Dalnor/Eldar/CastleSmokeMoon
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|---|---|
| Name: | Castle of Smoke and Moon |
| Aka: | |
| Population | Unknown |
| Government | King Council of Lords Prince of Seasons |
| Army | Unknown |
| Commerce | Fortress |
| Organizations | Council of Lords |
The Castle of Smoke and Moon is an Eladrin fortress with the Fairy Realms (The Fey, Feywild etc). It has a gate near the Provinces of Elafta and The Road.
The castle itself is made up of many small "bricks".
The fortress is rumored to have the appearance of smoked glass while back lit by a full moon.
Contents |
Politics of the Court
There is a king and a wide variety of lords, barons, counts, viscounts, knights and any number of other royalty. Many have titles to concepts or ethereal sounding locals.
Due to the long lives of the eladrin, a series of judges, adjudicators and arbitrators has arisen over the years to settles differences between the ruling houses. Normally issues are resolved as differences between ruling houses. It is unusual, but not unheard of for an individual to bring an issue to the arbitrators for resolution.
When dealing with shorter lived races, eladrin deal with a family or clan as a single unit rather than having to deal with the short lived individuals.
The Major houses
Houses a listed by relative prominence. Houses that regularly lend their support to another house are listed as a subheading.
The Starlords
The Moon Lodge
House of the Smokey Vision
House of the Seventh Turning
House of the Observant Eye
The High and Mighty Lords of Toast
The Four Princes
While the king is the titular head of the government, he spends a great deal of time balancing the interests of the noble houses. As a result four appointed positions with independent authority has arisen to guide the castle through the ages. These are the Princes and Princesses of the Seasons. Only one of the four positions is filled at any one and sometimes years or decades can pass with none of the positions being filled. Each position corresponds to one of the four season and each position is filled in order and never skipped. Each prince reflects the broader issues and glories surrounding the castle.
The seasons below are not literal seasons but metaphorical seasons that last many years (sometimes decades) and reflect the spiritual and physical status of the castle.
A new Prince of Fall was recently promoted. Little is know about this prince except that he spent many years in exile and has only recently returned to the castle to claim vengence upon those who had exiled him and redeem his family name.
The Prince of Spring
The most eagerly awaited prince. The coming of this prince announces that the times of trials and perils surrounding the castle have (mostly) passed. It is a time of regrowth and rebirth around the castle.
The court of the prince of spring is small, fickle and flightly.
There are few wars and conflicts in the Ages of Spring.
Princes and Princesses of Spring are often referred to as Suntouched, first born and other similar titles signifying the awakening from hibernation and renewed activities throughout the land. Princes of Spring are appointed to the position at birth and normally pass the Mantle of Summer to the next Prince of Summer when they come of age. The ages of Spring normally last from 5 to 25 years in length.
The Prince of Summer
As Spring comes into Summer the people partake of the harvest that they have sown in the spring. The lands bloom and ripen. The people come into their full strength and celebrate in the joys of life. Most of the stories of the eladrin lands that make it into other realms take place in the Seasons of Summer.
The court of the prince of summer is large, boisterous and generous to a fault.
Wars are glorious affairs against righteous foes.
Princes and Princess of Summer are often referred to as The Strong, Honest and similar titles signifying the harvest of the strength of the land and her people. The Princes of Summer are appointed on the day they gain their smokestone. As a result many young eladrin seek for their smokestones in the season of spring in the hopes of becoming the Prince of Summer.
Princes of Summer often live long full lives that reflect the strength of the castle. They almost never meet the new Prince of Fall.
The Prince of Fall
The prince of fall oversees the coming of the cold and end of summer. Final harvests are brought in and preperations are made for the coming winter. The Prince of Fall is seen as a harbinger of ill tidings.
Wars in the season of fall are dirty things where enemies are cloaked and dangers hidden.
The Prince of Fall maintains no court but draw to themselves trusted individuals who do his bidding and pledge their lives to him. These tireless agents are known as the Autumn Warriors.
Princes of Fall live as long as they can stay alive. The prince of fall is often an accomplished warrior or statesmen that is accomplished in underhanded tactics. The prince of fall is often referred to as The Unwanted, Foresighted and The Unseen Protector depending upon their time in office. The Prince of Fall is almost never invited to the royal court, but maintains a residence within the castle that is supported by the crown. The prince leads a difficult life of encouraging the eladrin people to prepare for the coming winter while at the same time leading war bands in forgotten lands to protect the castle from hidden threats. The longer the Prince of Fall lives, the more prepared the castle is to weather Winter.
The Prince of Winter
The Prince of Winter is never promoted until the Prince of Fall is dead. It is a position where volunteers are called and the most worthy is chosen from the volunteers. By the time of the Calling of the Prince of Winter, the eladrin population perceives the threat to the castle and there are many volunteers to fill the post- no matter the danger. The Prince of Winter takes the groundwork that has been laid down by the Prince of fall in order to lead the people of the castle to a new spring.
The Prince of Winter maintains the largest, sternest and most compassionate court. All are welcome to shelter in the court of winter. Those who act against the best interests of the castle and its people are cast out. The Autumn Warriors are always the first to join the Court of Winter, giving the court a strong foundation from which to work. Where the Autumn Warriors were previously spies, assassins and bandits, they are now Diplomats, Ambassadors and Captains of war.
Wars in winter are to the bitter end.
The Prince of Winter is often referred to as King/Queen of Cold, The Preserver and The Last Hope. The Prince of Winter lives long enough to see the first hints of spring before dying.
The Forest of Lost Souls
There is a path behind the castle that leads through the forest of lost souls. From the path branches off many trails, paths, roadways and other routes. Many of the paths are well known and some only known to a select few. Those who travel the paths can expect some sort of personal sacrifice, insight and growth. The spirits that dwell in the Forest of Lost Souls and the various trails within the forest decided who passes and fails their tests. The Forest in no way is beholden to the castle. While the castle has the easiest entrance into the forest there are a other entrances that the needy and desperate can find.
The castle maintains several travelers rooms just before the Gate of the Moon, which leads to the Forest of Lost Souls. The rooms are used by those expecting to travel out to the Forest and need time to rest or recover from their trip to the castle.
The most well known is the Trail of the Rising Moon. It is the test of true adulthood where young eladrin prove that they are ready to take up the burdens of adulthood. It is known as being primarily a spiritual journey of insight and growth. Those who are successful in the trials return with a smokestone. Those few who are not successful return chastened and withdrawn for many years as they learn the lessons they have been taught. Some few never return, it is not known what happens to those lost souls. The entrance to the path of the Rising Moon is lit by a single oil lamp hanging at the juncture.
