Hinthial

Hinthial
Capital	None
Ruler	None
Government	Decentralized magocracies
Demonym	Hinthialite
Adjective	Hinthial
Languages	Elven, Aserdian, Auran
Religions	Elven pantheon; Aserdian pantheon

Hinthial (pronounced HEN-thee-all) is an elven nation west of the Sangora Desolation. After the elves were exiled from the Cradle and the era of the aeroliths came to an end, Hinthial became the most populous elven region in the world. The elves have intentionally attempted to develop the landscape of dense forests as little as possible in order to avoid what they see as a repeat of their prior mistakes.

Geography, flora, and fauna

Separated from drylands to the north by the tall peaks and ridges of the Sianasa Mountains, Hinthial is a land covered in dense woodlands. Old growth deciduous forests blanket most of the region, though they fade to open grasslands in some parts of the north and the hilly south. Hinthial has a temperate to subtropical climate. Summers are warm but not excessively so, and winters are cool and bring significant precipitation.

Numerous rivers run through Hinthial, eventually flowing into either the Invelaust Ocean or the placid Gulf of Aserdus. Most communities in Hinthial have grown up along or near the rivers.

The elves that inhabit Hinthial have purposefully attempted to avoid significant alteration of their surrounding landscape. Many believe the failures of the old Kingdom of Eita to have been connected to their past attempts at remaking the world to fit their ideals, and now hold back from felling the forests and mining the hills in order to avoid following such a path again.

In the past, a land bridge once connected mainland Hinthial to the Cradle at the point where the two landmasses are closest, near Alumnathe and Vesuna. In the elves' retreat to Hinthial this narrow connection was sunk into the sea in an attempt to discourage the groundshakers of the Cradle from seeking new lands to the north. So far this has worked, and the gigantic creatures have remained isolated to the island.

Landed aeroliths lie across Hinthial. The majority have been left to be slowly reclaimed by nature, today inhabited by animals and magical creatures alike.

History

Beginnings: the Cradle

The earliest records of the elves tell of their history in the Cradle, where elven society first developed. From a mosaic of vibrant city-states eventually rose one would come to unify the island - the Kingdom of Eita. By Y2400^* the kingdom ruled the entire Cradle from its capital in Aminth. Already in these early days, the drive to explore and mold the world into their ideal form was evident in elven society. Great strides were made in magitechnical developments, surpassing even the magical knowledge of the cyclops is many ways. In an era when other great civilizations of the current age were still finding their footing, Eita was pioneering the first and then ever-larger colossi, reaching into the darkness of outer space, and reshaping the island on which they lived, turning the swampy Cradle into verdant forests.

Elven explorers and settlers established small communities around the Gulf of Aserdus and beyond in this time, including in the lands that would later become Hinthial.

Rise of the Aeroliths

Not content with mastering only their immediate surroundings, the elves of Eita began to look farther afield. Scholars of the cosmos had located a cluster of unique asteroids orbiting Kishar's sun, along a path that frequently brought them relatively close to the planet. Further research determined these asteroids to be composed in large part of a previously unknown skymetal that the elves named ansharite. In one of the kingdom's greatest collective feats, through the collaboration of their mages, scientists, and cosmonauts many of the asteroids were carefully pulled from their orbits and into the atmosphere of Kishar, after which they were gently set to ground in and around the Cradle.

The special properties of ansharite were highly intriguing to elven scholars, and many wondered what they could accomplish with the asteroids in their possession. It was not long before the possibility of using the material for use in flying craft became a topic of discussion in the scholar-halls and public lyceums of Eita. The mechanics of magical flight had been well-studied before, and many smaller flying vessels had been constructed, but now the ansharite allowed for flight on a truly unprecedented scale.

The first flying cities of the elves, by now known as the aeroliths, were built out of the asteroids in the middle of the third millennium, with most of the rest completed over the next five hundred years. The last known to be built was Aivas, which was set aloft in Y3080^*. For thousands of years the aeroliths were the crowning achievement of elven civilization, wandering the world unchallenged and unchallengeable by any. Though elven explorers had already traveled Kishar extensively, life on the aeroliths allowed many more to see the sights and wonders of the world.

