Warhammer 40k: the Albrechtspire Freikorps

      Alongside my new Age of Sigmar Freeguild, I also am laying plans to build an Astra Militarum army for Warhammer 40k, Napoleonic Saxons/Bavarians  from the Black Forest planet of “Svartalfheim”, home to Eldar Exodites, Genestealer Cults, occasional Ork raids, Dark Eldar raiders from the orbiting moon of Blutmond, and of course the Great hive city of Albrechtspire, home to the Freikorps, the heroic defenders of the Emperor’s worlds, and the best dressed and disciplined soldiers on the battlefield.

The Albrechtspire Freikorps

      Hailing from the heavily forested deathworld that brought the Imperium such delightful bedtime stories as: Hansel the Heretic and Inquisitor Grettel, Little Red Hooded Techpriest and Wulf the Genestealer, the Eldar and the Gunmaker, and of course everyone’s favorite, Schneewittchen and the Seven Squats. It is truly a delightful world to visit with exotic flora and fauna similar to Holy Terra’s own extinct species from 40,000 years before. With majestic snow capped mountains and a hive city of unparalleled beauty, Albrechtspire!

The Albrechtspire at night.

      A hunter’s paradise regardless of what the locals would have you believe. A perfect Alpine retreat*BLAM! THERE IS NO RETREAT IN THE GOD EMPEROR’S REALM!*/vacation locale! Be sure not to heed the blasphemous rumors from fellow vacationers of “raiders” or “wild native Eldar”, such vile aliens would never be allowed to breathe the same pine scented air of a stout “Alfheimer”! Visit your local Astra Militarum recruiting office for more travel information on Svartalfheim!

The Freikorps Standard

On the Geography of Gotholm

         Situated in the northernmost reaches of the Realm of Ghyran, where it bleeds into Ghur, the continent of Gotholm is a cold, alpine land with several free cities, numerous small frontier settlements, and Sylvaneth enclaves situated amongst its heavily forested mountains and coastal plains. The central ridge of mountains that runs across the length of Gotholm, the Karlskrieg Alps, divides the continent almost in half, with Beastmen raids from Ghur coming right up to the mountains' line on the northern side. Skaven gnaw holes under the mountains forced Duardin of the Kolhblitzberg to abandon their hold during the Age of Chaos, later resettling among the new cities established by the liberators at the beginning of the Age of Sigmar. The Gotha and Ulf Tribes established in the latter days of the Age of Myth the foundations of the Free City of the Ulfberg, of which much has been told already.

         The Karlskrieg Alps form the bastion against which the beasts of Ghur are barred from overrunning Ghyran. The centerpiece of this bastion is the Ulfberg itself. Towering above the entire alpine range, like a jagged speartip forged by the gods, the "Wolf Mountain" guards the passage between the two bleeding realms. The city of Ulfberg climbs the slopes of the mountain crowned at the peak by the Adlerhohen storm keep. At the foot of the Ulfberg lies the Drachenwald, a thickly wooded forest once settled by the Sylvaneth, but since abandoned because of the taint of Chaos and the numerous bands of Beastmen that wander its shadowed expanse. Beyond the wald to the south is the hill county dotted with forests and rivers that make for excellent sites for smaller settlements and farmsteads.

The Ulfberg, surrounded by the menacing Drachenwald.

