Crann Riocht (crawn ree-oakh)
Crann Riocht is the kingdom of elves, located in the Sinsear Forest in central Ayndrinor. It is a relatively small kingdom, with only three recognizable mapped settlements (plus several tiny forest villages) and thus a pretty small population. Besides the forest that encompasses the kingdom, it is also bordered by two mountain ranges - the Backbone Spires and the Sinsear Mountains - and Lake Sildar. Due to its location in the forest, there are no hard borders for the kingdom. They do not claim the entirety of the forest, only the areas surrounding its towns and very small hamlets.
The dense forest makes the elven society very reclusive, and their distrust of outsiders (who they believe wish to harm the forest more than preserve it) makes the kingdom even more isolationist. Similar to their southern "neighbors" The Dale, Crann Riocht only allows visitors with special permits, unless they are druids or nature priests. The only place with an exception to this is the academy at Torloch Observatory, which admits students from around the world and allows established scholars to study the heavens.
One of the most interesting things about the kingdom for outside observers is their currency, which is not based on gold or silver - though they do accept coins made of those metals from the rare travelers. Instead, the elvish kingdom circulates a fixed number of special metal coins - made of the same unknown ancient metal as the central buildings in Fianna'bhaile - called cruchmona or just "cruc" for short. Occasionally, travelers and mercenaries will take some of these coins away, which depletes the supply in the kingdom slightly. In situations where the kingdom needs more currency, they have been known to dismantle parts of the ancient buildings and melt them down to create more coins. Functionally, these elven coins take the place of electrum in 5th Edition coinage.
The kingdom has been around since the first days of Ayndrinor, when elven legend holds that the gods created the first elves from within the sacred tree of Crann Sinsear. Always focused on protecting nature and preserving the balance, Crann Riocht was never focused on arcane research and weapon development, so they were spared devastation during The Smiting. Afterward, the survivors who were left in Fianna'bhaile had record of their ancient kingdom and the Tree of Ancients, so they were able to trace their kingdom's heritage back to the earliest days of Ayndrinor.
As a side note, many place names in the elven kingdom - and consequently much of the culture - is derived from Irish Gaelic. Use this as a basis for the elven culture if you wish to flesh it out more.
Structure
The leadership of Crann Riocht is rooted deeply within the druidic orders and nature temples of the kingdom. The Speaker of the kingdom is the highest ranking member of the druidic orders, with the 12-member Council of Druids assisting and supporting them. The Speaker serves until death or the Council deposes them for malpractice, at which point a replacement is elected from within the Council itself (much like the College of Cardinals in the Catholic Church). The Council members likewise serve until death or until they are deposed by a unanimous vote of the other council members. There are typically at least two Council members from each of the kingdom's towns and cities, with the remainder being filled out at-large from within the kingdom and around the world.
Demography and Population
The vast majority of the kingdom's population is elvish (around 80%). There are a few halflings, gnomes, and other races present in the recognized towns, though there are reports of all manner of people in the unrecognized forest hamlets. In the elven tradition of wanderlust trips before reaching maturity, some elves in the kingdom travel to other parts Crann Riocht, while others venture to parts further afield. Most elves do live to their normal age of 700 or so, and other races tend to also live to their normal lifespans - with a few people each year dying to the forest's dangerous monsters or fatal plants.
Military
The vast majority of Crann Riocht's military is made up what most consider guerilla units - rangers and scouts who try to pick off enemies from range. Each town has a few stronger infantry troops, with the capital of Fianna'bhaile having several thousand that protect the sacred tree. The only formal wars Crann Riocht has fought occurred many centuries ago - with a number in the early First Age as the supercities tried to take control of the sacred tree and harness some sort of power from it. The most recent wars happened in the early years of the Second Age, as various forces from Oestbernia began to encroach on and harm the forest. After repelling the forces, Crann Riocht built up its military to be prepared for the future, but also withdrew into the forest even further and became much more reclusive.
Foreign Relations
Crann Riocht does not have much of a formal relationship with any other nation, preferring to stay reclusive and isolated. They do send ambassadors and representatives to nature temples and druidic orders around the world, performing unofficial diplomatic duties. The kingdom uses its trained military to protect the forest as much as possible - and specifically the settlements within the woods.
Family in the Forest
Founding Date
1 1A
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
Kingdom of Trees
Demonym
Riochians
Government System
Monarchy, Theocratic
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Cruchmona (elven coins)
Legislative Body
Council of Druids (12 members)
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Myths
Comments