Rys Thalas (REESH THAH - lahs)

"No place more beautiful, no place more sad,
Rys Thalas glittering like tears
Amid spires of frozen grief"
~Song of the Cinderwood

History

Long ago, Rys Thalas was a southern outpost for the elves of Cedig Brechna. The heart of their world was to the north at their great capital of Rys Brechna. When the northern woods burned, so did their city, and uncounted elves. The survivors fled south deeper into the woods and made their stand at Rys Thalas. Many songs are sung of the battle there.

Since then, the elves have become more insular. One still meets elves in other towns and havens, and the Free Cities have a significant population, but if records are to be trusted, Elves once roamed the Istragan Empire in great numbers and were much sought after to aid in the elaborate and delicate architecture of Imperial cities. The betrayal in the Cinderwood taught the elves that the outside world did not understand, and could not be trusted, and so they largely withdrew.

Since the fall of Rys Brechna, Rys Thalas is the heart of elvish culture in these lands, and if reports are to be believed, the Thalasin, and the Cedig Sidhe as a whole grow fewer with each generation. But we cannot say with certainty what can be believed, because the elves do not tell much of their doings to outsiders. Traders are welcomed, but are discouraged from asking too many questions. Those who try to approach unbidden are dealt with sharply.

Today, as of old, the Cedig Sidhe are known for their craftsmanship, and folk come to them for beautiful work of all kinds: jewelry, woodwork, weapons, and textiles. The elves say their craft has fallen off from old days.

Architecture

Ancient elvish spires reach through the trees, and terraces spiral around the trunks of mighty trees. More recent construction is not less beautiful, but it is simpler, and largely of timber, where the older work seems almost to be of living wood and stone.

Geography

Rys Thalas is build deep in the southern reaches of Cedig Brechna, far from the edge of the ruinous Cinderwood. The city rolls with the hills and works around the deeper glades, incorporating the forest rather than altering it, as is the habit of elvish settlements.

Natural Resources

Obviously Rys Thalas is placed in a dense forest, and so the trees of the wood constitute a vast natural resource, but the elves cut trees rarely, preferring to harvest limbs from many trees, pruning rather than felling, for their timber needs. This process is slow and meticulous, but all of the Cedig Sidhe - elves and otherwise - are accustomed to a slow and patient way of doing things.

Alternative Name(s)

Silverspire

Type

City

Population

Unknown

Inhabitant Demonym

Thalasin (thah-lah-SHEEN)