       To the west is flat marshland, foetid swamps, tainted from Nurgle's invasion centuries before. This expanse is known as the Neidermarsh, infested with Skaven and remnants of Nurgle's blight. It is, by decree, under the authority of the Princes of Ulfberg, the title of Landgraff long since given out to a distant branch of the Gotha dynasty. A rebellion of several peasant villages along the edge of the marshland was brutally crushed by Prince Sigebert, the great grandsire of the current Prince. Some say it was Chaos inspired rebellion, though others might suggest that Sigebert was a terrible ruler, letting the Council of Burhgermeisters tax the peasant farmers to levels of destitution not seen since the Age of Chaos. Sigebert's assassination a year after the rebellion was met with celebration in the outlying farmsteads. South of the marsh, along the broken, rocky coastline is the Grand Barony of Fjordland, a minor principality established in the wake of the conquests of the Stormhosts in order to further solidify Sigmar's liberated territories. Though lacking a Storm Keep, Fjordland has done quite well since it's founding. It's capital, the port city of Arrendelle, is home to a thriving fishing and whaling industry, along with seaborne trade from across the realm. Fjordlanders are still angry after the Ulfberger conquest and are reluctant to fight for the Kronprinz, regardless if the Baroness has been married off to his cousin.

Arrendelle, seat of the Grand Barony of Fjordland.

Oorstricht, the Great Seaport and capital of the Zeebund.

       To the east along sandier coastlines and flat expanses is the Zeebund, a collection of cities in a loose trade confederation. The Zeebund has a fleet of ships that sails across the realm of Ghyran trading with a good many free cities, kingdoms, and even with the Kharadron Overlords when their great sky bound citadels appear overhead. several years prior to the current date, the Zeebund was defeated in a lightning war by the Ulfberger Wacht. The siege of Oorstricht, capital of the bund, ended the war with the Zeebunders' capitulation after the horrific death of the Stadholder when his upper torso was vaporized by a shot from the steam tank "Siegfried". His blood still stains the clocktower in the middle of the town square. Oorstricht is currently being expanded for the building of the "Royal Ulfberger Navy" to further the Kronprinz' dream of a united Gotholm. Numerous other small states exits across the length and breadth of Gotholm and with the rising tide of Skaven attacks, Chaos plots, and Beastmen raids, the dream of an "Ulfberger Empire" is still a long way off.

The Ulfberger Wacht, Precision Soldiers of the Kronprinz

        Fierce. Loyal. Cunning. Disciplined. These are the adjectives used when one describes the blue uniformed soldiers of the Ulfberg. With a military tradition stretching back to the founding of the city itself, the Ulfberg Wacht is a precision machine of well drilled soldaten and oiled machines ready to take on any foe and beat the Freeguild regiments of other states in open battle. While the Burgomeisters maintain the majority of the “city watch” for defending the Ulfberg, the true military strength of the Freiestadt lies in the twenty regiments maintained by the Kronprinz himself. This professional force is paid for from the city coffers and the wealth from the personal estate of the Princes of Ulfberg. While the “Geltwacht” is a mercenary, semi professional collection of regiments and militia tasked with defending the city down to the Rimegate and not far beyond it’s walls, the Ulfberger Wacht is the offensive might of Wolf Mountain made manifest. Their officers are the best trained and their soldaten the best equipped. With an unshakable faith in Sigmar and their divine mission to unite Gotholm into a single Reich, with Ulfberg as its shining capital. Here then is a breakdown of each branch of the Wacht and it’s role in bringing the Kronprinz closer to the title of “Kaiser”.

“A peal like thunder calls the brave,
With clash of sword and banners wave,
The mountain serene and most sublime,
Who now will guard the mountain’s crown?

Dear Fatherland, no fear be thine,
Dear Fatherland, no fear be thine,
Firm stands the guard atop, atop the mountain,
Firm stands the guard atop, atop the mountain!”
-Die Wacht am Berg, traditional hymn of Ulfberg.

