Westphalia

Claimant: Marcus

General

Westphalia, as its name implies, is the westernmost human region in D'hennex. Once, it was the central capital for the unified An-Yneaith's religion, but ever since the fall of the Emerald Dragon, that soon changed. As it came to pass, these core beliefs faded from Westphalia, soon replaced by its own religion which was developed over time. Nowadays, it is something akin to a theocracy, governed strictly by the same individuals that preach their religion. It is also considered one of the friendlier human lands in the continent, often pushing for diplomatic solutions instead of outward battling, unlike some of the other regions around them.

After the invasion of Cassandra Litvyak, whereupon she assaulted Garlan and tore apart the priests' summoning of their three goddesses, Westphalia has seen some exceedingly fundamental changes. Immediately after it saw itself in the throes of a civil war, with many of its denizens clamoring for reform, once they saw their deities being ripped apart by a mere mortal demon summoner. However, with its way of life threatened, the theocracy rallied behind the banners of three of its greatest houses, and soon enough a brief yet bloody conflict ensued. Later texts would call said conflict the Thrice Song of the Heavenly Faithful, even if in truth the three great houses organized a massive genocide of every living being they branded as a heretic.

Since then, the country finds itself divided between the Holy See of Westphalia and the lands of those that refuse to leave their home country and seek reform, even through conflict. Their lands have been termed as the Denarian Wastes, even if in truth it is fertile and arable enough to allow small patches of settlers to live in.

Geography

As stated before, Westphalia stands at the western edge of D'hennex. In reality it's more of a northwestern location, considering that it's not that close to the borders of the swamp lands that are the undead's domain, the Drovinian Reaches. The name Westphalia can most likely be construed as "west plains", for during the generations when An-Yneaith was united, it stood in the western plains of D'hennex only. But, ever since the Thrice Song of the Heavenly Faithful, Westphalia has seen some major changes. Retreating further upon itself, the Holy See of Westphalia has taken a monumental militaristic and religious approach right down to its core. Most of its major cities have been reinforced into durable fortresses. Many of them have been surrounded by a vast chasm carved into the earth by manifold magics, with a massive wall ringing said chasm to ward off invaders. Beyond them are several smaller encampments, and of course the Denarian Wastes.

• Denarian Wastes*: These lands are largely unaffiliated. Those rebels that wish to topple the Holy See or at the very least seek a more peaceful reform live in the Wastes. Among them may live true heretics, but all have been branded as such, and have been exiled by the Holy See. Skirmishes spring up from time to time between both factions, remnants of the Thrice Song of the Heavenly Faithful, pointing to a conflict that may very well never end. The Denarian Wastes are not badlands at all, and thus many villages thrive in them. Without the protection of the Holy See, they are more vulnerable, and have grown accustomed to developing their own powers and magics in order to defend themselves. The Wastes are largely unaffiliated, yet boast a sizable, albeit spread, population.

• Cuthbert Keep: Several miles on the main road from the Gates of Judgment, Cuthbert Keep stands tall as a city-fortress meant as a staging area for the Holy See's armies. Most of the time the Keep serves as a central hub as it dispatches Overseers and/or contingents of knights against the so-called heretics of the Wastes.

• Camp Vi Castis: Once merely a thriving mining community, Vi Castis has also been fortified and repurposed for the Holy See's machinations. Using its seemingly endless mining resources, the Vi Castis mining community has become a thriving manufacturer of magical technology to fuel Westphalia's war machine. Known as , Vi Castis specializes in creating a myriad of airships for the Holy See's use; mostly to serve as small staging platforms in the wall's defense. Otherwise, Vi Castis continues to harvest precious metals and minerals for all manner of uses.

• The Gates of Judgment and the Steps of Faith:

Economy

While not the most economically thriving nation on the planet, Westphalia is still wealthy enough to sustain itself with little cause for poverty for its citizens. It runs mainly on capitalism, though instead of some citizens thriving too much at the expense of others, the government pushes for equality, and giving charity to others is a rather normal occurrence in the daily life of its people. The Cathedral collects taxes, though they are also mindful of its citizens in this regard. Hardly anyone complains about their economical status, though there will always be exceptions of course.

To any of the other human lands that would accept this, the Holy See of Westphalia offers trade with them.

Governmental and social organization

Being rather theocratic, the very same people who manage Westphalia's religion also govern their country. Strictly speaking, government officials can be broken down into three positions:

• The largest echelon of their government is one man (or woman; Westphalia treats men and women equally, and any can be accepted into their government/religion), the High Priest. A High Priest is chosen by the previous owner of the position, who can give away their status at any time during their tenure. A new High Priest is chosen from any of the three current active Bishops. In the event that a High Priest meets his demise before choosing a successor, a new one is elected from one of the three active Bishops, chosen by the Priests. The current leader of Westphalia is High Priest Arlen Danek.

