Ithilarnor

"We fly upon wings of moonlight, so that we may count the stars, and know their names."

## Description

Built into the mountain side itself, the city of Ithilarnor is a place of forgotten wonder and ancient civilizations. Home to the Selunárima and birthplace to the Lómëtarindi, Ithilarnor was once the crown jewel and capital of a lost elven civilization.

Prized as a mining town, it ran along a small mountain range in the midst of Siacros, from whence the elves built their first foundations. Worshipping the stars atop the peaks, while honoring the earth below, they were prosperous, abundant, and happy.

Eventually, however, need demanded this place become a capital, and eventually a fortress, acting as a last bastion against an unforeseen threat. While the annals of history seem to not know what, exactly, that enemy was, it had won, for now the city of Ithilarnor lied in rubble and ruin, haunted by ghosts and far more malevolent creatures.

## Geography

Nestled into the mountain itself, Ithilarnor is not like most elven cities. It consists of an expansive city that is both above and below ground. At it's zenith, the city held a variety of craftsmen, explorers, magi, and warriors, famous for their mines deep beneath the earth that held reservoirs of mithral and adamantine. It was said that because of the elven people's connections to the moon, their deity blessed them with falling stars, so that they would always have an abundance of adamantine to work with and trade, in exchange for a variety of goods.

The city itself consists of a series of concentric rings, with the mines, forges, barracks, and vaults deeper underground. At the center of all this is a lake, at which in the center rests the Moonlit Spire. On the lake's shores are the homes of the most prestigious of the Selunárima, elite magi and mystics who have strong connections to magic or mysticism.

From them spreading outward is then homes of warriors, artisans, crafters, with civilians being the further from the lake and the entrance, nestled safely into the mountainside itself. Spiraling outward from the southern region is a singular gateway, enchanted and runed with ancient elven magic.

Down the spiraling pathway, two more gates of similar design exist. Each one is fashioned from adamantine, and served as funnel points to impede any sort of army. Additionally, at the base of the mountain extends outward a variety of smaller villages and towns, which were often the homes of druidic elves and those called to nature.

Dense forests covered the spaces, and the elves that lived among them were adept at hiding amongst the foilage, able to waylay and track foes without issues, while many would-be enemies found themselves lost and confused amidst the endless sea of leaves and trees.

## Government

Ithilarnor is ruled over by the Moon-Sisters, secretive leaders of the Selunárima people. Beyond them, there are individual Selunárima that are typically apointed leadership through a communal vote, electing them as a mayor or lordship. From there, the mayor or lordship may decide to create a system of councilors, or rule independently.

Once every three years, the roles are re-assessed by the citizens of these locations to determine if the Selunárima is still the most befitting of the job, and if not, they appoint a new leader. The leader is also allowed, at any point, to propose a candidate to take their place, so that they can hold such a voting process without needing to wait for the minimum of three years.

Some locations opt instead to simply allow the lordship to rule indefinitely, creating more of a feudal-like system. The lordship appoints a number of individuals to oversee specific regional areas under his domain, from which those minor nobility then are responsible for the safekeeping and well-being of those within those elected spaces.

However, unlike a type feudal system, these individuals do not necessary work *for* the minor nobility elected, but instead are more along the lines of a protected people for which the appointed nobility is responsible for, much like a shepherd is responsible for their flock.

Each founded location is allowed to pick which form of government between the two it wishes, and are allowed free reign to adapt, modify, or change their decisions. If any disputes or accusations of tyranny arise, such cases are often brought to the capital city of Ithilarnor, and appealed before the Moon-Sisters, upon which a declaration or edict will be decided, and enforced.

## Trade

Ithilarnor was primarily an exporter of mithral and adamantine to the surrounding people. Though secretive and elusive, the elven people were diplomatic enough to have Lunar Envoys travel out to the surrounding settlements, offering these rare and quite expensive metals in exchange for information and objects of interest.

For importing, there was little the Selunárima actually needed, as lumber, agriculture, metals, and textiles were able to be self-fulfilled. With access to cavernous systems, sources of water were abundant, as were sources of food in the forests. So, often it was then that the Selunárima didn't necessarily import goods, but rather information.

