Deep Niben

	At a time when the Colovian cultural sphere was yet to penetrate fully across the Colovian highlands, let alone the southern lands, the Nibenese city states had already spread throughout Niben bay, their merchants sailing all the way north to Rumare and south to Topal bay. Naturally, they also sailed eastward, up the mighty Corbolo, Silverfish and Panther rivers. There, they traded with their tribal kin, establishing relations that would gradually grow into stronger union.

	Away from the established routes on the major waterways that come down from the Valus Mountains and end up in Niben bay, Imperial rule is de facto non-existent; no one beside lone adventurer-scholars or idealistic missionaries bothers to stray into the wild lands. Tribal Nibeneans live an existence undisturbed by civilisation, dwelling in small communities of pile dwellings and surviving by hunting and gathering. All contact had nonetheless never been completely blocked - although very limited, much evidence remains of communication between the two worlds.
	Historically, the Empire sent many expeditions into the interior of Nibenay in an attempt to chart the unknown lands that the civilised Nibeneans of old kept away from. Unfortunately, many of the expeditions never made it back, either due to disease - Deep Niben is in many aspects similar to the Blackwood region and beyond that, Argonia -, the wildlife or the tribes residing in the deep jungle. A most peculiar influence left by some of these expedition persisted in a number of communities - cults. Certain communities, those especially susceptible to being swayed by the foreign arrivals due to their cultural or religious beliefs, would come to see the expeditions not as intrusions but as special divine signs. One example of this phenomenon was described in detail by one Canardo Rumenti. In one village that he had visited during his private expedition (dressed as a member of another, friendly tribe to keep the tribal folk oblivious to his true roots; the full account of his travels that were filled with observing isolated communities with the help of illusion magic, as well as travelling through regions while changing his clothes so as to prevent any suspicion remains an exemplary work among scholars interested in isolated Tribal Nibeneans) Rumenti discovered a cult to a warrior god known to the locals as Lyi-D'zun. It appeared that at one point, one of the expeditions had reached the settlement and the native folk greeted their guest(s) with reverence. The name of the deity clearly refers to the word "Legion"; a word in a tongue that the natives most certainly did not understand. The village men would march up and down the village with pointed sticks that seemed to represent swords, as well as "shields" fashioned from large pieces of bark. According to the village elders, it was said that Lyi-D'zun would return one day, bringing the tribe piles of food as well as drive out their enemies.
	Similar stories have been relayed from elsewhere in the vast impassable jungles. Travellers report finding isolated villages whose shrines bore rusted legionary helmets. None of them know of the Empire and many had never seen anyone who did not look like them; some communities have been found that know of Ayleids but consider them demons while others have no strong reaction apart from curiosity at the sight of folk of such different looks.