Forest, Mountain, and Myth at the Edge of Empire

The Northern Verdant Belt forms the lush, rugged upper reaches of Faenas—a region defined by vast greenwood, looming mountain walls, and ancient secrets buried beneath roots and stone. It is a land where imperial roads fade into moss, where the light beneath the boughs is green and old, and where the Empire’s influence was always softened by the stubborn independence of its frontier settlements.

Here, the Veil Mountains cast long shadows over the Meercroft Forest, and the winds that spill from their icy passes bring whispers of forgotten shrines, dwarven ruins, and spirits older than the Empire itself.

In the Fifth Age, the Northern Verdant Belt remains a region of mystery, untamed beauty, and quiet danger.

Geography

The Northern Verdant Belt stretches from the Veil Mountains in the north to the Selukar Basin in the south, and from the western channel toward Sukoku to the foothills leading toward the Dragonteeth Mountains in the east.

Its terrain includes:

• dense, ancient forests
• cold mountain ridges
• fast-flowing streams feeding the Selukar
• caverns and dwarven remnants
• rolling green hills dotted with stone circles
• pockets of mist and perpetual shadow beneath giant trees

Winters here are harsher than the rest of Faenas, bringing frost, wolves, and drifting mountain spirits into lower lands.

Major Natural Features

The Veil Mountains — Northern Barrier of Faenas

A sweeping arc of sharp peaks forming the northern boundary of the region. Covered in snow for much of the year, the Veil Mountains:

• feed meltwater into the Selukar
• house old mining tunnels
• block cold winds from the far north
• contain hidden passes used by smugglers and mountain clans

It is said that the mountains are named for the fog layer that clings to their lower slopes, “a veil between this world and the next.”

Meercroft Forest — The Green Labyrinth

A massive, old-growth forest that blankets central-northern Faenas. Meercroft is:

• dark, deep, and often shrouded in mist
• home to stag herds, wolves, owlbears, and stranger things
• rumored to contain fey gates and forgotten shrines
• known for uncanny echoes and paths that shift between seasons

Even the Empire never fully mapped its interior.

Along the forest’s southern edge lie farms and logging settlements, but the deeper heart remains untouched.

The Meercroft Riverways

Small tributaries weave through the forest, many forming natural barriers or disappearing into cave-fed springs.

Some are believed to follow underground networks connected to dwarven delvings beneath the mountains.

Settlements and Sites

Northold — Bastion of the Veil Mountains

Positioned west of Meercroft Forest and directly at the foot of the Veil Mountains, Northold is a frontier stronghold-city built to guard mountain passes and defend Faenas from threats descending from the north.

Characteristics:

• stone walls reinforced with mountain timber
• hybrid culture of soldiers, miners, and scholars
• trade hub for pelts, ore, and mountain herbs
• houses archives of pre-Sundering northern histories
• maintains uneasy peace with forest spirits through annual rites

Northold’s people are hardy, superstitious, and deeply respectful of the mountains.

Meercroft Castle — The Lost Keep of the Forest Lords

Hidden somewhere deep within the Meercroft Forest lies Meercroft Castle, a noble holdfast abandoned during the War of Sundering. Attempts to rediscover it have nearly always ended in:

• misdirection
• broken compasses
• strange dreams
• entire patrols returning days later with no memory of where they walked

Legends claim:

• the castle “chose to hide itself” after its last lord vanished
• fey courts dwell in its halls
• the keep holds a vault of pre-imperial relics

Whether these stories are magical truth or poetic exaggeration remains uncertain.

Barastir — The Shattered Dwarven Hold

At the southeastern edge of the Veil Mountains stands Barastir, a dwarven stronghold of ancient lineage. Though not part of Dwellomel proper, Barastir once served as a satellite citadel and mineral outpost.

Centuries ago, something drove its people out—stories vary between:

• subterranean beasts
• magical corruption
• a collapsing mithril vein
• internal clan war

Now it is partially reclaimed by mountain tribes, scholars, treasure-seekers, and a few stubborn dwarven families who hope to restore it.

Barastir provides:

• a connection to mountain lore
• access to deep tunnels
• a staging point for expeditions into the Veil Mountains

Economy and Trade

Though less agriculturally rich than the Selukar Basin, the Northern Verdant Belt provides resources vital to Faenas:

Exports

• timber
• iron and copper from mountain veins
• medicinal herbs from foothill meadows
• furs and pelts
• resin and amber

Trade Routes

Ambervale and Northold form the primary commercial loop:

• Northold → Ambervale (mountain goods, timber)
• Ambervale → Northold (grain, wine, tools)

Smaller routes connect Idrisburgh and remote forest settlements.

Culture of the Verdant Belt

The Northern Belt’s people have a distinct identity shaped by forest and mountain:

Frontier Stoicism

Residents are pragmatic, cautious, and proud of their self-reliance.

Forest Lore

Children grow up on stories of spirits, shifting paths, and moonlit watchers beneath the boughs.

Mountain Rituals

Seasonal festivals honor meltwater runoffs, mountain winds, and ancestral miners.

Respect for the Old Ways

Imperial rule was always lighter here; communities maintained their own customs and clan structures.

These traditions remain strong—even as the Fifth Age brings new settlements and political tensions.

Political Presence

The Northern Verdant Belt is contested but stable:

High Faenas

Maintains modest influence through Northold and scattered garrisons.

League of River Princes

Operates logging contracts and trade outposts on the forest’s southern edges.

Local Clans

Woodcutters, trappers, and mountain lineages hold sway in places the successor states cannot reach.

Dwarven Interests

Dwellomel maintains a quiet watch on Barastir to prevent misuse of its tunnels.

No single power controls the region outright—its terrain resists such ambitions.

History

Before the Empire

Home to forest-kin tribes, dwarven clans, and early human settlements.

Imperial Age

Northern Faenas served as:

• a frontier buffer region
• supplier of wood and minerals
• training ground for certain imperial scouts

The Empire attempted to claim Meercroft Castle but never fully pacified the forest.

Kurai Era

Kurai tacticians used Northold’s foothills as a training ground for cold-weather maneuvers.

War of Sundering

Meercroft Forest became a refuge for rebels, deserters, and refugees.
Barastir fell shortly before the Empire collapsed.