Enclave of the Valley

History

Branching from the Valaes Tairn

11,000 BK — 10,000 BK

• The earliest ancestors of the Enclave were part of the Valaes Tairn, the branch of the Tairnadal that first settled the land that is now Valenar in about 11,000 BK.
  • The Tairnadal are warclans of elves that are a separate, but related, culture in Haleth. They seek to emulate their warlike ancestors through their heroic deeds, and believe they anchor them as such.
  • The Tairnadal have a long alliance with the Halethi and fight alongside their cousins when the island is threatened. More Tairnadal are now in Valenar than Haleth.
• The elves came into conflict with the goblin empire, and they were very clearly outnumbered. Not only this, but dissent had spread among the ranks. One elf, Glynsandoral Hazelvale, was amassing a large following.
  • He was an incredible, once-in-a-millenium artist and bard. He showed some elves that there was more to life than war, weapons, and training.
  • He deepened many of their appreciations for art, nature, and music.
  • "When he sang, the wind itself stopped to listen. When he played, the day brightened as the sun's rays grew longer to be closer to the sound."
• So, when it became necessary that the elves retreated to Haleth, there was a schism. Some wished to stay, learning the way of art with Glysandoral, while others wished to stick to their traditions and return to Haleth.
  • Valaes Tairn wanted to worship their ancestors, not contemporaries.
  • The Halethi elves placed tradition above all else: Artists and bards were expected to perfect ancient techniques instead of developing new styles — Glysandoral created new techniques, developed beautiful styles; he reinvented art and music itself.
• The Valaes Tairn signed the Treaty of Moonshadow, and returned to Haleth. The other branch became nomads, following Glysandoral and discovering what Khorvaire had to offer. They became known in history as the Avocat d’ Hazelvale.

Nomads of Khorvaire

10,000 BK — 2,000 BK

• And so, the Avocat began searching for the finest art and music in Khorvaire.
• And such things were found.
  • Siberys Observatory: It is said that the future is already written, and that its secrets can be found in the depths of Khyber and the eldritch storms of the Ring of Siberys. Over the course of millennia, dragons of Zyddrydem and ancient druids have constructed observatories to help track the movements and patterns of the Ring of Siberys. The observatories of Zyddrydem are fantastic constructs of crystal and metal, lined with huge orreries designed for dragon claws to use. Druid observatories are assemblies of stone monoliths and twisted trees, carefully placed and mystically treated to catch the movement of the Ring.
  • Kree-Flamic stained glass of Thrane
  • Haka'torvhak: an ancient ruin in central Q'barra carved into the side of a volcano
  • The Vermishards of Cyre: Seven spires rise up from Metrol, a natural (or supernatural) wonder. These plateaus held the ancestral homes of the noble lines of old Metrol with the Royal Vermishard the seat of the Cyran crown. However, over centuries, other powers—such as House Cannith and House Phiarlan—made their way to the Vermishards as well. Cannith and Phiarlan worked together with Cyran magewrights to embed illusory lighting into the Vermishards, their glittering spires becoming a remarkable part of the Metrol skyline
  • Orrery of the Esoteric Order of Aureon
  • Topiary guardians
  • Dhakaani Ruins
• There is a gap in the history of the Avocat. One of the elves’ pleasures is in the written word, and that includes documenting their own and others’ history. However, between about 10,000 and 9,000 BK, there is a gap in their written history, and their most prominent historians are at a loss.

Conflict with the Dhakaani

9,000 BK — 3,000 BK

• Even after they signed the Treaty of Moonshadow and renounced their warlike ways, the Avocat were not quite safe from the wrath of the declining goblin kingdom.
• Though the goblinoid empire was beginning to collapse under the weight of its sheer size, their might was still immense. The weapons and engines they forged were unparalleled in Khorvaire’s history, and still are to this day.
• The early Avocat were not foolish; they knew battling was a fruitless endeavor, and would result only in the loss of elvish lives. Besides, they had embraced the philosophy of Glysandoral, embracing nonviolence and renouncing the ways of Valaes Tairn.
• And yet, though they avoided the goblins the best they could, their numbers were decimated. They were slain by the dozens, and there were fears that their numbers would die out.
• Discussions were had on whether it would be wise to travel somewhere safer and set up a permanent civilization, as their kingdom was falling. But, mercifully, the Dhakhaani quickly collapsed.
• Besides, they eventually found their settling point.

