Darkwater Prison

Velend's autocracy brooks a harsh and unforgiving penal system, backed up through the threat of their trio of island prisons collectively known as Darkwater Prison. Any prison convicted of a non-trivial offence is sorted by degree of their crime and sent to one of the islands. Each is guarded more securely than the last, with the island farthest from the capitol Siegelind housing those convicted of treason and espionage against the state. One of the few areas where Velend will tolerate the use of magic items, powerful wards guard the prisons. Inmates are monitored at all times through scrying devices, and materials in the outer walls and cells are warded against damage and tampering.

The waters surrounding the have been tainted bitch black ever since the Godswar. While the cause of this is unknown, it causes no ocean life to live there for extended periods. Escape attempts have been made from the first island, known as Penumbra. Some of these attempts have had inmates reach the water in makeshift rafts, quickly disappearing out of sight from the guards. These ships have never reached the mainland, with the vessels being found soon after with the inhabitants gone, replaced with horrific bloodstains where they should have been. Such stories have stifled many later escape attempts.

Velend's definition of non-trivial offences is quite strict, with the vast majority of criminals convicted being sent to Penumbra, some for crimes as small as pick pocketing. Ocean spray constantly coats the island, which does not rely on walls to contain their prisoners. In fact, being able to sleep indoors at all is considered quite a boon. Most are relegated to huddling together outside in groups, covered only by tarps to keep the constant mist from settling on their exposed flesh. Such intolerable conditions encourage the prisoners to spend as much time working in the mine tunnels underneath the island. It is here that the godstones that Velend uses to hunt down magical artifacts are dug up. Finding a godstone is rewarded with a week spent sleeping in the guards hut, being showered with food and warmth. This reward system often encourages inmates to betray one another when such a stone is found. The otherwise open facilities of the prison would normally encourage escape attempts, but the bloodcurdling screams of the attempted escapees who are caught, mixed with the pitch black expanse of ocean that seems to swallow everything around it keeps everyone in line.

The second island, Tanis, houses those inmates who have committed capital offenses such as murder, rape, and hoarding of magical items. Built with proper walls soon after the Godswar, the cells which were previously crowded beyond use are now emptying as the years go on. The guards here are known to be especially cruel, as no inmate who enters here can never return to the mainland. Stories about Tanis only have come from the guards themselves and mere conjecture. However, it is confirmed that the guards rule over the island with an iron fist, brooking no dissent with their inmates. Since it would be reminiscent of the gods to merely kill any person who violated the law, Velend chose instead to create a purgatory that would encourage all who heard of it to avoid a life of crime. Food is scarce. Inmates will frequently fight to the death over a particularly hearty meal. Guards give benefits to inmates who provide them with intelligence, and more, carnal pursuits. Many prisoners are not given a choice in the matter.

Ghidrritl is the third island of the chain. Only the most truly heinous in Velend's eyes are sent there, those that commit treason and espionage against the Theocracy. The entire island is quite literally shrouded in mystery, as a thick veil of fog is constantly surrounding the island. None tell stories of Ghidrritl, as even mentioning the island is punishable if overheard by the wrong person. Those that are brave enough to even offer conjecture can only think of the most truly awful punishment, one that defies human comprehension. Guards are not even used on the island. A boat takes prisoners half a mile from the prison, where it drops inmates into the water hoping they will find their way to land. Many do not. Those that are said to enter a hell on earth, an incomprehensible bed of horrors that leads many to wish they had drowned with their brethren. Suffice to say, no man has returned from Ghidrritl, and most decent folk would prefer it stayed that way.