T'Nanshi
Overview
The elven nation of T'Nanshi's roots lie all the way back in the creation of Avlis. Legend holds that it was the general location of the prison that held Dru'El when he was a mortal prisoner kept by the evil Negerai. Whether this is true or not, the site of the creation of the first elves was somewhere in the ancient forests of T'Nanshi, and they have remained in the area since then.
The name T'Nanshi is translated loosely as "Spirit Land". The name comes from a very ancient dead language thought to have been spoken by the nature spirits who inhabited Avlis well before the arrival of the nine prisoners and the Negerai. This language has largely been lost, but the present day elven language is thought to be derived from it. Dru'El was said to be interested in recovering the lost language, and he gave what fragments he found to his elves. This is why the elven language on Avlis differs quite a bit from the language spoken by elves encountered on other planes.
Over time, the word for spirit came to be the same as the word for elf. Thus, T'Nanshi is now derived from the phrase "Land of the Elves".
Cities of T'Nashi
Le'Or T'Nanshi
- Location: Center point of the nation of T'Nanshi. T'Nanshi is located north of M'Chek. It borders Deglos to the north, Drotid to the east, and Ferrell and Toran Shaarda to the west.
- Name Derivation: Translated from Avlissian elven, Le' (the) Or (Light) (of) T' (Land of) Nanshi (The Elves, The Elven People).
- Predominant Race in City: Elf
- Predominant Alignment: Chaotic Good
- Government: Elected (Noble) Council
Le'Or T'Nanshi is the capital of the elven nation of T'Nanshi proper. The administration of the entire nation is controlled from this location. However, as a rule, the elves rule things very loosely and only as much as needed.
Le'Or T'Nanshi and the Nation of T'Nanshi are ruled by the same body of elected officials. The Council of Nine controls all foreign policy and domestic matters.
Members are elected to the Council of Nine via elections held every fifty years. The Council of Nine passes laws, as few as possible, that are enforced within Le'Or T'Nanshi by The Watchmen. The remainder of the nation gets its laws enforced by the T'Nanshi army.
Both the Watchmen and the T'Nanshi army are separate entities controlled by the council. Both the Watchmen and the army each have a supreme commander in chief that is a member of the council. They are the only ones on the governing body with a specific task to look after. The rest of the members act in consultation with each other on all other matters.
Although it is not a law, it often happens that only Nobles can get elected to the Council of Nine. This is not seen as a problem by the elves, for most common elves have absolutely no interest in politics or governing, and they have little intention of catching the eye of the government.
Noble families in T'Nanshi are not the same as in a typical human nation. Nobility is not equated with land ownership or money in elven society. For the elves, a noble family is simply a family who has played a big part in the history of the elves at some point in time. When a family earns a distinction to set it apart from the normal elven families, it is considered noble. It just so happens, that most of these families also have successful business dealings that have made them wealthy, but it is not true of all the noble families. The commander in chief of the Elven army is a lady named Aratelda Rinthon. She is of the noble House Rinthon, which traces its roots back to Solerion Rinthon, a famous leader who is responsible for pressing the attack that nearly pushed the orcs into the sea during the Great War.
The commander in chief of the Watchmen is a man named Ryiel Sunmar. His family is also of noble descent, although they take their lineage from the newer Sunmar family and its founder, Orleron Sunmar. Ryiel is Orleron's half-brother.
For more detailed information on the city, see Le'Or T'Nanshi.
Elysia
- Location: Along the western edge of T'Nanshi, south of the halfling nation of Ferrell
- Name Derivation: Elysia is named after the Neutral Good Outer Plane, Elysium.
- Predominant Race: Sylvan. The population consists of mostly elves, half-elves, and fairy races.
- Predominant Alignment: Neutral Good
Elysia is a fortified city located along the shores of Lake Eridanus, along the western edge of T'Nanshi, south of the halfling nation of Ferrell. The city is actually made up almost entirely of loyal followers of the Champions of O'ma. Vanoviel Niltaurwen, after helping to foil the plot of Valok to enter Avlis, was tasked by O'ma himself to create an order of holy warriors to help in defending the ideals of Goodness throughout the planes. Fifty years ago Vanoviel, a half-elf/half-nymph, created a small fort as the headquarters of the early Champions of O'ma where Elysia is presently. Over time the small fort became a keep, the keep became a castle, the castle was surrounded by farms and artisans, and eventually the city was formed. Vanoviel decided to call the city Elysia, in honor of O'ma's home plane of Elysium.
Elysia still serves as the headquarters of the Champions of O'ma, however the Champions do not run the city. Instead, the city of Elysia is governed by a Mayor and a City Council. The mayor is elected bi-annually by a popular vote of all citizens of Elysia and its surrounding farm areas that submit to the city's rule. The current mayor is Ainthradion Rinthon, a well respected elf who has lived in Elysia for many years and a relative of Aratelda Rinthon, a former adventuring companion of Vanoviel.
The City Council members are elected or selected, depending on their sending district, to a one year term. Each of the city's districts has an equal vote in the council. In addition to the elected members there are four permanent members of the council. Vanoviel Niltaurwen, Head of the Champions of O'ma, or in her stead Saramon, her chief lieutenant, is one of the permanent council members. Vanoviel or Saramon do not have a vote on the council. The remaining three permanent council members are the Masterwizard of the Champions of O'ma, High Cleric of the Champions of O'ma, and Head of the Elysial Guards, the city's militia. Each of those three members has full voting rights. The positions are currently held by Maria Torin, Masterwizardess of the Champions of O'ma, Laucin Ulyn, High Cleric of the Champions of O'ma, and Derrik Ogresbane, Captain of the Elysial Guards. The remaining eleven members of the council represent each of the city's districts. The mayor is afforded a vote only to break a tie among the council.
Elysia is a quasi-independent city in the nation of T'Nanshi. The government of T'Nanshi doesn't attempt to control the city, as the true elves of T'Nanshi feel the city is too organized and the goals of the Champions of O'ma currently coincide with the goals of T'Nanshi. The city tries to keep itself independent of the rulings of T'Nanshi and to maintain itself as a self-sufficient entity.
The Champions of O'ma are directly involved in the struggle between M'Chek and T'Nanshi for control of the disputed borderlands. The Champions do not necessarily feel that the elves are right in denying the humans the land, but they are distressed that the Equalizers have enlisted the aid of the Titanian fairies. The Champions feel that this is an undeniable act of evil and have themselves joined the struggle and enlisted the aid of the O'ma fairies.
The struggle between the nations of T'Nanshi and M'Chek put the Equalizers of Mikon and the Champions of O'ma on opposite sides of the battle where in other areas of Avlis, they fight side by side.
While most of the citizens think of Elysia as only their home, the Champions of O'ma consider it both their home and if need be a highly defensible bastion. This thought played a huge role in the design of the city. Vanoviel chose the location of Champions Castle carefully. It is situated on a hillock nearly a half mile from the shores of Lake Eridanus, the highest land mass for five miles in any direction. The city grew in concentric near circles around the completed castle. It is easiest to imagine Elysia as a bull's eye with Champions Castle as the center. The only difference is that the bull's eye is shifted right of center if facing north and looking down from above. There are eleven districts in Elysia and they form four concentric rings around Champions Castle.
For more detailed information on the city, see Elysia.