Sithicus
Cultural Level: Medieval (7).
Landscape: Full Ecology (Temperate Forests
and Hills). Sithicus (SITH-uh-cuss), located in the
southwestern Core, is a shattered elven kingdom,
perhaps the only domain in the Land of Mists
populated primarily by nonhumans. As might be
expected, it is a land of ancient forests where the
dense, leafy boughs above blot out the sun. The
wilds are overgrown and treacherous, reeking constantly
of wet decay and sickly-sweet resin.
Patches of briars and nettles form dense snarls,
and the forest floor is slick with rotting leaves and
moss. Mottled ivy and gray ferns grow
everywhere, and pools of fetid water gather algae
in the hollows. Fallen logs litter the understory,
encrusted with florid, poisonous fungi. Rocky
uplands peek out of the sweeping forest landscape
here and there, providing roosts for great, russet
eagles. The Musarde River and its tributaries cut
through the domain's gently rolling terrain. Near
the center of the domain is the jagged maw of the
Great Chasm. Out of this sheer canyon rises a
black peak topped by the ruins of Nedragaard
Keep, the fortress of Sithicus's dwarven tyrant.
Shattered three years ago in the Hour of
Screaming Shadows, the cracked ruins now jut
from the earth like blackened teeth. Ravens wheel
forlornly about the towering shards, and some
elves swear they have glimpsed mournful shades
drifting around the ruins at night.
Elegant architecture was once prized by the
elves of Sithicus, but today the domain's settlements
are crumbling. The wondrous elven wood
and crystal masonries are neglected and covered
with ivy. Twisting towers of living wood are
blighted with insect galls and rot, and the gardens
stand choked with thistles and brambles. Roads
that once glittered like an evening sky are dull and
crumbling. The arcane libraries slowly rot under
an assault of mildew and silverfish, yet the elven
wizards seem oblivious. Temples to forgotten gods
are charred and blasted as if from lightning, the
holy names stricken.
The climate in Sithicus is temperate but mild.
Although the sun often blazes cruelly in the late
summer months, the elves are sheltered by the cool
shadows of the forest.
Major Settlements: Har-Thelen (pop. 500),
Hroth (pop. 900), Mal-Erek (pop. 500).
The Folk: Population — 4,300; Elves 96%,
Half-Elves 2%, Humans 1%, Other 1%. Languages
— Sithican,* Vaasi, Balok, Mordentish.
Religions
— Ezra, Hala.
The overwhelming majority of Sithicans are
high elves, though these Sithican elves speak their
own unique language. Over the years, human merchants
and craftsmen from Kartakass have settled in
Sithicus, often marrying into elven houses of low
station. Predictably, there is a growing population
of half-elves in the domain, though more prestigious
houses spurn these outcasts. Rumors persist
of a tiny settlement of halflings in the Iron Hills of
the northeast, but the region is considered by the
elves to be haunted.
Sithican elves are grim, cold folk compared to
the high elves found elsewhere in the Land of
Mists. Their clothing is drab, the preferred colors
being white, beige, ash, and gray-green. The deep
adoration of nature and beauty is gone, replaced by
solemn apathy. Sithican elves believe that their
culture will survive, as it has done for centuries, no
matter what troubles befall it. The domain's wicked
monarchs may rise and fall, the petty problems of
other realms may come and go, but Sithicus itself
will endure. Denial tinges the elves' cold arrogance;
all around, the wonders of their culture are
crumbling. They cling to their traditions dourly,
draining them of meaning and suffocating their
society for reasons they can no longer remember.
Outsiders are treated with disdain or even hostility
by the Sithican elves, who remain haughty and
suspicious toward all other races and lands. Even
humans who have dwelled in Sithicus for a generation
or more are considered second-class citizens.
The Law: Despotic monarchy and aristocracy.
Azrael, a dwarven despot with unholy powers, rules
Sithicus through sheer fear. The dwarf recently
seized control of the domain from the black-hearted
knight who once ruled from Nedragaard Keep.
Although the knight was undeniably harsh to the
Sithican elves, he cared little for his role as their
monarch. Azrael has proved a much more
monstrous tyrant. The dwarf governs erratically,
appearing periodically in elven settlements,
demanding tribute and slaughtering any who displease
him. No explanation or excuse is ever
given. The Sithican elves hate Azreal passionately
but fear his wrath even more. The dwarf king
commands troops of undead soldiers and is widely
rumored to be a supernatural creature himself.
Speculation abounds regarding Azrael's relationship
with Sithicus's Vistani, whom he seems to
envy, fear, and hate.
Azrael's presence aside, the Sithican elves
adhere to the traditional loose elven aristocracy.
Without a true elven monarch to unite them,
however, relationships between settlements and
noble houses can become tense and bitter. Each
settlement is ruled by the word of the eldest elven
noble, who governs lightly. There are houses for
each task or role in elven society, though some are
much more prestigious and powerful than others.
The noble, ranger, and wizard houses are particularly
prominent. Since the elves value their
freedom above all else, laws are few and far
between. Protecting the resources of the forest and
the privacy of elven settlements are the primary
priorities. Sithican militias are small but well
trained and diversified, with fighters, rangers, and
wizards in their ranks.
Trade and Diplomacy: Resources — oats,
cabbage, carrots, turnips, peppers, squash,
peaches, grapes, sheep, goats, wine, spirits, timber,
furs, salt, gems, crystal, cloth. Coinage — rose
(gp), crown (sp), sword (cp).
Although suspicious and insular, Sithican
elves have reaped the benefits of expanding trade
with neighboring domains, particularly Kartakass.
Thus, reluctantly and gradually, contact with other
lands has increased. Merchants are eager to
acquire the rare vegetables, spirits, hardwoods,
and handicrafts the elves produce. Tiny
settlements of human traders and laborers have
begun to appear in Sithican territory, which angers
the more isolationist elven houses. Azrael does not
discourage such economic colonialism, however,
as it benefits his own coffers.
Characters: Classes — bards, druids,
fighters, rangers, wizards. Skills — Bluff, Craft
(bowmaking, carpentry, gemcutting, weaving),
Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana,
nature, nobility and royalty), Profession (herbalist,
scribe), Wilderness Lore. Feats — Dodge (plus
derivatives), Lunatic, Point Blank Shot (plus
derivatives), Reincarnated, Track, Two-Weapon
Fighting, Weapon
