Westland Empire

---

Heaven Above. Haven Below.

This content takes place in the Haven setting of Imagindarium's Creation.

---

---

Index / Lexica / Timeline

---

"Blood and Silver waters the West."- Empress LXVI: Alisvana Silverglow.

Description

"Silver Eternal!"-Westland Empire call to arms.

The Westland Empire, also known as the Empire of the West, the Empire of the Westernlands, the Empire of Bariquel, the Silver Empire, the Limitless Domain, and the Jewel of Precious Lands is an empire of fifteen united provinces that collectively hold dominion over the entirety of Haven's western continent, Bariquel, and numerous outlying island colonies. Founded in 777 YM following the end of the First Great Western War, the Westland Empire has served as the firstmost power in the entire world for over two thousand years, and one of the eldest still standing, as the analogs of world history are directed by the respective actions of its rulers. It administrates its feudal control over its vast territory through fifteen provincial powers, with an Emperor or Empress acting as a near supreme ruler.

Before the Westland Empire's rise to power, the Bariquel continent was ruled by five individual kingdoms, all bounded together through racial bounds. During this time, known to future generations as the Age of Divide, for over seven hundred tears the West was engaged in a constant struggle between the five civilized racial groups, all combatants in a never-ending war waged by the kingdoms of Edenregin, ruled by the Edian races, Soltrion, reigned by the Solvalin races, Draefeather, governed by the Avelreni races, Deepmoore, controlled by the Lithreni races, and the kingdom of Darkmoon, ordered by the Lunalin races. Throughout this time, countless atrocities were committed by each of the racial kingdoms to those who did not belong to their form, including slavery, and mass genocides. It was not until' Aylliana Ravenborne, and her Warden of the West, together with the Free Peoples of the West did wage war against the powers of Bariquel, and forged the virgin Westland Empire through the blood of the old.

While the Westland Empire's realm of power has fluctuated throughout the millennia, at its height, the Westland Empire's domain of power spanned across the entire continent of Bariquel, and small colonial territories within the eastern continent of Rahmiel, and the southern continent of Pathiel, as well as the island kingdoms of Downhaven, Evendore, and Watergate, however at present, all mentioned territories not apart of the Bariquel continent have succeeded from the Westland Empire and became independent powers. However, that by no means suggests its influence over foreign powers has become stagnate in the modern age, as all the world remains playing catch-up to the West.

However, as the world has been shaped by the actions of the Westland Empire, culturally, the Westland Empire has fallen short in comparison to its contemporary kingdoms in the civilized world in the modern age, as several social issues, such as an inherent matriarchal social structure remains as a high virtue of Western life, while select kingdoms from the East, North, and even the sparse South have become more enlightened upon these social norms. Despite that, however, the Westland Empire's culture remains the model for the entire world, as all since have taken aspects from its virtues.

Throughout the Empire's history, its member provinces have changed in name, shape, and number numerous times. At the Empire's founding, the newly created kingdom was divided into five provinces, however, over the years, more distinct provincial powers have arisen, created from numerous means such as wars for provincial status, or economic might, making them able to break off from their mother province. Several former provinces have been absorbed into others throughout the centuries a well, including former provinces such as Conensedioria, and Dragon's Heart. Ever since the third millennia, the Westland Empire has been comprised of fifteen distinct provinces.

Much like its member provinces, as the long centuries went on, the face and nature of the Westland Empire have changed numerous times throughout history, be it in culture, or in total reformatting of the balance of power between the monarch and the common folk, all so many a time that it would be near impossible to catalog them all. Despite that, however, the name has endured throughout the near three thousand years the Westland Empire has stood. Even when faced with near-total collapse throughout the ages, the enduring symbol of Western unity has remained within the hearts of the people of Bariquel.

At several times throughout world history, the Westland Empire has become fractured in years of civil warfare, from conflicts between the provinces to one or more provinces and territories attempting secession from the Empire. The largest of these conflicts, ones that plunge the whole of the Empire into civil war, are known thereafter as "Great Western Wars." In total, there have been six Great Western Wars, with the first leading to the foundation of the Westland Empire itself, to the last occurring within the fourth millennia. Despite the many conflicts that threatened to destroy the Imperial Crown, the Westland Empire has endured in one form or another ever since its foundation, with most Great Western Wars resulting in its reformatting rather than its dissolution.

The Westland Empire's monarch, the Empress and or Emperor of the West, is widely regarded as the single most powerful person on the whole of the planet. Any wish or whim the bearer of the Silver Crown has within them will be enacted with almost total impunity. Despite the power which they hold, the tenure of an emperor is oftentimes cut shorter than one would expect, due to many factors such as being ejected from the throne by the High Council, dying from the stress of a whole continent and its collective peoples placed upon their shoulders, assassinations, or simply wishing to abdicate power to their successor. Despite defaulting as a hereditary monarchy, the most one bloodline that has held power is those of the Spiritcrown line, who has had five of their kin sit on the Silver Throne. In total, sixty-six individuals from twenty separate bloodlines have sat upon the Silver Throne of Imperial power in the 2,253 years the Westland Empire has existed on Bariquel, forty-five of which were women who served as acting Empress of the West, and twenty-one have been men who have claimed the title Emperor of the West, with nearly all of the civilized races being represented at one time or another as an Imperial monarch,

Despite the near-absolute power and authority the Empress or Emperor of the West holds over the people of the Westland Empire, they are beholden to the power above them, that being the Imperial Code of the West, a constitution governing the extent to which the acting monarch can exert their authority over the continent. How this is ensured is through an organization known as the High Council, an organization established in the year 1,074 YM following the conclusion of the Second Great Western War and the death of Emperor Galthur Goldstone. Established by his successor, Empress Lumia Whitemoon, the newly crowned Empress founded the High Council to ensure that an Imperial monarch could never again overreach their power over the continent. Ever since the High Council has served as the arbiters of those who can remain in power, should they show cause to violate the higher code all must follow in the West Their power allows them to so decide that the current reigning royal family can be ejected from the throne by the High Council if they commit enough infractions against the established laws of the Imperial Constitution, replacing it with a new bloodline upon the nearest line of succession.

