Ta'Loenthra

Ta'Loenthra is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

Ta'Loenthra is the home of the Loenthra elves and one of the five remaining city-states that form the Elven Empire. Like Ta'Nalfein, Ta'Loenthra is an elven port city located further north along the eastern coastline.

Ta'Loenthra: An Overview

City Layout

The jewel of the coast, the Painted City, the Amethyst Spire -- the city of Ta'Loenthra sprawls along the banks of the Vyr'Loevana (Loevana River), where river meets sea at the Arann'eren Coast. So named for the shadows cast by the sun as it crosses the cliffs throughout each day, the Arann'eren Coast is known for its rocky shores and narrow, amethyst-tinted beaches terminating at steep, almost unscalable cliffs, broken only by the expansive mouth of the river.

It is here where Callisto Loenthra chose to build what would become arguably the most beautiful city in Elanthia. Here, where she and others chose to start House Loenthra. Here, where the artisans and guilds would find their forever home.

A carefully planned and artistically executed city from the outset, Ta'Loenthra's layout is unique amongst the elven houses. The Castle Ereniel itself was built inland, its gleaming white marble walls and imflass-and-amethyst spires visible from every seridal (quarter or neighborhood) with exclusive mansions and gardens radiating out from it in a starburst pattern. Castle Ereniel's exquisite statuary and gardens are designed to be a vision both from the ground and from the air, and visitors travel far and wide just to catch glimpses of them. The most-coveted sight for many, however, is that of the castle's rose window (that architectural phenomenon also known as a radiant window or wheel window depending on one's preference). Immense in size, the Radiant Aeleria, as it is called, is artisan mastery at its finest with tiny pieces of colored glass sculpted into a perfect circle, each smaller component comprised of beleria, n'erenael, selanael, and other floral blossoms in an intricate interweaving of the individual and the whole. It is held forth as an embodiment of aesthetic beauty at the center of Loenthran culture.

The Canals & Piers of Ta'Loenthra
Port cities grow where commerce flourishes, so other than the inland-set royal seridal, the oldest parts of Ta'Loenthra line the riverbanks and southern ocean-set cliff edges. Canals spread from the river throughout the city, surrounding or bisecting the various seridals and neighborhoods. Ornate bridges arch over the canals, and ilaveun (those small, slender boats used for carrying small groups of people from place to place along the canals) float along their waters.

Goods traverse the canals on small, gaily decorated but still utilitarian barges, taking items from the various docks to the numerous warehouses across the city. However, transportation of people and goods is secondary in the minds of the Loenthran artists. At any given time of day or night, one can find painters floating in carefully positioned ilaveun, either finishing their latest masterpiece or displaying their works on easels designed to catch the eye of others boating by. It has been said by some that painters who capture the glistening waters and all they reflect are the most sensitive and skilled of artisans. Of course, this is a controversial and highly debated stance between the various schools of artistic thought.

Where needed, series of locks allow boats to navigate up or down uneven terrain, each set a masterpiece of artistry. For example, one seridal sits on a small rise, and its locks are decorated with intricate tile murals depicting the founding of Ta'Loenthra and each of its guilds. Labyrinthine metalwork and greenery are popular methods for decorating the necessary mechanisms as well.

Ships docked at the piers along the river are unloaded onto wagons and barges for transport via road or canal to the strategically placed storehouses within the city. Goods from the oceanside piers are similarly distributed after their relocation to the top of the cliffs. Taverns, inns, warehouses, shops, and restaurants cluster about each pier area, creating bustling cities-within-a-city for visitors and Loenthrans alike. A favorite pastime of those along the riverside is spotting asienvyr -- a river dolphin whose grey-blue coloring lends itself to near invisibility in the river's waters.

Built atop the seaside cliffs, a sizeable, crystal-tipped terminal serves as the primary locus for passengers, imports, and exports. The rainbow patterns reflecting off the faceted spire of the terminal area are visible for miles offshore, providing visitors with their first glimpse of Ta'Loenthra. Some ships run betting games for how far away from shore they will be when the terminal becomes visible.

Aerial views of the area are also coveted. Airships often fly high above the city, allowing passengers to see yet another planned vision of Ta'Loenthra -- its view from the sky. A masterpiece of artistic organization, Ta'Loenthra is as beautiful from the air as it is from the sea and from the ground.

