Silethil

> **Demonym:** Silethi
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> **Endonym:** Vanima(s), Vanimálion(p)
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        Silethil is a Drow city-state under the mountains in the Bariloch Range. The autonomous community is the largest and oldest standing population of Drow in Merethyl. It is run by a monarchy, the head of which is a Queen.

#### Culture

The Drow are a violent and haughty society. The Drow see all other races of the surface as inferior, worthy of nothing but to be used as slaves. The Drow use slaves to harvest the raw silver, Silethil's main source of revenue, found in veins throughout the caverns under the Bariloch Range.

The practice of slavery is integrated deeply into Drow society and has been established since the creation of Silethil. Drow slaves were originally from prisoners of war. Lately, however, the number of slaves has dwindled due to disease, escape and a lack of war. Drow haven't been in major conflict since the River Wars. In order to maintain the society and cultures of Silethil, many Drow believe slavery must continue.

#### History

The Eladrin, the demigod ancestors of the Elves, along with the Gods created the continents of Sefyll and, after a time, granted that the Elves could inherit Sefyll to govern after their departure. There were other beasts in the land as well as flora and fauna, beasts such as goblins, giants, centaurs, lizardfolk, and gnollfolk. Many of these gained sentience throughout the years, being manifestations of the power of the Six and the Eladrin. The Elves were granted dominion over the land and reigned in the Upper Highlands of Merethyl. This period is presently referred to as the Medieval Age, the ancient era before time began.

During this period was the Great Draconic War, two separate major campaigns by the Elves to rid the land of the Dragons, clever and intelligent creatures who despised the entitlement of Elves. The Elves all gathered in various battles against various dragons and ultimately slew all but three, now known as Annyak, Kultva, and Dovdra. In the final battle, the Dragons were chased and beaten back to the Knile Peninsula. The Elves sent ships to line the coast in an attempt to curb escape. During the conflict, Annyak was slain, and the other two dragons were forced to flee over the sea in a desperate attempt to reach any land. The ships pursued them and slew the remaining dragons who, having grown weary from the battle, could not sustain flight for long over the sea. Slowly, fatigue overcame them and the last two great dragons crashed into the sea, lifeless.

After the Great Draconic War, the Elves lived in relative peace with the fellow inhabitants of Sefyll. A group of elves that named themselves "Drow", or *Night* in Sylvan, formed a cult worshipping the goddess Luma. They began to be night-dwellers, seeking asylum from the Sun during the day. They grew to despise the scholarly arrogance of the elves. After several years the cult became aggressive toward other Elves and other races, claiming that all others must change or be destroyed. The High Elf Council deemed that the now-large group of several thousands of members was to be banished Westward. In addition to banishment, praying to Erdra under the domain of knowledge, the Council cursed them with black skin and an aversion to the rays of the sun. This banishment and curse led the Drow to the west, deep into the caverns below the Bariloch Range to form the city-state of Silethil. The Drow were at first very combative one with another. They delved in to dark and evil forms of magic and experimented with it. Through this, the Drow created the race of Orcs. And experimental war machine of a humanoid. There were those who began to use the orcs as slaves and to train them to fight. Many Drow did not approve and this group fled to Palath Nenui to out of fear for their safety and formed the nation of Sivaria.

After the Drow were banished by the High Elf Council many ventured through the mountains, finding many caverns, many interconnected. The Drow settled deep within these caves since their curse of aversion to light. They began to carve our buildings and halls and homes within the rock and began using stone to construct a city. They soon discovered veins of silver. Silver exports and the mines within Silethil have become the main source of revenue.

    Faen Siannodel, who was the head of the cult, known as the Black Spider, became the Queen of the Silethil Drow. After several years Faen was overthrown in a coup by the Galanodel Sisters. The eldest, Enna reigned as Queen for 75 years, into the 1st Century. The Galanodel Family reigned until the 4th Century. During the last crusade of the River Wars, the Cylienn family claimed rights to the throne via a familial link between their bloodline and that of Faen Siannodel, accumulating support from the oldest families in Silethil and gaining enough power to retake the throne. The Cylienn family reigns to the present. The Drow, while still a powerful ethnic group, are not the dominant force that was in the 3rd and 4th Centuries.