Rost'elena
The Jandal Bridge, or Rost'elena in elven, is an important isthmus that sits at the northern edges of Byanos and Cyanos. It is the only means of overland travel between the two continents. To outsiders the isthmus is controlled by a council of matriarchs who oversee the country and its interactions with the outside world, especially trade. The truth is quite a bit more complex. In fact, as far as the elves are concerned, Jandal is not a single country. Instead, it's a collection of eleven major and thirty minor territories, each governed by a clan. Most clans are in turn ruled by a single matriarch, although several are ruled by councils almost exclusively composed of powerful women
The clans of Jandal largely fall along ancient bloodlines and alliances of powerful houses. Conflicts between the clans are part of normal life for those who engage in work beyond their clan's borders. Outright war is rare, but treachery, assassination, bribery, and blackmail are all part and parcel. Each clan vies for dominance in its region as well as on the council to have the greatest influence among their peers and rivals.
Despite their animosity towards and distrust of each other, and outsiders, the Jandal elves are very similar in culture. Most clans engage in ancestor worship, with some having entire pantheons of ancient and storied ancestors to pay homage to. The clans are led by powerful matriarchs, who largely come to power by being ritually chosen for the task, though some are hereditary, and others are merely selected by their predecessor. While treachery and bloodshed are normal parts of life between the clans, internecine conflicts are rare. Indeed, an outsider living under the shelter of a single clan would find the elves lead fairly normal, safe lives.
Structure
The Jandal elves divide themselves into clans. Clans formed over centuries along familial lines but have since grown well beyond mere family relations, and most of the elves in a given clan are unrelated. Clans are further ruled by Matriarchs with most being selected through a long ritual process that can take years to complete. The elves call this ritual, Edifal, but outsiders merely call it the Seeking. There are more than 30 clans in Jandal, however, and not all use the Seeking when determining who ascends to matriarch. Some matriarchs are appointed by their predecessors, and more than one clan has an elected council of matriarchs that mimics the Council of Matriarchs that guides the entire country.
The Council of Matriarchs meets once a year in Pyraniffel to vote on matters that impact the entire isthmus such as treaties with human civilizations, war, and the care of the great rainforestĀ Rost'elena
Culture
It would not be hyperbolic to say that the elves in Jandal are a female-led society. Males are, at best, second-class citizens, often given the tasks seen as beneath the women of the clans: manual labor, large-scale fighting, housekeeping, even raising children. From priesthoods to military commanders, guild leaders, and of course clan leadership itself; only women can hold positions of power in Jandal. That is not to say that there are no powerful men in Jandal. Rare exceptions rise to levels of personal powers that demand a great deal of respect from the women in power. This is especially true of adventurers who leave Jandal to carve their own paths and return after garnering immense wealth, power, and strong reputations.
Speaking of adventurers, Elves occupy precarious spaces in societies around the continents. Many myths and legends lay the blame for The Shift on their shoulders, and while there may be some truth to these legends, the Shift occurred ten thousand years ago; if it happened at all. As one would expect, this engenders mixed feelings towards elves that range from wariness, suspicion, and all the way to outright hostility. Faced with such a mixed response elven adventurers are rare, but those that do so tend to be powerful, wizened figures. Male adventurers tend to be tired of the system at home and are looking to carve out their own place in the world. Female adventurers tend to be undergoing an elven tradition simply called Wandering, a period of time when they're supposed to be out, learning about the world, satisfying their curiosities, and tempering their minds and bodies.
The Wandering is an odd period of time for female elves. They still carry much status with other elves, by dint of their sex, while having few responsibilities to their clans. The whole point of Wandering is for an elf to gain knowledge of the outside world, gain power, artifacts, spells- anything at all that can help further the clan's position back home, and bring it home. With little to no oversight or customs to adhere to many Wanderers engage in various vices, including sex. This is frowned upon but not actively discouraged and is even expected as long as discretion is used. The worst thing a Wanderer can do is get pregnant with the child of a non-elf. Carrying a half-blooded child is considered severely shameful, and an elf caught doing so will see her status wiped out soon as word spreads. Exile is a common punishment for bringing such shame on one's clan, but executions are not unheard of. |
Capital
Alternative Names
Jandal, the Bridge
Demonym
Elf, elves
Power Structure
Confederation
Neighboring Nations
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments