Llembir

## Kingdoms of Llembir

The region of Llembir is made up of dozens of smaller kingdoms, all ruled over by High King and Queen Felimbyr and Illyrita Moonrender.

## Geography

### Kingdoms

Llembir is made up of dozens of smaller, independent kingdoms, all with their own forms of government. While these kingdoms all pledge allegiance to the High King and Queen, they are, for the most part, very solitary otherwise.

### Geographical Features

Llembir is dominated by the Fyrewood, with the Great Forest making up the far-west portion of the region. The eastern and western borders of Llembir are formed by the A'Sharr Mountains and the Yokham Mountains, respectively.

## Society

Because Llembir is made up of many different kingdoms, there are many different societies and cultures within the region. From the seafaring sea elves along the coasts, to the high elves and wood elves scattered throughout the forests, no two kingdoms share an exact culture.

There are, however, many similarities, if not in the details, then in the generalities of life between kingdoms.

### Culture and Customs

Llembiri elves are even more attuned to nature than their brethren in other lands, and this can be seen in their culture and customs. Music played by natural-looking instruments, art made from natural resources, animals that are more partner than pet.

In the deepest parts of the Fyrewood, a ritual known as The Survival is the last rite of childhood for young elves.

### Religion

The elves of Llembir generally follow one or more of the gods of the elvish pantheon, particularly Ferrox and Lyllia. Worship of these nature gods tends to be done outdoors, in the forests, where they believe their gods are more present.

### Holidays and Celebrations

Many of the celebrations in Llembir are done in traditional garb, in honor of the elves' ancestors. These clothes primarily involve large leaves and bark, all secured with vines.

Remembrance Day is a large-scale celebration that marks the elves arriving to the Fyrewood when led there by the Lake Princess. The festival involves feasts and story-telling. Smaller towns generally have one speaker tell the story to the whole town, while larger towns and cities put on elaborate plays where the story is acted out. The costumes in particular are always memorable.

Midsummer is the largest feast day in Llembir. The festival celebrates love and music through feast. People will travel to the largest towns and cities to participate, although every settlement, down to the smallest ones, put on their own feasts. The day is marked with live music on every street corner, feasts featuring the finest Llembirian foods, and many public marriage proposals.

At the Feast of the Moon, a large flame, blue and green, is set up in the center of town. In bigger cities, multiple flames are set up at different points. Throughout the day, observers of the holiday bring possessions to burn, something valuable to them, something they do not want to lose. They hope that their sacrifice, whatever size it may be, will be seen by the gods and be returned to them in the coming year through good tidings, good harvests, and good fortune.

## History

The dense forests of Llembir were once extremely dangerous, and the deeper parts still hold some great horrors. However, thanks to the tireless work of the elven kingdoms who live here, these forests have become fairly safe (so long as you are friend to the elves, that is). Of course no forest or jungle as deep and as large as the Fyrewood or the Great Forest can be made to be perfectly safe, but they have done their best to allow unmolested passage through their lands to those who wish it. The current High King and Queen have ruled over and protected Llembir for over 300 years, and have overseen much of the work that has made the kingdom what it is today.

The scattered kingdoms may pledge fealty to the High King and Queen, but they don't always get along. Many conflicts and wars have occurred between the various kingdoms, the largest of which was known as The Ancestor Wars. These wars took place in the early 2100s SR and concerned nearly every kingdom in Llembir.

## Rumors & Legends

### Native Population

Little is known of the peoples who lived in the Fyrewood before the elves arrived, but there is evidence that someone did. Aside from scattered ruins, pieces of pottery, etc. that have been found deep in the woods, one thing has puzzled the elves that have attempted to study these progenitors. A small number of spears have been discovered within these ruins, and they are of immaculate design and make. No weapons-maker has been able to determine how they were created, and no enchanter has been able to uncover all the secrets of these spears. Each one has different magicks attached to it, but all are perfectly balanced and incredibly mysterious. It is not known how many exist in total, but thus far only seven have been discovered.

### Laothu

Laothu, the Lake Princess, is said to have originally brought the elves to Llembir, leading them past the dangers of the forest and to the banks of Lake Varo, where a large concentration of elves reside to this day.

### Dragon's Maw

There is a solitary volcano in the southeast of Llembir, known as the Dragon's Maw. Although it has not fully erupted for over a thousand years, the magma inside always seems active, and sometimes the magma bubbles inside pop, resulting in a shower of hot lava on the surrounding plains. Many stories surround the Dragon's Maw, most of which claim that there is a massive dragon that resides within, larger than any that has ever been seen. Locals keep clear as a result, although a few tribes throw offerings into the volcano in the hopes that they will keep the dragon happy so it does not emerge and lay waste to the land.

### Demon of the Forest

All people know that the Fyrewood was an incredibly dangerous place before the elves came, and even now, straying from the areas with paths or patrols is a risky business. In the deepest parts of the wood, they speak of a mound of earth and rock in the shape of a hulking, armored reptile. Except this mound of earth is alive, and the ground shakes with its every step. Those few who have seen it and escaped only talk of it in hushed tones.

## Inhabitants

Elves are the dominant race in Llembir. In most kingdoms of Llembir, only full-blooded elves are allowed to live there, while some of the kingdoms nearer the edge of the woods allow half-elves to stay (although they are often treated as lesser than full elves). Only a scant few cities allow any non-elves to live there long-term, including Elmbyr Shaeras and The Duskspire.