Mistral (kingdom)

Mistral  is one of the four kingdoms of Remnant in RWBY. It is located on the far eastern continent of the world. Like the rest of the kingdoms, it is governed by a ruling council.

Geography
Mistral is located on the continent of Onym, the second-largest landmass in Remnant. Mistral controls the most territory of all four Kingdoms, encompassing a wide range of ecosystems and many diverse cultures. Some of the terrain includes steep wind-carved cliffs, where the region was first settled.

The area to the west of Mistral is stated by Qrow Branwen to be filled with swamps. Small human villages are known to exist, though it can be difficult to traverse due to the presence of Grimm.

Surrounding the main city is the city of Windpath to its north and Kuchinashi to its south. Mistral is also home to the Mistral Trade Route, which is featured in a boardgame played by the members of Team RWBY.

History


Mistral's first inhabitants found shelter from the Grimm in the high cliffs, and from there came to build towns and cities along the walls. The population grew and began to expand its territory by utilizing the land.

Around eighty years before the events of the series, Mistral and the other three kingdoms – Mantle, Vale and Vacuo – were all fighting each other in what was known as the Great War. After years of bloodshed, the four kingdoms signed a truce on the island of Vytal. The end of the Great War led to a period of peace for all four kingdoms. The newfound peace was celebrated with the Vytal Festival, a biennial event where the people of Remnant gather to celebrate their unity and diversity, in which the kingdom of Mistral continues to participate.

Following the end of the Great War, four new academies were created in each of the four kingdoms to train Huntsmen, warriors trained specifically to fight the Grimm. Haven Academy was founded in Mistral.

Culture


Because it encompasses such a large area, Mistral has a very diverse range of lifestyles and cultures within its borders. Mistral's people have built their culture and technology around the geography and natural resources of the continent. It is stated by Qrow that all of Mistral's people are commonly linked by their respect for nature, particularly the sea and sky.

Mistral's populace is divided into two distinct classes. The high society of Mistral are world-rewnowned for their contributions to high culture, such as architecture, theater and fashion.



However, the lower classes are of considerable ill-repute, composed of unsavory characters like traitors, thieves, and assassins from all across Remnant to remain undetected. Mistral is home to the largest black market in Remnant. The services of assassins and even corrupt Huntsmen can be bought in the Kingdom if one has the funds to do so. The large distances involved make outlying settlements like Windpath and Kuchinashi harder for the council to govern, contributing to this corruption.

Academy


Mistral is the location of Haven Academy, the academy Teams SSSN and ABRN attend, as well as where Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai and possibly Neopolitan claim to hail from. Mistral is also presumably the location of Sanctum, the combat school attended by Pyrrha Nikos prior to Beacon Academy.

Sun Wukong emigrated from his birth kingdom of Vacuo to Mistral, where he also became a student at Haven Academy prior to the events of the series.

Mistral is the home of the annual Mistral Regional Tournament, presumed to be a combat tournament for huntsmen and huntresses. One of Pyrrha's major accomplishments is her record four consecutive tournament victories.

Trivia

 * Mistral may be named after the cold, dry wind that blows from the northwest onto the French Mediterranean coast.
 * As of Volume 3, the kingdom is represented by the color blue in the World of Remnant episodes. Vytal Festival tournament contestants from Mistral also have Aura monitors with a blue background.
 * The sea and sky are known to be important in Mistral's culture, which may be what the blue color is meant to represent.