-Wolves of the Mountain-

The Geltwacht:

       The twenty infantry regiments that make up the Wacht are trained in the Freeguild barracks in the upper most levels of the city. Ten more infantry regiments maintain separate quarters in the lowest level, the Rimegate. Whilst the barracks of the Rimegate district are technically also Freeguild managed, these men are inferior conscripts and mercenaries. The quality of each of the ten regiments of the Geltwacht (Gold Watch) varies depending on its regimental patron. Some merchants spend lavishly on their men, equipping their officers with bejeweled swords, and silver plated pistols, while the men wear outlandish uniforms with garish colors reflecting the Merchant House that pays them. Other regiments  are more sparsely armed and attired in whatever clothing they came in the day they signed on. They fight about as effectively depending on who is paying their training. When the city is not under siege, the Geltwacht is tasked with policing the Rimegate and the farmlands beyond the city walls. They are charged with looking out for beastmen raiders and other such local threats to the Ulfberg, raising the alarm when trouble is afoot. But most often the “soldiers” of the Geltwacht will be found drinking in the taverns and extorting money from hapless lower level merchants and farmers foolish enough to make a wrong turn down one of the many crowded alleys of the Rimegate. They also more often than not fight amongst each other at the behest of their paymasters as the Burgomeisters jockey for position in the Council. One famous incident in the third year of Prinz Karl Ulric’s reign (Hans Gotha’s peaceable and introverted father) led to a fire that burned up half the Rimegate and the Ulfberger Wacht to be called out by the Stadtsmarshal to quell the sudden violence of three drunken regiments of the Geltwacht. Subsequently at the Stadtmarshal’s urging the Prince issued an edict reforming the management of the Geltwacht to the extent allowed by the Council of Burgomeisters themselves.

One of the many regimental banners of the Ulfberg. While the Ulf tribal symbol was a white wolf, the color of the heraldic symbol of the city varies between regiments, some are blue, some black, and some are even red.

-The Ulfberger Wacht-

I. Infantry

"The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions, but by iron and blood." -Stadtsmarshal Eric Von Heldenman addressing the Council of Burgomeisters prior to the Fjordland War.

      The regiments of the Uhrwerkhaus, Gelthaus, and Ulfschloss districts are more rigorously  trained and uniformly equipped. Uniforms of blue and white bedeck the proud soldiers of the Kronprinz, and the finest steel the Uhrwerkhaus shops can forge make up the weapons of these storied units. Regiments of halberds, spears, and handguns fight closely in supporting formations and officers are veterans with many campaigns under their belts. All are steadfastly loyal to the Kronprinz and sworn to uphold his rule as well as to enforce the laws of the Council. Much like their tribal ancestors, these men proudly call themselves the “Wolves of the Mountain” and dispatches sent between commanders on the battlefield reference regiments as “wolfpacks” to confuse enemies should messages be intercepted. The Stadtsmarshal in recent years organized a Freeguild “Officers School” (Die Ofizier Schule) to train newly raised officers of the regiments uniformly and to fight together as a cohesive whole. Wargames and battle strategies are practiced weekly alongside other activities to train competent commanders for the Wacht. Young and promising officers like Captain Johann Krell of the 5th Handgunner Regiment “Gotha’s Stormlocks”, helped to rout the Fjordlander army at the Battle of Gorsemund using the support of the 12th Outrider troop “Heinrich's Hussars”. Catching the flank of the Baroness of Fjordland’s personal guard regiment by surprise and routing them from the field, causing the rest of the Fjordlanders to run back to their capital.

Infantry of the Ulfberger Wacht charge at the Second battle of Neidermarsh

      Most feared among the regiments are the Greatswords, boisterous, tall youths with two handed swords as tall as the men themselves. One swing can bisect a foe before he's even realized what has happened. Expert swordsmen, they out of all the regiments are the best trained and equipped, spending their days in the barracks sparring and learning new sword techniques from master bladesmen. At night they can be found romancing young ladies at balcony windows of manor houses in the Gelthaus, or in the taverns out-drinking their comrades in arms and spending gold on women of the evening. So charismatic and renowned are these young lads that they are often the subject of poems, songs, plays, and novels. The 15th  Dopplesoldier Regiment is known as the "Kronprinz's Regiment" and they are often tasked with escorting the Prinz and Stadtsmarshal when on campaign, guarding the gate to the Ulfschloss, or going on daring raids behind enemy lines at the bidding of the Kronprinz.

