Mir'Heled

Mir'Heled is the elven (read: correct) name of the ancient city nestled in the northeastern Oran Mountains. To outsiders, it's referred to as Aeturnum, but even this is a bit of a misnomer.
The word Aeturnum was actually affixed to the high elves by the Anteceans during their conquests of the northern realms and refers to them as a collective, not just the physical city. In fact, most elves within the city would be quite insulted to here it called Aeturnum (though many elves out in the wider world do not mind the moniker). The city's true name in the elvish tongue is Mir'Heled, or the Place of Crystal and Glass. Likewise, the elves who populate it refer to themselves as the Núr'uir; the eternal people, or "those who came first and those who will remain" as some of the more erudite elves refer to themselves.
The city itself was founded nearly 6,000 years ago in 4,500 AC by elven tribes exploring the far north in search of mineral resources to supplement their burgeoning empire. When they hit the Arrdan River (or as the elves refer to it, the Mith'duin), they found an abundance of mithral sediment as well as indications of a great number of precious crystals and gems upstream. Following the river into the Oran Mountains and through nearly impossible passes, the elves discovered a vale so beautiful it all but defied description. The source of the Mith'duin was a sterling lake the elves call Mith'ael. Surrounding the lake was a veritable forest of magnificent crystals. The surrounding mountains were rich with veins of mithral as well as blue iron and cobalt.
Naturally, a "silver" rush occurred in the burgeoning Nur'uir Empire, and thousands of elves flocked to the north and quickly built up a city in the vale. It is often stated that Mir'Heled was one of the fastest elven cities ever constructed due to the demand that the abundance of mineral wealth caused. In time, the excitement dimmed, and the city's population began to level off. Then, the true development of the city began, as artisans spent lifetimes building monuments and spires of crystal, glass, and stone. And thanks to the city's incredibly strategic position in the mountains, the elves were able to seal it off against any prying hands by constructing a prismatic wall across the narrowest point of the pass.
Structurally, the city is quite layered, taking advantage of the natural incline raising from the lakeshore to the mountains behind it. Each tier is its own walled quadrant, making the city itself quite defensible even if an invading force was able to make it beyond the prismatic walls in the first place.
Aesthetics Mir'Heled is unique, even among elven cities, thanks to the abundance of remarkably sturdy crystalline structures (called heled'sarn, or glass stone) that grow like trees in the Mith'ael Vale. While crystals like this can often be found as embellishments in elven architecture, in Mir'Heled, entire structures can be built from the stuff. Likewise, mithral, which is found in abundance in the mines beneath the city, is used prominently in all areas of building and design.
Most of the cities structures' foundations are built of pristine white stone: granite and marble sourced from the mountains. The crystal is then used like plexiglass in modern buildings, with magical infusions causing it to take on different colors. Mithral and other tougher metals are used as decorative embellishments as well as support structures for larger buildings. Some prominent structures are:

• Ar'Tirith: The Crystalline Tower. A tower constructed of crystal and mithral intertwined in a spiraling band that stretches over a thousand feet into the air. The very top is a massive bust of what appears to be an elven face. Closer inspection reveals it to be a collage of thousands of smaller elven faces: the many comprising the one.
  
• The Mountain Sculptures of the Ancient Pantheon. Beyond the city proper, the mountain face has been carved with the massive likenesses of a number of the old elven gods (the seldarine), towering hundreds of feet and gazing down serenely at the city below. While these gods have not been worshipped in centuries, the elves have left them as a monument to elven engineering. The gods featured are: Corellon: god of magic, warfare, music, and art, Angharradh: goddess of the moon, dreams, mysteries, and secrets, Faenya: goddess of the wind and weather, Sashelas: goddess of the seas, Labelas: god of time, history, and knowledge, Tarsellis: god of the earth, Celanil: goddess of love, joy, and beauty

Culture and Society Currently, nearly 20 thousand elves live in Mir'Heled, with vast "neighborhoods" of pristine homesteads encircling the city proper situated along the northeastern neck of the Mith'ael. While the city is entirely self-sufficient, it still retains the economic system of the old Nur'uir Empire. Specifically, the currency used by the high elves are Shards: small slivers of imbued crystal shaped into different sizes and colors and engraved with fine elven inscriptions.
Each color of shard is simply treated differently to achieve their different colors, and are all sourced from the crystal forests surrounding the city. Their value is derived from the central government which in turn bases their worth off the current mineral wealth of the city. Individually, the material value of a shard could range anywhere from a few silvers to 10-15 gold pieces.
Despite their reclusive nature, Mir'Heled has found it necessary to engage in trade with some outsiders, most notably the dwarves, and as such are willing to trade currencies. Though most vendors will not outright take foreign gold, one of the many banks of the city are able to offer exchanges (with a small service fee, of course.)
Culturally, Mir'Heled is steeped in Academia. There are several universities, libraries, and colleges dedicated to the study of all things magical and mundane. However, this information is a closely guarded secret that even the closest friends of the elves would be loathe to get their hands on. The elves have taken meticulous records of history since the beginnings of their empires millennia ago. It is generally agreed that if the archives of Mir'Heled do not have a record, then the record does not exist anywhere. Because of this, any outsider looking to peruse the elves knowledge will require a great deal of assistance from the archives magical assistants and filing systems. The most prominent institutions of learning are:

• Sylvaris Academy of the Arcane Arts
• Fae'ren University
• The Library of Gelydh
• Herdir'Golodh (the great archive)