The Seridals of Ta'Loenthra
Each seridal divides into smaller squares and plazas filled with institutes, galleries, and workshops representing every form of craftsmanship imaginable. One particularly well-known seridal is home to the famous Hanesyddol Museum, its alabaster walls draped with blossoming greenery manipulated into vegetal and floral murals.

Within the royal seridal, in the heart of the aristocracy's public plaza, an ornate fountain sculpted from amethyst-flecked stone draws painters and onlookers in droves. Its circular design depicts a herd of ilanithe (a specialized breed of Loenthran horse) galloping over rolling waves. Spouts of water shoot about in patterns mimicking the tides and storm-tossed shores, and the surrounding area is dotted with ilanithe-themed, jeweled mosaics and sculptures.

Worker and guild seridals cluster about the river's edge and in expedient locations throughout the city, each carefully planned to maximize productivity while minimizing impact upon the markets and surrounding residential areas.

Along the Ocean Shore
Master engineers were commissioned to work a wide, sweeping, yet steep road from shore to cliff-top, but its use is mostly casual or recreational. Goods-carrying ships unable to navigate up the river to the primary commerce docks use oceanside ports on the southern section of the cliffs, where carefully controlled clockwork platforms transport items and people up and down.

On the northern shore, a branch of the river cuts overland to tumble off the cliff edge in a stunning waterfall. City growth is limited to a picturesque arboretum along this northern ocean shore, with most of the ocean-facing growth to the south of where the river and ocean mingle, but both sides of the river itself flourish with waterfront development. Closest to the ocean are the commerce docks for small ships able to navigate the difficult waters from the ocean. This gives way to more residential and artistic growth along the inland shores of the river. Carefully placed, smaller commerce docks dot the river to take deliveries from up-river (though wagon and airships also bring in goods from across the city-state and its neighbors).

The Amethyst Archipelago
While not quite an archipelago in the traditional sense, a small series of islands rest just off-shore from the cliffs of Ta'Loenthra, comprising its own seridal known as the Athmaere. It is here on the largest island where the primary non-commercial docks reside. From there, visitors either take a ferry to the shore where they can take the picturesque road or clockwork platform into the city proper or, if they prefer, walk the bridges into the archipelago and its tiny, interconnected islands.

The Amethyst Archipelago features shopping, restaurants, and inns with each guild showcasing some of their finest works. Narrow white marble bridges twisted with ivy and blossoming vines arch prettily between each tiny island, and the buildings are all white marble by decree with requirements for abundant, lush gardens and small parks. The occasional personal home can be found tucked between ivy-strewn walls and behind wrought imflass gates as well. The overall effect is one out of the most extravagant of fairy tales, and wandering the archipelago is another favored pastime by visitors and residents alike.

Architecture

The city of Ta'Loenthra is oft cited as Elanith's most picturesque city. Whether that is accurate or not is a matter of great debate and opinion, of course, but it is undisputed fact that the city and indeed all of Loenthran lands are those of great beauty. From its inception, Ta'Loenthra and its surrounding areas has been a carefully planned storybook of architectural artistry. Even the impecunious areas feature simple, artistic components, ensuring all Loenthrans are able to partake of beauty, both natural and elven-made.

Loenthran architecture relies heavily on white-colored buildings and lush greenery for accents. In more moderate areas, this means whitewashed or limestone buildings with easily available ivy and other vining plants. As one moves toward more upscale areas and within the primary shopping districts, marble and alabaster reign supreme, and the buildings include delicate veilara (spires) accented with imflass and draped with a variety of vining foliage. The larger the building, the more spires it will feature. A current trend in building involves adding veilaien instead of the more traditional veilara. Veilaien are slightly more robust spires with clear crystal roofs serving as night sky observatories. They have always been used with some guilds and museums, but recently, they have become popular in larger private homes as well.

Roadways are spacious, marble-lined affairs, dotted with imflass-twisted ivory lamp posts. Bridges arch high to allow small vessels to traverse the city's numerous canals, each bridge a well-planned work of marble art. No matter where you are in Ta'Loenthra, you can almost always find a small art installation or display, be it a simple array of landscapes or an elaborate showing of sculpture. Prolific uses of greenery with imflass and nacre accents keep even the most modest of areas beautified, and shrines to Loenthran patrons maintain equal importance with shrines to the Arkati.

