West-Mernic culture, much like that of the east, is an intricate and often uneasy blend of peoples, traditions, beliefs, and commerce. It is the culture of the Pyreez Free States, whose citizens inhabit lands so ancient that legends claim even the gods once fought over them.

Though the western coast and much of the surrounding territory now fall under the occupation of the Paolemern Empire and its fanatical Corynth Crusaders, the eastern cities remain largely untouched by open warfare. This distance from the front has not brought peace, however, but rather a growing atmosphere of unease. Across the Central and Eastern States, fear, resentment, and political unrest simmer beneath the surface of daily life.

As in Karth, no single religion holds true dominance over the west. Indeed, organised faith is remarkably rare among the city-states, where commerce and ambition often eclipse spiritual devotion. The ancient traditions of witches, mystics, and sorcerers were persecuted long ago, driven underground by rulers who feared what could not be controlled. In the modern Free States, many whisper that gold is worshipped more faithfully than any god.

And yet, the old ways have never truly vanished.

Across taverns, alleyways, and hidden gatherings, whispers endure—of forgotten spirituality, of unity among common peoples, and of a liberty untouched by corruption or wealth. Such ideas are dangerous within the Free States, where oligarchs and merchant elites have long twisted culture into a tool of control, reshaping tradition and identity to preserve their own influence and prosperity.

To many among the ruling classes, genuine culture has always been a threat—a force capable of binding ordinary people together against those who profit from division. And so the question lingers quietly throughout the west: perhaps one day those stolen cultures will be reclaimed.