The Wasteland, once the Electoral Province of Westerland, lies where the River Reik empties into the Sea of Claws. Today it is defined by its swamps, bleak moors, and most famously the independent mercantile city-state of Marienburg, jewel of Old World trade.
Though long part of the Empire, the region has always been a frontier — first conquered by Emperor Sigismund II in 501 IC, fought over during the civil wars of the 23rd century, and finally seceding in 2429 IC when Emperor Dieter IV was bribed into recognising its independence. Thereafter, it was simply known as “the Wasteland,” a name that outsiders still use with contempt, and locals with pride.
During the Age of Three Emperors, Baroness Magritta VI of Westerland nearly claimed the Imperial throne, ruling a domain larger than any other Imperial barony. By her death, Westerland stretched deep into Middenland and Nordland. Her heirs, however, could not maintain such power.
The turning point came in the reign of Dieter IV. With Imperial coffers empty, the merchant lords of Marienburg bought their freedom outright. Independence was secured not by war but by gold — a precedent that defines Wastelander politics to this day.
The Wasteland extends from the Laurelorn Forest in the east to the Pale Sisters and Bretonnian Marches in the west, from the Mirror Moors in the south to the storm-lashed Sea of Claws in the north. Sparse villages cling to the Reik and its fertile banks, but most of the land is wild fen, shifting moor, or treacherous coast. The vast majority of people live in Marienburg, shielded by dykes and dwarfen pumps from the sea’s wrath.
The northern coast is battered by the storms of the Sea of Claws, which Marienburgers say only “mad Elves and Norscans” dare in winter. From Mittherbst to Mondstille, few vessels besides Elven clippers or Norscan longships sail, and Morrslieb’s tides bring devastating floods. The Vloedmuur seawalls and dwarfen pumps have reduced the danger, though whole districts still drown when storms break.
Where the Reik meets the sea lies the Manaanspoort Zee, Marienburg’s larder and highway. Its fisheries feed the city with herring, halibut, and delta eel, while whales and sharks — sacred or sinister — haunt its depths. The Zee also channels trade from across the world; its lighthouse at Fort Solace guides ships past shoals and wreckers.
Beyond the marshes lie dunes and shifting sands, inhospitable but rich with life. Seals, gulls, and hardy fisherfolk scratch out a living. Even here, the Wasteland bears the air of desolation — gull cries echo like lamentations over a land haunted by storm and salt.
Northeast of Marienburg spreads the Tumble Downs, rolling moors and boggy valleys shrouded in mist. Winds from the Sea of Claws scour its grasses, while summer heat breeds clouds of mosquitoes. Amid the rocks and marsh rise cyclopean stones, some said to bear Skaven markings, most feared as cursed relics.
Sparse hamlets dot the Downs, their folk suspicious and dour. Yet hardy they must be, for they defend against Fimir raids and outlaw bands. The only notable settlements are Fort Solace, a trading post built around a lighthouse after Almshoven’s destruction, and Aarnau, last bastion of the van Buuren family. The “Peacocks of Aarnau” are mocked for their fine uniforms, but their militia has bled against monsters of the fens.
The Middenheim Road cuts through this lonely land, linking Marienburg with the Empire. Bandits, beastmen, and worse stalk it, so most merchants make haste, stopping only at fortified coaching inns or the Wouduin Tollhouse.
South of Marienburg flows the great River Reik, artery of commerce and lifeblood of the Wasteland. Villages such as Kalkaat and Leydenhoven cluster along its banks, more welcoming than the grim moorfolk to the north. Yet piracy and smuggling plague the river, despite patrols by the River Watch.
Between the Reik and the Bitter Moors lies the Kleinland, a heath of sheep pastures and small villages. Its wool is one of the Wasteland’s few native exports, but danger is never far: greenskins stray from the Grey Mountains, and rumours persist of Fimir lurking in hidden vales.
The Kleinland is crossed by the Gisoreux Road, the main land route to Bretonnia, guarded by Fort Bergbres at the Ois Gap. Officially a joint Bretonnian–Marienburg outpost, it is better known as “Fort Beg-Bribe,” where every service requires coin. Beyond lie the Pale Sisters and scattered dwarf mines, most long abandoned.
To the west spread the Bitter Moors, a wasteland even grimmer than the Downs. Fog-shrouded and poisoned by ancient leavings, they are home only to carrion birds, outlaws, and whispered horrors. Few dare cross them save smugglers or the desperate.
The ancient Elven Coast Road skirts the Bitter Moors, its white stones crumbling but still passable. It links Klessen to Bretonnia, though few travel it save wreckers, smugglers, and those seeking to vanish.
The fishing village of Broekwater is notorious as a haunt of Stromfels cultists and wreckers. The Directorate’s refusal to suppress them hints at protection by one of the Great Families. Nearby lie the cursed ruins of Almshoven, destroyed during the last Incursion of Chaos, and Reaver’s Point, once seat of the pirate lord Bartholomeus the Black. His ghost and that of Admiral Maartens are still said to haunt the waves where they fell locked in combat.
Surrounding Marienburg itself is the Grootscher Marsh, a maze of channels, reeds, and mist. Here the Jutones first hid from their foes, and the city still uses the fens as its shield. Invaders bog down and starve, harried by guerilla fighters and disease.
The marsh, though cursed, yields wealth. Delta eels and heron eggs feed the city, while herbalists and alchemists prize rare roots and psychoactive muds. Criminal gangs refine the latter into “Slaanesh’s Dream”, a hallucinogen banned but secretly traded. Yet most Marienburgers fear the marsh as a place of monsters and hauntings, raising charms whenever its name is spoken.
Those who seek lost Elven relics can always find a swamper willing to guide them — at a high price, and rarely with a guarantee of return.
Fort Solace – Lighthouse port guiding ships into the Manaanspoort Zee.
Aarnau – Border town of van Buuren’s militia, proud defenders of independence.
Kalkaat & Leydenhoven – River villages trading along the Reik.
Klessen – Rest-stop village along the Gisoreux Road.
Halsdorph – Once prosperous, now blighted by swamp and fear of the “Demon Swamp.”
Erlach – Mining hamlet in the Pale Sisters, mostly abandoned.
Broekwater – Fisher village and alleged Stromfels cult haven.
Fort Bergbres – Joint Bretonnian–Marienburg stronghold at the Ois Gap, famed for corruption.