The Disputed Lands

The Disputed Lands, more formally known as Velen and sometimes called No Man's Land, is a region situated in northern Borczeg, situated between the nations of Cheliax, Sembia, Calimshan, the Galt Enclace, and to a lesser extent, Nidal and Druma.

Overview
It's said that once, a long time ago when the Vrans (the local ethnicity) ruled from the lost city of Loc Muinne, the slopes of Velen bloomed.

This prosperous region and its fertile land and many silver mines eventually caught the eye of the Thay Empire and Sembia both. After a series of brutal wars, the people of Velen could not hold on anymore and their society collapsed entirely. Since then, the region has been the center of near-constant war between various militaries, most notably Cheliax, Galt and Sembia (though others are commonly found here as well). Who occupies it and for how long are constantly shifting and rarely the same answer from month to month to month. The locals have learned to accept this as a fact of life and refer to whoever currently occupies the region as "The Powers That Be".

Today, Velen is a popular destination for mercenaries and adventurers, who explore its many dark swamps and dense, mysterious forests in the hopes of finding the lost treasure of the lost Velen society and their Barrow Kings.

In the depopulated wastes of the No Man's Land, one often runs across armed men of all stripes--mercenaries, soldiers from various disbanded legions, marauders and common bandits, among others. Hired swords find work protecting merchant caravans just as often as they do raiding them.

History
A thousand years ago, Velen was a lush, prosperous region and its hills bloomed. The Vran people lived here in peace and it is known that the Vran people had contact with the people of ancient Druma, though whether those interactions were friendly or hostile is unknown today. The Vran were an artistic culture with unique religious and burial customs for the region. Due to the region's extensive wetlands, burying their dead was not really an option. Instead, they were interred in underground burial complexes, most commonly in complexes dug into the sides of hills and mountains they called "Tors", which roughly correspond to the Barrows found throughout southern Borczeg. A few of these burial sites have been found that seem to have been built with a stone tower over it, though these were considerably rarer and seem to have been guard towers for royal Tors. The landscape is still dotted with ruins and the remains of ancient stone walls from the Vran, though much of these remnants were destroyed over the past six centuries, through both the unending march of time and in the midst of the constant fighting.

When Erexius came to Nidal and the country fell to his machinations, Velen received many of its fleeing refugees. In 649 SE (2655 CR) the region was targeted by the Thay, who began a series of invasions. Sembia, their neighbor to the east, began to do the same. Between these two enemies and the feral orc tribes from the mountains, Velen's last Barrow-King fell in the autumn of 655 SE. It's people were killed, raped and hanged.

Since then, Velen is where the forces of the Chelish Empire clash with the armies of Sembia and Galt, and occasionally Calimshan, forcing battlefronts along nearly every border. This has left the Disputed Lands a desolate wasteland. Even today, the locals still living in the area are continually abused by occupying military powers. As of the autumn of 3288, after literal centuries of near-constant warfare, the stalemate has caused Cheliax and Sembia's temporary withdrawl. In the wake of this, a semi-autonomous state under the leadership of Hans Strenger--a former Lastwall commander better known by his moniker of the Bloody Baron-- has been established in the Disputed Lands through decisive (if ruthless and amoral) action and force of arms, consisting of the remnants of the former Lastwall army.

The Baron's rule is harsh and perhaps reflective of the land itself. His men are ill-disciplined and overly fond of brutalizing the local population. Law and order are in short supply, as are food and supplies. It is a war-ravagaed and unforgiving place, ruled by a man of similar temperment. The Bloody Baron rules from Crow's Perch, a rundown fortress occupied by the Baron and his forces.

Climate
Unlike the rest of northern Borczeg, which is a hot and humid, the Disputed Lands are relatively cool and temperate, experiencing all four seasons. This is due to its unique geographical location, serving as a valley between two large mountain ranges.

The weather, however, is quite volatile with constant, powerful storms commonly ripping through the countryside. These storms are violent enough that entire villages have to batten down the hatches, so to speak, to ensure their flimsy stick houses aren't blown over.

People and Culture
The people of Velen are a gray, bleak, downcast and superstitious lot, a desperate people at the end of their rope. They are surrounded by death on all sides, the remnants of a thousand battles a constant reminder of the cruelty and blood that stains the land. They are not particularly cheerful or educated or hospitable.

These desperate people face their bleak lives in one of two ways: through grim resignation or violently fighting back. Crime is a given fact of life anywhere but in Velen, it is constant. Travelling through the region, even just from village to village, by yourself is often seen as akin to committing suicide. Murder, robbery, rape, assault; these are all common in the Disputed Lands, and part of that is due to the desperation of the local populace.

They are a superstitious people who fear magic. Spellcasters of nearly any walk will usually be chased out of town at best or stoned or hung at worst in most communities, license or no license. A lot of this stems from local fears and paranoia concerning fey and especially Hags.

