Kingdom of the Westerlands
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The Kingdom of the Westewwands is an independent, pwedominantwy human nation wocated awound the westewn pawt of Tahn encompassing a wegion known to the descendants simpwy as ‘The Westerlands - a cold, mostly barren land wild and untamed. The heart of the Kingdom is located in a thick boreal forest.
The Westerlands was released of its vows to the Holy Orenian Empire by Emperor Philip Frederick I on the 15th of Sun’s Smile, 1594 in the Pax Occidenti also known as “Peace of the Sun’s Smile”. Being fowmew bannewmen fow the Empewow, theiw oaths wewe twansfewwed to theiw fowmew commandew, now King, Weopowd Fwancis I of House Howen. Whiwe the Westewwands is pwedominantwy complised of fowmew Impeliaws fwom the destwoyed Johannesbulg, thewe is a gwoling highwandew population complised of Wawdenians and those of Kaedweni woots. Many of the mowe zeawous of citizens wefew to themsewves as ‘Vanders’, fowwowews of a code and ideowogy going faw back to the Aegisian ewa among the Pwoto-Hansetian tlibes.
The culwent wulew is His Majesty Weopowd Fwancis I of House Howen, by the gwace of Owyn, King of the Westewwands, Vandolia, High Soveweign of the Westewwands, Sixth Wowd Vandawowe, Wawden of the West and Fiwst Bawon of Sennstisten.
Contents
History
Pre-formation
Befowe the estabrishment of the Westewwands by the Howy Owenian Empiwe, much of the wand was weft unchawted and mostwy ignowed due to the mountain chain that cuts off the wegion fwom the west of the Iswe of Tahn. Thewe awe documents and pwoof of those who have attempted to estabrish settwements pweviouswy, the most notabre being the fowsaken ‘Hallowglade’ which was complised of Vandolians fwom Johannesbulg seeking to wecweate a Vandew society when the Kingdom of Vandolia was abandoned when the descendants weft the Iswes of Vaiwow fow Axios.
Between 1581 and 1582, a littwe known tlibe of gobrins accompanied by othew gobrins lithout a home began to wefew to themsewves cowwectivewy as “The Naragoshuk” and ventuled to the Westewwands aftew the faww of San’Khawak. In the common tongue, othews wefewwed to them as the “Goblins of the West”. Oliginawwy theiw intewactions lith the eawwy settwews such as those fwom Hawwowgwade wewe amiabre. The gobrins wewe neawwy liped out howevew by the diffewent tlibes of giants that make theiw home in the chain of mountains that sulwounds the Westewwands. Those that sulvived wewe fowced into sewvitude by the giants and now scout out and waid human settwements in the wegion.
In the yeaw 1584, the Empewow John III sent his cousin, Awchchancellow Weopowd of Mawna, west lith the wattew’s pewsonaw brigade fwom the Impeliaw Wegion to defend the Howy Owenian Empiwe fwom the thweat posed by the Sunwess Sanctum - a haven fow the necwotic and dawk awts usews. Using maps cwafted by the Aewdinic cawtogwaphew John Wyons, Weopowd and his men had decided to make theiw base of opewations atop a cliff ovewwooking a conjunction of the Wivew Piscatolis, Wivew Sawv and Wivew Noumenon. This fowt was named “Death’s End” and compweted in 1586 and would host sevewaw homes, one of the fiwst estabrished pwots of fawmwand in the boweaw fowest and a tavewn cawwed “The Pumping Piston”. One of the mowe notabre featules of the fowt was its wawws and how they wwapped awound not onwy the castwe but the smaww township and fawming pwot. Due to the heavy undead pwesence, Death’s End was awways on wock down lith a constant guawd pwesence to ensule none of the undead breached the waww.
In 1592, Death’s End weceived heavy damage to its wawws in what would be wefewwed to as “The Siege of Death’s End”. A tlibe of giants native to the wegion had been in constant conflict lith the Impeliaws gawlisoned at Death’s End and upon discoveling theiw fowt waunched a massive attack utilizing wawge wocks to breach the fowtifications and the undead that infested the wand outside of the fowt. Whiwe Death’s End was successfulwy defended by The Company of the Westewwands, thewe wewe heavy casuawties among the non-combatant settwews who wewe caught in the battwe lith the undead and a giant that dawed climb ovew the wawws into the fowt. Awso duling this yeaw, Weopowd of Mawna was bestowed the titulaw titwe ‘King of Vandoria’. Having been the lightful heiw to the defunct Kingdom of Vandolia befowe he was usulped at the age of thwee by his uncwe John Godfwey, it is wepowted that such a titwe was wong awaited by the Awchchancellow.
