Wilderlands
 | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 606 TA |
| Size | Major Kingdom |
| Ruler | Lord Shackleford |
Although the Wilderlands were discovered during the First Age by both explorers from the Tang Empire and Rembia, it is doubtful that any permanent settlements were established during this time. If they were, no evidence exists today. This vast stretch of plains, rivers and forests reaches as far south as the Oily Sea and as far north as Balinshold. While bounded in the east by the great forest of the Evenwild, human settlements are principally along the coasts and riverways, and there are only a few settlements near the forest.
The people of the Wilderlands are principally descendants from the settlers of the Great Prison Exile. While unified in their hatred of the Old Kingdom of Rembia, the villages and towns of this area are governed locally without any overlord or king. The majority of the settlements in the Wilderlands are near the equator where warm summers, mild winters and an abundance of rainfall make for ideal farming conditions. Open to trade, the peoples of the Wilderlands use Tang merchants to export fine smoking weed, coffee, sugar cane, and ivory.
The Great Prison Exile
In 605-606 TA, a large migration from Rembia provided the first permanent settlements along the coast of the Wilderlands. Historians call this migration the Great Prison Exile as most of the men and women who migrated to this hostile land were prisoners locked in the Overlord's dungeons. Many, however, were not common murderers and cutthroats. These were political rivals to the monarchy, most notably the Crown Breakers, who were attempting to put an elected government into place. These zealots and the common thieves thought to be incorrigible by the Overlord were loaded onto great ships under secret orders to be sunk at sea. The prisoners discovered the plan, however, mutinied, took control of the ships, and sailed to the Wilderlands to get a new start on life.