The city of Sianthylèsari, or Silverdawn as it is known in the humans’ tongue, is literally grown into the massive trees of the Glimmerwood Forest. High up in the canopy walkways glimmer and spiraling stairways twist and turn in harmony with the growth of the trees. Nestled in the safety of the heights, the elves have made their home. 

Located in the midst of a deep valley, the “city” is actually three massive trees. The first and largest is the city of Silverdawn itself. Vibrant green leaves adorn the tree in every season. An occasional glint can be seen from the trees, but the leaves are as good as a wall, and no figures or movement can usually be discerned behind the thick green wall.

Nearing the base of the trees, a brown wooden platform attached to four strong looking vines is visible. These four vines meet about 8-10 feet above the platform at a metal pulley. More vines go up from there high into the trees. 

The only significant light in the darkness of the forest beneath Silverdawn is located at the Grand Elevator. Guards wait for anyone to come in, the numbers varying with the shifts. Most of them are sour and challenge visitors before permitting them on. The Grand Elevator is the only way into the city. 

Silverdawn is made up of three main levels that reflect a person's social standing. Terai, the high city, sianne, the middle city, and ketan the low city. The yrtal, is the ground floor and is often not considered a “true” level of the city. 

The Terai
The brightest level, the terai is lit with a distinctly elven version of the glow of the sun; it was tinted slightly green from the leaves of the trees above. The houses and buildings here are ornate and mostly huge. Inhabited by the noble telensyas and artists, the terai is supposedly a haven from thieves. The telar has appointed a pair of guards to man the lift from the sianne to the terai.

Containing the two largest of Silverdawn’s libraries, the terai is much more a center of learning and arts then the other two levels of the city. There are no shops located on the terai. Besides the dwellings and the libraries, a few other buildings include the secretive military academy and art studios.

The síril'asthà, who shape the city, guide the trees away from three spots in Silverdawn, opening up holes to allow the sun in. Each hole is located in the terai, which is why it is so much brighter than the other two levels. There is a platform in the terai directly underneath one of those three spots where elves go to study the stars or merely take in their beauty.

The Sianne
The middle section of the city is inhabited mostly by the few shopkeepers and travelers to the city. The only shops an elf would need, Seltin’s Wares; the supplies shop for travelers, The Arrow’s Flight for weapons and armors, and Ryshliodan’s Shop for books are all located here. Also in the sianne are two inns. The larger and more established of the two, The Pale Moon, is popular and a good place for travelers to find information, a friend or supper. The smaller inn is more selective and requires would-be patrons to present a token to gain admittance.
 

The Pale Moon
Sitting upon part of the vast branches of Silverdawn, the inn and tavern is three floors in height. Above its door lies a sign with The Pale Moon inscribed and a picture of a full moon centered just below the text. 

Like the rest of Sianthylèsari, The Pale Moon was grown from the branches of the forest; the roof not much more than cleverly crossed branches that went their separate ways in growth. 

The interior of The Pale Moon is a large common room full of tables and chairs. Directly above the door is a large, glass window imported from the desert. A stage resides against the far wall, a raised platform usually occupied by a performer. Along the same wall are the stairs leading up to the rooms of the inn. 

Against the wall that is to the right of the door, is the bar and kitchen. A simple wooden counter separates the bartender from the customers and the cabinets beneath the counter hold the bottles of liquor. More bottles line the shelves on the wall behind the counter. An open passage way leads to the kitchen, which is in use, mostly in the morning and just before the dinner crowd. Travelers arriving at any other time can usually get some fresh fruit or chilled dishes. Fire is not used, but balls of yellow arèní on the walls keep the room lit without the dangers of burning down the city, 

The proprietor, Lasen’vyri is a staunch apron-wearing elf, who is almost always tending the bar or in the kitchen. The ever-growing staff is competent and usually friendly. Lasen keeps the keys to the rooms behind the bar, but offers them freely as long as he has the space. 

The inn is well known as a center of the arts, and many nights musicians play for a large dinner crowd. The Pale Moon often holds contests for aspiring artists. All types of elves frequent The Pale Moon; even those who live in the city often drop by for a drink and to hear the latest news. It is an excellent place to gather information and rumors abound. 

The Ketan
The steps leading into the ketan have been worn with time, but are still serviceable. The further down one descend, the darker it gets. By the time one gets down into the streets, it is as dark as if it was midnight.

