Silesti

Capital: Mythalhallein

Population: 1,250,900 (elf 100%)

Government: Council of Elders

Currency:  None

Religion:  Elven Pantheon

Imports:  Some raw materials, metal weapons and tools

Exports:  Art, leather goods and armor

National Languages: Elven and Trade Common

National Alignment: Chaotic Good

Silesti (Sal-eh-stee) is covered in lush forests and beautiful streams. The largest tree in Silesti, the elven life tree that stands over 400 feet tall, grows in the middle of the Wood. This tree is the site of the Council of Elders and the settlement where clans meet to discuss their nation.

The climate of Silesti is surprisingly temperate for its northern locale. Some outlanders believe that it is due to the divine magic of the powerful Elven druids.

Culture

The life of a citizen of Silesti is much like any other elven nation, but it has been touched by contact with their human neighbors in Draico. Once a loose association of elven clans, the nation grew out of necessity when the humans decided to expand their empire. The clans banned together to protect their borders, and quickly realized that their alliance would be needed to maintain the Wood's protection. Over time they began to trade with outsiders, though these transactions are always carried out at the borders of the Wood. Some small trade settlements have sprung up in the human lands near the border, and elves aren't entirely unknown in these settlements.

Elves celebrate the rise of the sun, and the full moon. They also have solemn ceremonies to commemorate battles in their history. Refer to the elven race entry for more details on their culture.

Important Places

Mythalhallein (pop. 60,000*):  Mythalhallein is effectively the capitol city of Silesti. The population fluctuates depending on whether a clanmeet is happening or not. There are always some elves living in the area, but the population explodes when the clans come to meet. Most of the settlement is built in the branches of the life tree and the surrounding forest. The Life Tree is large enough to hold the council building as well as several other important buildings. It is also the site of many of the temples of the elven faith. The rest of the population spreads out for many miles with no apparent need to keep the population close to the city’s center. It is not uncommon for a resident’s home to be far enough away from all of its neighbors to be completely screened by the intervening branches. All the architecture in the settlement is much like that of other elven homes, grown from the forest using powerful druidic magic.

Evermere (pop. 8,000):  Evermere is the only other known population center in Silesti. It was originally founded as a gathering point for the elven army that protects the border from intruders. It has become a popular place to gather news and to trade for wardens and traders to meet.

Regional History

Before the War of the Races the nation of Silesti spread across most of the northwestern portion of Carabet. Their southern border met the sands of the Castor Desert and the Eastern border reached Kraken Lake.

When the war started and the elves began to lose ground in the east several elven druids took it upon themselves to secure the future of the elven people. They took a shoot from the original Tree of Life and moved north with it, into the frozen north. Here they used their magic to create a small region of temperate warmth and planted the shoot. As the tree grew it absorbed the magic of its small area and the warmth spread with its size. Through the use of their magic the druids sped up the growth of the tree. By the time the elven army had been pushed to the northern most region of their nation they found a small pocket of temperate woodland where a frozen waste had been. They defended this last pocket of their beloved homeland until the truce was signed.

Since the war the elves have defended their border from intruders with finality. No outsider has been allowed to enter the trees since the time of the War of the Races. Trade with Silesti has been conducted warily from outposts a safe distance from the forest, but trade with the elves is continually frustrating.