Loenthran interiors take the same artistic cues their exteriors take, with a propensity for amethyst-tinted windows (a glass type known as amethyren) and nacre accents. Artwork ranges from mosaics to statuary to paintings, and few homes are found without at least one treasured piece of art. Woods and stains tend toward warm, bright tones to complement the white tones. In imitation of the castle's more famous rose window, smaller rose windows are also evident in wealthier homes across the area. Rose windows are also called radiant windows by the humans and elves, eschewing the more common term of "wheel window" coined by overly prosaic architects. Rose windows are circular, stained glass windows with intricate patterns of metalwork and glass. The windows' overall pattern will most resemble a rose or other blossoming flower that radiates out from the center, but individual sections of the windows can form their own, unique visions as well.

Given their love of art in all its forms, building styles change occasionally, and different areas of the city and countryside reflect that. Older areas were more meager in spire usage, for example, while newer areas boast numerous spires (both veilara and veilaien). Parks were quite in vogue when the area known as "the Eluneren Quarter" was built, and housing in this upscale neighborhood features small parks linked together by alabaster pathways throughout. Newer areas feature parks but rather than small parks dotted here and there, the recent (recent being a relative term -- it was built roughly two hundred years ago) Lyssael Square, for example, is built around a large park.

Guilds often vie for dominance in the architectural wars, and thus trends will change from tileworking to glassworking to different painting styles depending on which guild has the favor of Loenthran trendsetters and elites. Currently, for example, an ancient style of wall coverings has been resurrected and popularized by the paper guilds and avant-garde. Anasaeil is a bright white, thickly textured, and incredibly intricate wallpaper. Creating artistic patterns that draw attention to the walls without drawing it away from the room as a whole has inspired a whole new group of artists, and the elite are re-painting and papering their homes by the droves. Many opt to let the white-on-white pattern speak for itself, while others commission an artist to paint in the patterns for splashes of color.

A final note on architecture must involve stairways and canals. For buildings lining the city's canals, it is quite in vogue to set one's ground floor entry to be accessible only by ilaveun. For guests not arriving via ilaveun, exterior stairways to the second story are built, leading up to a small portico.

Docks, stairs, and porticoes have all become focal points for style in recent decades, with spiral staircases and wisteria-covered porticoes being popular. Docks of imported jadewood with twisted imflass lampposts dangling aragless lanterns have been cited as the latest style for the nobility, but lacquered lor or lasimor are classic alternatives that always provide a bespoke addition to a building.

Farm and Goods Production

Loenthrans take farming to new, artistic heights, as this treatise by the scholar Feriae Enfiel explains.

A Study of Artistry: Farming and Production in Ta'Loenthra

Written by Feriae Enfiel, student of ethnobotany

To live amongst the Loenthrans is to experience the creative process in its purest form. From acquisition to experimentation to perfection, art seeps from every pore of the city-state like honey fresh from the comb.

The city of Ta'Loenthra gazes above the coastal cliffs of the eastern waterways, its bustling ports moving goods throughout the city as the sounds of forges freshly lit echo throughout the cobblestones, the enticing aromas of culinary delights luring a visiting student away from the open air markets teeming with colorful crafts and even more colorful personas.

To be Loenthran is to be born of artistry, a culture of freedom and expression in constant pursuit of beauty within a city that encourages thinking outside of the constructs of simple book studies. Artisans travel by boat or airship to hone their crafts, hoping to learn from the great masters culminating in hundreds of years of experience and experimentation.

Importation of Raw Goods and Refining

The artisans of Ta'Loenthra are renowned for their creative production and avant-garde approach in their respective crafts, and in turn, farmers and merchants strive to send the best quality ingredients and materials to the city in hopes that they may also gain some recognition alongside the artisan and the latest creation.

Ships, by both air and sea, bring raw materials into the ports every morning, their merchants eagerly awaited by an elected council of retired artisans and apprentices who are charged with inspecting the cargo arriving on Loenthran shores. Importers vie to be graded and permitted to bring their wares into Ta'Loenthra, from the smallest iron nail to the tallest log of redwood, there is always an expert to consult and evaluate to ensure that the artisans are provided with the quality they expect. Every new material is likened to a ball of wet clay, ready to be refined and perfected through Loenthran hands.

