Communes of Qosid
The Communes of Qosid are the different settlements in Qosid that have been recognized through majority vote by the Representatives of the Communes. Each commune has considerable freedom to self-govern, but is also constrained by the outcomes of collective decision-making in the Qosidian capital Thellur. This collective decision-making occurs via Representatives, who have clearly delineated mandates from their communes and serve an exclusively administrative role. In the tradition of the Bird Gods, each commune is a bird that only joins a flock if circumstances require it.
The different communes are largely connected through the Qosidian gift economy, although some also trade or barter. Most of them are self-sufficient and live off hunting and foraging, yet the interwoven nature of the communes has also brought a fair amount of labor division: virtually all communes are known for something they create in higher quality or volume than others do, even if this economic activity is limited to a few artisans honing their craft.
Membership of communes is fluid in many cases and indeed many wood elves travel from one commune to another as part of a nomadic lifestyle. What they keep, however, is their totem -- their specific Bird God. This can limit their social role in certain communes and restricts their marriage options across Qosid, under Qosidian Wood Law.
List of the Communes
There are 47 communes in total, spread across the territory of Qosid. This territory is itself split into five parts: upstream Qosid, the eastern Woods, Lakeland, the Edges and the Old Forest.Upstream Qosid
The area north of the lake, including the communes nearby the forest lines, is known as upstream Qosid.- Thellur Garden District: a commune of strong traditionalists who emphasize harmony with -- if not submission to -- nature. This commune especially reveres Waye and Ildan.
- Thellur Stone District: a commune traditionally dominated by jewelers and weapon crafters.
- Thellur Raven's District: a commune harboring a wide range of incomprehensible mystics
- Thellur Bridge District: a very diverse commune, which includes newcomers to Thellur. This commune is politically fragmented and makes it decisions using simple majority voting.
- Thellur Market District: a commune made up mostly by bon-vivant wood elves who enjoy the livelihood of the market area.
- Polcheret: a commune living in a cavern that is also populated by Ildan bat. They export guano via the market economy and trade bat meat in Thellur via the gift economy. There is a lot of turnover in the commune, as wood elves who join it spend a few years to a decade working in the area. Polcheret uses a simple majority voting system for decision-making. Its deliberative practice is limited.
- Derakil: a commune of foresters, who deliver wood to Thellur and downstream areas. Their Representative is chosen every 10 years (or if the old Representative leaves) via sortition.
- Dragon Skull: a monastic commune of dragon-worshiping warriors.
- Orfillur: a commune founded by a stranded circus from Silimanis, Orfillur is home to many types of creatures, including humans and dwarves. The commune is cult-like, following the commands of a dancing guru. Hierarchy in the commune is determined through ceremonies that combine dancing competitions and blood rites. Its decisions are made by the dancing guru.
- Zhyur: a commune that resolves all conflicts sexually and is fully integrated into the gift economy. Its decisions are made via complete consensus.
- Huldanassed: a self-sufficient commune in the forest, renowned for their hunting and tracking practices. Their decisions are made by majority vote.
- Straliaced: Straliaced is home to the greatest bowyers and archers of the Kingdom of Laeryll. Both Simka and Zodan are much revered in Straliaced. The commune is known to resolve disputes and organize voting through feats of archery.
- Urom: this commune is a rare example of a wood elf community dedicated to Dorgoth. It houses a library and is known to invite philosophers, mystics, scientists and other thinkers as part of a religious mission. It employs consensus decision-making. It chooses its Representative on a case-by-case basis.
- Pibabared: a small community of brewers and distillers, Pibabared is a popular spot for feasts and celebrations and home to an important temple of Tyra. The produce of this commune is popular in Thellur and among the mystics of Moss Cave and The Mistlands. Pibabared's inhabitants celebrate a culture of thrill-seeking and sensory stimulation. Its assemblies are often storytelling competitions and it uses majority decision-making.
- Akshoxdryn: a self-sufficient commune grown around river fishing.
