Civilization - Cities

"Priests will try to show you the way to Paradise in their books and temples and ceremonies... but those who know better will tell you, as I do, that Paradise is a real place and it lies to the west."
- Sir Conrad Helgar, Lord Mayor of Korrington, Arkalia

Ruler	His Sublime Majesty, Lord of the Emerald Coast, King Jos Sebalin VII, the Benevolent
Population	24,300
Demographics	Elves 90%, Avarian 3%, Human 3%, Dwarven 2%, Grum 1%, Phellysian 1%
Adjectival/Demonym	Bazilian/Bazili
Languages	Elven
Nationality	Ethara
National Colors	Blue, yellow, green and white.
Year Founded	287
Currency	Trade and barter.
Natural Resources	Forests, forest fauna and flora, maritime fauna and flora
Manufactured Goods and Major Exports	Lumber, crafted wood products, textiles, fish and seafood
Wealth	Average
Government Type	Monarchy
Government Stability	Very Stable
Allies	Avar
Enemies	None
Walled	No
Crime Level	Very Low
Technology Level	Dark Ages
Primary Religion	Assytia
Other Religions	None
Climate	Temperate
Terrain	Forested Hills

Overview

Bazile is the capital city of the elven nation of Ethara. Throughout Ithria, there are tales of a great elven city held entirely aloft in the trees. Such tales refer to Bazile. This city of some 25,000 citizens is made up for several hundred tree houses, rope bridges and carefully crafted homes built into the very trunks and branches of giant Tharqel trees. The entire city is built in the trees. It is home to the elven king, various noble elven families, scholars, artists and craftsmen. Bazile is a beautiful, but remote city. For much of the world, it is merely legend. Tales of this wondrous place name it the "Emerald City".

History

Government

Ethara is a true monarchy and Bazile is home to the elven king. The royal family resides here along with numerous councillors, advisors and noble families.

This is the common name of the main governmental council of elves in Ethara. It also refers to the building in which the council meets.

Law

Military

Like most of elven society, Bazile is a very peaceful city. There is virtually no crime here. There is no city guard here in the traditional sense. Rather, there are wardens, individual warrior/peace makers who patrol the city. The wardens are elven men and women who serve the crown. In the name of the King, they have the authority to arrest trouble makers. Bazilan wardens fight with long sword and long bow. They are easily identified by their bright green cloaks and green headbands.

Religion

The Garden is a sort of spiritual retreat. It is dedicated to Assytia. Sprawling over many dozen acres, the Garden incorporates terraces, bubbling brooks, smooth rocks, copses of small trees, manicured bushes, flower beds and pathways. Few outsiders have seen it, but those who have speak often of its great beauty. The Garden is tended to by a groundskeeper named Quen.

Economy

The main market of Bazile is a complicated affair of suspended wooden platforms, rope and plank footbridges, treehouses and decks. It is a tiered and scattered across dozens of branches of a single Tharqel tree.

Guilds and Organizations

Just west of the city, on the coast, three great trees grow. These are Forest Lord trees of immense girth that have grown up in close proximity to each other in the shape of an equilateral triangle, each 50 yards from the others. Several great halls are carved into the cavities within the trees. Large tree houses perch on branches and rope and wood bridges stretch between in a complicated maze of halls and other structures. Collectively, these three trees and all they hold are known as the Tree of Ages and this place serves as the University of Ethara. Students study history, philosophy, art, science, comparative religion, warfare and magic. The Master of this place is a very old elf named Erendil.

Important People of Bazile

King Jos Seablin the Benevolent is named so because of his deep concern for the welfare of his people. He is known as a just and fair king, ancient and wise.

A beautiful elven lady of silvery hair and brilliant emerald eyes. In her younger days, she held the hearts of many elven men. Neveesa is utterly devoted to king and country.

Prince Eiden is the heir apparent of the kingdom and the leader of the Protectors. As such he is responsible for all security in the city. Eiden is something of a prodigal son. As next in line for the throne, he is arrogant and spoiled. However, he is also well bred, skilled at swordplay and a phenomenal archer. He is a young elven man, slim (even for an elf) and sports long silver hair which he wears loose. Eiden typically wears serpentine fashioned scale armor and carries a great bow. The bow is his most prized possession and is fashioned from the finest woods. He normally uses expensive double headed hunting arrows. Eiden is young for his position, younger than most of his officers. He is inexperienced and carries prejudice against non-elves. In any dispute, he will distrust outlanders and side with those of elvish lineage.

Kaelleb is a very old elf who serves King Sebalin as advisor and counselor, just as he served King Sebalin's father and grandfather. Kaelleb is blind and mostly lame. He is tended by several servants who prepare his meals and carry him about the city on a litter. Kaelleb knows little of magic, but is a master of herbalism, plant lore, animal lore and the ways of the forest. He is a remarkable memory and seems to know the entire elven history which he often relates in elvish aurells about the campfire.

