Nation of Weskestein
Role in Story: Story transpires in this country
Related Characters:
King William Viton - ruler of Sacred Territories - resides in Whitehaven, the capital city of Weskestein Province- largest of six provinces. His brother and 4 cousins rule the other provinces. He has an antagonistic relationship with two of the cousins in several areas of leadership but he has managed to keep control and maintain trade with them. If there was an effort to divide the Realm or depose the King, those two would combine forces.Season:
Probably Summer or late spring. Initially, I thought fall but with the months needed to train Alyana, needs to be moved earlier in the year.
Unique Features: Six Provinces:
1. Weskestein: occupies South & part of the Central region. It is the largest province in the Realm. Whitehaven is the largest city in the Realm and is the capital of Weskestein & the Realm. Comprised of the Southern coastal region and part of the central plains to the north, known for its barrows and North to the Windless Mountains. Barrowtown is located in the NW central plain near the western border with Aekourus and is extremely dry desert which goes North into a desert-like mountain region that is a continuation of the Windless Mts.2. Neturia: is on the Eastern border and extends North to the mountains. Rendel is the largest settlement, hardly more than a town and is situated on the northern limit in the foothills of the Windlass Mtns. Eastward is forest/woodland that gives way gradually to a mid-country grassland/plains interspersed with woodlands until it reaches the east coast.
3. Dracone: Begins in the Windless Mountains to the North of Weskestein. Prince Bredon Viton, brother to King William - comprised of a large region of E-W mountains, giving way to a desert on the southwest, a sea on the far west. Not a very agrarian and relies on imports for many necessary items and exports a lot of metal to the Provinces. Large mining operations and weapons manufacturing in the region. Atheist nation. Holy Order is outlawed in Dracone. Viton hates Sanctuary people. He has hoped the Order would be eradicated after the Great War and was very angry William allowed it to remain. He is loyal to William but disagrees with his tolerance of the Order.
4. Brinad - NW Province farthest from Weskestein and almost entirely mountainous but its NW coastline is an ocean. Shares border with Aekourus. Hostile to William.
5. Aekourus - West > NW Shares desert with Weskestein. Mtns to N with Brinad which is predominately a mountain province. Endurian Desert lies on the border between Weskestein and Aekourus. Aekourus is hostile to William.
6. Obrug — NE. Borders Neturia and Weskestein. Very mountainous but gives way to grassland plains and then to the ocean.
Description: North- mountains. South - coastal. Mid-part of a plain/grasslands interspersed with eastward woodlands with rivers and streams. One area to the NW is a very dry desert that gives way to a harsh dry mountainous region and the Endurian Desert. Very limited population. From the midlands to the East it becomes more and more forest.
Mtn Ranges: Windless Mountains are a prominent feature to the North and extends the extent of the Kingdom, dividing it E-W and forms the border for several states of the Realm. Black Peaks are the highest in the Windless Range. Shadowed Summit, is the highest mountains of the Black Peaks is known for the Black Pass, where an ambush by the Order of the Host killed a thousand of the Realm’s soldiers during the Great War.
Gold Summit & Iron Mountain are on the Dracone side of the mountains. Windless Pass a broad central road that is well traveled and passes E-W through the Windless Mts. Nick turns off this road to take a long pass that carries them south the Gneas Plain to Whitehaven.
Just west to the central part of the Windless, running into the highest mountains is a second range of mountains that cut diagonally across the Windless. They are known as the Shadow Mountains. These are the border between Dracone & Brinad. The highest peak is Shadow Summit at the convergence of the borders of Weskestein, Dracone, & Brinad and S Edge of the Windless range and is only passable via Black Pass.
Hallowed Forest - ancient forest from the lower slopes of the Eastern Windless Mountains, south and east for maybe 50 miles. Five days to traverse it. Said to be haunted. This is the forest the Host uses to conceal its activities and movements. The Hallowed Caves are in the mountains that the forest borders.
Places in Weskestein:
Towns:
Whitehaven - the capital of Weskestein largest city in the country.
Barrowtown - a town in the plain, N/NW of Whitehaven in the grasslands. A rough town where cattle & sheep handlers congregate.
Fair Haven - coastal town - S. Of Whitehaven
Maplefair - west of Whitehaven, near the border of Aekourus.
Highborough - the capital city in the valley at the base of Shadow Summit of Dracone. Barely below the treeline.
Fairgate - In Dracone, a mountain town on the border with Weskestein in the Windless at Windless Pass.
Rendel - NE near the end of the Windlass Mtns in the province of Neturia.
The Barrens - areas of heavy evergreen forest, eastern sector of Weskestein along the base of the Windless mountains into Neturia. Few people live in the Barrens. Uninviting, poor farm land if cleared, dangerous wildlife and indigenous people who are hostile outsiders. The Protectors live in the caves in this area and are not bothered.
Places in towns:
Whitehaven Wharf
Clearwater Harbor
The Wooden Stag
Black Crow
Bodies of Water:
Misty Waters
Glenull Creek
Wrib Creek
Endless Sea (eastern shores)
Western Sea (western shores)
Southern Sea (also called the Sojourner Sea)
Sights:
Barrows - located in the plain in the central part of the country, north of Whitehaven. Unknown origins as the plain is primarily made up of grassland. Farmers - cattle, sheep, and crops are spread out. Barrowtown central part of the plan as a commercial area for these people. Stories of the barrows suggest burial grounds or secret entrances to underground tunnels. No proof. Most people steer clear of the barrows.
Celebrations:
Kings Feast: Annual celebration of the establishment of the Monarchy.
Sounds:
Keening sound on the plain where the most barrows are located.
