The Crownlands

The sun-soaked golden hills of The Crownlands constitute one of the oldest kingdoms in Andara. This jagged landmass stretches out into the Great North Ocean, and its eastern border is shared with Deepwood and Calar Dunn. Among this rolling landscape grow lush pastures of grain, wildflower meadows and prosperous vineyards which produce some of the continent's finest wine.

Geography
Situated atop some of the most fertile land on the continent, and blessed with a warm climate, it is no surprise how the Crownlands have supported such a large kingdom for so long. Towards the north east, the land is broken up into three large peninsulas. The southern peneninsula, Islereach, is home to a small mountain range known as the Moonflower peaks. The central peninsula, Eskaith, is straddled on either side by the kingdom's two rivers. To the north lies the Summer river, and to the south lies the river Nyx. Finally, the northernmost peninsula of Libacco is the hottest place in the kingdom and is covered with savannah and arid grassland.

Settlements
Numerous towns, villages and hamlets scattered throughout the Crownlands support a large population of high elves, eladrin and half-elves. The enormous city of Summersong, and the slightly smaller city of Lenvor are the two largest settlements in the kingdom. These two cities have significantly larger populations of eladrin, who claim to be largely responsible for the creation of these ancient citadels, though the evidence to support these claims.

Lenvor
Sprawling across a large bay to the north of Islereach, the coastal city of Lenvor is home to the Crownlands' large merchant fleet, as well as a formidable navy. Due to being a stone's throw from the Isle of Tydor, Lenvor is an important link in a series of trade routes between the two kingdoms. Aside from its busy harbours and bustling streets, the lands surrounding Lenvor are teeming with wildlife and game.

Summersong
An ancient metropolis of marble and gold, the origins of Summersong are shrouded in mystery. Historical texts and archaeological evidence suggests that Summersong is in fact older than the Crownlands itself; and is in fact a remnant city of the ancient elvish kingdom from the Age of Dawn. Eladrin legend claims that the city itself is not of this world, and was in fact shunted from the Feywild thousands of years ago. Whilst there is an undeniable, innate magic that permeates the city and its people, many dismiss this legend as untrue due largely to its outlandishness. At the city's centre lies Salkire Palace, an opulent spired building adorned with stained glass, intricately carved marble and gilded statues. This is the oldest part of the city, and the twisting maze of catacombs that it is built upon are multiple thousands of years old, even by the most conservative estimates. High Queen Fyra addresses holds counsel in this ancient and storied building, and her court is made up of a number of advisors from a myriad of different backgrounds, including her personal task force known as the Queen's Hand.

Culture and Tradition
With strong fey influences brought in by the eladrin populace, the culture of the Crownlands is ancient and storied; with magic being a part of everyday life for its citizens.

Religion
Since the Adventus Arcanum, religion in the Crownlands has seen a huge shift from the Old faith to the New faith. The goddess of knowledge, Yairus, is worshipped throughout the kingdom and has the largest influence of all the gods by far. With lives that span multiple centuries, many elves find that accruing knowledge and lore is almost a guaranteed fact of life; high elves believe that wisdom and intelligence are innate traits exhibited by elves just as pointed ears and high cheekbones are. Thus, a deity which cherishes and values these traits was quick to become popular with the people. Aside from Yairus, Balakarnazar and Elrina are other commonly worshipped deities within the Crownlands.

Marriage and Family
For creatures that live for multiple centuries such as the elves, courting a partner is a delicate, intricate process which can take years or even decades. Once an elf has entered adulthood at around one hundred years old, they are seen as eligible to begin the courting process. Engaging in romantic relations before this time is frowned upon, and scarcely happens within the Crownlands. Nevertheless, once an elf does find a partner that they believe to be suitable, they will declare their love in some form of meaningful gesture. This often manifests as some form of creative task; painting an exquisite picture, writing a ballad or even cooking a great feast. For others, this may manifest as an act of valour or bravery such as slaying a fierce creature or exploring a lost ruin. Regardless, once this declaration has taken place, the other partner is expected to propose exactly a year and a day later, assuming the love is mutual. Once engaged, the couple will wed at the earliest convenience. Despite the majority shift towards the New Faith within the Crownlands, the traditional elvish wedding vows are devoted to the gods of the Old Faith.

