Dyffryn Caidris

Descended from warring Elven tribes, the nation of Dyffryn Caidris [DIFF-rin CAY-driss] today is a peaceful land that highly values intellectualism and culture. However, a strong history of advanced, defensive military keeps fears of international threats in check.

## Quick Facts

* **National Language**: Elvish
* **Government**: Monarchy
* **Current Leader**: King Diarmad Oga “the Young”
* **Land (climate)**: Forested Mountain Valley (cool temperate, moist)
* **Demographics (includes temporary residents)**:
	+ 67% Elves
	+ 13% Other
	+ 12.5% Half-Elves (Caidrigy)
	+ 7% Humans
		- **Capital of Caervey (includes temporary residents)**:
			* 50% Elves
			* 15% Half-Elves (Caidrigy)
			* 14% Humans
			* 10% Sun Elves
			* 5% Gnomes
			* 4% Laputi
			* 1% Halflings
			* 1% Dwarves
		- **Outskirts and Suburbs (includes temporary residents)**:
			* 85% Elves
			* 10% Half-Elves (Caidrigy)
			* 5% Humans

## Name

In Common, the nation is the Vale of Caidris, and the capital, Caervey [CAI-r-vay], is Fey Fort - but most people (even Common-speakers) use the Elvish names now. The Common translations come from a much earlier time, when the different clans of the valley were constantly warring with each other; at that time, each clan used its own dialect’s translation of “Vale of Caidris” to refer to the area, so the Common translation was the easiest name for outsiders. A few thousand years ago, though (not long after the Elven-Human wars ended), the clans united - and as the King who united them was of the Minith tribe, their dialect became the “official” language of the region, and all places, institutions, etc have gone by their Elvish (Minith) names ever since. Clan dialects are only prevalent now in personal names, and the occasional local street or pub name, slang, etc.

People from Dyffryn Caidris are called “Caidrig” (singular) or “Caidrigy” (plural).

## Geography

   The nation takes its name from its location in the valley of the Caidris mountains. The valley itself is mostly fields/plains (farmland), with a couple of small lakes and rivers. The base of the mountains are forested, but the forest thins out the higher up you go - and the very tops of the mountains are covered in snow, even in the summer. The Caidris Mountains are known for being treacherous above the forest level; the danger in crossing them led to Dyffryn Caidris being fairly isolated before teleportation circles became so common-place.

Caervey is at the foot of the mountains, with other smaller towns fanning out around it. Caervey is the only city in Dyffryn Caidris.

## History

Long ago, the Elves of Tirisea were at war with each other: the six Elven clans battled for dominance and power in their region of Tirisea.

However, as time went on, the six clans found themselves working together to battle the menacing Humans as a united front. When that war was over, the Elves found that they had lost their appetite for war, and felt that life would be much better for everyone if the clans united into one Elven nation. It was not a simple process, but after much discussion (some talks more respectful and level-headed than others), elders from each of the six clans settled on a unified set of laws and processes, and elected Galahad Cyfiawn, a well-respected military commander from Clan Minith, the first ruler of the new nation: Dyffryn Caidris.

To this day, the six Elven clans are united under the flag of Dyffryn Caidris - but there are still some clan-based divisions that remain in the nation. (In fact, the flag itself pays tribute to their fractured beginnings: there are six gold squares in the center of the flag - intended not only to resemble the patchwork farmland of the nation, but also to represent each of the six clans.) Within Dyffryn Caidris, people tend to settle into towns populated mostly by one clan - Caervey is the only place not tied to any particular clan - although it is not unheard of to move to a town "belonging" to a different clan. This method of settlement has led to unofficial sub-clans of each of the original six, mainly just to delineate which town a person of a certain clan is from: Clan Minith Overhill; Clan Ellanyn By-The-Wood; etc.

While the six clans are now united, and happily so, there are still cultural differences which each clan is proud of: Clan Raymes is proud of its reputation for beautiful harp music, for example, and Clan Arvor is proud of its portable (hand-held) spiced meat pies. (They’re very yummy, and convenient!)

