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

 * &rarr; Main article: 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

 * &rarr; Main article: Draconia.

Draconia was a floating archipelago of cities on the continent of Wildemount, southeast of the Ashkeeper Peaks. It was a dragonborn kingdom and the home of Tiberius Stormwind.

Eiselcross
Eiselcross is a large body of land to the north of the main Wildemount continent. It is separated from the mainland by The Frozen Depths- a large channel of water. Other than two small ice fishing villages that are considered part of the Dwendalian Empire, it is uninhabited. Dangerous beasts live outside of the villages so people do not go there.

The Menagerie Coast

 * &rarr; Main article: Menagerie Coast.

The Menagerie Coast is a collection of citie-states on the southwestern coast of Wildemount and the Swavain Islands, bound to mutual self-defense and trade with each other through the Clovis Concord.

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

 * &rarr; Main article: Dwendalian Empire.

The Dwendalian Empire is a nation on the continent of Wildemount, dominating the western half of the region of Wynandir.

Xhorhas

 * &rarr; Main article: Xhorhas.

Xhorhas lies in the expansive wastes and turbulent badlands of eastern Wynandir. The empire is largely centered in the northern lands surrounding the ruins of Ghor Dranas. Known as the Kryn Dynasty, it is ruled by the Empress Leylas Kryn.

The Greying Wildlands

 * &rarr; Main article: Greying Wildlands.

The Greying Wildlands lies north of Xhorhas and the Dwendalian Empire in Wildemount. It is 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 Kryn 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 Kryn 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 Germanic nations in Central 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).