Decline of Eita

Even before many of the greatest minds in Eitan society relocated to the flying cities of the aeroliths, cracks were already beginning to show in the foundation of the kingdom. In their haste to study the extraterrestrial objects, precautions were abandoned in the name of making quick strides in magic and science.

Though most of the asteroids were barren chunks of rock and metal, some carried passengers entombed inside. A few of the first asteroids brought to ground contained strange seeds frozen in ice. At first studied in controlled environments, the drive for answers led to riskier and riskier experiments, until the alien plants eventually escaped containment and began to overrun parts of the Cradle. This extraterrestrial flora began to expand quickly, eventually growing to cover much of the southwestern Cradle.

But seeds were not all the asteroids contained. A rare few brought something even more startling - giant eggs of alien creatures, never before seen on this planet. Once exposed to the oxygen and heat of the atmosphere, the creatures in these eggs began to develop. Initially carefully studied like the plants with which they arrived, these beings became impossible to contain due to the sheer size to which they quickly grew. These lifeforms, some of which were hundreds of feet from end to end, began to wander the Cradle freely, impossible for even the colossi to restrain. Giant creatures were nothing new to the elves - they had lived side-by-side with Targhizizi and Tharumagi for centuries - but these new groundshakers were unpredictable, uncontrollable, and unconcerned by the destruction they wrought.

As the greatest elven scholars left Eita for the flying cities, the kingdom was left unable to address the consequences of their ceaseless drive for knowledge. The remaining learned individuals became increasingly cloistered, locking away their secrets from their broader society. The colossi, once thought unbeatable, were gradually reduced in number by their battles with the newly arrived creatures. Alien plants overgrew entire cities. Though a slow process from the outside, the next centuries indelibly changed the kingdom. Anger at the aeroliths and the scholars that brought them to the world began to rise, and for the first time many inhabitants of Eita started to question the unceasing drive to learn and develop that underpinned their society.

Fall of the Aeroliths

The age of the aeroliths eventually ended, not by any external threat but rather from a malaise from within. On the aeroliths, disconnected from the troubles of Eita, not all was rosy as the cities became increasingly insular. The elven aerotheurges who kept the cities aloft gradually became highly secretive with their magical breakthroughs, almost obsessive in withholding their knowledge from others lest they be forced to share the skies with anyone else. Not only were the secrets of this magic kept from non-elves that they visited, but also from almost all residents of the aeroliths as well. Each aerotheurge kept only a single apprentice at a time, who was the only one they trusted enough to grant an understanding of how to keep the cities aloft. Apprentices became fewer in number, and the masters of the magical art were not replaced.

At the same time, the ansharite the cities were dependent on was slowly mined away for other use, leaving the aeroliths more difficult to magically levitate. Gradually, unmaintained and unstable, aeroliths began to return to the ground one by one. Some crashed, but most were intentionally brought in to land once their fates became clear. Their former inhabitants largely left them behind, scattering around the world. Many elves eventually established new terrestrial communities in Hinthial, near the Cradle in which the first aeroliths were built. By the middle of the eighth millennium, only four remained intact and in the air, with the ruins of the rest slowly decaying.

Exile to Hinthial

Meanwhile on the Cradle, generations of attempting to keep their mistakes at bay had proved inadequate. With time, the elves on the island learned to keep the plants and groundshakers at bay, but they could never contain or defeat them. Once-grand cities were forced to be abandoned, as the remaining elves began to limit themselves to the northeast of the island, an area relatively free of the dangers. The Kingdom of Eita had functionally ceased to exist by Y6800^*, its orders ignored as its rulers continued to attempt to cling to their old capital.

By Y7100^*, the situation had become dire, and it was clear that continuing their society on the Cradle was untenable. In a mass migration north, the majority of the elves of the Cradle left their remaining cities and relocated to Hinthial, where new communities had already been established. They were joined by returning elves from the flying cities, who had likewise realized they did not wish to continue their slowly ending way of life. The land bridge between Hinthial and the Cradle was intentionally sunk into the sea to prevent the groundshakers from following, in an act often considered one of the last great feats of elven magical engineering.

