Verden
Verden has an unusual story. This long strip of land south of Kerack sits at the mouth of the mighty Yaruga River and has a long, welcoming sea-coast. It’s in a perfect place for trade, but for the Brokilon Forest on its eastern border. This impassable dryad forest so infuriated King Ervyll of Verden that he offered bounties for dryad scalps, earning the enmity of all non-humans. At the time of the Second Nilfgaardian War, King Ervyll broke from the North and signed a treaty with Nilfgaard. This was very unpopular in Verden, and Ervyll was overthrown by his son Prince Kistrin and later assassinated. Fortunately for Verden, the Nilfgaardian representatives there were notably inept. The opposition led by the now-King Kistrin in league with Skellige and Cintra forced Nilfgaard out of Verden. Unfortunately Verden has since been retaken. King Kistrin’s whereabouts are unknown.
History
Northern Wars
After the First Northern War in 1263, Verden received many refugees from nearby Cintra, left displaced after the massacre in the capital.
Following the war, a great amount of cheap Nilfgaardian goods started to flow through Verden into Temeria, greatly affecting the kingdom's economy. King Foltest of Temeria knew he couldn't shut the borders to Verden, as it would cause great outcry from the Merchant's Guild, and severely affect trade relations. This great takeover led to the local currency, ducats, being outed by Nilfgaard's floren in some areas of the kingdom.
In July 1267, after the breakout of the Second Northern War and the fall of Cintra, King Ervyll swore fealty to Emperor Emhyr var Emreis, surrendering and opening the strongholds at the mouth of the Yaruga. Nilfgaardian garrisons were installed in Nastrog, Rozrog and Bodrog, leaving Temeria vulnerable from the south. Ervyll retained his royal title, but Emhyr became his sovereign; Verden remained a kingdom but, de facto, became a Nilfgaardian province. The following month, on August 7th, the Nilfgaardian Army, supported by Verdenian and Scoia'tael cavalry, began a full-scale invasion of Brugge, started with a battle of the village near Owl Hills.
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