Foracor
Nestled in the heart of the Elven forest lies Foracor. It is odd to use the term 'nestled' for such a large settlement, but the dedication to crafting the place to blend into the trees is impressive
Summary
Foracor (sometimes spelled Fora'cor in older texts) translates from Elven to 'Heart of the Forest'. Whilst nowhere near the size of any of the capitals of Aldenia, Foracor does rival some of the larger towns in size, despite the majority of the settlement being built amongst the trees themselves.
Government
As observed in other societies that live off the land, Foracor operates with a set of Elders who hold the ultimate decision-making power for the town. There are a dozen Elders at any given time and they are literally the eldest twelve elves within the town - provided they have lived the majority of their lives there. Due to elven longevity, the turnover is not that frequent.
Whilst Foracor is a home for more than just elves, no Elders can be raised from any other species.
Religion
The guiding principle within Foracor is to never take more than the forest can withstand and ideally, to never taken more than can be replaced. However, when it comes to areas of life such as hunting, it is the former that is observed rather than the latter. The absolute ideal is to disturb the forest as little as possible. If you provide for the forest, the forest will provide for you. Inevitably, with such a focus on preserving nature, Cephione - the goddess of nature, is the primary diety for their society, though others such as Athar and Zarene feature prominently also.
Architecture
One of Foracor's defining characteristics is the way most of the town is built between the trees themselves, with barely any of the settlement at ground level. Almost all of the structures are wooden, with wooden walkways criss-crossing between them.
Geography & Climate
Situated on the western side of Aldenia, Foracor experiences a temperate climate. Foracor is just close enough to the southern coast to benefit from the warmer winds brought up from the south but not to such a degree that snow is not a possibility in the winter. Though, due to the tree cover and how the buildings hug the tree trunks, rain and snow rarely falls on the structures themselves. Instead it typically pours off the sides of the tree canopies like mini waterfalls.
Agriculture
Foracor provides little in the way of exports, particularly farming, aside from the cultivation of rare plants. Grown in dedicated patches of garden, the floratare (floratar meaning 'one who plants') are a collection of botanical experts within the community charged with keeping rare and especially endangered plants around. Such rare plants, especially those used as ingredients or components for high-level magic, are sought after.
Demographics
- 92% Wood Elf
- 5% High Elf
- 3% Other
History
Origins
For all of recorded history, Foracor has served as the hub for the wood elves of Aldenia. Like most of the settlements of the three original species, its founding pre-dates the beginning of the Age of Discovery when vast amounts of knowledge was lost forever.
In more recent history, Foracor was the staging ground for the fight against the Blight within those woods - a portion of which remains twisted and seemingly incurable, referred to as The Twisted Forest. It is also the birthplace of the legendary wood elf Fian Duillanor, who along with Aregos Falstar and Brea Shadowthane, are regarded the three primary heroes of The Cataclysm Wars.
Type
Town
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