Storm-Peace
Despite the tumultuous, dangerous and often violent temperament of the land and her people, there is one common tradition found throughout Velen, a custom dating back thousands of years and honored still today, even by foreign powers occupying the area. This is known as the Storm-Peace.

The custom of Storm-Peace evolved long ago in response to the sudden and severe storms that plague this area. All people native to the region know it and adhere to it as a matter of common course. The basic concept is that an automatic truce exists between all individuals and groups who seek shelter during a storm, effectively turning their shelter into neutral territory. Such weather is simply too dangerous for fighting or travel, regardless of people's feelings toward one another. Storm-Peace is assumed to be in effect and it is considered to be a heinous crime to reject it. Travelers in the Disputed Lands often greet each other with "Storm Peace?" during such times, simply to ensure that the other knows and respects the tradition.

Storm Peace applies to most humans, elves, dwarves and other Free People traveling throughout the region, though certain feral races--like Orcs--do not honor it. There are many legends, however, that tell of bards singing songs to dragons during a Storm-Peace.

Architecture
The buildings of the Disputed Lands are either squat stone keeps built by foreign powers occupying the land (such as the case in Crow's Perch or Oreton) or small, wooden shacks with tall, peaked thatch roofing. Construction is basic, shoddy and utilitarian. Their villages, which are small, have little organization, if any, and are often comprised of small shacks and shops built wherever the owner decided to put it. Roads are a confusing mess within settlements, which are rarely walled (with Loudwater and Lindenvale being notable exceptions.

The most unique architectural feature utilized by the men of the Disputed Lands are systems of tree houses with interconnected walkways, built as outposts for guards or hunters. The tradition of these treehouses dates back to the early days of Velen and its people are skilled at their construction. In times of war or raids, women and children make for these Tree Houses and the ladders or ropes leading to them are cut.

In the wilderness, hunters or trappers often have one of their own for safety reasons. Some live out of these Tree Houses entirely. These people usually have a few cots, heavy skins, and extra arrows stored here in the event of an attack. Most remarkable is that they have found a way to build fires in these buildings. Tree Houses in cities are rarely durable enough to last more than twenty years or so but the Houses found in the wilderness are much more durable, with some dating back hundreds of years.

Religion
The Disputed Lands, being where it is, does not follow the faith of the Pantheon. No foreign religion has ever really managed to gain much of a foothold here, as no foreign power has ever held it that long to begin with and despite many attempts to eradicate the local beliefs and folklore, it has managed to survive as the only tangible relic of Velen's bygone era.

The roadside shrines found throughout the Disputed Lands are often stained with blood, both the caked residue of past sacrifices and the still-warm traces of new ones. Both of the following religions are very old, dating back to the times of the First Men, and are at least as old the the Old Gods. These shrines are tall, rough-hewn carvings.

Melitele
The primary religion here pays homage to a goddess named Melitele (MEHL-ih-tull); a mother goddess worshipped by the Vran. She is a goddess of fertility and wisdom, and is said to protect women. Locals often invoke her in childbirth. All women of the Disputed Lands, regardless of age or station, hold some esteem for Melitele. A common practice is for young, virgin women to wear a holy symbol of Melitele around their necks as a means of protection and virtue. They remove the necklace when they get married and present it to their firstborn daughters. Farmers, lumbermen and foresters all often have small shrines to the mother goddess in their homes.

The mother goddess does not have churches proper, but there are a number of shrines and outdoor sanctuaries that can be found dedicated to her throughout Velen. There are no male priests of Melitele, only priestesses. They are known to be a dour lot, even for Velen, and carry staves with them as a means of protection. Girls are promised to the Priestesses as infants and every village has given up at least one daughter to the goddess once or twice a generation. These priestesses are probably the most educated people living in Velen, as they are taught arithmetic, biology, botany and medicine from a young age. These priestesses are forbidden from marriage but regularly engage in more carnal activity, as priests of a fertility cult. They wear simple robes and take care of the rural community as best they can, though they are a wandering order. No priestess knows the identity of her parents or the village from which she was born.

The Ladies of the Wood
Another belief system commonly found throughout Velen is a belief in the Ladies of the Wood--symbolized as three witches who dwell in the swamplands. Legend suggests that one is young and beautiful and a seducer of men named the Brewess; one is an eternally pregnant mother named the Weavess; and the third is a one-eyed crone known as the Whispess. It is said they can see one's past, present and future. Local pray to them for nobles and sacrifice strong, healthy animals to them in an effort to attain favor and blessings. Followers of the Ladies tend to be more rural and isolated than followers of Melitele.

Typical ceremonies include candles arranged in a pattern in an outdoor setting, most commonly at the water's edge. Blood is always offered, usually poured into the water. Animals are the most common offering, but human blood is preferred. Most accomplish this by cutting their hands and letting the blood drip into the water.

