Region 6: South-West Flanaess, Sheldomar Valley,  Ulek States

ULEK, COUNTY OF

The County of Ulek has long been a nation of peace, friendship and respect for nature. It is steeped in the tradition of the Oerth Mother, where halfling and Flan tribes lived off the land, creating ancient celebrations that persist to this day.

Since the Greyhawk Wars, the nation has kept a low profile, except to encourage coolness of temper and thoughtful diplomacy in the tense, emotional debates going on in Gorna, Istivin and Niole Dra. Other than this, the County is known as a good and peaceful, if sleepy and withdrawn, land.

Society and Culture: The Flan elders of this land have long acted as teachers to the halflings (and the later Oeridian arrivals) in learning to live in harmony with the Oerth Mother, rather than simply taking her bounty without thought and without giving anything in return. The County is known as the place where agricultural techniques practiced through the whole Sheldomar Valley were created.

The natural faiths of Ehlonna, Berei, Obad-Hai and Beory are worshipped here, with the druids of all four faiths working towards a common good for their people and their land, rather than bickering over matters of doctrine and creed. The common people favor Obad-Hai and Ehlonna, though the family of the Count worships Berei. And yet, this matters none to the common people, who give token and tithe to all four deities, just for good measure.

The social hierarchy of the county, if one can call it that, is very horizontal. Though elders and druids are held in high esteem, everyone else benefits from a rough and ready equality, with few thoughts given to social rank or wealth. The count makes all major decisions concerning matters both inside and out of the nation, though he must have popular support to do so. The count must always be a druid, and his family should follow his faith as well.

The people of the County regularly indulge in dances and rituals to thank their gods for the bounty given to them, and visitors from other nations are more than welcome to participate. Many of these rituals have more than a ceremonial role-they determine whether a druid is fit to act as Count. His personal prestige as a ruler is also dependent on his ranking in the Old Faith druidic hierarchy.

The main problem with the County and its people is their lack of attention to matters outside their own safe world. Threats are still quite common in the Lortmils, and the social scars from the Hateful Wars have not yet healed. As such, they tend to be nervous and suspicious of armed strangers, particularly adventurers.

Military Structure: The Ulek states are not known for their military expertise. 'Heavy' foot consists of human billmen, wielding short swords as a backup weapon, while medium and light cavalry ply the lance and saber. Gnomes work as sappers, while halflings operate as scouts. In times of need, the elves of the Silverwood add another element of medium cavalry, wielding longsword and bow. In the east, rangers wield axe, sword and spear.

None of these units, however, present a truly formidable opponent to a well-trained army. A match for the marauding orc or goblin band, most county patrols would fail against a troop of giants or ogres. More than once, the people of the county have had to call upon the aid of the Prince of Ulek, or Queen Yolande of Celene, for assistance in defending themselves. Wisely, Count Lewenn kept his troops out of direct combat, though he continued to feed and supply the front lines without hesitation.

Ruler: Count Lewenn, now in his early sixties, has ruled the county longly and wisely for many years, though he has become more and more withdrawn, in response to the violence and bloodshed around him. He hears of the evil in the north, and the enslavement of the vast fertile fields of the east by the Aerdi, both of which break his heart. Rarely will he speak to adventurers except in matters of life and death, preferring to let his clerks handle much of the mundane business of government.

A short, broad-shouldered man with thinning brown hair and matching eyes, Lewenn has grown used to a life of peace and solitude. The Greyhawk Wars were a great surprise to him, and some say that his recent demotion in the Old Faith druidic hierarchy was due to his growing inattention of matters outside his realm and his decision to simply feed all who come to his doors, not rousing himself for more decisive action.

Foreign Relations: The county retains warm relations with all its neighbors, and trades its excess grain and foodstuffs to any and all who ask. The snooty merchants and sneaky thieves of Greyhawk are carefully watched, though the people will rarely do anything worse than charm these people and send them home if they cause trouble. The gnomes of the county are strongly tied to their kin in the Lortmils, and thus have strained relations with the dwarves of the Principality of Ulek because of scars from the Hateful Wars. The people of the county, however, are most upset with the withdrawal of Celene, and its elves are torn between their loyalties to their homeland and their desire to see what is going on in their ancestral lands.

The only people seriously taken as enemies are (or were, as the case may be) the rowdy thieves and drunks of the Wild Coast, the Horned Empire of the north, the Cell of Iuz in the Suss Forest, and the malign Orcish Empire of the Pomarj. No token or quarter is given to any of these avowed enemies of all the people of the county hold dear.

Region 6: South-West Flanaess, Sheldomar Valley, South-Western Flanaess, Sheldomar Valley map, Ulek States