Northwind Province

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Northwind Province (北风行省)
Affiliation	The Empire
Occupation/Role	Imperial northern frontier province; major defensive borderland against Orc incursions
Status	Imperial province, incorporated into The Empire a little over thirty years earlier 885
First Appearance	1

Geography

• Located in the northeastern corner of The Empire; it was once regarded as an imperial exclave because of its remoteness from the imperial heartland. 1
• Frozen Earth Territory lies at its northernmost edge, beyond swamps and forests, making it effectively an exclave within the province itself. 1
• The province is enclosed by major mountain systems: the Griffin Mountains to the east, northern mountain forests around Frozen Earth Territory, the Empire's northern mountains to the west, and Winged Gorge to the south. 382
• The Fragrant Mountain Plains are the principal pass into the province; their fortress is therefore central to Northwind's defense against the north. 382
• Thundercloud County contains the province's highest mountains, whose peaks gather thunderclouds each autumn. 36
• Northwind's cold worsens toward the north, where permafrost eventually makes agriculture impossible. 16

Settlements and Territories

Location	Significance
Northwind City	The province's only great city, with more than 400,000 commoners and extensive surrounding fertile fields; it served as the governor's seat. 30
Zero Crossing City	Rose toward becoming the province's most prosperous city after Northwind Avenue redirected merchant activity away from Northwind City. 394
Fragrant Mountain Plains Fortress	A strategic fortress guarding the main northern approach; the surrounding plains produce spices, timber, stone, dried fruits, medicinal herbs, and reclaimed farmland. 885
Frozen Earth Territory	A northern barony surrounded by mountains and close to the Northern Lands; it became a major center of reclamation, roads, trade, and military organization. 1 647
Thundercloud Mountain	Site of the Marquis of Northwind's designated territory and an Otherworldly Plane portal. 229 232

History

Northgar Kingdom and Imperial Conquest

Before becoming Northwind Province, the region formed the Northgar Kingdom, a land described as spring-like before the War of the Deities Across Planes. The kingdom declined after that war, its Weiss royal family was wiped out, and winter winds began sweeping south from the Northern Lands. 36

The territory was subsequently occupied by the Grand Duke Northwind of that era and later conquered for The Empire by Grand Duke Mayers. During the conquest, the former Northwind Duke's family was taken to the Imperial Capital and forbidden from leaving; former subordinate nobles either surrendered, fled south, died, or became rebels seeking to reclaim their lands. 9 48

Count Love Weiss, a collateral member of Northgar's former royal house, was the first local noble to pledge allegiance to The Empire. With Imperial backing, he became one of Northwind Province's three counts. 36

Early Imperial Rule

For its first thirty years under Imperial control, Northwind Province was supposed to receive one million gold coins annually for fortifications and noble development, though Imperial orders actually disbursed two million each year. 397

Count Winter and the Winter Count Family held the provincial governorship. Their position rested on Northwind City's wealth, control of the province's largest iron and copper mines, Count Winter's Sanctuary Knight strength, and Countess Winter's status as the province's only recorded Saint Domain Mage. 30 120

The province developed a reputation for violent noble politics. Despite Imperial law forbidding nobles from attacking one another, it saw at least ten open clashes between noble armies; conflicts were commonly restrained when one party began to gain overwhelming power. 9

Loss of Subsidies and Internal War

The Empire revoked Northwind Province's annual subsidy and imposed an annual tax demand of 1.5 million gold coins after an Orc invasion devastated the province. 49 The demand intensified existing food shortages, territorial disputes, and noble competition, while the Empire's reduced involvement encouraged nobles to test how far they could go without intervention. 75

A provincial war followed. Count Weiss sought allies across the counties, raised an army of 30,000, and revealed access to another world through a portal after grasping Divinity. 122 The conflict split the province: Count Weiss had support in Thundercloud and Silver Stream Counties, while Iron Mountain, Dragon Mountain, and Northwind Counties opposed him; Cold Mountain County and Zero Crossing Prefecture remained decisive. 123

Winter halted major fighting, but the war later resumed amid wider conflict between The Empire and The Papacy. 137 167

Marquisate and Otherworldly Plane

After the provincial war, The Empire created the title Marquis of Northwind, restricted to members of the Royal Family. Its territory was defined as a hundred-mile radius around Thundercloud Mountain. 229

The first Marquis, Coresna Columbus, arrived with divine favor, declared Northwind Province his sacred territory, and attempted to assert authority over lands local nobles considered spoils won through war. 240 His control also extended to the Otherworldly Plane portal at Thundercloud Mountain, creating an immediate conflict of interest with the provincial nobility. 232

Coresna later died, leaving the marquisate in uncertainty while his heir was still unborn. 397 The province's nobles and the Mayers Family continued to contest influence over its lands, mines, trade, and governorship. 426 427