Watchers of the Tarrasque

2,000 BK — present

• All journeys lead somewhere, and the journey of the Avocat led them to the shadows of the Graywall Mountain. There, they found a sleeping power that, if unleashed, could devastate the continent. They named it after one of the fiercest giant warriors that their ancestors were slaughtered by in their time of enslavement — “Tarrasque” (pronounced thai-rrahs-quen).
• It is a monster of legend, of myth; it is said that only one has ever existed and ever will exist. And it slumbers under the Graywall Mountains, natural wonders now known to be the aftermath of its blows when it was last awake.
• While the Avocat were nomads at heart, they thought it their duty to watch over the slumbering beast, and protect it.
• And so, they settled into the Valley, secured its entrance, and settled underground. They gathered materials from the nearby trading route, paying with art and treasure they’d collected. This regular, and somewhat secretive, business helped the trade route to flourish.
• Once the Valley was ready for settlement, they split their people so that they may still travel. Every year, half of them return from traveling and assume duty over the tarrasque, while the other half go out into the world. And the cycle continues.
• While some find the constant shifting back and forth between lifestyles tiring, it is a general consensus that it is a good compromise between duty and desire.
• Besides, they developed great wonders in the Valley of Labete, as it came to be known. Trees of argentyeur (“are-geunt-ure”, silver bark), galleries of art, La Lune, etc.
• The earliest days creating the Valley were the most delicate. They were responsible for this delicate secret, but had not yet created proper defenses to protect it. Any creature or organization with malevolent intentions and sufficient power could gain ahold of this terrible power.
  • And such a thing nearly came to pass. A right army of drow caught wind of the Valley, whether by chance or by acquired intelligence, and staged a massive assault.
  • The emerging Enclave was torn. A big part of their philosophy was the renunciation of the Tairnadal warlike culture, and now they were being ripped back to their warlike ways.
  • And channel their ancestors they did. Though it had been millenia, the blood of renowned warriors flowed through their veins. Weapons were sharpened; battle formations perfected. Dubbed the Battle of the Red Valley, thousands of lives were lost by both sides, but mostly by the drow.
  • And the drow had learned what lay within the valley. They knew not who the drow served, if anybody, but if knowledge reached a powerful organization, it could spell disaster.
  • So, the Enclave offered the drow a chance to surrender peacefully. When they refused, they hunted them to their very end.
  • The decision to completely slaughter the dark elves was one that haunts Lorend to this day. Violence is not in the blood of the Enclave, but it seemed a necessary evil
• The Battle of the Red Valley was a stark reminder that guarding an awesome power was an inherently battle-ridden responsibility. It would be impossible to truly renounce their warlike ancestral traditions.
  • There have been other skirmishes, but none as bloody as the Battle, and none infiltrated the Valley.
  • It was a grim reminder that the world is not all beautiful art, and that they had been naive to think so.
• As the Soli traveled the world and encountered peoples, whispers of the Tarrasque spread. It was these whispers that fueled knowledge — rather, rumors — of the creature known as the Tarrasque throughout Khorvaire.
• Though few in the Valley would admit it, they are now always prepared for battle because they understand the responsibility they bear.
• But The Galerie, the creation of the Lune, the argentyeur trees, the Fairy Wings, they were all reminders that they were not abandoning who they were. They knew their responsibility, but they still respect the traditions of the Avocat.
• Through the ages, the divided nature of the elves has caused a physical change to occur, based on whether they are watching or wandering. Their appearance changes within a month or so of going from one to the other.
  • The Soli elves have bronze skin, bright blue hair, and emerald eyes and absorb vital life essence and strength for their magics from sunlight. These elves are the ones that wander the continent.
  • The Lunelin elves have silver skin, black hair, and amethyst eyes and absorb vital life essence and strength for their magics from the artificial moonlight. These elves are the ones that guard la bête in the Valley.

The Valley

As you descend the wide stone staircase, you can immediately feel as though you’re stepping into another world. An indescribable smell reaches your nose, one that reminds you of the first day of spring, or the sun after a day of fresh rain. The air feels cool on your skin, and your muscles feel both relaxed and reinvigorated. The steps continue downwards, and the walls of gray stone begin to open, before disappearing to the left and right, throwing into relief an absolutely magnificent sight before you.
If you hadn’t just walked down so many steps, you’d never believe you were underground. A miniature city of grandiose constructions lies before you. A magnificent waterfall to your right flows heavily from a cliff face, cutting through the village center, before flowing down even further. Beautiful buildings of emerald, wood, stone, and marble are everywhere, and massive gardens of silver trees and vibrant flowers are intertwined in the gaps of the constructions. High above your head, illuminating the whole of the space, is a dimly glowing orb that you’d swear to be a moon.

