Kingdom of Whitetower
The Principality of Whitetower was formed many years before the collapse of the Asturian Empire. After the fall, the Prince upgraded himself to a king and took sole control of the peninsula. This isolationist kingdom only interacts with the rest of the Shattered Lands in a limited fashion, and their world class navy keeps most ships from entering their harbor. Whitetower only maintains truly open relationships with the various courts of the Fey Wild.
Structure
There isn't a terribly byzantine selection of titles, but the society is quite hierarchical. Naturally, Elves respect age, so those who have attained the title of Elder are revered, and most of the high government positions are filled with Elders. Aside from age, the following titles are used to denote control and respect:
- King (otherwise known as "your majesty," or "your grace")--The highest rank in the kingdom and the chief executive of the government.
- Sentinel--Primarily a military rank, and a rare one at that, but those that achieve this have a great deal of pull in society. Sometimes they can outrank a counselor.
- High Counselor (usually shortened to just counselor)--These people make up the main governing and law-making body of the kingdom. This title carries with it a lot of responsibility, and only elves of a certain age are allowed onto the council.
- Knight of the Spiral Tower (Spiral Knight)--These are the most elite soldiers in the Whitetower military.
Culture
Whitetower culture is dominated by the High Elves: specifically, the elven refugees from Xhoran Islands to the northwest, and those fleeing anti-elven and anti-magic pogroms during the imperial collapse. Therefore, Whitetower is fairly unique in that many of its citizens are only one generation removed from the imperial collapse, and it shows in their mannerisms, their architecture, and their forms of scholarship. The Xhoran High Elves pioneered many forms of arcane scholarship, and they even partnered with the druids of the west to research the school of Geomancy. Thus, all forms of arcane and natural scholarship are permitted and encouraged, and indeed many of these research fields are employed in the kingdom's defenses.
Sadly, an unfortunate effect of the programs the high elves and their wood elf cousins faced in the aftermath of the collapse has caused the kingdom to be quite xenophobic. Few outsiders are permitted within its borders, and the city of Whitetower has a whole ward dedicated to receiving foreigners and keeping them from the interiors of the city proper. Merchants have to have a special badge in order to trade in the port, and only ambassadors and other dignitaries are permitted to travel through the interior. Whitetower City even has an upper city in which only the elite of High Elven society are permitted to live and work.
Public Agenda
Whitetower's xenophobic tendencies have driven the kingdom into a semi-isolationist stance. The government accepts diplomats and ambassadors from neighboring countries, and trading with the outside world is permitted in certain zones of the kingdom. However, the primary goal of the king and the high council is to preserve the kingdom at all costs, so alliances are maintain solely for the defensive purposes, and expansion has been abandoned in favor of equilibrium. There are rumors of Whitetower attempting to expand into areas of the Feywild and certain areas of the elemental planes, but that information is unreliable and is usually attributed to the kingdom's misinformation campaign to keep people guessing.
Assets
Even though much of the old forests were destroyed in the Twilight Wars, the elves have cultivated some of the finest new growth forests in the shattered lands. These trees are maintained and farmed very carefully so as not to detract from the forests' values. This lumber is some of the best and most resilient, and carpenters, woodcrafters, and shipbuilders covet this lumber fiercely. Even though some precious metals are found within the kingdom and elven craftsmen remain some of the most sought after in terms of magical artifacts, the lumber remains their chief asset and export.
The Whitetower navy, while small, is one of the most feared as their ships and skills are second to none, and the Knights of the Spiral Tower Tower are some of the finest magic users in the Shattered Lands. The only other comparable magical fighting force are the the Mage Knights of Cydonia.
History
Whitetower was a small fishing community and port town before the Elven Insurrection during the Imperial Era. During the Twilight Wars, the High Elves became increasingly disenchanted with the Imperial leadership, and when they sensed a moment of weakness, the legions of the Elves from the Xhoran Island launched their attack on the mainland. They seized the fortified town of Whitetower and made it their bas of operation. They then made their bid for domination, but the Elven king miscalculated. Though the empire was in a weakened state and doomed to collapse, it had enough legions to repeal the invasion and force them back into Whitetower. The imperial forces then raised the surrounding forests and proceeded to lay siege. Fortunately for the elves, the legions were recalled since there were problems aplenty elsewhere, so the emperor made a deal with the High Elves that ceded them the city state of Whitetower, provided they made no more moves against the crown. They were also restricted in the size of their military and the kinds of border defenses they were allowed; however, these restrictions become moot when the empire started falling apart.
Since the fall of the Empire, Whitetower went through a series of changes. The High Elven society, which was structured around a rigid hierarchy and arcane study, started to adopt some of the ways of the Wood Elves. The High Elves started to reconnect with nature, they helped rebuild the forests around the city, and they started to reach out to their Eladrin kin in the Feywild again. At one point, they were not isolationist, but the peninsular wars with Kyrgyz and Beloche, and their betrayal at the hands of Rhutia, soured Whitetower's desire to reach out beyond its borders. They currently have an alliance with their neighbors, but that is born more out of necessity than any sense of friendship or trust.
