The Valley of the Witches is a secluded vale in the Morygun Mountains, east of Korgül and northwest of Phaerhom. Its name is earned: the valley is home to a coven of powerful witches who have claimed it for generations, and they do not welcome visitors.
Geography
The valley cuts deep into the Morygun range, accessible only through a narrow pass that is easily defended, or easily concealed. The floor is surprisingly fertile given the altitude, with a small lake, patches of forest, and meadows that remain green when the surrounding peaks are snow-covered.
The climate within the valley is notably milder than the surrounding mountains. Whether this is natural geography or magical manipulation is unclear, but plants grow here that shouldn't survive at this elevation.
The Coven
The witches of the Valley are a loose community of practitioners who share the space and certain traditions rather than a unified organization. Their magic draws on various sources: some use fae connections, others tap darker powers, a few practice stranger arts that defy classification.
What unites them is territoriality. The Valley is theirs. Anyone who enters uninvited faces consequences ranging from misdirection (being magically guided out) to curses (being turned into something unpleasant) to death (rare, but not unheard of).
The witches maintain relationships with the fairy enclave at Phaerhom to the southeast, mutually respectful if not friendly. Both communities are magical, territorial, and uninterested in the affairs of the lowland states.
Approaching the Valley
Finding the Valley of the Witches is itself a challenge. The entrance pass is hidden by illusion, misdirection, and the natural confusion of mountain terrain. Travelers searching for it often walk in circles for days before giving up or stumbling through by accident.
Those who do find the entrance face a choice: retreat immediately, or proceed and accept whatever consequences the witches impose. The coven has been known to accept certain visitors: those seeking specific knowledge, those willing to pay specific prices, those who amuse them. But the criteria for acceptance are unpredictable.
What They Know
The witches of the Valley possess knowledge that cannot be found elsewhere.
Some specialize in curses and their removal. Others know secrets of transformation, prophecy, or death. A few have studied the Agony Stones from afar and understand more about the Dying One than any lowland scholar.
For adventurers desperate enough to seek the Valley, the witches can be invaluable allies, if the price is acceptable. And the price is always terrible.
Relationship to Kadroka
The Valley of the Witches lies beyond Kadrokan territory, in the wild mountains where Melekas's authority does not reach. The dragon knows the witches exist but has never attempted to project power into their domain. Whether this is practical recognition of limits or the result of some past negotiation is unknown.
Kadrokan travelers are warned away from the Valley. Most take the warning seriously.