Moonvale

Moonvale is a small city in the southwest of the Province of the Sun and Moon, and a sister city to Sunport. Unlike its metropolitan cousin, the city is soemwhat insular in terms of its permanent population, though the elves do permit travellers of the other races of the empire to pass through. The city has a sacredness about it - the local temple to Lysanthir Lugolor is said to have been physically founded by the god's own hand. If the Imperial City is the cradle of civilization then Moonvale is its tomb, with the ashes of many emperors buried in its expansive catacombs along with those of their favourite spouses and best servants.

Geography

Moonvale occupies a vale along the River Lys, which is itself associated strongly with the teachings of Lysanthir Lugolor. In spite of this association with death the area around the city is rich and vibrant, a deep and dark forest of mostly spruce and birch that has grown in thick; known as the Lyswood. The elves do not thin this forest - instead, most travel is by the river - and cleared areas such as they are are used for farming what cannot be coaxed into growing wild. Hunting is a common occupation and one of the finest schools of Ranger-craft in all of the Empire is here - the Hall of Lucene, where even the Imperial Legion occasionally sends their rangers for training.

The city itself is clustered on the northern side of the river as it passes through a wide bend in the vale. From above, if men could somehow fly, the city might be easy to spot by its temple complex. However, by land, from almost any direction, the city is difficult to distinguish from the forest around it.

It's main roads, such as they are, are a path to its southwest that ultimately becomes the road to Imarraka, and along the river to a landing far to the west, which joins the road to Sunport. The former is frequented by period influxes of pious followers of Immarra Hyacinth, who make the journey from her head-temple at Imarraka to the temple of Lysanthir Lugolor in Moonvale both in tribute to the legends of their unrequited love for one another, and usually also out of a sense of morning. These pilgrimages are especially common on the death of a prominent artistic figure within the empire.

Economy

Moonvale, like many elven communities, its largely self-sufficient. Its river runs strong as a tributary to the Tripolitan river, and what little the elves need to import is therefore imported up the Lys by use of river boats or barges. These imports consist largely of religious or luxury goods, though as with almost all communities outside the Southern Province a fair amount of grain is imported as well.

Moonvale is well known for artisans specialized in the production of funerary goods such as urns and incenses, and even the Imperial City often imports such goods along the same route of trade.

Importantly, though the path is somewhat trackless, the city serves as a bit of a lay-by for travellers. From Moonvale, it is comparitively easy to reach for Convergence Hall or carry on to Imarraka, though the insular and taciturn elves who call this area home hold their property more dear than others.

Politics

Moonvale is not a luxurious or lucerative holding, and it is rarely visited by the Prefect of the Province of the Sun and Moon, and often left to its own devices apart from being held responsible for the taxes it owes to the empire, which more often than not are paid in coin.

The city itself is ruled by a council known as the Lords of Lyswood, which is made up of members of the community at large, and headed by the head priest at the local temple to Lysanthir Lugalor. In recent years by imperial dictum this council has also included the high priest of the much smaller local temple to Rophalin Imperitor. Most of the rest of the council are the primarchs of elder local families - of noteworthy exception is the Chief of the Hall of Lucine, the senior ranger of that school, who at most times is included on the council by invitation rather than birthright.