Howling through the Black Pass said to be screams of dying warriors killed in a great war. No one likes to travel through the area for this reason but it is one of the only passes that give access to the northern provinces and is heavily traveled in good weather.
Herbal medicines:
Sour Mallow: minor pain relief and muscle relaxant
Bitter Snowdrop: pain relief and fever reducer
Swamp Nigella: for wounds - helps stop bleeding and fight infection
Blood Flower: Soporific and analgesic. There is a black market for the flower.
Religion:
Order of the Holy One (see Detail)
Smells:
Notes:
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Order of the Holy One
Voluntary religious order that operates the schools and local places of worship and provides aid to the injured & suffering. Primarily healers by the time of this story. Healers make up the largest group in the order, virtually the only official group at this time.
Worship of The One, single deity, creator of everything. Sanctuaries are made up of those who have committed to serve in the service of the One to help the less fortunate and act as caregivers to the sick and wounded. There is a ministry to the public for worship services.
The order consists of men and women, over the age of 16. The term of service is 20 years and may be extended if the member expresses a desire to do so. Some offices require extensions in service time.
Offices:
The Patriarch - official head of the Order. Elected every 20 years from among the members of the Order. Once elected, if they agree to serve, regardless of how much time they have left, they must serve 20 years. It is a voluntary position but the only one that has a mandatory service once the position is accepted.The Prime or Counselor - Second to the Patriarch and acts on his behalf in the event the Patriarch is not able to act. Also, commander of the Protectors. Responsible for directing their actions and sending a call to action. In this story, Daykar Grantham.
Arch Seer - Spiritual prophet/seer. Defunct office since the Second War of the Sanctuary. Originally, for spiritual discernment and prophetic visions. They also controlled the Protectors between the First & Second Wars of rebellion. The Second War of rebellion occurred when a seer attempted to remove the Patriarch and the King. They used the Protectors to carry out the rebellion. By order of the King, the Seer position was eliminated and forbidden. The Protectors were placed under the Prime until the Third War of the Sanctuary at which time they were ordered to disband.
Treasurer - Responsible for managing the financial aspects of the Sanctuary.
Advisor - oversight of new volunteers. There are approximately 20 of these. Daykar held this position when Alyana joined.
Healers - Greatest number of members belong to this group. They are equivalent to doctors and nurses in modern times and provide care to injured and suffering. Very skilled in herbal lore and dietary health. They perform surgeries, dress wounds, deliver babies, treat all manner of illnesses, and pray for the suffering. Miracles occur.
Ministers - These are usually retired members who serve small congregations in towns in a variety of ways. Officiating at weddings, births, and deaths. They teach the principals of the faith and lead worship services. They pray for people and refer their flock to appropriate sectors of the order.
Disciples - followers who do not meet the requirements. There is no term of service required. Disciples serve as gardeners, cooks, assisting healers, construction, stable hands, whatever is needed. They’d be called laymen under current religious orders. The bulk of these make up the congregants of the ministers.
Protectors of the Order (Hosts) - Secret organization within the Order formed solely as a defense force for the Sanctuary, particularly to protect the Patriarch. The Patriarch does not control them currently. This is to prevent a Patriarch from using them in a revolt. They are trained in various fighting techniques, some of which are known only to the Order. Because they did not side with the Patriarch during the Second War of the Sanctuary, they were officially reorganized, ostensibly so they would not be tempted to rebel against their own again. However, the Prime maintains total control of the Order and operates it in secret from the Patriarch. It never really went away, just underground.
Sanctuary board - made up of all the upper echelon: the King, Patriarch, Prime, and three members each from the Healers and Disciples. Members of the Disciples may be members of the Protectors but this is concealed.
Texts:
History of the Sacred Territories & Annals of the Order of the Holy One: Recounts the history of the Realms and the Order of the Holy OneWars & Treaties:
First War of the Sanctuary - War to overthrow rule by the Order. Monarchy won, subjugating the Order to the King. Prior to this war, the Sacred Realms were ruled by the Order (Theocracy). There was no King.Treaty of the Sacred Territories - a treaty between the Order of the Holy One and The Sacred Territories. Established the Monarchy and that the Order was a religious order devoted to service to the people of the Sacred Realms. The Hosts of the Order of the Holy One was outlawed and disbanded due to its role in the war.
Edict of the Establishment of the Protectors of the Order of the Holy One - Established the Protectors of the Order of the Holy One under the Arch Seer. This order established the Protectors to defend the Order and in particular, the Patriarch in the event of an attack. The group was created within the Order and without official approval of the monarchy. The monarchy insisted on a limit to the size of the Protectors to less than 1000. The real goal of the Order was to establish a secret army to do whatever they were told to do.
Second War of the Sanctuary - Followed the first war by two years. Conflict within the Order as a result of the first war resulted in an attempt by the Arch Seer (Prophet) to overthrow the monarchy & Patriarch and reestablish the Order as ruler over the Realm.
Treaty of the Second War of the Sanctuary - Ended the Second War. Dissolved the office of the Arch Seer, established Patriarchal Guardians and limited them to 200, and placed the Protectors of the Order under the leadership of the Prime, limiting them to 500. They are not allowed to operate outside the Order or exceed their numbers.
Great War of the Sacred Territories - Another attempt by the Sacred Order of the Holy One to overthrow the Monarchy and regain control of the Realm. The attempt failed and resulted in the official dissolution of the Protectors of the Order.
Treaty of the Great War of the Sanctuary - Dissolved and prohibited Protectors of the Order. Placed Guardians under the leadership of the Prime.
Edict of the Patriarch - Resulted from the Great War of the Sacred Territories. The official dissolution of the Protectors of the Order. Place the Order of the Holy One under the rule of the King and established a board to oversee the Order.
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