Demography and Population
The population is divided amongst the following races:
- 65%--High Elves
- 20%--Wood Elves
- 5%--Half-Elves
- Humans
- Gnomes
- Dwarves
- Eladrin
Territories
Whitetower controls the tip of the Xhoran peninsula as well as the tail end of the V'Nath River (also known as the V'Nath Canal). The marshes, plains, and hinterlands around the main city are also controlled by the elven councils. The High Elves also have a claim on the Xhoran Islands to the Northwest, but as those are surrounded by the tri-storms and are in total ruin by all accounts, this claim is largely nominal and ceremonial.
Military
The martial forces of the kingdom are divided into three categories:
- The Wardens--These are not soldiers in the traditional sense, but they form local policing forces and constabulary. Local laws and order are maintained and enforced by these individuals and most, if not all, criminal investigations are handled by the Wardens.
- The Silver Swords--These armored warriors form the bulk of the Whitetower military forces. TheSilver Swords are divided into the traditional military divisions or lancers, archers, and swordsmen, but the most famous division of the army is the Spellswords. These soldiers spend their entire career mastering martial and arcane arts. The only ones more skilled than them are the Knights of the Spiral Tower.
- Knights of the Spiral Tower--
Technological Level
Thanks to the long memory of the elves and the relative stability of the kingdom, Whitetower is one of the more technologically advanced countries. Even while many magical and technological secrets were lost, they are still able to construct things that many nations struggle with. Much magical knowledge was preserved after the collapse, and there are rumors that ancient arcane weaponry is being aggressively researched.
Religion
Citizens and visitors are allowed to worship how they please, but the principle deities honored are the three elven divines:
- Correlon Larethian--progenitor of the elves and god of magic and art.
- Sehanine the Moonweaver--sister of correlon and Lloth, goddess of twilight, the moon, and stealth.
- Lloth the Betrayer--sister of Correlon and Sehanine, she is the goddess of trickery, chaos and betrayal.
Foreign Relations
The Kingdom of Whitetower is part of the Triple Alliance with the Duchy of Beloche and the Principality of Kyrgyz. While the kingdom is not on particularly friendly terms with the4ir neighbors, they do recognize the need for mutual defense. With the rise of the Desperate of Thrax and the stabilization of Silesia, banding together makes much more sense. Other than the members of the Alliance, no other embassies are allowed within Whitetower. Although, rumor has it that the king and the High Council are courting the favor of the various political factions in the Fey Wild.
Laws
- All non-elven residents are restricted to the Docks Ward of Whitetower city unless a travel license is issued.
- All trading vessels must procure a license to trade within Whitetower.
- Likewise, any overland trade is restricted to the border settlements, and merchants must have a license.
- All forms of religious worship (other than demonic or diabolical cults) are permitted; disrespect of the elven gods is not tolerated.
- Hostility towards Whitetower and alliance officials is not tolerated and while be dealt with swiftly.
- The Royal Courts handle all major cases, but every citizen is allowed to appeal to the king.
- Residents and non-citizen visitors may appeal to the king as well provided they have a citizen sponsor them.
- Druids are permitted to travel on pilgrimage to the Border, Central, and Sentinel Forrest provided they get permission and from local magistrates.
- Magic usage must be kept to a respectable minimum unless one is under personal threat. All mages must submit to questioning after any incident is recorded.
- Necromancy is not permitted outside of academy grounds and must be supervised by a registered sage.
Agriculture & Industry
The kingdom barely grows enough food to support the population, and there is almost no room for the production of cash crops. The one product that is grown and used in its industries is lumber. The elves have grown very efficient at cultivating forests and pruning them in such a way to produce enough wood with which to build locally and sell aboard.
Whitetower's industry is divided between two categories: shipbuilding and magical crafting. Some of the finest artisans in the world live in the kingdom and they ply their talents on the bows of ships and in the darkened room of a magical laboratory. People come from all over to commission ships and arcane supplies.
Trade & Transport
Trade over land is limited as the borders tend to stay closed. Some goods travel up the river, but the main access point of trade is the port at Whitetower City. From the city, the overseas trade network is quite robust, reaching as far south as Isaria (and even Akkad during one expedition) and as far east as the Outlook tributary. Magical knowledge and scholarship is one of the greatest exports with some High Elven wizards offering to tutor far away mages for a modest commission. In addition, the market for magic items is quite robust. As far as mundane items go, people come from across the continent to commission ships, and, of course, lumber is the chief export.
Education
A standard education in the liberal arts is compulsory for all elven citizens. Non-elves can apply to one of the academies provided they have a letter of marque from the education commission, or they are sponsored by a citizen. Most non-elves that are allowed an academy education are required to live in the Docks Ward of Whitetower, proper.