Local Farming and Goods Production

Despite Ta'Loenthra's propensity for acquiring new and exotic ingredients, the agricultural artisans of the city-state take great pride in terraced farming, their homegrown produce rivaling those arriving at port but with more aesthetic flair.

Loenthran agronomists work hand-in-hand with farmers to create decorative patterns outside of the city limits, taking care to till the surrounding farmlands, plateaus, and agricultural areas to create a painted landscape of flora, farmed goods, and even apiaries. The Loenthran belief that everything can be art extends to these areas, as one can certainly attest to the aerial canvas when viewed from a passing airship.

A semi-annual, aerial artistry competition is held amongst the agriculturalists, one in the spring and one in the fall, allowing farmers to rotate their crops accordingly to maximize both yield and allow for more aesthetic combinations across the farmland. The winning guild for each competition would then in turn be responsible for the appropriate planting, seeding, and rearranging of the farming artwork displayed along the most sought-after road leading up to the city proper -- Glimaerwey Aeunarad (Glimmering Way of the Trees of Truth). Winning the contest and adding to the artistry along Glimaerwey is a prodigious honor, a feather in the cap of the winning guilds. Runners-up take on responsibility for adorning other roads leading into the city.

One such season produced a terraced bouquet of vibrant purple moth orchids spilling into a stylized pair of slender hands, created by artisans using varieties of lavender and a careful tilling of wheat to create the elven form, the addition of varieties of corn adding a dimension unseen for the time. As the competition grows, farmers have also begun to incorporate the language of flowers, more fragrant varieties of flora for additional impact, and even strategically placed apiaries nearby to ensure their crops flourish to their full potential.

Animal Breeding

When it comes to horses, Loenthrans breed several coveted varieties, including a pure white horse with amethyst-hued eyes called an ilanithe. Many believe that alchemy or other sorts of magical manipulations went into the development of this breed, but regardless, the end result is a beautiful horse much coveted by royalty and nobility. Of course, fashions come and go, and the whims of the wealthy turn with each fancy wind that brushes against them. Indeed, currently, the ilanithe is out of fashion with the monarchy and velvety black steeds with white stars on their foreheads known as saerniel are in vogue. That is not to say that the ilanithe is abandoned -- they are beautiful and remain an integral export to others within the Nations.

As an aside, the name is believed to reference the family who first bred an ilanithe, but no one is quite positive. Some claim that the "-ithe" is the Elven suffix referencing large bodies of water, and one legend builds on this. It claims Imaera blessed a lake and the first mating pair to drink from it became the progenitors of the ilanithe breed.

Apiculture

The coastal location and warm, sunny climates make Ta'Loenthra an ideal area of beekeeping. Considered a revered artisan skill in Ta'Loenthra, every step of the process requires years of training and apprenticeships, the artisans funded by both guilds and wealthier families as they vie to produce the finest products in the city. Revered apiaries claim to tend to the best bees bred over generations, their hives located throughout the Loenthran farmlands and some reportedly extending out into the caves along the coast.

Honey is produced in its purest form, however some artisans have taken the production to exciting levels. Some apiarists have flavored their honey by introducing bees to various plants throughout the season, while others add spices and dried florals for aesthetic appeal. Raspberry, linden, chestnut, honeysuckle, oregano, and thistle honey are the newest products to arrive in Loenthran markets, although with each season a new, more innovative flavor emerges.

The rarest bottles of selanbel honey (crafted from the beleria flower) are held beneath lock and key, sent to other elven cities to celebrate coronations and births just as one would send champagne or wine.

Honeyed mead is also a popular product amongst Ta'Loenthrans, the drink a collaborative effort between apiarists, local brewers, and glassworkers. Belien mead, in particular, is always served in a glass-crafted stein, allowing the consumer to view the drink itself whilst enjoying the flavors. A flavorsome product must also be aesthetically pleasing in order to appeal to all the senses.

Beeswax candles, salves, and propolis are purchased in local apothecaries, ensuring that no product is wasted in production. Thuja leaf-infused salves and tinctures have grown in popularity, both using the medicinal nature of propolis to reportedly soothe aches and pains.

