Sige Suoress Valley

## Country: City-State

The Sige Suoress Valley is its own country, and essentially one large city (made of four districts). It fills the entire valley inside the Nar'Talas mountains around the Delimbiyr Lake. The four districts are: the Gate District where the barracks are located, as well as the massive and impressive gate that spans the only pass through the mountains, the Market District to the south filled with shops and stalls of all kinds, the Castle (or Palace) District to the west, home of the Amakiir Palace and other council buildings, and the Temple District to the north, home to the High Temple of Angharradh, several other temples to the Seldarine, and a college for secular and religious studies. The pinpoints of these districts are all built on the lip of the bowl against the sheer cliffsides and are visible from anywhere. The residential districts are between the major buildings and the fertile farmland around the lake. These areas vary in wealth and density. The land around the lake is designated farmland with an ancient irrigation system that allows them to maximise the short summer season to grow as much as possible.

Founding
Moon elves have lived in the valley since their creation by Sehanine Moonbow. The valley consisted for four major settlements, which slowly grew and expanded so that each village began to overlap. A monarchy was established, the first family to gain this honor was the Ansehelm family, so the stories tell, chosen by the will of the people.The sun elves, also created by the goddess, left a few members behind as they moved south to sunnier climes, and small groups of moon elves broke off in to the mountains. So blessed by Aerdrie Faenya, they formed the kingdom of the snow elves, and the goddess Barronar Truesilver left behind her dwarves to live alongside the elves and help protect them. The history of this place is very old and well-chronicled, as there have been few events that would interrupt life in the valley they have texts chronicling their history for thousands of years.

## Governmental Structure

The Amakiir family are the rulers of the valley, with four Kormanthor (similar to a duke/duchess) in each district to oversee local affairs. Though the Amakiirs are essentially its monarchy, they keep the title Lord and Lady to remember that their power is given to them by the people. Below the Kormanthor are the army's generals and Ar’Selu’Taar (high wizards), and the Amrulugek, a council made up of elected locals from all walks of life. In times of great crisis, the Amrulugek may overthrow the Lord and Lady of the valley, with the support of at least two out of three of the other officials. This has only happened once in Sige Suoress' history - at the time the Amakiirs came in to power.

## Settlements

Each of the districts were once a small village of their own, which have grown together in to one large city. Most locals consider their district their home village.
Dotted around the mountains, at the bases, are small villages, sometimes mixed with snow elves or other races brave (or desperate) enough to settle in the harsh mountains.

## Important Locations

University (offers secular and religious teachings)
High Temple of Angharradh

Covered Market

Palace & Municipal Buildings

Gate

## Interactions with other Countries

Sige Suoress has a long standing agreement with the dwarven and the snow elven settlements nearby. The three kingdoms have had a long-standing arrangement and peace has been maintained (with minor scuffles and a few rude gestures back and forth), the three groups consider themselves each superior to the other and yet also indebted to them. They maintain a tolerant dislike for one another, having adopted a lot of cultural traditions seemingly out of spite. So much difference in such close neighbours is unusual, but amusing to outsiders. The moon and snow elves do occasionally find common ground among each other due to their common heritage, but the snow elf culture is more amenable to the hard-working dwarves, who see the moon elves’ slow and careful approach indulgent.
The valley’s remoteness and difficulty to approach has kept it fairly isolated, but more recently, specifically under the rule of the current family, they have been attempting to make themselves known as a world power. The people’s feelings on this are mixed, though most supported the country’s involvement in the Titan War as they understood this was a threat to all. The most the average person knows of the valley are the strange and expensive spices and silks some merchants willing to cross the tundra bring back. With the opening of the teleportation circle, many people who have never heard of the small city-state are beginning to visit, much to the amusement of the locals. Most locals are friendly and very curious about visitors and love to show off their ancient homeland, but many fear this will bring about an end to the peace and quiet of the valley.

## History

*Sige Suoress* is a sylvan phrase meaning "blessed snow", and indeed all the names in the area are sylvan, the moon elves who live there having kept the tradition of their ancestors. *Nar'Talas* translates to "stone body", and *Delimbiyr* to "shining". Most well-educated people speak sylvan, not as a practical language but to keep the traditions alive. Many high rites of the holy texts are spoken in Sylvan, and a rare few in Celestial.

The moon elves have been living in this area for thousands of years. Their history is well-chronicled and ancient, and they preserve as much of the knowledge that they can, recopying scrolls and books as they become damaged. As they value knowledge, most moon elves are taught to read and write, which is also beneficial with their slow paced lifestyle.

Only one war, thousands of years ago, marks the history books of the moon elves, and this is when the orc tribes that scratch out a living on the tundra organized themselves and attacked. This brought the three races (moon and snow elves, and the dwarves) together in a way they had never been before, the delicate balance of life there threatened, and they drove off the invaders and killed the orc leader. The three races then banded together to build a massive gate in the mountain pass that is only closed when a threat appears.