1. Clan Minith (whose dialect is now the official Elvish of the region) [MIH-nith --- “th” as in “this,” ironically not as in “thin”]

2. Clan Raymes [one syllable - RAYMS]

3. Clan Linn [exactly what it looks like - like the name Lynn]

4. Clan Arvor [AR-vore]

5. Clan Cevandir [that’s a hard “c” - kev-an-DEER]

6. Clan Ellanyn [ELL-ah-nin]

The clans are united, and happy to no longer be warring tribes… But that doesn’t mean there aren’t leftover prejudices/teasing/etc (even if it is, mostly, good-natured - think, northern American states and southern American states). Generally, Caidrigy marry within their clans, but occasionally - especially in Caervey and other larger cities - they’ll marry someone from another clan. (It’s only slightly more common than marrying a non-elf. And, again, Elves who can trace their heritage to more than one clan, will likely face some teasing from members of the majority clan in the town.)

### Flag

The flag of Dyffryn Caidris consists of a slate-blue border, and an inner green section with six gold square within it.

The border represents the grey-blue Caidris Mountains that surround the nation, as well as give the nation its name.

The inner section represents the green-and-gold patchwork of fields that dot the mountain valley - and there are six gold "patches" to honor each of the six Elven clans.

## Structure of Caervey

The capital city is organized (somewhat loosely) into neighborhoods by the type of business done there: there are educational neighborhoods, mercantile neighborhoods, government neighborhoods, etc. There are a few strictly residential neighborhoods, but most people tend to live near where they work. As such, the neighborhoods are also defined somewhat by financial status (medical neighborhoods have richer inhabitants, overall, than mercantile neighborhoods), but it’s not a very strict definition: a wealthy merchant may have a poorer merchant for a next-door neighbor, or at least living on the street adjacent. As in any city, though, some streets/areas are generally nicer than others.

## Government

Small towns are clan-based, with clan elders handling day-to-day local decisions. Clan elders also nominate representatives (one per town) to advise the King or Queen in the capital - although the King/Queen has final say in all decisions. The monarch rules for life, but each time is elected by clan elders representing all towns in the nation: current or former (within the past 20 years) advisers to the monarch can submit themselves for consideration, and the clan elders vote for their preferred candidate. The monarch (and their immediate family, when applicable) lives in Ty Brenhinol [TEE bren-HEE-null] - the Royal House - in the government neighborhood of Caervey, which is also the seat of government business. The royal family lives on the top floor of this castle-type building, looking over the town (nothing can be built higher than the top floor of Ty Brenhinol); representatives from the towns and government guests have rooms on the middle floor; and all government business is conducted on the ground floor.

## Leadership

The current monarch of Dyffryn Caidris is King Diarmad Oga (“the Young”). He's a relatively new king - only 15 years on the throne (not long, for Elves) - youngest ever monarch to be elected. So far, he is considered to be a good king, although it is too soon to tell for sure. The only famous decision he has made yet is to install a teleportation circle in every small town in Dyffryn Caidris - previous to his rule, most towns had a circle, but some of the smallest had to travel a town or two away to reach one if they wanted to travel to Caervey. Because of this decision, he is seen as a king who values his people, and who wants them to feel that the culture, education, and government of the capital city is accessible to all. This is certainly appreciated, and his kindness makes him a well-liked king; however, there are those who wonder if he will be mature/experienced enough to handle the situation if there were ever a crisis.

## Landmarks

### University of Caidris

The University, known as Privisgal [prih-VIZ-gull] Caidris, is the oldest university in Tirisea, it was built thousands of years ago, before Caervey was even the capital city. (It was one of the few peaceful places in the times when the clans were at war - despite their differences, they all respected the work done at the University, and left it alone.) A beautiful, sprawling building which, along with the school’s dormitories and staff housing, make up an entire educational district on their own, the University is renowned across Tirisea for its extremely rigorous coursework, and for the variety of disciplines offered. Only the most promising students are accepted, and once there, they can study anything from the arts, to literature, to sciences (such as they are, with so much magic around), to sorcery, to theology… etc.

