Vazzir

**Vazzir** is a desserty country on the continent of Arrick. It's capital, Vol'At, sit's near the center of the country within the water fields.

## **Geography**

Vazzir is a desolate nation with few useful natural resources beyond the wealth of minerals that lie beneath its sands. In the west is the Endless Ocean. In the east and north are the Iron Mountains, an immense line of mountains that separate Vazzir from the rest of Arrick.

### **The Oases of Vazzir**

* The Northern Oasis, Casareen - The Largest Oasis in the country and a natural trade city due to its location between the capital and the various northern cities.
* The Southern Oasis, Halstar - The smallest of the Oases, Halstar has no real city built around it. Instead, a fortress built and managed by the crown holds and protects the Oasis from the Orc raiders.
* The Eastern Oasis - This Oasis has no name and is instead referred to by those who travel there as The Sunken Spout. Located within the Whistling Canyons, The Sunken Spout is hidden within the vast cave systems that run throughout the canyons.

### **The Water Fields**

The most hospitable area within Vazzir's borders, The Water Fields is filled with a series of interconnected lakes and rivers stemming from a deep underground lake. The capital of Vazzir, Vol'At, rests within the Fields.

## **Environment**

Vazzir is a hostile land, even for its inhabitants. Massive sandstorms roam the country and the temperature goes from scorching days to freezing nights.

## **Society**

### **Demographics**

Trostenwald is a small town in the Marrow Valley, with Allfield to the north being even smaller. Zadash is the second-largest city in the Dwendalian Empire, being the center of not just the Marrow Valley, but also the entire empire.

In Zadash and other regions previous ruled by the Julous Dominion, before falling conquered by the Dwendalian Empire, some of the cultural practices and beliefs had initially been merged and adjusted to enable a more stable integration with the laws, and rules of the empire.​[[]]​​[[]]​ Reflecting this fact was in how the peoples of the empire and those that enforced its rule were progressively more tolerating and more willing to bend the rules as one headed further away from Rexxentrum towards the outskirts of the empire.​[[]]​

### **Politics**

The current head of state is King Bertrand Dwendal. By the time of the second campaign, King Bertrand is in his 68th year​[[]]​. His law is absolute throughout the kingdom.

Whether or not he created the law himself, King Bertrand has been known to enforce the kingdom's ban on necromancy, as he prepared to seize the estate and lands of Sylas and Delilah Briarwood once they had been accused of practicing the forbidden magic. The citizens appeared to greatly distrust the school of necromancy, as a mob razed the Briarwood homestead to the ground shortly after, leaving the couple presumed dead.​[[]]​

In exchange for protecting its citizens from chaotic horrors and shadowed evils beyond its borders, the crown of the Dwendalian Empire demands that its citizens pay it tithe, follow its laws, worship its gods, and bow to the installed local leadership (known as "Lawmasters", such as Norda in Trostenwald). This accord has led to a prosperous century, primarily for the Dwendalian political elite. Otherwise, most citizens of the Dwendalian Empire are left to their own devices. However, tensions brew beneath the chafing watch of the Crownsguard.​[[]]​​[[]]​

Tensions are also rising with the land of Xhorhas, which borders the Dwendalian Empire to the east. In the past, the Dwendals have mostly left Xhorhas to its own devices.​[[]]​ However, there is unrest at the border caused by incursions of creatures from the east.​[[]]​​[[]]​ The creature Kylre, who caused multiple deaths in the town of Trostenwald, is presumed to have come from Xhorhas.​[[]]​

#### **Tithe collectors**

Every six months, tithe collectors (known to the commoners as "Reapers") went through the empire, each usually escorted by a couple Crownsguard. They were recognized by their black cloaks with gold trim. Reapers would go building to building, business to business. They inspect ledgers, ask about each business, look at the means in which they're living, and then make an estimation of what each Dwendalian citizen would owe for the biannual tithe. Reapers would then collect the money and then move on their way. Officially, this process was so each citizen could contribute to the military spending and social programs of the Empire as a whole. Unofficially, this was also used as a means of inspecting for any illegal activity and anything that goes against the Crown. Often, a lot of people got arrested for illicit goods and activities discovered while tithes were being collected.​[[]]​

### **Military**

#### **The Crownsguard**

→ *Main article: Crownsguard.*
 File:Crownsguard c.png
The Crownsguard is a paramilitary gendarmarie that serves a the primary law enforcement arm of the Dwendalian Empire, as well as its military reserve. They are sent throughout each major city in order to keep the peace, while also acting as a national secret police that observes and eliminates any opponents to King Bertrand Dwendal's reign. Their standard uniform and equipment consists of vermilion or maroon robes, bronze scale mail breast and arm plates, a shield, greaves, a helmet, a crossbow, and a basic longsword.

 File:Crownsguard Crossbow Concept e.png
#### **The Righteous Brand**

→ *Main article: Righteous Brand.*
 File:Righteous Brand Kite Shield Concept.png
The Righteous Brand is the military of the Dwendalian Empire. They wear plate mail with a silver and dark-crimson design.​[*citation needed*]​ They (along with the Crownsguard) are trained in Bladegarden.

 File:Righteous Brand Spearman Concept f.png
### **Religion**

Every temple in the Dwendalian Empire is government-owned and government-run. Religious practices are considered a social taboo, and the Empire looks down on divine magic with general disdain.​ Worship of unapproved deities (e.g. The Changebringer) results in imprisonment, on charges of "idol worship".​[[]]​​

In Zadash, worked into the government structure, heralds ran each shrine. They all held sermons and gave counsel to anyone who required it.​

## **History**

### **Expansion**

The Dwendalian Empire has slowly spread to encompass its neighbors - namely, the peoples of the Zemni Fields and the Marrow Valley - before finally conquering the Julous Dominion. With the Empire's victory in the War of the Dominion, all of Western Wynandir is controlled by the Dwendalian Empire.​[[]]​

Zadash was the last remaining bastion of the previous government over the Marrow Valley. However, eventually it was conquered and the whole Marrow Valley became a province of the Dwendalian Empire. With the conquest of the Marrow Valley, Zadash is now the most central city and is the second largest city in the kingdom. Thus, this has made Zadash an important center for travel and trade.

### **War With Xhorhas**

On the third of Fessuran 835 P.D.​[[]]​ word had reached Starosta Wyatt of Zadash that The Ashguard Garrison at the Brokenveil Bluffs had fallen to the Kryn Empire. With accounts numbering the dead at over 1000, war had been formally declared against the invading forces and on the wastes of Xhorhas.​[[]]​ It is unknown how the war goes, or to which side it favors, but, because of the sightings of the Mighty Nein, it seems the Dwendalian Empire is sending a majority of its forces.