Lyveria

Location
The kingdom of Lyveria is located towards the north and is surrounded by dense, tall trees that defend it against all unwanted outsiders. Furthermore, the capital city, Ellsmara, is protected by ancient enchantments that prevent those that don’t already know the way from traversing its wooden gates.

Description
The whole of Lyveria is primarily an elven kingdom, boasting rich culture and a love of magic. Its libraries are filled with texts on ancient histories and writers, both old and new. Its buildings are created from magically attuned trees that bend and twist into houses and shops. Ellsmara itself is known for its huge magic academy that brings in citizens at a young age and trains them for years to develop their innate and natural talents. It is due to the focus on magical education and the support it is given that has created the caste of magicians and casters that dominate those without their talents.

This has grown into a dichotomy between the impoverished magically inept and the gifted. However, if one looks deeper, it could be seen that there is a rift between magicians based on their individual talents as well, with magicians of lower rank being relegated to the military and civil service with the greatest of casters taking the roles of the kingdom’s leadership and political powerhouses.

Leadership
The Kingdom of Lyveria is run by the Council of Nine, said to be made up by the nine strongest mages in the kingdom. They are all certified graduates from the Ellsmaran Academy and have devoted and proven themselves as capable citizens and leaders of the lands they rule.

On every full moon, the Council of Nine meet and discuss the issues of the kingdom in Lyveria's most sacred spot: the Crystal Lake, said to be the home and resting spot of the Herald of the Forest: Meilliki. This holy site is forbidden land, as decreed by the Council, and none are allowed to enter without express permission. The few that have been there tell tales of a lake where the waters constantly change colors, and the lights and flora are stronger and more exuberant.

Citizenry
The vast majority of the Kingdom is made up of elves. So much so in fact, the entire Council is comprised of elves. Elves make up the majority of the magician castes in this kingdom. However, as common as elves are, halflings, humans, and half-elves would not be considered a rare sight. These races, while occasionally gifted with magic as well, are usually part of the impoverished caste of non-magic users and provide the mundane services that are necessary for a society to survive. Even less popular than the previous group of races are the Catfolk and Tengu. The Catfolk in this part of the world typically have the appearance similar to that of calico cats, with colorations ideal for camouflage and hunting in the forests. The Tengu are similar in this respect in that they appear to have the features of a falcon as opposed to the crow appearance of their Tamerian cousins. Catfolk notoriously take on the role of assassins and mercenaries for the upper echelon while the Tengu traditionally make up the tradesman class and serve as scouts in the military. The other races in the world are either perceived to be too vulgar or short-lived to be able to reside in this kingdom without becoming the subject of discrimination for one reason or another. That is not to say other races do not reside here, but their numbers are too insignificant to mention.