Westland Empire

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Heaven Above. Haven Below.

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

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Index / Lexica / Timeline

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"Blood and Silver waters the West."- Empress 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, and the Empire of Bariquel, 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 foremost 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 numerous disparate 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 five disparate kingdoms. 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 numerous island kingdoms across the Superior, Austral and Sundering Seas. However at present, all mentioned territories not apart of the Bariquel continent have succeeded from the Westland Empire and have become 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.

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, and its members are located offshore of the provinces of High Castle and Northhaven. The islands themselves 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 True 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.

Before the province's founding, the Vorminheim Isles originally served as a colony owned by the adjacent province of Northhaven, and had a culture very similar to that of their parent province, changing the islands from their native name of "Osuna" to the more Nordic styled "Vorminheim." It would remain as a simple colonial territory of Northhaven until' the conclusion of the War of the Icenheart in the year 1,240 YM, a conflict in which the then twin rulers of the Northhaven province warred against one another after the two had become divided once the younger of the twins was chosen to be the Goddess Ciera's highest prophet, known as the True Feyeiana. The war would last two long years until the High Queen of Northhaven was forced to abdicate by the current Empress of the West herself, as she would recognize the Vorminheim Isles as an official provincial power of the Westland Empire, independent of Northhaven.

As the province of Vorminheim holds little influence over the wider Westland Empire in comparison to its sister provinces, its position in the continent-wide trade and economy is fairly minor. Its chief exports are things such as iron, coal, and foodstuffs such as fish, beef, and special exotic meats, and even some arctic vegetation. Its chief imports are centered around things not found in abundance on the Vorminheim Isles, such as timber, cotton, linen, and spices, as well as finer metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, along with lesser metals such as copper, tin, and bronze. Its southern port cities serve as the most economically prosperous of its divisional powers, as seabound trade with the other adjacent northern provinces of High Castle, Northhaven, and Cloudspire serving as the Vorminheim province's main economy artier, with the capital city of Frothruul as its main hub of interprovincial trade.

Militarily, the Vorminheim province spends most of its efforts guarding its shores through the use of a powerful navy mainly made up of large frigates and smaller Galleons. However, its island-bound army is not to be underestimated, as its warriors are trained to endure combat in extreme wintry conditions, able to fight long and hard in the extreme cold whereas other armies located in more temperate regions would have difficulty adapting to the hostile environment. The main boon to the Vorminheim's armed forces however would be its vast amount of powerful cryomancers, hundreds of mages all specially trained in the use of ice and snow magic. Vorminheim's cryomancers are the greatest in the entire world, as a single one is able to freeze over several square kilometers of land, while hundreds can freeze over entire landmasses, leaving the Vorminheim province a fierce military hand of the Westland Empire.

Northhaven

Northhaven is the northernmost continental province of the Westland Empire and is its fourth-largest provincial territory in size. Northhaven served as one of the five original provinces of the Westland Empire at its founding in the year 777 YM, created from a mixture of territory the former kingdoms of Edenregin and Darkmoon. As it has existed throughout the Westland Empire's entire history, Northhaven has stood as one of the most influential provinces within the Empire, making it one of the most autonomous in the entire continent, able to enjoy a greater level of freedom from the Imperial Crown when compared to lesser standing provinces. As well, Northhaven's culture has shaped the history of the Bariquel continent for centuries, its sister provinces having to shift in accordance to that of Northhaven's actions, especially the other adjacent northern provinces.

Its territory consists of a vast region of land in the true northernmost area of the Bariquel continent, bordering the provinces of High Castle and Dragonfall in the west, Cloudspire in the east, and Captimia in the south. As well, the territory of the Northhaven province extends out to several outlying island colonies within the Superior Sea. Its territorial gains have remained one of the most contentious out of any within the whole of the Westland Empire, as hostilities between other bordering provinces have occurred. Particularly, its island colonies within the Superior Sea have been extremely contentious, as both the provinces of Vorminheim, and Cloudspire have claimed a majority of the islands to be under their dominion, while within the continent proper, all of its bordering provinces have had border disputes against Northhaven in one form or another.

Despite being one of the largest provinces of the Westland Empire, its current sphere of power is but a fraction of its former self. At its peak, Northhaven's dominion extended across all islands within the neighboring Superior Sea dominion, as well as the entirety of the area in which would later become the province of Cloudspire.