Wildemount

Wildemount is an Exandrian continent located to the northeast of Tal'Dorei.

The second campaign of Critical Role takes place on this continent. The Briarwoods originated from Wildemount before seizing Whitestone. Taryon Darrington and his family were also residents of Wildemount.

The Shearing Channel
The Shearing Channel is the ancient divide between the continents of Tal'Dorei and Wildemount. A former land bridge between the two was destroyed by the catastrophic forces of the Calamity, leaving nothing but a broken landscape of jagged rock and winding rapids that is near impossible to cross. Many ships have tried to cross, and many ships have never been seen again. It is said that great monstrosities live beneath the ancient waves and devour any who seek to cross.

The Great Mystery
Still to this day the people of Exandria whisper of why the bridge was destroyed and what great monstrosities must lay beneath the waves.

Draconia
See Draconia.

The Menagerie Coast
See Menagerie Coast.

Wynandir
To the north and east of the Menagerie Coast and across the Cyrios Mountains lies Wynandir. This region is bisected by the Ashkeeper Peaks into eastern and western portions. In Eastern Wynandir lies the empire of Xhorhas, while Western Wynandir is ruled by the Dwendalian Empire.

The Dwendalian Empire
See Dwendalian Empire.

Xhorhas
In the expansive wastes and turbulent badlands of Eastern Wynandir are the lands of Xhorhas. In the northern reaches of this land the Krynn Empire, ruled by the Empress Leylas Krynn dominate. The southern portions of Xhorhas consist of awful marshes. Xhorhas is smaller than the Dwendalian Empire and has few natural resources. It was built upon the ruins of Ghor Dranas, formerly the city of the Betrayer Gods. It is a scarred landscape overrun with beasts and terrors left over from the Calamity.

One of the species known to inhabit Xhorhas are the toad-like, demonic nergaliid.

The Xhorhasians are derogatorily referred to by the Dwendalians as "cricks" (short for "crickets"). This is due to the holes that are cut into Xhorhasian armor, causing the armor to produce as a chirping sound as the troops charge forward.

The Greying Wildlands
North of Xhorhas lie the Greying Wildlands, a lawless realm harboring a curse that has kept it unconquered by human hands.

Environment
The climate in the central part of the Dwendalian Empire is similar to that of the real world's Central Europe and Western Russia. Farther south in Wildemount is warmer.

Demographics
Of the tieflings that originate from the same area (as opposed to being scattered throughout non-Tiefling populations), many come from Wildemount.

Politics
There is an ongoing war between the Dwendalian Empire and Xhorhas, which started with a number of cross-border attacks.

War Between Xhorhas and the Dwendalian Empire
With news reaching Zadash that the advancing armies of the Krynn Empire had broken through The Ashguard Garrison at the Brokenveil Bluffs, the threat of the looming dark skies that accompanies their armies grew. These dark clouds that hung over the Krynn lands to the east of the Ashkeeper Peaks, had begun spreading from the east, and if left unchecked threatened to blot out the sun from rising over the Dwendalian Empire.

Trivia

 * Wildemount was designed by Matthew Mercer with a real-world Eastern European influence. The Dwendalian Empire takes inspiration from 15th century Russia as well as Gothic nations in Western Europe (e.g., Prussia). Xhorhas has a more 13th century Romanian flair. Outside of Wynandir, on the edges of the Dwendalian Empire, the cultures and peoples of those regions display a distinctly 14th century Spanish flavor.
 * Matt incorrectly stated the year of Campaign 2 as being "335 P.D.", when it is actually "835 P.D."
 * The spellings in this article have been confirmed by the official map from Deven Rue.
 * The "cricket armor" of the Xhorhasian military is designed as an intimidation tactic (such as the wailing sirens of the Stuka dive bomber during World War II).