For over two thousand years, the Westland Empire had remained the civilized world's sole superpower, unopposed by any comparable political entity, as its vast control of land, men, and resources were unmatched by all the known world combined. However, their seat of world power would be challenged by powers across the sea to the eastern continent of Rahmiel, home to six different independent kingdoms. The six Eastern kingdoms would eventually unite as one in a paramilitary alliance known as the Eastern Union in the year 2,600 YM. Combined, the Eastern Union would nearly match the Westland Empire's power in military, economy, and culture, leading to decades of hostility between the two continents.

In the year 2,830 YM, these hostilities between West and East would reach their breaking point, as nearly the whole of the civilized world became embroiled in a conflict known as the Alls-Rule War once the Eastern Union declared all-out war against the Westland Empire following numerous border skirmishes between outlying island colonies, as well as countless political acts of sabotage committed against them. During the Alls-Rule War, the Eastern Union began to unite itself and gathered allies from foreign shores to aid them in the battle against the West, while the Westland Empire did the same. The Western and Eastern powers would do battle with one another on both of their native continents, killing millions in destructive conflicts.

The Western Powers would ultimately claim victory, forcing the East to sue for peace, though this victory was extremely hollow, as the loss of life and resources were not commensurate with their sacrifice, and even though they would claim victory, as they lacked the resources and manpower to annex the East, they instead have remained in a stalemate cold war ever since. The world was divided into West and East. Those within the West, no one has heard a single word from the East in years. Post-war, both have disallowed any communication and trade with the respective opposite side, hostilities are still high, both have entered into a cold war with one another just waiting for one to make the first move and begin the war anew. Children in the West across all provinces are taught that the East is filled with vile, venom, and evil, so much so that they are to be totally feared summarily and eliminated. However, both are equally wounded and have spent the past decades licking their wounds and trying to rebuild what was lost.

The Westland Empire has been embroiled in many conflicts throughout the centuries, be they internal, or against external powers. In total, the Westland Empire, including its member provinces, has conflicted over three hundred times, some of which lasted several decades-long. The longest conflict would be the outbreak of the Alls-Rule War against the Eastern Union, lasting an agonizing hundred years, however, after the Alls-Rule War's end, the Westland Empire has remained in its most peaceful state in history ever since, as no conflict has proven to be as horrid as the one a century earlier that nearly ended the known world in its entirety.

As of the year 3,000 YM, the Westland Empire is in a constant state of rebuilding. The carnage of the Alls-Rule War, and its end thirty years prior ravished the Bariquel continent almost in totality. A large number of the Empire's populace's homes in all of its fifteen provinces lie in disrepair and ruin, graveyards are filled to the maximum with the fallen, and most who survived the perils of the war live in poverty. Even in the present year of 3,030 YM, sixty years after the war, its effects can still be felt throughout the whole of the Westland Empire.

At the dawn of the three thousandth year of the world, the Mavimyst that surrounds all began its third cycle of restoring its balance between the forces of Light and Darkness, through the resetting of its Annmaya, the scales in which dictate the forces of Good and Evil in the world. As was the same for two separate instances across two separate millennia prior, the restoration of balance between Light and Dark has caused both sides of reality to pour their energy across the face of the world, leading to new horrors to make themselves known to the world, seeking to destroy, or enslave all those who live in whilst young heroes are forged to defend the peoples of Haven. As such, the Westland Empire in the present years has had to focus a majority of its efforts in battling the new villains that arise within their borders, leading to a cessation of hostilities against the Eastern Union, though not a halt of the utter hatred the two sides have for one another.

Northern Provinces

Vorminheim

Vorminheim is the northernmost province of the Westland Empire, and is its smallest provincial territory, in both population, and territory. Thanks to its comparatively low population, Vorminheim is the least influential provincial power within the Empire, only able to exert very minor political and cultural influence within the other Northern Provinces, while only barely even being known to exist by the Central and Southern Provinces, However, within its own borders, the cultural traditions of the Vorminheim province are absolute, as barely any of its sister provinces has ever shown any interest in its peoples, leaving its own native traditions to remain the only major ones in its borders.

Its territory consists of several large icy islands known as the Vorminheim Isles, it is located offshore of the provinces of High Castle and Northhaven, they serve as the coldest respective power within the Westland Empire due to the extremity of its northern latitude. Its territory is ruled solely by the Great Feyeiana, a priestess said to have been bestowed by the Goddess Ciera with incredible magical powers over ice, frost, and cold. Vorminheim is by far the most religious of the fifteen provinces, acting as a total theocracy, their religion is extremely localized, only practiced by those native to the Vorminheim islands. This faith is so prevalent within Vorminheim's borders that the officially recognized Imperial Pantheon is only negligibly honored, and barely even mentioned in the day-to-day lives of the Vormeni peoples.