Once the compulsory education is completed, which goes through the period of elven adolescence, they have the option of attending any of the extension academies that will allow them to specialize in a particular field of study. The Dal'Xhoran is the most prestigious repository of arcane learning in the shattered lands, outside of Cydonia, that is.
Infrastructure
The city of Whitetower is an engineering marvel. It boast a robust sewer system that is built on top of the ruins of the old imperial outpost, its main structures are blended with the natural surroundings (to the point that it is hard to tell where buildings start and natural growth begins), and there is a sophisticated ropeway travel system that takes people to and from the upper level of the city. Outside of the main port city, infrastructure is a little more lacking. Every town is able to get fresh water, either through deep wells or aqueducts. In addition, there is a road system that connects the various towns and outposts, but it was not designed with rapid transit in mind. The canal/river is the best means of transit the kingdom offers within its borders. Finally, the border is carefully monitored by a series of watch towers and forts. The Wardens and Silver Swords boast that no one can get in for out of the kingdom without at least a whole cohort catching wind of it.
Mythology & Lore
After the first Dawn War, many of the gods had agreed to stand aloof from the prime material and allow their creations, most of the mortal races to make due on their own. Correlon Larethian took some of the wild, primal energy left over from the war and used it to craft the first elves. Legend has it that the elves existed as ethereal beings that would shift and transform according to the seasons or even the whim of each elf, and their energy drew from all quarters of the multiverse, but mostly the prime material and the fewywild. Their connection to the weave wasn't unparalleled, and there were few magical secrets that escaped their grasp.
However, Correlon craved kinship, so he searched through his primal elves and found two whose energy closely matched his own chaotic nature. He used his powers to elevate them and raise them to divine status so that they could help him watch over the elves and bring about a new era of peace for them. These two became the goddesses Sehanine and Lloth. They each took on aspects of the moon as their inspiration with Corellon taking the full moon, Sehanine the waning crescent, and Lloth the new moon. Each started to find elves that closely matched them, but Corellon was insistent that they not trifle too much with the elves nature and ability to change. They all seemed to agree with this, but Lloth believed that the ability to choose an immutable form should not be kept from the elves. She convinced many of the elf-kin to commit to permanent forms, their power and specialties did seem to grow, but their ability to change all but vanished. Lloth had become increasingly ambitious, and she craved more adoration and recognition.
Eventually, the movement fomented a crisis level insurrection amongst the elves as Lloth believed that she should be the new high god of the elves, and she launched her attack upon the Spiral Tower. Corellon and Sehanine gathered their loyal followers and made their defense, but as their forces came into contact with Lloth's, their elves began to lose their ability to change. Eventually, the attack was repulsed, but the damage was done. The elven society was permanently scarred and changed. Corellon was able to take those first elves who had rallied to him, and settled them in the fey wild where the chaotic energies of that plane allowed them to rekindle some of their primal elven ways. The rest were allowed to settle in the Prime Material where the society eventually split into two: the High Elves (who were repentant followers of Lloth who reverted back to Corellon), and the followers of Sehanine who came to find joy in the woods and plains thus garnering the name, Wood Elves.
Lloth was cast out of the upper planes into the pits of the Abyss for her treachery. There she became completely corrupted and transformed into the terrifying form of the Demon Queen of Spiders. Her closest followers and retainers became the Drow, who were shunned and exiled from most elven societies. They eventually settled in the Underdark where they believed they could be closer to their Queen.
If we cannot beat you, we will outlive you.
Founding Date
35 IE
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Training Level
Elite
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Mixed economy
Gazetteer
Whitetower is a relatively small state in control of the Xhoran Salt Marches, the Border and Sentinel Forests, and the mouth of the Ealhu River.
Currency
Since they do not mine very many precious metals, they do not mint their own coins. Therefore, they accept all standards currencies from the Shattered Lands and beyond.
Major Exports
The main exports are as follows:
- assorted magical items
- Magical knowledge and education services
- lumber
- custom ships
Major Imports
The chief imports are...
- various food stuffs
- precious metals
- mundane metals such as iron ore and bronze
- spices
- assorted alchemical reagents
Legislative Body
There are two councils that run the affairs of the kingdom:
- The High Council--This group is selected from the most elite members of Whitetower society. The High Counselors handle all diplomatic matters, they run the arcane academy, and they govern the principle affairs of the city.
- The Lower Council--this lower house consists of many high elves and even some wood elves. This body is in charge of managing the provinces and hinterlands of the kingdom, and they are also in charge of seeing to the logistical and pecuniary needs of people.
Judicial Body
The Royal Court handles all major issues. All lesser issues are handled by the wardens and local magistrates.
Executive Body
Executive authority is divided between the King and the High Council.
- The king--His Royal Highness, Kinjal IV, is the ultimate arbiter and authority in the kingdom. All major decisions must pass by him.
- The High Council--Ostensibly, they govern most domestic affairs as well as any colonial projects, but many criticize the council as being only a rubber stamp for the king.
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