Contents
Overview
Rivelin is home to a few million Wood Elves, alongside a significant population of Sun Elves. A small amount of humans, dwarves, and other races live in Rivelin as well.
At Rivelin's heart is a giant oak tree settled in the middle of a lake. It has windows and terraces built into it to form a beautiful palace, and springwater spills from its branches. This is where the leader of the Wood Elves, Ravielle Riversong, lives. It is called Riversong Hall.
There are hundreds of homes, storefronts, and buildings built high into the trees surrounding the lake. Slender bridges several stories above ground connect them. On the forest floor, there are sprawling night markets, gardens, artisan shops, and a military ward. Lakeside restaurants and bars are always well-lit and play sweet music for their patrons.
Places of Interest
Tradesmen's Terrace - The finest artisans, blacksmiths, tailors, leatherworkers, engineers, and other crafters have shops in Tradesmen's Terrace. There is a notable population of foreigners here who've settled in Rivelin to enjoy a simple life in the forest. Rivelin's most popular exports are spun silks (from the moths, butterflies, and spiders that live in the surrounding woods), leatherwork, hides, carved wooden anything (from small things like plates and cups to skiffs and boats), medicine, herbs, spices, and glasswork (for lanterns, blown glass decorations, etc).
The Military Ward - Citizens are not allowed into this well-hidden complex surrounded by trees. Ravielle keeps most information about the Wood Elves' military capacity secret, but her citizens are confident in the soldiers that patrol the city. Riversong Hall has its own special set of guards, but sentries, peacekeepers, and other military personnel are not uncommon in Rivelin. Troublemakers are apprehended and taken into custody, then rehabilitated back into Rivelin's society. The extent of this process is determined by the crime. There is no jury or trial system; instead, Ravielle and her advisors oversee the punishment of criminals.
The Night Market - The night market is a large open area filled with shops, restaurants, bars, and inns. It is a bustling place, though there are a few quiet pockets. Artisans from Trademen's Terrace sell their wares here. A large part of the night market takes place on the lake itself with floating docks, ships, and piers that can be walked along for a colorful, lively evening stroll. Music is always playing in the night market.
Starfall Square - Universities, libraries, shrines, and humble monasteries fill this area. It's decorated with gardens and small nooks and crannies to find quiet places to pray and study. Residents all over the city come to Starfall Square to relax and slow down from the fast pace of Rivelin's more populated areas. Starfall Square is quiet and peaceful most of the time.
Arborea - Arborea is an expansion to Rivelin, with its own market, schools, and foreigners (a decently sized group of humans). It is mostly inhabited by newer, younger folks, and its distance from Riversong Hall is physical as well as symbolic. Ravielle's authority does not extend into every reach of Arborea. Because of the quickly-growing population of Rivelin, there are not enough trained sentries to patrol Arborea nor leaders vetted by Ravielle to oversee it. Arborea gets along well enough on its own despite being a poorer, less-developed, less-looked-after area. Unlike the rest of Rivelin which is like a well-tended garden, Arborea is an overgrown tangle of influences sprouting in many different directions.
Tel'Avir - Tel'Avir is the old town of Rivelin. It is where Rivelin was founded (before Riversong Hall was built, and before Rivelin came to surround the entire lake). It is full of older, aristocratic elves who tend to be wealthier than their younger counterparts in Arborea. Military officials, Ravielle's advisors, and other influential folks live in Tel'Avir. There are many shrines, old buildings, antique shops, quaint restaurants, and quiet walkways to explore. Spirit guides, shamans, druids, and others in tune with the forest tranquility live here. They take on young apprentices who work in their shops and shrines.
The Forest Path - Rivelin's outskirts are well-tended, with small familial shrines around graves and burial grounds. There are winding paths that cross countless ponds, rivers, and small brooks (unmarked on the map) to hike on, and some clearings to keep animals -- though keeping livestock is not particularly common for Wood Elves. Beautiful secluded glades along the Forest Path (or paths) are common places for weddings.
Images
City Map
Green - Areas where universities, schools, and education take place Yellow - Markets, industrial, commercial areas Blue - Wood Elf residential areas Pink - Foreigner residential areas (dwarf, sun elf, human)
The circles all over the map represent trees. The trees are mostly huge redwoods in Rivelin. They are about as wide as a house in some places.
Riversong Hall
Rivelin's Outskirts
