Government: The Elben Nation

Structure of the Government

The government of the Elben nation is a very simple one. Individual villages are each led by an elected Reeve. Once elected to the position, it is for life, unless the Reeve chooses to step down. A village’s Reeve is not an absolute ruler, but rather makes decisions after consultation with the people in village meetings. The town of Garstang actually has two Reeves, one for the west side of town, and one for the east side. The villages marked on the map are joined by many unmarked communities of smaller sizes, especially throughout the Garwood and in the country around Louth.

Leading the nation as a whole is the Graf. The Graf is advised by the various Reeves, as well as by the Headmaster of the Academy, and a few other individuals with specific expertise. Like the Reeves, the tenure in the position is for life unless he or she chooses to step down. Unlike the Reeves, however, the position is not an elected one. To select a new Graf, each Reeve nominates one person to the position; Reeves cannot be nominated unless they step down before the nominations begin. A candidate does not have to accept the nomination if they don’t want the position. Any citizen of the Elben nation who does not currently hold the position of Reeve is a potential candidate.

Once all the nominees have either accepted or rejected their nomination, those who accepted continue on to a series of tests. Each test focuses on a different subject; some are physical, some are mental, some are knowledge based. After each test, those candidates who did not pass are eliminated, and those remaining continue to the next test, until only one is left. If all candidates fail any given test, the results of that test are discarded and they all move on to the next. Once the testing has concluded with one candidate remaining, that person becomes the new Graf; there is no ceremony or fanfare, they simply take up residence at a house called the Grafshall in Garstang.

Geography

The bulk of the territory of the Elben nation rests on the north side of the Rottel Bay. In the far west is the cliff, which marks the border of inhabited territory, and the waterfall on the Torrent River, the Tallfalls, near the village of the same name. A small stretch of rocky terrain gives way to the heavy forest of the Garwood. The coast of Rottel Bay, from Tallfalls to Garstang, is rough and rocky and in many places features low cliffs at the water’s edge. Further east, past the Garwood, the terrain is somewhat rocky, but mostly flat farmland, especially beyond the River Gar. The coast south-east of Garstang retains the rocky nature, but the cliffs drop down and eventually give way to a simple beach-like strand.

A small section of the south shore is also controlled by the Elben nation, comprised almost completely of farmland and pastures for reindeer herds. A few small islands sit in the main Bay, and serve as part of the extended naval base at Haven. The only major river actually in elben territory is the River Gar, which is the largest river in the Bay, both in width and rate of flow. However, the Canal also forms the far eastern border of the nation.

Industry

The nation’s economy is a varied one. The four communities in the Garwood Forest all harvest lumber as a large part of their economy; Vellis and Plevor devote about half of their energy to logging, while Crawdon and Goole give it a heavier emphasis. Garstang has the largest lumber mill in the Bay, with many of the un-milled logs floated down the River Gar from Goole, and others brought by cart and boat from the coastal villages. An impact crater near the village of Tallfalls is mined by the local populace for the valuable skymetal the elben forge their klaeth’s from. Finally, the quarry at Norwick provides the nation with the multi-hued marble that the elben use for constructing nearly all their buildings.

Food production is also a significant portion of the nation’s economy. Vellis and Plevor have significant fishing industries, and Garstang, Tallfalls and Tandry supplement their other industries with fishing as well. Garstang is also a centre for farming and reindeer herding, industries shared with the village of Louth on the north side of Rottel Bay, and Tandry, Elland, and Sellick on the south side.

Haven is now primarily a naval base, but, like Canalside, it used to be a community in its own right. Some military training, primarily naval, is conducted in Haven, but the elben and uruks also do much of their training in isolated camps in the Garwood. Though many of their militias’ weapons are made in the Uruk nation, bladesmiths throughout the Elben nation make klaeths and saeges. 

Possible Adventure Hooks

The first of our suggested adventure hooks for the Elben nation is actually more specifically about the Academy. Given the arcane magic that abounds on the Academy grounds, all manner of potential dangers could arise. One student, having gained his or her powers through a deal with a demon, might be trying to lure other students into some sort of Bishalic cult. Friends or family of victims might seek the help of adventurers to rescue their loved ones, or the Academy’s administration may want the cultists rooted out and dealt with quietly, so as not to give those who revile the arcane arts more ammunition to use against the Academy. Alternatively, it may be a member of the faculty luring students into the cult, even a member of the Academy Board.

