El'Gardel (ELL GAR-DELL)

Overview

The most religious of The Shattered Sons, El’Gardel, the Summer Wood, is a safe haven in the midst of an otherwise rather hostile area. Massive cathedrals and cloisters span the area, especially along the coast. Everyone, especially Lord Kair, is so unbelievably trusting that lying is unheard of. That said, the more common folk (read: elves not in the clergy or nobility) take advantage of this. For example, eating meat is forbidden in El’Gardel, but some lowborn taverns serve “See-No-Evil” dumplings, which hide the meat by simply wrapping dough around it. The most common mode of housing is towns of light wood, with a church at the center, often on top of ridges so as to catch the summer sun, or along one of El’Gardel’s many streams feeding toward the coast.
Due to the shortage of metal in the region, El'Gardel uses a wooden currency called Kinar. Inflation is very high, to the point that a copper coin is worth nearly 1,000 Kinar. The internal economy manages to function, but any introduction of outside currency can cause a strain on the system. This metal shortage is due to El'Gardel's total reliance on its trade partnership with Collome before the Five Point Authority took power. When that alliance ended and the Elven nations retreated into seclusion, El'Gardel was left with little to no means of acquiring metal.

Leadership

Gentle and earnest, Lord Kair Tasimoros rules from Entrafol, the shining citadel along the salt cliffs of Rafolia. He is too idealistic to become involved in the affairs of the Core Lands, but his naivete does have its benefits. Elven medical care is second-to-none in Entrafol, and Lord Kair’s hospitality is given freely and without question. His rule has been long and prosperous, and the residents of the Summer Wood generally like their childlike, distant king.
Power in El'Gardel is passed from the current Elvenking (El'Gardel is patriarchal) to one of a class of ten acolytes. The one deemed most worthy, peaceful, and obedient by the Council of Speakers (nine priestly elves) and the current ruler is inducted into princehood. The acolytes come mostly from highborn families, selected to be educated at a cathedral near Entrafol for seventy years before they can be considered for formal induction. The remaining acolytes train to become the next Council of Speakers.
The Elvenking of El'Gardel must remain celibate; likewise, so do those in the Council of Speakers.

NAME	El'Gardel
RULER	Lord Kair Tasimoros
CAPITOL	Entrafol
POPULATION	35,000
ALLEGIANCE	The Shattered Sons

Location under

The Shattered Sons