White Oak (Elven Lands of the)
Location: Continent of Brun, north of the Great Bay, northeast of Panteria. NW
Area: Approx. 44,890 sq. mi. (116,265 sq. km.) in central Lothbarth.
Population: 5,100 elves.
Languages: Elven (Shiye-Lawr and Alfheim dialects).
Coinage: Barter only.
Taxes: None.
Government Type: Elven foresthomes each led by a clanmaster, recognising more or less explicitly the spiritual leadership of Zoltan and the political leadership of King Blackblade. Member of the elven Kingdom of Nordalfheim.
Industries: Hunting and gathering.
Important Figures: Zoltan Hytaxius (High Priest).
Flora and Fauna: The dense northern forests are covered with evergreen, mainly pine; in the lands nearest to the Great Bay, they intermingle with various hardwood trees: oak, elm, maple, walnut, ash, orchard trees. It is among these that stands Zoltan's magical Tree of Life-the White Oak. In the north, the pine trees do not block the faint sun's rays, allowing a rather thick layer of vegetation to grow at ground level: shrubs, short grass; waist-high grass in glades. In the south, the thick canopy blocks the sun, providing little light for plants to grow underneath. Many animals live in the forests, especially small mammals and rodents, boars, deer, elk, caribou, moose, bears, wolves, blink dogs, and white and green dragonflies. Many fairies also dwell there, especially centaurs, actaeons and shargugh. More dangerous denizens include the occasional rogue white or green dragon, basilisks, decapuses, and the rare wyrds.
Coats of arms: High Priest Zoltan Hytaxius: Uses no coat of arms; human lords generally attribute him a white oak over green. Each foresthome also has its own symbol; human lords often represent the Shiye elves as a whole with one-or from three to a dozen-green pines over white.
Further Reading: CM1 Test of the Warlords, Zoltan the Treekeeper by Hervé Musseau, previous almanacs.
Last Year's Events: None to report.