• Bishops are the second ladder in Westphalia's government/religion. They serve as the generals of the three military branches that serve as the nation's army, and are charged with leading them as their religion dictates. Bishops are also chosen by the High Priest, who chooses to elevate worthy Priests to their positions. The current Bishops are Arielle Pendragon, leader of the Templar of Sorrow; Sasarai Aringarosa, leader of the Apostle Circle; and Romerald Cuthbert, leader of the Trinity Knights.

• The Priests are the most numerous and versatile members of the Westphalian government. They serve as mayors, military lieutenants, judges, jurors, and of course they deliver the bi-weekly religious ceremonies in their respective region's church. Any Priest can do all of these or specialize themselves in any one duty. Priests attain their position through years of study and training. Their functions can branch from these major tasks as well, of course.

People who are not governmental/religious officials still can have jobs helping the government, as they are the majority and in some areas their aid is most welcomed.

Religion

Westphalians worship three deities, and are fervent believers of equality. On the other hand, their beliefs have led them to believe that the only true enemy of humanity are the undead. They have long since voiced and pushed for the notion of a temporary truce between the human lands so that they can rise up as one and one day eliminate the Drovinian threats.

The three deities are Illeanya, the matron of nature; Azhara, the matron of the mind; and Laisha, the matron of the spirit.

Military

The military in Westphalia is divided into three distinct forces. These are the Templar of Sorrow, the Apostle Circle, and the Trinity Knights. Despite having three wings to their army, as with the rest of the country's traits, while they are of excellent quality, they aren't exactly numerous.

• Trinity Knights: Bishop Romerald Cuthbert spearheads the Knights. This is the largest wing of the Westphalian military, and is charged with its defense. They serve as both soldiers and lawkeepers, ensuring the safety of the citizens from all angles. The Trinity Knights claim to evoke Laisha's mercy and wisdom, harnessing the power of their spirits when needed. All of its soldiers are proficient in using their ki in battle, though only a few of them are notably known to exhibit incredible powers.

• Apostle Circle: While the Knights are the largest wing of the nation's military, the Circle is the smallest. Their matron is Azhara, she who oversees the mind. The Apostle Circle, led by Bishop Sasarai Aringarosa, are charged with diplomacy and spywork at the same time. The Trinity Palace despises the use of spies, but also acknowledges that they're a necessary evil at times. As far as anyone outside of the government knows, the Circle is comprised solely of diplomats.

• Templar of Sorrow: The Templar are led by Bishop Arielle Pendragon. Their forces number somewhere between the Circle and the Knights. They are the polar opposite of the wing led by Cuthbert, favoring offense over defense. They are the official military wing of Westphalia, usually employing magic as their main weapon. Not surprisingly, Illeanya of nature is their matron. During times of need, though, all of the three wings can act in unison, and have often done so. (Note: their name doesn't mean that they live to spread sorrow, but, you know, to prevent it)

• Redemptionists: The Redemptionists are led by Rey Czupryna. Their forces number in the handfuls, currently consisting of at most fifty members. The Redemptionists are a sort of police within the military of Westphalia, they are the ones who hunt down and destroy the heretics and the corrupt within the other organizations, the politicians, and the populace. They are a secret organization, those outside of the Westphalian military and political machine do not know they exist, only hearing rumors of 'red cloaks.' They recruit based more on zeal and willingness to do whatever it takes than skill, but they are not bloodthirsty maniacs. Just pragmatists. If they must kill 100 to save 1000, well it is an acceptable loss.

Minor Population Details

Most Westphalian citizens are low-grade power wielders, and as such are completely defenseless against higher powered individuals. While the capacity to wield Ki is a potential that many have, not everyone builds up on it. Most that do end up joining the Trinity Knights. There is an even lower percentage of psions in the western country, and those that are born with the potential are pursued by the Apostle Circle, eagerly urged to join their ranks. Magic is the most prevalent form of power in Westphalia, though mostly people possess minor spells to aid them in their day to day tasks. Those that wish to pursue a more powerful form of magic are almost usually found within the Templar of Sorrow.

While its tastes in powers is diverse, Westphalia will always actively pursue and attempt to destroy any kind of craft involving necromancy and the undead. Their beliefs center around the purity and harmony of nature in all its aspects, and anything that disrupts that cycle must be destroyed for the greater good.

Humans and demihumans are the prevalent race in Westphalia. Aliens are frowned upon for the most part, and may be met with minor hostilities if they attempt to live within its borders, but people don't exhibit a rabid hatred for them like they do for the undead.

Foreign Affairs

Being a break from the norm, Westphalia has always been considered the friendliest of countries in D'hennex. Rather than being horribly hostile or selfish, the theocracy has always maintained a policy of being friendly to neighboring countries, unless any of these ever show hostile actions against it of course. While being fairly optimistic, Westphalia should not be believed to be a country of fools. Nevertheless, they have always pushed for an alliance between all human countries to unite against the terrors of the Drovinian Reaches, though no interest in rallying under the banner of An-Yneaith has been shown.