Food Production

Like their cousins the Nalfein, Loenthrans are skilled vintners, their wines a constantly changing selection using various new combinations of fruits and spices, variations on aging, and innovative uses of casks of every wood and mineral. Farmers frame fields of grapes to create an aesthetically pleasing display, but will entwine the varieties to ensure crossbreeding, even creatively fertilizing the soil to create a unique flavor in hopes of innovation.

Where there is wine, there must be cheese. Cheesemasters of Ta'Loenthra produce a variety of distinctive flavors, utilizing the milks from sheep, goats, cows, and roltons. Collaborations between the local farmers, apiarists, and vintners have produced a myriad of flavor combinations, from caramel and pears, to cranberries and deep, heady port wine.

Spices arrive daily upon the Loenthran shores, but one particular seasoning will always be a local favorite -- sea salt. The eastern waters gather within the man-made pools close to the shores, producing a flavorful sea salt that is popular in Loenthran kitchens and a sworn staple of establishments across the Elven Nations.

The consistent temperatures allow artisans to harvest the salt in abundance, and when there is abundance, there is artistry. Harvested from the unique purple rocks lining the coast, the athysgelden is unsurprisingly a pale amethyst hue, a similarity with the house gem that local artisans take particular pride in. The smoked salts have grown in popularity, many infused with herbs and flora, adding an additional dimension to culinary crafting. The softly abrasive crystals are also used to create an exfoliant for the skin, mixed with fragrant oils and very popular amongst the population.

Tobacco

The artistry of tobacco curing is one of the more current undertakings amongst the younger generation of Loenthran craftspeople, these self-proclaimed "cigar sommeliers" crafting innovative blends that incorporate many of Ta'Loenthra's finest ingredients. Tobacco leaves are cured in the warm, consistent sun off the coasts and ground alongside a myriad of components, sometimes with the added infusion of thuja leaf, but newer blends have introduced flavors from both sea and land, smoked sea salts, and even crystallized honeycomb. Loenthran cigars are more slender than their frequently seen counterparts, and their wrappers are once again a study in aesthetic artistry, from wrap to label no detail is left unnoticed.

Craftworks

Master glassworkers have perfected the technique of creating arathiel, or firefly glass, an innovation of flame-like iridescence closely guarded within the Court of the Amethyst Fire.

Newly appointed Loenthran captains are often awarded ornate compasses inset with untinted arathiel to assist with their directional readings, utilizing the greenish sparks in the foggiest of conditions.

Other glassworkers tend to produce elaborate chandeliers of blown glass, the melding and mixing of colors described as though watercolors permeate the glass itself. Fragile bundles of blown glass flowers are frequently seen across the tables of well-known Loenthran families, and a single glass flower is often presented in courting rituals, the type of flower chosen being a personal matter between those courting.

As previously mentioned, collaborations between artisans often occur as apiarists and vintners seek out skilled glassworkers to bring their product visions to life as well.

Painters, potters, and lapidaries also play a vital part in the daily commerce of Ta'Loenthra, as their works of art are displayed in every shop, market, or government building as well as exported further throughout the Nations. I hope to return to the city in the near future to delve further into their techniques so that my notes may do justice to the artisan paradise that is Ta'Loenthra.

Education

Ta'Loenthra has comprehensive free education for all citizens, regardless of social class. Though taxes and private donors comprise a portion of the funding, the majority of the education system is funded by the Guilds. Guilds compete with one another through sizable donations with the stipulation they are to receive the first picks of students leaving their formal education.

Teachers are highly regarded and well-paid within the city-state due to the tenable impact they have on the future of arts and trade. Attendance in a college or a completed apprenticeship, followed by at least fifty years of working experience is required for all educators, with the expectations increasing for roles in higher education.

Childhood Education

Loenthran educational theory suggests rigid structures provided by more conventional schooling systems can stifle the creativity of young children. As such, early education focuses on self-directed learning, allowing children to explore their own interests and aptitudes. Due to the ever-fluctuating nature of a whimsical child, an individual student may drift from class to class throughout even a single year, seeking their niche.

