Oathendale

The forest country of Oathendale is run by an elected council of five, known as the Council of the Oath. The five provinces, each governed by one of the five cities, elects a representative to the council to serve a five year term. Each province elects their representative on a different year so, at most, only one Councilman’s seat will change in any given year, minimizing the impact this can have on the state of the government. Of course, Councilmen can serve multiple terms if popular enough to be reelected, so many years see no change whatsoever.
This system has served Oathendale well for over three centuries, ensuring that no one province dominates the others and that each is equally represented. The Council of the Oath oversees general matters that affects the country as a whole, such as treaties, negotiations with foreign nations, and trade agreements, rarely involving themselves with provincial matters. The day to day operation of each province is managed locally by the province, and overseen by a local governor. The people of Oathendale prefer this nonintrusive form of government. It is often said, jokingly, that if you want to get rid of someone, “elect him to the Council,” or, “make him take the Oath.”

Life and Society

The majority of Oathendale’s citizens live outside the limits of its small cities, towns, or villages. They are foresters, farmers, and frontiersmen, doing their best to strike a balance with the land in which they live. That is not to say they prefer complete seclusion and the absence of neighbors. Most Oathendelians have neighbors, and maintain friendly and neighborly relations with them. But their cottages are just far enough not to get in each other’s way.
Oathendelians are quick to come to a neighbor’s aid, however. They share bountiful harvests, exchange services, and make sure the job gets done. They believe if one person in the community suffers, the whole community suffers. They are also quick to raise their bows and swords against a common enemy. Living in the Great Forest, many threats abound. Orcs, gnolls, goblins, are all common in these woods, as are the occasional troll, displacer beast, or owlbear. And with the orc nation of Vegrath to the north, and the mighty Kainan to the south, the fear of invasion is ever present. Oathendale does not possess a large standing army, but each province prides itself in the ability to raise a willing militia at a moment’s notice.
Oathendale does not have a class system. All citizens are equal, judged on their individual merits and accomplishments. Anyone can be elected to any government position.

Major Geographical Features

Soft, gentle hills, a thick, green canopy, and pleasant vales characterize Oathendale under the cover of the Great Forest. Oathendelians have also cleared out large patches here and there and converted it to farmland, replacing the trees and undergrowth with crops. Several druids and rangers live in Oathendale. They make every effort to maintain a balance between nature and “civilization,” helping to educate the people on more nature friendly practices.
Andarian Plains: This large grassland has been home to multiple humanoid tribes throughout the centuries. Orc raids were more commonplace in the times of the Andarian Empire, when humans were still taming the landscape and bringing civilization to the region, but the danger still exists. Nowadays, gnolls are more common in the area, especially in the northern half of the plains. A scattering of goblinoid tribes are also known to inhabit the area, but encroaching civilization continues to drive the creatures farther north.
Oathendale’s eastern border extends just enough into the Andarian Plains to claim a small swath of farmland.
Blood Hills: These rolling hills get their name from the countless battles that have been fought here. Orcs and barbarian tribes have always lived to the north and east. The elven nation of Aravess has occupied the west for centuries. Humans dating back to the Andarian Empire have dominated the south. Historically, when the various groups have met in the middle, they have fought, more often than not.
Oathendale’s northern border ends at the Blood Hills.
Great Forest: This massive forest dominates the center of the continent of Velen. Oaks, maples, elms, birch, pines, and numerous other trees can be found within its broad expanse. Broad leaves that shed in the autumn are common. Nuts, fruits, pinecones can all be found in the forest’s different regions. The Great Forest is considered by many the most beautiful forest, if not terrain, in all the world. But it can also be one of the most dangerous. Creatures of all kinds call the forest home, from small kobolds to gargantuan green dragons. The southern half of the forest is the most civilized, but the farther north one goes, the wilder, and more unpredictable it becomes.
High Hills: The hills here are, like the name implies, high. Though not quite tall enough to be considered small mountains, these hills are imposing. Covered by the Great Forest, the High Hills possess a thick underbrush that makes traversing them difficult. Many creatures make their homes within the region as the hills have not been properly civilized. Aravess, Oathendale, and Karavale all mark the end of their borders where the hills begin.
Lioden Peaks: Pointed mountain tops dominate the Lioden Peaks. Numerous monstrous humanoid tribes can be found there, as well as wyverns and the occasional dragon. The dragon population in these mountains has dramatically lessened in the past few centuries, however. This has led to increased mining operations in the Lioden Peaks. These mining operations have yielded profitable returns from precious metal and ores. Unfortunately, they sometimes also unearth the lairs of subterranean creatures such as umberhulks.