II. Artillery

"Artillery adds dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl." -Grungi Gundestruppe, Cogmaster and Chief Quartermaster of the Ordinance Train.

        The Ordinance Train of the Wacht is of course the most impressive collection of artillery in all of Gotholm if not the whole realm. Hundreds of cannon, mortars, rockets, and other such machines are maintained by the Uhrwerkhaus district's many forges. Exiled Dwarfs from the long destroyed hold under Kohlblitzberg further downrange of the Karlskreig Alps (where the Ulfberg rears out of the midst like a great white spear point.) forge cannon barrels and parts for the steam tanks. Cogsmiths train engineers and gunsmith apprentices in the techniques necessary to maintain the armaments that have brought low dragons, giants, and other great dangers to men. Three steam tanks are housed in the Great Workshop in the center of the Clockwork district. These rare machines are the Kronprinz' prise possessions, having broken the battle lines of many foes. The most renowned tank is "Siegfried", clad in blue lined white armor and stoutly built, Siegfried is named after a Prince of Ulfberg who slew a dragon attacking the city. Siegfried has served in the recent campaigns of Zeebund and Fjordland, and was instrumental in breaching the defenses of Zeebund when it rammed into the south gate and blasted the ruling Stadtholder from his horse, scattering him all over the city clocktower.

       The second tank of near equal fame is "Gotha's Steed". Built for speed, it has a sizeable ram on the bow of the tank and reinforced, dwarf forged pistons to hold up under pressure. Karl Hohenlynd, the chief engineer for Gotha's Steed, constantly oversees new modifications to improve the speed and hitting power of his prize mount. Painted a deep blue with red trim, Gotha's Steed led the charge at the Second Battle of Neidermarsch, crushing a horde of Skaven acolytes before her wheels clogged with rat corpses and sank partly into the marsh, her crew firing on ratkind from the roof til the Wacht arrived to finish off the foe.

       The third and final tank is of a venerable old design known as "Kamarade". Black as the soot covered works from which she first emerged, with gilded paintwork, Kamarade has a master crafted steam gun that is blessed with magics by the priests of Sigmar and is the occasional escort of the Witchfinder General, Klaus Hesser. The Witchfinder uses Kamarade to hunt particularly powerful rogue wizards, for its the only tank to be reinforced with secret runes and wards by both the Cogsmiths and the battle mages of the Ulfberg school of magic.

      These three tanks are on occasion grouped into a single Steam Tank Company, or "Dampfeisenpanzerkompanie" in Gottspiel. Most often to break the enemy battle line with an overwhelming charge. Few can stand against a steam tank and survive, let alone three!

III. Cavalry

"Come on comrades! To horse! To horse!
To battle and freedom we go!.."
- From a traditional march of the 12th Outriders "Heinrich's Hussars"

      Lastly, the cavalry arm of the Wacht is composed of Orders of Knights and Pistolier companies. The Templar Knights of Sigmar, and the other gods muster their strength to crusade in the name of Sigmar and for the Ulfberg, it's dominance over the other free cities they see as holy writ, given that Sigmar blessed Gotha with a vision to build the city centuries before. Alongside the Templar Orders, groups of freelance knights from all around Gotholm join the Wacht on campaign with a variety of motivations, from loot to a perceived duty to crusade for Sigmar. The Pistoliers and Outriders are similarly a mix of professional and volunteer levies. Landowners from the valley raise units of horse and equip them with basic wheellock pistols from the family arsenal. The Stadtsmarshal uses these levies for scouting ahead of the main force when on campaign, while the professional Freeguild horse are kept close to hand for flanking enemy units, capturing supplies, and escorting officials. Troops such as Heinrich's Hussars and Von Hohenzohl's Volunteers have turned the tide of many a battle, showing up at the right time to pour hot lead into the face of a Khorne warrior horde, or trample down goblin infantry. Taken as a whole, the Ulfberger Wacht is a formidable army that has few rivals among the free cities.