- Zodryn: a training site for athletes, which is also home to an annual sports event. Warriors in the commune are strong at melee combat. Disputes and voting ties are resolved using combat.
Eastern Woods
The Eastern Woods comprise the largest part of Qosid, lying between the border with Lorr Tahak and the main river.- Zhyhikaan: a commune of fire-worshiping druids who communicate solely through guttural song. The flames decide.
- Foguded: a deep forest commune strongly tied to the druidic organization The Watchers. Its decisions are based on consensus, often based on solely theological grounds.
- Hinak: a commune that is exclusive to women (though not necessarily wood elf women). Its decisions are made via argumentative tournaments that are open to all.
- Moss Cave: a commune dedicated to Waye and known for their ancient connection to the Moss Cave Mystery. A priestly caste makes all political decisions.
- Gahan: a hunting and foraging commune under strict control of a band of chefs, who also hold decision-making power.
- Vitur: a commune of mostly gender fluid wood elves, who have replaced marriage by a communal form of relations, including but not limited to sexual relations. The commune is a haven for those who seek to explore their sexuality and is known to offer ways to meet a wide range of fantasies. At the same time, the commune is very strict about transgressions and one of the few communes that imprison, instead of banish those who display unacceptable behavior. Decisions are made via plenary discussion, followed by anonymous voting.
- Syf: a moss-growing commune, which produces Red Paste for other communes. It decides via majority vote.
- Yhathen: a commune that follows the instructions of a prophet of Waye who has come in the shape of an ancient oak. The oak decides on matters it deems important and the commune witholds from commenting on other matters.
- Kalithen: a commune founded by outcasts from the other communes, who seek to live independently from the rest. They do not participate in the gift economy and are suspicious of the system of Representatives. Due to their nature, commune members tend to have conflict with one or more of the other communes. The commune survives on foraging and good imported by well-off adventurers who live in its midst. Kalithen avoids central politics and makes as little local decisions as possible. If it does, it does so via majority vote, but the decisions of this commune are often short-lived. Politics tends to stall due to in-fighting.
- Astakthen: a self-sufficient foraging commune centered around an ancient spruce. Members of the commune regularly traverse to The Wild. Astakthen is known as an isolated commune, hostile to outsiders. A group of able-bodied fighters leads a more or less democratic assembly.
- Yhahivit: a commune of healers who worship Zodan. Yhahivit was founded by refugees from Silimanis. It uses consensus decision-making.
- Aksdus: a formidable hunting commune, home to legendary archers, knife-fighters and assassins. Decisions are made by collective deliberation and supermajority vote. Votes are counted if no new arguments surface. This commune is skeptical of politics and has installed a humiliation procedure for anyone who wishes to become Representative.
- Zhyvit: mystic moss growers, producing Red Paste and Yellow Paste, as well as psychedelic mushrooms. Decisions are made by a small group, annually elected via sortition.
- Lupvit: a commune near the border with Dathyll, which grows and trades hops. The commune has a barter system in place with Pibabared, but trades most hops with traders who bring it to breweries in Dathyll and Pothael. It uses majority voting for common decisions and consensus decision-making for matters deemed to be of vital importance.
- Usseded, a commune dedicated to the bear spirit Ussed. It contains a temple in which the bear is worshiped and priests claim to be able to converse with the beast. Decisions are made by those priest, who spirit the voice of Ussed.
Lakeland
- Rybalou: a commune comprised of a large number of artisans, including glassblowers, weaponsmiths, toolmakers and more. In contrast to many communes, the wood elves in Rybalou hardly participate in the gift economy, opting instead for barter and market economics. Their assembly structure is similarly market-oriented: for each matter, commune members can purchase voting ballots, so that they can buy more influence on those decisions they deem important. The member who sets up the vote decides on the cost of a single ballot and has to match the total monetary value. All the funds are invested in infrastructure and defense.
- Oltumur: a fishing and trading town on the shores of Lake Olt, connecting upstream Qosid to The Edges. It uses consensus decision-making.
