Waidor

The second largest kingdom in Fear Eagla, Waidor is set in a strange, but optimal place for its residents. Many merpeople and land-walkers call this kingdom home and contribute to the vibrant blend of land and sea cultures.

Banners and royal garments tend to come in teals/light blues, sea foam whites and deep greens with silver adornments.

Their banners are split with animal depictions depending on the side of the country. The land half has a banner with a horseshoe crab, and the seaside has an image of a mermaid. In the capital city, the images are combined into a mermaid wielding the spine of the horseshoe crab.

## GEOGRAPHY

Settled into a small cliff on the eastern coast, Waidor not only extends inland from a raised beach but into the sea as well. The castle resides between the two halves, serving as a metaphorical bridge between them.

## ROYALTY/ GOVERNMENT

Waidor is ruled by a matriarch, currently, Queen Cecille, who is treated like a vessel of god, and in wartime is protected as a high priestess. The oldest female descendant is named heir to the throne on their eighteenth birthday, with her youngest female sibling taking on the role of handmaiden to shadow the future Queen, just in case. All of the female royals possess the ability to land-walk and water-glide, allowing them to seamlessly move between the sections of their kingdom. The queens are seen as strong, warrior-like, and kind, and have been known to protect their kingdom at all costs. Kings are seen as the main guard to the Queen- valuable, but expendable. This allows for a monogamous relationship but also provides that the king cannot overstep his bounds of power at court.

Coronations are different here, donning their rulers in ceremonial tunics and jewelry made of shells and pearls. The ceremony takes place on the shores where each section of the kingdom meets, just outside the gates of the castle at sunrise. The sea begins to recede as the sun rises and is used to wash away the childhood of the royal, crowning them as the voice and vessel of the gods. The queen is bestowed a crown of sea glass by her younger sister or another young woman of her choosing, and the ceremonial conch shell. She is to blow into the conch shell as the sun fully passes into the sky, signaling the first dawn of her reign.

The court here is increasingly different to those of the surrounding countries, especially since the end of the war. Their royalty tends to dress down for most occasions, unless they are incredibly important or ceremonial in nature. They are also more likely to be more open to outsiders and newcomers in the court, teaching them the few rules that are a must to follow.

## CURRENT EVENTS

With the 50th anniversary of the end of the Brells War rapidly approaching, the Queen is preparing to send her youngest daughter- Princess Sallie- to Nesseona for her wedding to the Crown Prince, thus completing the final clause of the Peace Treaty between them. Though this is a solemn time for the royal family, many of the citizens of the kingdom are eager to see her off. Sallie has gathered a reputation as a troublemaker and a mischievous girl. She often sneaks out of the castle and brawls in the taverns under a fake identity, though she is often quickly found out. There are rumors around the kingdom that she is the only woman in her family who can't sea-walk, though it has never been confirmed.

The kingdom is also preparing for the autumnal equinox tide festival, which many are excited to participate in. Many will be able to see friends and family that would normally have a difficult time traveling to the opposite side of the kingdom, and preparations are in full swing.

## OTHER INFORMATION

Although Waidor's existence has been relatively peaceful, there was a prophecy many years ago that a sentient, winged creature would fly overhead in the kingdom's final days. The Queen at the time took this to mean the local populations and community of harpies inhabiting the nearby island of Harpies Keep would be the end of the kingdom during the early days of the Hellion Haze. In an attempt to save her kingdom, she closed the borders between them, as the Haze had just reached the Keep.

Many of the kingdom's documents about Harpies Keep from this time are either heavily redacted or lost in their entirety, though we've done our best to piece together and relay the little bits of information we do have.

There is mention of a battle on the island, but it is unclear if it was an internal skirmish or with another community. It is said that the battle was bloody and horrible, with many deaths. The Harpy population was almost destroyed due to this and the Haze and has only in recent years finally had an uptick in numbers. Many harpies migrated to Lurea and the Calador Mountains, and although many of the original harpies have died, a small population of them have evolved and integrated into societies across the continent.

It is unknown as to why Waidor kept such close tabs on the island during this time, but it is speculated that it was done to track the progression of the disease. Another unknown involves the records on Harpies Keep from this time and what happened to them, seeing as all other records form Waidor are kept in pristine condition and regularly cared for.

*Written by the research department of The Drinthis Institute of Magics.*