Enth’ryni (Thornmist) [Nerrl]

The Village of Enth'ryni, or Thornmist as it is known in the language of humans, is the smallest of the major population centers of Lirynn, numbering less than a thousand souls in permanent residence. Located on the border of the Drellyn Grasslands and Spiritwood Forest, Thornmist is a gateway to Mirg and the eastern swamplands.

The village is surrounded by a protective "wall" of lifesung flora. Incredibly dense thickets of dangerous interwoven vegetation rise high into the surrounding treescape, guarding the denizens of the village against unwanted intrusion. The village militia heavily patrols this barrier and the surrounding area, and only the most cunning woodsman could hope to pass by unnoticed.

There are two entrances into the Village. A gap in the protective flora of the eastern wall serves as a "gate" to the Mieyilane, or Grass District. The Mieyilane gate is manned at all hours by a squad of heavily armed, vigilant sentries. Most travelers from the lands beyond Lirynn would find themselves at the Mieyilane gate.

The second entry to Enth'ryni lies to the west of the village, where a low rock bluff juts up several meters above the forest floor. Here stands the Shayilane elevator, a Lifesung contrivance of vines and other plant life ingeniously interwoven with pulley-like branches growing far overhead. The elevator is likewise manned by a squadron of sentinel militia and allows access directly to the "Tree District" above. Most travelers happening upon the village from other sites in Lirynn would find themselves at the Shayilane elevator.

 

The Tree District (Shayilane) - The District of Shayilane was created from the native trees, much like the capital city of Silverdawn. Rather than the orderly levels of the elvish Capital, the Shayliane is made up of twisting sloped roads and paths, the homes and small communal shops of its elvish residents tucked seemingly pell-mell into the branches and trunks. Sufficient light filters through the canopy to illuminate the village during the daytime, though at night foreigners would have difficulty navigating safely. All in all, the people of the tree district are law-abiding and courteous, and visitors to the area feel secure and welcome.

The Grass District (Mieyilane) - The paths of the Mieyilane run between the tall, thickly woven Lifesung grass which grows up to form the houses, shops, and other buildings of the district. The mood of the Grass District is very different from that in the Shayilane above: darker, more predatory. Few elves can be found here, and those who are occasionally spotted seem to hurry about their business, skittering back to the sanctuary of the trees above. Rough-looking folk walk the streets and weapons are common. As long as one is discreet, a certain degree of lawlessness is overlooked (although the penalties for preying upon an elvish native, no matter the degree of the crime, are both swift and severe).

 

Government - An elected council of seven citizens, headed by the Jernís, governs Thornmist. (Although the term Jernis translates literally to “Wise Old One”, the office can be held by a citizen of any age.) Elected from among the council by the body’s other members, the Jernis is the only full-time politician. The other officers of the Council are called together only when decisions need to be made by the group as a whole. A veritable rural backwater, there is significantly less importance attached to social distinctions which seem to pervade much of Elvish society, and any citizen, no matter their social standing, can be elected to the Council. The current Jernis, Salis Halthenalis, owns a large provisioning shop in the Mieyilane and has very close ties to the Grass District.

Laws - The militia of Thornmist has been vastly expanded of late to meet with increasing threats to the Village. What was an exclusively elvish organization is now comprised almost completely of foreigners. The only elvish presence consists of the Shayilane Elevator Guard, and roving patrols of militia within the bounds of the Shayilane itself, each of its members hand picked by the Jernis. Arrich Denton, a human, is the current Captain of the Militia, recently appointed by the Council.

Arson~ Fire is the great bane of Thornmist and the surrounding countryside. Anyone found starting a fire or carrying a torch is immediately arrested.

Murder~ All life is precious to elves and both murder and poaching carry a sentence of life imprisonment.

Smuggling~ (Slaves and the few illegal drugs) is a great problem in Enth’ryni. Trade in slaves especially is dealt with swiftly and harshly, carrying a long sentence. Most drugs are legal. The few that are not are illegal due to their devastating effects. One drug in particular, ziyashe, usually propels the user into an insane fit. Elven officials banned it after several mass murders occurred.

Thievery~ As the elves of Thornmist do not place much emphasis on material goods, thieves rarely bothered unless they steal something that should be public, such as art. The non-elves obey this policy for the privilege of living in the Shayliane. Failure to comply with elvish law and custom typically results in the guilty party being banished from the tree district for life. The recent shift towards a more capitalistic society has the current Council pushing for much clearer guidelines regarding personal ownership, and more serious consequences in matters regarding theft.

Within the Mieyilane the penalties for all crimes are significantly more serious.

As punishment, felons convicted for crimes committed within the Tree District are sealed inside a special prison “tree” (which more resembles a tall standing stump). It is left open enough to provide air, while 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.

The practice of binding weapons with a vine-like peace knot was discarded after the most recent goblin raid upon the village, though only the militia may “legally” draw a weapon in Thornmist.

Disturbances such as brawling usually result in the offenders being treated to a night in lock-up to cool their heads.

 

Religion - The Church of Telgard is the only recognized religious institution within the Village, with the Tel'arifae sect being the most widely followed among the elves of the Village. Although the Síril'asthà live at the Fai’anlynai Arboretum (see “Places” below), services to the Pantheon of Dargotten are regularly held amid the branches of the Shayiliane as well. The current head of the Church of Thornmist is Te’rida Alethra Arenillseth.

