Elven Government and Traditions
The governance of the elves is by elected monarchy. That is, upon the death or abdication of a monarch, the heads of every sept gather and vote on who should be succeed him. Only elves who are of the blood are eligible for election; this incidentally includes about 20% of the population. Half-elves and eladrin are legally and mystically capable of belonging to the bloodline, but they are not very likely to be elected; the elven kingdom on Athral Isle has had three half-elven monarchs and twelve eladrin monarchs in its recorded history. The sept leaders are themselves elected by the entire adult population of their septs. While all sept leaders are of the blood, it is not technically required for eligibility.
Between the level of the septs and the monarch are the clan leaders. Anywhere from 5 to 12 septs make up a clan. The sept leaders elect clan leaders, with considerable input from the monarch. Most elves identify with their sept more strongly than their clan. Clan leaders meet in council with the monarch at Uethil four times a year. They deliver the taxes for the previous season, in whatever form their clan produces. It is customary for the clan leaders to exchange lavish gifts with the monarch at this time.
The monarch is addressed as His/Her Grace, or King/Queen. The children of a reigning or former monarch are Princes and Princesses and accorded significant influence, though little legal authority.
Elves on Athral Isle
Relations between the Isle's elves and humans, once warm, have soured somewhat in the past few decades. Both groups blame the other for allowing the devastation wrought by the Bloodspear tribe. Elves and eladrin are culturally connected, but distinct. Each defends the other from the dangers of their own homeland, and struggles to sustain the trods that connect them.
Significant Settlements:
- Maithrindar, Nightvine – Hidden in a deep valley, daylight only reaches the bottom of the settlement for a few hours each day. From this stronghold, the elves harried the Bloodspear orcs mercilessly, retreating without a trace when attacked in force. A lake fed by a hot spring lies at the valley’s deepest point.
- Lysara Drasda, House of the Raven Queen – This city of some six thousand elves and eladrin has the honor to be the burial ground of the elven royal line, going back for the last five hundred generations (representing, at a conservative estimate, seventy-five thousand years of continual elven presence on Athral Isle).
- Uethil, the Third Aerie – Built around the peak of a heavily forested mountain, Uethil is the center of government for the elves. It is the third of its kind built into the mountains of Athral Isle, the first two having been destroyed by the erosion of the mountains on which they were built.
Individuals of Note
Elves in the Principalities of Verdien
On the southern coast of the Principalities of Verdien, in the shadow of Tarsikka, Tiere-a-Tun is a lone principality of elves. Much like their neighbors the Tarsikkans, they are known for their xenophobia. Elves of other nations fare only slightly better. This does little to stop the other realms of Verdien from attempting to open trade with them, as their forest is the best remaining source for ship-masts. Across the rest of the Principalities, elves receive a welcome that is either respectful or fearful.
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.