### Caidris Mountains

A natural landmark, they are known the world over for their beauty, but also for how treacherous it is to cross them without teleportation.

### The Great Hall

A more locally-known landmark: it is a very popular inn/pub among locals, known for serving great food and drink, for offering some of the best rooms in the city, and for being a common meeting place for the great thinkers of the city. (Some intellectuals across Tirisea have heard of the Great Hall, due to its reputation for fostering deep discussions among Caervey’s intellectuals - but the average person outside of Dyffryn Caidris have never heard of it.)

## Economy

Fairly self-sufficient, as the people are used to having been somewhat isolated by the mountains. The farms in the countryside provide most of the nation’s produce and livestock, while timber, wild game, and some fruits/vegetables come from the forest at the base of the mountains. Since the prevalence of teleportation, though, they have started trading a bit: mainly they export textiles (mostly wool - they have a lot of sheep in their fields) in exchange for metals, stones, and other such materials that are harder for them to access. They also export a fair number of educational scrolls and other similar materials, thanks to both the University and to the general emphasis on education/intellect in their culture.

#### Exports

Timber; textiles (particularly wool, but not exclusively); educational scrolls. Also, not strictly an “export,” but a service we can provide: education/training at Privisgal Caidris.

#### Imports

Anything that comes from the water (from fish to shiny rocks), as we are landlocked; metals and rocks/gems, as we do not have mines or quarries; magitech, as we focus on more “natural” magics; artisanal goods (jewelry, pottery, paintings…), as most of ours are created by golems, so hand-crafted goods are seen as a luxury/sign of status.

## Magic

The most readily apparent magic in Dyffryn Caidris is that Golems handle basically all manual labor - farming, cleaning streets, keeping house, etc. Other magic is prevalent, too, although not necessarily always visible: rangers carry ever-burning lamps when traveling into the forests, and all homes in the city are lit with stationary versions; all homes are equipped with a communications spell that makes it possible to contact any other home in the city, as long as you know your contact’s spell words; most homes own “encyclopedias” (they’re scrolls, not books, but same idea) that are enchanted so that a user can say aloud whatever topic they want, and the scroll opens instantly to the necessary location; etc. High Magisters are highly respected in the city - as is anyone in a highly intellectual profession - but they do not have any special political influence. (Many monarchs do consult them as experts when in need of advice on magical matters, however - but the High Magisters do not have any more power than the clan advisors have on non-magical matters.) The Caidrigy tend to focus more on “natural” magics, so they are quite fascinated by this “magitech” they hear about in Laputa and Kazamara.

## Law and Crime

Fairly low crime rate; what crime there is tends to be things like theft or fraud, and violent crime is extremely rare (still, it does happen). Lawbreakers are punished in accordance with the crime committed: petty theft will result in community service (though jail will be ordered for repeat offenders), but murder will likely result in life in prison. There is a death penalty on the books, but since the unification of the clans, it has never even been suggested as a punishment, let alone carried out.

## Religion

The Caidrigy, generally, are not “devout” worshipers of any particular god (though there are always individual exceptions). Religion does not play a large role in most people’s daily lives: they attend the occasional service, celebrate the holidays, offer up the odd prayer (especially in times of need and/or joy) to whichever deity in the Pantheon seems most applicable at that moment... but that’s about the extent of it. Most Caidrigy do believe there is some sort of higher power, they just don’t really know or understand what it is, so they don’t see the point in getting into specifics. (Caidrigy who elect to study theology often come at it from that perspective - they want to know and understand what that higher power is.) Many Caidrigy, however, do feel a spiritual connection with Nature itself: they don’t worship it, per se, but it is through nature/natural order that they most sense this “higher power.”

