Temple of Ehlenestra — Alaeduril

The oldest standing structure in Alaeduril, the Temple of Ehlenestra is an open, airy hall of magic-shaped wood and stone built beside the lesser of the two streams that meet in the Harmonious Dells. It anchors sanctuary law for the village and hosts markets of peace held under temple rules.

History & Purpose

Raised when Grey-elf architects still left their mark across the Gnarley, the temple predates the council halls and remains the civic heart where oaths are witnessed and disputes cooled before they ignite. Its position near the watercourse mirrors Ehlonna’s patronage of living wood, game, and clean waters and marks the earliest phase of Alaeduril’s growth.

Role in the capital. Of Alaeduril’s three famed sites—the Ehlenestra temple, the tree-temples of Rillifane Rallathil, and the Besh’norin (Oath Oak)—the temple stands first in age and serves as the village’s moral center.

Architecture & Style

The temple’s design bears Grey Elf influence: lofted spans, restrained ornament, and structural elegance achieved through patient sorcery and precise craft. Grey Elves are noted for magical mastery, scholarship, and refined, aloof aesthetics—traits that shaped early elven public works from Celene to the Gnarley.

Plan. A crescent-open nave faces the stream; living pillars support latticed canopies, and a moon-porch allows rites beneath starlight. Threshold glyphs are subtle and grown into grain rather than carved—hallmarks of Grey-elf doctrine where art, magic, and geometry are one.

Clergy, Offices & Daily Governance

• High Priestess: Elcàlla Yularith, Lon’ Mara na’Ehlenestra, (cleric 12). In practice, she also acts as de facto mayor—setting market eves, licensing way-guides, and upholding sanctuary terms.
• Leaflord Colleague: Oranaen (druid) coordinates grove health and boundary law; together they keep temple rites and patrol schedules synchronized.
• Temple Wardens: Rotating detachments of Meldarin scouts and choristers (often Sathlîrwyn/Sevensong) who maintain whistle-cants and witness oaths.

Rites & Law

• Sanctuary of Three Nights. Any who reach the grove unblooded may claim up to three nights’ protection, submit to questioning, and accept restitution terms; forest crimes shorten the grace. (Alaeduril’s civic religion couples mercy to measurable repair.)
• Markets of Peace. Bonded vendors trade under priestly oversight; torch-trade and slaver traffic are barred. Disputes are settled by oath before the altar then logged for the Besh’norin.
• Seasonal Observances. Planting and Hunt-Limit chants with Rillifane’s clergy; Ehlenestra’s moon-benedictions over streams and fawn-grounds. The temple sits “between Ehlonna’s Garden and the Leaflord’s Canopy,” a pairing central to Meldarin faith.

Politics & Alliances

The temple is where oath-based diplomacy becomes practice: Woodsmen elders, Gnarley Rangers, and clan officers negotiate bonded day-caravans, cutting limits, and patrol calendars here—agreements later sealed at the Oath Oak. The stance reflects Meldarin governance by council and Binder rather than solitary rule.

Relationship to Nearby Holy Sites

• Rillifane’s Sanctuary: A complex of living treehouses with a timeless relic secured deep within; joint rites with Ehlenestra’s clergy define harvest quotas and poaching penalties.
• Besh’norin (Oath Oak): Council hollow and guest-lodges; oaths sworn at the temple are carried here for clan record and magical binding.

Threats & Vigilance

Alaeduril lies south of Ansynor (Runeoak), a ley-crossed ruin ravaged by Ur-Flannae necromancy and the Whispered One; temple wardens monitor elemental surges and undead signs and coordinate with the Lon’Baelyth to tighten the cordon when omens darken.

Adventure Hooks

• Sanctuary at Capacity. The third night approaches for a contrite poacher whose testimony could crack a Nulb smuggling ring; the priestess asks the party to keep the peace—and the witness alive—until the Oath Oak can convene.
• Moon-Porch Sabotage. Grey-elf filigree wards flicker during a market eve; investigation points to counterfeit seals and a plot to force torch-trade back into Alaeduril.
• Relic Echo. A resonance between the Leaflord’s relic and the temple’s stream altar hints that Ansynor is stirring; the clergy commission discreet scouts.