Chapter Text
When Laura Hale thinks about her country, she knows the territory of Westenra is unlike any other country within the modern world. When conflict with the natives rose to such unprecedented levels when the European settlers began to populate the north west part of what is now the continent of North America, the then fledgling governments of what would become the US and Canada physically walled off a large section of their western sea bordering lands by building what would become known as Pandora’s Wall. Within the walled off lands, they released a virus created by Thomas Jefferson which they hoped would eradicate the warring settlers and natives leaving the land clear and free to be repopulated in a peaceful manner. Things did not go according to plan and instead of killing off the entire population behind Pandora’s Wall, the virus only served to mutate the decedents of the natives and the settlers, enhancing the aggressive, warmongering traits of the physically strongest and largest leaders in the population, and the nurturing, fertile, community building aspects of others. The rest of the population was left with nothing more than an enhanced sense of smell and hearing, thus leading to the creation of the three classes in Westenra: the alphas, the omegas, and the betas. Shortly after rumors of these mutations surfaced to the wider world Westenra turned its back on the rest of the world and refused outside contact until nearly 1910.
In current Westenra the only government that exists is a complex centralized military structure whose main goal appears to be keeping some semblance of peace within an underdeveloped and violent country. Hunger and mob justice is common within Westenra, there is no industry other than war, no economy other than a loose bartering system, and no social services. Instead, the majority of the population of Westenra has alined itself to one of a large pack-like tribe families which rule Westenra based on sheer physical intimidation and force. There are thirteen well known large tribe families, all with varying power and their own smaller armies. All thirteen of the tribes contribute to the larger, centralized military force, and many of the tribes’ most powerful and influential warrior alphas make up the officer class of the centralized military. Omegas are traded and mated between the tribes in order to increase relations between the families. In such a cruel and barren society, family and bloodline is everything. Without a family chances of survival and a comfortable place in society is severely decreased. The countryside is populated with dangerous rogue groups of betas or alphas who survive through pillaging, theft, and murder. Cannibalism of omegas in particular is not unheard of. Many orphaned omegas and betas are kept in shoddy state-run institutions where they are fed and housed en mass in dismal conditions, while the alphas pledge themselves to one of the lords of the tribes early as a soldier.
One of the oldest and most powerful tribes of Westenra is the House of Hale, headed by her ladyship Alpha Laura Hale. Laura rules a vast army with an iron fist and is largely considered one of the wisest, most powerful female world leaders despite her young age of 31. In addition to heading the Hale tribe, Laura is seen by the international community as the unofficial representative of Westenra on the world stage. The tribes of Westenra are fiercely traditional and guard their ways closely. Alphas are historically over-protective and territorial, and they are reluctant to have their omegas and betas interact with the rest of the world. Her ladyship Laura Hale has two younger blood siblings, Lord Derek Hale and Lady Cora Hale. Lady Cora Hale is an alpha medic and doctor who resides with Laura and her court within the Hale compound, and alpha Lord Derek is a decorated warrior Master Commander of the elite Black Wolves forces of the Central Military. Derek is known to the forces of the Central Military and the general population as the Dark Prince of Westenra. Following the violent deaths of his parents, the only male child of the Hale tribe took his responsibility to his remaining family seriously and enrolled in Snakehead Military Academy as the mere age of 12. Sources close to the alpha say that something died in Lord Derek along with his parents all those years ago. At 22 Derek’s eyes are keen and observant, but the alpha lacks any sign of humanity or weakness. Derek is a leader, a warrior, and the embodiment of military power. Derek is the strength his tribe needs in a conflict zone such as Westenra, and Laura is grateful for her brother’s prowess, but Laura is also worried. Laura knows things most people do not, and that includes things her brother would rather she didn’t know. Laura knows Derek came up hard at Snakehead. He was at least three years younger than any of the other cadets and had only been allowed to enroll because he’d threatened to run away if she hadn’t made it happen. Derek has fought tooth and nail through the ranks to be not just respected, but feared. Now sometimes Laura looks at Derek when he’s home from missions and wonders if her little brother lost his soul somewhere along the way. And sometimes Laura watches Derek dispatching enemies from afar and sees the coldness in his eyes and thinks he never had one to begin with.