The Arvenora Conclave
The lands of the Anaraldaron are as ancient and mysterious as they are breathtaking. It is said that the peninsula itself dates back to the Age of Creation, curated personally by Cyril, The Oakbeard, and safeguarded from many grand geographic and cosmological shifts throughout the ages. Though he would spread his creations across all of Tel’Drannar, here in these hidden forests, he placed the Anarraldaron elves. For thousands upon thousands of years, well into the Age of Strife, the elves lived in absolute peace and harmony, safeguarded by Cyril, who etched ancient runes into the lands of the peninsula to keep the region shrouded and safe. However, as Cyril departed into slumber with the rest of his divine kin, the wards he powered began to fade and the protective barriers lifted.
While the Anaraldaron were a strictly pacifist and peaceful people, they were initially wary and untrusting of their newfound neighbors. Fortunately, those of Elix that would step foot in the forests of Anaraldaron were so entranced by the people and landscape, the thought of violence would repulse even the most brutish of visitors. Slowly, the people of the Arvenora Conclave, willing to share in the bounties of the forest, were eager to accept new guests. As more and more travelers trickled through the edges of Elix, the lands of the Anaraldaron were spoken of far and wide. The simplistic, yet idyllic lifestyle of its inhabitants; the beautiful forests, seemingly frozen in autumnal hues of reds, oranges, and yellows; and the agreeable, if not quirky, personalities of the Anaraldaron elves quickly made the conclave a desirable location for the elders of Elix to live out their final days. While the Arvenora Conclave, seeking to avoid conflict, would submit to the Tierysian Empire, the latter would hardly touch the ancient people or their forest nation. Though they would still implant advisors and a minor military force within the capital, they found the elves to pose absolutely no threat or use to the Empire, save small shipments of herbs and delicacies that were exported to the Tierysian homeland.
At the end of the False Age, during the Trial for Existence, Cyril returned to the land of his children. He delicately plucked a handful of trees from the forest and raised the protective runes from the ground, implanting them in the harvested trees. From his chest, he plucked a strand of divine essence and imbued the runes permanently, then fashioned the trees into a citadel, which he planted at the base of the Somersoll Crests and called it Ilahil, the sanctuary of the people. Though the peninsula was seemingly spared of conflict during the Trial for Existence, the divinely-warded fortress still exists today deep within the forest. As the Tierysian Empire collapsed in cataclysmic fury, the people of the Anaraldaron, true to their nature, offered to harbor those who remained. Though most Tierysians throughout Elix had either fled to Axum or were killed, those who resided in the Arvenora Conclave were eager to stay in the forest of beauty and mystery. To this day, the people and forests of the Anaraldaron remain unchanged: peaceful, pacifist, and highly reverent of the home their creator provided them.
Cities & Locations
Arvenora: Situated atop a gorge through which three meandering rivers carve their way to eventual waterfalls, the city of Arvenora, overlooking the forests of the Anaraldaron and backdropped by the Somersoll Crests, is often considered the most beautiful city in all of Tel'Drannar. Relatively small compared to the capitals of other nations, the structures of Arvenora (and most of the Arvenora Conclave) are woven of completely unworked wood and stone. It is no secret that the elves of the Anaraldaron and their historic caretaker, Cyril, abhorred the destruction of the natural world. Still needing shelter, however, the Oakbeard taught them ways to magically warp and bend both trees and stone, without harm, to fashion homes, temples, and markets. Because of this technique, no two buildings in all of the Conclave look similar. Within Arvenora, the technique of shaping trees to create shelter allowed their inhabitants to occupy even the canopies of the forest, where small abodes and hovels exist. The city, covered in gardens, plazas, and parks, provides a storybook-like image to those who visit. Small cafes, markets, and herb stores mark the city as a popular destination for those seeking relaxation and even recreation.
Imranlin: Less exotic than the capital, the port city of Imranlin serves as a major trade hub for the conclave. Due to its location, the city's population is more diverse than the inland cities of the Anaraldaron. Here, workers oversee the imports and exports of the Conclave, the latter of which is largely herbs, tinctures, and foodstuffs. As of late, however, with isolationism on a slow decline, various other crafts have seen their sale and export here. Imranlin exists as only one of two feasible entrances to the forest nation.
Anathyr: The second viable entrance into the forest nation, Anathyr is a newer town bordering the coasts of the Myriil Sea and the Artill Unison. The Unison, largely driven by increasing trade and commerce, funded the creation of Anathyr with the approval of the Conclave's leadership. Because of this origin, Anathyr is unique in that it is the union of contemporary Elixian architecture and that of Anaraldaron culture. Much like Imranlin, trade is prevalent in this coastal city, though not just in merchandise. Both culture and ideas find themselves freely traded in this city, which has garnered itself the name, the city of two worlds.
Silathlin: Embedded deep within the Anaraldaron Forest, Silathlin is a city of mystery and rumor. Because travel through the forests is highly dangerous for the untrained and unaccustomed, travelers and visitors are severely unlikely within Silathlin. Despite this, tales and stories tell of a city ancient and beautiful much like Arvenora. Here, it is said the forest floor glows with the magic of the Oakbeard and the river runs more pure than that of the Whitewater Sea. More strange are the tales that speak of the fey travelers and merchants that allegedly appear in the city. Ilahil: Ilahil, the sanctuary of the people, formed of wood and embedded in stone, is the Anaraldaron version of the most secure dwarven mountain-hold. Unoccupied and off-limits to outsiders, only the face of such a monolithic construction can be viewed. Marveled over by many, even the Anaraldaron themselves, it is no doubt that such a creation was only possible through the divine. Twisted trees feed in and out of the stone mountainside, providing irregular but dangerous defensive battlements, while small hallows amongst the stone and trees provide dangerous windows for elven sharpshooters. The singular entrance to the citadel, a thickly twisted and vined bridge, is said to retract and embed itself within the face of the construction, making it virtually impregnable.
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