Liathaven

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Regions of Liathaven

Overview

Liathaven is the ancient western forest between the Freeborn mountains of Kahraman and Bregasland of the Marches. Even in the time of Terunael, the forest was old. There are immense trees in parts of Liathaven that are believed to be hundreds of years old, and parts of the forest that even today have seen only a handful of humans pass through them. Liathaven itself is only a spur of a much larger forest that stretches hundreds of miles to the west; a great wood that served as a natural boundary between the jotun barbarians in the north and the Faraden foreigners in the south.

The wildlife of Liathaven likewise tends to be larger than normal, with forest lions and dire beasts (especially bears, wolves and stags) being comparatively common compared to other parts of the Empire. The weather in Liathaven is changable, and the territory is known for it's heavy storms and strong winds, caught as it is between the temperate Marches and the warmer Brass Coast to the south.

Most parts of Liathaven have been well-settled by the Navarr - those few Terunael ruins that have not been incorporated into steadings have mostly been studied by scholars and archaeologists - but occasionally a hitherto overlooked structure will be found, wreathed in vines or buried under centuries of undergrowth. The richest new ruins are found along the borders of the Vallorn-infested regions of Liath's Heart and Westwood, of course.

Recent History

The Jotun began their invasion of Liathaven in the autumn of 346YE, taking advantage of the eastern-focus of the Imperial armies under the domination of Empress Giselle. They pressed ever eastwards, avoiding the vallorn and seizing many Navarri steadings. The Empire finally lost control of Liathaven in early 349YE despite attempts by the Imperial Military Council to organize a proper counter-offensive.

In the thirty years since the forests fell to the orcs, they have used their foothold here to launch regular raids into Bregasland, and as a staging post for their massed assault against the Mournwold in 349YE. Today, apart from regular raiding bands attacking the Marchers and the occasional forays through the mountains into Kharaman, Liathaven seems quiet - almost peaceful. Despite a slight rise in encounters with vallornspawn, the pessimistic predictions that the Jotun would 'awaken' the Vallorn in Liathaven and cause widespread doom in the territory has so far failed to come true.

With a ceasefire agreed with the Jotun by the Imperial Senate in Summer 377YE, there have been no further attempts to reclaim Liathaven - and it seems unlikely that a major offensive will be launched until the two-year ceasefire ends in Spring 379YE.

Major Features

Liaven's Dance

Woven between the trees of Liaven's Glen is The Dance; a network of earthen trails marked in the grass and the trees, several miles wide, worn into the ground with the footfall of centuries. The Navarr say that it is a symbol for the Great Dance writ large on the earth. Some from Urizen believe that dancing Liaven’s Dance could grant humans a greater understanding the path of the soul through the Labyrinth of Ages. The steading of Liaven’s Dance was ancient, dating back to the earliest days after the Vallorn emerged. It was a regular place of pilgrimage for Navarr practitioners of the Way, and a centre for philosophical thought combining the philosophy of the Great Dance with the Virtues. The fact that it is now in the hands of the Jotun barbarians marks a terrible loss for the Navarr and perhaps the Empire.

Regions

Beacon Point

The region takes it's name from the great beacons built along the southern borders of Liathaven, intended to serve as a warning of any major incursion from the west or the southern Faraden. The beacons are simple but effective - basic messages could be sent quickly to stations in the mountains of neighbouring Kharaman, and relayed back to Liaven's Glen. In this way, the southern regions of Liathaven stayed in contact with the northern regions despite the presence of the Vallorn between them. Today, Beacon Point maintains trade routes and lines of communication with the Freeborn in Kharaman - communication and caravans are patchy, but they a llow the defenders to receive vital supplies and take the arduous mountain trails that allow them to maintain contact with the rest of the Empire.
Keywords: Forested

Liath's Heart

Keywords: Forested, Vallorn

Liath's Ring

Near the easern border of Liath's Ring stands Mournstead, a stout steading - the last redoubt of the Navarr in Liathaven to fall to the barbarians. The region was known both for sprawling groves of beggarwood trees, and for the occasional standing stone or dolmen in out-of-the-way places. Marcher Landskeepers - especially those from nearby Bregasland were regular visitors to this part of the forest, and it's eerie monoliths. Rumour suggests that the first action of the orcs was to cut them to the ground and bear away the trunks for their victory bonfires, but calmer heads suggest it is much more likely the Jotun will have set their own thralls to harvest the groves for valuable Beggar's Lye.
Keywords: Forested

Liaven's Glen

Keywords: Forested

Westwood

Keywords: Forested, Vallorn

West Ranging

Keywords: Forested

Western Scout

The steadings of Western Scout still hold out against the Jotun, but there have been several serious assaults from the forests west of the Empire. In the last few years these attacks have slackened off, but until 377YE there were still occasional raids by Jotun warbands. The Jotun ceasefire has given these steadings a much-needed breathing space. In addition to the Jotun, there are problems with groups of Vallornspawn that occasionally boil out of the infested regions to the north. The westernmost steadings are in tatters; several have been razed by raiders, while the easternmost steadings are surviving partly due to the efforts of their hunters but also due to vital supply links through Beacon Point to Kahraman and the rest of the Empire.
Keywords: Forested

OOC Note

• As of Autumn 377YE, the Jotun orcs control West Ranging, Liath's Ring and Liaven's Glen. The Vallorn occupies Liath's Heart and Westwood. The Navarr (and thus the Empire) hold Western Scout and Beacon Point.
• To reclaim Liathaven, the Empire needs to hold four of the seven territories (as detailed here).