Alfheim
From DQWiki
Queendom: on N. side of the Alfheim Mountains, largely wooded, some open cultivated areas. There are paths through the forest, but most transportation uses canals and barges/canal-boats with magical hulls drifting under their own power.
All the cities are odd: single huge trees, or over multiple trees, or made of crystal and silver. cf Eidolon.
Pop: lots of elves. The nobility is matrilinial (passes through the female side).
Lang.: Elvish, money.
External vassals: Elfenburg, The Elven Isles.
GM JonoB, MartinD
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Places
Eidolon
Capital of ALFHEIM, a dual city: ancient, excessively civilized, exorbitantly expensive.
Selkai (the lower city) is on the lake's surface, criss-crossed with canals.
Eidolon (the upper city), floating about a mile above Selkei, resembles a circular step-pyramid. All of the real nobs and royalty live up here. The wide, lowest stage of Eidolon has huge trading warehouses and docks for the fleet of Elven flying-ships, which don't visit the Baronies, because they're too politically unstable.
Almost anything may be bought at Eidolon including minor magical items (if easily reproducible or desired in quantity -- e.g., armour and weapons) ... but it is all hideously expensive (about 4x Seagate cost): e.g., good boots in Seagate (20sp) are 10 [Selini] in Selkai (8 Seagate sp = 1 silver Selini).
Elven attitudes:
Few elves believe they should do anything constructive in their life time. At the most they should achieve one memorable thing. So they spend a lot of time doing little. Hence recreational drugs are widely used. A new drug or boredom buster is an easy way to make a lot of friends at court. As long as it does not involve effort on the part of the bored.
Elves will discuss anything. And a new discussion is an excuse to rekindle old grievances, as long as there is a semblance of a bridge to the topic under discussion. Hence the elvish discussion on whether to participate in the salvation of Alusia might begin with a vicious debate on the merits of staying on Alusia. The terms 'people', 'culture' and 'civilisations' obviously only apply to elves.
Hence to learn something or to get anything done, will take much longer. e.g. days instead of hours, weeks instead of days, months instead of weeks etc.
Learning a college at the Royal College of Magics takes six years - and the students have a thorough knowledge of the history (major proponents and their adaptions/evolutions) of each spell. Students are selected to attend based on their magical ability, and conniving/spending at court.
At court 'nice girls' do not mention humans (and other lesser humanoids) or recognise their existence (it would be like a southern girl saying that black men are interesting). The richer merchants etc probably mimic this (at least on the outside whilst recognising their potential) and may resist the temptation to trade with them. Social ostrification could be bad when you live for 1000s of years!
Elvish ideas of the rest of the world are millennia out of date. And they do not wish any updates thank you. "nasty, place. drizzled the whole time i was there. the bread was hard and the wine weak."
Winter Guarden
The old Winter Capital of ALFHEIM, and is also know as the Eyes of Alfheim.
Located close to the eastern mountain borders. It is the place that outsiders are often taken if they are known to the Elves and stray into the tree realm. It is one of the few places within the realm that outsiders are seen in any numbers, and are welcome.
The City also serves the Sunrise Temples which is a large circular step-pyramid which the priests sees in the New Year's sun.
Elvandar
Lying in the north-west of Alfheim, Elvandar is part of the greater elven kingdom in much the same way Scotland is part of England. Like Scotland, it is a hard, dangerous place filled with hard, dangerous people who pay only lip service to the notion of a greater elven kingdom (and only when the kyrt snorters are watching). Away from the high courts of Eidolon are elves who live a rougher and some say darker existence. There are rumours that the Old Gods are still worshipped and their bloody rituals observed. Most fearsome of these is the dreaded and mythical Wild Hunt which some say has revived itself in recent times.
The 'Wild Elves', as they are termed, regard themselves as the 'true spirit and soul' of Alfheim. Many chafe at the restrictions placed upon them regarding the status of short lived sentients and the relinquishing of lands on the other side of the Dragonspines by the Articles of Elvandar. It must be said that many are totally unaware of the spread and vigour of these cultures and that the High Court's policy is the safest option.
Still, the Wild Ones do not regard themselves as traitors and many serve in Alfhiem's military. They can be well traveled and are not always the insular hicks they appear to be. It may be that this major presence in the army is what has stayed Eidolon's hand in dealing with a particularly troublesome province.
Prince Eoren is Ruler of Elvandar in his office as Warden of the Northern Marches. On paper. The Warden's palace is a largely deserted building and grounds with a bare skeleton staff to try and maintain it. Most business is actually done at the Low Court of Lord Velteyn, an influential noble with very traditional leanings. Only very occasionally, will any Wild Elf acknowledge the rightful prince and it is probably the presence of the High Guard which jogs their memory at the time.