Even though the ketan is the poorer section, culturally speaking, the streets are just as well grown as those of the terai. The workers who live in the ketan ensure the streets stay clean. Houses tend to be farther spaced from one another, but are still easily accessible when necessary. Most houses have thick vines to serve as doors, but none have roofs. Rather, they were all built under branches with ample leaves so that water would run off to the sides for the most part.

Down in the ketan, few homes have a bathing room, though all have pipes of water leading to kitchen areas. To bathe, residents of the ketan go to one of several public baths, known as faienye.  The public baths have two separate rooms, one for male and one for female, each with one large pool of warm water for soaking and one large pool of cold water for cooling off. 

During the day, the ketan is usually quiet, with almost everyone out harvesting food from the trees or indoors, working on other tasks. Few elves venture out at true night however, when it is so dark that it is difficult to see, even with infravision. 

There is one inn located in the ketan, the Light of Night Tavern. The exterior is adorned only by a redwood sign of a crescent moon and stars. The building itself is practical and simple looking. The interior is just as utilitarian, with simple booths grown from the walls. A bar usually manned by a sour looking elf is to the left of the entrance and as is traditional, a small stage is located opposite the door. The Light of Night only has two floors, the second consisting entirely of small, practical rooms. Few elves stay here, preferring instead the splendor and comfort of the Pale Moon Inn.

The Yrtal
The lowest “level” of Silverdawn, this is the forest floor. Very simple in design, it contains a few houses, a small smithy, and the stables. All of the buildings on the yrtal are small so as to not interfere with the forest. Since elves try not to not disturb the areas not being utilized by the city, paths aren't truly made through the Glimmerwood Forest at all. Consequentially, elves don't use horses hardly at all, and the stables are small, only containing about ten stalls.

The paths that do exist around the yrtal lead to Myst Lake, Na’el or the nearby hot springs. These are kept in good shape, as they are used frequently by the nobles moving to and fro from their lakeside homes and the travelers moving in-between Sianthylèsari and Na’el.

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Church of Telgard 
The third and smallest of the three trees is the Mother Church of Telgard. The oldest church in the realms, the beginning of religion. This tree is adorned with beautiful red leaves, no matter the season. A peacefulness settles on everyone when their eyes a lit upon this palace of leaves.

The walkway from the sianne is another moving bridge surrounded by a covered canopy of branches. There is also a small lift into the Church courtyard from the forest floor. The courtyard of the Church is well spaced, to allow the priests to move about and be in touch with nature while cocemplating. Another large hole was carefully crafted to let light into the courtyard, making it bright during the day. 

The Church is the best place to find healing as all healers are assigned there, regardless of whether they are in the priesthood. An entire wing of the church is devoted to the Healer’s Hall and there are many individual rooms for the sick, as well as a large room for the injured and some offices where healers can place cots for emergencies.
 

Citadel of Dawn
Like a diamond in the rough, the Citadel of Dawn exuded royalty amongst rabble, if there was jewel in the crown of the elven people it was the golden-leaved Tree, the residence of the telar, ruler of the elven people. No motion could be seen amongst its branches, for the leaves were as good as any walls... 

It is a spectacle to see, its tall spires reaching up into the sky. Light streams through a carved opening in the top of the Citadel, casting a shadow that tells which l’ínar of the current serínth it is. The te’rish birds of the grand nesál trees glide from branch to branch until the sun sets. 

The walkway to the Citadel of Dawn is located in the terai. It is a moving platform that conveys dignitaries from the Silverdawn Tree to the courtyard of the Citadel of Dawn. The courtyard itself is a marvelous piece of Lifesong engineering. The branches weave themselves together to form an arch for visitors to pass through on their way to the Grand Doors. The Doors themselves are decorated with the most rare flowers in the world. Two guards stand to either side of the pair of massive doors at all hours. The best-trained anarin in all of Lirryn, nothing and no one gets past these guards. 
 

Laws
Elves revere all life, thus killing in any form is unacceptable to most. Most elves elect not to eat meat and leathers of any sort are viewed with distaste. While Lifesong is the basis of all elven society, many elves view magic with hatred and suspicion, for they believe that magic was the cause behind the loss of their two beloved Monarchs during the time of the Scourge.