## Lore

The tales tell of the valley being a gift from Angharradh when she created the moon elves. Those pioneers that braved the harsh mountains and paid homage to Aerdrie Faenya were given her blessing and became the snow elves. The dwarven settlement in the area are said to have been placed there to help protect the elves, as Barronar Truesilver did protect her friend Angharradh.
The lake in the centre of the valley is unusually warm - in fact the entire valley is an anomaly in the harsh and frozen tundra. Some say the great golden dragon *Dhaerowathil* (drow-bane) sleeps under the lake and warms it with her breath. She is the protector of the valley, and should the drow ever attempt another attack upon the elves, she will waken to protect them. No underground exploration has ever found her, of course, but to tunnel near the lake is forbidden lest they should disturb her slumber (or more practically, drain the lake).

## Imports/Exports

The valley imports little from the outside, but trades quite freely with its neighbours. They grow fresh food during the short summer season, and have perfected canning and preservation techniques. They grow spices of their own, extremely hot peppers are their specialty, as well as curries and other unique blends. These are sold to merchants who cross the tundra and are a favourite of noble houses in Southern Laikka for their rarity. The discussion of opening the teleportation circles to more outsiders is a contentious issue with the people of the valley, who recognize they are no longer quietly invisible, but who still want to preserve their way of life.They also export some of their wool in the form of warm cloaks and winter gear. The opening of the teleportation circle has excited many scholars who are hoping to access the vast wealth of history the elves have chronicled.

## Customs and Traditions

Moon elves value their social standing, and it is customary to bow to those above your station - the more difference in station the deeper the bow.
Hospitality is an important value to moon elves - visitors to any home will find themselves handed tea and food, and it is considered rude to refuse. *Quinpah* is a flatbread quickly made out of a local grain and a staple of their diet. As it is quite bland it is either flavoured, topped, or used as a wrap and even as an eating utensil. They eat little meat, and all of that is fish, fowl, sheep or goat. Goats are the largest animals the small city-state can maintain and they are found everywhere. They are treated with a great deal of respect, and many of them roam freely. They are always slaughtered as adults - young goat is considered taboo. Sheep are treated much the same but are not left to roam as freely. These animals came to the valley once the moon elves have been settled and they believe they are a gift from the gods and must be respected. Leather is made from their skin, in fact every part of the animal is used. Much of the rest of the moon elves diet is rice, grains, beans, and the wide variety of vegetables they and the snow elves grow. Everything is spiced, and most outsiders find even a “mild” moon elf dish to be an acquired taste. Spices are essential to moon elf cuisine as their diet is limited - different spices can significantly change the flavour of the same dish. Each family will have their own spice blend for a dish (and of course, theirs is the best).
Moon elves do not use animals for riding or plowing, believing the gift of magic to be what makes them self-sufficient, as such only a few places even have accommodations for the horses the merchants bring with them. Wizardry and sorcery are very common in the valley, and most everyone has a level of magical talent. They use magic to boost their skills, the more cleverly, the better.
Moon elves are said to be as slow-moving as a glacier, but their work is worth the wait. Everything they do takes time, and they take advantage of their long lifespan to complete impressive projects. They also have the advantage of having been at peace for so long, they have texts and accounts of history preserved and thousands of years of their history recorded and passed down. Family trees are long and old and well-tracked. They maintain a mild disdain for the quick pace of life outside the valley, though the appeal of a more exciting life has sent a few moon elves out in to the world. Those who leave the valley willingly are not shunned, more seen as oddities - for why would anyone leave this beautiful, peaceful place.
The area around the lake is designated farmland, and tree farms are interspersed with the residential homes. They burn coal for warmth and cooking - traded from the dwarves,

## Climate

The winters in Sige Suoress last from late October to April, taking up most of the year. As such, everything is designed for winter, but can accommodate their relatively warm (but short) summers. The lip of the bowl is cooler, near the mountains, and the area around the lake warmer.

## Crime and Punishment

The valley guard, known as *Vaelahrn* (those who wield blades) are found everywhere in the city, but they are by and large simply perceived as part of the populace. They keep the peace and are trained in diplomacy and crisis intervention as well as basic healing techniques. The more adventurous of the Vaelahrn join the search-and-rescue team, called the *Aegis* (protectors), counting many rangers and clerics among them. The elite guard join the Amakiir guard and protect the family and other officials. Some remain in the valley but some travel outside when the officials travel as protection.
All serious crimes are judged in a trial before the high priests of the Undying Court in the Temple district. These trials are lengthy and usually quite popular.
Serious crimes - murder, rape, serious assault, are treated with exile on to the tundra. They are given a bag with the basics and removed under guard. They are walked out in to the wasteland and left tied with a temporary restraint. If any of them should manage to survive and return to the valley, they are shunned and treated as if they are not there. Most survivors will simply seek out a new settlement.
Moderate crimes - burglary, territorial disputes, fraud are dealt with individually, with the community and local magistrates deciding together what reparations will be made.
Less severe crimes - petty theft and other disputes are managed individually by the local magistrates, again coming down to a community decision.