One thing of major appeal to many of the surrounding folks were the Selunárima's affinity for magic, as well as their connection to the land and stars. It wasn't unheard of that outside races, predominately humans, might be sent to attend schooling with these elves in exchange for their sacred metals. Though often seen as strange and even distressing at times to the children traded in this manner, the Selunárima treated them well, though their teachings were limited, and any foreigners given in this way could only live in the groves, and never ascend the mountains themselves.

## Military

The Selunárima had a rather elite military, comprised of highly skilled warriors and magi.

The Shadows acted as the police of their realm, using a variety of magic to scry and pinpoint any potential threats, including being able to manifest shadowy versions of themselves to scare off would-be intruders.

The Umbral Wardens relied upon a variety of magic to safeguard the vaults kept within the mountain itself, though there were pockets of Umbral Wardens that existed in the groves, too.

The most common military unit to run into however were the Moondancers, a castle of elven magi trained to be assistants and bodyguards. Though their job was primarily escorting and protecting those abroad, Moondancers that were not currently deployed served as patrol units.

## Rumors & Legends

Since the fall of the Selunárima people, there have been three prominent rumors of what exactly befell them and led to the current state of their alleged extinction.

The first rumor is that the goddesses, known as the Moon-Queens, ascended to divinity and abandoned their chosen people. As a result of their light being withdrawn, the Selunárima withered into nothingness, the blessings and protection of their goddesses no longer sustaining their blessed origins.

The second rumor is that the Selunárima lost faith in their goddesses, and stopped communing with them. As a result, the goddesses lost their powers, which are speculated to have been fueled by faith and belief, and the goddesses are now trapped within the night sky, powerless to escape. By abandoning their faith, the Selunárima slowly fell into darkness and ruin, no longer embracing the light of the moon and stars.

The third and final rumor is that the goddesses were killed, and their powers stolen. As a result of this, the Selunárima lost their divine grace, and were plunged into shadow by this unseen enemy, bringing them to naught but ruin and despair.

None can agree upon which rumor is true, and no forays into their lands currently have revealed any truth to these rumors, or evidence of other theories. As such, much has faded into myth and legend, and is only debated still amongst scholars, and those with an interest in the elven people's past.

## Notable Locations

At present, the capital and kingdom is in ruins, with nothing of note to visit.

## History

Thousands of years ago, the Selunárima were but an elven tribe, living in the wilds of Siacros. Three among them, whose names were lost to time, communed with the night sky, and divined their purpose. Often leaving in fear of the shadows of night, and relying on nomadic living to survive, the trio of psychic oracles had an epiphany, and shared it with their tribe.

As the trio had been born with powerful gifts of telepathy and psychic connections, the tribe believed them to be divine omens from the sky, born to lead their people to greatness. So it was, then, that they led them for months within the forests, until they came upon a great mountain. Believing this to be the home they were called to, the trio had informed the tribe they would ascend the mountain when the moon was at it's zenith, so that they may commune with clarity, unburdened by the foilage that often obscured the night sky from clarity.

While slumbering, the elven tribe had a confrontation with an entity that called itself The Green. After nearly avoiding a massacre, none know exactly what happened between the elven tribe and the entity, but their people were spared, and they made the ascent.

Upon doing so, the trio had finally reached the tallest point, and before them was a lake, that appeared to glimmer as if starlight itself was bound within, held just beneath the surface. Upon approach, a bridge made of starlight formed above the waters, and a voice called out to the trio. Beckoned to ascension, the trio climbed the stairs, until eventually they rose into the night sky, glimmering with starlight.

It was upon this ascension their minds were opened to the universe. They named themselves Lómëtarindi, Moon-Queens. And when they gazed down upon those watching, they named them Selunárima, Moon's Envoys. They then blessed them, altering the elves to become the Selunárima, a variation of their kinfolk. These changes were more than spiritual, but physiological, as they were touched by the moon goddesses, imbued with the strength of the night.

To honor this, the Selunárima spent the next few years building two areas of main interest. First was Ithilarnor, the name they had given to the mountain they stood upon, which meant "Moon's Kingdom" in the Elven tongue. The second was the name they gave to the groves beneath the mountain, Neldorinlómë, which meant "Moonlit Woodlands" in the Elven tongue. The Selunárima built many structures, and eventually established themselves as a main source of mithral and adamantine, as well as guardians against Abyssal threats, and were a source of prestigious magical training for the nearby civilizations that would establish themselves, until their fall from civilization a few centuries ago, leaving little behind.