The Mystical Empire of Mitrona

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Introduction

The Mystical Empire of Mitrona
MitronaIconNew.png
Location Forest of Myln Arbor
Races Wood Elves, Tieflings
Primary Religion The Pantheon of the Phoenix
Political System Tribal Monarchy
Current Leaders Khari'cerr | Jolie Elaine Lovell
Important people Tericyées | Faiir Chamaire

Lla'viltir |

Visera |

Preceded by The Woodlands Kingdom of Myln Arbor

Even the bravest of warriors have learned to fear the vast tracts of woodland that can be found throughout the realms of Eden. Surrounded by trees, it is all too easy to get disoriented and lost, but there is a more primal dread at work. In the forest, no one can ever be sure what is lurking just out of sight. Sounds are muffled, yet noises seem to come from everywhere – the snapping of twigs, a sinister rustling of leaves, and the creaking of the wind-stirred canopy above. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. Nothing to hear you besides the elemental wrath of the Azari’cerr. These people are highly-skilled elves with centuries of experience in their home environment, the forest. Once an outsider enters Myln Arbor - The mystical forest most of these people call home - it is unlikely he will leave in one piece.

Culture

The people inside of the Mystical Empire of Mitrona are scary folk from the outside, but when you become a part of their society you will see how culturally rich they are and how they are good people deep down. They will protect the home that was given to them with their life and would do anything to fulfill this task. This could be seen in ways that, to most, seem as inhuman or evil, but for the elves it is a holy task, they have to protect their home and people. The area around their home is rich in both Flora and Fauna, as the city is built on the most fertile grounds to be found anywhere in Myln Arbor. Wood elves will tell you many tales of great adventures and the immeasurable beauty within their home.In addition, their celebrations are often accompanied by vibrant and lively songs, telling of the heroic stories the Azari’cerr have witnessed. Lutes and drums beating with the banging of feet, the elves love to dance. Bringing out emotions from within and letting their bodies move freely in whatever way is a flaming passion. This is seen as completely normal and any traveler will get around to witness these traditions and festivities.

Apparel

The citizens of Mitrona, which are with very few exceptions wood elves, developed their appearance and clothing to fit the bizarre environment they live in. Most oftenly worn are short, even skimpy clothing pieces that help the inhabitants to more agility and compliment the copper-brown skin tone many Azari’cerr are so proud of. The general style revolves around camouflaging oneself in the broad color spectrum of the forest - Therefore the most commonly worn colors are green, brown or yellow. Animalistic predators play a great role in Mitrona’s everyday life; it is common to see inhabitants in damaged clothing ripped apart by a beast’s claws. Most clothing in Mitrona is made from leather and natural fibers from the surrounding forest.  Females would usually wear loose fitted skirts, wrap around sarongs and large fitted shirts, though as always there is diversity among these cultural people.

Another big part of an inhabitant’s appearance is traditional war paint, which can often be observed on gladiator’s or soldier’s bodies. As such paint has played a notable role in Mitrona’s culture for centuries, its use is wide-spread and extremely common, even during peaceful activities.

Arts

After centuries of isolation and extremely little contact to the outside world, Mitrona has developed its very own distinct identity in both music and other arts. Especially the artistic prowess of Mitrona's musicians has yet to find a cultural phenomenon alike. The wood elven population takes great pride in religious percussion and chanting which is often used in various rituals and ceremonies. Most festivities are majorly accompanied by upbeat music from pan flutes and whistles. Rarely one can also spot wooden trumpets.

As for other arts, Mitrona's distinct cultural identity prevails. Like most other cultural aspects, arts in Myln Arbor circle around the forest and the natural resources harvested in close proximity to the city. Wood elves are passionate about painting colorful murals and growing foliage into aesthetic shapes. Popular among both wood elves and other inhabitants are carving arts, having a long tradition in Myln Arbor.

Architecture

The architecture of Mitrona and really every settlement within the boundaries of Myln Arbor primarily orients itself along the forest and it’s natural resources. The building materials include wood of various sorts, soft kinds of rock and stone, different types of leaves and many more materials than one could imagine which are harvested in proximity to the city. This broad variety of materials is used to create two different sorts of houses: Groundhouses and Treehouses. The first of the two, as the name says, is located on the ground. These houses tend to have little to no windows as they are often partially submerged in the terrain and foliage. Though, there are quite a few that stand out as they possess a reasonable amount of windows and, at times, even balconies. Groundhouses have their walls consisting of bark and wattle, often made from larch or limewood. Bamboo and willow wood can be found less frequently in such wattles, but still make up a significant portion of walls. The roofs of those houses often reach all the way to the ground, being overgrown with massive amounts of foliage and even trees. While the roofs of treehouses are built extremely similarly, the rest is not. Mitronian treehouses often reside on platforms of stable spruce, stabilized by strong oak support beams. Compared to Groundhouses, a treehouse’s walls are the exact opposite. Only minor spaces are left as a plain wall with most of the walls all around the house being either big windows or long, curvy balconies. As for the furniture (See: Arts), it is almost entirely made of wood as well. Woodcarving and other techniques provide a Mitronian household with fancy furniture, most often decorated with dramatic engravings of an ancestor’s heroic battles.