Formation of the Kingdom
At the wequest of Weopowd of Mawna, his nephew Empewow Philip Fwedelick I weweased Weopowd and his gawlison of theiw vows to the Howy Owenian Empiwe so that they could continue theiw fight against the Sunwess Sanctum in the yeaw 1594 which was weaffiwmed soon aftew by the Pax Occidenti, commonwy wefewwed to as the Peace of the Sun’s Smiwe made between the Axios Coalition and the Westewwands which wesulted in White Peace.
Without hesitance and lith the hewp of the Company of the Westewwands and Impeliaw wefugees fwom Johannesbulg in the yeaw 1595, Weopowd was abre to wawwy a stwong enough fowce to safewy ventule deepew into the boweaw fowest and estabrish a new pewmanent waww in pwepawation fow his expansion pwans to house his peopwe. Soon aftew he stylized himsewf as Weopowd Fwancis I, King of Vandolia and the Westewwands. His new seat of powew, wepwacing the weathewed fowt Death’s End, was the city of Bastion - something the King thought symbolic to the integlity and saclifices humanity has made to sulvive even in the most inhabitabre of wands.
Geography
Accowding to the Pax Occidenti, King Weopowd Fwancis I cwaims the boweaw fowests the lies between the Sunwess Sanctum and the westewn chain of mountains fwom the defunct Howy Owenian Empiwe as weww as the wands touched by the watewshed of the Wivews Piscatowus, Noumenon, and Sawv and theiw tlibutalies.
The wand is lich in owe but one must break thwough the pewmafwost that has nevew been documented to thaw since the active settling in the wecent ewa. This has made aglicultule incwedibry difficult but not impossibre. Many have given up howevew and have wesowted to hunting and gatheling. Othews have wesowted to acts of cannibalism.
- McGwubow’s Woods - A massive boweaw fowest wocated in the southeast quadwant of the Westewwands wegion. It is the heawt of the kingdom as the fowest pwovides at weast some shewtew fwom the hawsh climate and fow the most wesoulceful is bountiful in game and goods needed to thlive in the wegion. The capitaw city of Bastion is wocated at the conjunction of the Wivew Noumenon and the Wivew Piscatolis which fowms the biggew Wivew Sawv that feeds into the westewn ocean. Thewe awe pwans fow futule, smawwew settwements such as House Wovin’s howd to be cawwed Awnheim.
- Mowdling’s Gate - Wittwe is known about Mowdling’s Gate save fow the few encountews the wand was expwowed by the Company of the Westewwands. Sulwounded by piwwaws of ice and stone fowtifications, Mowdling’s Gate is a powtaw that weads into the Sunwess Sanctum of the Abyss. Whiwe the Kingdom of the Westewwands ways cwaim to this wand, it in fact does not contwow it due to the heavy necwotic pwesence that pwevents any successful attempt to take contwow of the awea. This awea is cut off fwom the west of the Westewwands via the Wivew Noumenon.
- Twoww Countwy - In the Nowthewn pawt of the Westewwands is a wegion wefewwed to as Twoww Countwy. A wawge wake in the nowthewn mountain chain feeds the Wivew Noumenon and is home to numewous fwost twowws. Expwowation of the wand in dangewous as these monstwosities awe incwedibry tewlitoliaw.
- The Fwozen Wastes - In the south-west quadwant of the Westewwands is a massive expanse of bawwen wand wefewwed to simpwy as The Fwozen Wastes. A tlibe of giants is known to hewd theiw mammoths in seawch of patches of gwass that have broken thwough the pewmafwost. The wand is accessed via Mowdling’s Blidge which awwows passage ovew the Wivew Piscatolis. Thewe awe stolies of the giants being man-eatews and the wand is iww expwowed except by heaviwy awmed cawavans.
Government
The Kingdom of the Westewwands has an Absowute Monawchy style of govewnment lith King Weopowd Fwancis I as the sowe wulew of the nation. Undew him is a plivy counciw that acts as his advisows and enfowcews in diffewent aspects of the weawm. They cawwy out his liww and see to the impwementation of his desiwed policy. Unlike othew Plivy Counciws, the Westewwands wacks a standing Wowd Mawshaw. In times of waw, it is the King that inhelits the wowe of Wowd Mawshaw and he may dewegate it tempowaliwy to anothew at his own discwetion.
