Arvandor
Government
The deities of the Seldarine have little interest in governing the realm. They instead rule through proxies that in turn sent emissaries to enforce the laws. These duties are taken with varying degrees of seriousness. The elven population is ruled by High Kings and Queens. There is typically one ruler for each elven subrace.Trade
The small elven settlements in Arvandor produce goods of the finest quality. They are famous for their sweet trail rations, as well as their mead and venison. The musical instruments produced in Arvandor are clear-sounding, and the cloaks and boots produced in the realm are extremely durable. Metalcraft in the realm is also of extremely high quality, comparable to dwarven standards, although availability of armor was limited to chainmail or other simple armor. Weapons produced in Arvandor are exceptional, in particular spears and bows, but are very costly.Defenses
Some of the portals that lead into Arvandor from other planes were the focus of hostile invading creatures. The realm also is frequently attacked by raiding parties from the Unseelie Court, seeking to capture slaves at the command of the Queen of Air and Darkness. These attackers were repelled by knights and guards among the plane's petitioners, but they brought the winds of Pandemonium with them, provoking violent winds whenever they arrived or departed the realm.Rumors & Legends
It is rumored that Alfheim had once been a part of Arvandor, but gradually slid into Ysgard as its inhabitants began prioritizing honor and survival. Labelas Enoreth is known to stay in Arvandor, but the location of his realm is a mystery. According to one rumor it is a tower that only can be glimpsed as an ominous sign (or sign for the emerging of new elven leader). According to another it is below one of Arvandor's mighty hills.Notable Locations
- Aerie The divine realm of Aerdrie Faenya and Syranita, Located at the boundary between Arborea and Ysgard, it randomly shifts between Arvandor and Alfheim. It is an archipelago of floating islands, floating trees with two crowns, and a glittering palace of clouds that float above the clear skies of both layers. It is inhabited by celestial eagles and rocs, as well as elven and avariel petitioners, celestial elves, and angels.
- Crescent Grove Also known as "Gwyllachaightaeryll", meaning "the Many-Splendored" in the Elven language, the great palace is the center of Arvandor and home to Corellon Larethian, Elmae and Sehanine Moonbow. Originally a giant tower, the palace is an ever-changing blend of nature and art, combining an architecture of white marble pillars and walkways with enormous white-barked trees. At the center stood the Overlook, the palace's tallest tower, which offers a breathtaking view of the entire realm and is a favorite destination for visitors. Many petitioners of Arvandor spent their time here, reflecting in quiet contemplation and enjoying some undisturbed solitude.
- Elavandor This palace, built of coral, gold, and veined marble at the bottom of a chasm in the Sparkling Sea, is the home of the Dolphin Prince, Deep Sashelas. It is home to celestial dolphins, whales, and great schools of fish. Populations of tritons also share the realm with the realm's sea elf petitioners. In addition, It is considered a separate realm that extends into the second layer of Aquallor as well.
- Erevan's changing palace When the trickster Erevan Ilesere stays in Arvandor between his exploits it is in a palace made from different materials. Its details change according to the deity's whims and are never the same twice for any visitor. The palace holds much of Erevan's treasures, ready for the taking of an enterprising soul - if they can prevail against the multitude of traps set to test the skill of any intruder.
- The Gnarl A village of elves and ratatosk near one of the roots of an immense tree, which are interpreted as Yggdrasil. The village neighbors Erevan Ilesere's realm.
- Hanali Celanil's Crystal Palace The elven goddess of love and beauty resides in a magnificent structure of pure crystal within a lake.
- Lolth's Grove The former realm of the exiled drow goddess Lolth is a ruined and forlon grove of blacked, uprooted or broken trees, crawling with spiders and haunted by banshees.
- Pale Tree This grove, surrounding a wondrous white tree with silver leaves, is the realm of Solonor Thelandira.
