Stensia

Stensia
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Stensia3.jpg}}]] Stensia's coat of arms
Information
Plane	Innistrad

The province of Stensia is Innistrad's darker one, both literally and figuratively, but also the most unexplored and the most legendary.

Description

Its valleys range from pasture fields to sinister swamps where dead conifer sink slowly. Its wooded lands, crossed by a dense fog, show chromatic colors of dark green, purple, and gray. Its indigo and black mountains disappear in the clouds, and humans can only imagine what is living in their veiled peaks. The sun never seems to shine through the colorful clouds in Stensia.

The powers that govern Stensia, the vampiric bloodlines, reap the benefits of the isolation in the region. The chain of mountains of Geier Reach that dominates the province, separates the valleys from each other, making them easier to monitor and control. The suffering humans of Stensia have an irrational home loyalty, but strictly speaking, have few options: they are trapped in the narrow mountain passes of the province and attached to their customs and lives of meetings.

It borders Kessig, and parts of it are within line of sight of Thraben and the Nephalia coastline.

Geier Reach

The mountain range that dominates Stensia, the Geier Reach, defines it utterly. This chain grows steadily higher in elevation as it moves from the borders with Gavony and Kessig toward the province's outer edge. Inland, the mountain peaks are forested, whereas in the chain's middle the tree line gives way to bare rock; at its verge, the peaks disappear into the clouds. The highlands are dotted with caves and crevasses that are reigned by vultures, bats, and other larger creatures. The passes through Geier Reach are few and precious; all who travel into or out of the province must use them. In the remotest parts of the Geier Reach live dragons, brutal fire-breathers that prey on any creature that strays into their territories.

Getander Pass

Stensia's valleys

A mountain pass.

The shape of the Geier Reach creates two long valleys in the province, and foothills separate those valleys into numerous, isolated segments.

• Between the first and second ridge of the Geier Reach lie the scattered dales called the Inland valleys.
  • At the one end, this stretch leads to Getander Pass and Kessig, a long, zig-zagging route watched by the rapacious Falkenrath vampires.
  • On the other end the Ziel Pass offer's Stensia's only access to the sea. The cliffs at the end of Ziel Pass descend for 1,600 feet, and the only way to get to the churning waters is to trek by foot or mule down a treacherous path of endless switchbacks plagued by the geists of those who have died trying to do the same.
    • The Lurenbraum Fortress overlooks Ziel Pass. This immense fortress protects the huge The Voldaren Estate. It has a view out to the coast of Nephalia.
  • The steep Kruin Pass is the only reliable path into Gavony. It used to be watched by the Markov vampires.
    • Markov Manor, a hilltop estate overlooking the Kruin Pass. Destroyed by Nahiri. It had a view of Thraben. It is within a night's walk of the Voldaren Estate.
  • Silbern, a tiny stone watchtower manned by fatalistic cathars and surrounded by several family farms.
  • Wollebank, a large village of shepherds and their families.
  • Geier Reach Sanitarium, a mental asylum for "mad prophets" and other doomsayers.
• The Midland Range, dividing the Inland Valley's from those of the Outland, the middle reach of Geier Reach is a forbidding range. Only two passes connect the valleys across its precipitous slopes.
  • Hofsaddel is a wide and well-trodden pass and one that the vampires leave alone. The reason: human interaction is good for the long term, as long as it's among Stensians.
  • Needle's Eye is a narrow, treacherous, and deadly path because of the presence of vengeful geists on the route as well as its proximity to Ashmouth and its devils. Humans will take the Needle's Eye path only in the event of emergencies in the neighboring valleys.
  • The Ashmouth, a demonic gateway, located between the Hofsaddel and the Needle's Eye.
    • Devilthorn Lodge, a human watchtower guarding the Ashmouth, frequented by demon hunters and devout cathars.
    • Witch covens, scattered huts inhabited by witches who bargain with demons in order to gain magical power.
  • The Heron's Grace Monastery, a noted pilgrimage destination between Hofsaddel and Getander Passes. Founded on the ruins of Castle Falkenrath.
  • The Somberwald, a winding, drooping wilderness adorning the hillsides.
  • The Farbogs, twin bogs flanking the middle ridge. Both were once groves of pines, but those trees now sink into the peat muck at odd angles, creating a tangle of dead trunks. The peripheries of both bogs are home to ancient grafs, and as the graves dissolve into the slime, geists proliferate.

The farbogs

• Outland valleys. The outer valley is divided into eight pieces by terrain, three of which are noteworthy.
  • The human village of Shadowgrange and the human rancher community of Lammas. Shadowgrange and Lammas are strange places populated by humans that are fiercely passionate about their lifestyles but also paranoid and fearful. Few other humans of Innistrad ever see these distant places.
  • The abandoned Maurer Estate, a favorite haunt of newly sired vampires. Its founder Strefan Maurer, a progenitor of a minor vampiric bloodline, is still said to rule a remote region in the outland valleys.

Other locations

• Vess Manor, Liliana's estate. It is positioned to have a view of Thraben in the far distance.
• Traublassen, located half a days ride along the Kessig border from Silbern.

Gallery

• 

  Stensia concepts by Vincent Proce (left) and James Paick (right).

• 

  Geier Reach concepts by James Paick.

• 

  Stensia concept by Vincent Proce.

In-game references

Represented in:

• Stensia

Associated cards:

• Farbog Boneflinger
• Farbog Explorer
• Farbog Revenant
• Geier Reach Bandit
• Geier Reach Sanitarium
• Hound of the Farbogs
• Kruin Outlaw
• Kruin Striker
• Terror of Kruin Pass
• Scourge of Geier Reach
• Stensia Banquet
• Stensia Bloodhall
• Stensia Innkeeper
• Stensia Masquerade
• Stensia Uprising
• Twins of Maurer Estate

Referred to:

• Borderland Ranger
• Courier Bat
• Curse of the Pierced Heart
• Daybreak Combatants
• End the Festivities
• Equestrian Skill
• Evolving Wilds
• Falkenrath Reaver
• Harrowing Journey
• Hungry Ridgewolf
• Lightning Wolf
• Magmatic Chasm
• Marrow Bats
• Somberwald Spider
• Soulcage Fiend
• Witch Enchanter

External links

• Magic Creative Team (November 02, 2011). "A Planeswalker's Guide to Innistrad: Stensia and Vampires". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• James Wyatt 2016, "The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Innistrad".
• Plane Shift Innistrad