Neustria

Neustria was a tribal confederation living to the West of what was to become the Rividia. Southeast of Weyland, North of Tilia and South of Ostland.

Followers of the Pantheon of the Gods still hold prominence amongst Western Kingdoms but the sway of the One God is taking hold.

The Western state has consolidated its hold over large parts of Neustria, developing into the current Neustria which dominates most of the land of Neustria.

Contemporary definitions of the ethnicity of the Westerners vary by point of view. Many in the East used the term "Westerners" to describe or refer to Neustria in general. It is unclear, though, to what extent different Western Kingdom groups described or referred to themselves as the Westerners.

Within Neustria, the Westerners appear to have initially been a distinct group with their own culture but the Western identity has gradually changed from an ethnic identity to a national identity.

The capital of the North is Garonelle the original home of the current Neustian Queen and the Southern capital of Caercassonne guards the southern borders from The Tilian Empires' expansion.

After the Nuestrian Revolution in which the old King and Blue Blood Nobles were defeated in a terrible war that saw much Nuestrian Blood spilt.

Queen Amelie was chosen as the current ruler of Neustria. She spends the summer in Garonelle and the winter in Caer Cassonne, the whole court travels en masse. She is loved by her people and seen as a very fair and just ruler. Queen Amelie is in fact a Witch and partially due to this, magic is not only tolerated but in fact, some of the greatest Sorcerers are found in Neustria. Neustria is famed for its Arcane Academies. The current King of Neustria is King Rikard XI, he is a very popular charismatic leader who spends vast amounts of time fighting in the Unholy Land leading his Knight Templars in the crusade against the Maw threat.

The northern province of Neustria is controlled by Baron De Witrin who is charged with protecting the northern borders from Weyland and the Ostlanders. The enmity between the De Witrins and the Ostlanders is legendary. Baron De Witrin is a cousin to the Queen. Caer Witrin is a large citadel that is home to the De Witrin family.

Neustria is considered to be the most advanced nation in The Western Kingdom, its art, music and technology have begun to strive in advance of its neighbours. From Gun Works, art studios, printers and the famous Clockworks that have finally completed the clockwork railway and train between Caer Casonne and Garonelle.

Slavery is fairly rare Neustria however they do have a large Serf population. Although the lot for the Serf has generally improved of late, as Queen Amelie has been known to hang a noble for their poor treatment and murder of serfs. Recent laws have been introduced to ensure that serfs cannot be murdered or raped and come under the same auspices as a normal Neustrian Citizen with regard to these matters.

The Neustraian Revolution saw dark times in Neustria, where the then King and many of the ruling Noble families saw the people of Neustria as little more than peasants or cattle and theirs to be treated how they liked. When the nobles embarked upon the dark path that created the Blue Bloods, through an alchemical process this gave immortality to its recipient it also caused a terrible curse of never-ending hunger where the folk of Neustria became the means to feed the nobles. The few nobles that survived fled into exile hiding in the empty countryside and borders of other nations.

The commoners rose up led by a few stalwart heroes and this led to the eventual overthrowing of the monarchy of that time.

Neustrian language is divided into two distinct dialects, Neustrian Common and Neustrian High Speech. Neustrian common has been adopted of the centuries as the trade language and common tongue spoken by virtually all folk of The Western Kingdom. Neustrian High Speech is spoken by the nobility and academics of Neustria and is commonly not known outside of these circles, especially the peasantry and serfs.

Human traits and Fashions

Averaging 5’2” to 6’0” in height and weighing between 100 and 250lbs on average. Skin colour ranges from pale to dark; hair ranges from Blond to Brown to Black. Eye colour usually ranges from Blue to Brown. Men are found in equal numbers to women and apart from childbirth, men and women can be found in any role.

Clothing is usually practical and layered for the commoners but is extremely lavish and stylish for the upper classes. Colours tend to be strong and they often use other colours to accent. Wide-brimmed hats are extremely popular for all classes.

Masks are worn by the upper classes frequently during social gatherings and by those that wish anonymity or even a disguise to undergo their activities. Masks are normally light in construction and styled in a more theatrical manner often depicting gods/goddesses and animals and even more extremely very plain and simple.

Male lower classes tend to wear their hair short and often sport beards and moustaches; whereas the upper classes wear it long and well-groomed. Female lower classes have long hair, normally tied into a braid or left loose; and female upper classes wear is long but highly groomed, sometimes to an extreme. 

Tattooing is not uncommon, script being the most popular.

Piercing is very common for both sexes.

The humans of Neustria are racially no different from typical Westerners.

Racial Diversity, whilst most of the population is human a large number of the other races appear as well, there are more Duer Holds and more High Ael communities in Neustria than anywhere else. There is even a Dark Ael enclave in Caercassonne.

Neustrian Lancers, are the pinnacle of modern warfare typically found wearing a Plate Cuirass or even Field Armour in battle. They wield their Lances, Longswords, maces and shields in battle. Skilled in the art of mounted combat, a Neustrian warhorse makes them the finest cavalry in existence. They are also trained in the art of duelling and even brawling. Every major household and even many smaller ones have Lancers. They form the bulk of the forces that have travelled to the Unholy Land since King Rikard XI converted to the One God and led his crusade there. Lancers are often granted the title Knight once entering the King's service.

Neustrian Army, a mixture of regular soldiers, mercenaries and yeomen make up the bulk of the army however even criminals are given an opportunity to commute their sentences to service in the penal corps. Considered a veteran army and whilst not as skilled as the Tilian Legonari they outnumber the Tillians at least two to one. A recent addition to the Neustrian army is the use of cannoneers and musketeers who are used to devastating effect. That and with a brigade of Neustrian Lancers make Neustria almost unassailable.

The Neustrian Navy is in actual fact little more than a pirate fleet, these privateers find sponsorship from Neustria and actually protect the coastline from invaders and pirates. Whilst using this position to smuggle goods in and out of Neustria for their own gain.

Queensmen, were once a revolutionary group called the Libertines opposed to the royalty and oppression of the masses, however since the rise of King Rikard XI and especially Queen Amelie, their sponsor; they found themselves with little to revolt over. They have been given a role as the domestic intelligence and security service of Neustria under the jurisdiction of the crown. They act as federal law enforcers and are criminal investigators and counterinsurgents.