1. Chateau d’Arbre

The building is peculiar, it seems to be made of a fusion of marble and wood, and the colors are brighter than any you’ve ever seen. Inside is no less elegant than the outside, with dark wooden planks forming both the walls and floor. Beautiful art pieces and tapestries litter the walls, and vases decorate shelves. Faint music seems to be coming from both everywhere and nowhere, not loud enough to distract, but loud enough to attract.
The music is beautiful, not exactly adhering to a particular genre; it seems to fill your very soul with warmth. As you walk around, you see several large music halls where ensembles of elves are gathering and performing. Curiously, also scattered throughout the floors are mystical trees with red dotted berries and strikingly silver bark. Some form support columns, while others seem to be arranged for decoration, as they form particularly aesthetic shapes. None of them appear to be traditionally planted in any way.

2. Upper Catacombs

A ring of pines surround a large clearing, dotted with simple leather tents and wooden teepees. The pleasant smell of smoke and campfires permeate your nose. The snow softly crunches beneath your feet, and as you move into the clearing, you see modest wooded watchtowers stationed in some of the larger pines. A dozen or so elves gaze at you from all around the camp

3. Vautrabée Stables

The building itself seems to be of a rather sturdy construction, with stone walls and heavy doors. If you listen closely, you can hear strange sounds within, ones not typically associated with your typical farm animal. It’s a sharp, hollow clacking noise. Looking within, you can see quite a frightful sight: several purplish creatures with a pointed beak and hooks for arms. They are of all various shapes and sizes, and are feasting on various lichen and game corpses. You now understand the clacking noise you heard before as a language these creatures are using to communicate. Despite their aggressive and rather intimidating presence, they seem to regard you coolly, making no aggressive attempts

4. Vulcan Forge

This building is constructed solidly of brick and mortar, with a large chimney flue dominating the center portion. It’s clearly built more for purpose than beauty. It shows all the signs of a smith's forge, but its main chamber is not ablaze. Perhaps that is not surprising, as elves are not generally known as smiths. Nevertheless, sounds of woodworking and metalsmithing can be heard from within.
The interior is the messiest you’ve seen of any of the buildings with all sorts of contraptions, raw materials, and building parts scattered all over. Contrasting the clutter is an assortment of finely crafted weaponry beyond nearly anything else you’ve seen. In the right leg of the room, a dark hole leads to a sharply slanting path into the ground.

5. Festin Hall

This building is more humbly constructed than the others. It looks like a tavern one night stumble across in the midst of a forest, constructed neatly of wood and straw. A stream of smoke lazily drifts out of the chimney, and even from here you can smell the amazing scents of roasted nuts, freshly baked bread and candied fruits. After going for so long on the bland sustenance your rations provide, it's hard not to be attracted towards the building.
As if the outside was not alluring enough, the inside is even more magnificent. The architecture is absolutely stunning, and the smell is even greater from the inside. Elvish musicians are as numerous as the tables themselves, and though they all seem to be playing independently, the sounds layer one another and weave through complementary melodies beautifully. Symmetric staircases lead gracefully up to the elegant balcony.

6. Fleur de Lis

The trickle of water seems more audible here somehow. It’s a calming sound, listening to the water trickle gently over the dark solid stone of the underground valley. The building before you appears to be some sort of mill, but is also surrounded by some of the most beautiful flowers and plants you’ve ever seen. It seems that even a building as dull as a granary was transformed into something more appealing by the elves, as the open doors invite you in to see and smell the greenery in and around the Fleur de Lis.

7. The Galerie

Besides the Chateau d’Arbe, this building seems to have been the most carefully and deliberately constructed. It is a true work of art, with vast architecture, magnificent spires, and polished gold filigree. The aesthetic of the inside matches that of the outside, and it is immediately obvious that this is a jewel of the Valley, holding art that they’ve created and collected along their journeys.

