High Houses of Darkwood Green

Location: Northern Continent. Alignment: Chaotic Good Knowledge: Geography Middle Kingdoms.
The High Houses of Darkwood Green is likely the largest community of High Elves in the Northern Continent. To a degree, the High Houses are generally closed to outsiders. Deeply protective of their forest home, the Elves are also active in protection the good and free peoples of their region.
The High Houses of Darkwood Green are renown for their impressive living structures of their communities. Known as Bar'Nimloth'aTinu (or Tree homes that reach for the stars) these are truly impressive sites. Each “city” (the Elves would never use this word, but humans do) is made of several incredibly tall trees that have been nurtured by the Elves for thousands of years. They use a combination of sophisticated agricultural processes combined with both arcane and druidic magics to shape these trees into all sorts of structures. They remain living entities and draw what they need to live, both mundane and magical, from their extensive leaf canopies and root systems that may stretch many miles down and outward. Much of the trees are hollow and contain numerous passages, ramps, stairs, and chambers. Where giant limbs attach to the trunk there are outside courtyards, walkways, and gardens both ornamental and pragmatic (at the same time). These trees include sluice ways that capture rain and deliver it down wooden tubes to gardens, fountains, baths, and other storage areas. These trees can contain vast cathedral like chambers and specialized areas like labatories, prisons, or lairs for mounts and bestial allies. These trees are imbued with such magics as to have a sentience of their own complete with magical and physical defenses.
The Architecture of the High Houses of Darkwood Green is world famous. Their "tree cities' include no sharp angles. Every edge is smooth and rounded. Living plans are integrated into every aspect of the dwellings. Great works of art exist in every area, including sculptures, stained glass, and paintings. Furthermore, other products not normally considered "works of art" add to the places beauty like waterfalls, gardens, the song of wind charms and songbirds.


