Eldrin
Eldrin is a society of snow elves in the northern region of Nilandra. It is a frigid region of ice-capped mountains and a largely inhospitible land for anybody without the adaptations of frost elves. Its capital city is Ardrenn.
Eldrin is currently a part of the Carenthian Empire after its leaders voluntarily ceded their territory due to fears of an impending invasion by Draconir. There is tension among the citizens of Eldrin over its position in the Carenthian Empire. While there is widespread recognition of the danger posed by Draconir, there is also widespread resentment among the population over the imposition of Carenthian law on their lives.
Structure
Eldrin has a loose monarchy that is more centralised than their wood elf cousins in Greenshade but less so than the high elves of Talsirenn. The Snow Queen rules Eldrin from Elunore, a town that is difficult to reach on foot.
While nominally the ruler of Eldrin, the Snow Queen is largely a ceremonial and religious role. Snow elf society is dispersed between towns and villages in the Aerith Mountains, with each settlement being largely self-governing. The Snow Queen's primary power, aside from being a religious figure, is control of the military. The Snow Queen may call upon the towns of Eldrin to send soldiers in times of need.
The Snow Queen also fills the role of head priest in Eldrin. She interprets the movements of the two moons to provide guidance to her people.
Culture
The snow elves of Eldrin are a stern people, hardened by the difficult conditions of their home. They live in small towns and villages spread across the Aerith Peaks. Most of their structures are built directly from the permafrost snow and ice in the form of spired castles and pillars, usually against the sides of the mountains.
Long fingernails among the snow elves are a sign of one's status. The nobility wears extremely long fingernails, often elaborately painted, as a symbol of their elite status.
Snow Mages
Among the most respected people in Eldrin, Snow Mages are mages who specialised in casting spells to manipulate the weather. Specifically, in Eldrin they manipulate the snow and storms of the region to keep inhabited areas safe. They are frequently hired by travellers in the region to ensure their journeys will not be beset by dangerous weather. Snow Mages are usually able to find food and lodgings for free wherever they travel in Eldrin. They wear distinctive dark blue robes to signal their status to others.History
The history of Eldrin and the snow elves is marked primarily by constant wars with Draconir, beginning well before the Collapse and with tensions continuing to the present day.
Before the Collapse
The Aerith Peaks were settled by ancient elves long before the Collapse. At the time, Draconir nominally claimed the territory, however had not settled it due to the harsh landscape. Draconir's presence in the Aerith Peaks was so weak that they did not realise elves had settled there for several years. Draconir took the presence of ancient elves in the Aerith Peaks as a hostile act and sent their armies into the mountains to kill any elves they found. However, the harsh terrain disadvantaged the attacking force and when combined with the ancient elves fighting back, the attempt was largely unsuccessful. In the centuries before the Collapse, Draconir attempted to reclaim the Aerith Peaks several times, frequently launching attacks against the elves there. The ancient elves launched their fair share of attacks against Draconir, seizing the city of Ardrenn. While Nilandra had oceans, there was also consistent maritime fighting happening in the bay between Eldrin and Draconir. Both societies invested heavily in their navies, with the navy of Eldrin becoming their primary fighting force.Post-Collapse
Immediately after the Collapse, the ocean in the Aerith Bay disappeared, ending all maritime fighting between Eldrin and Draconir and eliminating most of their navies. Eldrin was left vulnerable as its navy was its primary fighting force. At this point, Draconir controlled the territory immediately south of the Aerith Peaks.The First War of Snow and Scales