Food and beverage

Mitrona’s menu is always full - And full of exciting, varying meals at that. The majority of an average mitronian meal consists of meat, most often wild beasts from the surrounding forest. Though it is not unusual to see beef, pork or even poultry on a table. Besides meat from the excessive wood elven hunts, one can always find some sort of plant, be it a vegetable or a fruit on the table. This includes primarily salads, cabbage, onions and berries. Not to be ignored is the pasta - Despite Mitronian farmers having very little ground to grow grains, some sort of dough product is a must-have for most Mitronian meals. Most often the meal is refined after cooking using a broad variety of herbs and similar condiments. Generally speaking, almost all of the edible goods found around Myln Arbor are commonly eaten among Mitrona’s inhabitants.

Beverages on the other hand are far less diverse in the Mystical Empire, while still preserving a broad spectrum.  Myln Arbor’s brewers take great pride in their profession and work, and this can clearly be noticed by the widely acknowledged traditionally good quality of mitronian beverages. The majority of those are meads, honey wines and herbal wines, each of the three in turn fanning out into lots and lots of categories. Not to be overlooked is Mitrona’s consumption of tea products, as those are the most popular non-alcoholic beverages around Myln Arbor.

Festivals and Celebrations

The Trials:

This is when a young wood elf under the age of 100 passes their trial out in the forest to prove that they are not weak and won't be a waste of resources and food. There is a massive party made for them with them choosing the food and being treated with the utmost care.

Week of Kharash:

This is a week dedicated for their God and would have every day something being sacrificed at the altar and a ceremony after of the person in charge holding the heart of the animal in the air and praising Karash. The heart represents life, showing love to him for giving them life on Eden. This is a happy time for the people inside Mitrona and all are together dressing in their finest clothing to rejoice in life and everything they have.

Amber Festival:

This is a festival held in the Lilith’s Veil to celebrate the new year and celebrating Azari’cerr heritage. All of Mitrona is decorated with red and orange showing the fury of their strength. Mini events are held along with seasonal snacks and shops to celebrate.

Hunting Season:

Hunting season primarily occurs during The Emerald’s Dusk when the fresh forest animals begin to come out along with the sun. A perfect time for group hunting sessions and to collect fur to manage with the cold winter.

Khari’cerr Succession tournament:

When the Chieftain passes away without any dying note of recommendation a tournament is held to determine the next Chieftain of Mitrona. Bringing together the witty and bravest who wish to take upon the significant challenge.

Mitrona Fair:

The Mitrona Fair is when Mitrona opens their borders to let outsiders try their homemade honey specialties. There are typically trade deals on pets and goods during the fair to help Mitrona receive some funds.

Society

Mitrona's society is a strange network of concepts, a phenomenon unlike anything most outsiders have ever seen before. Despite the society's highly competitive nature, Mitronian inhabitants often show incredibly strong cohesion. Wood elves especially tend to value an inhabitant according to their usefulness in society, which creates a culture dominated by training and self-improvement.

Social hierarchy

Khari’cerr

  • Marshal /Lla'viltir
  • Minister/Visera
  • Chiefs
    • Captains/ Tricilus
    • High Priests / Scinar’cilus(i)
      • Priests / Scinari/i
      • Soldiers
        • Wood Elven citizens
          • Other citizens
            • Outsiders

Political system

The Mystical Empire of Mitrona has an interesting political system which cannot be found anywhere else in Eden. It does not have a constitution and relies on several treaties and mouth-to-mouth agreements. While the Mystical Empire is an absolute monarchy, a powerful advisory council exists. Many political structures have their roots at some point in Myln Arbor’s long tribal history, as the country greatly values traditions and is generally rather conservative. Only few civil rights are in place, and none of them provide equality to any group. Freedom of religion is very limited, but not enforced a lot nowadays. There are no courts, jurisprudence is handled by the Chieftain himself.

Demographics

The Mystical Empire of Mitrona is, despite its size, certainly not multi-ethnical. The vast majority of inhabitants and citizens are wood elves, with racial minorities existing only in very small numbers. This is largely due to the extreme racial prejudices the people of Mitrona hold towards any outsiders.

