Dinas Caercoed

The permanent population of Dinas Caercoed is 90% Elven and 10% Dhaoinesìth. There are no permanent residents of any other Heritage within the city, and members of other Heritages make up less than 1% of the total inhabitants at any one time.

Of the permanent population, the majority of the Elven populace (70%) are Wood Elves. Wood Elf mixed heritages make up another 15% of the population, with Stone Elves, Star Elves and Moon Elves making up the majority of the remaining 15%. Less than 2% of the Elven population are Sun Elves.

The Dhaoinesìth populace are largely Common Dhaoinesìth with Seasons in Spring and Autumn (35% of the populace each). Approximately 25% of the Dhaoinesìth display the Season of Summer, and 5% the Season of Winter.

Dinas Caercoed operates a Cyngor y Ddinas (City Council) led by the Benadur (Leader/Sovereign), and supported by Blaenor (High Class/Elders) and the Bonedd (Nobility). The Benadur is a democratically elected role, with all resident Of-Age Elves having the right to a say in who gets to take on the seat, though the positions of Blaenor and Bonedd are issued on an honour system.

Benadur elections take place every thirty years unless the sitting Benadur dies or is subject to a severe censure that triggers a No Confidence motion. The current Benadur of the city is Briallen Gairdoeth, who has held the position for the last two-hundred and twenty years, giving her the record for the longest sitting Benadur (eight consecutive terms). Benadur Gairdoeth has twenty years left on her current term, and it is thought she will run for election again when the time comes.

Dinas Caercoed is naturally protected due to its tree-top location. With the canopy above and a long drop below, assaulting the city is practically impossible unless you do so from within, especially considering the numerous tricks and traps that can drop entire platforms at a moment's notice.

The city also has custom-crafted defenses against assault on the trees within which it is built, as well as protection against fire-related assaults, in the form of defensive magic.

This does not mean that the city is invulnerable, however. Dinas Caercoed, as well as its surrounding forest, has been almost completely destroyed on two occasions since the Renewal of A'arde. Both times, the city suffered from aerial bombardment or falling debris; the first from Dragon fights during the The Reign of Ash, and the second from the falling of the Flying Cities. Attempts to mitigate damage from such incidents were not enough due to the sheer volume and intensity of the bombardment/debris, though minor flurries can be magically deflected.

Dinas Caercoed is predominantly made up of wooden platforms and moving bridges, constructed of natural materials that blend and merge with the surrounding treescape. These platforms and bridges can be quite large in size, and the majority of the moving aspects are either manual, or powered by magic. They are famed for having a variety of climbing and symbiotic plant species woven into the construction, making the structures particularly beautiful to behold.

Travel between platforms is usually achieved via the aforementioned bridges or by Aerial Carriage, which are enclosed structures suspended by a system of pulleys and winches that move the carriage from one place to another along thick, heavy ropes. Rope ladders are generally used for traversing short distances up and down.

Infrastructure within Dinas Caercoed regularly features the inclusion of habitats and homes for animals and birds, which may have otherwise been disrupted or turfed out by the presence of the buildings.

The Districts of Dinas Caercoed are arranged numerically, with only the highest layer of the city retaining a set name throughout its life. This layer is known as the Canopy District, and is the location of the governmental structures and court. The lowest layer of the city is known as the Root District, and every time a new Root District is added, the previous Root District is renamed. These intermediate Districts are called "Stacks" and are numbered according to which came first.

Currently, there are seven Stacks, giving Dinas Caercoed nine Districts in total.

Due to travel to Cnuic Ghlainne being extremely limited, the tourism industry of Dinas Caercoed is extremely small. The majority of visitors to the city are there for business, pilgrims, or Elves on their "Journey of Self-Discovery", and what tourists the city does have are often "stay-at-home" tourists from Cnuic Ghlainne itself. External tourists are very limited in the locations that they are allowed to visit, and arranging to visit other areas requires a great deal of negotiation, background checks, and patience.