The Witchlands

The unconquerable woods, populated by strange animals and monsters. Home to beastfolk, bandit, witch and wizard that seek a lifestyle unoffered by the societies of kingdoms. The Witchlands were were relatively unpopulated by sapient beings at the time of The Awakening. This allowed for beasts and monsters to claim the region long before the kingdoms could even consider the feat.

There was a period of time in the mid First Age where Kapesh attempted this feat, but failed many many times. Eventually it was recognized that taming The Witchlands was too great a challenge, and no one has since tried to make a kingdom of it.

Due to its dangerous environment, only the strong and powerful are able to make a sort of home in the region. Either that or an individual needs to be under the protection of a very powerful being. This has made a great home for those who seek to live outside the laws and cultures of normal society.

The region is taken by naturalists, wildly beastfolk, bandits, outsiders, wizards, and most notably Witches. Great and powerful wielders of magic have claimed the region in their own sort of way. As the witches of The Coven and The Cult of the Mothers spin spells in the remote corners of Zol, common folk from all of spin tales of the strange things that go on within The Witchlands.

• Godwood Deep - The deepest extent of the largest forest in all of Zol, The Godwood, which spans The Free Cities of Alderun, Kapesh, and The Witchlands. Famously dangerous, the Godwood is sometimes referred to as ’the inside edge of the map’ as it is largely unexplored and new things are constantly discovered within it.

  There are many accounts of individuals entering Godwood Deep, and experiencing strange geographical phenomena. It is said that when one loses their way within Godwood Deep, they may become Lost. This unique brand of losing ones bearing is by no means ordinary. Navigational equipment, and sense of direction fails you entirely. Emerging from the tree line exposes a changed, and unknown horizon of landmarks. This strange land is know by some as Beyond The Brush. It is filled with fantastical wonders, and dangerous mysterious. Some claim it even contains small, strange civilizations. Getting one’s self Beyond The Brush is supposedly quite difficult to do with intention, and escaping it is equally difficult. This makes gathering scholarly information about the region quite difficult. Some believe it is the border between the Fey, Fell and Prime Material Plane. Some just flat out deny its existence.

  What follows are the landmarks within Godwood Deep that are not located Beyond The Brush.

  • The Alk - A grand and ancient tree. It is the eldest of its magical, endangered species. The tree emits a protective ward over its local region. Other Alktrees exist throughout the region, however they are extremely rare. Their roots descend remarkably deep into The Underdark. Their wood is said to bring good luck, and almost seems to glow in moonlight. The heartwood of the tree is much stronger than most metals, and is revered in the art of Imbuement Perpetuum. Some believe the Alktrees are tied to The Great Wall of Roots, but this is mostly based upon folklore. This tree acts as the meeting place for The Coven.
  • The Alktree Haven - A remote convent of like-minded individuals who seek refuge within The Witchlands. Built under the protection of a juvenile Alktree.
  • The Greatrocks - A collection of massive boulders located in the very center of The Witchlands.
  • Old Barlen - A collection of old ruined buildings mysteriously located within Godwood Deep. Not quite a town itself, but almost like a chunk of an old forgotten city. No one knows its origin, but it was discovered during The Beast Ire Plague. A nest of monsters to be avoided at all costs.
  • Pine Valley - A beautiful valley populated by many Beastfolk
    • It is also the home to Dreadslayers, a faction of skilled and mysterious monster hunters
  • Z’veril Swamp - A dangerous swamp that seems to try and swallow anything that enters it.
  • Herzal Camp - A large permanent camp of dangerous bandits known for causing trouble within Kapesh.
  • Robal Camp - A large permanent camp of anarchistic bandits. Not known to be outwardly aggressive, but are highly territorial.

• Stormwall

  • Mortal Valley - A cursed place known to be inhabited by Death Witches.

• Demodemacht

  • Zorberg - A tiny, out of place village tucked into the foothills of Demodemacht. This quaint town is kept safe by the Hearth Witch Luna Elzamore. It is home to the broken outcasts of society she has taken into her care.
  • The Caverns of Ghar Nalon - A complex cave system that goes deep beneath Zol.
  • Temple of the Moons - A mysterious temple located within the peaks of Demodemacht. Inhabited by the eclectic Sex Witches. Strangely, even if you know the way to this temple, you can only arrive at dawn. Otherwise it is hidden to any who seek it.
  • Axidawn Valley - The furthest north reaches of The Witchlands. Tucked into the mountains this valley is home to The Cult of the Mothers. It is said to be an absurd, and treacherous place.

• Everfall - a large magical forest that is always stuck in a state of autumn. In some places the fallen leaves are piled so deep you can suffocate within them if you are not careful.