These schools employ teachers with varied skill sets, allowing each to guide young children through more formal education by melding it with their current curiosities. For example, children with an inclination towards the arts may be placed in a class where they learn mathematics through the measuring and counting of their supplies; sciences through the mixing of paint and other mediums; reading through biographies of famous artists; and history through the lens of artistic movements during key historical eras.

Those of the aristocracy often employ tutors for supplemental education even at this young age, providing a distinct edge beyond the bounds of the free schools. Still, care is taken not to impede their children's creative growth. Tutors are expected to tailor lessons to the individual child, building cohesion between traditional education, artistry, imagination, and expressiveness.

Secondary Education

During adolescence, a student's focus will begin to narrow, at which point they are organized into educational groups based on their natural abilities and desires. The most common groups are Arts (further broken into visual, musical, and culinary arts), Trades, Sciences and Mathematics, Humanities, and Agriculture, though some schools may have other options available. These groups determine the balance of education given to each student, with a greater spread of education in their chosen subject, with supplemental classes in traditional education and magical theory. This format allows children to broadly explore their interests as they find a pathway for their life.

Although the aim is to provide a suitable education for each child, it is not uncommon for children to be pressured into specific directions as it fits their family's interests or businesses.

Post-Secondary Education

Upon reaching adulthood, Loenthrans must make the decision of whether or not to continue with formal education. Although colleges are free and all are encouraged to attend, it is not unusual for those of lower socioeconomic status to forgo further education as they need to begin working for the well-being of their family. On occasion, this may be combined with an apprenticeship -- the first option readily available to those who have completed their secondary education.

The length of an apprenticeship varies based on the trade but provides Loenthrans with focused training in their chosen field of study under the guidance of a master. Though all apprentices legally must be provided room and board, not all will earn wages. The competition is stiff for acquiring a master that provides a salary, often only offered by well-renowned trade guilds as they seek the best of all tradespeople.

For those who choose neither of these options, there are numerous free colleges to choose from throughout the city-state. This will be the most structured part of a Loenthran's formal education, concentrated in mastering a specific area of skill or knowledge. Time spent may extend to as long as five decades, depending on if the student is studying arts or humanities, or if they have a more scientifically or magically inclined focus.

After completing education in the arts or trades, a young Loenthran may join a guild, either recruited or by arduous, competitive application, or be scouted by a wealthy aristocrat and enter into a symbiotic sponsorship with a patron.

Finishing Schools

Albeit not part of the free education system, finishing schools flourish in the city-state of Ta'Loenthra, rivaling even the finest schools in Ta'Nalfein. The most prosperous of the nobility tend to favor boarding schools, such as Lienselan Academy in Sisailrend, open during the warmer summer months in the countryside. As an alternative, some schools (the most well-known being Arananiea Day School) hold sessions in the afternoons within the city proper. These more affordable options tend to bring in children of new money or fervent social climbers seeking patronage amongst the matriarchy. Thus, these institutions are considered undesirable by the highest echelons of society.

Guilds and Patronages

Most commonly, a Loenthran that has completed schooling will join a Guild for financial security or chance the whims of a patron for wealth and social status. Some opt to strike out on their own, though the path may be difficult to navigate without the political and social aids a Guild membership or patronage provides.

Guilds

When the arts, mercantile, and trade guilds formed in the year -37,531, they brought economic stability to the city-state by establishing guidelines for quality, standardizing prices, and building partnerships between various arts and trades. Over the millennia, the guilds formed coalitions within their respective neighborhoods, becoming political powerhouses due to their stronghold over the economy.

Although not officially part of the Loenthran government, the guilds ultimately decide the economic laws and regulations. Preferring to focus on societal and international affairs, the matriarchy generally leaves these matters to the guilds, only stepping in when the guilds fail to resolve differences of opinion on their own.

One such event of note was the Great Rainbow Riot of -23,232, when several rivaling guild coalitions could not agree on the price of dyes and paints. During this dispute, coalitions refused to trade with one another, slowing or even halting the production of many goods across the capital city for several weeks. The matriarchy was forced to play its hand when the situation escalated to riots, during which rioters looted guild warehouses and smashed vials of dye and paint in the city streets. It is said the roads ran red, yellow, blue, and a particularly popular purple hue, and in the end, it was all an unsightly brown mess.

