Valenar

"Do not look a Tairnadal elf in the eyes. If you do, immediately avert your gaze. If you are challenged, concede immediately. Even if you can beat one elf in battle, displays of strength only invite further challenge."
Between the barren desert on the northern border of Valenar and the lush jungle on the southern coast lie vast plains and steppes. These lands are perfect for the Valenar Elves, who travel on fast, majestic horses. These elves rarely stay in one place for long but their few settlements are built into the the rocky spires of their land.

Geography

Most foreigners think of an endless expanse of desert when they think of Valenar, but traveled explorers know there is more to the land of the desert elves.

The Blade Desert

The northern reaches of Valenar are a vast barren sea of sand, where if the burning hatred of Syberis doesn't kill you, the monstrosities pouring out of the Mournland or the raiding parties of halflings will. Despite this, travelers who have survived the experience recount the most beautiful view of the night sky in Khorvaire.

The Grasslands

The heartland of Valenar is comprised of rolling hills as far as the eyes can see, where wild horses graze on yellowed grass. In the times of Cyran occupation these were ideal farmlands, but as the elves reclaimed their land, nature reclaimed it's fields. Most of the traveling clans of the Tairnadal Elves stick to this region where they set up tent towns for only as long as it takes to conduct business, feed their steeds, and clean their swords.

Ravar Orioth Jungle of Scimitars

The southern peninsulas of Valenar are claimed by lush jungles which provide refuge and food for the wandering clans. Somewhere under the thick canopies lie monasteries of the Siyal Marrain devoted to harvesting the fabled Valenar silk from the creatures that give the jungle it's name.

The Dawnpeaks

The southeastern shore of Valenar is protected by the Dawnpeaks, among which monestaries of various orders retreat from the world.

Methedras Steppes

In eastern Valenar, nestled between the Endworld Mountains and the Dawnpeaks are the steppes where on multiple occasions the elves have repelled Dragons from Argonnessen and lizardfolk from Q'barra. Young elves often join clans here to test their mettle before returning to quieter lives of raiding in the grasslands.

Population

There were approximately 30,000 elves living in Valenar by the end of the 1st Millenia YK and that number has gone up by less than a thousand due to the elves long lives and the difficulty in bearing children.
On the other hand the human population has boomed, while the Mourning caused an influx of Cyran refugees in addition to the natives that already lived under Elven rule, the human population was approximately 20,000 in 1000 YK, but has since grown to match, if not outnumber the elves.
There are also marginal groups of lizardfolk, halflings, goblins, and kalashtar that inhabit the land.

Society

Valenar is primarily inhabited by the elven Valaes Tairn, and secondarily by humans that were formerly citizens of Cyre that were left without a home after the mourning. Society is very fluid but an observant citizen will notice that the human population are second rate citizens, maintaining the cities of the Desert Elves while they travel and raid.

Warlords

The smallest groups of Valaes Tairn are called bands which number about 10-30 riders usually related by blood. These bands are led by an Lu-Shan.
Several bands, usually 5 to 20, together form a clan which are led by a Shan. There are a total of 45 clans in Valenar.
A collection of 7-12 clans forms a Host led by a Var-Shan (Warlord) who answer to the king of Valenar (Shaeras Vadallia) also called the Van-Shar. There are 12 hosts in Valenar numbering approximately 20,000 elves.

Keepers of the Past

The Keepers of the Past are priests who determine which ancestor will guide a newborn Tairnadal elf through life. In Tairnadal religion, each elf is duty-bound to honor and emulate his or her patron ancestor. The Tairnadal believe that these warrior ancestors, known as Spirits of the Past, can live again in the present if their deeds are recreated. Elves who share a common ancestor will compete with each other to become the perfect embodiment of their patron. In times of need and uncertainty they can communicate with the spirits of the ancestors. Their additional duties include recording of histories, bloodlines, and deeds of ownership of the Att-Mecil, the mastercrafted double-ended swords that the Tairnadal Blade Dancers are known for.

