Lastwall

Lastwall is a land of rolling grasslands, primeval forests, and ancient battle scars. Once a landscape of orc holds and Kellid city-states dotted with Taldan supply forts, the Whispering Tyrant began to steadily consume the territory after 3200 ar. Orc and Kellid populations were pressed or enslaved into service, with those who fell—either in battle of ill-fated rebellions— animated to serve mindlessly until their bones crumbled to dust. Tar-Baphon’s forces razed entire cities and monuments, leaving only buried foundations that now litter the landscape as dungeons and makeshift crypts. By the time Taldor mobilized against the Whispering Tyrant 5 centuries later, generations of gloom and toil had rendered the landscape fallow and hopeless. War left new wounds upon the land. Strongholds and cities built to honor the Whispering Tyrant were torn down to the flagstones and used as the building blocks for new fortifications against the wizard-king. Mass battles left landscapes impregnated with shattered bone and bent steel, with many stretches of land still fetid and unable to support crops. Terrible magic and spirits still haunt many ancient battlefields, even a millennium later.

Despite the horror it has seen, those portions of Lastwall held by mortal hands are beautiful and bountiful. Proximity to Lake Encarthan provides ample rainfall and cool summers, albeit harsh and snowy winters. Growing seasons are long enough to support a variety of crops. The Northern Fangwood Forest and foothills of the Hungry Mountains effectively divide Lastwall in half. Eastern Lastwall is far more urban and reclaimed, with vast farms and ranches supporting cattle and the nation’s famous horses, as well as the trade city of Vellumis—an ancient Ustalavic port and the largest city in the nation. Western Lastwall is less tamed and more hostile—an irony, given that the nation’s capital of Vigil lies in this untamed half—with frequent incursions from Belkzen orcs, occasional resurgences of necromantic energy, and large tracts of land and forest left largely unexplored and untouched by modern hands. Roslar’s Coffer—western Lastwall’s southernmost town—exists largely by the grace of the Tourondel River, and little in the way of modern construction exists between it and the fortresses over 100 miles north except a well-guarded stone road and a few hunting lodges. Despite this isolation, the people of Roslar’s Coffer squarely consider themselves residents of Lastwall and do what they can to contribute to the nation.

With a strong-hearted and faithful military tradition, the people of Lastwall tend to be community-focused, forthright, and hard working. Their survival depends on trusting each person in the community to do their job to the best of her ability, and every citizen knows his community could fall to the next orc raid or harsh winter if he doesn’t give every task his best effort. As a people squeezed between two hostile presences, they are deeply devout, with most residents attending temple services multiple times a week, but as with all things, practicality comes first, and worship must wait if there is work to be done. Most citizens spend the spring planting, summers drilling with weapons and armor, and the autumn harvesting before the first hard freeze. The long, cold winters are a time of respite—orcs rarely campaign in the snow, and freezing temperatures harden the ground and prevent the restless dead from wandering—allowing more attention to hobbies, family, and friends. Feasts and marriages are common in the winter months, though most are generally small, local affairs, as roads during the Lastwall winter can be punishing even for seasoned travelers.

Government

Lastwall is governed by a single elected leader: the Watcher-Lord. The current Watcher-Lord is Ulthun II, a very young ruler only 26 years of age. Despite his youth, Ulthun II has already proven himself in battle. He is an ambitious leader who wants to secure and expand Lastwall's borders into the territory of its enemies in the Hold of Belkzen. Not only is Ulthun II a capable, talented young leader, but he is also an eligible bachelor with suitors swarming his castle in Vigil. Although his position gives Ulthun II absolute power, in practice he rarely exercises this, delegating authority and seeking good advice to help him rule as well as possible.

The power inherent in the position of Watcher-Lord creates the potential for tyranny, but this has never been a big problem in Lastwall. The Watcher-Lord is elected by the Precentors Martial of the Crusader War College, who look for purity of heart, clarity of mind, and someone who embodies the crusader ideal. As a result, there has never been a Watcher-Lord arrogant enough to try and assume tyrannical control over the country, as they understand that delegation of duty and working together are important for promoting the greater good.