Kronprinz Hans Gotha IV Von Geldhaar, A Profile

   

        The story of Hans Gotha IV really begins with the founding of the Von Geldhaar (Old Gothic speech for “Gold Hair”) family line a millennium before when the Gotha and the Ulf tribes built the Ulfschloss under Gotha the Great. King Gotha, from whom his descendants took their name after splitting from the Ulfs, was a mighty warrior who fought Greenskins and Beastmen in the frigid northern lands of the Realm of Life, wielding a mighty blade that Sigmar himself came down and gifted him with, Gotha led his household out from the small settlement at the base of the Ulfberg, the “Wolf Mountain”, and increased in number and established many settlements and clans under the Wolf standard. On his death the northern landmass had nearly all been subdued by Gotha’s house and became known as “Gotholm” “Gotha’s Home”. In one campaign he saved the life of a Duardin cogsmith who gifted him with an enchanted steed that could never tire and spat lightning from its mouth. Seven years before the death of King Gotha, he returned to the Ulfberg and under a vision from Sigmar began the construction of a mighty fortress and city, uniting the dwindling Ulf tribe with his own burgeoning one, the Gothic tribesmen honored their kinsmen by keeping the White Wolf sigil for their new city’s symbol. Gotha married his great niece Brunhelga, the Wolf Queen, and was raised upon a shield by his housecarls and proclaimed King Gotha I of Ulf and Gotha. Brunhelga bore seven sons to Gotha before his passing, and each grew into a warrior as mighty as their father. The eldest, Sigurd, inherited the crown while his brothers, according to custom, split the remaining inheritance of their father.

The Gotha Royal Arms, showing Gotha the Great on his Wunderhorse wielding a Sigmarite Runesword

        So the House of Gotha ruled the Ulfberg for centuries, Kings eventually giving way to a council of Burgomeisters ruled by a Prince of the family line. The title of King became lost to the ages and the numerous laws, statutes, and edicts from various reigns prevented absolute monarchy from taking hold again as Princes were more easily governable and ruled by council. Among the various ancient chiefs that made up the clans of the Gotha tribe rose the Von Geldhaars. The first of their number was Albrecht the Fair. Handsome beyond reason, blonde flowing hair fell about a face said to be shaped by the gods themselves, his piercing blue eyes seduced many a maiden of his tribe and he begat but a single son, also fair of face and blonde as the sun’s light. That son had several more sons and daughters, and so on. Every generation descended from Albrecht was as beautiful as the last. But not all were alike in beauty of the heart. Some were vain and cruel, and some were given over entirely to the pleasures of the flesh, such as Wilhelmina the Unchaste, who held orgies in the dead of night in the caverns under the Ulfberg, til one night whilst coupling with her lovers they were attacked and taken by the dreaded Skaven, never to be seen again. She bore several sons and daughters and her surviving lovers Hans and Ernst raised them as their own. The amount of pleasure seeking “hedonists” in the Geldhaar family tree and their eventual rise to power has raised some questions among those who know the family’s mixed history of good and bad. Some Geldhaars, such as Hans Gotha, were noble, and far more disciplined in their personal lives, as well as devoted to Sigmar’s worship. Some five centuries ago, a nobleman of the Von Geldhaar house married Countess Gunhilda of Gotha, thereby joining the two houses when the main line of House Gotha failed to produce an heir two hundred years later.

Kronprinz Hans Gotha IV Von Geldhaar, Prince of Ulfberg, Sovereign of Fjordland, and Stadtholder of the Zeebund. Portrait painted shortly after his victory over Fjordland.

