Westemär

The Realm of Westemär stretches north from the Drakeclaw and Glimmer Mountains, along the Crystal Coast to northern tundras. The heartland is made up of deep dark forests surrounding wide flowing rivers, interspersed with areas of fertile marshland. The land is prosperous and rich in natural resources: iron, salt, and coal mines, fine timber, and excellent quarries. These industries supported the realm’s once-great military strength and built the impressive architecture of its cities. As such, the nobility are distinguished, but materialistic and prideful, in contrast to the hard-working and pragmatic common folk.

A Broken Realm

Drakkenheim was the capital of Westemär and home to the ruling family, House von Kessel. After the meteor fell, the two surviving scions of House von Kessel clashed over succession in a brutal civil war that tore the nation apart. After many assassinations, accidents, and disastrous battles, the civil war ended with no clear victor. Most believe House von Kessel is now extinct, and the throne remains abandoned and empty in the ruins of Castle Drakken. The lands surrounding Drakkenheim are now contaminated, and most villages nearby are deserted.

Lacking a sovereign ruler, the nobility manages their own domains directly. They remain deeply divided based on which branch of House von Kessel they supported during the civil war. Many grievances remain, and occasional skirmishes occur between the squabbling barons, counts, and dukes. However, after nearly a decade of fighting, their coffers are empty and their blood is spent. Few possess the will or resources to continue these feuds for the time being. Many noble families possess some relation to the royal line, yet none have the political clout or military strength to press a claim upon the throne and reunify the nation.