Modern Hinthial

Relatively few elves live in the Cradle today, and Hinthial is the new center of the elven world. Some inhabitants of Hinthial wish to reclaim their lost society and strive for ever greater knowledge once again, but most see their exile as the inevitable end result of such attempts to reach beyond their grasp.

Demographics

The vast majority of Hinthial's inhabitants are elves. Non-elves are usually only found in some of the coastal settlements - Taisnica and Caisra both have small but notable populations descended from immigrants from Brightmarch. Many aquatic elves reside within or near Hinthial as well.

Culture

Society

Elven society is still reckoning with its exile from the Cradle and the collapse of their old ways. Much was lost when their old kingdom was forced by its own hand to halt its ceaseless drive for innovation and development, and even more left behind in their exile north. Today most Hinthial elves see the abandonment of the magitechnical mastery they once had to be an overall positive change. In their reasoning, their old society and culture was too focused on knowledge for its own sake, regardless of the risks, dangers, and consequences this incurred. Stories of Eita are widely shared as parables of how seeking to change the world too much is ultimately and inevitably harmful.

Not all in Hinthial share these views, however, and two movements in particular break with these beliefs. The Redemptionists are elves who see the loss of Eita and the aeroliths as a great tragedy to one day be rectified, the sooner the better. Ultimately, they wish to relearn the secrets of aerotheurgy, raise the flying cities once more, and kickstart a new renaissance in elven innovation and learning. For now this movement remains relatively minor, though most elves who depart Hinthial in order to become adventurers consider themselves Redemptionists.

Adherents to the second and even smaller movement are known as the Wild Ones. As a reaction to the destruction of Eita, these elves have taken the diametrically opposite position to the Redemptionists. To the Wild Ones, it is imperative to remain as far as possible from such an event happening ever again. The Wild Ones view advanced arcane, alchemical, and scientific research as inevitably calamitous, and as such avoid these concepts as they attempt to live what they consider to be a more natural existence. On the margins, some Wild Ones view civilization itself as a danger to the world, and eschew mainstream Hinthial culture and society altogether in favor of ascetic, nomadic lives far away from settled communities.

Though very few take it as far as the Wild Ones, since their exile to Hinthial elven culture has developed a strong attachment to the natural world, largely as a response to the out of control changes unintentionally brought to the Cradle. Most consider their society to be collectively responsible for the careful stewardship of the forests, rivers, and mountains, as well as the creatures found within. The prevailing view in Hinthial is that it is acceptable to take what one needs from nature, as long as ecosystems remain intact and thriving.

Religion

The gods of the Elven pantheon are the most commonly followed in Hinthial, but some Hinthialites worship the Aserdian aspects of the divines instead. Ais and Satres are especially important in Hinthial society, but all Elven deities are worshiped to some degree in the region. A very small number of elves see in the groundshakers of the Cradle something divine, and have taken to worshiping the massive creatures.

Wilds Ones often eschew temples in favor of small wilderness shrines, while Redemptionists often set up places of worship within grounded aeroliths.

Traditions

Several varieties of very rapidly growing mushrooms are commonly found in the forests of Hinthial, used in the burial practices of the elves. The bodies of the deceased are placed in secluded groves or other quiet locations along with clusters of these mushrooms, which then quickly colonize the corpse and aid in its rapid decomposition. The elves never eat these mushrooms even when found growing wild.

Languages

The vast majority of Hinthialites speak Elven as their first language. Aserdian is widely used as well, especially in the port cities and amongst those who frequently interact with visitors from abroad. Within certain segments of the population Auran, the language of the Plane of Air, remains used, though to a much lesser degree than during the era of the aeroliths.

Architecture and urbanization

There are few large cities in Hinthial. The population of the nation is rather diffuse and communities tend to be small, though often in close proximity to each other.

