Vranvica Valley

Geography

Hilly landscapes dominate the northern and western edges of Vranvica Valley. Wild grasses, shrubs, and ancient trees cover these hills. The Tmalis forest, filled with thick trees that have been around for thousands of years, lines the western portions of the valley. It sprawls across the land, heavy with oaks and other mature tree species. The valley is bound to the north by the oppressive and rocky Sarna Mountains. The middle of the valley is a vast, rich region. This area is largely farmland, with expanses of crops like grain and other produce. The land there is covered with black, fertile soil rich in organic matter, fed by the flooding of Czornovoda. The eastern edge of the valley becomes a huge, misty marsh that bleeds out in all directions.
It is the Czornovoda that sustains the valley of Vranvica, a river born in the shadow-cloaked peaks of Sarna Mountains that winds its way west through plain grasses and western forests before emptying into the sea. It is subject to violent flooding, especially in the springtime. There are also many small lakes and streams around, especially in the hills and forests.

Ecosystem

Everything here in the valley of Vranvica lives and develops constantly being reshaped by its geography as well natural disturbances. The fertile plains and riverbanks assure a lush diversity of plant life, from grassy expanses to reeds to towering trees. These plants serve as habitats and food for a wide array of wildlife including deer stags, flocks of boar sows with piglets in tow and multiple species of bird. Wolves and lynxes hunt in the forests, maintaining a balance with their prey. Fish, amphibians and waterfowl abound in the waters of Czornovoda.

Ecosystem Cycles

Vranvica Valley ecosystem radically changes during seasonal phases. Spring sees the entire valley come alive with new flowers and fresh growth, as well animals waking up from winter hibernation. It is also what has become known as Vranvica's Flood season, when the Czornovoda grows in size due to snow melting and springtime downpours. Then comes summer, when things return to a state of calm and plenty; food will be plentiful and vegetation abundant. In autumn, the valley gets ready for winter. Life slows in the winter. The cold constrains life underground, and snow covers everything: leaving many animals in hibernation or dormancy while most plants halt growth completely.

Localized Phenomena

Vranvica's Flood

The most spectacular and dangerous occurrence in the Vranvica valley is what is called Vranvica's Flood. It happens during spring from rapid snowmelt off the Sarna mountains and massive rainfalls.
The flood releases a torrent of water laden with debris and sediment that scours the land, burying fertile fields beneath silt-heavy layers or tearing through the valley on a new path.
During the flood, there are always tales of phantom whispers and ghost apparitions, though many claim it is just superstition. They are believed to be the spirits of those drowned in floods that came before or possibly ancient protectors of this valley.

Misty Fogs

Heavy fogs come down the valley out of the marshes around dawn or dusk. They are thick and can cause visibility to diminish down to just a few feet.
Fogs are cold and wet, smelling of the swamp. They can disorient travelers and make navigation a challenge. The Vranviceans speak of foreign beasts and phantoms that drift within the mist, invisible to sight yet present.
They say those mists are the very breath of the marshlands, or even spirits sent by Vranvica herself awakened to guard the valley—against man and beasts alike—or lure them into its depths.

Climate

Winter

The valley of Vranvica sees lengthy, harsh winters. Average low temperatures range from -15°C to -30°C. It gets a lot of snowfall, covering the entire valley. Snowdrifts occasionally rise all the way to several feet at high altitude, especially on north-facing hills and the lower peaks of the Sarna Mountains.
While it is cold, biting winds descend from the mountains to make it feel even more freezing and cause dangerous conditions. Blizzards are frequent and can sometimes last for days, blocking travel or outdoor activities.

Spring

The spring melts the frost of winter and brings temperatures to 5°C–15°C. It is a time of heavy rains and the quick melting of winter snows, resulting in full rivers (and potential flooding), including the feared Vranvica's Flood.
Thunderstorms occur often, and these bring rain, lightning, and, at times, hail. When all that rain mixes with melting snow, its a recipe for flooding.

Summer

Though the summers are brief, they can be very hot and humid, with temperatures ranging from 20°C to 35°C or greater. Summer brings irregular thunderstorms, which tend to happen unexpectedly and can be quite severe, leading to flash floods in some of the fortune spots or even wind damage.
The extreme summer temperatures overheat the entire floor, sometimes causing droughts that can be stressful for an ecosystem. But sudden downpours can convert dry ground into mud in no time.

Autumn

Temperatures cool to 5°C–20°C, and the weather becomes markedly more stable; however, early frosts are not uncommon. With the often abrupt transition from summer to winter, its just as common for early snowfalls and storms.

Fauna & Flora

Flora

Vranvica Valley is home to a variety of plant life.
The Tmalis forests are a labyrinth in which the most gnarled of ancient oaks reign supreme. For centuries, these giants have guarded the boundary along with pines and firs. Green carpets of ferns uncoil on the forest floor, and moss softens trunks and rocks.
The valley's heart is a greensward of hundreds of wild grasses. The area is one of native grasses—ryegrass, bluegrass, and fescue. Wild flowers of all colors and hues fill the spaces between the grasses in summer. Daisies, dandelions, clover, and poppies attract bees and butterflies. The golden heads of row upon row of wheat, barley, rye, vegetables, potatoes, and cabbage are planted out in neat fields of green that surround villages.
Reedy bunches of tall stems and cattails sprout from the shallow waters. Water lilies float serenely atop their lakes. The wet, humid conditions have shaped low-ground layers of mosses and sedges. These plants create a dense, spongy mat that holds the marshy ground in place, preventing erosion.
Tough mountain grasses on the rocky and slim soil in between shift gently from a chilly breeze. The rocks and tree trunks are smothered in lichens and mosses. There are small flowering plants such as edelweiss and mountain avens.

