Wessil (wess-uhl)

The province has retained - at least for now - its system of rule that was in place for much of its time as an an independent nation, with a hereditary monarch as the head of government and state. The monarch maintains a large court, from which many of their advisors are appointed and among which social and political hierarchies are constantly established and challenged. At the conclusion of the Everyn War, the Federation allowed this hereditary monarch to stay in charge of the province as Governor, but that power dynamic is still up for debate in the long run. The governor has tried his best to stay on the Federation's good side, hoping they make this arrangement permanent.

The nation of Wessil was founded officially in 222 2A, when the industrious and ever-growing city of Crabbe-by-the-Sea began to muster armies and conquer lands further away from the coast. The first expansion was to Croppschire and its surrounding area, securing a vital source of produce and livestock to feed the growing nation.   As the nation grew even more in power, it began to trade with neighboring nations, especially the Dumein Dominion and Riverford, which both had a much tougher time than Wessil at importing goods from other parts of the world. Crabbe-by-the-Sea became one of the most lucrative and busiest port cities in eastern Ayndrinor, with goods coming into the port bound for lands far north.   Eventually, tensions between Wessil and its southeastern neighbor Brandis boiled over. Both had been vying to become the trade leader of the region at each other's expense, and the competition turned bloody. To secure their caravans and provide a safe stopover on the road to the Dominion, the queen of Wessil sent a group of settlers in 283 2A, to set up a trading post about halfway between their capital and nearest Dumeinor town of Velchester. This outpost - which became known as Crowsbane in later centuries - was quickly fortified to prevent Brandis from capturing it.   As the centuries passed, the three nations traded territory time and time again. Crowsbane was especially vulnerable to being conquered by one nation or another, as it was quite far from any other city or town from which reinforcements could be summoned. At the height of the conflict, Brandis held both Crowsbane and Velchester for several centuries, from 670-902 2A. Due to a variety of reasons, their nation began to weaken in the late ninth century, and both Wessil and the Dominion were quick to capitalize. Brandis lost Velchester and Crowsbane in just a few years, relegating their territory to only their capital of Mont Brandis. Since 902, Crowsbane has belonged to Wessil, except the few months during the Everyn War when it had been conquered and Crabbe remained defiant.   Wessil's historical legacy has been one of resilience and fortitude, with Crabbe-by-the-Sea only conquered once in its history before the recent Everyn War. Crowsbane has similarly proved difficult to defeat, with several different nations having launched failed sieges at the town's gates over the centuries. The main exception to this was a series of dragon attacks that culminated in Rastynex, the Corrosive Maven taking over the capital for a period of several months. The nation was in chaos, with the ruling monarch conducting business and hiring mercenaries from a tent on the Croppschire plains. Eventually, a combination of mercenary groups and remnants of the town's Watch were able to overcome the powerful dragon and wrest control of their city back.   Since the dragon attacks, Wessil has known little but peace and prosperity. The Everyn War was the only exception to this, bringing chaos, destruction, and upheaval to the area for several years. Wessil put up arguably the hardest fight against the onslaught of Dumeinor forces, outlasting many of the other nations in the region who either conceded without a fight or surrendered once their capital was threatened. Crabbe-by-the-Sea proved once again difficult to conquer, its oppressive swampy climate making it difficult for the Dominion to launch an effective siege for several months.   Rebuilding since the war has been slow, with Crabbe hit the hardest. Certain parts of the city are still uninhabitable from the Rastynex era over 200 years ago, and other parts were destroyed in the recent siege and eventual conquest. Historians are still trying to get accurate casualties numbers, but some early signs indicate Wessil lost around 25% of their population to the war or disease that spread after a city was conquered and parts left in ruin. To their credit, the Federation has sent caravans of gold to the province to help with rebuilding, but that does not fully redeem their image for most Wessilites, who still see them as oppressor and occupier.

The majority of Wessilites are of human descent, making up around 60% of the population. Many other races are represented in various areas, with a concentration of firbolgs in the plains areas and dwarves nearer the mountains. Halflings occupy a good number of farms across the vast plains, as well as running some of the most well-known taverns in the province. Crabbe-by-the-Sea is highly cosmopolitan, with a large variety of people relocating there from around the world, hoping to find work in the burgeoning port or lucrative trading and caravan industry.