## Military

Dyffryn Caidris no longer has a standing military of Elves - all soldiers are golems. There are Elven military commanders, but as Dyffryn Caidris is currently at peace, they tend to spend their days as professors at the university (they teach history, or war tactics, or other applicable subjects). Additionally, all Caidrigy are expected, during their university days, to take at least a few classes in combat - even if they do not plan to enter the military - just in case war ever comes again to Dyffryn Caidris, and the nation needs more than just golem soldiers. (In practice, for the students, this amounts to a gym class, basically - a good way to get some exercise in.) The Caidrigy - and the nation’s rulers - have no interest in going to war anytime soon, however: although the Elven Clan Wars are fairly ancient history in Tirisea, “ancient” has a different meaning to Elves, and the wars seem more recent to them. (None are still alive who lived through them, but many older Elves still remember their grandparents’ - or even their parents’ - horror stories from those days.) They are not looking to repeat those days of danger and uncertainty anytime soon, and so, they actively avoid war as best as they can - by acknowledging and apologizing for their past wrongs, making peace with their neighbors, etc.

The Elves of Dyffryn Caidris are typically a peaceful people now, but they still have a strong military tradition, as it was not that long ago (to the Elves, who have long lives and even longer memories) that the nation was just a bunch of warring clans. They prefer their unity today - there is not really a threat of civil war - but their militaristic history makes them a nation it is unwise to threaten. (Their soldiers, at this point, would all be Golems, but their military leaders/generals/etc would be Elves trained in the history and mechanics of war.)

## Culture

Social status is not based on family name or economic standing - it’s based on profession, with the more intellectual pursuits (professors, researchers, artists, sorcerers, etc) being more highly respected than others (merchants, farmers, etc), especially since Golems are readily available to handle the less-intellectual tasks. (However, as those with intellectual occupations tend to have higher incomes, the rich tend to be of a higher social class anyway.) That said, someone with a less-intellectual job can gain respect and a higher social standing if they are seen to be particularly savvy: a farmer who has extensively studied botany (essentially) and the soil of the region to learn to produce the best crops possible, is considered more of an artist or researcher than a “mere” farmer.

There are no “family names.” Children are referred to as “son/daughter of” their father (for boys) or mother (for girls), and when they come of age, they are given a descriptive surname, which they keep for life (they do not change last names when they marry). The “son/daughter of” prefix has been normalized across clans to use what is now the standard Elvish of the nation: The prefix “ap” is used for boys: [boy’s name] ap [father’s name]; the prefix “ach” is used for girls: [girl’s name] ach [mother’s name]. The descriptive surnames (as well as first names), though, are generally still given in the local clan dialect.

Dyffryn Caidris as a whole is almost entirely populated by Elves, although Caervey, as the capital and the location of Privisgal Caidris, sees residents of almost every imaginable race. (Most are temporary residents attending, or employed by, the university, but there are some who choose to settle there.) Tourists follow much the same pattern.

### Non-residents

Caervey (and Dyffryn Caidris as a whole) welcomes immigrants and tourists, as a rule, especially those who come for the University or other pursuits of intellect - the Elves are glad to share their love of learning, as they are quite proud of their intellectual tradition. However, although all are equally welcome in the eyes of law and policy, some races are more immediately welcomed than others by the people of Dyffryn Caidris.

    Elves are quite protective of their culture, so while they are happy to make friends with anyone of any race (even Humans, even Dwarves), they take a very long time to truly open up to outsiders. This is why marriage between Elves and other races is so rare: the openness and trust required for such a relationship is difficult for the Elves. Still, it can be done - although the Half-Elf offspring of such unions are viewed as a bit of an oddity, and often face some teasing, even if it’s generally good-natured. This also explains why the vast majority of professors and instructors at Privisgal Caidris, are Caidrigy Elves: the Caidrigy are happy to learn about education methods from other races, but they prefer to incorporate that new knowledge with their own traditional style, rather than bring it in (in the form of a non-Caidrigy teacher) in its entirety. They do allow the occasional guest lecturer, and even some non-Caidrigy teachers (if they can prove that they will follow the ancient standards of Privisgal Caidris) - but it is very rare.