Yetlas

Yetlas lies in the far North of the Kingdom of the Snow Elves. Most of the city is located deep beneath the mountains, with two towers and a few buildings at the ground level. including a magical door. There is another magical door at the entrance of the cave that prevents enemies from entering the settlement.

History

Yetlas was founded by citizens of the town of Ylyath due overpopulation in that settlement around the year 1050 BP . They arrived, as happened with many new founded Snow elf settlement through galleries and passageways inside the mountains. With them they carry, as usual, the Sacred Spell of the priest of their home city in order to create a new Artificial Sun and founding their new community.
The settlement of course formed part of the great confederation that is the Snow elf Kingdom since its foundation. And, like the rest of the kingdom, became a vassal of the Ikarian Empire after the 5th century BP until pretty much the fall of the Empire. During this period, as it happened with many other Snow Elf communities, the local authorities made pacts and treatises with the Imperial army by which the latter promised to defend the "Summer settlements" of the Snow elves during winter in exchange of provisions and money.
For the most part of the period of Blatian "domination" both sides stablished a friendly relationship based on these treatises. The Summer settlement of the inhabitants of Yetlas ( which in Ikarian sources is called Cayr Ytlyas or "Fortress of Yetlas") was defended by a detachment of 200 men from the XII legion until around the 350s AP when much of the Ikarian units withdraw to mainland Ikaria in order to defend their empire. From then on, the Snow elves have to pretty much look after their own settlements. In 426 AP there was a Nord raid on the Summer Settlement that also threatened the safety of the Cave town but they were repelled by the previous petty king Abandil II. Since the 560s there was no major attempt of raiding the settlement by the Nords, but nowadays, due to to the rise of the Crorai and the Nomads, the Snow Elf settlements have reinforced their defences.
Needless to say that during the final centuries of vassalage of the Snow elf Kingdom many young elves sought a life of adventures an glory in the The Blatian Imperial army, and this explains why many warriors from Yetlas resemble more a Blatian army in terms of equipment than an elven one.

Layout of the city

The city is located deep within the cave as many Snow Elf settlements. It is organized alongside a main road that leads to the settlement's Artificial Sun . Most of the houses and streets are located in a plain inside the cave, while the mansions of the aristocracy and priesthood are located on elevated terrain inside the cave.
The area around the Artificial Sun has become a beautiful square surrounded by the palace of the petty king of the city, the Town hall and the main temples of the settlement.
West of the great Square lies the barracks and the stables of the town and if you continue to the south-west you arrive to a passageway and two giant staircases. The one to the right leads to the part of the town that lies above the ground, like the Watchtower, the Observatory and the one to the left leads to the Water deposits and the machines that allow the city to have fresh water.
Returning to the settlement, the great avenue that connects the Artificial Sun with the magic door is also the commercial area of Yetlas, famous for their jewels and gold and silver market. The Snow elves from Yetlas are very skill craftsmen. West of the main avenue lies the local school of magic where the youth of the town improve their magical abilities.
The areas near the magical gate are occupied by the low classes of the elven society as well some farms that grew wheat and vegetables thanks to magic and the power of the artificial sun.

city of Yetlas by Inkarnate

Infrastructure

The city's main supply of water is done via an aqueduct that collects water from underground springs. The settlement is also provided of water thanks to a magical machine designed by the Snow elves that transforms water from the surface into water and then stored into several water tanks. Then this water is transported from these tanks to the town across pipelines made of ceramic.
There are also four public schools where the children learn how to read and write. There is also a hospital for the sick or wounded.
The city is connected to the wider network of Snow elf thanks to various passageways, one of them being the famous Royal Road. When the city needs something from another settlement, they sent a horseman to another settlement through that passageway network. For example, if the city needs fruits or wine, they'll sent a horseman to the nearest settlement, if they don't have those resources the horseman continues to the next town or city until some city agrees to send those products.
Yetlas is connected specially with its mother city, Ylyath. Both cities had been trading partners for a long time and its not strange to see merchants from both cities walking the passageway between both cities.
The town also has an impressive sewer network inspired by those of the Blatian settlements that improves considerably the sanitation inside the cave settlement. All the waste is expelled through a sewer that ends on the opposite side of the mountain

Society

In Yetlas are represented the five classes of the Snow Elf society. The Nobility (with the petty king at the head of all of them), the priesthood, the professional warriors, and the rest of society (farmers, traders, artisans... etc). All of them have a degree of representation at the town council.

Founding Date

1050 BP

Type

Large town

Population

10.000

Inhabitant Demonym

Yetlians

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Curiosities of the settlement

by Chibi Snow elf guide

• The stables for horses, cows and other animals are located near the Artificial Sun in order to get them used to the light as if they were in the open.


• Yetlas is known as the "City of Silver", because its one of the resources mined at the cave. They export silver objects, like silver tableware, fibulae, diadems, crowns. The city is so rich in this material that the bells from the belltowers of its temples are covered in silver.


• Thanks to their lucrative trade networks the city imports wine, olives, olive oil and embroidered silk fabrics from the Blatian territories. Once, the city council wanted to cover the floor of a temple in marble, so they sent a horseman to the capital, Naritlune and from there merchants traveled to the Blatian lands in order to acquire marble for the temple, which was delivered a year later.


• Yetlas pottery is a copy of the famous Ikarian Red Ware pottery, with mythological and daily life scenes. This is also a result of centuries of influence of the Ikarian civilization.


• Traders from other realms are allowed to enter the city during Spring and Autumn. The city remains closed during the winter (both for the traders and the local inhabitants safety) due to the cold temperatures outside the cave. Fellow Snow elves on the other side can access the city through the Royal Road.


• According to the recent census, 10.000 inhabitants live in the settlement.


• During Spring and Summer, aside of farming, the youth of the settlement, both male and female engage in one of the traditions of the settlement, raiding nord villages, kidnap some local nords and ask for a ransom in form of money, fur or amber.


• You have to be careful while travelling across the passageways, you might encounter wolves, a bear hibernating or worse, a Snow Dragon

Your chibi snow elf guide by Callyxtus