Veltingard - the Forest Realm
Located in the southeastern part of the continent, Veltingard is a land of great interconnected forests. Its capitol is the fortress of Caer Masarn which lies in the center of the country, surrounded by woodlands. Veltingard follows the coast down to the southern peninsula of Crannish Point, and the city of Salthaven, lying on the Bay of Janub. Its western edge presses against the Rampart Mountains, with the Great Pass that leads to Aurulant, while the Dragon Pass goes to The Desolation and the Dark Tower. The northern third of the realm is covered by the Dark Forest, a forest of sinister reputation. While Veltingard has countless streams, brooks and ponds, it has no large rivers or lakes within its borders.
Many creatures roam in the gloom of the deep forests, many of them malevolent. It is rumored that in abandoned glades and clearings one can find Fairy Mounds, where ancient Fairies will take the unwary down into their twilight realm to dance and sleep for a thousand years. Other rumors tell of evil Beastkin and skinwalkers stalking people under the dappled shade of the great trees.
Structure
Veltingard is ruled by an elected council of elders, called the Freeholder Council, which is headed by a Chief Warder elected by the Council. The Chief Warder leads the militia that protects the roads and pathways through the forests between villages, but has no vote in the running of the Council or the formation of its laws, save that in the event of a tie vote, the Chief Warder can cast the tie-breaking vote.
Salthaven pays nominal fealty to the Chief Warder but has its own town council and leaders. The Fey clan villages contribute members to the Freeholder Council, but also adhere to a separate conclave consisting of the Fey clan leaders and the families of Treefolk.
Culture
Veltingarders are rough but friendly people, surrounded as they are by constant danger from the forest. They respect courage and hard work. Veltingarders give special respect to those who craft and build things. Simple leather clothing and muted green and brown colors, to better blend in with their environment, is mostly worn, although most folk have one nice set of clothes for festivals and other special occasions. Veltingarders enjoy their beer, especially that made from the sap of trees, and carefully guard their secret recipes for brewing.
History
After the Cataclysm, the region that is now Veltingard was left to grow wild. While it had been farmland, Elves began to raise large forests which merged together to create the massive interconnected forest known as Feynault Forest that now covers the land. Small villages of sentient peoples began to spring up, first along the coastline, then migrating deeper into the woods themselves.
In the first years of the Second Age, the Elves and Treefolk claimed the region. Several Elven kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Avaria, rose and fell during this period. During the Time of 1,000 Gods, Morgiana, the evil Queen of Air and Darkness, began to corrupt several of the northern Soul Oaks, which led finally to the creation of the Dark Forest.
The last Elven kingdom to rise was the kingdom of Teyrnas Farr, and Elves that speak of the "great kingdom" or the "last kingdom" are typically speaking of it. Considered by many to be the rebirth of the kingdom of Avaria, Teyrnas Farr spanned the southeastern quarter of the continent. Its founder, King Leir, raised seven great castles, or Caers, throughout his kingdom. Humans, Karhu, and Treefolk migrated into Teyrnas Farr, with many of the Humans settling in Caer Masarn, or "Castle of Maple Trees". However, like all elven kingdoms before it, Teyrnas Farr fell, this time through warfare with the dun-sidhe of the Dark Forest and hubris of its last king, King Herne.
King Herne has called a mighty host to eradicate the Dark Forest. Thousands rallied to his side and marched on the Dark Forest, starting the War of the Oaks. Secretly, Herne had become obsessed with the worship of Timmorn, godling of feral beasts and predators, and began making blood sacrifices to him. As a result of his worship, legend tells that during a final pivotal battle, King Herne transformed into a frightful beast and slaughtered many indiscriminately, ultimately forcing his army to retreat. One by one, the castles fell until only Caer Masarn survived. The last battle of the War of the Oaks was fought outside the walls of Caer Masarn. The forces of weal were victorious, but the cost in death was high. Afterwards, the Elves settled into a confederation of settlements within Feynault Forest, abjuring the idea of another single ruler over them. The people of Caer Masarn declared themselves a free nation and named themselves Veltingard. They altered the shield of the last kingdom to remove the white Soul Oak device and replace it with the soaring Great Maple tree, forming the current coat of arms for the nation.
During the Third Age, Veltingard was fairly quiet, with only the occasional invasion of dark elves or were beasts to mar the quiet centuries. However, Veltingarders have learned that quiet is not the same as safe, as Feynault Forest continues to be a trap for the unwary.
Demography and Population
Veltingard is not a populous realm. However, it has the greatest number of Treefolk, Fey and black and brown Karhu than any other country. The Fey have separate villages that nest in the canopies of the great trees, which they often share with Treefolk. The mighty Soul Oaks, from which every Treefolk is birthed, are found throughout the great forests of Veltingard. Karhu live in villages of their own, in Human settlements, or occasionally in Fey villages. Salimar and lizardmen generally stick to Salthaven. Veltingarders hold every Heritage in the same regard, neither biased for or against any Heritage.
Military
Veltingard has no standing military but possesses a dedicated band of rangers called the Jaegers, who patrol the roads and pathways of the forests. The Fey have a separate order of knighthood known as the Leaf Walkers, who patrol the border between Veltingard proper and the Dark Forest.
Religion
Veltingarders, while they respect all of the gods, are not particularly devout in their worship of any of them. As a result, there are no churches but instead shrines that can be found in the corners of every village and fort. Shrines to Metra and Timmorn are most often prominent. Surprisingly, Veltigarders also respect Korax, viewing him as more a cautionary tale of hubris than truly evil, although they do not worship him.
Founding Date
Second Age
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Demonym
Veltingarder, 'garder (slang)
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Currency
Kopin
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Comments