Ruled by the Danig family since its founding centuries before Deismaar, Danigau is a harsh land of proud people, a mountainous realm rich in iron, coal and gemstones. The people endure unending attacks by the villainous goblins of Urga-Zai, Viking raids from the Rjurik and Vos realms, piracy from Grabentod and the Zweilunds, and remain strong.

The regent of Danigau must be strong in both military might and wizardry, military might to defend the domain against the goblins of Urga-Zai and pirates, strong in wizardry to command the magic of the mountains and use it to strengthen the realm.

• New regent's Letters upon Coronation
• Some candid and helpful advice from the Danigau court

Danigau was the only strong early Brecht realm to resist the Anuirean Empire and it remains more Brecht than Brechtur as some say. While other lands often took on Anuirean laws and customs that linger to the current day (often thought of as local inventions with no real knowledge of their origin) Danigau never did. As a result, while Müden undoubtedly stands as the paragon realm of the 'modern Brecht', Danigau is the realm that exemplifies the Brecht as they were and would have been.

Danigau has a strong nobility, but a growing middle class with and a famously loyal populace. Life is hard for the peasants in the mountainous realm, but the natives would have it no other way, shunning the soft life of the southern Brecht while reveling in the glories of the capital of Blackgate.

For the purposes of this document I have changed the province borders somewhat – specifically the huge province of Kantswach is split into two along the mountains border to the north with the name retained by the northern half, the southern hills are then named Caebstrech. The provinces Blackruft and Evershruden are extended east to the border with Khurin-Azur eliminating the province of Caebstrech. Caebstrech and Blackruft are then a mixture of plains and hills rather than mountainous provinces, all other provinces remain mountainous and populations are unchanged.

Population numbers are of registered taxpayers.

Danigau is a land of mountains and hills, only two provinces hold substantial amounts of land that could be considered flat. Most of the population lives from the produce of the sea; grain imported from Müden, or survives on subsistence farming.

Although often battered by the storms that sweep in from Vosgaard, the western mountains protect Danigau from the worst of the storms from Rjurik. Rain is common in all seasons and it is a rare day that would be called warm by a native of the southern realms.

The sea never freezes over in the Danig Arm, allowing fishing all year around. Maritime trade is often blocked in the winter months by ice-sheets in the Krakennauricht or treacherous ice floes drifting from the north, to the particular regret of the Burgundy Slepsid, which trades with the northern realms.

The shores of Blackruft are where Harold Danig landed and founded his realm. This is the most hospitable of the provinces of Danigau and accordingly home to the largest number of people. The land is agricultural with plains and rolling hills filling the countryside.

Blackruft fortress is the only true castle in Danigau. Its walls of black stone have been added to over the years, and a wall also encloses the city of Blackgate normally ruled by the famed Baron of Blackgate although this position is currently empty. Blackruft has never fallen to outside forces, and will do so only if Danigau itself falls.

Caebstrech is mostly flat, like Blackruft, but it is wilder towards the western border. The province is ruled by Baron Konrad Baen; the Baen family has ruled here since Deismaar and they are noted for their unquestioned loyalty to the Danig family. The Caebstrech goblins have been tunneling deeper into the mountains for generations and every now and then they come across mines dug by Danigers, the result is inevitably bloody.

Fishing and mining dominate Evershrüden, and most of the population lives in villages along the coast. The coastal towns are fairly orderly but in the mountains the Count’s arm reaches no further than the end of a sheriff’s fist.

Hoklep is home to large numbers of fishing villages along a string of mountains standing out into the Krakennauricht. The province is governed by baron Rudolf Meissan, whose Meissan family ancestors include a few Anuireans.

Kantswach is a barren province whose inhabitants depend on the sea for subsistence, they now welcome refugees from Caebstrech, fleeing the goblin incursions. The legendary 'Great Aunt' Katrina Danig is said to live in this province. The local ruler is Baronet Morritz Kant, a descendant of the original Kant family who colonized this area for Wulf Danig.

Starkhundt, as with the other mountainous coastal provinces of Danigau most of the villages line the coast and survive mainly on fishing. Coal is found in the east of the province and the smelters of the prison town often cause smoke to hang over the valley for weeks.

The natives of Talhundt are sometimes called the proud by other Danigers, as they see themselves as the toughest and most defiant of an already tough defiant breed. The province ruler is Baroness Theresa Tallen.

Fishing is also important in Wiergau, and many of its people herd goats and sheep in the mountains and most grow herbs and vegetables in small gardens to supplement the food imported in exchange for the wealth hauled from the mountains.

Danigau was settled around 200 years before Deismaar by Pfalzgraf Harold Danig and a few hearty colonists. Harold earned the respect and trust of the Dwarves, and the two peoples were able to avoid conflict. The goblins, however, were another matter. The goblins of Urga-Zai fought Danigau from the day of the first settlements. The people of Danigau were victorious and through a brutal war of annihilation, took the goblins' land from them by force.

As the Shadow fell on the elves, goblins, and Vos, all of Cerilia was at war with itself. The strength of Danigau’s soldiers kept the core provinces secure and a mighty realm developed. When news came to Blackgate that a huge army of Vos and beast-men was forming in Aduria, Pfalzgraf Wulf Danig realized that the army had to be stopped at the land-bridge lest it sweep across all Cerilia gobbling the human realms piece-meal. The Pfalzgraf left Danigau in the hands of the Baron of Blackgate and led his navy south to Anuire and war.

Wulf Danig's new powers gained after Deismaar allowed the Pfalzgraf to cleanse his realm of the goblin menace, and saw him develop arcane powers once limited to the elves. Mastery of realm spells strengthened Wulf still further. When the Anuireans came, the Pfalzgraf held his own and won decisive victories for Brecht independence. In 38 HC, Roele turned his attention to Brecht lands to the east, swiftly conquering Müden, Horstmarch (now Rzhlev) and Grevesmühl.

The next centuries saw Danigau mostly unconcerned with events elsewhere in Brechtür. While civil wars and rebellions raged in the Anuirean-occupied lands, Danigau had to defend against many incursions from the goblins of Urga-Zai, raiders from Rjurik and Vosgaard.

Pfalzgraf Hans is a notable failure as regent. Through crushing taxes, he raised his armies and marched into Urga-Zai and Rjurik settlements to the north, pillaging and slaughtering the natives. Hans failed to battle prowess of the goblins in their home ground and was thrown back into Wiergau, where he would have been utterly defeated had it not been for the timely intervention of the dwarves of Khurin-Azur.

Again, centuries passed with Danigau holding to its own defense, even while the Gorgon conquered Kiergard, and the Swordhawk took over Massenmarch. Only when the Gorgon began probing the defenses of Dauren and Wierech did Danigau send aid, at least until Urga-Zai goblins made a major move. It was at just this time, with Danigau fighting the goblins to the north that the proud Duke Kort Adler of Wierech was slain by the Gorgon’s troops and the fortress of Adlersburg sacked.

• Law: Erik Danig rules his realm like a draconian soldier maintains order in a military camp. His law is stern, but his realm remains safe and secure.
• Temples: Sera's Perfekt Symmetry clings to what little religious belief still remains. The temple's source of power is less the devotion of the people
• Guilds: The shipping and mining guilds are run by two siblings now given over to emnity.
• Sources: Erik Danig continues the tradition of controlling the sources and deals brutally with any who would encroach in his magical domain.