Fauna

Deer, boars, rabbits, and hares abound all over the valley, feeding on its vegetation, from forests to plains to marshlands. Wolves, lynxes, and bears—all of which move in the shadows at night or are squirreled away deep within thick forests and mountain ranges. Apex predators like wolves keep the numbers of herbivores in check so that no one species can overtake a region.
Eagles, hawks, and owls take to the air and forests. In the trees and fields, songbirds such as nightingales, robins, and thrushes flit through branches, singing their notes. Waterfowl such as ducks and swans are quite common on the Czornovoda River, lakes, and marshes.
The Czornovoda River is full of fish. Trout, pike, and carp swim here with their silver-scaled volumes blazing a path through the black waters. Frogs, toads and newts are in their element, with marshlands and riverbanks teeming with the moist footpaths of valley sides. Waterways are inhabited by crayfish, insects and mollusks.
Those few Mountain Drakes that still exist in the world can be found living within the lofty, rugged peaks of the Sarna mountains. They favor remote caves and ledges with a view of the surrounding landscape.

Natural Resources

The forests are a leading source of timber, fuelwood and fodder, as well as having rich biodiversity, whereas the plains with fertile soils produce food grains like wheat and vegetables. The hills are spotted with flocks of sheep and herds of cattle that graze on the land available to provide wool, meat, and milk. Fish from the river and marshlands are abundant, proving to be a valuable food source. There are also iron and mineral deposits in the valley that have been mined for tools and trade. The Vranviceans rely heavily upon these resources.
Verdium crystals are another significant resource. Heaps of the crystals spew from all along Vranvica Plains emerging into sparkling, sunny-sprayed clusters. They are noted especially for their healing abilities.

History

Early Settlements

The Vranvica Valley has been inhabited for over two thousand years. This land attracted settlers with its fertile plains and rich natural resources. They founded dispersed settlements along the Czornovoda, gathering feed, fish and primitive agriculture. The earliest of these people followed the ancient earth spirit Vranvica, who they worshipped as protector and guardian of their valley.

Rise of the Vranviceans

Over time, they came to form a more societal system known as the Vranviceans. They also began to use skilled agricultural practices, irrigate using the river and build with more durable materials. The forests of Tmalis were useful for providing lumber for the growing communities, and there was much mining done in the Sarna Mountains for precious minerals and ores. They became a tight-knit community with deep cultural roots and based their worship around Vranvica and other nature spirits.

Golden Age

After the most important event in the history of Bleakmor happened—the Limyel Comet flew too close to the planet—an incredible boom for growth and prosperity spread throughout the valley. The comet's dust settled on the plains and in the Sarna Mountains, and with time, people became aware of its effects. Magic began to appear and bloom, and people living in these places started to gain magic powers.
The Vranviceans made many advancements during this time. They constructed massive stone buildings, created complex methods of agriculture, and established large trade routes that extended to nearby provinces. The Vranviceans were especially known as smiths, forging tools, weapons, and ornaments from iron ore, which they collected in the mountains of Sarna. They also found Argentum and Verdium crystals that deepened their practice in the magic arts. They performed more and more elaborate spiritual practices, including grand rituals and holding ceremonies in the name of Vranvica as well as other spirits.
It was during that time that the valley became part of Nimtra, a kingdom tucked into Bleakmor's heart. The valley continued to prosper under its rule for centuries.

Yngvarr's rule (1612-1675 PD)

King Yngvarr became ruler of the realm in 1612 PD, and with his arrival began a grim time for Vranvica's Valley. He was the power-hungry ruler, whose necromancy proclivities had already made him a notorious figure in the Nimtra.
In 1665 PD, fueled by his craving to build an unstoppable undead horde, King Yngvarr ordered his blood mages to produce a disease known later as the Bloodchill Plague. The plague quickly took its toll on the kingdom, taking many lives.
By 1675 PD, things had reached a point where the situation was no longer tolerable. The terror and destruction of the Bloodchill Plage had bred distrust among his council. Yngvarr was killed by his own creation. His death was the end of Proklatá Doba and the beginning of a new era.

New era

After Yngvarr's death, the realm spiraled out of control. The Bloodchill Plague continued it's devastation of the land and population. Soren I, who lost his sons to the plague and believed that magic was a scourge on the kingdom, was crowned as a new king in year 1 of Morová Doba. He enforced brutal laws and created the Royal Inquisition to hunt down and eliminate all mages.
In 18 MD, the daughter of King Soren I, Helga, became queen. Her time in power was characterised by an endless war against magic. She appointed a new order, the Witch Hunters, giving them even more authority than the Royal Inquisition. Helga's rule was marked by her paranoia and ill health.
Vranvica's Valley bore the legacy of Yngvarr's reign, and the Bloodchill Plague took a savage toll there. The Vranviceans had suffered heavy losses and experienced pain at magic's hands, resulting in an inherent distrust of all things magical. Empowered by Helga I, the Witch Hunters became a formidable force in the kingdom, ensuring that dark arts would be suppressed.

The First Great Flood

In 115 MD the first of many disastrous floods occurred when the Czornovoda, swollen by record spring rains and a quick snowmelt, burst its banks. This was called the Great Flood of Vranvica Valley, and it left a great deal of devastation in its wake throughout the region. Many residents lost their lives, while others had no choice but to watch as the flood gobbled up homes and deposited fields like they were trash.
The Vranviceans built their homes once more, and reclaimed the land they had sown with new defences to protect against any future flooding.
The valley got sucked into a cycle of turmoil and tribulation. It was hit by floods and harsh winters year after year. Thousands fled to nearby regions, becoming the Exiles of Vranvica. The few who remained are still under the relentless onslaught of Vranvica.

Table of contents

Inhabiting Species

• Mountain Drake