Delbrien is a respected community leader in the town of Talith and the leader of the small wizard's school located there. He is often summoned to court at the Council of Trees to advise the King and Kaelleb on matters of enchantment and wizardry. When not teaching or attending court, Delbrien can be found hiking the rolling hills of the Elder Weald or concocting some eldritch elixir in his lab.

Culture

City Districts

Monuments and Public Spaces

This large amphitheatre is an outdoor construct consisting of a suspended platform surrounded by several dozen smaller spectator platforms. All manner of singing, dancing and plays are held here.

This beautiful creation is part monument and part work of art. The Dryad's Dream is actually a trio of Tharquel trees that have been subtly manipulated with magic over several centuries. This trees have been enchanted such that they have grown together, weaving their trunks and branches together in mesmerizing symmetrical patterns. The bark of these trees has been colored and the leaves shimmer and glow. Dozens of elven magicians have worked on this construct over the long years. The Dryad's Dream has been the subject of poems, the site of ceremonies, the symbol of a nations unity with nature.

Architecture and Infrastructure

One of the most unique aspects of this city is its architecture. Almost the entire city is held aloft in various ingenious ways. Platforms, balconies, bridges, rope ladders and rope swings are used to get around this strange three dimensional architecture.

The ground level of this city is filled with winding paths, gardens and ponds that lie scattered in no particular order around the massive trunks of the giant trees. Many elves choose to live beneath the trees, close to the soil. Above the ground level is a bewildering maze of tree houses and large circular balconies which often wrap completely around the trunk of a tree. There are no clearly defined "levels". Rather, balconies and such are fairly staggered and arranged in no particular pattern. Most homes and establishments are above the ground.

Elvish "roads" connect this city with other nearby elven villages. These "roads" are actually wooden walkways high in the forest, roughly level with the forest canopy. When on the road, you are looking out over a vast ocean of green foliage.

Crime

Inns and Taverns

Name and Owner	Description
Verdant Tree Serill	Inn - Only a handful of inns do business in the Elven capital, as Bazile entertains few visitors for a city its size. Mostly elven traders from the outlying villages. This popular inn takes the form of several interconnected tree houses built into the trunk and onto the branches of a living forest lord tree. Each building in the structure has a different function - tavern, kitchen, private rooms, common rooms, owners quarters. The establishment is run by a small elven family and staff. The family's matriarch is Serill, a wise and respected member of the community. Almost three hundred years old, Serill has led a long and interesting life. Though an old woman of kindness and compassion, she is said to harbor a dark and disturbing secret from her past, which she may very well take to her grave. If her family knows what it is, they're not telling.
Owl and Thistle Leris	Tea House/Inn - The Owl and Thistle is a small teahouse and inn built into the stump of a Forest Lord tree (roughly 75 meters circumference). The inn is three stories tall and has twenty small rooms. The remains of the Owl and Thistles' original tree lay nearby forming a long straight hill of soft, rotting wood. This establishment has been around for a very long time and is popular with the older elves of the community.
The Orange Blossom Luthwar	Tavern/Teahouse - A small tavern/teahouse the specializes in a variety of teas and other herbal brewed beverages. Luthwar is an old woman who runs the shop alone. She is well liked in the community and has run this teahouse longer than anyone can remember. The house tea is "orange blossom tea", of course.
Twin Feathers Inn DeMar and Brel	Inn - A large, clean multi-story inn aloft in the branches of one of the giant forest trees. Interconnected with the rest of the city. Run by a pair of elven brothers and their families.

Shops

Name and Owner	Description
The Outer Grove varied	Residence - The Forest Lords are especially grand in this large coastal woodland surrounding the city, and are often hollowed out into elven dwellings. About half the town population is fortunate enough to live in or around the Outer Grove. The trees are cool in summer and warm in winter, and keep growing even as large portions of the trunk are cut away for living space. This has special significance for elven families. As the tree grows along with the children it shelters, they pass the blessings of nature from the living earth to the beings that inhabit it. When an elven girl reaches her thirtieth year, she is considered an adult, ready to accept the responsibility of one day bringing life of her own into the world. In a small ceremony between Mother and Daughter ( the mother/daughter relationship is considered sacred in Ethara), she will remove a small strip of bark from her tree, the home that saw her safe and happy throughout her childhood. The strip of bark is usually kept as a token and worn proudly, perhaps woven into a necklace, as a charm of protection against evil and a constant reminder to treat all living things with respect.
The Falling Leaf Esavin	Apothecary - A small, but very good apothecary run by an ancient elf named Esavin. He is an extremely good herbalist and his nature lore knows no bounds.

The World Of Khoras - Civilization - Cities