Socially, the elves of Mir'Heled's "status" is often determined by each individuals profession. However, as a very traditionalist society, family ties and bloodlines play a large part, with particularly old families holding a great deal of sway in the cities goings-on. Because of this, more than a few feuds have boiled over from time to time, though they are often quickly settled by the crown.
Almost every elf in Mir'Heled is motivated in at least some capacity by the need to expand both their personal knowledge and the knowledge of the elven people as a whole, as it is believed that only elves who bring something worthwhile will be allowed to join with Sae'l He'ru (sayl heh-rue). Because of their long lifespan, most elves will learn tertiary knowledge of an incredible number of subjects early in their lives and then dedicated centuries to one niche focus once they find something that strikes their fancy. Many elves go into the study of magic, and as such, the machinations of the city are steeped in intrinsic magic.
This pursuit of self-betterment and achievement is made possible for every elf in Mir'Heled, as the city has achieved an essentially utopian society, in that all the basic needs of life are automated through magic and spellcraft, freeing the elves from the drudgery of mundane labor and allowing them to pursue more lofty ambitions.
Magic in Mir'Heled Unlike human cities, where magic is a closely guarded commodity available only to the wealthy and powerful, magic in Mir'Heled is freely shared and used to the benefit of everyone. The city is innately tied to the presence of magic, allowing feats of engineering that would simply be impossible elsewhere.

• The city has a "power supply line" linked to two Foci. One is a swirling vortex at the bottom of the Mith'ael while the other is a magically imbued crystal pillar located in the courtyard of the Crystalline Tower.
• Mills powered by "reverse waterfalls" (small bodies of water under the effects of reverse gravity) are scattered throughout the city.
• Basic food is conjured daily and usually prepared by "culinary mages". More exquisite food is sourced from the nearby wilderness.
• Familiars are a common sight flying through the skies and scurrying across the ground. They can often be found buying goods on behalf of their masters. Likewise, invisible servants and floating disks are commonly utilized
• Everything is pristinely clean all the time. Teams of mages constantly patrol around, using magic to clean up any debris.
• Music constantly streams through the streets, but with no notable sources
• Statues the size of buildings, made from crystal as often as they are of stone are a common sight. Many of them move about on their pedestals, and some of them can even chat with passersby.
• Magical art installations are a common occurrence: dazzling displays of colorful streams fly through the air and massive illusions depict heroic exploits in market squares.

Founding Date

circa 4,500 AC

Alternative Name(s)

Aeturnum

Type

Capital

Population

20,000

Location under

The Province of Horizon

Governance

Mir'Heled is steeped in deep-rooted tradition. For untold millennia, the Nur'uir have governed themselves by bloodline monarchy. Because of their long lifespans and dedication to tradition, dynasties can last for thousands of years. As such, the Nur'uir have only had a handful of different bloodlines ruling the kingdom. The regent also keeps the council of a number of prominent family heads, usually no more than 6. Should a king or queen ever pass without an heir, it is this council who decides on a new ruler from among their number.
The current queen is a serene but imposing woman named Aeonna Tyrnaez. She was coronated in 962 EP after her mother Tyalla passed after a long but otherwise uneventful reign (a welcome change from her mother, Queen Haeva, who was responsible for the second loss of Lar'Nimloth. That defeat actually caused her to abdicate in favor of her daughter).

Calendar

Naturally, the elves do not adhere to the same calendar as most human cultures, though it does follow a similar scheme as the Antecean calendar, broken into 3 ages: a prehistoric age, the age of the empire, and the new age.
In the elven calendar, the current year is 2,350 (modern). The age of the empire, which uses "gold" as short-hand, spanned 4,489 years and encapsulates the creation of the Mithral Spire in Kentro to the "first fall of Lar'Nimloth".
The ancient calendar counts in reverse like the Antecean version and uses "ancient" as its shorthand. For reference, Mir'Heled was founded in 396 ancient, making it roughly 7,250 years old, one of the oldest elven cities ever created and by far the oldest still standing today (at least that is still occupied by elves).

Bladesingers

The elite of Mir'Heled's sentinels are the esoteric Bladesingers, wizards trained in an ancient form of spellcasting and swordplay. Within the overarching order of bladesinging, there are several distinct styles pertaining to the type of weapon the wizard uses. All bladesingers bear a magical tattoo that serves as a focus for their bladesong and represents the school of training they hail from:

• Lion. Specializes in longswords and rapiers
• Tiger. Specializes in shortswords and scimitars
• Eagle. Specializes in battle axes
• Crane. Specializes in reach weapons like quarterstaffs, glaives, and spears
• Viper. Specializes in flexible weapons like flails, whips, and chains.

Tattoos

Magical tattoos play a heavy roll in Nur'uir society. While some higher class elves get them just for show, many of them serve practical purposes beyond aesthetics. As the ink used to create these tattoos are imbued with magic, the cost of creating one can range from as little as 50 gold to tens of thousands of gold and years of preparation (the quality of the ink is what affects the overall value of the tattoo, rather than the quantity).
These tattoos can grant hosts of different abilities, from increasing ones durability, to granting resistance to certain types of damage, to conjuring magical weapons, to allowing one to walk through walls for a time. The recipe for these magical inks is a closely guarded secret and thus very few people beyond Mir'Heled have ever even heard of such creations.

Peregrinations

Almost every youth of Mir'Heled engages in a pilgrimage of sorts called a Peregrination, in which a newly "adult" elf ventures out beyond the city to see the world beyond. These trips last anywhere from 6 months to several centuries. Some elves never return at all. Those that do return though, always do so with new experience, perspective, or knowledge to share with the city