Important Settlements

Towns and cities are viewed as a necessity in Oathendale, so they are tolerated, if not necessarily liked. Each one of the five is the head of its province and each province shares its name with its governing city or town. For example, when people say Green Hills, they may refer to either the province of Green Hills or the town of Green Hills.
Green Hills (Large Town, 2,700): Just south of the Blood Hills, this town gets its name for the beautiful terrain to the north, as opposed to the history of violence usually associated with them. It has worked, as this tactic has attracted people to the town, increasing its population. Green Hills sits at the northwest edge of Oathendale. The dangerous Blood Hills are to the north and the elven nation of Aravess is to the west. Most in Green Hills are hardy folk that know how to live off the land and defend themselves against it. Green Hills employs many rangers and druids for scouting, hunting, and tracking in the surrounding wild areas. Tree cutting in this area is strictly monitored and restricted. The majority of Oathendale’s timber production comes from elsewhere.
Green Hills has the largest elven presence of any settlement in Oathendale. Many elves forgo traveling by road and cross through the forest directly to Green Hills. Only the most skilled human forester is encourage to do the same when venturing into Aravess. The rest are encouraged to stick to the road that leads to Mythryden and not stray from it.
The current governor of Green Hills is Dorus Agravian. Their representative in the Council of the Oath is Jorg Kolo.
Helmsford (Small City, 7,000): This is the capital city of Oathendale. It was not a natural settlement, instead, being a manufactured one. When the separate cities decided to unite, they created Helmsford in the middle of the country to serve as its administrative headquarters, each giving over a small portion of its territory to create the province of Helmsford around it. Oathen Hall sits in the center of the city, a great wooden building with many chambers where the Council of the Oath can entertain visitors and conduct meetings, either public or private depending on the topics discussed.
Being the capital, the city of Helmsford has grown to cater to travelers, both merchants and visiting foreign dignitaries. It is the most city-like city in Oathendale. It has the largest buildings and most inns and taverns. Foreign visitors in Helmsford will feel the less like outsiders here than in any other town in Oathendale, but probably still very much like outsiders.
The current governor of Helmsford is Mykan Steel. Their representative in the Council of the Oath is Blin Orvess.
Prend (Small Town, 1,300): This is the smallest of the five major towns in Oathendale, and perhaps the quaintest. It can also be considered the most frontier town among them. Hunters and trappers earn a good living here gathering pelts and game meat in the surrounding wilderness, then trading them to traveling merchants. Farms spread east from the town into the edges of the Andarian Plains. Rangers, druids, and other adventurers are often hired to patrol the limits of Prend’s province to scout for potential attacks from gnolls, orcs, goblins, and other dangers.
The current governor of Prend is Wesley Wardinian. Their representative in the Council of the Oath is Norvan Umbri.
Tall Rock (Small City, 5,500): Just at the base of the northern slopes of the Lioden Peaks, Tall Rock is the least Oathendale-like city. It’s more of a mining town than a forest one. The majority of the city still sits under the cover of the Great Forest, and it maintains a constant presence of woodland folk, but it is also the sole producer of iron ore in Oathendale, dedicating a great deal of resources to that industry. In the center of the city, a large vertical, pointed stone stands over fifteen feet high, while about eight feet wide at the base. The stone was here when the town was originally founded during the time of the Andarian Empire. The commonly held belief is that the Tall Rock, as it is known, was placed there by giants who inhabited the area before the Andarians settled it.
Being situated in close proximity to Kainan, Tall Rock receives regular overtures encouraging it to join the southern nation, highlighting its differences from the rest of Oathendale and its Andarian history. Kainan also maintains the paved road joining Tall Rock to Mantle to promote trade with Tall Rock and the rest of Oathendale. Thus far, Tall Rock has respectfully declined Kainan’s offers, offers that equally frustrate and worry the Council of the Oath and the rest of Oathendale.
The current governor of Tall Rock is Hilliard Jons. Their representative in the Council of the Oath is Kale Lanius.
Wistor (Large Town, 3,400): Wistor sits at the border between the Great Forest and the Andarian Plains. It is both a farming community and a timber producing one. It maintains a great partnership with druids of Terra and Vita to plant new trees for each one cut down. The druids use their magic and techniques to aid in the growth of the newly planted trees to speed up the life cycle, promoting sustainability and maintaining balance. Life in Wistor, both the town and province is probably the most peaceful as compared to the rest of Oathendale. The nearby presence of Kainan and its patrols in the south Andarian Plains drives away most of the threats. Kainan also maintains the southern road to Mantle to promote trade. As such, Wistor thankfully profits. Kainan has not openly began trying to lure Wistor into its empire, but the Council of Oaths believes it is just a matter of time.
The current governor of Wistor is Evaren Thark. Their representative in the Council of the Oath is Pilus Thark.