         Whispered in the backrooms of the noble houses that are “enlightened” by the “new truths” of a certain wandering scholar, Erasmus Von Der Taag (Die Wunderwerker), the Royal House of Geldhaar has a dark secret that not even they are aware of. Something from the “World that Was”. A great evil, hedonistic and perverse, lies sleeping in the blood of the Von Geldhaars. Their near uncontrollable urges, their lusts, their failings, these are the legacy of the Royal line that every Von Geldhaar must fight to overcome. None more so than the current Kronprinz, for as the Wunderwerker has foretold, he is the new hope of the sensualists in secret. “His face bears the marks of a great champion, for he is fairer than any of his line, and his golden locks are a sign from our god of the perfection which is to come for all the true believers of the Ulfberg, nay of even all of Gotholm! He is the Avatar of Perfection, and he will bring licentious liberation to all our people!” (“Prophezeiungen über das Kommen des Avatars” Quatrain XIV, Erasmus Von Der Taag). However, as of yet the Prince remains unaware of his “fate” engineered for him by the Chaos gods.

Erasmus Von Der Taag, “Die Wunderwerker”

           Hans Gotha IV Von Geldhaar reigns over a mighty city state and multiple dangers rear their heads from a dozen directions. The secret cults brewing under the roofs of a few noble houses are a small but growing threat compared to the more pressing issues of Skaven tunnels under the Ulfberg, Beastmen hordes springing forth from the Drachenwald to burn the farmsteads that feed the city, pirates attacking settler ships out of Zeebund, and the wars of conquest and unification against the other free cities of Gotholm. The dream of “Großgotholm” “Greater Gotholm” is ever on the mind of the Kronprinz and his loyal Stadtsmarshal, Von Heldenman. The recent war against the Principality of Fjordland has seen the Ulfberger Wacht achieve victory after victory. The disciplined regiments of spears and guns broke the Fjordlander’s armies twice, with the Stadtsmarshal bringing his army to the gates of Arendelle, the capital. Hans Gotha meanwhile led the knights of the Templar Orders and several picked regiments in a whirlwind maneuver to cutoff the reinforcing army from the capital and crushed them in lightning assault that left the Baroness of Fjordland no choice but to surrender her state to the Kronprinz. As it stands, the Freiestadt Ulfberg is entering a golden age of prosperity and power that may see her become master of the continent, and capital of a new empire. Only time will tell if Prince Hans can resist his inner urges and remain master of his own destiny.

 

Age of Sigmar Series Part 1: The Free City of Ulfberg, and the Von Geldhaar Dynasty

       So having lost access to my old blog "Of Pistols and Perriwigs" I have endeavored to start afresh with a new blog devoted strictly to fantasy and sci fi wargames and the armies I create for them. "Of Swords and Sorcerors" will detail the accounts of my storied tabletop armies and their legendary battles, histories, and personalities. Chief amongst these will be the heroic regiments of "Die Freiestadt Ulfberg", a Free People's city from the Age of Sigmar. Ulfberg is a mighty city in the Realm of Life, with towering spires and gun toting soldiers who fight for the city of the "Wolf Mountain" and for her Prince, Hans Gotha IV. But Hans carries a dark secret that threatens not only the safety of the city, but possibly also all the land of Gotholm! Here, is his story:


       The Free City of Ulfberg, located within the Realm of Ghyran, is a burgeoning city situated amongst the alpine mountains of the frosty northernmost climes of the land of Gotholm. It’s towering spires are said to reach the clouds themselves and the walls surrounding the city are considered nigh impregnable guarded by hundreds of cannon, mortar emplacements and other heavy ordinance. Ulfberg “The Wolf Mountain” is also home to much heavy industry and the forges of this mountain city provide many heavy guns and even steam tanks and other such wondrous contraptions for the Prince and the Merchant Lords (Burgomeisters) of the city. The Ulfberg is so large that it is divided into several districts, rising in altitude along the mountainside overlooking the valley below. The lowest level is the Rimegate where a good many of the merchant houses ply their trade and farmers and huntsmen from the valley and surrounding mountain range bring their produce to sell. Ringed in by the first level of walls, the Rimegate district is quite crowded and the first line of defense in a siege. The maintenance of the city watch is divided up by district, private companies of the Freeguild are maintained out of the pockets of the Burgomeisters who oversee this part of the city in maintaining law and order within the walls. Naturally much bickering and politicking well out of earshot of the Prince occurs in the back alleys of the Rimegate and more than a few skirmishes between different regiments of the watch have taken place at the behest of their paymasters. While shocking to outsiders, the Prince typically doesn’t discourage this disorder within his city as it fosters a competition that prevents the Burgomeisters from uniting to oust him in a coup. Only when it reaches his ears in the daylight of the throne room does he punish the instigators of such disruptions to commerce.