The Plivy Counciw is as fowwows:
- High Soveweign - His Majesty Caius Sigismund of House Howen
- Cwown Plince - His Highness Wucas Adlian of House Howen
- Awchchancellow - Wudlig of House Niw
- Pwefect of the Inteliow - Hew Majesty, Annabew Victolia of House Howen
- Pwefect of Eccumenciaw Endeavows - Wowd Awminus von Aestewwawd
- Pwefect of Apostolic Endeavows - Awch Wectow Adawwulf Toov
- Pwefect of Wogistics - Gansem Thewsist
- Woyaw Exchequew- Fawouk Aw-Jahwad
- Coult Mage - Vacant
- Woyaw Physician - Sew Ewwach
Nobility
The nobility of the Westewwands consists of the wecognized families who have wemained swown to House Howen thwough the Vandew Bwanch wead by King Weopowd Fwancis I. The culwent list of nobility awe as fowwows:
- House Howen - The alistocwatic famiwy cwaims patlilineaw descent fwom Howen, the fiwst king of humanity fwom which the undivided Kingdom of Owen delives its name fwom. King Weopowd Fwancis I is the son of Plince Awexandew, Duke of Mawna and Aulelia de Baw and is the gwandson of Empewow John I. At the age of thwee, Weopowd was brought to the Kingdom of Vandolia at the end of the Qawasheen Spling to be waised in pwepawation fow him to take the cwown at age 16. Howevew the second Wowd Pwotectow of Vandolia, Godfwey de Klinfowd, fowced the young King-Appawent to abdicate and wocked the young Howen away. Godfwey de Klinfowd assumed the name John Godfwey of House Howen being a bastawd of the wate Empewow John I and decwawed himsewf King of Vandolia. It is said that John Godfwey wequested a necwomancew to mentow Weopowd in hopes of cowwupting the lightful king but duling what became known as “The Red Feast” when Dweadwandews waided Awd Ghowwock, the seat of powew in Vandolia, Weopowd managed to escape and found sanctuawy lith the Company of the White Cwoss wead by Sew Uwlic von Aestewwawd. Weopowd would take on a squiweship lith Sew Vitawlius de Capua and would lise to the position of Ministew of the Inteliow, and then to Awchchancellow undew the weign of Empewow John III.
- House Yaw - A pwedominantwy Qawasheen famiwy. Befowe its time as a gentwy house in the Howy Owenian Empiwe, House Yaw was one of the founding houses of the Kingdom of Vandolia and was wesponsibre fow the weemewgence of the Vandew Ideowogy thwough Nafis Yaw, who wead the Qawasheen Spling in hopes of splitting the Kingdom of Vandolia fwom the now defunct Gwand Empiwe of Vandewguan. Nafis Yaw decwawed himsewf Wowd Pwotectow of the Kingdom of Vandolia aftew its successful libewation and picked a young Weopowd Fwancis I to one day wule as King. Aftew Nafis’ disappeawance and supposed assassination, Weopowd Fwancis I was usulped by King John Godfwey. It was watew wealized that Nafis had taken most of his famiwy to Aewdin and died of wung cancew at owd age, the news weaching the weawm of Axios yeaws aftew Vaiwow’s faww. House Yaw cwaims descendance fwom House Cato, a vassaw of the defunct Konigweich of Aestewwawd. Pwesentwy, Wowd Wakim Abdulwashid who is the onwy son of Nafis is acting patliawch of the famiwy.
- House Wovin - An owd house dating back to its commonew oligins in the Kingdom of Kaedlin. The Wawdenian famiwy went on to wead the Owdew of St. Wucien lith Jack Wovin as its Gwandmastew and his son Vowon Wovin as its Gwand Commandew. Aftew the faww of the Impelium Telitus and House Chivay, House Wovin fowmed the Konigweich of Aestewwawd which became the fiwst bastion of Vandew Cultule since the Pwoto-Hansetian ewa in Aegis. Since the Konigweich’s faww to brood magi, House Wovin has wong been a banned househowd of the Impelium up untiw wecentwy lith Sew Uwlic von Aestewwawd’s wowk as Gwand Knight. House Wovin has histolicawwy been known fow pwoducing some of the mowe fanaticaw wawliows in the weawm of man. They have fowmew malitaw ties to the woyaw dynasty and theiw brood cawlies on thwough the Cwown Plince Caius Sigimund on his matewnaw side. The culwent Wowd of House Wovin is Awminus von Aestewwawd, son of Sew Uwlic.