Though they mature at the same rate as humans, elvish culture dictates that adulthood takes nearly a century to reach. As such, raising a child is a gargantuan commitment and therefore most families will raise their children one at a time, leaving most elves with decades-long age gaps between their siblings.

Food and Drink
Citizens of the Crownlands enjoy a bounty of foods thanks to their lush and prosperous lands; both foraged and farmed. Sheep, rabbit and chickens are the most common forms of livestock, though hunted antelope and dire pheasants still make up a large portion of elvish protein. Accompanying these meats are an array of fruits and vegetables, including blood peaches, pumpkins and swedes to name a few. Among the exotic fruits native to the Crownlands, none is more renowned than the glassfruit; a sweet, mildly acidic citrus with clear, colourless flesh and a pale pink rind.

By far the most famous form of elvish cuisine is their wine. Just as giants hold the title of the continents finest whiskey distillers, the high elves remain unchallenged for their title of the continents best vintners. Though red wine is far more common, white wine is also produced, though much of this is exported to other kingdoms as it does not suit the average elven palate as well as red wine.

Festivals
Festivals are a huge part of elvish culture, for such long lives would be rather dull if not filled with celebration and revelry. By far the biggest and most important festival in the elvish calendar is the Queen's Day Festival. This week-long event begins on the 24th of Firesky, in the week leading up to High Queen Fyra's birthday on the 30th, the final day of both the festival and month. As a beloved and popular queen, this festival is celebrated both across the kingdom and also throughout Andara as a whole; many individuals from across the continent will travel to Summersong to join in the festivities.

Ecology
The uniquely warm climate of the Crownlands gave rise to a number of unique lineages of creature found nowhere else in Andara. The savannah of Libacco is home to a diverse ecosystem of grazing mammals and the huge carnivores which predate them. Such grazers include elephants, antelope and wildebeest, whilst the predators range from fearsome lions to majestic griffons which roam the skies towards the coast. Further south, the fauna becomes slightly less exotic, with wild horses being a common sight throughout the rest of the Crownlands. This, along with archaelogical evidence, supports the theory that the domestication of horses took place in this region long before it was known as the Crownlands. Coyote, ibex, cockatrice and wild cats also share the wide open plains with wild horses. Finally, the birds of the Crownlands are also somewhat unique from the rest of Andara, with many having adapted to running through the grasslands rather than flying. Dire pheasants, ostriches and axebeaks are the 'big three' non-flying birds that are somewhat revered in the Crownlands, featuring in a number of noble house sigils and other iconography throughout high elf culture.

The waters surrounding and permeating the Crownlands are similarly teeming with exotic life. The coasts of Eskaith are home to a number of marine reptiles such as mosasaurs, turtles and diving lizards. The mangroves of northern Eskaith and southern Libacco is also the only place in Andara where manatee can be found. Dolphins and sharks are also a common sight for anyone sailing the kingdom's coasts, and rumour has it that roc have been sighted in the skies above the ocean, plucking whales from the sea like and eagle might pluck a trout from a lake. Finally, the rivers of the Crownlands are home to a diverse array of fish, amphibians, wading birds and even crocodillians.

At a glance, the flora of this kingdom seems to be somewhat lacking; the untrained eye might only see grass and a handful of thorny acacia trees. However, in hidden pockets of the Crownlands there are a host of rare plants found nowhere else in Andara. Moonflower unsurprisingly grows around half way up the Moonflower peaks. This beautiful white flower, which only opens at night, is reverred for its healing properties and is an ingredient in some of the most potent healing teas. Another plant native to the Crownlands is the aphrodisiac and stimulant known as tiger root. This orange tuber grows along the banks of the river Nyx, though its specific nutrient requirements mean that it is unable to be farmed. Thus, foraging for this plant can be a lucrative endeavour.