Thalareth, the Elven Queendom

Official Name: The Moon-Illuminated All-Realm Thalareth, Nation of Her Celestial Radiance
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Ethos: “No Crown but Hers, No Bow but to the Moons.”
View on Magic: Seen as the fabric that permeates birth, life and death; used both as a religious vehicle as well as a tool and weapon.
Military Doctrine: Divinity, Ritual, Will. Necromantic symbiosis, silvermetal glaives, death-rites, undead cavalry.
Cultural Traits: Hierarchical, reverent, ceremonial, introspective, macabre

Overview

A divine Elven Queendom, ruled by a queen believed to have been birthed by the four moons of the realm. The state is a Theocratic Federal Matriarchal Monarchy based on the movement of the moons and the heavenly mandate.

Geography

Thalareth lies directly west of the Human Republic of Stalmark, extending from the Crimson Lake in the northeast to the Virean Reach on the far western coast, and bordered in the south by the Stormvault Cliffs along the Sea of Lament. To the north, it shares a short border with the mist-shrouded Lands of the Heshari, a region largely unknown and inaccessible. The border is poorly defined and obscured by rapid rivers and cliffs called the Mourning Fells.

The eastern portion of Thalareth, known as the Thalan Evergreens, consists of dense evergreen forests surrounding the Crimson Lake. This area is the cultural and political center of the Queendom, containing the majority of the Moon-Ponds and primary settlements, including the capital city of Selaraeth. The Nightbloom caste predominantly resides here.

South of the Greenwood lie the Southern Reaches, characterized by rugged cliffs and strong coastal winds, which descend sharply into the Sea of Lament. This region includes scattered smaller settlements and strategic outposts.

The majority of Thalareth’s landmass comprises the Vel Akarin (Burning Expanse), an extensive area of arid flatlands, deserts, and salt flats stretching westward toward the coast. This dry region is dotted with key military training grounds, temples and fortresses accompanying the few oases that enable agriculture. The arid flats give way to the Sunshard Coast, where important coastal cities such as Vastraen and Nirvarith serve as hubs for maritime trade and naval operations. These regions support the Sunkissed caste.

Through their worship of the moons, all land but the Vel Akarin is kept in perpetual night time by elven necromancers to accommodate the natural need of the Elves to find nourishment through moon light. The perpetual nightfall has transformed the landscape of the majority of Thalareth into gloomy, damp forests and flatlands offering a home to thorny night roses, almost black evergreens and still lakes.

Governance

The head of the queendom is legitimized by the tradition of Ascension, whereas a deceased queen is replaced by the singular newborn in the Elven Queendom to ensure she receives the divine favor called Moon Grace. Through it, she is able to grant extraordinary powers to other elves and prayer sheets called “Litanies of the Firmament” which are used to enable the necromancy that is inherent to an elf’s circle of life.

Her Celestial Radiance, She who illuminates the night and day, who brings dusk and dawn and upholds the firmament of All, Lunar Queen Yuevren Nira-lyen, the Fourth of Her Name (“Heavenly Harmony, Flame of the Moon, Lady of the Full Moon”)

— Full title of the Fourth Queen of Thalareth

The queendom is divided into Four Grand Duchies (Veluneth), each ruled by a Duchess (Velanira), representing one of the four moons:

Veluneth Vaenya – White Circle, linked to prophecy and spirit (silver moon)
Veluneth Solkara – Red Flame, linked to war, blood, and sacrifice (crimson moon)
Veluneth Umbrelien – Shadowed Shade, linked to death, illusion, and secrecy (pale moon)
Veluneth Namarai – Blue Flow, linked to oceans, dreams, and travel (azure moon)

Each duchy is composed of baronies held by lords or ladies.

Beliefs

Elves are deeply religious, bordering on zealous. Due to their long lifespans of up to 200 Standard Stalmarkian years, their society is oriented according to where in Thalareth they are born and which purpose they serve in the Queendom, whether it is a birthright or reached through personal merit.

The elven belief system takes the most central role in the lives of every elf, no matter their rank or age. Every elf lives and is judged by the four core virtues of Thalareth:

Suffocating Righteousness (Zhixiyi) – “Justice before the moons rules above all.”
Eternal Loyalty (Henzhong) – “Loyalty to those sworn fealty rules all.”
Vengeful Piety (Vunxiao) – “Vengeance for your ancestors rules your name.”
Radiant Purity (Jinjie) - “Purity of soul rules thine self.”

