Zaiel Sylvessir

Traditionalist Wood Elves of the Kingdom of the Greens

The Zaiel Sylvessir call themselves the keepers of this lands. Protectors. The earth's blessed children. Favored by the Great Mother. They call themselves all these things while simultaneously being the blight upon their elven brethren, their fellow countrymen. They preach peace amongst themselves and amongst the land. Yet, they struck down my father, when he only sought peace! But, now, we shall ensure these lands truly remain safe! Safe from the blight of these blinded wood elves.

— King Xeron Ke an Eri, 2432 KT

The Zaiel Sylvessir, colloquially referred to as the "Zaiel," are an ethnic group whose members account for a portion of the Kingdom of the Evergreens' wood-elven population. They abide by the lifestyles and teachings that the ancient wood elves employed prior to the coming of the Kingdom Times. Their peoples are scattered in the southwestern and northeastern portions of the Evergreens.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Zaiel Sylvessir typically learn both the Sylvan and Elven languages. However, Sylvan is typically prioritized and used as the predominant language among these peoples. They use Elven primarily to communicate with other elven sub-species.

Shared customary codes and values

Respect for the natural world is integral to the Zaiel Sylvessir's existence and emulates the way of living that the ancient wood-elven tribes had ascribed to. They live alongside nature, conducting a lifestyle that has little to no negative impact on the environment. Second to their reverence for their lands, the Zaiel Sylvessir view their peoples as a large extended family, despite their separation into different tribes and smaller familial units.

Common Dress code

These peoples utilize only the boons of nature for their clothing with linen, made from flax, as the most utilized material. Barring formal rituals, events, and combat, men may typically conduct their days shirtless while wearing loincloths or undergarments; men may also wear outer adornments over these pieces, such as shirts or shorts. Women may wear dresses or shirts paired with shorts or long pants.

Leather footwear made from plants are a staple of their dress code. Also, the Zaiel Sylvessir color their skins with tattoos at major milestones or achievements during their lives.

Common Taboos

Despite the Zaiel's culture that paints family in broad strokes, they separate into different family units for practical purposes, mainly in arranging marriages and prevent inbreeding. Simultaneously, they ban the integration of outsiders into the Zaiel, meaning marriages and childbearing must happen only with other members of the group.

Major organizations

In the Kingdom of the Evergreens, the Ol-Teressi has been the most notorious organization associated with the Zaiel Sylvessir over the last millennium. Presumably comprised of mainly Zaiel Sylvessir, the group has championed the rights of wood-elves throughout the entire kingdom to radical extremes. They have conducted acts of terrorism against settlements with significant non-wood-elven populations and institutions associated with the Evergreens' royal government.

To counteract the Ol-Teressi's belligerence, the Zen'Vesiel-waed is a pacifist, humanitarian group that operates throughout the Evergreens. Several Zaiel Sylvessir tribes are associated with the Zen'Vesiel-waed. They cooperate with the royal government by using their intimate knowledge of the lands to aid smaller settlements in the kingdom.

Related Organizations

• Ol-Teressi