Elven Section
The Elves represent about 5% of the population of Avondale
The elven residential area borders the northern section of Memorial Park and is basically an extension of the park, although it does have a 6 foot stone wall between it and the park to delineate the distinction. But there are many openings in the stone wall to let people in and out and there are no gates – just openings. The elven section runs from the River east to a few blocks past the end of Memorial park, so it does not go as far as the city wall. It stops at the Dwarven Section.
The elves have used pure talent at woodworking and elven magic to make a unique mix of wooden buildings and wooden tree houses (not the kind for kids – actual homes in trees). Quite amazing to be honest. Trees are abundant, and large. Their branches cover about 70% of the land area providing a wooded setting, but not too dense as to be a forest setting. While the elves of old might like a deeper forest setting, the city elves have come to enjoy some amount of assimilation to the human way of living in large cities. Most of homes are free standing structures and most are two story, some are one story, and some are three stories. The homes are made of wood and stone and are artistically built and beautiful. Some have trees as part of the home – either growing right up through the home or just off the side or back. Many times, the trees have winding staircases carved along the trunk wall inside of them or on the outside, with a natural, waterproof canopy above and on the sides for rain protection. The homes are each unique as the owners take pride in designing them. And often they change them, adding rooms or staircases as needed. Basements below ground level are used only for storage, not living (as a general rule).
On the border with the river, there are overhanging trees and vines, but they are not a tangled mess – they are quite beautiful and elegant and set this point at as clearly different from the rest of the city to anyone travelling down the river. There are docks here for boats. The overhanding trees and vines do NOT obscure the buildings, they are just in the foreground not a screen of isolation.
At the main entrance to this section in the city, which is to the north of Memorial Park, there is a wood carving set into the stone wall surrounding the area. It is a very large carving, and it has a dual purpose – one is that it is a sign identifying this area as the elven section and the other is that the wood carving has an image carved on it of what the elven city would look like if not in a human city. It is quite different. The human city elven section has done a good job at blending together the elven “all natural” style with the human style of living.
Within the elven section, a human or dwarf could easily lose their way as the streets are not quite set up on the normal city grid. Of course, when one does lose their way they just keep walking in one direction for maybe 20 minutes and they will reach the wall that surrounds this section and from there they can walk along the wall to one of the many openings.
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