The City-State of Calen
"A Safe Sanctuary"
Calen, popularily called "the land of green" or "Dor-o Calen" in the elven tongue, is a place of untamed forests, crystal-clear lakes, deep valleys and a wild sort of beauty, wholly unique to Calen. Dangerous to traverse due to the land's close proximity to a variety of rifts into the Feywilds, most who dwell here are bound to learn, sooner or later, to live in harmony with nature, lest nature swallow them whole.The Green Land of The Elves
For millenia, Calen has been one of the lushest parts of the north, and the ones who have traditionally called Calen home, have had to live humble lives in harmony with the wild nature around them. Since the later parts of the first age, the wood elves have dwelled in the forests of Calen, and many consider it their ancestral home. In more recent years humans too have moved to, and thrived in the city-state, and after 3A 54 the territory has officially been known as a city-state, under the rule of the Mistwood clan. Calen is less strictly governed than the other countries in the north however, and although it officially has an army, most cities, towns and villages are expected to mostly fend for themselves. This seems harsh for the outsider, but this, of course, also has its advantages. Taxes are non-existent, freedoms are many and villages have formed strong bonds of cooperation between one another. Calen also has an abundance of many natural resources, lumber, game and fish especially, and the ground is fertile enough that farming is effortless and effective, despite the deep forests making large-scale agriculture an impossibility. For the humble farmer seeking a life away from the stress of the big cities of the other kingdoms, Calen is perfect, and despite the large population of elves, humans are as welcome to live and thrive in the city-state as any elf. Despite the freedoms that come with living in a land so ungoverned and wild as Calen, there are a few rule than any Calenese need to follow; The wood elven clans who live in the forest have traditions and customs as proud as the wood elves themselves, and the land of Calen is generally considered sacred. To take too much from the land, chopping down forests, destroying meadows, pollutiong lakes or trespassing on sacred territory is a grave sin, and justice is swiftly and aggressively brought down upon any who do not adhere to these traditions.Climate and Geography
When the Lunar Cataclysm tore the north-eastern territories of Antreia apart, veins of crystals channeled this magic, reaching far from the impact zone into the surrounding areas. Calen was hit especially hard. The entire area had traditionally been heavily forested and lush before, as well as abundant with life-aligned aether, which, due to the tremors in the weave caused by the cataclysm, tore the veil apart in several locations, and fused some parts of the deep woods completely together with the Feywilds. Today, Calen is as fertile ever, and the fluctuations of the veil caused by the Lunar Cataclysm, althouhg manageable, has caused the already wild land to become even wilder, which is seen in both the growth of the plantlife and the behaviour of the animals of Calen. The climate in Calen is temperate with shifting seasons all throughout the year, but these seasons tend to be mild, warm and fairly humid. The combination of rifts in the veil and a mild and humid climate has made Calen a lush land with large forests and a great variety of plant and animal-life, some which are completely unique to the area. Temperatures in Calen range from a couple of degrees minus in the winter, to about 23°C in the summertime. The massive Greentear Mountains sheld the city-state from the lands of the west, and although Amrynn Bay connects to the frigid North Sea the sea-breeze that reaches Calen is generally far less harsh than the surrounding kingdoms of Deirim and Callimoria who protect the smaller territory by their geography. The people of Calen, although having access to Amrynn Bay, are usually not sailors and traders by occupation, which is just as well. Amrynn Bay is known for its unstable aether and as a consequence, its dangerous maelstroms. Not only is Amrynn Bay a treacherous area close to Calen however. Calen is also bordered to the south by the area now known as the Dustlands. The Dustlands, ever since the Lunar Cataclysm, has been a terrifying land of death, ash and dangerously-unstable aether-crystals, and the corruption of the land here has been spreading ever northwards, albeit slowly, ever since the incident.Demographic
Approximate Numbers: 70% wood elves, 20% humans, 10% elfin Calen is the only territory in the Northern Alliance which is primarily inhabited and ruled by a race other than the normally numerous humans. Calen is mostly inhabited by clans of traditional wood elves who call the Calenese forests their home, as well as pockets of forest elfin who live traditional druidric lives. There are also quite a few humans and hillshire smallfolk who have made the towns and villages of Calen their home however. Human ethnicities most often found in Calen are the calenese and the briars, where the calenese are in a clear majority.Culture
