Realm of Westelth

The Realm of Westelth, in southwestern Elthos, is the second-largest polity by geographic size on the continent after the Empire of Adana. It is isolationist and rarely concerns itself with the rest of the continent.

It is difficult for the Crown of Westelth to control the realm's many houses and courtly intrigue abounds, though it never turns to outright war, which would be viewed as dreadfully gauche. The nobility of Westelth virtually all worship a deity called the Prince, and assert that their claim to nobility is granted by the Prince Himself. There is a strong emphasis on martial prowess among Westelthian nobility and most attend numerous tournaments each year. Tournaments and duels are sometimes used to settle disputes where they have reached an impasse, though usually only between houses of similar power - to compel a major house to accept a challenge, a smaller house would firstly have to find numerous allies. Commoners in Westelth are notably oppressed - there is not even a true class of burghers as is common elsewhere, and the skilled artisans in the realm must all work in the direct service of a noble.

Westelth is an ancient realm. It uses its own calendar, which counts the Years of the Prince - as of 632 AF in the Imperial Calendar, it is 2730 YP in the Westelthian calendar. That puts its founding well before the First Greytide.

Westelth is notoriously isolationist. It declines any permanent diplomatic representation in its capital and maintains no permanent delegations abroad. It permits traders into its coastal ports, but they are not permitted to linger for long. Westelthian merchants abroad are taciturn employees of the Crown of Westelth.

Westelth has never engaged in a war of conquest, at least that any historical records show. However, on rare occasions, its many knights will come together for a Great March. The reason behind these campaigns is utterly opaque to outsiders. Mostly, a Great March will be called against non-human polities, but in centuries past, Westelth has undertaken a few Great Marches against human realms in Elthos. To the general relief of onlookers, the Great Marches appear to be limited in scope, and tend to end as abruptly as they start, with the knights of the realm then returning to Westelth and to their incessant internal squabbling.