Once upon a time, more than a millennium ago, a prince revolted against the tyrannical king. Having lost his land and pursued by the king's army, he led his followers to seek refuge  on an Island just off the mainland in the frigid Northern sea. There, the Prince Wilhelm the Devout proclaimed the creation of Nordinseln.Three generations later, the sitting Prince renamed the islands after his sainted ancestor, and the Principality of St. Wilhelm was born.

Welcome to St. Wilhelm, the little principality that could.

Today, St. Wilhelm is one of the northernmost regions of Nordreich. Prince Harold III was one of the founders of the confederation that would eventually lead to the creation of the Empire. It is also the smallest, consisting of the three Islands originally claimed by Wilhelm in the 11th century. The largest Island of the three, also named St. Wilhelm, is the capital and the largest settlement of the principality. The current ruler is Princess Charlotte, who was enthroned 10 years ago as the 5th sovereign princess in the principality's history.

Visitors to St. Wilhelm can reach the island through Imperial Highway 3, as well as by rail. The St. Wilhelm Central Station makes traveling to the Island easy and traffic-free.

Built on land reclaimed from the sea, the St. Wilhelm Airport welcomes visitors from around the world. Multiple airlines now have regularly scheduled flights to and from the Island.

Lovers of historical sites would find St. Wilhelm irresistible. The city is positively crammed with historical sites. One of the most popular destinations is the Prince's Fortress, built in the 13th century to defend the principality from pirates and hostile navies. It also served as the royal palace for a time. It is a well-preserved ruin today:

It is also spectacular at night:

Built in the 18th century, the Schloss Wilhelm is the seat of the government, and the official residence of the Princess and her family. The People's Assembly, the single-chamber legislature, sits nearby to make laws.

Around the corner from the Palace (it is a tiny island, things are a bit cramped)  is the magnificent St. Helena Cathedral, named after the sainted princess consort of Prince Haldor the Kind. After the original building was destroyed by war, a replacement was built over the long-standing ruins in the 17th century. Visitors can visit the royal crypts in the under-croft and observe archaeologists working under the crypts unearthing the ruins of the original church.

The St. Wilhelm Arch, erected with funds provided by Princess Charlotte, was created to commemorate founding of St. Wilhelm a thousand years ago. 

The mysterious "Black Chapel", the foundation of which is so old that it has been lost to history. The building atop of the foundation dates back 300 years. The crypt is the home for the Princely family's jewels, and it is heavily guarded.

Last but not least, the crown jewel of St. Wilhelm historical sights: the St. Wilhelm Castle, dating back to the founding of the principality. Legend has it that Prince Wilhelm erected the castle himself in 3 days, although archaeological findings and contemporary records from the Imperial Archives show that it was more likely built during the reign of his son Prince Henry. Abandoned after a fire in favor of Prince's Fortress on the shore, the castle has been in ruins since the 13th century, and it has been used as a cemetery for the Princely family and important nobles since the 15th. Today it is a landmark historic site, and archaeologists have been excavating the crypts under the castle to search for the rumored tomb of St. Wilhelm and other early princes.

Next: Growth and Expanding the city.