Whereby

## History

Like the neighboring regions of Thereby and Hereby, the name **Whereby** comes from a popular poem, or perhaps the poem comes from the names of the regions, no one really remembers anymore as the regions have held their names for a long time.

Whereby has been home to the world’s largest concentration of brownies as long as anyone can remember, and is most likely the racial homeland of the brownies.

Whereby has traditionally been associated with the Elven Empire and the Faerie Lords, though no Faerie Lords of note settled there. However, lesser lords, druids, and other senior vassals of prominent Faerie Lords have long lived in the region, and many of them have encouraged brownies to settle in their lord’s holdings in other regions of the world. Due to this, brownies can be found in small clusters throughout the northern third of the world, generally serving powerful fey. A few brownies have left for other reasons, and can be found in human lands, though generally near hobbits or gnomes.

Many wars have occurred along Whereby’s coast between the fey and the Azanese. However, few brownies live near the coast, so this rarely affected them much. The creation of the gibberling horde under the Baalps has proven more of a threat to the brownies, even if it helped drive the Azanese from the coast.

## Government

Whereby doesn’t have a central government. Druids, lesser Faerie Lords, and other such figures often fill a religious leadership role, and sometimes a secular leadership role, but it is rare these days for them to agree on anything.

Towns, villages, and tribes often have elected leaders, though their power is minimal outside their boundaries.

Whereby is generally seen as the weakest of the five regions that make up the “Lands Behind the Hedge”. When major councils are held among the fey, only a small smattering of druids and minor Faerie Lords represent Whereby.

## Economy

Due to the massive size differences, the brownie economy isn’t linked much with the economies of other races. Each brownie tribe is self-sufficient in terms of food whether they are hunter-gatherers or farmers, and most are skilled crafters as well. A few use trusted hobbits and gnomes to trade highly intricate crafted items for foreign novelties.

Hobbits run many inns, trading caravans, etc., through Whereby to facilitate trade between Hereby and hobbit communities in the Evergreen Pastures. The few large farms in Whereby are also hobbit owned.

There are still a few hobbit, elf, and human fishing villages along the coast. Villages of dwarves and gnomes tend to focus on mining, quarrying, and crafting, though they usually do a bit of farming and herding on the side as well. Most other inhabitants of Whereby are hunter-gatherers.

## Foreign Relations

Most people on the west coast and Scimitaria are barely aware Whereby exists, and many just treat it as a sub region of Hereby.

Whereby has close relations with Elfwood, Windwillow, Thereby, and Hereby, as many druids and minor Faerie Lords are vassals of Faerie Lords based in those regions. Hobbits in Whereby also do some trade with Evergreen Pastures and the Baalps.

Whereby is closest with Hereby, as Whereby is home to many hobbits who have strong familial ties with those in Hereby. However, some groups of wilder and unseelie fey live in Whereby and cause trouble via thieving and assault, therefore there are sometimes guards posted along parts of the Whereby-Hereby border where troublemakers are known to operate.

Whereby occasionally gets raided by foreigners. Usually gibberlings from beneath the Baalps, but also sometimes agents of Mutaa, pirates along the coast, or troublemakers from Thereby.

## Geography

Similar to its neighboring regions, Whereby has an idyllic landscape of forests, rolling hills, meadows, and the occasional farm.

The brownies live primarily underground, or sometimes in trees, so it is difficult to locate their communities without insider knowledge. Most travelling through the region will rely on roads and inns built and operated by hobbits, as well as some gnomes and dwarves.

## Demographics

Brownies are the most numerous race in Whereby, but due to their small size and reclusive nature, they aren’t the most prominent or powerful. They generally resemble six inch tall humans (or pale elves), but some subraces look radically different due to past modifications by Faerie Lords.

Hobbits are the second most numerous race, and the most visible. They handle much of the merchant trade and large scale farming.

Gnomes are also fairly common, as well as some dwarves. They are prominent in local mining and crafting guilds.

Some humans live along the coast, most of them Westerlings with deep ties to the region.

Other fey and fey associated races are also common here, including assorted elves, goblins, fairies, animalkin, she-eep, and harpies. Many live in the more dangerous border regions of Whereby, but pockets can be found scattered throughout.

## Religion

Like many fey cultures, the inhabitants of Whereby acknowledge certain gods, but don’t give them much focus.

Instead, most inhabitants are at least in some way associated with a druid, lesser Faerie Lord, or other such individual. These individuals promote the ethos of a more powerful Faerie Lord or faction, not unlike religious clergy in many other parts of the world. Most druids, etc., have long term associations with a particular community or tribe, so most common folk follow the same ideals as the rest of their community, though some outcasts and misfits will seek out different communities that suite their needs better.

There are six major factions of Faerie Lord present in Whereby, though these are rough groupings at best, with significant overlap. Nor do members of the same faction reliably ally with each other, due to fickleness, old grudges, narcissism of small differences, etc.

The Selfless are content to aid their followers rather than impose changes on them, and sometimes model themselves on their favored race. Includes Arbul Applebloom (for hobbits and farmers), Scruffy (for dog fans), Stoutheart (for militias and border communities), and Fendrick Boldbodin (gnomes and miners).

The Egoists are fickle, and self-centered, but not necessarily as cruel as the unseelie fey. Includes Voluptuia (she-eep, herders, and degenerates) and the Autumn Queen (mostly hereditary followers and power seekers).

The Enlightened have strong interests in knowledge and magic, but are often remote and aloof. Includes Drumphry (quiet scholars), Nikkla (hermits and isolationists), and Snowcloud (idealists).

The Wilders are the most fickle and unpredictable of the fey. They include the Snatcher (for thieves and bandits), Lord Hedon (satyrs and hedonists), the Digger (fanatical or crazed miners and prospectors), and YiffYiff (for degenerates).

The Naturalists are the most fanatical about protecting nature from exploitation. Includes Treebeard, Crimisa, and Wicked Gale.

The Unseelie have embraced the darkest and cruel parts of fey nature. Some work with demons and other dark gods, while others still see most fey as their allies and focus their cruelty on enemies of the fey. Includes Nichtmair (for vigilantes and power hungry), Brambleghora (for sneaky sadists), and Pumpkin Jack (for pyromaniacs). Luckily unseelie fey are pretty rare in Whereby.

## Military

The brownies themselves are too small to fight conventionally against other races, but some are adept enough at constructing traps or casting spells to be dangerous in the right conditions. Their best strengths are scouting and espionage, but without the support of other races, this knowledge often can’t be exploited. As a result, brownies avoid conflict whenever possible, but will sometimes support militias and war bands of other races if they feel it is in their interests.

Instead, brownies excel at avoiding trouble to begin with, and if needed are also excellent at fleeing. Most of their communities are underground, in trees, or other hard to reach places. Elaborate tunnel networks allow them to move between sentry positions or flee trouble. Scouts and rangers often ride large beetles, birds, and small dogs to cover ground more quickly.

Luckily Whereby is generally a pretty safe place, and the rougher parts are often home to humans, elves, and other races that can hold their own in a fight.

One area where the brownies do take defense seriously is the Great Hedge, but even here they mostly stick to scouting and spying, while allied gnomes and other fey do most of the fighting.