Aqualonde (Nation)

Nestled amidst the Fauconwood on the eastern edge of Halinor, Aqualonde possesses neither the tall walls nor taller towers of their cousins in the north. Protected by the very trees around them the elves practice harmony with their surroundings and the indulgence of time that comes with their long lifespans. The mysteries of the woods and what lies beyond them tantalize even the elves of Aqualonde, and no small part of their people seek discovery of the world's deeper mysteries there in the arbors of the east. You will find still more indulging in discussion, in creation, and in the celebration of all things natural and magical amidst their salons and guildhalls.
Aqualonde is inspired by France, particularly in the salons of the Enlightenment and the philosophies of the Romantic Period.

Structure

From the beginning of Aqualonde's history as a splinter group budding off Carinthia, the elves have never been particularly fond of a lot of structure. Not quite anarchists (though the Carinthians would call them that), Aqualondites built a slow growing garden out of democracy and determination. Over time the elves' tendency toward an appreciation of beauty, philosophy, and natural wisdom has turned this toward a coalition government whose most powerful groups must band together to maintain a tenuous plurality. Strong guilds and powerfully influential salons make and break alliances so subtly and intricately that many outsiders have given up trying to track it at all.
The guilds most influential in Aqualonde are as follows:
1) The Sunweavers: This guild represents the finest of Aqualonde's weavers and textile artists, responsible for creating exquisite cloth, fashion, and tapestries found throughout the city.
2) The Starcallers: Musicians, bards, and entertainers join together to create enchanting melodies and performances that resonate throughout the Fauconwood.
3) The WIndriders: Representing merchants and explorers both, the Windriders foster connections both within and without the city-state.
4) The Earthspeakers: This guild comprised of druids, rangers, and other naturalists upholds the delicate balance between the city-state and its surrounding wilderness.
5) The Moonblades: Comprising the city's esteemed weaponsmiths, this guild excels in the creation of blades renowned for their artistry and deadliness. The guild is essentially linked at the hip with Salon Soldat, which naturally comprises the vast majority of the elves' army.
Each guild possesses its own leadership and internal politics, yet they unite in a collective effort to govern Aqualonde as a harmonious whole. The guild and salon system serves as a foundation for power balance, allowing a diverse array of voices to contribute to the governance and decision-making processes of the city-state.

Culture

Aqualonde is generally seen as a land of laid-back artistic indulgence, of indolence in the service of harmony. It's true that the long-lived elves tend to favor the creation of something beautiful as a higher goal than conquest, particularly if said creation is tied into nature or particularly elegant. Their holdings are nonetheless rich--the Fauconwood provides fertile soil for growth and the elves' own long lifespan and curiosity has led to artisans with a particular talent in breeding for unique qualities. The crafters of Aqualonde are stereotyped as perfectionists, and not always in the ways that make sense to outsiders.
Similarly with their salons, the hours they spend crafting, deflecting, and perfecting arguments seems to be odd in accomplishment if outsiders can determine what they accomplish at all. The eastern elves are about subtlety, however, and a particular train of conversation in a salon might last for weeks on end, true, but it might wind up deftly answering a political question or sway influence enough to capture governmental power for years. For every naysayer calling them slow or feckless, the elves call themselves deliberate, patient, or deft.
Not all is slow talk and politicking in the Fauconwood, however; the plenty that is the arbor has led to a tradition of masterful archery and animal domestication unrivaled elsewhere in Halinor. From similar means come the Earthspeakers, whose traditions are centered around the mysteries of the woods and beyond. Studying the natural world of Aspiria and the feywilds alike, the Earthspeakers are testament to the incredible focus that can come from elven patience and the immense wealth of mystery the world has to offer.

History

Founded in the Fourth Stygian Age, Aqualonde began as an offshoot of Carinthia, a small colony of elves fleeing the growing stranglehold the Light of Alophia held on the kingdom. This contingent of artists and philosophers founded a place of safety amidst the Fauconwoods, settling there in the arbor. It is said old agreements brokered assured their safety amidst the Cataclysm raging over the world, though even safe in their woods the elves found little in the way to agree on in terms of governance. Necessity turned to a system, however, and that system has grown to one of the more complex but functional systems of power in Halinor.
This time of peace in the Fourth Radiant Age was lost, however, to the invasion in the Fifth Stygian. Carinthia pushed southward to account for their wayward cousins and attempt to abolish the Aqualondian way of life. To no avail, of course--long grown apart, the Carinthian soldiers could not fully reckon with the distributed means of power and so found themselves constantly undermined by the guilds and salons. Carlotte Cordray, an Aqualondian dissident and influential songstress who would later found the Starcallers, is an influential member of the downfall of Louis-roi. Her letters and diary have been lost to time, however, part necessity to ensure her compatriots in the assassination attempt were not caught.
In the Fifth Radiant Age a salon from the Fauconwood settled on what would come to be known Shurevaire. The foundations of the great university-turned-kingdom are viewed with a parental warmth. Seeming to grow more into a presence across Halinor, Aqualonde sent troops to defend the Tarwa'kem border from Vociran invasion--as well as a great many to die in the calamity that befell the center of the continent.

Deep woods, deep wisdom

Founding Date

Fourth Stygian Age

Type

Geopolitical, City-state

Demonym

Aqualondite

Location

Halinor (Continent)