Through these virtues, the natural hierarchy of Thalareth is described and lived out. The four moons are seen as the decider of all, even over the Queen. The next important virtue is to remain loyal to your direct superior, no matter your own feelings. Vengeful piety describes the faith in an elf’s own line of ancestors. Learning from the mistakes and successes of your ancestor is seen as a cause for celebration or a reason for revenge. The least important virtue, purity, describes how continence and restraint are seen as traits of those worthy of their name.

Culture & Society

Society is split into three castes determined by birth:

Nightbloom Elves (Yuemir, “Moonshadowed”) – tall, pale, refined. worship the moons.
Starwrought Elves (Xelvian, “Children of Star-Dust”) – medium build, neutral skin tones. Worship the stars.
Sunkissed Elves (Solanar, “Sun-Gilded Ones”) – strong, yellowish/warm skin tones, worship the sun and day.

There are no blood families in Thalareth, as every elf is reborn through necromantic means rather than birthed through natural means. Children are born through the sacred rite of Mending (Zhaomir’an), in which the dead are surrendered to a necromancer priestess (Zhaomire, “bonemaiden”). Through the ritual, children are born as descendants of the deceased’s caste and place in society, guaranteeing stability and a steady influx of new members of society. Thus, the dead are revered and corpses are sacred, standing under special protection to be returned to a Moon-Pond. While elves are able to conceive children through sexual intercourse, it is outlawed in the Queendom to ensure stable succession of the Queen which relies on being the only newborn in the realm in order to receive the blessing of the moons (Moon Grace).

Time in Thalareth is measured according to the four Moons in the firmament of the Triumbral Expanse as well as the current Lunar Queen. In regular intervals, one of the four moons is the prominent moon in the firmament, the order of which is dictated by the lunar sequence (Vaenya → Solkara → Umbrelien → Namarai). The current position in the lunar sequence serves as the name of the phase, combined with a marker denoting the iteration of the moon phase. Each moon phase lasts 10 days. The numbered day of the moon phase, the name of the moon phase and the reign of the current Lunar Queen (a numbered “year” called an “arrangement” - Aelen) build the system of denoting the date in Thalareth. Examples include:

9th Vaenya, 12th Moon Phase of the 7th Aelen- The ninth day of the twelveth Vaenya moon phase during the reign of the seventh Lunar Queen.
1st Namarai, 1st Moon Phase of the 12th Aelen- The first day of the first Namarai Moon Phase during the reign of the twelth Lunar Queen. The first day of each first moon phase denotes a day of celebration for the new Lunar Queen.

While Thalareth uses its own time measurement in ceremonial settings, it reluctantly accepts the Stalmarkian Calendar for ease of communication and trade.

Military

The Duchy’s armies consist of classical formations-levies from baronies, led by lords or ladies, with knights and retinues. While these federal forces provide scale, the Crown commands five monastic orders, each sacred, specialized, and bound to religious law:

Sisterhood of Bones (Zhaomire) – Necromancers practicing the divine arts granted by the Moons.
Guild of the Silentshades (Threnakai) – The assassin’s guild and silent blades of the court.
Hall of the Reflecting Moon (Nyarethien) – Doom- and soothsayers as well as spies who are whispered to be the eyes and ears of the queen.
Order of the Wardens (Soliraen) – The royal guard and protective shield of the queen and court.
Path of the Dawnspeakers (Virelin) – Judges, exorcists, uprooters of blasphemy and defenders of the divine will.

Each of these bodies underlie a strict religious dogma and structure with “Moonmaidens” (Velanir) as generals or most senior advisors, “Starseekers” as high ranking officers and “Sunhammers” as low ranking officers or knights. There are a total of 10 Moonmaidens at any given time - one for each military branch of the Queendom and 5 directly advising the queen on the five matters of the Queendom (military & security, religion & culture, information, economy and magic). Moonmaidens hold their title with pride, with their numbered title added to their name (e.g.Huidai Nira-Lyen, the first Moonmaiden).

The Zhaomire, Soliraen and Virelin often face direct combat and thus wear heavy chainmail and plate armor made of blackened silver metal, a precious rarity reserved only for higher ranking members of the order, as the metals required to forge them are largely controlled by Stalmark. The heavy armor aims to protect them from the black powder rifles and mortars used by Stalmark.

Foreign Politics

As traditionalists, Thalarethian Elves are often seen as arrogant in the realm. They make no secret of their feelings of superiority, especially when it comes to their belief system and their military force. While not expansionists, they use their mature military and vast knowledge thanks to their long lifespans to intimidate and deter neighbors. This also gives them the upper hand on goods trade and transports that pass through their land. Thus, Elves are often seen with either disdain or fear, but always warily.