Greater Faydark, Faydwer
King Tearis Thex
Felwithe was built with the assistance of the Dwarves, and the result is a mix of heavy Dwarven stonework and delicate Elven magic. Almost all the walls are covered in ivy, and clear streams and pools around throughout the city.
Almost exclusively High Elves, some Half Elves.
After the destruction of the Elddar Forest of Tunaria and the Fall of Takish'Hiz, the remaining Elves migrated across the Ocean of Tears. Some say the Ocean's name goes back to the tears of Tunare Herself, shed for her lost children. The city itself is named for Alissa Felwithe, a Kaoda'Dal hero who took particular leadership during this dark time, and helped secure the Greater Faydark as the new Elven homeland.
There are legends that Felwithe is built upon an ancient Dark Elf capital called Caerthiel. The Tier'Dal accuse the Koada'Dal of razing Caerthiel after the destruction of the Elddar forest, and slaying its Dark Elf inhabitants to the last Elf. Most modern-day Koada'Dal deny this story altogether, although a few claim there is evidence of Tier'Dal construction under the city.
The High Elves and Wood Elves had always lived together in harmony before the forced emigration. When they arrived in Faydwer, the Elves set about to rebuilding Takish'Hiz. The Wood Elves liked the woods as they were and departed the city-in-progress to build their own home closer to nature. The Koada'Dal eventually gave up trying to coax back their discordant cousins, and they agreed to disagree on their various philosophical, legal, and religious differences. However, Felwithe is still considered the Elven Capital, and while the Wood Elves have their own laws and government, they are still considered subjects of the (Felwithian) King.
High Cleric Sarthan Leafwind (later elevated to sainthood) was the first to write down what would come to be known as the "Code of the Koada'Dal," based on laws supposedly set down by Tunare Herself since the earliest days of Takish'Hiz. These laws, kept and enforced by the Priesthood, are still in use today.
Today, King Tearis Thex has reigned over the High Elves for several centuries. His daughter Firiona Vie, the Chosen of Tunare, is next in line for the throne. She is the one who finally defeated Lanys T'Vyl, the Daughter of Hate, though at a terrible price.
The Koada'Dal may worship the Mother of All as their creator, but it is interesting (and worth noting) that almost all of their leaders–the King himself, the Commanders of the Koada'Vie, both High Clerics, and two out of the three Arcane school heads–are all male. There is a very subtle (for the most part) patriarchy in Felwithe. This is only odd when you consider they revere the Mother of All as their Creator and main Goddess. There is no path from which women are specifically barred, though indeed, the men of Felwithe, particularly the more conservative ones, try to steer their daughters away from more dangerous vocations (such as joining the Koada'Vie.)
There is no poverty in Felwithe. The King makes sure he provides for all of his people, so that not only are they not poor, most are very well-off by Human standards.
There are four main social groups in the Felwithian caste system: the noblility, the Priesthood, the tradesmen, and the Arcanists. Some Koada'Dal fit into more than one group. Outside of Felwithe, most are perceived as nobility, no matter their actual station among the High Elves, due to their noble bearing and impeccable manners. No matter what standing or job in Felwithe, Koada'Dal generally treat each other with unfailing courtesy and respect, and generally demand the same respect from outsiders.
The nobility include the royalty, and the ancient Houses that can trace their lineage back to Takish'Hiz. They are the ruling class, but Koada'Dal nobility actually care for their people and take responsibility for their happiness and welfare.
The Priesthood, or Tunarians, are comprised of the Clerics and Paladins who serve the All-Mother. They are made up about equally of artisan-born and nobles, for within the walls of the Temple, all Koada'Dal are considered equal and one is judged on by his deeds alone. The men and women who have dedicated themselves to Tunare usually make vows of celibacy. These vows are not permanent; once the cleric or paladin achieves sufficient rank in the Temple and has proven his dedication, he or she is permitted to marry.
The tradesmen, or artisans, are largest class. Families may well have handed down a trade for centuries. At least one child usually carries on his parents' craft, while others either join the Priesthood (as a Paladin or Cleric) or are apprenticed to a trade related to that of their parents. In addition to craftsmen and merchants, career soldiers, farmers, fishermen, etc. are also considered "tradesmen."
