Dol Taedh
A village of Bardic wood elves in the east of Arxios. The valley surrounding the village is officially a part of the Kingdom of Stopstalk, but the kingdom has so far stayed away, leaving the elves to their business.
Each quester is accompanied by a trio of songbirds representative of Dol Taedh's patron deities of fate, the Norns. These birds serve as witnesses and judges of the aspiring bard's adventures. If a quester earns the Norn's approval during their journey, the birds will accompany them in their final presentation.
A quester will present a collection of their adventures to the Bardic Masters, which varies depending on the bard's chosen art form. This could be a series of paintings, a song or poem reciting the bard's exploits, or perhaps an interpretive dance representing the values they learned to appreciate while away. Any form of expression is permitted, the masters judge only on the authenticity and value of the presentation itself.
If the council approves a presentation by majority vote, the young quester is granted the title of Bard, and officially joins a thriving community of artists. If they fail, the quester must re-embark on another journey, banished until they can prove themselves a bard.
There is currently no known communication between the two tribes.
Village of Story and Song
The village is named for the valley in which it resides, Dol Taedh (Valley of Song). Like the Dhucose tribes in the west, the Dol Taedh are predominantly isolationist, maintaining only bare communication with the nearest Stopstalk barony, Wolfwood.Structure
Dol Taedh is best described as a "Bardocracy", being governed by a high council of bardic masters. Those who grow up within the valley explore a variety of art forms before choosing a focus late in their formative years.Quest of Valor
When a child of the valley comes of age, they embark on a rite of passage known as a "Quest of Valor". The quester will leave the village, though not necessarily the valley, and explore their respective art form, developing skills, experience, and above all, constructing a portfolio of their adventures to present to the High Council upon returning to the village. This quest can take years to even decades, though there is a minimum of one year. During this time, a quester cannot return to the village.Each quester is accompanied by a trio of songbirds representative of Dol Taedh's patron deities of fate, the Norns. These birds serve as witnesses and judges of the aspiring bard's adventures. If a quester earns the Norn's approval during their journey, the birds will accompany them in their final presentation.
A quester will present a collection of their adventures to the Bardic Masters, which varies depending on the bard's chosen art form. This could be a series of paintings, a song or poem reciting the bard's exploits, or perhaps an interpretive dance representing the values they learned to appreciate while away. Any form of expression is permitted, the masters judge only on the authenticity and value of the presentation itself.
If the council approves a presentation by majority vote, the young quester is granted the title of Bard, and officially joins a thriving community of artists. If they fail, the quester must re-embark on another journey, banished until they can prove themselves a bard.
Visiting the Valley
The elves of Dol Taedh do not welcome strangers on a normal basis. Though this principle could be waived if one is accompanied by a native bard, or if they can convince the high council of the necessity of their entry.Relations with the Dhucose
It is believed that the elves of Dol Taedh originated from the dhucose tribes in the west. It is entirely possible that the two civilizations were once one, but were separated when the folk of Stopstalk settled in the center of the valley, dividing the tribes down the middle, and slowly pushing them to the edges of the land over time.There is currently no known communication between the two tribes.
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