Ciraeldon (/Kir-rul-din/)
Song and poem echo from the shining cities of Ciraeldon, giving the nation its well-earned reputation as both the preeminent home of bards across the world and a land of engineered beauty. Tides of custodians keep the gleaming silver and metal of the nation's architecture spotless, while hordes of street-painters are just as eager to scuff up the streets and give cause for the former's pay. Between gleaming city and fertile farmland, Ciraeldon is also home to the agitations of Faeries from Faenor, and the influence of these creatures has dramatically impacted tales, legends, and the culture of the Ciraels.
History and Government
Of the Minstrel Kingdoms region, Ciraeldon is the nation which most closely lives up to the name: it is a nation of bards and poets, artists and drunkards, stories and legends! For the most part, this portrayal is true, as the past few monarchs have been proud sponsors of the arts, but Ciraeldon has less noble roots. Originating as one of the client states established by Delos'Nordan, Ciraeldon has long had a population of both elves and humans, though the former became outnumbered when the human exodus came to Pharos in the Age of War. The Fey, whose aesthetics the nation today reveres, however, have always had more troubled relations, as the High Elven empire constantly ravaged their homes within Ciraeldon to fuel its endless drive for resources. Today, most of Ciraeldon's Fey live in the Tyrysale Forest. To Queen Maeryn's credit, efforts to harvest lumber from this forest have been largely curtailed, as it has become regarded as a national treasure. This hardly repairs the nation's view in the eyes of the Fey, who've lost friends and family - and nature itself - for generations before, and who are now expected to credit a despot for her "mercy." The Fey of this forest are largely reclusive as a result, refusing to interact with mortals, no matter how much they try to pester or contact them as they seek inspiration for their crafted tales and limericks. More powerful creatures from Faenor, known as Faeries, are far less forgiving, however. As they do to much of the Minstrel Kingdoms, Faeries haunt the countryside of Ciraeldon, playing pranks and tricks which can turn out to be deadly. The people of Ciraeldon, being the gossip-queens that they are, have turned these morbid occurrences into another fascination, and some even actively seek out encounters with Faeries, as they believe it'll give them yet another story to write, which can only aid their performative career. Indeed, the common folk of Ciraeldon have even come to label common experiences as supernatural in origin, the result of these Faeries: spill some milk? Ah, those pesky Faeries! The political structure of Ciraeldon is perhaps significantly less progressive than its peoples' nature might indicate. Queen Maeryn rules with absolute authority, as most nobles prefer a life of travel in which their positions are nothing but titular, and she exercises this authority freely, though most view her in a positive light due to her surprisingly charitable contributions. Never have arts, sciences, and even alcoholics been more funded than under Queen Maeryn's rule, and the source and status of her coffers is a matter of rumor. Nobody quite knows how the royal family got so much money, or where it came from, but the coins don't lie. With adventurers flocking to the nation in droves, there's hardly any reason to worry, in any case.Cities
Cire Ael
Cire Ael is the capital of Ciraeldon, an extravagant city with a permanent population of tens of thousands. At its peak, especially during festivals, the temporary population can reach an additional hundreds of thousands, making things uncomfortably overcrowded. The city itself has countless inns and taverns, however, and has the capacity to hold upwards of fifty thousand visitors at once with no issue. On every street in Cire Ael is a street performer, and they can be quite insistent that they draw your picture, or sing you a song, in exchange for meager pay. Queen Maeryn herself regularly sings from the balcony of her manor, whose front overlooks the city streets, and people flock to be serenaded by her. Cire Ael is kept clean by a dedicated and well-paid force of custodians, who are primarily halflings, though in recent times it has been bolstered by others who need a job while they work to build up their reputation and seek their fame as performers. Alcohol flows freely here, but most other substances are banned, and the city guard keeps a firm leash on the underground markets. The Vineyard's Guild is partly responsible for this, as they hold a monopoly over liquor, and they don't like competition.Hora Gwaith