      The next district level is the Uhrwerkhaus, the House of Clockwork, here is where the forges and workshops of the city churn out new weapons day and night for the defense of the city and the equipping of the Prince’s armies. Here is where the mighty steam tank company is kept and maintained, here also the ordinance train is stored. It is overseen directly by trusted advisors of the Prince, typically the Stadtsmarshal, the Steward of House Geldhaar. The Stadtsmarshal ensures the defenses of all the upper districts of the city and in time of war commands the armies the Ulfberg relinquishing command only at the Prince’s orders. The current Stadtsmarshal is Count Eric Von Heldenman a lifelong friend of the Prince and his mentor.

      Further up the slope of the city is the Gelthaus, or the House of Gold. Here is where the temples to Sigmar and the other gods of Order are kept and maintained. The various orders of knights that the city can call upon also maintain their commanderies here. The Freeguild, while having several barracks in each district of the city have their headquarters here next to the Temple of Sigmar. Here also the schools of magic make their home as the upper districts are heavily protected by wards and enchantments. Here also many nobles of the city reside and there are several mansions and garden areas that are the breeding ground of idle amusement and intrigue typical of a wealthy aristocracy. Many of the nobles of this Free City have estates outside the city scattered around the mountains and valleys, but often never go home to tend to their property unless urgently needed. All well and good for the Prince since he would rather keep an eye on them collectively from the imposing Ulfschloss than individually spy on them far from the city’s gates.

     Finally, the highest district overseeing the city and the surrounding mountains and valleys, is the Ulfschloss. “Wolf Castle”. It’s mighty defenses have kept House Geldhaar enthroned for over three centuries. Here is the seat of the Princes of Ulfberg and their progeny. The current ruler Hans Gotha IV, Von Geldhaar, has recently taken the title of “Kronprinz” (Crown Prince) in a bid to make himself Kaiser of the outlying Free Cities across the land of Gotholm. His armies recently won a victory over the small state of Zeebund and the influx of overseas trade has brought much wealth to Ulfberg.  Plans have even been undertaken to create a Royal Ulfberger Navy and sail to the far shores of the recently discovered jungle continent of “Vinheim” and settle it. Further up the mountain, at it's highest peak, stands a mighty Stormkeep, where the Stormhost of Eagle Lords makes their headquarters. The Eagle Lords are a small host that continually campaign across the Realms of Ghur, Ghyran, and Ulgu for Sigmar and are hardly a presence in the city they make their home in. A small garrison mans the keep and makes its rounds about the Ulfberg, but rarely intervenes in city life or politics. Lord Castellant Lothar Hess commands the garrison of the Adlerhohen. 

      As expected of a frigid northern city, Ulfberg’s banners bear the ancient White Wolf as the city sigil along with the city walls for so proud are Ulfbergers of their city’s fighting abilities. When Sigmar taught them of their forebearers the men of Middenheim and Nuln, the Ulf and Gotha Tribes of Wolf Mountain sought to honor the sacrifice made and built their city as a bastion of Order agains the night of Chaos. The standard uniform of the Freeguild regiments of Ulfberg are a mix of blues and whites typically, though other colors have been noted such as red and blue, and even soot black.  Overall though blue is the unifying color of the army and it allows the Stadtsmarshal to quickly identify his men in the field when facing the armies of other free cities.