Lastwall

 Lastwall

The historical nation of Lastwall was founded in the 9th century AR with a dual purpose. The first was to keep the Whispering Tyrant and his minions, who had been imprisoned in the former capital of Gallowspire at the end of the Shining Crusade, from ever escaping and threatening Golarion again. The second was to hold back back the violent and expansionist orcs of the Hold of Belkzen who had previously served Tar-Baphon. For over 800 years, Lastwall's government and people followed these mandates closely and destroyed any threat that emerged from across its northern borders, while keeping a close eye on the prison of the lich. In 1719 AR, however, Tar-Baphon was able to free himself, and is gathering his forces to obliterate Lastwall's capital of Vigil and conquere the rest of Lastwall, planning to transform it into a haunted wasteland known as the Gravelands.

Structure

Lastwall is governed by a single elected leader: the Watcher-Lord. The Watcher-Lord is Ulthun II, a young ruler only 29 years old. Despite his youth, Ulthun II had proved himself in battle. He was an ambitious leader who wanted to secure and expand Lastwall's borders into the territory of its enemies in the Hold of Belkzen. Although his position gave Ulthun II absolute power, in practice, he rarely exercised this, delegating authority and seeking good advice to help his rule.

Even though the absolute power wielded by the Watcher-Lord created the potential for tyranny, this was never a problem in Lastwall. The Watcher-Lord was elected by the Precentors Martial of the Crusader War College, who looked for purity of heart, clarity of mind, and someone who embodied the crusader ideal. Because of this, there never was a Watcher-Lord arrogant enough to try and assume tyrannical control over the country, as they all seemed to understand that any internal fighting for control of Lastwall would threaten the nation's primary purpose of containing the horrors of Ustalav and the orcs of Belkzen.

Military

During the last decade, a divide began to grow between the military government in Vigil and the fort commanders on its border with the Hold of Belkzen. Out in the field, many of the soldiers believed that the central government was more interested in maintaining the status quo rather than taking the fight to the orcs. Regional fort commanders, such as Captain Thaum Gauntwood of Castle Everstand, were tempted to take matters into their own hands if they did not receive more support from Vigil, but never ended up doing so.

 Patrols

Since the moment the nation was founded, the soldiers of Lastwall were on constant guard against the orcs of Belkzen and the various undead menaces of Virlych. The most intense military action took place on the plains of the Belkzen frontier, but the Lastwall patrols also scouted the Hungry Mountains, looking for any sign of undead activity. As these latter missions rarely uncovered any threats in the decades before the Whispering Tyrant's re-emergence, they were largely dismissed as inconsequential by the younger soldiers. The veterans, however, saw them as the backbone of Lastwall's reason for existing, and held them in much higher regard. Crusader doctrine considered the orc menace as a by-product of the Whispering Tyrant's rise, and saw that maintaining the seals that keep the lich imprisoned was every soldier's uppermost duty.

Cavalry

The cavalry of Lastwall is legendary for its ability to turn the tide of battle. Its expertly-trained horsemen and magnificent mounts could maneuver in tight formation and, when charging, presented an unstoppable wall of hooves and steel. Sometimes, the Lastwall cavalry only needed to appear in order to trigger an enemy rout. The last such decisive battle took place in 1695 AR, when a force of 173 mounted knights rode down a force of over 2,000 infantry under the command of the orc Warlord Graukrad.

Demography and Population

The inhabitants of Lastwall were mainly human, but were willing to accept people of any race willing to dedicate themselves to the national cause. They were largely hardy and friendly, especially towards any heroic crusaders who came to help defend their land, or assist Lastwall's government in maintaining its vigil over Gallowspire. In the last several decades, fewer of these brave individuals emigrated to Lastwall, instead heading north to Mendev to hold back the ever-encroaching horrors of the Worldwound. This lack of new recruits to Lastwall's cause was a matter of much concern amongst its government and residents. Some feared that without a new influx of blood, Lastwall would eventually fall to the orc hordes that lay across its northwestern border, although this concern ultimately was unfounded.

Territories

Lastwall was a nation marked by both impressive geographical features and regions of danger. It was located on the western shores of Lake Encarthan, the largest fresh water lake in Avistan, and Lastwall's largest city, Vellumis, sat on Encarthan's banks. To its north, just across the border with Ustalav, lay the Hungry Mountains. To the south lay the Fangwood, the majority of it within neighboring Nirmathas. Despite these regions of bountiful natural resources, Lastwall was bordered by two incredibly dangerous areas. To the northwest lay the lands of the Hold of Belkzen, a barren region of dusty plains filled with savage hordes of war-loving orcs. To the north, nestled in the Hungry Mountains, lay the Ustalavic province of Virlych, home to Gallowspire, the prison of Tar-Baphon, which was inhabited only by the restless dead.

Foreign Relations

Lastwall is on generally good terms with the newer nation of Nirmathas, its direct neighbour to the south, even though Nirmathi troops proved somewhat unreliable and undisciplined during joint missions. Some in Lastwall preferred the more disciplined soldiers of Nirmathas' primary antagonist, Molthune, instead, but were unwilling to provoke Nirmathas by doing so, given that their southern border was the only one they never had to constantly patrol. The government is also on congenial terms with the other nations bordering Lake Encarthan, although they kept a close eye on the tyrant of Razmiran, and the prophets of the so-called "Living God". Relations with Kyonin were cool, as the elves refused to aid Lastwall in the defeat and containment of the Whispering Tyrant.