Westguard (March)

Westguard is the large island in the northwest of the Valsgaard Archipelago. Before humans arrived, the island was only settled by orcs with one of the largest orc strongholds, Gorga-Uruk, situated on the eastern tip of the island. In [year] the Kingdom of Valsgaard invaded Westguard with the intention to establish the duchy of Westguard, but the campaign ended in a stalemate and the Kingdom was unable to conquer the eastern side of the island. On the western side of the island the March of Westguard was established as a buffer zone against orcish lands.

[DATE] The Human conquest of Westguard:
In the year [Insert year], the Kingdom’s conquest of the Valsgaard Archipelago was still ongoing and successful, but resources and manpower among the duchies were stretched thin. This meant that the King would have to focus on a single front for his further campaigns. The dukes of the Crest and the Sunderlands wanted the King to take over the orc-controlled lands bordering their provinces to expand their land, but the King instead chose to invade the island of Westguard because of the large orc settlement called Gorga-Uruk at the strategic position near the waters on the east of the island. This upset the Dukes, and they subsequently refused to send soldiers to aid the campaign in Westguard. Without the help of the two most powerful dukes of the kingdom, the war eventually ended in a stalemate after several failed attempts to besiege the stronghold of Gorga-Uruk. The King then decided to create the March of Westguard, which has been heavily fortified along the border with the orcish lands, and permanently garrisoned with a large portion of the King’s personal army. This war, however, created a long-standing diplomatic rift between the Dukes of The Crest and the Sunderlands, and the King and the Marquis of Westguard.

The failure of this campaign meant the first major defeat for the Kingdom, and signalled the beginning of the uneasy stalemate that currently exists between the Kingdom of Valsgaard and the Orc tribes.

Geography
Westguard is the northwestern most island of the Valsgaard Archipelago in the Sea of Austris. It is the 4th largest island of the island group.

The center part of the island is dominated by the Terval mountain range, stretching from the southwest of the island to the north east. The highest point is Mount Valstus, near the center of the island. On the western side of the Terval mountain range there is lush arable land, and on the eastern side are the less arable dryer plains. Near the mountains on the eastern side are large quantities of salt deposits.