• Ghalt Kratur - A unique crater that was present even before The Awakening. Made by a massive celestial object from The Cosmos that broke through The Great Wall of Roots. Not only did the impact leave a fantastic geographical feature, but left a large hole within The Great Wall of Roots that allows for academics to perform interstellar observations of The Cosmos with a much higher degree of clarity than anywhere else in The Three Corners. Many Arcanists who reside in The Witchlands make this region their home.

  • The Painted Stones - A small canyon located within the foothills of Demodemacht where the stones are colored vibrantly. It is not know why this is, but some theorize it is an effect of the impact that left the crater. It is now home to many Art Witches.

• The Purelakes - A collection of lakes, known to be home to strange creatures. Many believe the waters within the lakes posses magical properties.

  • Lake Urir - Technically within the borders of Kapesh.
  • The Long Lake - A slender, seahorse shaped lake that exists at the edge of the swamps.
  • The Corkum Pool - Actually a salt water pool. It is surrounded by hot springs and geysers. The pool itself is not a true hot spring, but is warmer than its neighbors.
  • Wizard’s Well - below this lake exists many water filled caves.
  • The Axe - The supposed home of the mythical ‘Adowel, the Great Lake Serpent’.

The area is considered temperate-continental, but Everfall is an exception as the area seems to be locked in a constant state of comfortable autumn weather with bouts of heavy rain.

The Witchlands have always been recognized as a place beyond the means of mere mortals, however there have been the tenacious few who have tried to make claim to it. Only the greatest have been able to do so. The largest organization to try, and fail in claiming it was the kingdom of Kapesh. They made many attempts at expanding their borders into the Godwood. Many outposts were built, most of which eventually fell to the beasts of the wood. However one has stood against all odds, Little Triumph remains to this day and has now grown into a small city.

Only smaller, less organized groups have been able to make a home within The Witchlands. These groups are:

• The Beastfolk who rejected violent ways during the Beast Ire plague.
• Arcanists who seek solitude. These individuals remain distant from civilization either for personal privacy, or to pursue research that society may deem problematic, dangerous, or dark. These individuals may organize in small groups or remain solitary. Regardless, to defend one’s self they must be of above average skill.
• Free thinkers of The Alktree Haven. A large convent built only a short distance from Kapesh’s border. A union of powerful mages, druids, clergy, and warriors who seek community or refuge outside the region
• Bandits who reject society
• The Witches. A complex and powerful people who have the most widely known reputation of these wilds. Witches are powerful users of magic that span many practices. Each witch is unique in their use of the craft, but all share a rejection of the industrialization of the world. Witches uphold the natural beauty and disorder of things, treasuring nature, art, and the spiritual world. Witches do not subscribe to one singular doctrine, but tend to organize themselves in covens, sisterhoods, convents, and things of the like. Those who practice similar domains of witchcraft typically gravitate towards each other.
  • When the concentration of Witches first grew to such a magnitude that covens used to cross paths into each other, an overarching community was quickly formed. A group called The Coven was formed. 13 groups of witches each agreed on a single member from their smaller practices to represent them. They formed a coven so grand it would unite all witches within the region, a magical powerhouse that could rival kingdoms and would ensure none could bastardize the beauty and freedom of the region.
  • However during the late First Age an internal struggle began amongst The Coven. 4 of the 13 members had begun to gravitate towards the teachings of a darker magic. That of the Hags. The remaining 9 rejected their urgings to seek the eldritch knowledge The Hags were thought to posses. So the group was divided. The Coven became 9 and the 4 became The Cult of the Mothers. Despite their divided state, The influence of Witches is undeniably great within the region. The impact made by these groups was the cause for its namesake, The Witchlands.

Informal education is conducted on a surprisingly great scale for a region without cities. Witches will teach each other skill and spells, secluded wizards may take the occasional student within their tower, and some students from the various academic institutions are urged to venture out into the region on a pilgrimage to obtain worldly knowledge.

While their search for knowledge is a common trait, their crafts are not. Amicable groups will commonly spend time with one another to learn what they can. However these groups do not always play nice. Some wizards tend to view the witches as troublesome, uneducated, fickle, or merely and obstacle in their way to greater knowledge. Witches on the other hand view many wizards as problematic, destructive, and tampering with things they do not yet understand. There are frequent bouts of fighting between these groups.

The Coven and The Cult of the Mothers has even resorted to fighting in recent years. Their differences have grown too much and The Coven fears what The Cult of the Mothers may bring into the world.

The region borders upon:

• Kapesh
• The Ward
• The Korus Arctic

It also contains parts of the mountain ranges:

• Stormwall
• Demodemacht