The Garwood is one of the nation’s great resources. The forest provides both lumber and rich hunting grounds, and a threat to those supplies could prove disastrous. A disease or infestation could threaten both the flora and fauna, or could even transmogrify them, setting loose an army of mutant beasts and treants upon the innocent citizenry. To go a simpler route, fire is always a threat when it comes to forests, and saving lost or trapped hunters and woodcutters from the advancing flames could prove to be an adventure all on its own.

Finally there is the skymetal mined in Tallfalls. Elben klaeths and even some of their finer saeges are made from this mysterious material. Lightweight but strong, easy to work with but never loses its edge; the skymetal would be quite a prize for the alfar and hodekin if they were able to capture a supply. Your adventurers could even be sent far behind enemy lines to sabotage the mine and steal as much as they can. Doing that would be a blow to both the Elben nation’s militia and their pride and morale.

Wednesday: The Threat of Merrow

Race: Elben

What is an Elben?

The elben are a noble looking race. They stand quite tall, usually more than six feet, and though not burly can hold their own against a human. They stand out from the other peoples of the Bay primarily because of their skin, which is far darker than the others (we would call it black), save for a few dark-skinned humans (who are believed by some to have forgotten elben ancestry). Their hair matches their skin, being black or very dark brown, and it is usually worn quite long by both males and females.

Some elben’s green eyes are somewhat almond shaped, but there are just as many who do not have this trait. Another point of focus might be their ears; while the elben are what one would normally call elves, the elben do not have pointed ears like the elves of other settings. Finally, an elben’s facial features tend to be very angular and severe, with high cheekbones and sharp chins. Their noses are also generally longer than any other race’s, sometimes bordering on witchlike.

What are Elben like?

Compared to the average citizen of the Bay, the elben are highly intelligent beings. With that intelligence, however, comes a healthy (some would say unhealthy) dose of pride. Though they acknowledge the place of less gifted races in the world, they often make the mistake of acting dismissive and superior, which has earned them the ire of many alfar and hodekin.

Despite their frequent arrogance, the elben are usually quite willing to listen to reason and logic. If you give an elben a good enough reason to respect you, they will happily change their view. Their respect for reason permeates their culture, and it contributes to their tendency toward arcane magic, as learning it involves learning about the logic and mechanics of how the world works.

Though logic is an important part of elben culture, that doesn’t mean they shun emotions. Emotions, both positive and negative, have immense value as they give you information. The danger of emotions is that they can mislead you; not every fear should be heeded completely, and not every desire should necessarily be followed through with. Reason and logic allow an elben to evaluate their emotions and choose the appropriate response for the specific situation, rather than simply responding instinctively and perhaps acting rashly. In short, logic is a guide to better understand your emotions, not a replacement for them.

Elben Society

Magic is everywhere in elben culture. Most people know a little bit of magic, and the race’s constant exposure over the ages has resulted in an inborn ability to teleport short distances. Though the Academy is the source of complete arcane training, it is fairly common for children to be taught some simple magic in preparation for the future; whether that future includes attendance at the Academy, joining the militia, or simply becoming a farmer, herder, or woodcutter.

Equality, be it of gender, age, class, or profession, is not defended like it is among the uruks; it is simply taken as a matter of course and paid no special attention. Each person is measured purely by their own merits and accomplishments. Most elben do not seek money or fame, but instead seek to better themselves and the society of the Bay as a whole. A bladesmith would strive to make finer and finer klaethes, inching ever closer to perfection; while an arcanist might seek to increase food production through magical means.

Elben Faith

The elben differ somewhat from the other races in their view of Voland and the Order. The stories in the Libram are viewed more as parables than history; they are meant to teach lessons and instil values rather than to recount actual events. The story of the birth of the world and the encounter between Voland and Bishal is still significant, but it is a lesson about earning and using knowledge for the betterment of the world, and being ever watchful for those who strive to take without earning. Voland spent time experimenting, shaping first the crude features of the world, slowly working his way to creating life. And when he created life, he did not leap directly to the final stage, instead he worked slowly again from simple to complex, until finally, after many long ages, creating the thinking beings. They have taken that lesson to heart and value hard work towards a goal, and by extension the understanding and reason involved in that effort. If they tried to simply reach the goal without going through the journey, they would be little better than Bishal, trying to steal the world and credit for its creation from Voland.

Wednesday: The Academy