Westrend

Westrend stands defiant against the churning seas that batter its rocky
shores; a vast continent of mist-shrouded valleys, ancient forests, and
mountains that pierce the very clouds. Here, the people are as unyielding as
the land itself, organized into clans and holds that have waged war and forged
peace in cycles as predictable as the harsh winters that blanket the land.

The Five Great Holds dominate the political landscape, each centered around a
massive stone fortress carved into mountain sides or perched atop seemingly
inaccessible peaks. Largest among these is Grimhold, whose granite walls stand
three hundred feet high and enclose enough land to feed its population even
during the longest sieges. Its current lord, Jarl Hrothgar Bonetide, claims
descent from Westrend’s legendary first king, though such claims are common
among the nobility.

Between these mighty strongholds lie countless smaller settlements, from
coastal fishing villages to isolated hunting lodges deep within the primeval
Blackwood Forest. Life in these communities follows the rhythms of nature:
summer months spent farming, fishing, and raiding; winter spent in great
communal halls where skalds recount ancient sagas and craftspeople ply their
trades by firelight.

The coastal waters surrounding Westrend teem with leviathans and sea serpents,
making fishing a profession as dangerous as it is necessary. The most feared
of these creatures, the Kraken of Stormscar Deep, is said to be massive enough
to engulf entire ships within its maw. Yet even the cousins of this great
creature are hunted by the daring sailors of the Northfjord Harpooners, who
seek its ink for scribing
unbreakable contracts and its bones for crafting weapons of extraordinary
strength.

The horses of Westrend deserve their legendary reputation; as swift as
mountain
winds, intelligent enough to respond to whistled commands from hundreds of
yards away, and brave enough to charge directly at creatures twice their size.
The finest specimens come from the Thunder Plains, where semi-wild herds roam
under the loose stewardship of the nomadic Plainstrider clans. Exceptional
Westrend thoroughbreds can cost as much as a small ship and is considered a
diplomatic gift worthy of kings.

Recent decades have seen increasing contact between the Holds and foreign
powers, particularly merchants from the Kingdom of Nar seeking to establish
trade routes for Westrend’s prized iron, furs, and horses. These overtures
have been met with characteristic suspicion by most jarls, though a growing
faction advocates for stronger alliances to counter the looming threat of
Imperial expansion.