#wennex

It took more than three decades after the initial growth for King Cledwyn to settle his people down and properly unite the people in law and economics, even if many people under the Wennex crown still resented him. Sensing the end of his life coming soon, Cledwyn decided to square away one last grudge, and finish the fight that put him into power in the first place. In a quick war known now as The Last Conquest, the Wennex armies marched into Gowan, seized Gower’s Hall, and reunited the two regions. This would be not only King Cledwyn’s last conquest, but the last expansionist move Wennex would ever take. Cledwyn Andry died at the age of 82, leaving his eldest surviving son Camedyr the throne of Wennex.

King Camedyr is widely regarded in the history books as a good man, but a terrible ruler. King Camedyr could have been a good king in another time and place in history, but was exactly the wrong person to inherit the largest nation in the Riverlands at a time when it was just starting to calm down after The Last Conquest. Only four years after they surrendered the Gowermen reignited the war, and threw off Wennex’ rule in a quick, bloody battle. The leader of the Gowermen revolt, Marchioness Kalvine is said to have said “We surrendered to The Conquering King, who earned his place at the top, who earned our respect with iron and blood. Not his son, who couldn’t keep a barn under control if the chickens decided to revolt.” Gowan would only become more bold after this, and would start taking more and more Wennex land until the Lindish Wars to the north drew both their and Wennex attention. 

King Camedyr would not rule for long, and was deposed by his cousin Morgaine who was easily able to gain the support of various military leaders throughout the nation. Queen Morgaine Andry would negotiate with the Gowermen and both the Lindish Kings, and helped draw the borders along the Lune and Birch Becks that are maintained today. However Queen Morgaine could not return Wennex to its past glory, nor could she even keep the people of Wennex united, and to the south trouble grew, as radical thinkers and revolutionaries decided they had enough of being a conquered people, and had enough of any monarchy at all.

The first revolts sprouted up in the southeast, and were quickly put down by the Wennex armies. But whenever they were destroyed, two more sprouted up, as an entire people decided they had enough of the Black Hare, and would rather have self determination. The Penny Kingdoms, as these groups would come to be known are a people ruling themselves, with no hereditary monarchy or military tyrants. The name ‘Penny Kingdom’ is something of a mockery of the traditional governments of the Riverlands. “If only Kings and Queen and Lords can lead the people of the Riverlands, than Kings we will be! Kings who’s nations lands are their single farm, who’s people are their family and communities, and who’s vast treasuries contain merely pennies. Tiny Kings and Queens and Lords we will be if those titles are required of us.” Through sheer numbers, perseverance, and effort these people secured their lands, pushed Wennex officials out, and now live on all the lands between the Keer Beck and Dzirimacks Spine.

It’s at this point that the Church of Pelor, already a household name among most people of the Westerlands, truly began to gain power and influence. During the time of Queen Morgaine the church supported the people of Gowan, offering them aid in military and economic ways. After the Gowan-Wennex borders were properly defined, Queen Morgaine made and attempt to ban the faith in Wennex, as they had aided her enemies immensely. The effect this had was to bolster the faith among the common people of Wennex, for while the church publicly supported Gowan, for decades it had quietly been working its way into the towns and communities of Wennex, and helping its people just the same. And when the Penny Kingdoms broke away, Pelorite paladins and other warriors of the faith were seen on the frontlines fighting alongside Wennex soldiers to put down the revolts and establish the borders once the rise of the Penny Kingdoms was inevitable. It was at this time that Queen Morgaine passed away, leaving the throne to her son, and current King of Wennex, Harland Andry.

Like Camedyr, Harland is not considered to be a good ruler, unlike Camedyr, Harland is also not considered to be an especially good man. King Harlands rule is characterized by mismanagement and apathy, and it is in this power vacuum that the Church of Pelor rose to its current prominence. In places far from the capital of Lydham the church has all but replaced the Crown as the governing body, and has become the national religion in Wennex, as well as Gowan, and both Roe and Lim to the north. With Wennex as its staging ground, the church has spread across much of Skiaria and can be found, with much less power and influence of course, in Vinsoire, Kathery, the Diamond Peaks, and even some areas of Heide.