City Map of West Haven

City Map of West Haven by Jaques Smit

West Haven, the illustrious capital of West Rendin, was founded by the visionary Armand du la Rent in 325 A.R.M. Over five hundred years later, West Haven is steeped in history, commerce, and culture. It’s busling streets are filled with street performers, merchants trading goods from all over Ayrul and guards keeping the queen’s peace.

Historical Overview

Foundation: Armand du la Rent’s ambition to strike north and unify the diverse tribes of Azrea under a single banner, led to the building of West Haven as a fortress at the fringe of the Grengar Empire. His son, King Louis du la Rent, further fortified the city by constructing the West Keep in 370 A.R.M.

Prosperous Era: Once Louis, with the support of the stillari and dwan, drove the grengar from Kindra, and reclaimed the Holy Mountain, Louis converted the Rendinian people to the Cult of the Weave. West Haven fast became the centre of trade, facilitating pilgrims to Kindra, offering a safe harbour to traders, and facilitating trade between the species of Azrea and the humans of Apour.

The Age of Horror (500 - 582 A.R.M.): An undead plague ravaged the east and threatened to spill into the rest of Azrea. King Armand du la Rent II mobilised the nation to repress the flood, and West Haven played a key roll in facilitating the ultimate suppression, if not defeat, of what is now known as the Dead Land.

Rendinian Civil War. In 723 A.R.M. King Ferdinand, seated in East Haven, and Queen Armandine, seated in West Haven, each lay claim to the throne of Rendin. The result was a bloody war that ended in a stalemate that tore the once mighty kingdom in three. West Haven remains the capital of West Rendin, and serves Queen Armandine as her seat of power.

Legacy of The Grand Palace

West Haven's Grand Palace has towering spires and emerald rooftops stretching hundreds of feet up. Ferdinand’s desperation to own the capital’s gem, contributed to the protracted nature of the civil war. During the aftermath of the Age of Horror, a powerful wizard named Vernum Salja, one of the heroes who ended the surge of undead from the Dead Land, offered King Armand a trade. In exchange for acknowledging the sovereignty of The Isle — an independent society of wizards — Vernum and his followers would build the King of Rendin a palace of unequaled scale and splendor.

To the Rendinians, the Grand Palace is a symbol of their tenacity in the face of adversity. The cities ability to smile and look up, when the world is set against them. West Haven’s people, like their city’s centre piece, are elegant, proud, and prone to grand displays.

Sociopolitical Landscape

• Government: West Rendin is a Bureaucratic Monarchy under the reign of Queen Armandine du la Rent, with Duke Ailon du la Rent and Mayor Elizabeth le Roux as notable figures in governance.

• Religion: Rendinians follow the Cult of the Weave and as such believe in balance. They celebrate diversity as the means by which balance is maintained.

• Economy: The city thrives on trade through its harbour, specializing in the export of iron, pottery, fish, and lumber, among other resources.

• Law and Order: The West Haven Watch, renowned for its criminal detective service, maintains the law, although it faces challenges from criminal factions like the Black Wolves and the Magpies.

Magpies

(Dagger and the Bird tattoo by Romain Sureau)

A thieves guild, founded in West Haven in 500 A.R.M. They have a strict code under which all their members operate. They believe that their purpose is to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor. The Magpies’ Code strives to minimise human costs in the process. Due to the popularity of the Code, the guild has expanded quickly, and nearly every city in Azrea contains members bearing the Dagger and the Bird tattoo on their left shoulder.