Linderin
National Symbol: Oak Tree
National Colors: Green and White
76% Wood Elf
24% Gnome
45% Shamanistic
35% Pantheon
10% Ancestor Worship
10% Agnostic
(Collectivist Anarchism System of Government) The Shaneier Elves do not really have an overarching system of government. They live their whole lives following the laws of nature so to most outsiders their territory is chaotic and anarchist in nature. They band together in small communities working together in helpful harmony with each other. But once a community reaches a size that cannot be self-sustained, volunteers depart the village on a ‘Great Migration’ to other areas to establish new villages. Villages are usually led by an Elder, which is the closest thing to a government they possess.
Badlands: Hostile
Cenovia: Friendly
Commonwealth of Dail: Hostile
Eldarian Union: Friendly
Elven Triumvirate: Friendly
Empire of Grundar: Hostile
Golden Dwarves: Neutral
Grand Duchy of Montia: Neutral
Granelian Protectorate: Neutral
Hassarian Oligarchy: Neutral
Highlands: Friendly
Ichi Shogunate: Neutral
Idelan Republic: Neutral
Iron Dwarves: Hostile
Kingdom of Aldania: Neutral
Naga’s Landing: Hostile
Orc Horde: Hostile
Sahalan Sultanate: Hostile
Steel Dwarves: Neutral
Taisan Khanate: Hostile
The Dark Covenant: Hostile
Theocracy of Vespa: Neutral
Undying Lands: Hostile
Wolven Marches: Hostile
There is no economy in Shaneier Elf territories. Everything is based on a barter system when individuals are allowed to freely trade amongst themselves unrestricted. Quality tools, well-made pottery, and finely crafted weapons are usually considered the most valuable types of trade goods.
Shaneier Elves do not necessarily build structures. Instead, the elves use earth magic and carpentry to create living areas that are one with nature and many are well concealed because of this. Most villages are suspended high up into the tall trees that are present in the region for protection or deep within secretive caves. Most interiors are located inside the trunks of trees or behind waterfalls. Towns and villages primarily use simple leaf, thatch, clay, or wooden materials.
Shaneier clothing is best described as a mix of rural and tribal. The garments are almost always in either a green or brown color that helps blend in with the environment. Wool, cotton, hemp, leather, and furs are common materials that the clothing is composed of. Almost every bit of clothing they make is designed to be functional and not restrict any movement.
Typical Shaneier cuisine includes heavy use of foraged and hunted foods. Fruits, nuts, game meats, mushrooms, and herbs are all common. The Shaneier Elves have also mastered magics that make their food extremely filling and nourishing so that it does not take much to sustain themselves. This allows them to live off the land with very little impact to it. Drinks are usually fruit or tea leaf based and are also magically enhanced for nourishment. No native alcoholic drinks come from this region as Shaneier elves believe the production of it is extremely wasteful and unnecessary.
Music: Shaneier Elves adore music in all its forms, and their music heavily uses lutes, flutes, and drums. Their music is often whimsical and fun, or soft and tender in tone. The Shaneier elves also love to dance, so any music that puts people in a dancing mood is very popular.
Literature: Shaneier Elves don’t readily produce paper so literature is sparse. However because of the shamanistic culture in some parts of the region, they do record things in writing, mostly on leather or hide vellum. Almost all knowledge comes from village Elders, who maintain any writing in their personal care.
Entertainment/Theater: Dancing and festivals are the primary forms of entertainment amongst the Shaneier Elves. Birthdays, weddings, seasonal changes are all reasons to bring the community together to celebrate and they take the time to do so during those times. Outside of dances and festivals Shaneier Elves are keen on athletic competitions and swimming.
Shaneier Society actively rejects technology, as they see it in direct conflict with nature. The technophobic situation that creates means most technology is immediately turned away or destroyed. Magic however is the reverse, since the Shaneier Elves believe it is a part of the very fabric of the world, and its use is an integrated part of their lives. Everything from food production to the way they construct their homes involves some sort of magic, and the use of it is highly encouraged and embraced.
Elves and dwarves were the first races to appear on the continent, and the Wood Elves were creating woodland sanctuaries and mastering magic from the very beginning. Wood elf history is very difficult to trace back, as much of it was never documented or written down and is ever changing like nature itself. They are a culture that changes with the wind, and there isn’t any one moment in time that truly defines them. When the massive war between elves and dwarves broke out, it caused almost cataclysmic upheaval in every corner of the continent. During that period the Wood Elves did their best not participate in the war, and chose to remain secluded and hidden in their sacred groves and forests. Choosing to only fiercely protect their borders and remain neutral. A peace-loving, harmony driven people, Wood Elves are in a constant state of trying to live with balance towards nature. And after the war they were the only elves to try and repair relationships with the dwarves and managed to reach more common ground with at least the Golden Dwarves and Steel Dwarves post war. Nearly everything they do as civilization is in effort to reach equilibrium with the natural world. After the war they even took an active role in this venturing out of their forests to help heal the world itself. The best example of this was with the Empire of Grundar, where they took an entire country sized blasted wasteland and restored it to a vibrant ecosystem again. However not every nation shares their love of nature and harmony. Once they had restored Grundar the Shaneier elves were betrayed and deported once the work was done. Rather than fight to stay, the took the peaceful route and simply retreated back to their homelands. Expansionist cultures are also an enigma to Wood Elves and have resulted in several hostile relations, as they don’t understand how people can spread over an area like swarm of locusts and replace beauty and trees with large urban sprawl. The Taisan Khanate and the Commonwealth of Dail have both tried to colonize or invade the Shaneier sacred woods to set up cities, and have so far been fiercely evicted for doing do. Evil races are also considered threats to Shaneier societies, as rot, corruption, destruction, and death are the opposite of what they seek as a people. This includes the Sahalan Sultanate who the Shaneier view as a form of manipulative dark corruption. However many of these diplomatic relations ebb and flow like rivers, since there is no centralized government for the Shaneier. Information between communities spreads by way of stories and through the Elders, so one village or town may have a completely different stance based on how they interpret the news and information. Generally so long as it doesn’t harm nature, and doesn’t encroach on their sacred woods, most wood elves really don’t seem to mind or even care about the wider world and regard it all with either mild curiosity or purposeful avoidance. The Shaneier Elves as they stand today is a nation of magical mystery, peaceful existence, and a love for nature and harmony.