8. Bridge of the Bard

A larger-than-life stone statue stands about 10 feet tall, masterfully carved out of granite. It depicts an elven man with a charming smile, mouth and eyes wide open in the unmistakable likeness of a man in song. Engraved at the base of the sculpture reads "The echoes of sunshine ripple with the sound of his voice”. This is a statue of the historic bard, Gylsandoral Hazelvale, the spiritual founder of the Enclave of the Valley.

9. Eglise d'Soli and Lunelin

A figure stands outside this church. He wears a tattered robe, and is gesturing wildly as his raspy voice rings out in Elvish. “Hark! Hark! The day of doom is nigh! La béte will arise soon, and we will perish in its birth!”
The outside of the church, though sturdily built, does not hold a candle to the botanical beauty it contains within. Water flows from the pot of a beautiful marble statue, resting against the trunk of a massive tree. The moonlight is radiant, almost accentuated through the glass of the temple. A ceremony is currently concluding, and you can tell that it is held entirely in song. Despite yourselves, you are tempted to attend a mass in this beautiful space.
Strangely, along the northeastern wall of the church, a tree sits blackened and withered. It starkly contrasts the botanical nature of the rest of the church, and the beams of moonlight seem to avoid it.

10. Chateau d’Loremaître

Music permeates every building in the Valley, but the one echoing through the Chateau d’Loremaître is both quiet and invigorating. It evokes a sense of peace, but also a sense of curiosity. This building is more uniform than the others, and serves as a library. There are historical records of the valley and books on all manners of topics.

11. Leslira Coliseum

Even from a distance, the rumble is audible. Loud, brassy music weaves through the sound of hefty singing and loud cheering, contrasting the peaceful ambience held elsewhere. It’s hard to gauge any other sounds, but you do manage to hear some clacking sounds followed by a roar from the crowd. An open gate invites you inside.
Walking through the gate brings you up some stairs and onto an upper level of the building. Looking down you see quite a peculiar sight. The main area is an arena-style building divided into two sections. The right side is five long lanes with lines demarcating something, and targets at the very end. The left side is less straightforward. It’s a wide-open space and the ground appears to be covered in a dark sand-like material. On either side of the area are two gates, and a barrier cuts the area in two. But there’s no mistaking it. A jousting pitch.
The other section of the building is also an arena, and the ground is completely filled with hedges. They seem to be arranged haphazardly and without reason, but then you realize: it’s a maze

12. Lower Catacombs

These stone steps are smaller than the ones that brought you down into the Enclave. They also look newer, or at least less worn by the constant shuffling of feet that weathers any staircase. As you descend, you hear a clear musical sound. You can’t quite identify the source until you realize it is emanating from the river itself. A song singing of the ancestry of the Enclave, ringing throughout the air, as smooth as the water passes over stone.
You descend a bit further when you begin to feel it. All around you. It's a sound in the air around you, rippling the currents, pressing up against your skin. A low rumble...but then it stops. The air is empty again, though the vibrations ring still in your ear. The rumble comes back, and goes away rhythmically and consistently...just like a breath in, and a breath out.

13. The Laboratoire

At last, the steps wind inwards. You pass through an archway draped with vines and enter into a peculiar tunnel. It is comfortably wide and somewhat tall, and mildly illuminated with ornate torches. You’re led to what looks like the end of the stone tunnel, but with just a touch of one of the elves, the stone simply melts away. This section is peculiar, but not from its shape. The peculiarities come from what lines the walls. An almost carpet-like material covers walls, ceiling, and floor. Like most of the rest of the Valley, they are arranged artistically, with woven patterns and stitched scenes everywhere. But the material's true purpose is quickly made apparent as any sounds lingering from the Valley are muted. Even your own footsteps and breaths are nearly inaudible.
The relatively narrow walls of the tunnel expand into a study-like room. Desks scattered with quills, parchments, and diagrams litter the room. The walls are filled with shelves packed with scrolls and tomes. Oddly, several decorative knots are also scattered throughout. The center of the room is dominated and illuminated by a bright blue prism bedecked with runes. The trunk of a mystical tree winds around the prism, casting dancing shadows on the padded walls

Founding Date

2057 BK

Founders

• Glysandoral Hazelvale

Type

Underground / Vault

Location under

Khorvaire

Owner/Ruler

Lorend Hazelvale

Related Reports (Primary)

• Session 47: Exploring the Valley
• Session 48: Discovering Labete
• Session 49: I Know You're Evil But What Am I?