Dryads, called "Spriggens" by locals, are thought to be the children of the Weavess. They are feared and respected throughout Velen.

Frescoes depicting the Ladies have been found in burial sites across the Disputed Lands, indicating that the religion has prospered for at least one thousand years.

The Eternal Flame
The religion of the Eternal Flame has found a foothold in Velen over the past few decades, as its teachings of the horrors of the dark and the redeeming and rewnewing power of fire has caught the attention of many of the depressed locals. Roving gangs of adherents to the faith can be found throughout the countryside.

Keeps and Villages
Few towns or villages have a population over about 200 or so, with the notable exceptions of Crow's Perch, Lindenvale, Heatherton and Loudwater, the latter holding a population of more than 2,000 people at any given time, making it the largest settlement in the region.
 * Crow's Perch
 * Benek
 * Blackbough
 * Byways
 * Claywich
 * Condyle
 * Downwarren
 * Frischlow
 * Heatherton
 * Lindenvale
 * Loudwater
 * Lurtch
 * Midcopse
 * Mulbrydale
 * Oreton
 * Toderas

Other Locations

 * Devil's Pit: A large, abandoned quarry located east of the village of Mulbrydale that has been taken over by a group of bandits, ruled by a Warlord calling himself the Bear King.
 * Fyke Isle: A small island located in Lake Annis. There is an ruined keep located here that local purport to be haunted.
 * Hightower: A crumbling stone tower, said to be a fortress and last remaining holdout for the old Barrow-Kings of Velen. Located off the road between Downwarren and Loudwater.
 * House of Respite: A leisure club that hosts parties for high-ranking Chellish military officers to steam off after long and tense battles. It's located in the hills south-east of Loudwater. Some locals sell their daughters to the House as a way of trying to save them from a life in the village, in the hopes a military officer will marry them. It's motto is "A soldier does not live on war alone". It should be noted that unless they are specifically invited, only Chellish soldiers are welcome here.
 * Kimbolt Way: A north-south road leading from the Cheliax border, north through Loudwater and as far north as Byway, where the road splits toward Druma or Calimshan. This is the region's busiest (and only well-maintained) road. Merchants commonly make their way through here and it is a haven for bandits.
 * Lornurk: An abandoned tower located in the mountains said to overlook Sembia. Years ago, smugglers would come here and unload their illicit cargo. However, it's now said to be a nest of Wyverns. Some say that there is a forgotten vault of treasure located somewhere beneath it that the smugglers were never able to find or open (depending on who is telling the story), though very few would ever venture there, on account of the Wyverns.
 * Olena's Grove: This are is located in the dark forests somewhere in southern Velen. Legends claim that a beautiful nymph named Olena once lived there. She fell in love with a young hunter and the mans wore to be true to the nymph, but he later betrayed her. She decided to punish him by casting a spell on his spirit, which wanders the grove to this day.
 * Bald Mountain: This is not only the name of a western mountain peak, but also the road leading to it. It is both long and treacherous, with a small trading post (also called Bald Mountain) located on it. Many goblins and kobolds hide prowl the trail, hiding in the deep mist engulfing the area. When talking about Bald Mountain, people sometimes try to clarify which one they're talking about by calling it Bald Road, Bald Hill or Bald Lodge, for the road, the mountain itself or the trading post, respectively. The road runs through the Mountain, down into easterm Calimshan, but is impassable in the winter and difficult in the summer and overrun with bandits and orcs all year round. This makes the road an unpopular choice to get from Calimshan to the Disputed Lands.
 * The Orphans of Crookback Bog: The Orphans are a pair of towers that stand on either side of a wide, stone bridge that crosses Crookback Bog. The bridge itself is more than two miles in length and several hundred feet across. It was consturcted by ancient Vran people, with the help of the local wood elves, stories say. The Orphans house an infamous Chellish noble family, though the taxes made on the bridge tolls do not find their way back to Cheliax. A small inn can be found halfway across the bridge, which is called "The Orphanage".
 * Wastrel Manor: Located in eastern Velen, this once-beautiful manor house was known for its extravagant balls, which were attended by the cream of the local youth. Its owners abandoned it over a century ago, but soon afterward, it became a place of worship for adherents to the Eternal Flame.

Creatures

 * Arachnomantula
 * Basilisks
 * Bies
 * Botchlings
 * Cyclopses
 * Drowners/Kuo-Toa
 * Dryads
 * Ettercaps
 * Ettins
 * Ghouls/Ghasts
 * Goblins
 * Godlings
 * Griffins
 * Hags
 * Harpies
 * Hill Giants
 * Kobolds
 * Leshy
 * Lizardfolk
 * Werewolf Packs
 * Nightwraiths
 * Noonwraiths
 * Nymphs
 * Stone Giants
 * Wraiths
 * Wyvern

Notable Characters from the Disputed Lands

 * Sera Blackwood