Around 6 PC, the first War of Snow and Scales took place. Although there had long been skirmishes between Eldrin and Draconir, this was the first major war between the two powers for several centuries. The battlefield was primarily the southern portion of the Aerith Mountains. Despite the difficult conditions of the terrain, Eldrin's military power had been severely weakened by the Collapse. The war lasted for several years, with Draconians eventually gaining control of the southern portion of the Aerith Peaks. An armistice was reached with Draconir maintaining control of the mountains south of Elunore and taking thousands of snow elves as slaves. Draconir's control of this territory effectively cut Eldrin off from the rest of the world, with no way to pass south and no way to travel off the peninsula with the oceans gone. Draconir used their new position to make survival difficult for the snow elves. They prevented any supplies from travelling north, intending to starve the snow elves of food supplies. Any snow elves caught travelling south were captured and sold into slavery. They extensively mined the southern mountains, causing frequent avalanches. During this period, snow elves were forced to move north into even harsher areas of the Aerith Peaks, breaking into smaller groups and fighting for survival. This period is remembered as a difficult time for the snow elves and considered to be one of the events that led to their stern culture of valuing survival above all else.The Second War of Snow and Scales
Around 543 PC, the snow elves of Eldrin invaded the southern Aerith Peaks. Their attack came after decades of planning, having secretly been training and preparing their armies in the most isolated regions of the Aerith Peaks. The attack took Draconir by surprise and was initially successful at pushing Draconian forces south. However, the Draconians were well fortified and snow elf gains soon slowed to a painful, grinding pace. The Second War of Snow and Scales lasted for ten years and cost many lives. However, Draconir was preoccupied at the time with the expanding Carenthian Empire to its south and could not maintain two war fronts. The snow elves finally emerged victorious, having achieved their aim of pushing the Draconians out of the Aerith Mountains.War with Draconir
In 992 PC, War with Draconir was seen to be once again on the horizon. An ancient sapphire dragon said to be a demigod had just ascended to the throne of Draconir. Preparations for war were made, however the Snow Queen's spies had apparently reported that the forces of Eldrin would not withstand the might of Draconir's current army. Those spies also reported that an invasion from Draconir was imminent.Joining the Carenthian Empire
In 995 PC, the Snow Queen formally signed a treaty with the Carenthian Empire to make Eldrin a Carenthian state. As part of this agreement, Eldrin would be obligated to send taxation income to Renthis, follow Carenthian laws, and have its military absorbed into the Carenthian army. However, the empire did grant some concessions to Eldrin, including allowing them to continue worship of the interloper god Morrigan and allowing them to maintain some independence when making their local laws.Military
Historically, Eldrin had a formidible military. Though their armed forces were not organised in the traditional sense, they excel at guerilla combat and use the harsh climate of the Aerith Peaks to their advantage.
The Eldrin military is divided into several dozen units, each of which is further divided into hundreds more smaller groups. Each of the units and their groups operates independently, sharing goals and intelligence with each other but otherwise operating under their own command. In the rough terrain of the Aerith Peaks, this structure has served their military well.
Eldrin's military places a particular emphasis on guarding their eastern shoreline against attacks from Draconir. The eastern edge of the Aerith Mountains is well guarded by hidden forces and traps disguised in the snow.
Since Eldrin was ceded to the Carenthian Empire, there have been difficulties with absorbing the Eldrin military into the Carenthian army. Eldrin's fighters do not adhere to a strict military hierarchy. The Carenthian army has instead opted for the Eldrin military to maintain much of its operational autonomy, allowing them to adhere to their traditional methods of fighting. While the Eldrin military ultimately now answers to the Carenthian army, they have largely been allowed to follow their own methods.
Religion
Snow elves primarily revere Silvanus and Morrigan, though they also worship the other creator gods. While most cultures view Silvanus and Morrigan as opposed to one another, snow elves view them as the two halves of Mieli, the original spirit of nature. In the harsh climate of the Aerith Mountains, Morrigan's power over aspects of nature such as storms, avalanches, and death are as important as the role of Silvanus.
The Snow Monarch (currently Snow Queen) has the role of high priest in Eldrin. The monarch's role is to observe and interpret the movements of the two moons each night. From Elunore, the Snow Monarch has access to Mount Aeril, the tallest mountain in the Aerith Peaks. From the top of Mount Aeril, the sky is clearly visible above the clouds. Snow elves believe the movement of Silvanus and Morrigan across the night sky are portents for the coming weather conditions. If storms are predicted, the Snow Monarch informs her people so that they can seek shelter.
Comments