# Ylvani Aldarwa One of the three tribes descended from the ancient Atani whose empire spanned the globe, the Ylvani Aldarwa are a peaceful race of forest-dwellers. Though long sundered from their cousins, the Ylvani Erumë and the Ylvani Yelin, the Ylvani Aldarwa wish to reunite their people and regain the prosperity of their forefathers. Under Aldarwa lead, the fractured peoples of the ylvani have begun to re-forge themselves and unite under the banner of Nossë Neldë, the Three Peoples. ## History ... ## Government The Istima, the druid council of the Már-Wenya, is responsible for the governance of the Aldarwa people in their arboreal home. It is a counsel of recognized grove elders that decides upon matters that affect the Már-Wenya as a whole. The druids who compose the Istima are given broad authority to manage the lands in their charge, and the Istima only passes decrees when it can come to a unanimous decision. The Istima serves as the Aldarwa’s lawmaking body, and they also enforce law through the Aldavanta, but generally the culture has little to worry about when it comes to renegades. The Aldavanta are the guardians of the forest, hunters of dangerous monsters and enforcers of the laws of the Aldwarwa. Each circle has control over the Aldavanta who live in their lands. The leader of the Aldavanta is called “the Yrsta.” Under him is the nine top lieutenants chosen by the Yrsta known as the “Ur-Wente.” In addition to these, there are the Vörluma, who are the advisers to the individual circle leaders. One can hold the title of Ur-Wente and Vörluma simultaneously. Laws are few and are mostly derived from Kemí’s guidance, as most of them have to do with the proper care and defense of nature (such as the development of the hyana from the petrified remains of endelwe trees for use in crafting homes out of the alda). There have been very few outlaw Aldarwa, almost all of them having been affected by the unknown taint that claimed Talobannan and his get, for it is generally accepted that Talobannan passed the taint along to the other corrupted Aldarwa. Aldwarwa society is centered on harmony and community. So much so that even family is not a concept that the Aldawar embrace. The elements of daily life are split among the two segments of society, the Tar’Varan and the Tar’Virin. While this translates into common as “patron” and “matron,” the Ylvani at large see this is a clumsy (at best) translation. Tar’Varan are responsible, for example, for cooking food, building and maintaining homes, butchering animals and raising children. The Tar’Virin are responsible for most manual labor, hunting and gathering food, caring for the sick and injured and educating the children. All Aldwara children are raised by the Tar’varan of their grove, and while identity of child’s biological parents are not hidden, it is not a relationship that has any particular meaning to the Aldarwa. To an Aldwara, it was many who raised them, many who taught them, many who provided food and shelter, and many who grew up alongside them. Children are considered Tar’a until they come of age, and are exposed to all aspects of life and society. This ensures that they have a chance to learn and respect each element of Aldarwa society, and also allows them to make an informed choice upon their coming of age as to whether they are Tar’Varan or Tar’Virin. There are many paths for young Aldarwa to follow as they grow up. These cultures do not see the kind of division between male and female that the Yelin do, so there is room within the Aldarwa’s Istima for both tavaron and tavarin. The Aldarwa tend to be very focused on communing with Kemí and nature in general, spending many hours of the day in quiet contemplation. The Aldarwa culture, outside of the formal workings of the Istima, is very solitary; each individual Aldarwa looks to open up a deeper connection and relationship with the Earth Mother, seeing themselves as like the alda but blessed with reason, speech and movement. While male and female Aldarwa mate, and are technically mammals, they mimic plant life in their family lives—generally speaking, children are born and then raised collectively by Aldarwa females devoted to the task of being matrons, and do not identify themselves with specific family lines. Those Aldarwa who stay within the Már-Wenya, and do not choose to become Lindeloktë, either embrace the spiritual life of a druid, or hone their martial skills. For the rangers that number amongst the Aldarwa there is the path of the Aldavanta (“Tree-walker”), chosen of Kemí who use the woods to travel far distances while at the same time defending the Már-Wenya’s borders. The majority of the Lindeloktë’s ranks come from the Aldarwa and Erumë, for they are the two-thirds of the Nossë Neldë that are most interested in truly bringing the Ylvani together, and thus they look to learn the way of the singing warrior and defend the Ylvani from harm.  ### Foreign Relations The Aldarwa respect their fellow Ylvani kin, but are frustrated by the Yelin’s stubbornness and suspicion. The Erumë are much more receptive to the Aldarwa’s overtures, but their rashness and hasty mindset are difficult for the ponderous Aldarwa to keep pace with. The Aldarwa have a feeling paternal responsibility towards the other Ylvani nations, seeing themselves as duty-bound to bring their cousins closer into the fold. The Aldarwa see the humans in much the same way as they see the Erumë, but have no familial attachment, and cannot justify overlooking their shortcomings. The Aldarwa have the most respect for the Varyag and their quest to preserve civilizations that they can never truly be part of. The Myrag have such strangely oriented customs that it is difficult for the Aldarwa to make sense of them. They most identify with the Dayrins, whose call for peace and justice are one of the few beacons of hope that the humans can become truly civilized. The Tyrennhians are actively hostile towards the Aldarwa, seeing the depredations of the Overlords as the fault of their full-blooded kin. While they were instrumental in stopping the most recent invasion by the Cherekoth, the Tyrennhians have declared their hostility towards the Ylvani (and the Aldarwa in particular) in no uncertain terms. The Gnomes of Tkwel are kindred spirit in their reverence for nature and their desire to remain close to it. The Dwarves are a different story, they venerate the earth, but the lifeless rocks and gems, not the living things on it. They even have a grotesque fascination with the use of metal, more so than even the humans. The Aldarwa have no ill feelings towards the Halflings, but Halflings have a dim view the Aldwarwa, who many halflings blame the Yvani for delivering the Cherekoth to their lands, and starting the chain of events that drove them underground. The Shi’ruul and the Aldarwa have much common ground. Both are highly civilized people who have lost much to the Cataclysm. Both have a long-view of the world around them, borne from their extended lifespans. Both have a deep respect for history, learning and magic. The biggest difference between them is that the Shi’ruul have something of a joyless culture, with little in the way of art or music or poetry. The Baelshi Daau are the least of the civilized races to the Aldarwa, though that’s because they do not count the Orcs as “civilized.” The Orcs are more of a ravening horde of locusts, incapable and unwilling to contribute anything to the world around it other than death and devastation. The Beles Baelshi Daau are a more insidious threat. They are intrinsically untrustworthy; basing their entire civilization on keeping information hostage and selling it to those who would use it in the most harmful way possible. They contribute nothing to the world around them beyond distrust, disharmony and suspicion. Also, there’s just something about them that just seems… unnatural. ## Inhabitants ... ## Society and Culture ... ## Faith and Religion ... >[!hidden] >### Geography >Nan'tua'yanan is home to the vast forests of the Már-Wenya which the Aldarwa call their home. The mighty forest reaches north into the Tára Orofarnë which is home to the Ylvani Yelin, though as a matter of respect, they keep the majority of their people south of the Ruile Fallase. The vast lake Ninquë Falassë divides these two regions. The Aldarwa also maintain a presence west of the Már-Wenya, though mostly to stop threats from the last remnant of the Cherekoth, the goblinoids of Syl’hyar Fal. The Aldarwa lands’ border is the Taslaman Mountains, which mark the edge of the wasteland of the Amelye Tasalaman. The ashen flats are inhospitable to even the most monstrous of creatures.