Due in part to their insular lifestyles and their long-livedness, elves do not focus on material goods. Only precious and rare items, such as weapons and artworks cost money and even then the prices vary wildly depending on the item or even just the mood the seller is in. Short of joining the secretive military academy, weapons training is impossible to obtain in Silverdawn.

The guard station, located in the sianne is mostly designed as a holding place for criminals until their guilt or innocence is declared. Containing a few cells and an interrogation room, the station isn’t very large. A long counter sits across from the door, it is here people can file missing reports, turn in lost items and the like. The city guards are rumored to have the ability to walk any surface without even alerting the ears of animals. 

The most heinous crime in the eyes of the elves is arson. Fire is highly dangerous to everything from the Tree of the city, to the creatures of the surrounding forest. Murder is the next worse. Elves breed rarely and after the terrible destruction of the Race Wars, a decree was passed against murderers. These are the two worse crimes in the eyes of elves and carry a life sentence, which for an elf is a long time indeed.

Other serious crimes include rape, child abuse, and art theft. Lesser crimes involve illegal drugs and property theft. 

As punishment, convicted elves are sealed inside a special prison tree. It is left open enough to provide air, and the tree itself provides food and water. Lengths of interment are determined by the severity of the crime. Released convicts compare it to being buried alive for enternity. 

Customs
Elves live for art. This is the only thing that matters to them. There are three libraries in Silverdawn, and more will open as elves collect more tomes. The largest of the three is located in the terai. The Halls of Memory is a truly huge building packed full of books containing every subject ever written about.
 

Halls Of Memory- Like all the rooms of Silverdawn, the walls, floor, and ceiling of the Hall are made from branches of the great tree woven together to form solid barriers. However, few other rooms are as vast as this one. The Hall spans two stories, and is nigh a hundred yards long. Stairs to the upper floor and walkways are formed and shaped from other branches. 

Throughout the center of the room are numerous tables, both small and large, and comfortable chairs for the solitary reader. Large globes, containing the yellow arèní, provide enough radiance to light the entire hall, day and night. Most remarkable of all are the tomes. The walls of the whole bottom level, and half the top, are filled with books and scrolls. Here is collected the gathered knowledge and history of the elven race. Near the entrance to the hall is a large desk, covered in tomes.

Kianlys'dé ylnth (Festival of Fortune)

KIANLYS (Omen of Fortune) 
Once every hundred years, the comet Kianlys appears in the night sky. Elves of Silverdawn mark its appearance with a festival to honor the peace and prosperity of the land. This festival lasts from the time the comet first appears to the moment it leaves the Lirryn sky space. It is a time to celebrate and offer praises to the gods. 

Special foods are prepared in honor of the festival, and huge displays of food and drink line the streets, available to all. Artisans display their work to be admired by all and often create small pieces to distribute freely amongst the elven populace. During this time of celebration, even alcohol is flowing freely. The food-growers take the week off to celebrate, having stuffed the granary to capacity to make up for any shortfalls afterwards. 

All shops close and the majority of elves spend their time celebrating with the Church or at the inn. There are usually concerts, contests and games at the inn at all hours. The telensyan celebrate the festival by holding lavish parties with the most exotic foods, wines and spices available. These parties are huge affairs, and one party can last nearly the entire week of the festival. Elves dance, gossip and show off. The entire city has a charged atmosphere and seems to not sleep the entire week. 

The Grand Elevator is almost always moving, bringing elves into the city so that they may participate in the festivities. Due to the size of the event, many elves shelter travelers in their own homes, the inns being completely booked. It is the only week the Pale Moon requires reservations in advance. 

The Church of Telgard plays a large role in the festivities, presiding over numerous religious ceremonies that honor Dargotten. The telare makes a rare appearance, walking amongst the celebrators. Legend has it that a wish made upon the comet will come true, and a marriage during its presence will be blessed.

Exports: 

Artworks and Art 

Food, Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts 

Clothing 

Plants, Medicines, Drugs 

Animals 

Amber 

Nut Ivory 

Imports: 

Metals 

Metal-works (from Garr) 

Glass & Salt (from Tahnn) 

Spices, Medicinal Drugs 

Books 

Arts (from other races) 

Stone 

Clay 

Black Market Metals 

Black Market Spices (from Mirg)