[hider=Yllendthyr --- WIP][center][h1][b]THE HEAVENLY DOMINION
OF YLLENDTHYR[/b][/h1]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/LfrRvyF.jpg[/img][/center]


[h2][b]GEOGRAPHY[/b][/h2][hider=BIG WHITE ON THE LEFT][img]http://i.imgur.com/Js6PJoc.jpg[/img][/hider]
Yllendthyr is an island nation isolated from the rest of the continent. It's surrounded by greenery and lush forests only broken up with the appearance of occasional cities and mountains. The capital and residence of the Queen of Yllendthyr is in Yllendor, a tower-city with its tall shine and beauty can be seen from all around the country.
[h2][b]GOVERNMENT[/b][/h2]
Yllendthyr is a monarchy lead by its hereditary divine rulers. The Queen (Ymerodres) fulfills the role of both supreme ruler and head priestess of their religion, the Arvandor. In effect though most of the political power is handled by the Chymanfa, the house of lords that covers the council of the most prestigious and influential noble families of Yllendthyr. As in a typical feudalist system they have large degree of autonomy and only answer to the Queen for their deeds. In spite of that these families are also the most devout believers in Arvandor thus they generally have unwavering loyalty to the Queen and serve as the pillars of her authority. Yllendthyr's culture put considerable emphasis on personal freedom and no elf could ever belong to anyone but themselves. As such there are no serfs or land-bound lower classes, every elf on Yllendthyr regardless of their birth are free. On the other hand the only class with ownership of lands are the nobles. Agriculture, mines, forests and so forth, it always belong to a noble thus commoners must pay "rent" for using it. Cities have an unique status which attracts craftsmen and merchants and generally they enjoy favorable taxes. Still, the system has holes and urbanization progresses very slowly. The longevity of elves also have a strange effect on their politics. Rulers usually don't change for centuries but more importantly elves have a different perception of time and this makes them seem rather conservative and slow to change as a whole.


[h2][b]CULTURE[/b][/h2]
The majority of Yllendthyr's population are elves and their cultural norms dominate on the island. Compared to humans elves are frail and beautiful people with their fay origins linking them closer with nature and magic. Elves are long lived which combined with their slow maturation gives them a different perception of time. Indeed for an elf anyone under 100 years may seem like a youth or even a teenager. This also have the effect that while elves are one of the oldest cultures the large gaps between generations make any changes to their society slow. Entire human countries rise and fall over reign of just one of Yllendthyr's queens. Elves live in relative harmony with their environment, their settlements are built upon giant trees, almost blending into the forest. Only cities and forts stand out with their stony walls. Elves mastered hunter gatherer lifestyle and it still takes up a significant portion of their society. They abhor extensive farming and their agriculture is striving for balance with nature. Contrary to the popular belief elves do cut trees but they do it with care and respect. Lumberjacks of other countries are viewed with scornful emotions. Elven society believes in personal freedom and acquiring experiences. There are no serfs and any elf on Yllendthyr regardless of their birth are free to travel within the country or even visit foreign countries. On the other hand only nobles (Arawen) are allowed to own lands. Anyone else wishing to operate mines, use fields or forests must pay a "rent" to the noble. This land ownership came to be during the ancient times when noblemen were responsible for fighting as part of Yllendthyr's military. These traditions haven't completely died out and nobles have the duty to maintain armies for both defending their land and aiding the Queen in war. Another interesting social group are the citizen whose numbers are on the rise thanks to tax cuts and other benefits for people living in cities. This "merchant class" is on the rise albeit as everything this change is progressing slow within Yllendthyr. While elves enjoy freedom other races within Yllendthyr are not as fortunate. Humans, orcs, lizardmen and any non-elven race are generally viewed as slaves and owned like property. Albeit mistreating slaves is heavily frowned upon and one can also prove their status by their generosity to slaves. Regardless their numbers are on the rise, the non-elvish population already approaches the 36%. That being said certain non-elves rose up in society and become subtle defining figures. Also visitors are always met in Yllendthyr with hospitality.


[h2][b]MILITARY[/b][/h2]
TBA


[h2][b]HISTORY[/b][/h2]
Warfare and military affairs in Yllendthyr are generally exclusive to the nobles. Each noble has the duty to defend their lands and answer to the Queen's call to war. A noble army is called Aramegyr and each is effectively a private force maintained by the said noble. The size of an army is determined by the size of the lands they own albeit there are minimums and leeways for larger armies. Among nobles of status their army is one of the most important way to show up to each other. The army of greater nobles is of course also supported by their vassals' Aramegyr and as you can bet this system can get convoluted quick. Even more problematic is when multiple nobles of high status are on the field. There could be considerable infighting to decide who owns the right to command the army.
[to be continued...]

[h2][b]RELATIONS[/b][/h2]
Yllendthyr is an island country living in relative isolation. While trading with the neighboring seafaring races is relatively common Yllendthyr generally shies away from geopolitics and its people try to keep their contact with the outside to the minimum.
[to be continued...]

[h2][b]NOTABLE PEOPLE[/b][/h2]
I am gonna include both my heroes and other named characters at the same place. My military section may have summaries on heroes and their abilities but not much else. So if you want saucy stories or just have an extra 5-10 minutes to waste, you might read this in the future (when I get to finish this NS).

[/hider]