Regional History

Oathendale became a unified nation in 132 AV. Before that, Green Hills, Prend, Tall Rock, and Wistor were separate states in the Great Forest, whose origins were mixed. The first human settlers in the Great Forest were Andarian, taming a wild land that resisted the change civilization imposed at every turn. But through trial and effort the Andarians endured and mostly succeeded. Various Andarian settlements dotted the Great Forest. Some lasted long, some did not. When the Andarian Empire collapsed, the majority of the settlements, in what would one day become Oathendale, fell as well, lacking the protection the empire provided. It was not until the Age of Valor began that humans began braving the wild in earnest again. The provinces of Oathendale can each trace parts of their origins to Andaria, and part to the more recent settlement efforts.
When they decided to unite, it was mainly for the protection of strength in numbers. They joined together to create a capital around a central village of Helmsford, growing it into a city. Its central location was deemed equally accessible to the other provinces. Helmsford was made into a fifth province that way their proposed Council of the Oath would have an odd number of members, ensuring matters they voted upon would have a clear tiebreaker.
The provinces exist now much like they did back then, keeping to themselves until needs require otherwise. The Council of the Oath tends to the more overreaching matters. As of late, one of those matters has revolved around national security. In 480 AV, the Great Compact was signed between Aravess, Luthia, Karavale, Rowadin, Evecress, Great Thrundar, and Oathendale. The Great Compact is an alliance treaty stating that if any of those sovereign states are invaded by any other nation, each member of the compact will come to the aid of their ally. Oathendale’s willingness to join the Great Compact was based on two key factors: the formation of the orc nation of Vegrath in 478 AV, and the continuous expansion of Kainan.

Capital
Helmsford
Government
Republic
Banner/Flag
White background divided by forest green lines into four quadrants plus one center box, each part containing a tree
Population
258,500 (humans 76%, half-elves 11%, halflings 5%, elves 4%, gnomes 2%, half-orc 1%)
Demonym
Oathendelian
Religions
Caelum, Mundus, Terra, Vita
Imports
Armor, books, glass, jewelry, metalwork, textiles, weapons
Exports
Fruits, grain, hides, timber, vegetables
Language
Andarian
Alignment
CG, NG, N

The Continent of Velen

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