Mithrallir

The Elderkind of Mithrallir holds no great written power beyond the city, but consists of some of the most capable and storied leaders, warriors, and sages of the Kind. Even some Kin of renown hold places of honor among the Mithrallim Elderkind, far more than usual. Beyond even talent, vision is favored most of all, and few ancestries strive with vision more than humans. A single body governs all three tiers of Mithrallir, but tend to defer judgements to those who reside closest. This gives the earthly wood elven delegation a minor edge of broader politics, but one they're careful not to overplay.

There was once always a Galasteri representative among the Elderkind. This is no longer the case.

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Mithrallir provides many of the complex goods that the communities of Elvenkind would struggle to produce on their own. From fabrics woven from shed furs to supplemental meat products that drop from the overladen tails of regenerating den lizards, there are few luxuries one might find in the Galasteri Capital that have no equivalent among the Kind. The fabled mithral of the Mithralheart, of course, travels beyond even the borders of the Old Wilds, and the master crafters of the Kind ply their skills to an equally legendary demand. For tools and arms that can last generations, it is wise to go to one that lives for several of your generations, after all. Lastly, there's a strong market in mystical scrolls, wondrous items, and other magical trinkets that might be used in Seekings or given as gifts and heirlooms, often provided by sages among or trained by the keenest of the high elves.

Mithrallir is a city as old as the Old Wilds itself, formed at a remove from the bower of the Throne of Nature. A grove of massive trees was split cleanly by a river that has since gone dry, giving unique access to the heights, the ground, and the depths of the Wilds in one place. Here, all of the Kind could meet and build and share, planning out how Elvenkind might come to be one people. Here, they would argue, they succeeded.

Mithrallir became the model for successful communities of Kin and Kind, forming the basis of the most common Ways and the council of Elderkind that watch over each township. Rather than being frozen in time as many elven communities can feel, Mithrallir is always innovating, always questioning, always looking deeper at more efficient ways to harmonize. It is the hope and ambition of the Kin and Kind, and some might find its many gifts oppressive in their ubiquity.

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Visitors to Mithrallir are welcome to a wonder of the senses. The wind sings through the petrified great trees, ringing through gentle chimes and fluted pipes cut into the branches. Drape filters add unique hues of color to certain streets, platforms, and vistas among the hanging homes of the high elves. The ground level has countless paths designed for walking, running, and aided travel - no place in Mithrallir is inaccessible to the masses. And down in the Mithralheart, one might get to witness the great wyrms, the spirits, and the sages of the daev producing mithral, steel, and precious stones from the earth without disturbing or destroying the still-living root structures below.

Crime is uncommon in Mithrallir, but not unheard of, as impassioned hearts are wont to do as they will. The occasional wild beast or encroaching monstrosity is more likely. One should expect a response within 1d10 rounds in populated areas, with wood elvish guards and bower wolves eager for excitement. In more scarce parts of the city, it still takes no more than 1d4 minutes for a response by bower wolves perhaps led by an elder. For truly egregious or dangerous situations, a trio of elvenmade sphinxes might be allowed to congregate - though this can become a problem in and of itself, due to their.... unique temperaments.

Amenities of the Elvenkind

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Mithrallr is composed of the Celestial Heights, the simply-named Ground level, and the Mithralheart.

The Celestial Heights

Carefully hung from the largest branches of the petrified great-trees, the Heights are bound together for stability and access by a series of rope bridges, gondolas, and support wires. Filtering drapes add distinct color to each platform, with a series of colors for each year. Thin nets of spidersilk are set beneath most platforms in case of emergency, but those who live in the Heights tend to lose that fear over time. At the very peak lies a central platform for open-air instruction, where philosophers and arcanists offer tutelage to their kiths and any others who show promise.

The Ground

Forming raised paths over the massive roots of Mithrallir, the wood elves have built a city from the discarded wood and stone of the great trees, all without the need to take an axe to living plants. This culture of accomodation carries on to the many walkways, free-running paths, and aided avenues of the ground city. This is the most familiar to outsiders, composed of cottages, townhomes, and other recognizable structures, but even wood elves of the city tend to know the quickest path out to the free woods, which are carefully managed for safety and balance for miles beyond the city.

The Mithralheart

Below the city and among the deep roots of the great trees, one would see that even these petrified edifices have a living core. This truth has touched the mentality of the daev, perhaps, who treat the ground around them as a living thing. The caves they've dug out using the aid of burrowing wyrms and friendly spirits are orderly, careful, and minimalist in aesthetic. Occasional shafts of sunlight are filtered down using air vents and mirrors to better illuminate colorful wall art murals and frescoes with historical or philosophical value, as well as to keep the daev connected with other peoples and their sense of time. To many, the Mithralheart more resembles a massive underground monastery than a proper city district, and that would be considered a compliment by many daev, who find some common surface amenities excessive.

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