(Settlement) Giengen Imperial City

Coat of arms/Flag – A golden key on a blue field, the historic arms of Giengen an der Brenz.
Status – Imperial City
General Alignment – Lawful Neutral
Settlement size – Small City
Corruption +0; Crime –1; Economy +1; Law +2; Lore +1; Society +0
Qualities – River Trade Hub; Hard-working Citizenry; Well-defended Walls; Long-standing Guild Traditions
Danger +4
Demographics
Country – Holy Roman Empire
Government – Council-ruled Free Imperial City under direct imperial authority
Legislature – The Town Council (Rat), composed of patricians and guild representatives
Population – 3,200 (Humans 96%, Dwarves 2%, Halflings 1%, Other 1%)
Places of interest –
St. Vitus Church; The Brenz Bridge and Tollhouse; Medieval Market Square; Town Hall (Rathaus); Old City Walls and Watchtowers; The Upper Mill on the Brenz
Current Ruler – The Amtmann (Imperial Administrator), elected annually from the patrician families
Other Notable residents –
Master Leonhard Falkner, guild-master of the smiths; Sister Brigitta, chronicler of local saints’ legends; Aldric der Rotbart, veteran captain of the watch; Walther Grünwald, reclusive herbalist living near the Brenz woods
Marketplace
Base Value – 2,400 gp
Purchase Limit – 18,000 gp
Spellcasting – Up to 4th level (represented in-setting as healers, wise-women, and itinerant clerics rather than formal “mages”)
Minor Items – 1d6
Medium Items – 1d3
Major Items – None

Giengen rises along the gentle curve of the Brenz River, a fortified market city nestled among the rolling hills of Swabia. It thrives as a modest but proud Imperial City, sustained by guild craft, steady trade, and the vigilant favor of the old gods who shape daily life as surely as the seasons.

Founded centuries earlier by Alemanni clans, the city grows around a riverside ford and prospers under imperial authority. Its people honor the ancient patrons of the land—Wodan the Wanderer, Donar the Thunderer, Zisa the Shield-Maiden of the Suebi, and the quiet, ever-present Nerthus, whose touch lingers in every spring and grove. Shrines dedicated to these deities stand beside the market hall and along the narrow, winding streets, offering protection and guidance for those who pay them respect.

The city occupies a defensible rise above the Brenz, its half-timbered houses clustered within stout stone walls. The river shapes both life and character: mills clatter from dawn to dusk, and shallow trading craft navigate its gentle current, linking Giengen to the wider Swabian trade network. At dusk, small water-spirits known as Brenzele gather near the mill-races, their misty forms dancing above the water. Locals leave offerings of bread and honey, heeding the spirits’ subtle warnings of storms or flooding.

The surrounding countryside blends fertile fields with low, forested hills. Hunters and woodcutters whisper of Waldschrate, gnarled forest guardians with bark-like skin and patient golden eyes, who punish those who harm sacred trees or disrespect the old groves. More ominous are the Unholde, pale, long-limbed beings said to drift silently between the pines, and the Nachtjäger, spectral hunters who roam the hills under moonless skies. Though feared, these creatures are woven into the fabric of life; their presence is a reminder of the world beyond mortal reach.

Daily life in Giengen revolves around guilds, agriculture, and seasonal festivals dedicated to the gods. The Festival of Zisa in autumn fills the streets with garlands of oak leaves and gilded shields, honoring the shield-maiden who protects the city. Smiths swear oaths to Donar before taking apprentices, and merchants carve Wodan’s rune over their doorways for fortune in trade. Priests, known as Goden, serve as interpreters of omens and keepers of tradition, binding the city to its ancestral roots.

Though small, Giengen holds strategic importance. Its council of elders governs with a mix of civic pride and careful pragmatism, maintaining the walls, patrolling the roads, and ensuring alliances with nearby Swabian towns. Caravans from Ulm and Augsburg stop to pay tolls at the Brenz Gate, filling taverns with news and tales of the wider world. Encounters with spectral hunters or other spirits are accepted as part of daily life rather than as threats beyond understanding.

Giengen endures through respect for its land, its gods, and the unseen beings that share its borders. Rooted in ancient traditions yet vigilant to the shifting tides of the age, the city stands as a resilient, self-governed settlement, where the old powers of Swabia remain ever-present, shaping both its people and their fortunes.