Difference between revisions of "Dominion Era/Elledynnë (Culture)"

Revision as of 22:08, 22 July 2015

Dominion Era Elledynnë
High Elves
Fair Folk, Golden Ones, Two-Faces
Racial Insignia of the Elledynnë
Land of Origin
Continent of Origin	Termalttë
Homeland	D'Satrë Naborra
Capital	Di'Olyrenë Selvë
Racial Lore
Language	Elledyn'ni
Characteristics	Elledynnë (Characteristics)
Culture	Elledynnë (Culture)
History	Dominion Era
Government	Elledynnë (Government)
Military	Elledynnë (Military)
Stats	Elledynnë (Stats)
Racial Relations
Allies	None
Enemies	Tretallë
Neutrals	None

Known as Elledynë in the common ancestor tongue of Elledyn'ni and Tretalleri, the High Elves are the sister race of the Bone Elves. Whatever similarities between the two races may be, it is fair to say that most of them end there. A generally conceited and vainglorous people, where the Bone Elves live and toil under their prosperous Dominion, the High Elves built their empire: the Silvered Realm, on the backs of slaves from the peoples that they have conquered. Where the Tretallë believe that all children of the earth are equal before the eyes of Death, the High Elves believe themselves to not be born of the earth, made superior to all other peoples by the hand of their Triple Goddess.

The Eternal Rivalry

In the theology of Di'Ovyrë Ohyrda, the World-Faith, the Elledynnë were created by the Triple Goddess herself, shaped from her dreams to represent all that is good and noble and beautiful in the world. At the same time, this very same doctrine speaks of the Tretallë as Elledynnë captured by the Triple Goddess' jealous rival, the Raven Goddess. By this account, the Tretallë are said to be Elledynnë that were stripped of their natural beauty, twisted into shades of their past glory, and warped into embodiments of death, evil, and all that is ugly in the world of mortal men.

As far as the Elledynnë are concerned, this theological account of the schism between the two races that is the reason for the rivalry between the two peoples. Truth be told, historians in later years discover that there are many inconsistencies with the theological account and evidence that exists. However, to the vast majority of the populace and even large swathes of the aristocracy, common knowledge is that the rivalry began long before the Elfin Diaspora. What is known among the more studied of theologians and the highest houses of the land, is that the first king of the Silvered Realm after the Diaspora made sure that any records of the time would be gradually destroyed until they were forgotten.

The Tretallë tell a very different account of the Diaspora and the rivalry that sprung up between the two races. It comes as no surprise, however, that the Elledynnë—even their most learned and impartial—are the first to scream blasphemy should anyone even dare to suggest that perhaps the Tretallë know things that the High Elves do not.

Traditions

Where the Tretallë are an incredibly somber people with few festivals each year, if any, the Elledynnë are a stark contrast, exorbitant and extravagant in their celebrations. When it comes to celebrating their own beauty and racial superiority, the Elledynnë know not the meaning of the word "restraint." Far too often, the coffers of the working middle-class run dry by the end of the last celebration: the Winter Moon Festival. In fact, most of the Elledyn'ni middle-class works solely to have some coin to spend on the many splendid displays of wealth and opulence of the Silvered Realm.

Whether the circumstances are noteworthy or inauspicious, the Elledynnë jump at any chance to display their wealth and their beauty. The Aristocracy are particularly to blame for this, sometimes even throwing lavish parties for young men not even belonging to their own families who have just had sex for the first time.

When it comes to more regular celebrations, however, particularly those of the more religious flavour, the Elledynnë also refuse to back down from the challenge of ever-growing extravagance. With festivals at the turning of every season hearkening back to the more druidic roots of the Elledynnë only making up a tiny portion of the numerous religious observances, it is no wonder that Di'Ovyrë Ohyrda is one of the richest and most powerful institutions in Elledyn'ni society, one often in direct competition with the Crown itself for resources.

The Feasts of the Twins

Twice every Elledyn'ni Year, a well-known astronomical event in the world of Sekhar takes place: the Twin Moons phenomenon. While historians and scholars alike puzzle at the simultaneous amount of incredibly accuracy and precision with which the event is detailed and the near-universal ignorance about its causes, the Elledynnë are more concerned with the Twin Moons for more hedonistic reasons. Of course, the excuse for debauchery is shrouded in religious language, but even the priests of the Faith are aware that the Feasts of the Twins are used more as justification for exorbitant spending on food, drink, and sex.

D'Sivalla Qivena in Elledyn'ni, the Feasts of the Twins are among the most important festivals for the Elledyn'ni. The dates for the feasts are typically decided by the high priesthood of Di'Ovyrë Ohyrda who keep a close eye on the skies and watch for the first signs of the Twin moon either emerging from behind the Prime moon or moving out of its light from in front. For religious and dogmatic reasons, the Feasts are so important because they serve as reminders to the Elledyn'ni people of the paradise that awaits them in the Great City, Di'Aqirë Selvë in Elledyn'ni, which they believe is built upon the Twin Moon.

The Feasts of the Twins are typically a community affair for the commonfolk, though the aristocracy often find themselves torn between grand rival balls in the upper echelons of society. A vast feast, where food is served alongside a dazzling array of condiments and sauces that make creative use of moonflower seeds, is typically the first order of business during the Feasts of the Twins. Wine is a commodity that flows freely from the earthenware jugs of enslaved creatures to the solid-silver or silver-leafed goblets of their masters on nights like the Feasts of the Twins.

When the dinner is finally devoured, the musicians, dancers, and singers abound as the tables are cleared for traditional dances that tend more toward the luridly sensual than the modest. It is not uncommon to see male dancers easing their hands into the sheer, nigh-on see-through breeches of their male partners as they spin to the feverish tempo of the music.

When finally the drummers, lutists, harpists, singers and dancers grow tired, the harpists come out of the woodwork as Twinberry wine is brought out. Twinberries are considered sacred to the Triple Goddess for three reasons: the berries of the plant are formed in identical pairs of clusters of three, the leaves of the vine are trefoil with a hint of copper in their veins, and the six-petalled, faintly-glowing, pure-white flowers of the vine only blossom when the Twin Moons are present in the sky.

Considered a potent poison to most other creatures, the Elledŷnnë can shrug off the plant's effects on the two days that the sale and consumption of Twinberry wine are sanctioned by the government. During the Feasts of the Twins, when the Elledŷnnë are at their peak arcane power, Twinberry wine merely causes heightened arousal and hallucinations of the most pleasurable kind to the Elledŷnnë. This hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac effect leads the Elledŷnnë quite nicely to the invariably long, loud, and fervent coupling that stretches until dawn the next day.