Velen

VelenThe name of Temeria's province where Gors Velen is located isn't mentioned in the books; it was given a name in . was a province situated in northern Temeria, famous for the Aretuza Academy of Magic near the region's capital in Gors Velen.
Following the devastation brought by the first phases of Northern War III it became known as No Man's Land, characterized by depopulated wastes overrun with armed men of all stripes: mercenaries, soldiers from the disbanded Temerian legions, marauders, and common bandits.
== Overview ==
== Provincial emblems ==
Coat of arms of Velen consists of an oak tree on silver and Temerian lilies on blue, denoting the region's ownership.
The coat of arms used on the map in , as is the case with some of the other in-game emblems, approaches heraldic tradition in a slightly lax manner. Emblems in the infobox are drawn with aim to preserve the in-game COA's main theme while fitting the symbols of other Temerian regions.
== Religion ==
Shrines to Melitele, the goddess of harvest, hearth, and fertility, are a frequently encountered element of the Temerian countryside. Simple statues carved of wood depict the goddess in one of three forms: Mother, Virgin, or Crone. Around these altars, local peasants place small offerings of food and drink in tribute, and light modest votive candles and lamps. Meanwhile, in Velen another religion has taken root, one which calls for prayers to be addressed to the Ladies of the Wood.
This cult's shrines show evidence of syncretism between the faiths: Melitele the Crone has become one of the Ladies, an old woman with sagging breasts and an open mouth full of crooked teeth. These statues are often stained with blood, both the caked residue of past sacrifices and the still-warm traces of new ones. Both religions are very old, dating back almost to the time of the first men, and so the design of the shrines conveys a somewhat archaic look. The rough-hewn wooden carvings recall ancient Slavic depictions of the gods.The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Artbook
In addition, priests from Novigrad and witch hunters are spreading belief of the Eternal Fire and its church while others, believing those in Velen needed to let go of their religion, sought to actively destroy the religious statues of Verna.
== Notable places ==
* Bleobheris CircleStanislav Komárek's map
* Gors Velen
* Thanedd Island
== ==
In , the former province has become a war-torn swampland under Nilfgaardian occupation with borders close to the cities of Novigrad and Oxenfurt. Its northern part (without Gors Velen and Thanedd Isle) is one of the major regions of the game, and its swamps with dense forests represent dark and mysterious elements of the plot.
Velen is where the forces of the Empire clashed with the armies of the Northern Kingdoms, forcing the battlefront both north and south, leaving the area which lies between a desolate wasteland. Its people were killed, raped and hanged – all the worst things imaginable. All these sufferings only added to the misery the people of Velen had to live through.
Neither the armies of the Northern Kingdom of Redania nor of Nilfgaard could achieve victory in their battles here. In the wake of both sides' temporary withdrawal, a semi-autonomous state under the leadership of Phillip Strenger - a former Temerian commander better known by the Bloody Baron moniker - has been established in Velen through decisive (if ruthless and amoral) action and force of arms, consisting of the remnants of the former Temerian army.
The Baron's rule is harsh, and perhaps reflective of the land itself. His men are ill-disciplined and overly fond of brutalising the local population. Law and order are in short supply, as are food and supplies. As such, Velen has become known as No Man's Land, a war-ravaged and unforgiving place, ruled over by a man of similar temperament. The Bloody Baron rules from Crow's Perch, a rundown fortress occupied by the Baron and his forces in the aftermath of the recent battles between Redania and Nilfgaard.
=== Map description ===
:The former Temerian province of Velen has become a war-ravaged no man's land.
=== Notable people ===
* Phillip Strenger
* Anna Strenger
* Johnny
* Crones
* Keira Metz
=== Locations ===
== Trivia ==
* The region is named after Velen, an elven holiday and Savaed. It could also be a reference to Veles, the Slavic god of earth and wetness.
* In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany there is a city named Velen.
== Gallery ==
Tw3_geralt_velen.jpeg
Wallpaper Week9.jpg
Wallpaper Week6.jpg
NoMansLandPanorama.jpg
Velen concept art.png
Elves of Velen concept art.png|old elven statues throughout Velen
Crows Perch.jpg
Inhabits of Velen.jpg
Tw3 hanged on hanged mans tree 2.png
== Footnotes ==
== References ==
ar:فيلين
de:Velen
es:Velen
it:Velen
pl:Velen (ziemia niczyja)
pt-br:Velen (Terra de ninguém)
ru:Велен
tr:Velen
uk:Велен
Category:The Witcher 3 locations
Category:Provinces
Category:Temeria