The rough-hewn wooden carvings recall ancient Slavic depictions of the gods. Both religions are very old, dating back almost to the time of the first men, and so the design of the shrines conveys a somewhat archaic look. These statues are often stained with blood, both the caked residue of past sacrifices and the still-warm traces of new ones.
This cult's shrines show evidence of syncretism between the faiths: Melitele the Crone has become one of the Ladies, an old woman with sagging breasts and an open mouth full of crooked teeth. Meanwhile, in Velen another religion has taken root, one which calls for prayers to be addressed to the Ladies of the Wood.
Around these altars, local peasants place small offerings of food and drink in tribute, and light modest votive candles and lamps. Simple statues carved of wood depict the goddess in one of three forms: Mother, Virgin, or Crone. Shrines to Melitele, the goddess of harvest, hearth, and fertility, are a frequently encountered element of the Temerian countryside. The Bloody Baron rules from Crow's Perch, a rundown fortress occupied by the Baron and his forces in the aftermath of the recent battles between Redania and Nilfgaard. As such, Velen has become known as No Man's Land, a war-ravaged and unforgiving place, ruled over by a man of similar temperament. Law and order are in short supply, as are food and supplies. His men are ill-disciplined and overly fond of brutalising the local population. The Baron's rule is harsh, and perhaps reflective of the land itself. In the wake of both sides' temporary withdrawal, a semi-autonomous state under the leadership of Phillip Strenger - a former Temerian commander better known by the Bloody Baron moniker - has been established in Velen through decisive (if ruthless and amoral) action and force of arms, consisting of the remnants of the former Temerian army. Neither the armies of the Northern Kingdom of Redania nor of Nilfgaard could achieve victory in their battles here. All these sufferings only added to the misery the people of Velen had to live through. Its people were killed, raped and hanged – all the worst things imaginable.
Velen is where the forces of the Empire clashed with the armies of the Northern Kingdoms, forcing the battlefront both north and south, leaving the area which lies between a desolate wasteland. Map Description The former Temerian province of Velen has become a war-ravaged no man's land.
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