Siyal Marrain

The Siyal Marrain (Horse Watchers), are a Valenaran druidic order charged with keeping the Valenaran steeds. These horses were believed by the elves to be the descendants of elven warriors who fought against the Su'lat League to free the elven people from slavery, but were cursed to remain in the equine forms they'd taken to carry their comrades into battle.
The druids of the Valenar serve two roles. First, they are charged with preserving the bloodline of the elven horses. The druids protect the breeding grounds, tend to injured horses, and help raise the young. These blood guardians mingle with the herd using wild shape and speak with animals, forging the bond between horse and elf from the beginnings of the horses' lives. They also help to match elf and rider and worked to forge the sacred bond between rider and mount. Beyond this, the Siyal Marrain are warriors. Just as their ancestors fought the giants with lightning and flame, the druids of the modern day may ride with a warband, turning the power of nature against their enemies.
House Vadalis would love nothing better than to obtain some of the Valenaran steeds from the elves for interbreeding with their own stock. The Siyal Marrain are a formidable barrier to that objective, believing that such a thing happening would bring the greatest dishonor on them and the horses, whom they consider to be their brothers.

Blade Dancers of The Desert Wind

The martial arts of the Tairnadal elves is called the Desert Wind and it's practitioners called the Blade Dancers for the way they move and the use of their double ended swords. Contrary to the beliefs of outlanders, it is not a monolithic art but has many different philosophies taught in monasteries scattered throughout Valenar. One of the responsibilities of these monasteries is to maintain and recover the Att-Mecil, the double-ended swords used by the Blade Dancers. These used to be fiercely guarded priceless treasures, which would only be bestowed upon an elf after demonstrating appropriate mastery of the blade dance; however with the discovery of the secrets of making these blades, many knockoffs have appeared and any elf who fancies himself a swordmaster may commission one if they have enough coin, diminishing the prestige of wielding one and of the art itself. The original Att-Mecil are still fiercely guarded blades with few equals. These masterpieces would be worth thousands to a collector, but prying one from the hands of a true Blade Dancer is an endeavor few can survive.

Effirietano

The name given to the few elf smiths who practice the old way of forging the Att-Mecil, which takes decades of work and centuries of practice. There are said to be less then 10 in all of Valenar.

History

Ten thousand years ago, the elves of Aerenal established a settlement on the shore of Khorvaire. Initially the goblin emperor was pleased to have a center for trade with the elves, but over the course of the next centure this relationship soured and turned to war. The elves could not match the numbers of the goblinoids and were driven back to Aerenal. War between them continued sporadically over the next few centuries and settled into an uneasy peace with the goblins dominating the mainland and the elves controlling the islands.
Millenia passed and the goblin Empire of Dhakaan crumbled to dust. By the time of King Jarot of Galifar, the land once contested by elves and goblins belonged to Cyre. Much of the region was sparsely populated and considered frontier. When the Great War began the Undying Court had no interest in the conflict but the Tairnadal Elves of the isles jumped at the opportunity to honor their ancestors in battle.
For decades the elves fought as sellswords for Cyre, battling Talenta warbands, goblin mercenaries, and the forces of Thane, Karrnath, and Breland. They had no loyalty to the Cyrans, seeing their war as nothing more than an opportunity. Then in 956 YK a young Var-Shan laid claim to the land by blood spilled, declaring that the elves had ties to it before any human stepped foot on Khorvaire. The other Tairnadal Hosts rode under his leadership and named him king. They secured the borders of their new country, now riding into battle against the Cyrans.
On the day of mourning hundreds of thousands of human refugees came pouring into Valenar. Most died crossing the Blade Desert, many more were killed by patrolling Valenar bands, but the few survivors were allowed to settle into their old lands and were made to create infrastructure for the marauding elves, whose lifestyle did not suit bureaucracy. During the Treaty of Thronehold two years later a Cyran delegation attempted to lay claim to the land, but High King Shaeras Vadallia sent his own emissaries that claimed they won the land through blade and blood and reinforcing their ancestral claim. The Cyran's attempt was rejected by the other nations claiming that "Cyre did not exist anymore" and they have since lived as the underclass of Valenar society.

Language

Some common elven words encountered in Valenar:
Taer- Tower
Edlon - Stanger/Foreigner
Att-Mecil - Double-ended Swords used in Valenar.
Mearas - Horse Lord used to refer to the horses bred by the Siyal Marrain.
Erume-Randir - Desert Wanderer
Mecil-Quares - Blade Dancer
Mecil-Lianes - Blade Master