- Yhaoltum: an outpost, contiguous to Oltumur, where naval troops that patrol Lake Olt are harbored and receive training. The senior members of the commune hail from Silimanis, but the younger ones have never been at sea. This commune uses majority voting
- Yhaur: a small commune of poets and musicians, who travel through Qosid to offer their art to parties, feasts and religious ceremonies. Their decision-making is participatory, meaning that not agreeing to a rule or policy means you do not have to join in on said policy.
The Edges
The Edges are formed by the areas that border Dathyll, as well as western border of Qosid. Tree density is much lower here and the area is much more frequently visited by gnomes, humans and other creatures than the rest of Qosid is.- Logassed: a training ground for wood elf warrior and archers, Logassed is built on the remains of the commune that was massacred during the Secession of Qosid in 699 LC. The site attracts wood elves who stand against King Olyxx the Young and the Kingdom of Laeryll. It used majority voting during assemblies
- Keeknakur: an Ildan-worshiping commune that strives to develop the world's most amazing cake. Political deliberation takes place during a communal feast, and after desserts all votes must be cast. Decisions are made via majority vote.
- Duchedi: a cult of Kael, well-known for its perfumer's collective. Each seven years, two groups are elected in this commune. When policies are discussed, one group argues in favor and one group argues against the policy. After this, a randomly selected jury of community members votes on the decision by consensus.
- Yhakaan: a religious cult of Forx, built around an obsidian standing stone. The commune consists of mystics who speak to spirits that passed away. Political decision-making in this commune is done via collective communication with ancestral spirits, who advise on the matters of the day.
- Aksnak: the only wood elf commune that exists on grasslands, the inhabitants of Aksnak produce famous cheese and meat and offer traditionally strong defensive militias. They are increasingly trading with Arkos Plains and the Labarean Empire, leaving them with less produce for the Qosidian gift economy. They use a majority voting system in a communal assembly.
- Aksryp, a commune of of botanists, who grow flowers and process them into essences for medicinal and perfuming purposes. Aksryp is not self-sufficient and depends on the gift economy to survive. The community votes through simple majority after deliberation in an assembly.
The Old Forest
The Old Forest is the northwestern portion of Qosid and is home to the oldest wood elf communes, some of them predating the Light of the Elves.- Osthen: a self-sufficient commune set up around a single Os tree, which creates Osfynn for ritualistic purposes and is also known for the production of high-quality linen . Osthen is closely connected to the Zhykaten commune. Decision-making occurs through lengthy deliberation, after which a document is written to which each group member can contribute.
- Takkaan: a commune of highly tactical hunters, who hunt large game but are also always prepared for extensive guerrilla warfare. They vote through a simple majority vote in assembly, although they are known for limited deliberation and quick decision-making.
- Zhykaten: a strongly religious commune, dedicated to the Bird Gods and known for herbalism and medicine. Decision-making is guided by ancient scripture, which is amended to reflect new insights by the commune elders who wield power.
- Aksurthen: this commune is home to the Green Fist, a martial arts community who refrain from the use of weapons and technology, but who time and again prove to be formidable fighters. They see the march of the Labarean Empire as an existential threat to the wood elf way of life. They use consensus decision-making.
- Kaankavit: a rock-worshiping commune of sword fighters. The best sword fighters lead factions within the commune and are in charge of decision-making, with the larger factions having more decisive power than smaller ones in a communal assembly. Factions are fluid and commune members can freely move from one faction to another if the politics of their leader does not suit them, but this also deprives them of the training and warfare support their old faction leader provided to them.
- Cucuthen: a commune that harvests the scales of the Iron Beetle to produce armor. Cucuthen also consists of formidable defensive warriors. Political decisions are made via consensus.
Maps
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Qosid
The wood elf province of the Kingdom of Laeryll, Qosid is a largely autonomous confederation, ruled through a system of Representatives via its capital Thellur.
Type
Political, Confederation
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments