Tel Edhil

Tel Edhil is the che capital of the Kingdom of Iacaris and the seat of Queen Caerynna. In common, the name translates as the Serene City. Wildlife is ever present in the city, with birds and fireflies in the air and almirajes in the undergrowth around the trees. This ancient city is more grown than built - at first glance, it barely looks like a city, with many buildings melded into cliffs and trees, although some are more familiar-looking. The streets are undulating grass-covered paths beneath large boughs that shade the city from above.

Locations

At ground-level the sunlight is mostly filtered out by the dense foliage above, but strategically placed lunarite lanterns give out a dim, soothing blue-ish light which makes day and night almost inseparable. As such, most elven residents don't keep to a set sleep schedule, and businesses are open whenever their proprietors are awake.

Many houses in the city are tree houses, with the largest ones built around the tall silver oak trees that dot the city. Graceful walkways connects rooms of various sizes, gazebos, balconies, and towers on different branches of the tree. The trees themselves has smooth light-grey bark that almost looks like marble. Many of the silver oaks are the manors of noble houses.

The city is informally divided into Wards. The areas between the Wards is usually less densely populated, with most choosing to live nearer to others.

Queen's Ward

The central part of the city, which surrounds Ambar Tenelcel, the palace of Queen Caerynna. The houses here are larger and more elaborate than elsewhere.

Ambar Tenelcel

Ambar Tenelcel, the Silver Oak Palace, is a massive tree that stands about 300ft tall in the center of Tel Edhil. This is the palace of Queen Caerynna. The upper floors of the palace is one of the few places in the city where the sun is visible during the day. In the top of the upper bough of the tree is a large open-air throne room, called the Sun Court. This is where Queen Caerynna carries out her official business, dressed in whites and gold. The Luthdore, her elite personal Warden guard, are never far from her.

The road that circles the palace is much wider than what is needed for traffic and serves as a gathering place for the people of Tel Edhil. At the crossroads with the street that leads towards the river stands a large marble fountain statue depicting two elves mid-dance.

The Hearth

Wealthy inn

The premier inn in Tel Edhil, the Hearth is run by a Fire Genasi named Paribal. She oversees a crew of various races, including their Warforged chef Cookie, who was programmed to cook by Paribal herself. Soft beds and nice beverages await any traveler who stays here. The inn is located near the river, and has a large common room and a top floor where the rooms are.

Shrine of Saint Arwyn

This shrine is the main Pilgrim Knights presence in the city. The shrine itself is a hollowed out tree with a life-size statue of Arwyn Elsiter, one of the founders of the Pilgrim Knights. The statue used to hold Arwyn's fabled sword, Fiendfell, until it was stolen. Some of Arwyn's descendants still live in Tel Edhil, and are frequent visitors of the shrine.

Disciple Brinie nan Maeral

(female wood elf, NG): Charitor in charge of the shrine. She provides basic Charitor services to visitors and pilgrims.

Captain Gundin Bronzefist

(male dwarf, LG): Commander of a small squad of spears that is stationed here.

Temple Gardens

Located across the Isnelon from the city center, this verdant part of the city is home to serveral temples.

Odin's Hallow

Aeltindris, Aeltindris (blue-rune-temple).

Centered around a white monolith with inlaid lunarite runes, this sacred grove is surrounded by tall silver-oaks, forming almost an outside chamber bathed in the blue lunarite light, even in daytime. Smaller runestones are placed along the walkways of the grove, each holding a wise proverb.

Cerelvar Tindotirel

(high elven knowledge cleric, TN): High priest of the Odin worshippers. One of the most learned people in the arts of the runes in the world. He has studied, meditated, and prayed for wisdom for many years.

Halawyn Drisabel

(high elven expert runecarver, LN): Taught at the Carver's Retreat, Halawyn makes runestones that chronicle the events of the day. She was in a position where she could have become the grand-master of the Retreat had she stayed, but chose to go back to Tel Edhil and serve at the Hallow, a much lower-status position.

Marketcleft

Not far from the palace, a large ravine lies between two hills. It is slightly less than a mile long, a hundred feet deep and two hundred feet wide. The sides of the ravine have been dug out with caves in several stories. The caves house shops and businesses that peddle in all manner of goods: smiths, weavers, cobblers, apothecaries and many more. Some shops are small, consisting only of a simple room hewn into the walls of the cleft, while the largest ones have tens of rooms that expand for hundreds of feet into the sides. The interiors also range from simple natural stone floors to lavish marble with mosaic inlays. Wooden stairs and walkways on the side of the ravine connect the bottom with the floors above. The bottom of the ravine has simpler stalls and stands where merchants hawk their wares.

The Royal Arcanaeum

One of the oldest establishments in the Market-cleft, the Arcanaeum is the largest magic shop in Tel Edhil. They run a strict no-bargaining policy. The Arcanaeum employs several dozen artisan enchanters of different skills and specializations. To become an apprentice enchanter, one must have top grades from the Stargarden or the Archivists.

The Arcanaeum can create almost any item, but their highest quality services are only available to those who act in the service of the Kingdom of Iacaris.

Saevel Briniex

(high elf artificer, NG): Grand Enchanter of the Arcanaeum. He is an old elf who has served at the Arcanaeum for several human lifetimes.

Critter Companions

On the bottom floor of the Market-cleft, a small shop staffed by two halflings sell animals, both large and small. The walls are lined with cages, and it doesn't smell great. The animals however, are mostly friendly and decently trained. The animals they sell range from common lizards and almirajes that already make the city their home, to much rarer fey beings that would make a unique, life-long companion if treated well.

Gems and Jewels Inc

This shop is at the very bottom of the Market-cleft. The store is homely decorated with lacquered wooden panels on the walls and glass display cases showing the various items for sale.

Mystra Glittersparks

(gnome expert jeweler, NG): Young blonde gnome. She is a fierce haggler when she buys and sells gems and jewelry.

Canal Ward

South of the Queen's Ward, a canal has been excavated to a small lake, in order to provide a harbor that is protected from the often-rapid Isnelon. From here, there are ships leaving for Alyn Yunaes almost every hour, weather permitting.

Sanctum of Remembrance

This temple to Hel is dedicated to the ancestors, and many elves choose to have be cremated and have their ashes stored here. It is staffed by a small number of veiled female attendants dressed in black, who never speak in front of outsiders.

Spring Ward

Located to the northeast, this area of the city has the most non-elven inhabitants. The ward is named for the small lake, a popular swimming spot year round.

Traveler's Haven

Poor inn

More of a bunkhouse than an inn, the Haven is run by a thirty-something half elf man named Desmund. This is a rather shifty establishment, filled with the workers of the city and ladies of the night seeking temporary employment.

Nirnewyn nan Iacaris

(wood elf, CN): Drug dealer who peddles various intoxicants, including Sanguine Fizzle and Whitemiss extract. She dresses in provocative black leathers, and carries two large curved daggers on her hips.

Siltharel, the Stargarden

The Stargarden is a large sprawling compound in the northern part of the city, surrounded by an ornate fence. Here, magic is taught to those elves that prove adept at it. They do not take many students, but each one is given expert tutoring and the graduates are top choices for recruitment by the Wardens' battle-mage squads and by the artificers of the Royal Arcanaeum.

The entry chamber is a wide hollow oak tree, and most of the grounds are fenced in. The grounds contain both libraries and research workshops as well as greenhouses and gardens, as both arcane and druidic spellcasters are taught here. The druidic circles represented here are the Land and Stars. They also teach a small number of monks, mostly Warriors of the Elements.

The Chisel

Situated near the northern edge of the city, The Chisel is a large workshop dedicated to the art of sculpture. Here, masters teach students how to extract forms from wood, stone, and clay. Their work can be found all over Tel Edhil, and beyond.

Berwyn Tenelbaeniex

(high elf, NG): Master sculptor who works in marble. Her works have a softness to them, despite being made from hard stone. Even most nobles can only dream of commissioning a marble bust from her. She has made several depictions of Queen Caerynna, most of them displayed in her palace.

Nina Springwell

(human, LN): One of only a few non-elven students here. She mostly works in wood, carving elaborate scrollwork patterns.

Thalris

Thalris, lit 'Fair-Island', is surrounded on both sides by the Isnelon. It is a poor part of the city, despite its proximity to the Queen's Ward.

Rheadarcele

Lit 'Luck-Game-Tree'. This silver oak is a lavish club and casino owned by House Silionbar. With each floor you ascend in the tree, the maximum stakes also rises.

Flower Ward

Renowned for its many gardens.

Wardens Headquarters

By the main entrance to the city lies the garrison and headquarters of the Wardens, the military of the Kingdom. This is their main recruitment center, where those who wish to join are trained and evaluated. Many elven rangers and fighters started their journey in the Rathdore. Becoming an officer of the Wardens is one of the best ways for a commoner to advance socially in the city.

This also serves as the base of operations for the city guard, which is commanded by Crown Prince Aerivar. Most patrols consist of a pair of guards, but the entrances, bridges and key locations have a bigger presence. The garrison is commanded by Crown Prince Aerivar, but the city is not built for defense - instead, the elves rely on their inland location and superior woodsmanship to prevent any enemy from even getting close to the city.