The Forest City of Palantal
Keywords:
FOREST, CITY, PALANTAL
Category:
notes
Proper Name - Palantal
Informal Name The Forest Kingdom, The Crown of Trees
Rulers(s)
King Tristan Silverleaf, Queen Eleanora
The ruling family of Palantal are high elves of the purest blood,
aristocrats whose lineage precedes human cities and kingdoms, whose
ancestors witnessed and participated in the Gods' War and other
events that are thought to be legend. King Tristan and Queen Eleanora
are in their prime, by elven measures and have ruled the city for the
last century since the unexplained death of King Caeril alone in his
chambers.
King Tristan holds court in the throne room of a fairytale castle,
attended by guards and courtiers of high-elven descent. Non-elven
visitors, or elves of low lineage, are rarely granted an audience.
But Queen Eleanora holds equal power behind the scenes, balancing the
noble houses and guilds to uphold the ruling family. Some of her
ladies in waiting bring her more than gossip, while their slender
hands are deft with blades or embroidery.
Government
Hereditary Monarchy.
The kingdom of Palantal is approximately feudal. The hierarchy is
headed by a small number of high-elven families. The King is absolute
monarch of the realm, succeeding by primogeniture. Each eldest son
inherits the throne on his sire's death. High-elves believe that the
gods appointed the first rulers, so their successors hold power
through divinely established rights.
The nobility are also high elves and the common folk owe allegiance
to these lords. Elven children are taught respect for their rulers
and most are glad to serve the city and their rulers. The guilds and
temples are technically outside the feudal structure, but in practice
most fall within the influence of one or other noble houses, usually
depending on the guild master or chief priest and, in turn, the king.
The faerie population of Palantal are a strange exception to this
system. They are also subjects of the king, but the elves have more
sense than to expect the sprites and fae to follow such a structured
existence. So the faeries exist in a parallel state, existing on the
forest's bounty and sharing their own talents without formal duties
or dues.
Provinces
Palantal city is divided into several districts The centre contains
buildings such as shops and hostelries that are recognisably urban.
This is surrounded by rings of glades, where the elven and faerie
population live above the ground within the trees. Docks occupy
stretches along the river and watchful defenders ring about the city.
The temples and guilds have their place away to the west, while the
northern side of the city is graced by the castle and gardens where
the ruling family dwell.
There were once a series of forest kingdoms and elven dynasties
across Nersa. Rivalries between them led to each king or queen going
their own way, dividing the power and strength of the high elven
people. Although the kingdoms never went to war with one another, the
divisions contributed to the fall of several at the hands of their
drow cousins, the decline of other smaller provinces. In cases, the
site of an elven settlement was adopted and settled by humans, whose
towns and cities are more numerous than the original occupants.
Several faerie communities are scattered through the forest, within
and beyond Palantal itself. These are usually only village-sized, but
(with their typical whimsy) the rulers, usually matrons, are referred
to as "faerie Queen" and each has a handful of ladies in waiting and
dapper knights. Queen Dandelion-leaf, Queen Niamhe "the Nightingale"
and Princess Thisbe are among these. Travellers sometimes stumble on
such a court to be told its glory and tales, gifted with jewels and
shining presents. Then wake, alone in the woods, their pockets full
of acorns and their ears being used to grow mushrooms!
Noble Families
Beneath the royal family are several ranks of nobles and lesser
aristocracy, their status determined by a blend of factors. Descent,
meaning the purity of high-elven ancestry, is the prime concern; most
elven magnates would rather see their grove attacked by orcs than
have a wood-elf, let alone another race, in the family. A few young
elves have eloped, others suffered banishment, for love matches but
most do their duty and preserve their line.
The heads of each noble household are often chosen for semi-
ceremonial titles in the royal court. This serves to cement their
loyalty, put them at the king's command and draw on their talents and
influence.
These include Lord Marshall Eathril, High Chamberlain Ethryllan and
Keol Ap'Aphrain, the Master Verder responsible for directing the
ranger guards. A roving emissary traditionally holds the satellite
post of Forestal, a less formal title. After the death of Lord
Daithaodh, known as Dawnflare, it is occupied the druidess Rynmora.
The line of Tasreth and the position of Hunt master are both vacant
since the last holder and his household were lost waging a campaign
to seal a gate to the demonic realms. Although the portal was sealed,
their fate is unknown to the court and no successor has ever been
appointed.
Population
Out of the Elven population, barely 1% has pure high-elven blood,
although many more have mainly high-elven descent. The rest are
mainly wood-elven, since sea-elves rarely stay for more than a few
months or years before the lure of the ocean calls to them again.
Shikigami tend to find the tranquil woodland and temperate climate
maddening. They are notorious for sudden quarrels and fiery
outbursts, after which they usually leave.
Half-elves and humans are accepted within the city, if they behave
themselves. Those with natural inclinations are often spellbound by
the grace of the city and its inhabitants. But there is an underlying
attitude of disapproval, most especially from the old families and
those who have suffered bereavement at the hands of outsiders. A
trader might speak only elven, a citizen offers mistaken directions,
or the defenders decide that a foreigner needs to be "guided" and
"relieved of encumbrances".
70% Elven, 20% Faerie, 3% Half-elven, 3% Human, 4% Others (who can
usually pass as elven, or at least human - such as lycanthropes and
dhampiel).
Languages
Elven, Faerie, Common.
As noted, elven is the prime language of Palantal; all citizens can
also speak common, but may not chose to assist a visitor by doing so.
The nobility have their own vocabulary, the archaic high-elven
strain, which might seem a foreign language to visitors, even elves,
of other kindreds.
Most elves and fae understand at least a little of the other's
language. This helps the communities to exist alongside one another.
Other languages are rarer, although a moderate number have some
knowledge of angelic, human or even mrem.