Religion

The inhabitants of Mitrona may not appear too religious at first sight, they do not go to church regularly - Though there are massive rituals and celebrations with often more than half the population attending. Many of the traditions and rituals practiced in Mitrona’s distinct culture don’t appear to be related to the inhabitant’s beliefs, but once an outsider truly dives into the complicated net of tightly connected beliefs of the Pantheon of the Phoenix, they understand just how much of Mitrona is influenced by it. This Pantheon is worshiped not only by Mitrona’s inhabitants, but by elves all over the realms of Eden - Though in Myln Arbor, only a specific denomination is believed in. Other beliefs don’t, and never have in the history of Mitrona, played a significant role.

Economy

Imports

Although the Azari’cerr wish to be self-sufficient, they have begun to participate in Eden’s trading activities ever since the first Hadrian and Khadan merchants arrived in Myln Arbor. Given the resources already available in the forest, the wood elves mostly import goods that aren’t available to them due to the lack of mechanical technologies. Some examples of imported goods are exotic plants or animal products, and resources such as wool, magical artifacts, or technology.

Exports

As a result of the wood elven hunter-gatherer lifestyles, their export goods consist mostly of natural products such as copper, herb, exotic meats, animal hides, honey, bone, and correlating products. Because of the geographic advantage of Myln Arbor, lumber and wood products are also frequently exported with high demands especially from nations like Al-Khadir. In addition to their resource-rich territory, Myln Arbor is also renowned for brewing technologies. Products such as mead and potion are among the most important export goods of the wood elves. The famous mead of Myln Arbor has gained a continental reputation for its flavor-rich, mellow taste, and the potions brewed by the wood elves match the ones produced by the most experienced high elves both in quality and quantity. Another noteworthy export of Myln Arbor is its slaves. Taking prisoners of war has been a long-term tradition of the wood elves, not to mention that during peaceful times the wood elven law strictly forbids any unauthorized exploring of the woods, and anyone who fails to comply would be punishable by stripping of all ranks and properties. Therefore, any outsiders who wandered astray from the designated road in the dense foliage would be captured and made slaves by their capturer.

Common Jobs

Wood elven society is very strict rank and role-wise. It is expected for all members to fulfill their responsibility as their profession requires, although some professions are seen as more important than others. However, generally speaking, almost anyone who’s interested or capable can take one of the listed common professions for a living.

Hunter: One of the most common jobs. The Azari’cerr consider hunting a way of finding sacrifice to honor their god, not to mention that hunting is also often practiced alongside forest-scouting, physical training, or simply food-gathering.

Gatherer: This job is often practiced by either children or those who’re physically incapable of hunting. Admittedly, this job is often looked down upon and if an adult works it without being entirely disabled, he/she is often seen as less valuable. This is largely due to the tendencies towards social Darwinism the society has adopted over time.

Gladiator: People who work as Gladiator are usually ruthless and often elves with criminal backgrounds. Admittedly, the Gladiators are often archery masters, skilled duelists, or brawny axemen, but these skilled fighters are also usually not satisfied by only hunting regular prey. Instead, they choose to battle other humanoids in various arenas for a living - Much to the enjoyment of the upper classes. Only rarely, Gladiators are trained from childhood while many others may be retired soldiers, outlaws, or sentinels – although it is very rare to spot the latter.

Soldier: This job is often considered very popular among the wood elves given the respect and social status that comes along with the profession. Usually, becoming a soldier means that one is not only capable to fight like a lone wolf, but also to carry organized attacks – a skill that is highly valued by the wood elves given their environment. Even though it may not seem like it, the Azari’cerr operate a standing army, coordinated by well-respected Captains, called “Tricilus”.

Herbalist/Alchemist: Not all who want to work this reputable job fulfill the requirements a qualified herbalist or alchemist in Myln Arbor needs. Although the forest is generous in providing the wood elves an ample reserve of herbs, a good amount of them is also highly poisonous and even deadly. Therefore, becoming a skilled herbalist usually requires sharp senses, years of training and learning, or even courage to experiment. Nevertheless, once an elf acquires the often desired position he will widely be treated with respect and appreciation.

Military

The Military of Mitrona is made of the strongest and smartest warriors who have proven themself worthy. Being a soldier means you’ve committed your loyalty solely to protecting Mitrona and the entirety of Mlyn Arbor. The brave soldiers of Mitrona are given the utmost respect as they maintain the order of the forest keeping all citizens safe. Captains and soldiers must be able to keep calm and cool in any situation before taking an action. It’s policy and courtesy to listen to your superiors.

Hierarchy

Chieftain

  • Superintendent
    • Captains
      • Soldiers
        • Marines
        • Archers
        • Mainlands

Apparel

The Military apparel in the Mitrona Military depends on what type of soldier they are. Overall the common look tends to include wearing camouflaging leather, green, gold, hoods, and boots.

Superintendent: The mighty superintendent of Mitrona has a uniform with more gold borders and multiple gold and silver honor medals on their sleeve.