(Calen is in many ways based on medieval celtic cultures. This reflects in everything from architecture, food, culture, appearance, clothing choices and (human) names) The main culture of Calen is, due to their large majority, that of the wood elves. Wood elven society is based around your position in a clan. There are many such clans in Calen, each with slightly different customs and traditions, but most of them share their devotion to the forest and to their patron; Eyr, as well as their migratory traditions. Almost all clans are nomadic by nature but individuals who spend shorter or longer periods inside traditonal wood elven cities inside of Calen do exist. These cities are more numerous in western Calen and most of those who live there permanently are either clerics in service to Eyr or Selune, guards of the cities, in direct service to the queen or, in some cases, weak, sick or feeble individuals who are unfit for the normal nomadic lifestyle of their people. In recent decades, city-life has become more common however, and many of the wood elven cities, as well as the villages of the countryside have seen a boom in population as more people embrace the more comfortable and stable life as part of a larger society. The wood elves of the forested cities of Calen are no less proud of their traditions or skeptical towards outsiders however, and although some humans or half-elves live side-by-side with these wood elves, these individuals are few and far between. The Calenese of the smaller hamlets and villages, who do not directly follow wood elven traditions but are no less part of Calen, are generally a peaceful people with simple lives. Most have a heightened sense of comradery with their fellow man and all are expected to work hard for the benefit of the village. Due to being self-sufficient, most villages of Calen have a wide variety of skilled craftsmen who benefit the villages through their work, and things like woodworking, hunting, foraging, farming and tanning is highly valued. Having adopted a love for peace and cooperation with their neighbouring villages, most of those living in the small communities of Calen are open-minded and accepting, despite having little contact with people outside of their villages. This peaceful disposition towards anyone and everyone has garnered the calenese a positive reputation, and those travelers who get to experience it often speak fondly of the people of the land. Culturally, the humans, smallfolk and village-dwelling elves of Calen are very similar accross the territory, and although it is hard to pinpoint customs and traditions that are specifically calenese, all those who dwell in Calen share a love for nature, peace and life, and a large majority worship Eyr and the denizens of the Feywilds.Religion
The large majority of the people who live in Calen are devoted followers of Eyr, and many also subscribe to the practice of druidry and fey-worship. This is partly due to the land's close connection to the feywilds, but also because the goddess, as well as the denizens of her Feywilds, seem to have a special fondness for the land of Calen. Tales of fey helping travelers or averting disasters, or even the goddess herself appearing before people, are many in Calen, and the wood elves, elfin and humans alike respect the denizens of the realm of life greatly. There are many rituals in which the calense follow to honour what they call the spirits of the forest, and much of their spare time is used on reflection and meditation to live respectful lives in the eyes of Eyr and the forest. Wood elves in particular consider themselves the chosen people of the Goddess of Life, and thus aspire to strictly follow her teachings all their life. To cast away Eyr and the fey is to cast away everything it means to be elven in their eyes, and thus there are extremely strict rules for what is and isn’t allowed.Government
A city-state rather than a kingdom or a republic, Calen is governed losely from its capital; the city of Calen. The city of Calen has sovereignty over all the contiguous territory of Calen, and it serves as a centre of political, economic, and cultural life. Despite this however, most inhabitants of Calen do not dwell in the city itself, which is largely considered a sort of spiritual capital. Calen is ruled by a clan of elves; the Mistwoods, and although the leadership has traditonally functioned as a ruling monarchy, most of the decisions made on the behalf of the people of Calen, is made by a council called "the elder council" consisting of the keeper of every wood elven clan in the territory. These "elders" meet a couple of times a year to decide on the future of the city-state. Between these meetings the monarch makes most important decisions on the behalf of Calen, with the help of an inner circle of advisors, most of whom are elves.The Royal Family:
The royal family of Calen is currently clan Mistwood, as it has been since the conception of the city-state. Little is known about the mysterious Mistwoods, apart from their elegance, kindness and otherwordly beauty. The first queen of Calen, Arawynn Mistwood, was the woman who united the clans of the wood elves. She was known as the last moon elf after the disaster of the Lunar Cataclysm, and thus the Mistwood bloodline is unique in its connection to the dying race. After her death the details of the individuals of the family has been kept mostly hidden to the general public, most likely due to security reasons and the family's heightened appreciation of privacy. The current ruler is Arawynn's daughter; Valeria Mistwood, and it is unknown if she has any children herself. Valeria is as beloved as her mother, but she tends to keep her appearance veiled and she mostly stays in the city, sending agents rather than travel herself.Politics and Relations:
Bordered by Callimoria, Deirim, the Dustlands and the area of Everfall, Calen lies in the middle of a quite politically turbulent area. Calen's relationship with Callimoria is that of a friendly one, but Deirim and Anar Tal of Everfall's relationship with the city-state is far more strained. Deirim generally despise elves, and Anar Tal has traditionally had a strained relationship with all elves who aren't sun elves, which has only gotten worse since the Lunar Cataclysm. Worst of all is the Dustands however, and the drow who live there, who often raid the smaller villages in southern Calen.Economy
Flora and Fauna
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