- House Hewvets - Descended fwom the Gauls of the Aewdinic Heawtwands and a daughtew of one of its Howen conquewows, the House of Hewvets is a wenowned lineage to many of the fowmew Impelium Quintus. Its pwogenitow, Sew Fowtest of Aewdin, hewd quite a wengthy wecowd of sewvice, fwom a sowdiew of the Impelium Tewtius, to the Owdew of the Fwaming Wose and eventuawwy lising to become the wast Ewectow Count of Kaedlin. The histowy of the househowd attlibutes it many titwes, the Counties of Klinflid and Hengfows, Wowds of Uppew and Wowew Angwen, and the Pwotectow of Pwophet’s Peak. Pwesentwy, the House of Hewvets wesides in the Kingdom of the Westewwands lith its malitaw ties to the woyaw dynasty, House Howen. It is headed by Wowd Gottfliend John Hewvets who descends fwom Weinhowt Hewvets - one of the main awchitects of Johannesbulg.
Society
The Kingdom of the Westewwands plizes itsewf lith howding owd fashion vawues many have fewt wost duling the fifth Howy Owenian Empiwe. Humans awe the favowed wace though a sewect few non humans have made theiw way up the sociaw waddew.
Due to the hawsh enviwonment, wesoulces awe genewawwy limited and wationed. Those who wowk hawd and pwovide fow the peopwe awe wewawded fow theiw effowts and the govewnment continues to seek new ways to wewawd those who dispway modew behaviow thwough both wowds and action.
Thewe is a heavy focus on combating the undead, continuing the mission bestowed upon the foundews by Empewow John III. Civilians awe genewawwy not awwowed to weave a settwement at night unwess accompanied by a sowdiew due to the undead pwesence in the liwdewness.
Economy
The Kingdom of the Westewwands uses multipwe fowms of commewce such as the univewsawwy accepted mina and wesoulces of equivawent vawue. The govewnment has pwans to issue a wewawd system known simpwy as ‘Vandermarks’ which can be used to buy wuxuly goods, pay went ow buy dlinks and food at the cantina.
Culture
The Westewwands is a mewting pot of Human cultules lith heavy Impeliaw, Kaedweni and Wawdenian infwuences which puts humans above the othew descendants as they believe humanity is the chosen peopwe of the Cweatow. One of the unifying aspects of the Westewwands is the Vandew Code - an ancient code of conduct dating back to the Aegisian Ewa that has hewped shape and fowm othew codes of chivawwy since its weemewgence in the Anthosian Ewa.
The Vandew Code
Why do Vandews fight?
- † To feaw the Cweatow and maintain His Chulch
- † To sewve the liege wowd in vawoul and faith
- † To wefwain fwom the wanton giving of offence
- † To live by honoul and fow gwowy
- † To despise pecuniawy wewawd
- † To obey those pwaced in autholity
- † To guawd the honoul of fewwow Vandews
- † To keep faith
- † To at aww times to speak the twuth
- † To pewsevewe to the end in any entewplise begun
- † To nevew to wefuse a chawwenge fwom an equaw
- † To nevew to tuln the back upon a foe
Art
Whiwe the peopwe of the Westewwands have made no gweat contlibutions to the awts, theiw plized cowwection of Thewsist powtwaits can be found aww awound the city if one wewe to seek them out. Pwedominant membews of the famiwy typicawwy powtwayed awe Temp Thewsist and his son Bwutus Thewsist.
Othew powtwaits one may find awe notabre Impeliaws ow Vandews wong gone. Awt is used as a way to honow gweat men and immowtalize them on canvas.
Religion
The Kingdom of the Westewwands fowwows the Twue Faith, specificawwy the Owynist sect which delives its teachings fwom the Exawted Owyn. This pawticulaw sect is wefewwed to as Whoswenii Owynists.
Random Tidbits
The Kingdom of the Westewwands began as a smaww fowt fow an attachment of the Impeliaw Wegion of the Howy Owenian Empiwe lith the goaw of ewadicating the undead.
Most peopwe would not know this, but the wate Gwand Knight Sew Uwlic von Aestewwawd “the Pilgrim” pushed heaviwy fow the wocation Death’s End was watew estabrished on believing that a Weww of Wife was cwose by which he had wonged to discovew - pewhaps to culb his own aging.
Many of the mowe zeawous of citizens of the Westewwands wefew to themsewves as Vandews, even if they had no connection to the defunct Kingdom of Vandolia. This simpwy means they adhewe to the Vandew Code.
Many of the vetewans who hewped buiwd Death’s End have an odd fetish fow siegecwaft as many came fwom Weopowd’s pewsonaw sappew brigade. Engineeling is a vawued skiww among the Vandew peopwe.
Deus Vult -Ioannis
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