Silfurskogur Lands

The Silfurskogur Lands, or simply Silfurskogur, is a territory in the Northern Saarma, that before 6th century was an exclusively elven Kingdom. After the war with Magior Empire, the lands became too dangerous and almost uninhabitable, and once prosperous elven Kingdom narrowed to only few still standing cities.

Contents

1. Locations
2. Society
3. Government
4. Industry & Trade
5. History
6. Trivia
7. Links

Locations

Heimalstjornualf - capital of the old Silfurskogur Kingdom, and the centre of modern life of Silfurskogur citizens. It's one of the oldest cities on the continent, having been build back in the 2000 ER. As a home to Silfurkogur Royal family, it is a centre of political and royal stage, and many of diplomatic pacts were concluded inside the large palace complex, a gem of elven architecture - Stjornugarthur Palace. Heimalstjornual has many different layers, that are all build as if on the branches of one large tree - many big roots of different trees intertwine with the elven architecture, creating a perfect balance. Many of the houses and establishments have a glass roofs, that allow to look at the starry sky at night. The city has its fair share of academies and schools, though all of them teach in Elven, and most of the time accept elven or half-elven (in more rare occasions) students. A large temple complex, known as temple of the Guiding Star, is dedicated to Zorya, and many of her worshippers make a dangerous pilgrimage to this temple to leave their offering and prayers.

Dvinandun - important scientific and religious city, that managed to avoid most of the destructions caused by Magior, keep most of its artefacts and buildings safe. Nowadays, Dvinandun serves as a centre of research into the curse that plagues Silfurskogur Lands, working on possible solutions of the problems in Alfagras Woods and developing new applications for Alatrian stones and powder. Here is located the temple complex of the Dreamweaver, temple of the Blue Crescent, and most of the main Mokosh's clergy originated from this temple. Many dreamwalkers, a specific type of ciphers, undergo training on the temple grounds.

Kopavogur - a big port town, that often serves as an intermediate stop for passing merchant ships. The coldest town of Silfurskogur mainly focuses on fishing and woodworking, though in recent years they joined on mining of alatria on Leviathan Tooth's island. Kopavogur is known for a quite unusual, yet exciting sight - every spring it's shores become a place of stay and rest for hundreds of seals and their pups.

Layers and markers of the map can be found in the top right corner of the map presentation.

By clicking on the markers you can get extra information or map of the place.
Sarmarian voivodeships are as follows:

Sarkief (borders marked with yellow colour)

Polan (borders marked with red colour)

Litheya (borders marked with blue colour)

Getamia (borders marked with green colour)

People and Society

Races

Elves - 85%

Half-elves - 8%

Earth bogokovc - 5%

Human - 2%

Other races - less than 1%

Languages Spoken - Common, Elven.

Autonomy

Bilozertse - independent town near Dreamwalker lakes, populated by humans and elves. Served as a diplomatic ground in times of negotiations between Silfurskogur Kingdom and Sarmarian Republic. Now it is a popular town thanks to its rehabilitation facilities, healing waters and sacred ground of the Dreamweaver.

Government

Government type - Absolute monarchy. Title passed through bloodline or, in case of absence of the heir, chosen by the current monarch/small group of Elders.

Crime and Punishment

Before the conclusion of the alliance with Sarmarian Rebublic, Silfurskogur has been almost completely closed off to any outsiders, especially arcanists. As it is now, a number of laws have been changed, creating a more welcoming situation for foreigners, even though many natives of Silfurskogur still carry a noticeable amount of coldness and mistrust to them.

Even though most of the elves have a predisposition to magic, arcane practice among Silfurskogur citizens is extremely rare and often frowned upon. Many consider arcane to be the root of all the problems in the world, for its chaotic and destructive nature, as well as a direct connection to Nichar. As it is, most of the arcane practitioners do not use magic in the open and do their best to keep it a secret and far away from the general populace. Large Silfurskogur cities have a number of laws, that heavily restrict most of the magic, and punishment for it varies - from simple fine to long-time imprisonment. Additionally, after the curse befell on Alfagras Woods, making it one of the most dangerous and mysterious wilderness on the continent, many practitioners of dark and forbidden arts, as well as a number of immoral scientists, found great interests in the territories - throughout the years, Silfurskogur had to deal with a fair share of necromancers and cultists.

The Silfurskogur guards in all settlements can be recognized by the white stars on the chest and greyish emerald colour of their looks. The guards are meant to patrol not only the towns itself, but the surrounding areas as well, looking out for any dangers coming from the Alfagras Woods.

Royal guard of Heimalsjornualf is responsible for protecting the lives of royal family in every possible way. In case of danger, they remain by the side of their monarch, ensuring their safety, no matter if anyone else needs their help.

Allies and Adversaries

Military

Silfurskogur has one of the best archers on the continent, and their rangers regularly patrol the territories of the Silfurskogur Lands, which gave them one the best survival skills and familiarity with difficult terrains.

One of the most famous parts of Silfurskogur army is its "Unicorn cavalry" - many artists and poets pictured the unicorns as the gracious, elegant and proud creatures, while the reality paints a completely different picture. The unicorns are rather proud and hardly tamed, yes, but there is nothing tender or gracios about them - they are an incredbily large and heavy creatures, with a massive horn pertruding from their head, a small layer of fur covering their bodies against cold climate of the lands, and an immeasurable strength hidden behind their muscles. The process of taming one creatures takes months, sometimes years, but on battlefields they are almost an unstopable force - unicorns as it is can sustain incredible amount of damage and they have great endurance, and with additional layers of armour they are incredibly hard to kill. Unicorn cavalry is a heavy cavalry unit, that is trained in the Feylyos Mountains.