Captains: The captains only have silver medals on their chest is what differs them from a regular soldier.

Marines: The Mitrona Marines are a special case with the appearance of a regular soldier, but when on oceanic land they represent their mascot, the turtle, by wearing turtle helmets and lighter clothing to resist drowning.

Mainland soldiers: The mainland soldiers have a more camouflage attire to blend in with trees that surround them.

Archers: The Mitrona archers who hide in the trees on the back lines tend to wear hoods, longer capes, light armor, and leather straps for discreet weaponry. Depending on the occasion they may wear masks as well.

Law

This is not a place you want to commit crime or disrespect at. To get by in Mitrona is to have respect for the people and culture in it, especially the Chieftain. When one breaks the law in Mitrona the punishments are serious, immediate, and carried out swiftly to avoid wasting time. The Militia of Mitrona are creative with their ways to condemn a criminal ; especially harsh on outsiders and non wood elves. There are spoken and unspoken respect laws within the walls of the city. Don’t expect the soldiers of this nation to be sympathetic of your actions. Murder, arson, or treason will be given an unimaginable torture session till their death. With there being no limits. In addition when it is a citizen that is that criminal, punishments are deemed to be lighter. The lightest punishment of death that would ever be given is as a sacrifice to Kharash.

Most outspoken laws:

  • No trespassing on unauthorized regions.
  • No thievery or murder of any kind unless given permission from the Chieftain.
  • The banished may not return, they shall be killed on sight with an arrow to the heart.
  • Once a traitor, always a traitor.


History

Building of Mitrona

The founders of Mitrona were the wood elves, they were gifted this forest by their God Kharash for a sanctuary to keep them safe, though this did not mean it was going to be a home for them to put their feet up by the river and live their lives as lazy folk, no. Kharash created the forest as a place containing obstacles and deadly beasts to always keep the people of Mitrona the most deadly race being they are always ready for a fight, their weapon skills are well polished from the many encounters they have with nature itself. Because of the Azari’cerrs’ history, Kharash wants to leave his people with the skills necessary to strive on their own, He could not save them once again from the other threats outside their home. After the wood elf pupils had finished their trials, they created their home in the forest. Using the surrounding materials, they grew, building large houses, huts, and structures inside the great gigantic trees found around them. All was well and hope was found. The Azari’cerr was at peace with themselves as a race.

The Rotting Plague

All was well, the forest lay quiet and the wood elves were enjoying their life until there was a drop in wildlife, and upon further investigation, it was seen that around the entrance of the forest there were carcasses of wild deer and rabbits lie around as if there was a mass killing. Though it did not seem like this was at the hands of a mortal. Decay and rot were overpowering the smells of the flowers and forgery, blood, and guts smeared along the path. A great sickness has been brought to their lands. Once news got back to the rest of Mitrona, there was no large panic, and most believed it was another test from the wood elves of God. Though the panic set in 2 years after the first sighting of the disease when there were no signs of it leaving the lands or wildlife being spotted. The nation was at arms with one another, with plans and ideas to get a food source on the go and to survive through this awful time. Then one of the military scouts rushed through the front gate, shouting. He saw trees being cut and animals being slaughtered on the south end of the forest with humanoid people with dark skin. At first, they thought it was the Azari’lunn, so they took up arms because these people were destroying their home and sanctuary. Running through the forest with archers climbing from tree to tree, the attack was set and these unknown people were slaughtered.

The Destruction of Nous

The wood elves then noticed that these were not the Azari’lunn but some other folk bearing colorful skin, with horns. Confusion was seen all around, with some worried faces looking towards one another. “What are these creatures?”, “where do they come from?” and “what do they want?” For no one knew the answers to these questions. Then, out of weakness and for their own survival, a choice was made. They were to track down these creatures and attack them, for they were in dire need of resources and these creatures were stealing and destroying their home. So a large group left the south end of the forest and found the home place of these creatures. The attack was at night. Not a sound was heard, only the crackling of a fire. But then the wood elves charged in pillaging the home of Nous, most of the creatures scattered leaving the lands and the ones who stayed to fight. Their bodies lay bloodied and torn. The attack was successful and the wood elves were left with many resources to help and sustain them through their time of struggle. The creatures were never seen again until the end of "The Rotting Plague". Where they are seen scattered around Eden. The wood elves did not interact with these people in case they remembered their history. After the plague, the wood elves are still living inside the forest and their numbers grow with the wildlife seeming more active and all around the forest life is happy, the flowers are more colorful and the animals running around. It lays quiet, almost too quiet.


Nations
Human Nations The Hadrian Empire
Elvish Nations Luminion · Mitrona · Anjyarr
Dwarvish Nations The Reforged Realm of the Denur
Orcish Nations Zadh Nadrozz
Other Nations