One of the more notably self-sufficient and prominently independent of the Little States is the quite large and successful kingdom of Sachsen. Ruled by the clever and ambitious King Sebastian of the House of Hannober, Sachsen is a frequent target of the Fallen Knights of Lotharingia. The raids from the Lotharingians rarely amount to much of a problem for King Sebastian though thanks to his large standing army and the huge population that he governs from which he can call up vast numbers of militia. Funnily enough the people of Sachsen haven’t ever needed to hire the mercenary soldiers available in the neighboring state of Söldnerland in order to defend their territory. Sachsen also has a considerably powerful navy that ensures the sea-going trade that has proven vital to Sachsen’s economy is secure.

None of this is to say however that Sachsen is entirely without enemies or viable threats. In the treacherous swamps in the west of the country are all manner of monsters, the most dangerous of which are sahuagin and lizardfolk. The former also prowl about the depths off the coast and will attempt to capture ships that are foolish enough to sail alone through their territory. In the large cities of Sachsen can be found some deadly foes as well such as vampires and doppelgangers. On rare occasions the northern seafaring barbarians will make forays into Sachsen’s territory too. These are generally no more difficult to repulse than the Lotharingians thanks to the heavy coastal fortifications and the Sachsen navy. Many of the threats to the good people of Sachsen are dealt with by small groups of eager adventurers looking to make a name for themselves or to secure some loot for their troubles.

Sachsen does a thriving trade in textiles and manufactured goods as well as fruits that are grown in the fertile plains and hills of the north. Anyone seeking to do business with or form political ties to Sachsen should be forewarned that King Sebastian is not a fool. He will always find a way to profit from those that seek out his commerce and he will inevitably find a way to benefit from any political scheme as well. Sachsen does a booming business in sea trade with their neighbors in the Kleine Provinzen as well as Ange Déchu, Vlaanderen, and Evelliene as well as Lusatia and the kingdoms of the northern realms. Ships belonging to the House of Hannober have been spotted as far away as Forkanza. Wherever there is money to be made King Sebastian’s ships will be there.

Sachsen has a large number of neighbors with which it shares land borders. Clockwise from the north there is the Duchy of Holzsassen, Pomerania, the Kingdom of Bronderburg, the Duchy of Meideborg, Grünherze, Söldnerland, Lotharingia, and the Kleine Provinzen. Having this many neighbors has made Sachsen incredibly influential as a mediator to prevent conflicts in the northern little states. It is also a good place to start for anyone wanting to open a dialogue with these states.