Silfurskogur has a few groups of druids and ciphers from Zorya's and Mokosh's clergy, that are mostly part of defensive forces. Their main job is to ensure safety of traveling paths in Silfurskogur and provide the main army with needed support and healing in case of battle.

Industry & Trade

Research and Arcane

Dvinandun is the centre of scientific and research activity in Silfurskogur. Nowadays, Dvinandun serves as a centre of research into the curse that plagues Silfurskogur Lands, working on possible solutions of the problems in Alfagras Woods and developing new applications for Alatrian stones and powder.

Most of magically gifted elves find themselves becoming either druids or ciphers, but an elven mage - is an incredible rarity in Silfurskogur.

Farming & mining

In spite of terrible dangers looming in the Alfagras Woods and surrounding areas, lands of Silfurskogur are one of the richest in rare minerals, metals and especially alatria. This was one of the key factors, that interested Magior Empire in the first place. Nowadays, Silfurskogur managed to obtain a few trading and mining contracts with other countries, that started the process of rebirth in both fields. Many of alatrian and noble metal mines have been reopened, many smaller settlements started providing security and guiding services to caravans.

Another field that Silfurskogur succeeds in is export of many rare and specific to the lands alchemical herbs, reagents and compounds.

Customs

Religion - for centuries the main religions on Silfurskogur's territories revolved around the Dreamweaver and the Star Prince churches. Some small groups of Dzevana and Veles also are present, mostly among non-elven population. The worship of Nichar is forbidden and punishable by law.

Temples

Temple complex of Guiding Star - a temple complex dedicated to Zorya, located in Heimalsjornualf.

Temple of the Blue Crescent - a temple complex, dedicated to Mokosh, located in Dvinandun.

Temple of the Moon Dreams - a temple dedicated to Mokosh, located in Bilozertse.

Guilds and Factions

Stargazers or Zorrechets - dedicated group of Zorya's worshippers and very experienced guides. Stargazers are the best guides of tangled and treacherous paths in Alfagras Forest, and even more than that - they know the North of Saarma by heart, as they yearly traverse the lands on foot, updating the maps for any sort of new dangers or changes in the landscape.

Silver Heralds - sometimes also called "the silver robes", for their large use of silver in their cloths, this is an active group of elven oppositionists to the ruling monarch family of Silfurskogur. They believe, that the attempts of the current Monarch to establish diplomatic relationships with other predominantly human countries and with their help try to cleanse the Silfurskogur lands in exchange for resources, is a betrayal of everything their nation has suffered. Yet they also so do not agree with the Stjornflar way of life, instead believing that all elves should unite once again in one political force and reclaim their old glory.

Stjornflar - a group, or rather a wandering caravan, of elves, that follow the Way of Stars - a series of relatively new Star Prince's teachings, which claim that only through wandering and searching all over the world can elves find their native land, Undirstjarna, that they abandoned after the Lunar Discord. The caravan never stays for long in one place, always searching for hints of location of their destination, be it by getting access to libraries, or searching old ruins. The caravan was made out of group of refugees, that escaped Alfagras Woods, when the lands were put under terrible influence of chaotic energies and magic by magisters of Magior Empire, around the beginning of 6th century. Stjornflar broke any contact with their remaining bretheren in Heimalsjournualf, that decided to stay back, abiding by old traditions, and try to live in the cursed lands, hoping to find a way to cleanse it, even if the task proves to be rather hopeless; Stjornflar stays away from the high elves of Rosidor Empire as well, as either group doesn't keep any warm feelings towards each other, ever since the times of Magior Empire. Even though the elder members of the caravan are set on finding "the promised land", many of the younger elves, or those who joined the caravan later, over the centuries got used to the wandering lifestyle and now do it as a way of honouring Zorya and her teachings, as well as finding joy in constant travelling over the ever changing lands of Saarma and Artan continents. Over the years, the caravan lost many of their members, be it because of illnessess, conflicts with other races or dangers of roads. The fact that the elven race started suffering from unexplainable affliction or mutation around 7th century, that drastically lowered the birthrate of pure-blooded elves, made any losses in the caravan that more painful - but it also made a rare birth of pure-blooded elven child a cause for celebration.

Nightfangs - a group of traveling werewolfs - people, who were affected by the cursed wolfarens. Some consider them honourable vigilantes, who hunt down cursed wolfaren and mad werewolfs, others - dangerous beasts, who raid caravans and wanderers on their territory for their own gain and hunt down innocent, not cursed wolfaren. They hunt in packs, hiding in the Veles forest, Horned Wolf Woods and Alfagras Woods.

History

Lunar Discord

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Draconizhar

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Elemental Cataclysm

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War of the Burning Skies

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The Rupture

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War with Magior

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Trivia

Settlement names and some cultural and land aspects inspired by Icelandic and Norwegian cultures.

"Unicorns" were inspired by ancient extinct Siberian spiecies of large rhinos called Elasmotherium.

Links

Icon was made by Felixora

Founding Date - 2000 ER (Silfurskogur Kingdom), 500 ES (Silfurskogur Lands)

Alternative Name(s) - Silfurskogur, Silfurskogur Union of city-states, Silver Lands.

Formed from - Silfurskogur Kingdom.

Type - Absolute monarchy.

Capital - Heimalsjornualf

Cities and towns - Heimalsjornualf, Dvinandun, Kopavogur, Silfurbikar (in ruins), Kvoldether (in ruins), Silfurfas (in ruins).

Head of the state (as of year 1110 ES) - King Folkeong Faaheir Haraldarson.

Type

Geopolitical, Country