Western Zemlya

The Wartorn Front

**Western Zemlya**, (pronounced /wɛstərn zɛmlɛɑː/) is in the midst of a civil war with what is known as Eastern Zemlya to become the true rulers over what was known as Zemlya. However, it has been 284 years since the war was started and no victor has appeared in the conflict, peace negotiations have never come to fruition, due in most parts to the elixir *Red Deus*, helping large swathes of the infantry recover at miraculous speeds. The leader of this splintering country is Lord Anosov Slava, who was the leader of Serdtse and deemed themselves the true leader of Zemlya and fought for that position.

## Description

### Geography

The undulating hills and thick forests of Western Zemlya have all been hacked and carved to create defensible positions, only for these to be destroyed over and over, in a seemingly never-ending loop. The brooks and streams of the countryside, twisted to military needs, dammed and poisoned for an offensive or to secure a defensive. On the western border with Fracti Terra lies a range of mountains, creating most of the hills of the country.

## Society

### Demographics

The country is consumed by war and so are all aspects of life, people live on Ration Tokens, small metal tokens that can be traded into the government in return for food, water and all kinds of comforts. The amount of Ration Tokens you receive correlates with the amount your occupation is capable of providing to the war effort. For example, caravans carrying *Red Deus* and other supplies are a highly valued occupation, on the other end people within the arts have been ignored by their government for some time, almost all moving to enrol within the military, whereupon any Ration Tokens earned can be sent to family or friends. The wealthiest of these are nobles and high military officials, who are able to maintain a lavish lifestyle within their highly defensible estates.

The role of *Red Deus* is very different from within Western Zemlya than most of the continent as it is seen as government property and necessary for the war effort. It has become such a necessary resource for the conflict that even possession of *Vial Echoes* is illegal as they can be collected enough to heal a soldier in need.

## History

### Introduction of Red Deus

The introduction of the elixir into the country came over 700 years ago after non-aggression pacts were signed between Zemlya and Conamar, as Zemlya was famous for its military prowess. After seeing *Red Deus'* effectiveness in the Pobeda Games, let the representative of Conamar fight for many days longer than the others. This impressive show of competency led to enthusiasm amongst the people of Zemlya to have access to this elixir, an enthusiasm that was shared by the leaders of the country, and so the pacts were struck to acquire the elixir.

### The Start of the Civil War

The war started when the leader of Zemlya, Queen Tausheva Razum, was benefitting themselves by hoarding large supplies of *Red Deus* from the people and using them to supply their soldiers for future invasion plans. Lord Anosov Slava held a document that seemingly stated such plans very plainly. However, this has been vehemently denied by Queen Tausheva, claiming that the plan is a fake and an excuse for a rising against the royal family. Lord Anosov, resented these denials of his claim and started rising his people against this regime, eventually, the war started when the first shot was fired at a parade of Serdtse troops, journeying past Razum by an unknown and perhaps long-dead soldier in the Razum regiments.

The battle has been waged between the two sides, with a continuous stalemate presenting itself between the two, other countries supplying both sides of the conflict took to referring to the two as Western Zemlya and Eastern Zemlya to avoid any apparent favouritism.

### The Beast Scourge

There are a few reports from soldiers on the front lines of creatures that roam no man's land, between the two fronts, creatures that go as far to lack description as no words do their horror justice, creatures that could only be Beasts. When whole battalions of men would disappear from a quiet spot on the frontlines, the official notice was always MIA or victim of a covert attack, but the men on the frontline would always now, that those screams did not belong to any battlefield.