Tionmenel
The place where Aorna touches the Wellspring. The place where the Godtrees grow. The place where the Elves find balance. Tionmenel (meaning "The Light of Truth" in Ancient Elven) is a nation born of beauty, tragedy, wonder and rebellion - and home to more elves than anywhere else in Sheanora. Quite the opposite of Arcenveld, Tionmenel is open to all forms of magical study and is known for its prodigious sorcerers, powerful druids and even "ethical necromancers". These studies are done with the belief that the elves are "Those Between", standing in the middle ground between Aorna and the Wellspring, and that they should strive to find a balance between the two.
As the Thousand Year Shadow began to fade and The Ascendant rose to power in Arcenveld, persecuting all "unlicensed" wielders of magic, a small community of elven druids and sorcerers foresaw the devastation that such tyranny could bring. In one night, eight hundred of them left their home, determined to get as far from the Ascendant as possible to avoid their wrath.
But as with many travelers who had attempted to traverse the northern and eastern territories of Sheanora, the eight hundred pilgrims discovered the dangers of a land ravaged by Planar Tears. Crossing into what is now the Llatherien Wood, they witnessed their first Godtrees - and in awe of their sheer size and power, determined that the Wood was meant to be their sacred home. This peace was an illusion. Within weeks, the wisest of the pilgrims had begun to hear strange whispers. They grew paranoid, each afraid that the others had betrayed them. This quickly broke out into violence between the factions - violence with no true motive. They had wandered into a Tear that was a bridge to the Wellspring and the realm of Sarestra, Fey Queen of Shadows. They had become part of her strange, brutal game.
Nearly half of pilgrims perished in these conflicts until those they followed finally uncovered the source of the whispers. With an uneasy peace drawn, two of the finest sorcerers from each faction made the perilous journey through the Tear and into the Wellspring. There, they met an entity who claimed to be Mesrani, Fey Queen of the Dawn and mortal enemy of Sarestra. She offered to bond with the pilgrims, her patronage providing them the strength to drive out Sarestra's corruption and deception.
It worked. The elves were freed and within a generation, came to master their surroundings - learning to work with the wood of the Godtrees, learning to bend nature itself to their will. With Mesrani's assistance, they built the largest empire in northern Sheanora, stretching from the Estrevalla Mountains to the Auslairic Ocean - but at a cost. Mesrani demanded their loyalty - or she threatened to unleash Sarestra once more. For more than three thousand years, the elves of Mesrania were satisfied with this arrangement - made to feel special, made to feel powerful, made to feel superior. Eventually, they even came to believe that Mesrani was the one true god. She had created the universe just for them.
This zealotry led to conflicts with The Baskan Isles, who were notorious for their approach to religious pluralism - and eventually with the humans of Aracia, whom the Mesrani elves viewed as lesser beings. It also led to conflicts within its own borders. Like the Ascendant of Arcenveld, the leadership of Mesrania began to police the types of magic that it's citizens could wield - only those bonded with the Fey Queen - warlocks - could practice. Once again, the sorcerers, druids and clerics were left to be persecuted.
In the year 5062 AGC, a small group of rebels who had dubbed themselves The Tionmenel, received definitive evidence from an anonymous source (whom many believe to have been Meikana, The Stirring Heart) that the Mesrani that the pilgrims had bonded themselves to was not the true Mesrani - but an imposter. This information spread like wildfire throughout the empire and the ranks of The Tionmenel began to grow as warlocks began to break their bonds. Within a decade, they were able to push the remaining followers of Mesrani to the coasts - and with the backing of Aracian allies eventually able to take full control over the nation. They renamed the land after the movement that had founded it.
The identity of Mesrani's imposter remains a mystery, though many tell stories of the goddess of lies herself, Venali, The Truth, attempting to lure the elves in the same way she had once lured the Anoch'Toval Drow.
Due to its sordid history, modern Tionmenel has become a bastion of magical thought that lies outside the traditional realm of formal wizardry. Sorcerers are more common in Tionmenel than anywhere else in the Merchant Sea region, mostly because of its proximity to the Wellspring. Druidic circles serve as protectors of wild places, watching over Planar Tears and preventing the fey - especially Sarestra - from bleeding into the material plane. Warlocks are free to serve whatever patron they wish and clerics of nearly every god are welcomed to preach and practice, so long as the will of their god or patron does not contradict the values of Tionmenel.
The forests of Tionmenel remain deeply dangerous and since the downfall of Mesrania, most of the major cities have moved to the coasts and rivers. Only the bravest - and perhaps craziest - of the Tionish savor the challenge of living in such a hotbed of fey activity.
Much of eastern Tionmenel was devastated during the Infernal Wars, as they came to the aid of their old ally Aracia - defending against the fiendish incursion of Mephistia. While much of what was lost has been rebuilt, the conflict devastated an already small population. As such, modern Tionmenel has turned to immigration to bolster their ranks - going so far as to provide housing, food and eight hundred Gold Roses to all those who would choose to make their home there. They have seen a huge influx of humans from Aracia, dwarves from Guldenskorn, gnomes from @Glimmerhome and tieflings from Mephistia. Unfortunately, even the newly open-minded elves of Tionmenel have a degree of a superiority complex and are the only citizens who can vote or partake in government - with the exception of the Court of the Deep Rock.
Structure
Tionmenel's government is a collective of "Courts", believed to have been inspired by druidic circles. Each Court represents a specific community's interest and any community with a population greater than 10,000 can apply to appoint a Court.
