Doshairiel
Doshairiel is quite a large nation, sprawling along the northeastern side of the Cloudpiercer Mountains. The nation is almost entirely covered in temperate forest, but is wide enough from north to south that different regions experience quite different summers. Southern Doshairiel, primarily deciduous, has muggy summers with frequent thunderstorms and mild winters with occasional rain and sleet. The north of the nation, more boreal than deciduous, has dry, mild summers and snowy winters.
Doshairiel is one of the oldest nations on Gathandia, having been founded by the star elves before the events of written history. As elves are long-lived and can communicate with one another in their dreams, Doshairiel has a complicated and highly functional governmental system.
While star elves and forest elves are both highly populous in Doshairiel, the nation is home to many lineages from across the continent.
Academic.
Virtually every settlement in Doshairiel has some kind of school. The larger cities, naturally, will have well-funded universities, as opposed to the single- room lecture halls that one might find in a small village. Education is mandatory for children, but optional for teens, who might choose to apprentice themselves to a master of a particular trade instead. Those who continue their formal education are more likely to become governors or oligarchs.
Aristocratic and Political.
Doshairiel does not have an aristocracy. Instead, an oligarchy of fifteen elders oversees the happenings of the nation, delegating responsibilities to regional governors. These oligarchs each choose their heirs and choose when to step down from office, promoting their heirs to become the next oligarch in their stead.
Mercantile and Trade.
Doshairiel produces a bounty of timber, foodstuffs, and animal byproducts. In addition to trading internally, Doshairieli merchants also trade with Betaal and whoever they can safely reach via the Inner Ocean. They also trade with Falth, though successful merchants that do so are careful not to get swindled or sucked into a blackmail scheme with one of the crime lords.
Militant.
Doshairiel’s military is centralized and commanded by generals appointed by the oligarchy. Its military commanders study philosophy and magical practices as much as military theory, implementing both knowledge bases into their training regimens and combat techniques. Doshairieli soldiers, especially those stationed near the Inner Sea where raids from Renden are common, are quite competent.
Religious.
Given their heritage as a nation founded by star elves, Doshairieli ascribe great meaning to the patterns of the stars. Most religious scholars in Doshairiel associate certain constellations with Avatars and beings from the Celestial Council. Many also pay homage to Ancerra’s five moons and will have religious services any time there is a full moon.
Social.
Governors and town administrators are responsible for maintaining a delicate balance of free market and communist methodologies to keep the balance of wealth spread equally across their settlements. Doshairieli towns exact heavy taxes on their citizenry, keep a fraction of the profit for infrastructural advancement, and return the rest of the taxes to the town’s citizens in equal shares. This allows for one’s own financial advancement slowly over many years, and generally mitigates the worst effects of poverty. On the whole, Doshairieli folk are content with this system.
Underworld.
Doshairiel does not have an organized crime syndicate, but local gangs operate in the larger cities, mugging unfortunate passersby and running protection rackets. Powerful Falthic crime networks also have a presence in some Doshairieli cities and even in Starborea.
Starborea, The World-Tree
Looming miles tall above the rest of the forest, and even taller than some of the small peaks in the Cloudpiercer Range, the ancient World-Tree keeps its silent vigil. The World-Tree, known as Starborea, is indeed tall enough to scrape the clouds in the sky.
Visited from far and wide by pilgrims and tourists that wish to gaze upon its greatness, Starborea is also home to both the capital of Doshairiel and an independent city-state. Shairea, the capital of Doshairiel, occupies the area on and around Starborea’s mighty roots. From Shairea, the oligarchy legislates and oversees the happenings of their nation.
Within the tree, Starborea is an independent city-state. A religious group known as the Celestial Cardinals reside in Starborea, overseeing the orthodox doctrine of all who worship the Celestial Council. There are always twenty- four Cardinals, who offer counsel and guidance to priests throughout Gathandia.
Besides the religious order, Starborea is a fully functioning city-state with its own militia, economy (they harvest sap and fungus grown in farms within the mighty tree), and governing officials. The governor of Starborea passes legislation for the city-state while deferring to the Cardinals on matters of great import. Starborea’s current governor is a star elf named Dencassan Briarye. Dencassan is quite elderly, even by elvish standards, and in his vast knowledge and wisdom he is very slow to act, taking painstaking amounts of time to deliberate on any decision.
Scholars and philosophers find the World-Tree endlessly fascinating, and some scholars have begun to develop theories that Starborea is in fact the parent plant to the other world-trees found throughout Gathandia.
Quest Ideas
• Raiders from Renden are causing trouble along the coast, and regional governors have asked the heroes to step in and help the military repel the raiders.
• The World-Tree has lost its leaves, even though it’s only spring. It turns out that a fiend has poisoned its sap, and the heroes must travel to the Everwilds or even to Inferno to find a cure.
• A merchant traveling to Betaal wants the heroes to provide security as they traverse the narrow, dangerous mountain passes.
• The oligarchy is afraid that a Falthic mob boss has gotten one of his spies to become a member of the oligarchy itself. Can the heroes figure out who the traitor is?