The Moonweavers
"Did I hear about the Moonweavers? Yes, well... I'm not sure whether to hate their guts, or be proud we apparently taught them to unionize. I'll decide once I know how much profit we can pull from this trip."Ever since the Fall, elves have been reclusive and kept to their own devices. They interact with other people just fine, but the drive to be more active had faded within decades. Because of this, many other cultures see elves as decadent and in decline. This is not entirely true, as instead it has become normal for elves to pursue ideas and concepts which are often out of reach for those cultures more concerned with the world around them. Because of this, elven-produced goods are still popular for exquisite quality and a tendency to last for generations of human lifetimes.
Among the elves there are those who wield magic in tandem with their artistry, and this creates unusual products which are always unique by virtue of their nature. At the elven settlement of 'Starfall', humans from the Broken River Trading Company mingle with the populace and purchased some materials which otherwise could never exist. After discovering exactly what was happening with the merchants, the elven artisans quickly formed a loose association to ensure their generosity wouldn't be taken advantage of again.
Thus 'the Moonweavers' came into being.
Culture
"We do not create, we transform what already is. We do not seek profit, but neither do we allow others to profit from us."Members of the Moonweavers are often at odds with elves from other regions, as generally elves find it uncouth to profit from the natural world. They expect humans to do it, but to see fellow elves behaving in such a manner? It has been a discussion which proceeds at the usual slow pace of elven matters, attempting to truly grasp what could drive fellow elves to such actions. The Moonweavers, however, have quietly accepted how humanity has become ascendant in worldly matters and chosen to adapt to how things have changed. Those who do not assign a monetary value to their efforts are exploited by those who will. Thus they have managed to reconcile this cultural shift, though it is not without distaste when having to deal with merchants.
Raw materials purchased from the Moonweavers are often set at a monetary value which they consider prohibitively expensive, to discourage repeat 'customers' who would be merely resellers trying to make a profit. Conversely, those who earn the artisans' respect and friendship may find themselves given gifts made with the materials in a personalized fashion. It is the joy of making, and the satisfaction of giving, which drive the artisans to create these things. Even with prices put on the objects, the value is in these things instead of whatever weight in gold is associated with them.
History
Some decades in the past, a small caravan of humans and tieflings came to Starfall for a resupply and to find curiosities to bring to the market in Hilgar. This group would later become the first iteration of the Broken River Trading Company, known for acquiring odd goods from various places in the wilderness of Helenic and bringing them to markets either in Myrisic or the Rhyliss Empire. It became a common stop every year, and sometimes multiple caravans passing through would ask about the same goods: stones which held the faint heat of a dying fire, decanters which smelled of fresh rain as they poured water, wood which had the strength of steel while being pliable, and similar things which the human kingdoms would not normally see. These things were often bartered for with other goods which would have a lower profit margin, to make these journeys more lucrative.
As soon as the elves of Starfall learned about this from a merchant who was a little too glib, many of the community artisans met and decided something must be done. Their talent for using magic to shape various aspects of nature, or weave aspects into objects, was being taken advantage of so others could become wealthy. This was not to be done, and while it was considered to close the town's doors to outsiders... or only merchants... one of the artisans simply proposed a better solution.
So it was a great surprise when the next caravan arrived expecting to trade cheaply for trade goods, and discovered the artisans instead requested currency. The primary point of contact for the merchants was unanimously agreed to be Ariene Indryr, who was negotiating the value of silk woven from moonbeams. As she finished the negotiations, the name 'Moonweaver' was used to refer to her and she amusedly convinced her peers to adopt the word for their collective of artisans.
To this day, the Moonweavers tend to restrict their offerings to things which are reminiscent of the natural world. Some aspects of the natural world always are represented in their offerings, and they avoid creating thing which have a look more in line with 'civilized' tastes. Considering the general skill level of elven artists, this is entirely an aesthetic choice made to differentiate themselves to the traders. Things they craft as gifts, or for themselves, are notably very complete and polished in appearance. Even in recent years, the most popular object from the Moonweavers is the 'moon-woven silk' capable of being retooled by others. This is not just for the faint luminescence garments made from it produce, but because it readily can accept a variety of protective enchantments.
As soon as the elves of Starfall learned about this from a merchant who was a little too glib, many of the community artisans met and decided something must be done. Their talent for using magic to shape various aspects of nature, or weave aspects into objects, was being taken advantage of so others could become wealthy. This was not to be done, and while it was considered to close the town's doors to outsiders... or only merchants... one of the artisans simply proposed a better solution.
"If we make it too expensive for them to profit off us, then perhaps they will find some other way to profit and leave us to our own devices."This view was not entirely comfortable to acknowledge, but it had the merit of playing to one of the cultural strengths of elves. It was considered rude to try profiting off the natural world. But this transferred the sentiment into something more refined. It would be altered to instead mean to avoid profiting off things which could be obtained with little effort, or without substantial transformation from the base material. Elves already highly prized the talent of an individual, and most exchanges of currency were done for services or finished goods which simply were time-consuming to create. Thus the value was placed on the experience and time of an artisan, rather than the object.
So it was a great surprise when the next caravan arrived expecting to trade cheaply for trade goods, and discovered the artisans instead requested currency. The primary point of contact for the merchants was unanimously agreed to be Ariene Indryr, who was negotiating the value of silk woven from moonbeams. As she finished the negotiations, the name 'Moonweaver' was used to refer to her and she amusedly convinced her peers to adopt the word for their collective of artisans.
To this day, the Moonweavers tend to restrict their offerings to things which are reminiscent of the natural world. Some aspects of the natural world always are represented in their offerings, and they avoid creating thing which have a look more in line with 'civilized' tastes. Considering the general skill level of elven artists, this is entirely an aesthetic choice made to differentiate themselves to the traders. Things they craft as gifts, or for themselves, are notably very complete and polished in appearance. Even in recent years, the most popular object from the Moonweavers is the 'moon-woven silk' capable of being retooled by others. This is not just for the faint luminescence garments made from it produce, but because it readily can accept a variety of protective enchantments.
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