Freereach
Freereach is a dry and arid area and is largely flat. There are grassy plains, and sandy deserts in the area, leading to many people referring to it as the "Badlands". At one point the area was filled with bandits, and just a few small towns that tried to make a living. The House Williard eventually rose up from the largest of these towns and rallied them together. After they drove out and killed the bandits, they established order in the area, and set up Freereach. The Williards had already established themselves as hunters of the undead, and once they were in control of the region, they doubled down. They soon discovered how to create their signature firearms. They developed a sort of symbiotic relationship with Hemlock, as they push back the forces of evil, in exchange for political and economic stability.
Structure
Freereach is a Vassal State to Hemlock. This means that while they do govern themselves, they are sworn to assist Hemlock in various ways, and act as a subordinate. They are governed by a Baron, Duke Williard, and he oversees all of the big decisions, and has the final say in all of them. The Williards are the ruling house here, but they behave differently than most. The Williards are most known for hunting vampires and other undead, and this is how they make their living. They are passionate about the destruction of the undead, and even those that don't fight hate the undead. As such, House Williard is often paid by other nations, even rival nations, to deal with undead conflicts. To them, this always takes precedence over politics, and they have been killing undead for almost two thousand years. The house itself is very large, with around 60-70 members that are direct members of the Williard family, as well as several branch families that still work with them, and go identify as from House Williard.
Culture
The culture of Freereach is very different from most societies in Veteria. They dislike and distrust magic, as magic is usually the thing that creates the undead, they despise. They may sometimes allow a member of House Williard to practice magic, under close supervision. They also allow and accept Clerics, especially those who worship Dhothian, their patron deity. They are extremely self-sufficient and honorable and try to stay out of global politics. They only go to war to defend themselves and their resources, or if Hemlock requires them to. Hemlock rarely does this however, as they usually just ask the Williards to help with undead issues. They believe in chivalry and politeness, and they tend to have southern accents. They tend to assign men and women different roles, such as the Williard men normally hunting undead, whereas the women often become healers and clerics.
Assets
The Williards of Freereach possess powerful weapons. They have learned how to make rudimentary firearms, and they guard the secret to their creation fiercely. The firearms are western themed, usually revolvers, but some take the form of rifles. Only the Williard Hunters get access, and they must earn the right to own one. Once they do, they usually either inherit the weapon from a dead or retired Williard, or they create their own weapon. Either way, they tend to tinker with them to suit their needs better.
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