Westerlings

Westerlings are the people of Westara, a cold an arid land at the western end of the Minarran Peninsula, far to the west from the center of the Circle of the World.
The lands of Westara are mostly in The Twilight that lies before the World's Edge. It is a harsh and inhospitable realm where civilization carries on only by the power of magic and mortal ingenuity. In the Twilight, the sun is hidden beyond the horizon and only the skies are lit by its rays. Cold winds blow from the World's Edge glacier, and little grows in the craggy hills and valleys of Westara. Heat, light, food, raw materials -- the production of nearly all goods and necessities is reliant on magic. Much of Westerlings' survival in their frozen domain can be attributed to the arcane expertise of old Isatians, for their nation was a global forerunner in the field of arcane research before the Age of Apocalypse.

Societal structure, civilization and culture

Following the collapse of the Confederation Isatia and the Empire of Minarra in the Age of Apocalypse, the survivors and refugees of those nations banded together, forming the League of Westara, a loose confederation of city-states, noble families, military strongholds and other geopolitical entities. Members of the the League govern their own affairs, while mutual matters are discussed and decided upon by the Council of Legates, known also as as the Enneakis.

Discord and unity

The League is mired in old hatreds and extreme cultural differences, for Isatia and Minarra -- known today as the Old Realms -- were bitter enemies to one another for many hundreds of years. Their previous military conflict, the War of the Seven Lances, was still on-going in 2502 ER and was ended only by the disastrous beginning of the Age of Apocalypse.
However, both peoples have suffered equally in this new dark age of the world, and these shared tragedies have served to unite the Westerlings under a common banner. Where before they stood in defiance of each other, they now stand together to defy the world itself and the heartless god that has broken it. News has travelled to Westara of the bloody wars of Tyria and the fall of the Heartlands, and now the Westerlings see their fledgling League as responsible for not only carrying the legacy of the Old Realms but also of Old Tyria itself, the ancestral homeland of all Westerlings and the birthplace of mortal civilization.

Life near the Edge

Ekeing out an existence in The Twilight is an unrelenting struggle against the elements. The lightless and frigid World's Edge glacier casts a terrible shadow, its cold winds having irrevocably devastated the once-warm climate of The West. The lack of proper light makes prevents plants from growing and even most animals have left the region to migrate towards the center of the Circle of the World.
When half the world froze in the beginning of the Age of Apocalypse, the World's Edge glacier swallowed the lands of Old Isatia entirely. Its people fled in great numbers to the lands of Minarra, leaving behind not only their cities but also their natural resources. The two great islands of Old Isatia closest to the western shore of Westara are Typhe and Sesaria, and both lie within travelling distance -- extremely hazardous travel, of course, for the dangers of The Glacier are many. Typhe is a mountainous land with great mineral wealth, most notably diamonds, which are critical to sophisticated spellcasting. Sesaria has several ruined port cities on its eastern coast, filled with abandoned supplies, technology and treasure.

Expeditions

Westerlings regularly launch expeditions into the World's Edge. The shores of Typhe are the most common destination, for its mountains are the only source of diamonds in all the western world. Expeditions the frozen ruins of old cities, seeking to find forgotten treasuries, vaults and secret stashes under the ice for the chance to find even a small bounty of diamonds. Others venture to the Typhian mountains, digging their way through the ice to the tunnels of old diamond mines. There the work is slow but the reward almost guaranteed.
Expeditions start from the shores of Westeria, setting out over the frozen ocean with vehicles filled with the supplies they'll need on their dangerous journey. Great sleds known as cutters are pulled by demidragons, their way into the suffocating darkness of The Glacier lit by torches and magical lights. The guards of the convoys must keep a constant watch on the darkling wastes around them, for the World's Edge is full of horrors. Demons, wild elementals, hungry giants, angry wraiths -- all are ready to pounce upon desperate mortals that enter their deadly domain.

Synonyms
Minari
Body tint, color and markings
Skin ranging from pale to brown.
Special characteristics
Dark hues of hair, eyes ranging from dark to bright.
Significant populations
Westara
Language
Tyrian
Common
Religion
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