Inhabitants
The realm is inhabited by all types of elves, including fey eladrin and even a few drow. The native elven inhabitants of Arvandor differed from elves from other planes by the intensity of their passions. All emotions run stronger there, and were also more fickle. Arvandor and the Gates of the Moon are the divine realms with the largest populations of celestial eladrin. Although not servants of the Seldarine, the eladrin respect and generally cooperate with them in both everyday and urgent matters. However, when an elven deity requires a more powerful representative to travel to another plane, an angel is usually called upon, rather than an eladrin. For that reason, a multitude of angels make their home there. The several canopy layers teem with wildlife, such as giant squirrels and bats. They are home to tribes of aarakocra and elves who never set foot on the ground, considered impure by some of the elven tribes. The dangerous undergrowth in the thickest areas of the forests is home to ettercaps, shadows, and spiders. Hunting is a common practice among the inhabitants of Arvandor. They are typically held during elven holidays, and the quarry is always meant to be eaten during feasts, since the hunts are meant for more than sport. On rare occasions, a High King or Queen orders a special hunt for a larger or more dangerous creature, usually a monster that wanders into the realm from neighboring Olympus or a rogue beast. Despite the celebratory character of these events, they are taken seriously by the population. Failure to catch an intended quarry was usually seen as a bad omen.Petitioners
All petitioners of Arvandor, whether they are elves in their mortal lives or not, acquired an exaggerated elven appearance upon arrival at Arvandor. These petitioners spend their time enjoying the eternal tranquility of the plane.Geography
Arvandor is a vast, infinite expanse of pristine wilderness covered in lush forests, massive mountains, perfectly clear streams, placid lakes, and an ocean called the Sparkling Sea. The realm stretches from the boundless mass of the Sparkling Sea to a range of snow-capped mountains.
The deep woods of Arvandor possesses an unearthly beauty, which not only exemplified its home plane of Arborea, but also influenced it, as the long-term presence of elves in the plane had also somewhat changed it. The realm was full of secrets and mysteries that were known only to the elven deities.
The thick canopy of the forests is divided in layers in many locations: an upper layer of sun-loving trees and a lower layer of shade-favoring vegetation. In some of the thicker forest areas, the undergrowth is nearly impenetrable, due to a combination of dense foliage and the trunks of dead trees. Those areas are dangerous and generally avoided by elves.
The darkness of the forests is offset by the brightness of the meadows in Arvandor. They are characterized either by their perennial flowers or by the blue blossoms that grew above the snow during spring.
The mountains of Arvandor
The otherworldly beauty and passion of Arvandor can be overwhelming to non-elves. Those that can not resist it were overtaken by an irresistible desire to dance and commune with the elves, and has to be guided away, otherwise risking becoming lost forever. Not even half-elves are immune to this effect. Each one of the elven patron deities maintain a realm on this plane. None of these realms have a border and each one seamlessly melded into the other with absolutely no discernible borders apparent. While each deity claims a portion of the realm, the majority is shared by the entire pantheon and with the Celestial eladrin. Arvandor is also the destination of the souls of the elven dead, although sometimes it is called by a distinct name of Arvanaith.Links
Several connections exist between Arvandor and other planes, either naturally occurring or kept by different deities and inhabitants.- A portal to the Heartfire Quarter, Sune's realm in Brightwater, is kept by Hanali Celanil.
- A portal to the realm of Hlal in the lower reaches of Dragon Eyrie is kept by Erevan Ilesere.
- A portal to the House of Nature at the shore of the Sparkling Sea is maintained by a collective effort of both The Seldarine and all deities who have realms in the House of Nature.
- A portal to the Gates of the Moon is maintained by Celestial eladrin who reside on both sides.
- The Ingmar Brook, a tributary of the Silverflow River, also functioned as a portal to the realm of Alfheim in Ysgard.
- Arvandor's portal to the Outlands gate-town of Sylvania was located just outside of Lolth's grove.
History
Arvandor was conquered by the Seldarine from the giant deities, as evidenced by the numerous ruins of giant architecture scattered through the glades and meadows of the realm. The location was chosen by Corellon soon after the first primal elves were created, as a place where he could revel in their presence and appreciate their ideas.
Alternative Name(s)
OIympus
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
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