Orc Wars and Reconstruction

Orc raids became an increasingly regular threat across the northern human realms. Ryan organized the province's nobles around defense, including troop contributions for Zero Crossing City and a fortress plan for the Fragrant Mountain Plains. 356

The Fragrant Mountain Plains Fortress was breached during a later invasion, exposing Northwind Province to a major Orc advance. 382 The subsequent war inflicted severe losses on the nobility, population, and military forces, though the fortress was eventually retaken by Ryan and the provincial nobles. 393 417

Following the war, Northwind Province entered a reconstruction period marked by refugee resettlement, land reclamation, expanding trade, road construction, and agricultural development. 418 647

Government and Politics

• Count Winter — Former provincial governor whose family retained its authority through Northwind City's taxes, mining wealth, and two Saint Domain experts. 30 120
• Marquis of Northwind — A Royal Family title intended to oversee the province and prevent counts from consolidating further land. 229
• Ryan Clayton — Exercised the powers of acting governor by the time Imperial holdings were being organized and reported; he appointed Viscount Landa as commander of Fragrant Mountain Plains Fortress during wartime. 885
• The province's local nobles traditionally settled disputes through direct action and territorial control rather than negotiation. 232
• The Empire initially treated the province as a costly and marginal possession, but later emperors increasingly recognized it as Imperial land requiring defense. 1 725

Economy and Infrastructure

Agriculture

• Northwind Province historically suffered from cold weather, repeated food shortages, and winter starvation. 885
• Agricultural specialists from Frozen Earth Territory raised provincial grain output by approximately seventy to eighty percent. 647
• Reclaimed swamp farmland became the province's leading food-producing area and was said to be capable of sustaining 500,000 people. 647
• New cold-resistant wheat and potato seeds were developed for colder soils; the wheat was expected to gradually develop into winter wheat through successive generations. 665 647
• Grain silos were established across noble territories after the harvest expansion. 647

Mining and Trade

• Northwind Province contains extensive iron resources, including the Winter Family's largest iron and copper mines and ore-rich lands across many noble territories. 30 417
• Iron ore became a central source of noble wealth and a major point of conflict when The Empire sought to purchase it cheaply for weapons production. 885 887
• The Northern Trade Guild was the province's sole trade guild at one point, with Zero Crossing City serving as its commercial hub. 662
• Merchant caravans and trade expanded as roads increasingly linked noble territories. 885

Roads

• Frozen Earth Territory constructed sixty-one roads, including a main route from the swamp through Rhino Horn Mountain and Winter City to the Thorny Fortress defense line. 647
• Ryan's broader objective was to connect noble territories, clear dangerous routes, and make Northwind Province more economically active. 647
• Northwind Avenue contributed to Zero Crossing City's rise and Northwind City's relative decline. 394

Military

Fragrant Mountain Plains Defense

• The Fragrant Mountain Plains are the main route by which Orc forces can enter Northwind Province. 382
• The fortress was intended to replace Winged Gorge as the Empire's practical northeastern frontier defense, though competing noble interests long prevented that shift. 32 71
• After later Imperial reforms, Winged Gorge formally ceased to function as the boundary separating Northwind Province from the southern Empire. 886

Northwind Legion

• Ryan established the Northwind Legion as a province-wide force after an Orc battle involving the Eight Knights. 670
• The Eight Knights became the Legion's Centurions. 670
• The Legion was tasked with garrisoning Fragrant Mountain Plains and preventing Orcs from entering human lands. 670
• Ryan also proposed a Northern Military Council to coordinate mutual defense among Northwind Province, the Andara Kingdom, the Sera Kingdom, and the Corland Kingdom against threats from the North. 671

Notable Events

Event	Outcome
Imperial conquest	Grand Duke Mayers incorporated the former Northgar lands into The Empire. 48
Subsidy revocation	Imperial support ended and the province was ordered to pay 1.5 million gold coins annually in taxes. 49
Provincial civil war	Count Weiss's campaign divided the counties and drew the province into full-scale noble warfare. 122 167
Creation of the Marquisate	A Royal Family Marquis of Northwind was assigned Thundercloud Mountain and authority over the province. 229 232
Fragrant Mountain Plains breach	Orc forces captured the key fortress before it was retaken by Ryan and the provincial nobles. 382 393
Postwar reconstruction	Grain production, road networks, trade, and settlement programs reshaped the province's economy. 418 647

Trivia

• Northwind Province was considered so costly that the Imperial Capital once contemplated abandoning it entirely. 1
• It was mocked by southern nobles as a land of “poverty and cold.” 168
• Although Northwind City was once the province's dominant urban center, Northwind Avenue helped Zero Crossing City become its leading commercial city. 394
• The province's prosperity later became politically dangerous: reporting its improved harvests and trade could invite renewed Imperial tax demands. 885