Hinthial (pronounced HEN-thee-all) is an elven nation west of the Sangora Desolation. After the elves were driven out of 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
History
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
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 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.