In addition to their heavy influence over economic matters, the guilds have long held power within the education system. Although their enormous grants to the free schools may seem to be an example of financial altruism, ultimately, it is for the benefit of ensuring they will be the first to recruit the most talented students to join their ranks–-at least this was the original idea.

Naturally, over time, as the guilds grew their resources and connections, being related to a prominent guild member or having prominent political ties could supersede any skill. Membership fees and commission cuts continued to increase. Still, they provide people with steady work, which can be difficult to obtain within the dominion of a powerful guild, albeit with increasingly lower profit for the individual. This domination of the guilds over the arts and trade crafts ran unchecked until -6807, with the rise of patronage.

Patronage

Weary of the nepotism and growing fees and greed within the guilds, a group of talented students chose to build their own path to success. They petitioned various nobility to sponsor their arts and trades, building exclusive, symbiotic relationships with their new financial backers. The artists rose to high esteem among the aristocrats through these connections, and the patrons were lauded by high society for finding such remarkable people.

Patronage quickly became quite fashionable, with much of the nobility actively seeking out exceptionally skilled artists, musicians, artisans, poets, writers, philosophers, and dancers. As the pool of talent was drained by the aristocracy, the Guilds were forced to lower their fees to be a more attractive option. Unable to compete against promises of glory and wealth, membership dwindled for many millennia before leveling out.

Some become patrons for the love of the arts, but more commonly these sponsorships are cleverly used to elevate one's social status or build political ties, as there is much prestige associated with the success of a patron's "chosen ones." Financial gain for the patrons is rarely important, the majority taking little to no cut of the commissions.

As the number of patrons increased, the desire for greater acclaim grew, giving birth to numerous annual competitions. Some examples include sword-dancing trials, decorative canal boat racing, glassblowing competitions, and a week of varied musical productions. The accolades and prestige are shared by patrons and proteges alike.

While patronage offers an alternative to the Guilds that assures both a higher take of pay and social standing, the proteges are often subject to the whims of the patron. The rise to fame can swiftly turn to a devastating fall, particularly if caught in the whirlwind of societal drama and ever-escalating demands.

Other Cities & Towns in Ta'Loenthra

• Lae'Astiel: A small city in the northeastern corner of Ta'Loenthra
• Loetira: Another small city just south of Lae'Astiel
• Vy'Laenar: A hamlet in central Ta'Loenthra known for its high quality grains
• Sisailrend: A small community outside the city of Ta'Loenthra known for its artistic arrangement of terraced farming

A Note on Naming Protocols

While the prefix or suffix is often dropped over time, below are the most common affixes used in identifying areas.

• Ta' is the prefix used for only the primary cities and city-states of the elven houses. Ta'Loenthra, therefore, refers to the city, the entirety of the House's lands, or the city-state itself depending on context.
• Lae' is a prefix used for all other cities. It is very common for the "Lae" to be dropped, especially in speech.
• Vy' indicates smaller communities, such as hamlets and villages, when Lae' would not be appropriate.
• Rend is a suffix roughly translated as "community of" and is always appended without punctuation, such as Sylvaerrend. Use of Vy' vs -rend varies over time, and the lines are often blurred for usage; however, -rend is typically reserved for those small communities near each nation's primary city.
• Ymn is used as both a prefix and a suffix, but primarily a suffix. It roughly translates to "dale of <Name>."
• Vae means a farming community of a particular family and is always a suffix. It can either be appended to the word without punctuation (such as Avaelavae) or done with a separating apostrophe (such as Avaela'Vae or Avaela'vae). For Loenthran elves, the most common usage is without punctuation.
  • Speaking of farms in general would be "evaen." Example: The evaens of Ta'Loenthra are rich and varied.
• Hnore is a suffix means "guild of" and can be appended directly or with an apostrophe. Unlike "vae," it is never capitalized.
• Evyn represents garrisons and is typically a suffix without any punctuation. It can be used as a prefix, in which case it would be followed by an apostrophe and both it and its main word are capitalized.

Climate & Flora

The lands of the Loenthra range from temperate to continental, the climate allowing for all four seasons, with mostly mild winters, but snow in moderation is not unusual. Because of this, Loenthran lands are richly verdant. In the spring and summer, gardens bloom and crops flourish. Autumn is a season to behold, with its vibrancy of colors and rich harvests. When the snows fly, it blankets the land in painting-worthy perfection.

