Elves, Shimokita

The Elves
of Shimokita are a sovereign micro-nation dwelling within the Shimokita forest
within the Gardenwald District of the Imperial commonwealth. Despite being
entirely contained within Gardenwald, the Shimokita elves retain sovereign
status and are legally considered as a separate political entity, having their
own laws, legal system, government, military, and culture. The political
relationship between the Shimokita Elves and the Commonwealth is one of live-and-let-live
and mutual avoidance, with the Shimokita elves pursuing a foreign policy of
Splendid Isolation characterised by the severe restriction of foreign nationals
within the borders of Shimokita and the prohibition of Shimokita elves to
travel outside of the forest, under penalty of death (although exceptions could
be given by the Shogun or Emperor.)

The
Shimokita Elves are the only large, politically independent community of elves
within the Imperial Commonwealth, although elves live among all the cities of
the commonwealth as with any other race, either after leaving Shimokita,
migrating to the Imperial Commonwealth from external elf populations, or as
second-generation elves from parents/ancestors who left the forests.

The
Gardenwald district, in particular, has a large population of Shimonkita elves
who have fled the forest fearing political persecution following the rise of
the Nakano Shogunate, including Takihara Gozen, the head of the Gozen family
and son of Iedo Gozen, the previous Shogun. Following the Gozen-Nakano Civil
war, high-born and warrior-caste Families that had supported the Gozen
Shogunate begun to face systematic extermination, leading many to flee into
Gardenwald seeking asylum.

**Culture**

The
Shimokita Elves prize Archery, Magic, Carpentry, Administrative abilities,
Duty, Law, and order above all things.

It is
said that an Elf who dies by the sword (rather than Archery or magic) is barred
from entering the afterlife.

**Socopolitical**
Structure

The
political structure of the Shimokita Elves have apexes in two high offices, nominally
equal but in reality heavily Asymmetrical. The Emperor is the hereditary
male-only ruler by Divine mandate, head of the Imperial family, and spiritual
leader. The title of emperor is passed down to the eldest son of the Imperial
family, at which point all remaining younger siblings must immediately renounce
all claims to the throne or face death. The Shogun is the hereditary Military
dictator of the Shimokita elves, a de facto leader appointed by the Emperor as
a Ceremonial formality. In contrast to the Emperor, who holds title by birth
into the Imperial family and Divine mandate, the Shogun commands title and
power via a military dictatorship. Although the Shogunate is passed down in a hereditary
manner - with the ceremonial consent of the Emperor - there have been rare occasions
o the rise of a new Shogunate following civil war, where a commander has staged
a military insurrection or coup de'tat, eliminating the current shogun and
their heir, resulting in a new Shogunate. While the Shogunate has changed
families throughout the history of the Shimokita elves, the Emperor's line has
run unbroken since the dawn of time.

The
Current Shogunate, Elisa Nakano, claimed power following a brutal civil war in
the year 619-622 AU, in which she successfully staged an armed rebellion
against then shogun Iedo Gozen climaxing in a 3-month siege of the Imperial
Oak.

The
social structure of the Shimokita elves follows a caste system consisting of
five tiers;

The
Imperial family: Members of the Imperial family, and associates. The servants,
concubines and guards of the imperial family are generally drawn from the
Nobility almost exclusively, and are appointed by the reigning shogunate. It is
considered an honour to serve in the Emperor's household, and those that do are
considered part of the Imperial family. Rarely, those of the warrior class are
permitted to serve the emperor. It is almost unheard-of for anyone of the
merchant or foreign class to see the emperor, let alone serve him.

Nobility
- Hereditary Feudal lords that own land and are permitted to maintain
regiments.

Warrior
Class - Families that have sworn loyalty to a feudal lord, and in exchange for
military service are able to rent land from the Lords. Males and females of
this caste are expected to enlist and serve from the ages of 50 to 250 years
and receive a stipend during training and service both for daily living and the
purchase and maintenance of arms and armour. Once they have served, they can
remain a soldier or move to a different position without losing their caste
status.

Merchant
Class - This class includes almost everybody else, including elves not from
Shimokita. Although members of this class do not have to serve within a feudal
regiment, many still volunteer for militia regiments and can gain military
training rivalling that of the warrior class, but it must be undertaken without
a stipend funded by the local lord.

Foreign
class: Non-elves, having no legal rights or protection within the borders of
Shimokita.

**Foreign**
Trade and the Status of Foreigners.

Forigners,
especially non-elves, are forbidden from entering the Shimokita forest under
threat of death, except for within the town of Yedo, a small town on the
outskirts of the forests that acts as a trading hub between the Shimokita elves
and the rest of the commonwealth and civilised world. Foreigners and non-elves
are permitted to reside and live within the town, as long as they do not
venture past the walls to enter the forest or venture of the ground-level into
the tree-walks and branch-houses of the elves proper. Any non-elf found above
ground can be legally immediately killed by any Elf, free of any legal repercussions
(despite the protests of commonwealth diplomatic officials.)

The
Shimokita elves must trade for any goods they are not able to obtain within the
forest. Major imports include metals, fish, field crops (wheat, rice, ect.)
Exports include ironwood, ... , ... , ...

The
combination of an isolationist foreign policy and xenophobic culture with the
lack of agriculture of forest-dwelling economy and recent population booms has led
to an interesting political situation, whereby the Shimokita elves are
politically dismissing of the commonwealth but entirely dependent on it for
import of food. This Irony has not gone unnoticed by Shimokita leaders, and was
a major reason for the Gozen-Nakano civil war; Following years of famine
arguably caused, or at least exacerbated, by refual to accept less than ideal
trade agreements with the commonwealth by the Gozen Shogunate, the Nakano
family rebelled under the pretext of establishing trade deals with the
commonwealth to allay the famine. This move was divisive; seen by some as an
opportunity to end the famine and grow the strength of Shimokita, and seen by
others has a political weakness that involved 'surrender' to the commonwealth
(by accepting compromised trade deals) and ran the risk of making the Shimokita
elves entirely dependent on the commonwealth for survival, a possible step
towards vassilisation.

Following
the war, Trade agreements between the Nakano Shogunate and Gardenwald Lords
were established, roughly tripling the import of agricultural crops in exchange
for, primarily, Ironwood bound for the Gardenwald shipwrights. In addition to
this, the Nakano Shogunate also leases four hectares of farmland bordering the
Shimokita forest, although what is paid in return is not public knowledge.

The
Nakano Farmlands, as they are known, provide an interesting political
situation. Despite being leased by the Shogunate on behalf of Shimokita, they
are still legally a part of the Gardenwald District of the Imperial
commonwealth, and thus subject to Imperial Law. Although the farmlands are
worked by Shimokita elves native to the Forest, they are legally tenants of the
commonwealth and may be called up for conscription.

**Military**

Shimokita elves make heavy use of the spell *woodwisp arrow*, enabling them to deliver traditional large-scale volley fire within highly forested areas.

**History**

Famine

The
Gozen-Nakano Civl War.

**Notables**

Elisa
Nakano (??? - ???) - Shogun

Iedo
Gozen (??? - 622 AU)- previous Shogun

Takihara
Gozen ( ??? - 622) - Current head of the Gozen family, Living in Exile in the
Gardenwald District of the Imperial Commonwealth. Son of Iedo Gozen.