The Aracanists are the smallest social group. While all Koada'Dal children receive a basic education in the arcane arts, only a select few have the determination and inclination (not to mention the money) to study with one of the three arcane schools of Felwithe: the School of Charms (enchanters), the School of Elements (magicians), or the School of Riftwalking (wizards). These schools only teach Koada'Dal, though Humans and Gnomes are permitted to browse the libraries and arcane shops as long as they keep the peace.
It is important to remember High Elves reckon time more slowly than the shorter-lived races. Their children do not reach the age of majority for one hundred years. When born, they grow and mature quickly the first few years (at about the same rate as Human babies), but somewhere around nine or ten years of age, their development begins to slow. This makes for an extremely prolonged adolescence. One can well understand then, why children are usually raised by the parents up until this time, then no time is lost packing them off to an apprenticeship, school, or church, depending on the vocation chosen for the child.
Marriage among High Elves is an extremely formal, ritualized procedure. Marriages are usually arranged, frequently soon after birth, especially among the nobility; because of this, marrying outside one's caste is almost unheard of. Families consider all possible matches from suitable families alike in wealth and social standing. Koada'Dal parents want only the best for their children; the entire system is designed to prevent the chaotic vagaries of marriages-of-love. The Koada'Dal have a deep respect for their customs and generally accept their parent's choice for their life partner serenely and trust their parents' wisdom. On the whole (to the surprise of others, especially the Fier'Dal), arranged Koada'Dal couples are as content together as couples in cultures in which the person chooses his spouse.
Courtship varies depending on social group. Among the nobility, there are forms and customs to uphold. Frequently the two do not meet until a few years before the wedding, when they are introduced at a traditional ball held to celebrate the coming joining. It is customary for the groom-to-be to present his intended with a token-- often a ring or other piece of jewelry she can wear. The two will see each other once or twice (chaperoned, of course) before the actual wedding. The wedding itself is planned entirely by the parents; both the bride's and groom's families share in the planning equally.
The Tunarian's are different in that their marriages take second place to their duty to Tunare. In this case, the Church takes the place of the parents in arranging a suitable match. The artisans are generally less stringent, both on the children meeting before the wedding and the chaperoning. The Arcanists generally follow the forms of whatever social group their parents come from: artisan or nobility.
Extra-marital and pre-marital affairs are unheard of among the High Elves. This is not to say they do not happen (rarely) but they are not talked about openly (private gossip is quite another story). The High Elves accept the existance of Half Elves-- reluctantly-- but any Koada'Dal who sires such a half-breed should not expect to keep and raise the child openly. Such children are sent to Kelethin to be raised by foster parents. Some are found to carry Tunare's touch, and while they are not allowed into the ranks of the clerical orders (they are not thought to have the wisdom or purity to channel Tunare's holy will), upon adulthood they are permitted to join the Koada'Vie. Once they have proven themselves like the other knights, they are generally accepted and treated as equal to the other paladins.
During holidays, weddings, or other times of great celebration, the High Elves make merry much like they do everything else: in a dignified, orderly, and traditional fashion. Other races see them as repressed or stiff, but the Koada'Dal are not cold, they merely find public displays of unchecked revelry, drunkeness, or lewdity to be distasteful in the extreme. Alcohol is not shunned in private, though it is frowned on in public except for customary uses, such as the Spring Festival. Felwithe does boast one tavern, though it is frequented by visiting wood Elves, Humans, dwarves, and gnomes far more often than locals.
Felwithe is a monarchy, currently ruled by King Tearis Thex. The throne is hereditary, falling to the eldest child of the Sovereign when he (or she) abdicates or dies. The King keeps a Royal Council made up of two tradesmen, three Arcanists (one from each Guild), the King, and the Royal Chancellor. All positions (save the King's) are by the royal appointment. Representatives serve on the council for a term of no more than thirty-one years. In the event of a Councilor's death, his term is finished out by his firstborn child. The Royal Council and the King's staff take care of all tasks related to the daily needs of the citizens, including tax collection, health inspections, and property surveys.
The King also employs a Fier'Dal liaison in his court, currently Faeryn Bladestorm, who acts an intermediary for Kelethinians when in Felwithe. He helps smooth over misunderstandings between the less polished Wood Elves and their high-minded cousins.
