Laurelindorinen Tor
I was told by them who knows...
In the southern reaches of The Impenetrable Forest of Birkwud lies a hidden city. Oh, it is not hidden by great and auspicious dweamorwork. Nor is it secreted out of casual sight by some trick of the light, or confounding mists. It is hidden because it is (almost) entirely underground! Laurelindorinen Tor is above the ground. A place of light, and airy strains of music, and unique flora. Some of the flowers will reach out to softly caress ones cheek, depositing a pheremone with a slightly euphoric side effect. Just enough to ease tensions and make your day just a little brighter, they are gentle and smell slightly of lavender. They have velvety petals of a dark color somewhere between black and purple; and long, bowing, stems that seem to be constantly saying hello. Huts are built upon stilts that are cleverly sunk into the gound, in places complementary to the landscape. Covered with long grasses and green, growing moss, the domiciles are very hard to see until one is right up on them. Unless, of course, one knows where they are.
Demographics
99.99% Wood Elves. There's a half-elf or two; people driven out by human settlements who were afraid of their fae proximity.
Government
It is a Kingdom, silly!
Defences
The very trees around the entrances to the tunnels below will animate to defend the gates, and they can be sealed by ancient devices that operate something like the apperture in a Warforged person's eye; only, on an immense scale. There is an 'Air Force' consisting of twelve giant eagle riders, seven giant owl riders, and a golden drake rider.
Every elf is capable of fighting, and their innate ability to communicate with one another makes them and organized force, indeed.
Industry & Trade
They do trade in magical toys for the wealthy, but that is about it. They are, in fact, pretty xenophobic.
Infrastructure
There are roads that soar through the trees with graceful arches and curves, and tremblingly high viewing platforms at the tops of the massive sequioas. But no one lives up there, anymore.
Instead, during the horrific times of the Impact and its brutal aftermath, the clever elves delved into the natural caverns below the surface of The Impenetrable Forest of Birkwud, hiding from the toxic sky in the spaces between the massive roots of the forest.
They used their knowledge of nature to help tham shape these caves, and to mold stone and clay around light fixtures, and the plumbing necessary to keep a population living together healthy. To set barrels in the walls to save space. To eke out purpose and function from every single square inch of cavern space.
Throughout the line of caverns, there wends the Dihaptic River. The lifeblood of the forest in times of prolonged drought, the river's source is spillover from a natural spring resulting from a plentiful aquifer located even farther below that. The water flows from the aquifer, through the spring, and back to the aquifer, thus picking up and bringing along exotic minerals with which to nourish the trees above. The elves have used it to ferry goods and people from one end of the line of caverns to the other for time out of mind...and for elves, that is an exeedingly long time, indeed.
Kitchens and latrines are communal affairs, with people wandering through the food preparation area to pick up meals as they can. They are maintained by the society through taxes and volunteer labor. They are for the most part a market economy, but they do not trade in gold and gems unless it is with outsiders. In fact, the society has built a main treasury wherein to store its unused bulk gold.
The Soulfjorge, also, resides in the Rootways. It is a closely guarded secret. The Soulfjorge was not so much 'built' as it was 'harnessed'...it is hard to explain to a non elf.
Districts
The caverns and caves have been sectioned off using heavy curtains made from a fiber obtained from dead and dry roots embedded in the hard packed sand of the walls. They are (for the most part) organized by extended family units, often with three or four generations of the long-lived elves living together in a large open cavern. Their society is much more communal than is that of the topsiders.
There are, located along the Dihaptic River running through the caves, quays and areas to lade and unlade small boats that run up and down the waterway.
The "Old Tunnels", much farther downriver, have been abandoned for centuries. Most of the elves live outside, among the trees and amidst the breeze in the forest the adore. They are separated into small family tribes that gather together at various times throughout the year, usually at a dale or glen topside, in their beloved forest.
The Soulfjorge is a place unto itself. Somehow, a natural lava font was molded into a mighty tool in the creation of variegated magical items; since 5430NG, it has been used to make mostly toys. But it has been used for great evil, and great good, both.
Assets
They have the stores and armor of their empire of old, even though they now number a mere fraction of their population during the Age of Enlightenment. Meaning, they would be able to fully outfit each soldier five times over. It is all of an ancient style, but the fit is ingenious and the protection is very good; and they were all forged Down the River, at the Soulfjorge, so every single piece of armor and every single blade look and feel brand new. The wooden hafts on some of the spears would need to be replaced due to dry rot, but all in all the wood elves' military is more of a guerilla force than an organized, battle-line type of army.
They have thousands of pounds of gold coins stored in a vault near the Soulfjorge; coins stamped with the date 5427NG, and with the profile of a long gone High King people had, rather lovingly, called 'Billy'. Over the centuries, bags of gemstones and single stones have been thrown into the pile, until by now it is a mound of gold and precious stones. The coins all started stacked, but groundquakes of various magnitudes over thr eons have caused them to fall haphazardly onto the floor.
They live in harmony with the creatures of the forest; and hunting is part of that unspoken agreement. Wood elves can forage in The Impenetrable Forest of Birkwud so well, it is almost as if the forest itself is trying to nourish them. Sylvan Elves enjoy an abundance while they are within the ancient borders of Laurelindorenin.
Guilds and Factions
There are the Loyalists, standing with King ibn Akeem in this time of strife and division. He has worked to ensure his people have access to food and water, and as much comfort as they are willing to work for. It is not so much that they are happy with the status quo, it is more that they feel King ibn Akeem is the man to make the right changes. They wear distinctive purple armbands, and since the unrest began, have taken to arming themselves and travelling in groups.
The Nascents are a group of young religious people who follow strict codes of behavior. They believe the Sylvan Elves should have the freedom to declare their religion the official religion of The Impenetrable Forest of Birkwud. They have, lately, been looking beyond the borders of the forest. Some say they are planning on establishing an enclave, much like the orcs have in the west of the forest. A colony, only out in the fertile valley fields claimed by the city state the humans call Eastern Craysilt. It would be akin to declaring war with the humans. The Nascents believe that maybe, it is time for some revenge for the Elven Purge. Elves have long memories, as well as racial memories and shared knowledge.
The Naturalists believe the Wood Elves need to go back to their roots, and live simply in family tribes throughout the forest. They believe tying themselves to one spot, even the Rootways, is an existential threat. They are vying for power in order to mothball the caverns and move back into the forest, into nomadic forest tribes.
The Naturalists have a problem with the Loyalists refusal to leave the caverns and the Soulfjorge behind. It has become acrimonious, and the Naturalists have tried tto sabotage the forge a few times. So far, they have only succeeded in destroying a nearby tavern's furniture.
History
The ancestral home of the Sylvan elves, the underground Dihaptic River reigns supreme in all of their folklore.
Points of interest
The Soulfjorge (or Soulderfjorge, depending on the elvish dialect one is speaking), would be very interesting to a lot of powerful beings, therefore they keep it a deep secret.
Architecture
They have used the natural shape of the caverns to their greatest advantage.
Geography
The tunnels vary in width, height, and depth.
Climate
The water of the Dihaptic River is always warm.
Natural Resources
The water of the Dihaptic River.
RUINED SETTLEMENT
5427NG
Founding Date
Circa 60650TK
Alternative Name(s)
Laurelindorinen
Type
City
Population
fluctuating between forty and sixty thousand
Inhabitant Demonym
Sylvans
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Related Reports (Secondary)
Comments