Wolvern Valley

Wolvern Valley is located in a swampy mountainous mire. It’s elevation is a fair bit higher than most of Mirror Domain, as it’s topography leeches off of both the mountain ranges. The vast oil ocean that borders the valley provides the land with most of its moisture. 99% of the wetness in the mire is due to this oil, and the entirety of the surrounding land has a very distinct smell to it as a result.

Some of it’s more notable features are it’s thick reeds and cattails that have evolved to survive in the thick oil. All of the plants here have a brown or yellow hue to them. Some people would describe the terrain of the valley as having fur, as the browns and yellows look like a giant sleeping creature from a distance. This fact has also lead to many rumors that Mother Wolf’s body lies dormant here, and that this “grass” is not actually grass, but the remains of Mother Wolf sleeping in the soil. Some even argue that the mountain ranges resemble a sleeping wolf as well, which only furthers this rumor.

Seeing as it’s located in a swamp, Wolvern Valley is home to large amounts of peat, which eventually turns into coal. Many of the people living in Wolvern Valley work in coal mines or other coal related industries. The settlements here also make a fair bit of money from coal related trades with nearby countries. Namely Cawlu and Andris, although natives from Wolvern Valley aren’t very well liked in either of these places.

As stated above, all of the plants here have evolved to survive off of the moisture in the oil from Distant Deep. Thick grasses, cattails, and large hardwood trees which often have long hanging branches and jet black leaves. Animals native to the region include wetland birds like ducks and heron, skinks, alligators, and marsh rabbits. It’s also home to a very dangerous and niche band of demons. More on that later.

Instead of corralling and raising livestock, most people who reside in Wolvern Valley hunt their own food. The primary diet of those in the valley are demon products: Slurry, meat, etc. On occasion they’ll eat some of the various bird species that reside in the area, or the occasional unfortunate Sinvian that happens to wander into the area. Wolverine Valley does not recognize Sinvian as pure beings, and the people in the region will only tolerate them in order to gain access to Cawlu’s trade resources.

Many people consider Wolvern Valley itself to be a holy site, seeing as it’s built on the alleged dormant body of Mother Wolf. The most notable of these holy landmarks is known as the “Mouth of the Beast”, which is a large cave opening with teeth-like stalactites and stalagmites lining the floor and ceiling. Followers of Mother Wolf often place offerings (commonly food related ones) in the heart of this cave in hopes of appeasing her and giving her strength to once again awaken and rule over the world as rightfully intended. All of the food being left here unattended draws in the local demons, which in turn has caused this cave to be one of the most dangerous places in the entire region.

Solstis, equinox, and eclipses are all celebrated here the same way as holidays. Stars are already tracked as religious practices, so the people here are already well aware of the placement of celestial bodies. This allows them to prepare for all of these events beforehand and have proper festivals for each of these events as they occur.

The population of Wolvern Valley is largely comprised of Satyr and Canine Kodin. Many of the people here are far more beast-like or feral because of how far removed they are from other civilized nations. Education here is heavily centered on how to keep yourself alive and how to safely navigate the mines. Other than that, education is largely swept aside. People here don’t see it as valuable. Physical strength and related attributes have proven time and time again to be the more desirable traits.

As stated above, Wolvern Valley is home to a niche group of demons. This clique is a band of middle and upper class demons, all of which have the ability to use shadows to their advantage. They’re known as the “Shadow Band”. The demons in this group can travel through shadows, melt into them, take control over their shadows and use them to attack, and overall bend light and shadows to their will. They’ve taken residence here due to all of the thick trees and oily black terrain which helps them camouflage into their surroundings. These demons thrive here, and in recent years they’ve begun driving out the mortal residents of the valley to claim it as their own.

   Because of this, a minor war has broken out within the region. While it’s not a country in and of itself, Wolvern Valley has begun making an alliance with Dibrook and it’s allied countries in hopes of driving out this infestation once and for all. For the time being, though, the war has heavily leaned in the demons favour, and more and more of the region is being taken over by the Shadow Band.

   Because it’s not an established country, Wolvern Valley has no one form of government. Settlements give the task of creating and upholding laws to the local guilds. What is and isn’t considered ok heavily varies throughout the area. One thing that’s generally accepted, and sometimes even encouraged, is the consumption of Sinvian. Sinvian are not considered to be pure beings here, despite the rest of Mirror Domain reluctantly beginning to accept them as sapient beings. Sinvian that travel here are warned of the risks, and most places with high populations of them will try to ward people away knowing full well they won't return. This plays into why the people of Wolvern Valley have to travel to Cawlu in order to trade, and not the other way around. The only reason it's citizens haven't been banned from the country entirely is because most of the traveling merchants will play nice in order to get essential items such as water