(DC10) Darkwood Green is the most “traditional” community of Elves in the known world. Groups of High Elves live within the huge forest in various areas. Some live in large white-walled castles and others in towering Tree Cities. The Elves share the forest with many sylvan creatures and work hard at protecting it from the ravages of monsters, orcs from the north and various invaders from the Barrier Peaks to the East. They support the Seven Clans in holding the boundaries of civilization at those same peaks. That said, Darkwood Green has some regions that are still very dangerous, although those areas are warded by High House Guardians.
(DC 12) Names of the High Houses are often very long and descriptive. Individuals are encouraged to add names to honor their ancestors or accomplishments. Most have a personal name and follow it with their House name and then add honorifics or descriptors from there. For example: “Aranel of House Ardenai, Winter’s Poet”.
(DC 12) The various Houses of Darkwood Green are relatively passive. They support the Dwarves to their East but otherwise have very little to do with the outside world. There are certain individuals and groups within the society who take it upon themselves to act in the outside world to maintain the safety of their forest home, but they are by far the exception. The Houses live mostly in the past, create great monuments in the arts to past glories or research some long last magical secret. The majority of Elves in Darkwood Green exist in blissful ignorance as the world around them crumbles. Most do not even speak the common tongue of man. The Elves of Darkwood Green possess a great deal of magical and martial might, but they no longer have the will to wield it effectively. While they bring it to bear on anyone foolish enough to challenge them on their own lands, the inward looking leadership of the Houses are not otherwise not interested. If not for a few influential individuals and organizations, things would be even worse. The most well known High House organization include the far-ranging Seekers of Corelleon, a semi-faith based group that seeks to aid and protect High Elves wherever they are in danger.
(DC 15) Those non-elven allies who serve the High Houses with great valor are bestowed the title Ruathar (elf-friend) and can progress in that class.
(DC 12) Religiously the High Houses find the churches of Corelleon coexisting peacefully with the druidic faith. Yondalla, Azuth, and Mare also have small groups of worshippers in the Darkwood Green.
(DC 15) The High Houses include:
1. House Ardenai: resides in a series of incredible tall and spindly towers in their tree homes, each entwined by massive vines of ivory and climbing flowers. Home to a great many elvish wizards, archivists, psions and priests, they are engrossed in scholarly pursuits for the most part. A great glass dome houses instruments for studying the stars and the skies set high in the crook of a Nimloth'aTinu. There are also a number of artificers here and the houses create many constructs for defense, including strange plant constructs. Ardenai is known as a scholar's haven.
2. House Illistim: resides in natural formed rooms in towering Darkwood trees and connected by walkways crafted from woven trees limbs and vines. A center for druidic learning and home to the world’s most powerful circle of arcane hierophants, they safeguard the forest around them. A great many wild animals and magical beasts live amongst the Elves of this house, it’s not uncommon to share your breakfast with unicorns, pegasi or a mountain lion. The Darkwood trees of House Illistim are said to be some of the oldest living creatures (other then a few dragons and giants) on Aertrea. There is a strong fey presence in Illistim and such creatures as dryads, treants, and pixies are integral parts of the community. Illistim is the least open to outsiders of the Elven Houses. It is also possesses the most ancient knowledge of the houses. The druids of Illistim are said to commune with fey spirits who have witnessed all of Aertrea's history.
3. House Loenthra: House Loenthra resides in rambling tree structures that seem to spring up natural amongst immaculate by naturally feelings gardens of vegetables and flowers interspersed with fountains and streams. House Loentra's home lacks the towering grandiosity of the other Houses. Instead, it possesses an incredible serenity marked with a touch of sadness. Home too many of the finest craftsmen and artists that the High Elven race have mustered this is an artistic haven. The very land around the House seems to bend to the will of those around them, forming incredible settings for the performance or exhibit at hand. This is also the center of psionic lore of the High Houses. Loentra is also known as the “never ending garden’. It’s a very quiet place, its residents often lost in introspection and value their solitude and quiet.
4. House Nalanin: House Nalanin's Bar'Nimloth'aTinu structures encapsulate a river and several waterfalls. The river, which flows down from the highest hills of Darkwood Green actual runs through the giant tree homes along carved banks of wood down white marble waterfalls. The Shapers of house Nalanin have create a river course that is a work of visual art (directing the spray of the river to throw rainbows) and auditory art (the river's course creates different sounds at different points, from gentle splashes, to pounding rhythms to great roaring) .
HouseNalanin is served by griffons and giant eagles as guards, mounts, and companions. This is also the birthplace of the Fochlucan College, although the College has grown and spread over the centuries and can be found in more human lands then elven at this point. This is the most active High House, it’s the primary patron of the Seeker of Corelleon. When outsiders come to Darkwood Green its is Nalanin they usually visit. It's not uncommon to find elven visitors from around the world meeting with the elders here. It’s also a popular stopping point for a number of Halfling Rover Bands whom are welcomed among the high elves here. It’s a lively place of music and art. The elves of Nalanin are more open to the outside world and seek to uphold their ideals of goodness, light, and freedom. However, the High Elves of Nafilenin are a long lived and long sighted people, they are slow to react and tend to contemplate and plan where other races would act. There reluctance to act can be maddening to those who are seeking their assistance.

Festivals and Holidays (DC 15) Elves live a very long time, a year to them is but the briefest of times. As such, their festivals and holidays tend to occur very infrequently, most over being a ten or hundred year anniversary of some event. Some of the more important events include the Night of Lost Stars (a time to remember fallen heroes), the First Dawn (a holy day devoted to the sun), the Day of Two Swans (a day devoted to marriage and love), Tarendethinia (a day devoted to ancestors and family), the Orchid Festival (a day devoted to natural beauty).
(DC 15) Trade and Economy: The economy of Darkwood Green is an interesting mix of barter and coin-based economy. There is a general and universally shared culture that no one takes more then their share and everyone contributes. Most of the Elves here are craftsmen of some type and many also serve as hunters and gathers in the forest at large. The Elves make great use of magic, especially druidic magic to make sure they have enough natural materials and food without taking more then the surrounding lands can provide.
(DC 15) Many of the Elves of Darkwood Green spend their time dealing with the past. There are Bards of the Fochlucan College who learn thousands of classical songs, poems and plays none of which are newer than 10,000 years. High House wizards research the most esoteric minutiae.

Alternative Names

The High Houses, Darkwood Green, The Elves of Darkwood