Economy - The elves of the Tree District have continued to hold to the communistic ideals that appear to be changing throughout the rest of Lirynn. The Grass District below, with its predominantly foreign influence, is a prime example of cut-throat capitalism at its worst.

Exports:
• Plants
• Medicines
• Recreational Drugs
• Artworks and Art
• Food, Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts
• Clothing
• Animals
• Horfilas Hides
• Wylobrena heating sap

Imports:
• Metal-works (from Garr)
• Glass & Salt (from Tahnn)
• Spices and Drugs
• Arts (from other races)
• Books
• Black Market Metals (such as unauthorized weapons)
• Black Market Spices (from Mirg)

 

Places: Grass District

Fai’anlynai Arboretum - Abutting the Wall, the sprawling Fai’anlynai Arboretum is the one place in Thornmist famed throughout Lirynn and, indeed, all of Telgard. The Church of Telgard holds the ultimate sway over the Arboretum. The Tel'arifae Síril'asthà who reside there impart their knowledge of healing and Lifesong to those of the True Blood willing to commit the necessary time to study all they have to teach. The front of the building has a pair of massive double doors that rise about fifteen feet in height. Despite their size, the massive constructs open easily at a touch. The “collection” within boasts numerous samples of flora from every Kingdom across the known world. These plants grow intermingled with one another and only the Caretakers could tell you the location and species of each and every type of plant that grows in the Arboretum. The Síril'asthà here are renown for their capacity to use the medicinal flora within the Arboretum to heal even the most life-threatening ailments.

7th Circle Inn - Constructed from grass like the rest of the buildings in the grass district, a sign hangs nearby, a circle of fire surrounding the inn name. Inside, gloom and smoke add to the general ominous mood. This is the drug locale of the village, where nearly anything can be obtained. Some of it, however, comes with a high price. The owner, a gruff dwarf named Tarrach, watches the proceedings from behind his bar. He makes it his business to know everything that goes on in the Circle, yet at the same time keeps himself out of affairs that do not concern him. The inn has three floors of rooms and is rarely full, even during its busiest periods. Unlike a traditional elvish inn, Tarrach closes his place during the middle of the day from noon until an hour before dinner. The doors remain unlocked but the kitchen is closed and it is not possible to obtain a room.

Githkin’s Weapon Shop - From the outside, the shop seems small... Inside, what it lacks in diameter it gains in height. There is a staircase around the inside of the shop leading to different levels (three in all), each displaying various implements of warfare. The shop carries bows, hardwood shields, swords, some limited armor, arrows, crossbows, and polearms. One of the rarest items sold here is the only leather armor considered acceptable in elvish society made from the shed skin of the Horfilia, a denizen of the eastern swamp. Obtaining Horfilia skin is difficult, but well worth the cost.

Grass Roots Supplies - Owned by the current Jernis of the village, this provisioning shop is one of the largest in the grass district. Here, one can find standard road fare preserved for travel, as well as everything else necessary for a long journey through the bordering grasslands or forests.

Places: Tree District

Darklight Tavern - Nestled amongst the branches of the Shayilane, the majority of the elven population goes here for a peaceful night. Run by Saelyn’lyais, daughter of the recently murdered Síril'asthà Saedric’lyais, the main room is lit by the areni, globes placed strategically to give the room a soft glow. Like any other elvish inn, there is a stage located across from the door. Lacking a bar it looks more like a restaurant than a tavern. Attached to the common room is an adjoining space where the food and beverages are dished up and then served to the patrons. The main room contains booths as well as tables with chairs. A rise of broad stairs are off to the side and spiral upwards to the second floor where rooms can be attained. The rooms are simply furnished with a bed, washbasin, and a small table to lay possessions on.

Office of the Jernis - Built into the Village’s largest tree, the Office of the Jernis is second in size only to the sprawling structure of the Arboretum below. The lowest story contains the Shayilane’s militia headquarters and temporary holding cells beneath.

The floor above holds the large Council Chambers and seven small offices of the part-time Councilmen, presided over by a single secretary. The third and highest floor makes up the personal space of the Jernis and contains an anteroom with a full-time clerk/assistant and personal secretary. Beyond lay both the office of the Jernis himself, and his personal meeting room. A single stairwell is the only access and egress to Councilmen and Jernis, and the building is well secured at all times by alert, well-armed members of the militia.

 

Foreigners

The elves of Thornmist may be more socio-economically tolerant than many in Lirynn, but some still share the xenophobic attitude of their race and frown upon the presence of outsiders and foreign influences within the Shayilane.

Minotaurs, admired for their artistic capacity, are the sole exception and are almost universally accepted within the elvish society of Thornmist.

Goblins are strictly forbidden from entering the Shayilane, with one sole exception, the goblin Githkin who sits on the Council. Not long ago, Goblins were forbidden from even entering the Village limits, but recent events caused this to change and the rare goblin entrepreneur can now be found within the Grass District.

Within the Mieyilane, humans are the most populous, followed a distant second by dwarves from the north.

Misharr are less frequent visitors but some feel an affinity to the forests of the elves, and can on occasion be found wandering the streets of the Village.

Delfae and Ss’tiss are extraordinarily rare, seldom venturing so far to the south.