Modern Hinthial architecture emphasizes working within existing geography and flora. For example, buildings are commonly constructed using still-living trees as supports, into hillsides, in crooks in taller trees, or within rock outcroppings. This approach lends Hinthial communities a rather disorganized but also naturalistic appearance. Building materials that can be found close by are prioritized heavily, mostly wood and stone.

In some places the old aeroliths are still inhabited, even if now they remain grounded. The old structures of polished ansharite have weathered the years well and still make for excellent homes. Many elves do not wish to associate with the once-flying cities, however, and the majority lie empty.

In some places in southern Hinthial and on the northern side of the Cradle, communities of both terrestrial and aquatic elves live in settlements that straddle the surface, built within the mangroves that grow along the coasts. The twisted branches and roots of these trees are intentionally cultivated into homes, bridges, and other infrastructure.

Food and cuisine

Though a rare few communities still maintain the same type of advanced hydroponics that fed Eita, most Hinthial elves do not rely as heavily on agriculture as many settled societies do elsewhere. Foraged or hunted food is a central part of the Hinthial diet, supplemented by crops grown in small fields or gardens.

The majority of Hinthialites abstain from eating meat, an old elven practice that has continued to the present day.

Art

One of the few cultural artifacts of Eita that has remained widespread, the theramin is a popular musical instrument developed by elven inventors long ago. Though far less intricate and complicated than their ancient predecessors, portable versions of these instruments are commonly played by Hinthial bards. The haunting sounds of the theramin have not spread widely outside of Hinthial, though they can sometimes be found in Yarma, Teshub, and other large cities in Brightmarch.

Among Redemptionist elves, the remains of old aeroliths are sometimes scavenged for special materials they are no longer able to produce in large amounts, which are then used to create artworks paying homage to their source. Ansharite and other material from the aeroliths are also frequently repurposed for use in armor, weapons, and other practical equipment.

Travel

Well-established roads between major settlements are few and far between in Hinthial. The rivers and seas are used much more than overland travel. Ships, boats, and barges regularly journey along the major waterways.

The elves in some communities within the Sianasa Mountains sometimes use wingsuits to move from higher elevations to their destinations below.

Fashion

Ornate facial tattoos are extremely common among Hinthial elves. These are usually abstract in design, though sometimes incorporate motifs with influence from the natural world. Some elves choose shapes and forms that carry significance to their family or their life so far, while others prefer designs for purely aesthetic purposes. Traditionally elves receive these tattoos upon reaching adulthood, at roughly one hundred years old, though they are often added to as one ages.

Magic

Hinthial mages tend to emphasize flexibility in their spellcasting, preferring to dabble in a number of schools or techniques rather than master a single one. Eitan wizards would often disregard limiting themselves to certain spells in favor of using words of power, and some elves continue this tradition. Though this approach is often more difficult to learn than more typical methods of spellcasting, these wordcasters believe the flexibility they gain to be a great advantage.

Once one of the greatest Eitan discoveries, aerotheurgy is an effectively a lost art in modern-day Hinthial. Some mages still attempt to learn the techniques that once lifted the aeroliths and built the grand monuments whose ruins now litter the Cradle. For the most part the modern understanding of aerotheurgy remains poor, with only fragments of its theoretical underpinnings having been rediscovered.

Government

After leaving the Cradle, the elves of Hinthial never reestablished the centralized governance under which they had previously lived. Instead, modern Hinthial is a nation led by many local rulers known as consuls, elected from amongst the inhabitants of each community. Though elected in a democratic process, consuls tend to hail from particularly notable families, and it is not unusual for the position to become almost inherited. These figures are almost entirely skilled mages, especially those of the arcane variety. Magical aptitude is a trait valued in their leaders by Hinthial elves, as they believe it provides greater insight into the world. Despite the lack of cohesion provided by their government, most elves prefer it over the court intrigue and factionalism of Eita and the insularity of the aeroliths.

Economy

By and large, the elves of Hinthial have little interest in integrating their nation into global trade networks. Despite the vast amounts of natural resources in Hinthial, especially darkwood from the forests and ansharite salvageable from crashed aeroliths, the elves do not wish for the environmental degradation an extractive economy would entail.