GURPS Kirinioth - The Nation of Neatt Kaed Brainstorm
June 27, 2020
Neatt Kaed (pronounced Nay-Att Ky-ayd, "The Elf Wood" in Aitauaholdian) is a nation of Elves on the western side of the Shielded Sea region
The westernmost hundred miles or so of forest is impenetrable due to the binding magics applied there at the conclusion of the God's War
It has two large cities, the capital is Aengeikaed, and the second city is Broekk Kvinia
There is a small, but heavily fortified, settlement at the river's mouth on the border with Human Civ #3; there is a gold-mining operation here and a shipping station where goods are both received from and sent up river to the capital
Minerals available include coal, copper (with silver and gold), copper (with zinc, lead, silver and gold), gold (with silver, zinc, lead and mercury) and iron
At the center of the coal fields, there is a site known as Howvelsk (translates as "Swordfall); people believe the coal was created by the impact of one of the god's swords falling to the ground; the area buzzes with magical energy, but few choose to live there; still, it is a contested site, with some religious people making pilgrimages to pay homage to a fallen god
Trade partners include the Dwarves of Ikvihuvai, Human Civ #2, Human Civ #3 and the Halflings of Broett Iein
They are closely allied with Ikvihuvai; relations with Human Civ #2 are officially cordial, but many Elves find themselves treated with suspicion when traveling abroad; relations with Human Civ #3 are rocky, though trade continues, there have been some minor skirmishes in the lands outside of the Elven forests; trade with the halflings is done via ship, and relations are neutral
Elven troops are normally dressed in leather armor, though both chain and scale see plenty of use; some units (especially Ironwood Elf units) wear magically treated Ironwood armor; Elven infantry can be armed with a wide range of weapons: archers typically carry heavy bows, with an axe and long dagger as sidearms; many soldiers will be armed with either pike and axe or spear and long dagger; some Elves will be armed with either arming sword and short sword, or greatsword and large dagger
In the plains, fauna include bison, elk, deer, horse, coyote, wolf and cougar; in the forests, fauna include elk, deer, moose, bear, coyote and wolf; in the mountains, fauna include sheep, goat and mountain lion; salmon and, occasionally shark can be found in the river
While Elves consume a great quantity of meat, they practice minimal animal husbandry, with the exception of mounts and animals trained for war; skilled Elven hunters provide meat and knowledgeable gatherers efficiently provide seeds, leaves and berries; with the Elven affinities with plants, some magics are used to speed the growth and size of edibles, traditional agriculture is rare among the forest folk, but some of the villages in the plains do have farms
Elves dress in bright, often contrasting colors, using vibrant dyes (sometimes enhanced or created by plant magics); soldiers dress more conservatively, using effective camouflages in various combinations of greens, browns and blacks
