Olheiv

## Notable Locations

Religion: Tresceia

Government Body: A tributary state of Vranir, Olheiv is ruled by a single Earl. The Earl’s rule is largely ceremonial as the laws that govern the island were established many years ago by its first rulers and have seen little change in the time since. Having agreed to accept Vranir as its suzerain, Olheiv maintains a state of self-governance, with its laws and traditions being honored despite its tributary status.

Geography: The unique forests of Olheiv blanket most of the nation’s three islands. Dense, gnarled trees sprout from the earth like bony limbs, stretching skyward in such great numbers as to block the sun from reaching the forest floor. Stony hillsides and sheer outcroppings of clay and shale ring the coastline and serve as a barrier against the sea, while there is little variance in elevation further inland. The crumbling ruins of old fortifications and castles dot the landscape: A testament to the long history of the island which offers some respite from the labyrinthine forest.

Notable Places:

* Stordika, location of the Earl’s estate and the island’s largest city. As the heart of Olheiv’s maritime trade industry, the city is constructed around a sizable harbor through which goods of all sorts are conveyed.  Populated by merchants, laborers, and officials in the Earl’s employ, Stordika is the sole exception to the outside world’s perception of Olheiv as a backwater island. As such, foreigners rarely venture beyond the city walls.;
* Sanvog, or Shadewoods, is a small settlement on one of Olheiv’s outlying islands. It is held in high regard by the local eirvogr population as the place where their forefathers first made contact with human settlers. It has since developed a reputation for unexplained occurrences and hauntings, attaining a sort of folk-tale status among residents of the islands;
* The Lordsgrove, a mausoleum and garden suffused with healing arcana where the bodies of past rulers are laid to rest. The ambient energies preserve the corpses, which are seated on thrones woven together from the flourishing plant life, near-perfectly. The sick and ailing often flock to the Lordsgrove in order to make use of its healing powers, which are seen as a gift from Olheiv’s ancient rulers and proof of their undying benevolence.

Commerce and Crime: A small nation, Olheiv has historically eschewed relations with foreign lands. In the few clearings surrounding its cities and villages, farmers work the soil with ease, supplemented by a robust fishing trade. The bulk of the island’s commerce with neighboring states consists of its exports of timber, which it supplies to Vranir in exchange for specialized or luxury goods that are beyond its means of production. Because of its relatively isolated nature and the strict conditions of its traditional laws, crime is something of a rarity on the island, with the majority of disputes pertaining to petty theft or rights to farmland. Even so, there are rumors– halfway between genuine concern and age-old folklore– of strange things occurring in the depths of the forest: Oddly-proportioned figures dressed in strange garb, the distant echoes of indecipherable words, and reports of small stone cairns or wooden sculptures being uncovered far from civilization are all commonplace. Such occurrences are generally dismissed, as investigations have historically come up empty.