Principality of Velen
Government
Velen is 'led' by Prince Njorald. There was once an institution somewhat similar to the Scaven, though smaller and less powerful. They were killed by the Einherjar. Now, while the Einherjar largely allow Njorald to govern Velen independently, they still make practically every executive decision, as well as forcing Njorald to comply with every demand, military and economic, they may have.
Geography
Velen is located far away from Askor, to the north of what was Scavenia. Velen's climate was already much colder than their allies, and so agriculture was far less relied upon, and the sea was utilized much more. After the Einherjar invaded, this was only exacerbated, with the soil losing almost all fertility.
Culture
Veleni culture is largely similar to Scaveni, though with a greater emphasis on the ocean and tundra, and, more recently, on warfare. Religiously, the Veleni worship the same gods as the Scaveni, though with different gods in their chief pantheon, and worship of many Scaveni gods, such as Wanous and Lodd, have been outlawed by the Einherjar.
Vascun is the Scaveni and Veleni wolf god. What is the god of is a somewhat foreign concept known as Visi, which has no direct translation, but is somewhere between 'power', 'survival', and 'darkness'. Visi is basically the quantity to which someone has a capability of surviving, as well as exerting their power on others. Followers of Vascun believe that to raise one's Visi, they must forsake morality, and instead view the world through a primal and survivalistic view of it. Vascun, illegal to worship before the arrival of the Einherjar, is now one of the principal gods of the Vilene, being seen as the god who led them to their current status under the Einherjar. Vascuns followers in the military, the Berserkers, have the ability to turn into powerful werewolves. His pendant is a wolf head.
The Goddess is the 'one true goddess' of the Einherjar. Under the Einherjar rule, the Veleni are forced to worship her above all other gods.
Hafni is the Veleni god of luck, fishing, and thievery. Many today worship Hafni simply as a means of finding hope in not getting tortured or killed by the Einherjar. The warriors who worship him can utilize various powers of illusion, such as the ability to read and bend minds, and to turn invisible. His pendant is a hand.
Njurr is the Veleni and Scaveni sea god, though to the Veleni is much more militaristic. He once was, along with Wanous, one of the two most important gods, and though is still important, is now being eclipsed by Vascun and the Einherjar Goddess. It is said that when Wanous ruled man, he set aside a parcel of land for his son, Njurr, to rule over, despite already giving him the seas. This land became known as Velen, or 'Sea Land'. His pendant is the Triple Wave, which is also the flag of the Veleni.
By far the most distorted god under Einherjar rule, Kimmel was once a minor harvest god, who, according to Veleni teachings, would tend to the lands while the other gods were out at sea. Now that the land has been taken, Kimmel is seen in a much...different light under Einherjar rule, now being a vicious war god. Warrior followers of Kimmel carry long, scythe like weapons, and wear only long robes, being well known for their speed and agility, being adept at blocking arrows and other projectiles. His pendant is a scythe.
Military
Velen operates under the Einherjar military, though they have opted to send Velen on its own independent invasion rather than simply incorporate it into their military. Velen, as it has always been, is a primarily amphibious military, though is now a bit more raiding oriented and...merciless. The most elite warriors of the Veleni military are the berserkers, Vascun worshippers who can turn into werewolves far more powerful than most Scaveni werewolves, except perhaps Lessik. Their military primarily utilizes longships at sea, and fight with axes more often than the Scaveni. Another elite group are the followers of Kimmel, who carry scythe-like polearms and wear robes instead of armor, instead choosing speed as their main skill in combat. Additionally, certain military practices have been adopted from the Einherjar-for instance, nobles, including Njorald, tend to fight in plate armor, and rather than use their old scale armor, most fighters in general wear chain mail. Crossbows have also been adopted as the main ranged weapon, with levy troops used to fire them.
Heroes
Skulvar Bloodaxe: (superior hero) Skulvar defected before the Veleni as a whole did, and is perhaps the most powerful werewolf in the world, making the Scaveni Lessik look like nothing in comparison, with his wolf form being massive and demonic. And not only is he powerful as a wolf, but he is still one of the best Veleni warriors as a man, fighting with a large, two handed axe. Despite his strange love for the Einherjar, he is still an ardent worshipper of Vascun, his body covered in Vascunite iconographic tattoos. The way he acts, it seems as though mercy isn't in his vocabulary.
Prince Njorald: Prince Njorald, the puppet leader of Velen, ascended to the throne after his father was killed by Einherjar agents, though the title of king was abolished. Despite his trepidation in fighting, it is expected of him by the Einherjar to fight in combat, and he has become an adept warrior, fighting with a sword and no shield. He is perennially depressed, struggling to account for the needs of his people while complying with the demands of his occupiers. The effect this has on his mental health is, to say the least, not a good one.
Skayna Blackfeather: Skayna is one of the very few female warriors in the Veleni army, and not only that, but she leads a fleet of ships. Utilizing both skills in combat and illusion magic, she is well liked by the Einherjar, mainly for her skill as a slaver, having brought many prisoners to fuel the Einherjar machine. In combat she fights with an axe and a shield, and received her name for controlling a group of ravens, who she uses to obtain scouting information, and sometimes to aid in fighting. She was the illegitimate child of a Veleni admiral who was killed by the Einherjar for refusing to accept their rule, and thus, has noble blood.
Awnar Vesna: Awnar is an ardent follower of Kimmel, and extreme with his skill with a scythe. He's also probably the best person in the Veleni army, with some actual moral fiber. Secretly, he dislikes the Einherjar rule, but wouldn't publicly say anything. Something else he hides is that he not only worships Kimmel as a war god, but as a protecter of Velen, just like in the old days. His father was an actual priest of Kimmel, and as such they lived on a farm. Awnar believes in a new Kimmelite philosophy based on balance, where one cannot enact true change through violent upheaval, and where the passion of the New Kimmel and the tranquility of the Old Kimmel must be reconciled.
History
For hundreds of years, the neighboring powers of Velen and Scavenia were close allies. So close that the Veleni Prince Njorald and the Scaveni Princess Eosia were expected to be wed, and upon their wedding, create a unified kingdom. When the Einherjar invaded, it seemed as though the allied states would be able to repel the invaders, when Einherjar agents killed the Veleni king, and replaced him with his adolescent son. Since then, the past twenty years have been the Einherjar sapping the Veleni of recources and men, though not as much as the other peoples serving them, so that the Veleni could create their own invasion force.
Relations
Einherjar: The Veleni are often called the Einherjar's dogs-treated better than the other vassals, but still forced to comply with any demands they make. Njorald himself is often treated by the Einherjar as a weird project, almost being...groomed.
Scaveni: One time ally, now mortal enemy. The Veleni have been told that the Scaveni had been eradicated, though this is not the case. Of course, after the Veleni betrayal, the engagement between Njorald and Eosia was broken off.
Sabakatanu: They haven't met, but Njorald is about to invade them, so...relations are unlikely to be good.
