Andre'thalas (Terra)

*The Gates to Therissia*

Andre’thalas is the second most notable area on terra. While elves will always be not as populous as humans, they will always be a few more steps ahead in terms of arcane technology. This place is a haven for arcane practitioners, and is considered the goal of any arcanist to study at an elven academy. The area of Andre’thalas is so magically warped that it barely resembles natural nature, and instead is more of a garden. Not to mention, there is also the floating city of Therissia, which has been marvelled as an accomplishment in both defense, superiority, and arcane prowess.

## History

*Therissia before the 1137 CE*

Before recorded time, there were only humans and the tribal Dorrians. Humans were starting to expand across the world slowly, while Dorrians lived isolated in Morgethar. Eventually, a group of humans came to find the Arcwell and the Ethereal Xakauz. These humans came to want to understand the incredible power of the Arcwell and the ethereal that guarded it. They started forming a small community, trying to communicate with the Ethereal. Eventually, the ethereal saw a certain potential in these humans, and came up with a plan to turn them into something that was higher than what was considered human. The first elves came to be born out of this exchange in 0 CE, with many humans undergoing the process of transformation. With this, Andre’thalas was founded around the powerful Arcwell that provided so much arcane power to the elves. Over time, the elves began to advance their knowledge of arcane power very far, to the technological point of the 1700s in our world.

In the year of blood, 1137 BC, vampires had come into existence. These creatures had ravaged through the elven country. While humans were much more prepared due to their tendency to conflict with each other, elves were not prepared to use their magic and infrastructure defensively. Thus, many elves fell prey to the vampires, destroying their society. In a desperate move, the humans who chose to not become elves underwent a different ritual, one that turned them into the werewolves many know today. The werewolves were successful, and became revered within elven society, but they had been set back by thousands of years. Cities razed, records annihilated, and the most powerful elite turning to vampires.

This started the age of stagnation, where the Elven empire rebuilt, and sought to empower itself so as to never suffer a tragedy such as this again. They expanded across the peninsula and fortified the Arcwell to be the most maximum security area on terra. They also sought isolation, as their human neighbors in Fendreckland weren’t exactly the most peaceful.

The new golden age started in 1755 CE, when Therissia and the arcwell itself was lifted into the sky. This age, called The Sky Age, inspired an entirely new wave of arcane research. New technologies started being discovered at an exponential rate as every elf became fascinated with what the Arcane could do once again. Some inventions even leaked to the human world, such as the Arcane Steam Engine that defined Dragonmaw. This era continues even to today, when the first Spaceships have been made to traverse the stars.

## Population

The elven population would be much higher if nearly 60% of all elves weren’t wiped out by the vampire attacks. Right now, their population stands at around 800 million, less than a fifth of how many humans there are. However, there is also a sizable werewolf population in Andre’thalas as well, as many as 1 million werewolves exist within the elven lands, which is a very sizable amount. In addition, elves also love having other races serve them. There are 165,000 humans being used as paid labor.

## Culture

Andre’thalas has a heavy elegant theme to it. They love marble, glowing building parts, and strange colors. They have a heavy focus on gardening and making nature look exactly how they want, and like to garnish their society with a lot of gold and silver, even if its fake.

There are three culture groupings. The first and most populous one is the city of Therissia. It is a massive floating island in the sky with extremely tall buildings and gardens. It also possesses the famous Arcwell that the elves are so famous for. Therissian elves are the most absolute snobbish elves possible. They even have a tendency to treat other elves as lesser. There is also a heavy emphasis on luxury and scientific progress in Therissia. Around 40% of all elves live in Therissia.

The next group is those who live in Lower Therissia, of people who live on the mainland and did not get to join Therissia in their flight across the world. These elves feel discouraged due to their exemption from the floating city, but they are determined to do their best. While contact with the floating Therissia is limited to a massive teleporter pad that the elves built, they still share a lot of culture with main Therissia, and do act more snobbish and are more focused on research. They are more accepting towards other races though.

And lastly, there is outer andre’thalas. These elves are very hardened. The border of Andre’thalas has a long history of clashing with Fendreckland nations, and thus these elves are more focused on defense. They still live in the era of stagnation, where elves were paranoid that the world was out to get them, and even in modern times with modern weapons, they still believe that. They even still make relations tense as they hold dearly to their werewolf companions, and believe they are the only defense to protect Andre’thalas. These werewolves can often escape in bloodthirsty rage and cause more werewolf incidents in Fendreckland. Most other elves consider Outer Andre’thalas to be the backroads of elven lands, but they do their own thing. Think of them as… florida men.

## Locations

*Therissia, the Floating City*

Andre’thalas is built around the Arcwell. It is where the elves came from, and it is where they will stay. The Arcwell itself is the resting place of an Ethereal who was slain in the early days of Terra. The Ethereal Xakauz stands guard by it, constantly protecting it from any who may seek to use its power for evil. Luckily, humans who came with curiosity instead of hostility approached first, and became the first elves. Since then, The Arcwell has been the source of power for many elves, and is the reason Therissia floats in the sky.

The city around the Arcwell, Therissia, is a massive, elegant city. It is home to the brightest minds, alchemists, mechanics, and runemasters in Terra. It is where most technological innovation happens. It is home to many academies, gardens, homes, and spires for the elves.

Lesser Therissia is the second level of Andre’thalas. Cities here are more sparse, and the forests are more wild. Instead of a megacity, there are many towns and smaller cities here for elves to live in. The plant life here has been greatly altered to look like a garden. Purple and red trees, many flowers, fresh spring winds, etc.

Outer Therissia has not been altered, and has many ancient elven buildings mimicking the first age of prosperity, which were more reasonable and humanish. Though they are much darker and run down as a reflection of the grizzled population in this area. This area has nature that has not been messed with, and the land is quite diverse. There are hints of desert, savanna, and jungle. It also possesses a massive wall that separated Andre’thalas from Fendreckland known as the Elven Gate.

## Technology

Andre’thalas is the site of many new technological innovations. It houses technology that we would consider futurist. Verticle hydroponics, spaceships, holographic projections, etc. While they are trying to share these technologies with the rest of the world, technology isn’t instantaneous.

Otherwise, elves have higher than what we have, but no more than beginning space-age. They do not have FTL travel yet, nor do they have advanced weaponry that we would typically think of in a sci fi roleplay.

## Government

Andre’thalas is an oligarchy, where the most advanced in each field of arcane arts rules. Their government is full of professionals who ascend into power as per the top academy’s qualities. In a way, the Elven Land is ruled by the academies. This means a lot of overrepresentation in Therissia, and almost none in Outer Andre’thalas. While their government is very competent, it is not good at representing people.

## Religion

Andre’thalas have little religion. They see the celestials as something that if exists, must be exploited and researched, and if they don’t, don’t care. It is for this reason celestials rarely ever show their faces in Andre’thalas. Elves prefer to see the world with absolute rationality.

## Arcane Arts

Andre’thalas is extremely focused on arcane arts. They have entire cities built around academies that teach the highest tier arcane knowledge in that area. Elves revere those who have proved themselves in the academic world. They do however, have more of a focus on cantrips than mechanical engineering. They want to perform arcane magic themselves, and not try to figure out new machinery. They also love to use arcane magic to alter the environment to be more ‘beautiful’, as seen by Mainland Therissian forests, who have been so altered that they classify as an entire biome. Elves use arcane magic frivolously, and in the purpose of entertainment. This is what separates the common elf from those who actually want to innovate and discover ways to progress.