Jui-Sae

Written by jlficks

Jui-Sae. Forest of Darkness. The very name whispered on the tongues of outsiders conjures up visions of black forests, littered with the bones of the hundreds of foolish treasure hunters, raiders and adventurers daring enough to tread into its dark borders. Jui-Sae is the only land where eerie black-leafed and black-barked trees grow naturally. Few who dare venture into Jui-Sae ever return, cut down by the Unseen, the widely feared guardians of the Dark Elven lands.

Jui-Sae is home to the Faelin, the Dark Elves, whose black forests shelter many secrets. The grim legends of Jui-Sae’s border do much to hide the secret midnight beauties of this night kingdom. The Dark Elves take great strides to keep foreigners out of their lands, but deep Jui-Sae paints a stark contrast to its grim bone-littered borders. Shimmering Moonstone cities and groves of midnight flowers glow in the night with a surprising, almost majestic beauty.

Demography and Population

Jui-Sae is one of the two largest Elven kingdoms of all Covent. It is home to several million Faelin, who rarely travel beyond its borders. Dark Elves are a nocturnal people who lived above ground in black midnight forests, a dark mirror image of the Light Elven kingdom of Jui-Rae. Its tall glowing Moonstone cities are a sight to behold, though it is also home to many far humbler small towns. The population is almost completely Faelin, being untrusting of outsiders, except for a small population of Light Elven slaves and prisoners of war who have been captured in the age old conflict known as the Elf Wars. Jui-Sae’s capital lies at Saeyilmaar, the tallest and grandest Moonstone city of all Jui-Sae. The glowing Moonstone walls and towers of Saeyilmaar, the Beautiful are a legend among their own people. Hundreds of thousands of Faelin make annual pilgrimages to Saeyilmaar to trade, pay homage to the three moon gods and behold the beauty and wonder of Saeyilmaar. Jui-Sae’s ancient and most mortal enemy are the light Elves of Jui-Rae, although they have also reinforced their borders against bold and foolish humans from Doljinaar, trying to trespass into the Dark Elven lands for gold and glory.

The Elf Wars

The Dark Elves have been at war with the golden forests of Jui-Rae for nearly two thousand years. The war has transcended generations of Elves, even despite their exceptionally long lifespan. The Elf Wars is a bitter and bloody conflict, causing massive casualties on both sides between the Dark Elves of Jui-Sae and the Light Elves of Jui-Rae. The war has gone back and forth, but has now been fought to an a bitter standstill. The war has been so devastating the two counties were forced to parley and write the Manarian Codes of War, to allow for short periods of peace and armistice so both kingdoms would not mutually collapse. The Elf Wars have raged for so long that many Elves do not recall the original cause of the war. The two Elven kingdoms were once united in the ancient united Elven kingdom of Manaria. Old Manaria was once ruled by the Silver Line, an Elf of both Light and Dark Elven blood, who united the two races, but war broke out between the two Elvish houses when the last Silver King died without an heir. High King Manar, the sixth, had been the last Silver King and now it is said he awoke from the grave and haunts the ruins of Manaria. It is said that every Elf that falls in the Elf Wars rises again in Old Manaria and the Last Silver King’s anger grows over the needless and endless war. Legends abound that if the war does not stop one day the Silver King will unleash his wrath, marching across the lands with his undead armies putting both kingdoms to the sword to end the age-old conflict forever.

Territories

Jui-Sae’s borders lie in mid southeastern Sylvane wedged between the golden forests of Jui-Rae to the east and the mountain ranges controlled by Doljinaar to the north and west. Jui-Sae’s largest and war-torn border with Jui-Rae is constantly guarded as well as the border shared with Doljinaar’s walled fortress city of East Falguard and No Man’s Pass to the south. Jui-Sae has many forts and underground tunnels to protect their lands such as Shadow Pass, though their biggest deterrent remains the ghastly legend of Unseen who guard their dark borders. Jui-Sae’s northern border is the southern ridge of the Sunchild Chasm, but goes as far south as the Dead Coast bordering the southern arctic ocean of the Haraglace. Jui-Sae’s borders include the western half of the haunted Ashwood. The Ashwood refers to the burnt southern forests of both Jui-Sae and Jui-Rae, which were burnt out in a great clash of magic between two wizards who attained the Greater Powers hundreds of years ago at the height of the Elf Wars.

Military

Jui-Sae’s military is considered to be among the most advanced in the world. Unlike other night races, Dark Elves aren’t viewed as mindless savages, but a dark and calculating far more modernized threat, making them widely feared throughout the world. Dark Elven architecture, fortifications and military are comparable to Doljinaar, although not nearly as large or as lofty. Faelin have powerful magicians, enchanted weapons and siege engines. Jui-Sae’s military numbers around 300,000 troops with all young males of fighting age required to serve as conscripts in the Elf Wars for decades. Given the devastating number of casualties in the war, Jui-Sae has been forced to widen the drafting age and is struggling to keep up with the unending demands of the constant war. Their army remains capable, but has been slowly bled out through a war of attrition but the same can be said of their mortal enemies the Light Elves of Jui-Rae. However, both Elven kingdoms remain considerable military powers.

Religion

Faelin worship the three moons. It is believed the three moons of Covent are the Dark Elven gods. The Faelin believe they came down to Covent from the stars on a great meteor which was sent by the gods. Shax-ing, the red moon, is the god of war and strength. Shal-tanna, the cobalt moon, is the god of wisdom and magic. And Sai-ing, the silver moon, is the king moon of the gods. Faelin magic schools of Moon Magic and Shadow Magic are derived from their faith in the gods.

Trade & Transport

Dark Elves go through great efforts to protect their lands and so trade with the outside world is largely uncommon and forbidden. Humans have been known to hunt Dark Elves for their black bones, which are believed to have magical properties and are sold at a great price, making Faelin distrustful of outsiders. Dark Elves have built a large internal network of trade and does everything in its power to ensure that Jui-Sae is self sufficient and does not need to rely on trade with the outside world to survive. The only exception are the Faelin from Mornore who have secretly began to trade with the West. Dark Elves have a small navy and fishing boats but don’t normally travel beyond their lands. Dark Elves has high centers of learning and take great pride in needing no one but their own...