Artists often focus on the lush spring greenery, as it complements the ivory and amethyst building schemes throughout the area. However, each season offers its own fairy-tale image, and one can always find groups of artists focused on each.

The city of Ta'Loenthra itself bears the brunt of off-shore weather fronts brought in from the oceans. Fortunately, its latitude is temperate enough and the seas mild enough that the city rarely has to endure major weather-related cataclysmic events. Snow in the city of Ta'Loenthra is more mild than the rest of Loenthran lands, making it all the more celebrated when it arrives each year.

Loenthran Flora

Loenthran lands have a wide variety of unique flora, and their botanists freely share with other elven houses and interested parties in order to spread their living art throughout the world.

A few of the most common aeleria (flowers) and other plants native to Loenthra are:

Aeunarad: A type of willow specific to Ta'Loenthra, the aeunarad grows tall and branches out frequently, making it perfect for climbing. An ancient myth claims that any sitting high in an aeunarad tree will be compelled to tell the truth, leading to the custom in some rural areas of lovers climbing the tree to exchange promises of love -- a custom called the aeunael. The tree itself has smooth white bark and silver-backed viridian leaves, with bright yellow catkins.

Beleria: Slightly herbaceous with floral tones reminiscent of violets, the beleria is an intensely fragrant flower native to the southern lands about Ta'Loenthra. They grow wild in forest glades, meadows, and temperate valleys, and they take well to cultivation. In fact, belerias are specifically grown by some apiarists as they are well-loved by honey bees. Honey created by bees only feeding on beleria is called selanbel and it has a light, unique flavor that sets it apart from other honeys. Like the scent of the beleria, selanbel tastes slightly herbaceous with brushes of violet-like florality. Belien, a mead made with selanbel pulls these flavors together into a lush and sweet alcoholic beverage tinged with notes of vanilla and oak.

Elunerial: A type of snowdrop growing wild in the northernmost regions of Ta'Loenthra. Larger than most snowdrops, the blossoms are pale pink or lavender, rather than white, with a sturdy silver-flecked, dark green stem.

N'erenael: This "flower of the shadows" is an evening-blooming wisteria of deep crimson blossoms and green-black vines. While more traditional wisteria is popular for its gradients of purple, n'erenael is coveted for its lush and unique flowers as well as its fragrance.

Selanael: Known as the "flower of the light," selanael is a type of lilac with sunshine yellow blooms, bright green leaves, and vibrant purple-black bark. Gardeners prefer to cultivate it into trees versus smaller bushes in order to highlight the glossy bark and to fill the sky above themselves with the bright yellow blossoms.

Sylthiel: Sylthiel is a type of moss with a crystal-like growth structure that allows it to adapt to its surroundings in an almost chameleon-like manner. Found in damp forests and caves in several areas near Ta'Loenthra, the moss is naturally a vivid lime green color, but due to its structure and other biochemical reactions still under research, it can appear to be any number of shades to blend into its surroundings. An enterprising liqueur artist attempted distilling it with wormwood and anise, creating a unique absinthe-like liqueur with a hint more sweet than bitter when compared to standard absinthe. This drink, sylath, is a vivid lime green, very potent, and served either straight (chilled or at room temperature) or mixed with sparkling white wines to create a sylath cocktail.

OOC Notes & Credits

• Many thanks to the players who provided numerous ideas over the years for Ta'Loenthra (and all things elven)
• Many thanks to the original GMs who wrote the elven houses for creating such a wonderful tapestry for us to weave within
• And many thanks to GM Naos who built up a fair number of potential elven words once upon a time, many of which form the basis of the new words and terms used here
• Additional thanks to GM Gyres for inspiration on some components as well
• And last, but not least, major kudos to GM Mariath for QCing a large, multi-authored project with so many new words!
• Document written in 2023 by:
  • Casil (Schools & Guilds)
  • Elysani (Farm & Food Production)
  • Thandiwe (Cities & Towns w/Xynwen)
  • Valyrka (City Layout, project lead)
  • Xynwen (Architecture, Climate & Flora, Cities & Towns w/Thandiwe, (a lot of) the new words, final polishing/review for consistency)