbach. Each Village is run by a Magistrate who is advised by a council of 3-5 prominent citizens called the Curia. The Proconsul assigns each village a Warden, who is responsible for protecting the village and enforcing the laws. The Wardens maintain a volunteer militia, people they may pull from their day to day jobs to assist in their duties.

Long-time Proconsul, Proconsul Schumacher, nearly lost his position last year. Winning in the end, not because of his popularity or excellent leadership, but because his opponent, Quinten Straus, took ill and Dr. Glass couldn’t save him. 

The first among the village Wallbach’s Curia, Quinton Strauss, recently passed and no one has yet replaced him. 

Dr. Glass has put forward the start-up money for the iron mine. The Kernaus, a wealthy family who has most of their money in land and investments, has come to Wollbach and put forward the start-up money for the sawmill after asking many questions around town about Dr. Glass. 

Raiders have been active in the area, at first it was outlying farms and the occasional wagon that was attacked but recently Egerten and Hammerstein were raided. From witnesses it is likely the same group of Hungarian raiders hit both locations while the few militia were deployed elsewhere, sacking the village storehouse and killing a number of residents.

Players of local humans will receive further information on the Province, villages and major residents as well as a forum to organize the town.

A number of merchants and travelers have begun to speak of Wallbach. An isolated province in the Schwarzwald with 5 villages teeming with Kine and no evidence of any vampiric overlords. As far as anyone has been able to tell, the province of Wallbach has almost no vampiric presence beyond a few Gangrel who call the Black Forest home. Such a location is all but unheard of and full of opportunity for any Cainite.

The Gangrel of the Forests whisper of new threats, a vicious monster fueled by Vitae, recently appearing in the woods. It has been keen to hunt them and they are quietly offering their fealty to any who can defeat it.

A ghoul has been employing humans to go into the woods of Wallbach, for what purpose no one is sure but they all do seem to come back unharmed. What is this ghoul looking for and who do they belong to?

Rumors in recent months have spread like wildfire as word of dragons being sighted by the Valderman Gjorn Varnison while roaming the forests of Wollbach. He was found by a remnant of the Old Faith circle just outside of the province and shared his tale of dragons, chimera, and all manner of magical beasts that reside in the untamed forests. Rumors are conflicted around his survival.

As travel to and from Wollbach has become slightly more reliable for humankind so too has it become easier for spirit kind. The Spirits speak of an ancient spirit deep in the woods in pain, suffering under some unknown curse or ailment. This has caught the ear of many within the Traditions - some of whom see an opportunity for more power, while others see an ally in need of aid.

Rumors among the Messianic Voices tell of an ancient lost artifact lost in the region, an artifact none have been able to find. Where better to look than a province previously overlooked? What dark powers kept it hidden from the eyes of the faithful?

A powerful Fae is rumored to call the province of Wollbach home and have old oaths with the humans here. If rumors are true, this Fae knows the secrets to crafting the old Gold Oaths. Yet despite these rumors no Court has records of who, exactly, claims this area.

Sprites who have come from the area claim there is a newly-found Hold just waiting for a worthy fae to claim it. Such a find would be a major victory for any court who could claim and hold it. Does it even exist? And if so why hasn’t it been claimed?

A well known Summer Knight has been sent to Wollbach, one with a mixed reputation and vocal about finishing what the Battle of Stone started. Why were they sent? What are they looking for? No court would send one with such standing unless there was something here, something clearly important. Whatever it is, it’s better that it is possessed by your court than this Knight.

This wild & forested area is mostly Fenrir-controlled with a large sept of Fenrir holding the Great Caern located in the middle of the Black Forest. Other, smaller, Caerns are scattered throughout the Schwarzwald and there are two near Wollbach. The closest, within the province itself, is Fenrir-controlled while the other, just to the East of the province, recently taken from the Fenrir by the Silver Fang. 

There are extended Bone Gnawer families, within and yet separate from the Fenrir in the area. The Fenrir prefer to undergo cub-hood in the forest - the Bone Gnawers prefer to undergo cub-hood in the cities.