Hora Gwaith inherits its name from Fey lore, where Hora roughly translates to "mountain" and Gwaith can be translated to "home" in the Sylvan language. Hora Gwaith is not actually near a mountain, and its name instead originates from its tremendous, compact structure. The city houses more permanent residents than Cire Ael, but is significantly smaller in diameter, as its buildings are primarily constructed in a vertical fashion. These grow taller towards the center of the city, making it appear as a metal mountain on the horizon. Like Cire Ael, Hora Gwaith is a city of street performers and adventurers, but it is perhaps most notable for its availablity of any drug. The Vineyard's Guild holds no sway here, and one can find everything from the deadly to the mundane to bring oneself joy. The city's custodians have their own division of corpse-cleaners to handle the mess. The situation has been steadily brought under greater control by a joint effort of the churches of Pyriel and Deanala, who offer free services to heal and aid with addiction, as well as convert former addicts into a life of service to the city.Ehra Vitza
Ehra Vitza, much like Hora Gwaith, derives its name from supposed Fey lore, though nobody remembers what it was originally meant to mean, and no Fey could recognize it. It is a smaller city, of just a few thousand, but it occupies an important position on the Batham River. Trade from the Vale and westwards pours through it, on its way further into Ciraeldon, and there's no shortage of travelers to spread those goods quickly. It is also a city surrounded by expansive vineyards, which fuel Ciraeldon's desires.Geography
Ciraeldon is largely a stretch of open plains, with small patches of trees and forest littered in between. The southern portion of the country is more hilly, though these hills are smooth, not jutty. The capital, as well as Hora Gwaith, lie on the beautiful Lake Lyone, whose surface is filled by massive lilypads year-round. These pads are rumored to have healing properties, as drinking from the lake is not only safe, but rejuvenating. The most important river in Ciraeldon is the Syren River, which empties into the Bay of Sails, an inlet of the . The Syren River fuels much of Ciraeldon's vineyards, which are its primary resource and export. The Batham River is secondary in importance, and is primarily used for trade, while the West Lone Creek is only relevant as a border with Ganemyth, as well as a minor source of drinking water. The Lone Peak Mountain extends from Ciraeldon's south-eastern edge, though it is primarily divided between Ganemyth and Delos'Nordan. In the west, Tyrysale Forest spans most of the border with Nothgard, and used to be an important source of timber for the nation. Lumberjacking in this forest has gradually been curtailed by recent rulers, and has been virtually banned by Queen Maeryn, making it less useful for this purpose.Resources
The primary export of Ciraeldon is olives, grapes, wines, and other liquors, which are fueled by its expansive vineyards and farmlands. The terrain and weather in Ciraeldon is almost ideal for growing these staple crops, and its rare that a season goes by without an increase in production. Ciraeldon also produces plentiful lavender, valerian, and almonds. Historically, Ciraeldon was an important source of timber for Delos'Nordan, though it cannot even supply itself now due to regulations, and imports wood and marble for its construction. Pearls, frogs, turtles and oysters are delicacies abundantly exported from Ciraeldon's northern shores, as well as Lake Lyone, and fish are also a common source of food for its own people. Much of Ciraeldon's wealth today stems from trade tariffs and artisans; gems, metals, and raw materials are imported at high fee, and converted by its people into weapons, armor, instruments and jewelry, which sell at high prices to visiting travelers and adventurers.Ethnicities
The founding tribe of Ciraeldon are the Cyrs. The Cyrrish tribes were never fully unified into the state, however, and still exist in sustainable numbers. Thus, the people of Ciraeldon are typically called Ciraelish, or Ciraels, while those who still live a rural life and practice the Old Faith are called Cyrs, though these terms can sometimes blend together.Diplomacy
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"Land of Song and Sojourn"
Adjectives: Ciraelish
National Animal: Cat Owl
National Instrument: Panpipes
Ethnicities: Ciraels, Cyrs
Languages: Human Common (Pharosian Gultic), Pharosian Common (Ciraelyd), East Old-Tongue (Cyrrish)
Capital: Cire Ael
Ruler: Queen Maeryn the Poetic
Government: Enlightened Monarchy
Hallmarks: Bards, artists, wine, Faeries
Characteristics: Open-minded, optimistic, adventurous, spirited
National Animal: Cat Owl
National Instrument: Panpipes
Ethnicities: Ciraels, Cyrs
Languages: Human Common (Pharosian Gultic), Pharosian Common (Ciraelyd), East Old-Tongue (Cyrrish)
Capital: Cire Ael
Ruler: Queen Maeryn the Poetic
Government: Enlightened Monarchy
Hallmarks: Bards, artists, wine, Faeries
Characteristics: Open-minded, optimistic, adventurous, spirited