Verdun

Destroyed in the Day of Mourning at the end of the Last War, Verdun now exists only in the hearts of the refugees scattered across Argones.

Before the war, Verdun was the seat of the kings and queens of the Verdant Realm.  The wealth of the kingdom flowed through Verdun, and it was a nexus for commerce and culture.  By tradition, Verdun's Princess Mishann had the rightful claim to the throne of the Verdant Realm.  Verdunians take pride that they alone were in the right in the Last War, but they unquestionably lost more to the war than any other nation.  Verdunians stand on the moral high ground, but that often offers little comfort.

Verdunians like to say that their culture represented the best that the Verdant Realm had to offer, which is to say a little bit of everything.  Verdunians value diversity and versatility, both in talents and thought.  Verdun couldn't match Azinth in martial discipline or Aeranus in the arcane arts, but the flexibility of its forces reflected the nation's ideals.

Although the Soverign Host was the dominant faith of Verdun, the Suns of Pelor had a significant following as well.  Many survivors question their faith in the wake of the Mourning, but some believe that their anguish at the loss of their homeland is a divine trial, prompting them to cling to their faith more than ever.

Queen Dannel ir'Wynarn was in Metrol on the Day of Mourning and is presumed dead.  Her son, Prince Oargev ir'Wynarn, holds court in New Verdun, a massive refugee camp set up in Hosuth.  Some refugees support Oargev and the dream of a restored Verdun, while others prefer to focus on the future instead of trying to reclaim the past.  Many Verdunians are forced to decide whether they hold tight to their national identities, or instead consider themselves to be expatriates without a nation.

Verdun was the ancestral seat of the Dragonmarked House Cannith, the house of Making.  The house maintained arcane workshops across Verdun.  Surely untold treasures wait in House Cannith vaults for those who brave the dangers of the Mournland.

While not as flamboyant as Aeranuses, Verdunian fashions involved bright colors and glamerweave.  Some Verdunians have made a point of continuing this custom.  Others wear clothing cut in the Verdunian style, but entirely in black; this has become known as Mourning wear.

Stories say communities of Warforged live in the Mournland, including the insurgent called the Lord of Blades.

Some Verdunians have lost considerable wealth or status; others have family or loved ones who were killed in the Mourning; still others lost something they hope to one day recover from the Mournland - arcane research, an heirloom artifact, even precious family relics.  The disaster has impacted Verdunians of all backgrounds:  the estates of Verdunian nobles or soldiers may have been lost and their armies scattered, but they still have the respect of their comrades and peers.

Some Verdunians hold on to trinkets which embody Verdun for them.  A wand or weapon may be a family heirloom, while entertainers or guild artisans may preserve particular Verdunian traditions.

Many Verdunians are determined to solve the mystery of the Mourning.  Some want to help refugees, while others are concerned only with their own personal survival.  Some have things they would like to recover from the Mournland, while others would prefer to never set foot in Verdun again.  Some hold a grudge against the nations that fought against Verdun in the Last War while others are solely concerned with the future.

Verdun was devastated by the Mourning.  Its ruins have become grim reminders of the folly of war.  Unknown threats both magical and monstrous haunt the Mournland.

No nation won the Last War, but Verdun unquestionably lost it.  Other nations are recovering from the conflict, but Verdun is gone.  The lands not destroyed in the Mourning were lost decades earlier to the Howling Caves and Valenar.  Verdunians who survived the war must now carve out a new destiny in the lands of their enemies or in foreign nations beyond what was once the Verdant Realm.

Some Verdunians were outside Verdun when the Mourning occurred, or somehow managed to escape the destruction.  Hosuth has taken in refugees and created refugee camps.  Amatillia also accepted refugees but has worked to disperse and integrate them into the general population.  Some Verdunians are grateful for this, while others are bitter; some are lone survivors, while others have friends or family in refugee camps scattered across Argones.  Still others sought opportunities on the frontiers, settling in the jungles of Q'barra or seeking a new life in the distant desert lands of Xendra.

Many Verdunian survivors are soldiers, veterans stationed on the front lines when the Mourning occurred.  Some adventurers even form parties together, having already served together during the Last War.  Because Verdunians are so widely dispersed, one can encounter former comrades or friends anywhere in Argones.

Since Verdunians lost their lands, the distinctions between peasant and aristocrat have become moot.  Even with a criminal background, one may have been a viscount in Verdun; one's background reflects their current standing and the resources they can call upon in the present.