Althruel (AL-throo-ell)
Culture and Heritage
Hair is sacred to the Althruellian elves. They keep it very long, only cutting it as much as it is healthy to do so. Young elves' hair is kept by their parents, and the process of braiding it and styling it is a time for bonding. When an Althruellian elf comes of age, their hair becomes their own responsibility, and it begins to take on meaning. One of the most common practices is to braid a lock of a loved ones' hair into it, often that of the parents or a lover, and if that relationship sours, the bearer often cuts the braid off at its' base. An elf cutting all their hair short is a sign of rebellion; having it cut off is a sign of exile or shame. However, this practice has two intentions: losing one's hair is irreversible, but it will come back, and Althruellians are fiercely loyal; nobody is truly exiled from Althruel forever, even if forgiveness is a long process.The Elvish Concordia
Althruel is sparsely populated across the entire forest, where their homes and settlements weave and intertwine with the trees and rocks. While Althruellians have established houses and family units, most of them are used to traveling from a young age. Most families have one or two heads who take it upon themselves to gather food, whether that be by foraging, hunting, or gardening. Some households have craftsmen, either instead of or in addition to the breadwinners. Members then travel to other families' homes when they have excess and trade for the others' extra goods. If the family they've come to trade with is lacking or has no excess, company, conversation, and news are all valid currency. This system works with the understanding that one's neighbors will always return the favour if it's needed. Althruel is sparsely but consistently populated; because of this, Althruellians have no concept of cities or villages with names. They refer to landmarks by their distinctive features—River's End, Mountain-Foot, The Oldest Oak, all in their own language—but there are very few villages to be named. In the rare instance there are enough families in close proximity to constitute what the rest of the world would call a village, it will be referred to by the family name of the biggest or eldest family.War on the Eastern Front
Recently, refugees and the odd deserter have crossed the mountains into Althruel. They've been accepted with the open but slightly standoffish arms of the wood elf tribes, providing them sanctuary in their homes. However, since Uthkel began to push west with the aim of claiming Althruel's land, they've had to militarize. The mountains have served as a buffer between them, as they always have, but the draconian armies are strong, and they've begun to force their way through. Althruel's rangers are adept combatants, but their villages are not built to withstand invasion.Pictured: an Althruellian town.
Demonym. Althruellian
Languages. Elvish, Common
Government. Althruel is populated all the way through, but it is sparse. In places where the population is dense enough to warrant leadership, elders are as close to leaders as Althruel gets.
Demographics. Because Althruel is so secluded, the population is and has always been mostly wood elves, although they are not isolationist. Visitors are welcomed, and Qyllibian gnomes sometimes move north into Althruel. These days, there is a population of draconic refugees from Iskirthos.
Military and Defense. Althruel has never engaged in war outside of the region, but natural threats move in from the mountains and live in the forests. The tradition of tracking and archery has been passed down through lifetimes, and those who are trained are taught to protect those who aren't.
Economy. Althruel is an independant and self sufficient nation, and they don't engage in significant commerce outside of their region. Most families are self-sustaining, but small villages form out of families who cannot entirely provide for themselves or have need of another person's trade. While Althruellians may barter and trade with outsiders, neighbors' "trade" is mostly inconsequential. The elves exchange goods and services with each other, but there is very little bartering between neighbors. They make trades of inequal "benefit" knowing that when someone has excess, they're always willing to share it.
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