Members of the Court are selected by petitioning - a process by which family members, friends, and colleagues vouch for the integrity and virtue of an individual. One cannot nominate oneself to a Court, nor can they campaign or advocate for themselves. If one hundred members of a community petition to add an individual to a Court, they are elevated to that position. Each Court selects its leadership by its own methods: some by seniority, some by merit and accomplishment, others by tests of morality.
The Court of the White Sphere, which sits in the capital city of Arvandor, is the governing body of the whole of Tionmenel. Each of the individual Courts sends two of its most valued members to serve in Arvandor for a term of ten years. The actual operations and structure of the Court of the White Sphere remain a mystery, but it has been described as "malleable" - shifting to meet the needs of the times, as well as the situation. For example, in wartime, a single member of the Court may be given the power to make decisions pertaining to the war.
The most prominent member of the Court of the White Sphere is Olthawyl Dran, a nearly one thousand year old druid who was a founding member of the original Tionmenel rebels. He is one of the last surviving founders and considered a hero among his people.
Currently, only the elves of Tionmenel can be nominated for or petition someone else to a Court. The only exception to this rule is the dwarven city-state of Guldenskorn. Though it is technically independent from the rest of Tionmenel, their relationship is so intertwined that they were gifted a Court to make negotiations and decisions that effect both states more efficient. Guldenskorn maintains its own government while simultaneously collaborating with the Court of the White Sphere.
Current Courts:
The Court of the Open Waves (Siryavaya)
The Court of the Cliffside (Baelegora)
The Court of the Lake Mist (Ailoirin)
The Court of the Wood's Edge (Talarassa)
The Court of the Wood's Heart (Anorontal)
The Court of the River Fork (Melonduin)
The Court of the Deep Rock (Guldenskorn)
Demography and Population
Approximate Total Population: 1.2 Million
"True" Elves: 80,000
"Half" Elves: 740,000
Dwarves: 150,000
Humans: 80,000
Gnomes/Halflings: 75,000
Tieflings: 50,000
Orcs: 10,000
Warforged: 5,000
Territories
Known Settlements: Baelegora (Ocean Port), Ailoiren (Lake City), Melonduin (River Town), Siryavaya (Town), Talarassa (Town), Arrnechor (Village), Thaseil (Farming Village), Tharbareno (Village), Tionfalas (Village), Peredhill (Halfling Hamlet), Ened (Hamlet), Shaetoror (Hamlet)
Natural Landmarks: Boulderwick Peaks, Caeradoso Wilds, Estravalla Mountains (known in Tionmenel as Ciraed Vadon - the "Circle of Death), Barrier Lake, Duinlunt River, Velciraed River, Arhlahain Wood, Llatherien Forest ("The Godwood"), Baetholor River, Baetholori Fields, Heiciad Lake, Ornaev Prairie, Eidwiri Coast, Geldain Hills, Seilingren Steppe, Korso Eirn Cliffs, Seilingren Forest (Next to Baelegora), Taurakki River
Religion
Publicly Worshipped Gods:
Arthedis, The Gleaming Tower (LN) - Goddess of Civilization and Culture
Ausalai, The First Seed (N) - Goddess of Nature and the Sea
Beldain, The Cooling Iron (LG) - God/Goddess of the Forge and Protection, Ancestor of the Dwarves
Caedalin, The Artist (CG) - God/Goddess of Art and Creation, Ancestor of the Elves
Estus, The Purifying Light (NG) - God of the Sun and Healing
Monaia, The Calming Wind (LG) - Goddess of Peace and Reason
Sevast, The Just Hand (LG) - God of Justice, Ancestor of the Feathered Dragons
Aeyar, The Summoned Spark (N) - God of Magic and Arcane Study
Crucera, The Crosswinds (N) - Goddess of Trade and Commerce
Eiludi, The Knotted Souls (CG) - God/Goddess of Love and Beauty
Enditi, The Long Stride (LG) - Goddess of Travel, Ancestor of the Halflings
Glimmer, The Celebration (CG) - God of Laughter and Joy
Hailla, The Warm Fire - God of Home and Hearth
Irinia, The Abundant Mother (NG) - Goddess of Life and Birth
Jimara, The Branching Lineage (N) - Goddess of Family and Tribe
Kemehea, The Eversprout (N) - Goddess of Agriculture and the Harvest
Luthena, The Imagined Maiden (CG) - Goddess of the Moon and Dreams
Meikana, The Stirring Heart (N) - Goddess of Freedom and Rebellion
Mox, The Eruption (CE) - God of Storms, Destruction and Chaos, Ancestor of the Orcs
Nashall, The Welcoming Arms (N) - God of Outcasts
Obus, The Champion (CG) - God of Strength and Athletics
Phorarus, The Thought Engine (N) - God of Invention and Innovation
Qanar, The Occluded Face (NE) - God of Secrets
Qomos, The Open Book (N) - God of Knowledge and Education
Thelena, The Inevitable Embrace (N) - The New Goddess of Death, Goddess of Mourning and Sadness
Vados, The Last Stand (LG) - Goddess of Courage and Sacrifice
Weros, The Forethought (N) - God of Strategy
"Through the trees, lies truth. Across the shores, lies hope."
Founding Date
5075 AGC
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
Mesrania
Demonym
Tionish
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Cruceran Trade Currency:
Platinum Orchids
Gold Roses
Silver Tulips
Copper Lilies
Major Exports
Wellstone, Godwood, Pearls, Hazelnuts, Grapes, Tionish Wine, Wood Carvings, Enchanted Objects
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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