The King's authority is equal with that of the Temple of Tunare and its Priesthood. The Tunarian Council is a body of eleven comprised of five Clerics and five Paladins, headed by a High Cleric, currently Yeolarn Bronzeleaf. The Priesthood is in charge of teaching, maintaining, and enforcing the Code of the Koada'Dal and form the sole legal system of the Koada'Dal.
The Felwithian law is deeply intertwined with Elven spirituality and considering most High Elves' deep respect, if not high adoration, for their Goddess, most laws are obeyed, and a law-breaker is not merely a criminal, but a heretic and blasphemer of the highest order.
The Code is very complex, dividing every crime, even the most horrible, into catagories and sub-catagories. There are semantic distinctions made for motive, premeditation, and similar conditions and considerations. All in all, the Code of the Koada'Dal is one of the most intricate, comprehensive, and detailed sets of laws and rulings in all of Norrath.
Laws are enforced by all Clerics and Paladins, who past a certain point in their training all have the power (and duty) to arrest law-breakers. The suspect is taken to the Temple, where at least one senior Cleric and one senior Paladin must be present to hear testimony, render verdict, and deliver the sentence. Koada'Dal justice is sure and swift and almost completely uncorrupted. Only once since Felwithe's founding has a Cleric been caught abusing his divine authority.
There are no appeals available, and not even the King may override the Priesthood's judgment. If new evidence is brought forward, it will be considered. All execution sentences are given a one-month waiting period before being carried out in case new evidence comes to light. Punishments are usually made to fit the crime, and are generally harsh, but fair.
The Koada'Dal universally revere Tunare, the Mother of All. According to High Elven legend, She was walking in the Elddar Forest in Tunaria, immediately after her meeting with Brell Serilis, when she happened across a lovely pond. As the wind blew, the willow reeds began to bend and dance. She was so taken by how graceful and beautiful they were that she fashioned the Koada'Dal from those very reeds, breathing life into their thin stalks. She blessed them with the same everlasting grace, beauty, and purity.
The somewhat male-centered Felwithe paints a picture of Tunare as chaste, virginal, and pure, even while "giving birth" to the Koada'Dal, and continuing to pour life into Norrath. She is an ideal no Norrathian woman could hope to attain, though all should strive to. This view is very different from the Fier'Dal conception of a Mother Goddess who embodies the fullness of womanhood and is embodied in all Elven women.
Some High Elves are less strictly pious than others, a few perhaps less church-going than their countrymen, but all at least respect Tunare and her ways. A few more liberal-minded, younger Koada'Dal follow one or both of the Marr twins.
When a Koada'Dal dies (or more commonly, is killed), his body is cremated and the ashes scattered among sacred groves. It is said Tunare takes each Koada'Dal spirit to Her realm in the Plane of Growth, where he may have peace and rest with his ancestors in the great city Takish'Hiz, of which the lost city of Tunaria was but a pale shadow.
The Koada'Dal celebrate three major observances. The Spring Festival is a time of hope and the renewal of spring. Held on the spring equinox, it is celebrated by sharing half-eaten loaves of bread and half-full bottles of wine. Families or Houses with disagreements are urged to join in the Renewal Ceremony, in which the head of each household brings forth a portion of the family's wealth and they bury it together in the Temple garden as a symbolic seed of hope to allow friendship to grow between the two. Frequently, the children of two such houses are wed afterwards, in hopes that a child born of both houses might seal the new joining.
Tunare's Harvest Festival takes place on the autumn equinox, and pays tribute to the bounty of the season. Felwithians gather in public for several days to reminisce over the year and to partake of feasting and games.
The Dark Night of Mourning takes place on the first night of the winter solstice, the darkest night of the year. Originally, it started to mourn the first Elven King and Queen of Takish'Hiz and their suffering in Innoruuk's hands. It has evolved over the years into a day of mourning for all Koada'Dal who have been lost. Candles are placed in windows at dusk, to guide spirits home, for it is said that while High Elves enter the Plane of Growth after death, on this night, Tunare allows their spirits to return home and enjoy the presence of those they have left behind.
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Kaladim, Faydwer - Against Crushbone
Freeport, Antonica - Temple of Marr
Firiona Vie, Kunark - Helped found it
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Cabilis
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