Chapter 393 243. I am an Environmentalist
Since being colonized by elves, Lauren Loren has been a place of hope, joy, and laughter. The elves held summer competitions and celebrations under the branches, which is how the name of the forest originated. The elves named it "Golden Forest", which also means the sun season and the peak of joy.
After Druchi's spies attacked a dwarven caravan, the dwarves began attacking the elven colonies. In the early days of the War of Vengeance, the prince who ruled Tal Litanel responded to the call and an army left Lauren Loren to join the War of Vengeance, only to be wiped out.
The vengeful war between elves and dwarves has strained relations between the Phoenix Court of Ulthuan and the High Council of Elshin Arwen. The elves in the colonies had their own views on this war, and the command of the colonial army at that time was in the hands of the prince from Ulthuan.
In response, the dwarves destroyed Kor Imamor at the Battle of Longbeard and besieged Tal Litanel. When Tal Litanel was besieged, Lauren Loren was like a boat in the rain, the last colonial city still struggling to hold on.
Due to a series of intelligence manipulations, the elves finally lost control of the colony. The fifth Phoenix King "Peacemaker" Caladrel from the Kingdom of Yris came to the throne and issued a decree for the elves to withdraw from the colony. This abandonment The final decree of the colony was regarded as a betrayal by the elves of the colony.
As a result, some of the colonial elves withdrew to Ulthuan via ships. The colony was bounded by the Gray Mountains, which is the mountain range that isolates the current Bretonnia from the empire. The Asur colonists and young people who now belong to Bretonnia Some of the Drukki spies retreated to Athel Loren, becoming what is now Asrai.
At this time, Lauren Loren's Tal Litanel was the last colonial city still holding on. To the east of the Gray Mountains, which is now the boundary of the empire, all the elven colonial cities were destroyed.
As mentioned before, the colonial city of Erso Talarian, full of stories, sank to the bottom of the Sea of Claws.
Sis Leonasca was captured by the dwarf army at the last moment of the War of Revenge. This colonial city is now Marienburg...
Col Vanas, a city belonging to the Arsino family, is taking revenge. It was destroyed at the beginning of the war. Leandra tried to rebuild after her father died in the war, but was destroyed for the second time. This colonial city is now Altdorf...
Without reinforcements, it should have been destroyed. Atho Talarian finally pulled off a trick to save himself, and the desperate High Council found the gray lord who had been demoted to Lauren Loren. As mentioned before, the Gray Lords are a group of elves with embarrassing identities, either loyal to Malekith during the Great Schism, or mages who study black magic and death magic.
This group of gray lords responded to the request, and they summoned an army of spirits. The dwarf army that penetrated deep into Lauren Loren disappeared, and its whereabouts from now on are unknown.
At the same time, a gray lord named Dalolhan unleashed a terrible disease on the ruins of Kor Imamore, where the dwarven reserve army was encamped. Under this two-pronged tempo, the dwarf forces collapsed, and although the war continued for years to come, the dwarves never again threatened Eshor Talarian. Kor Imamor was written into the Book of Hatred by the dwarves, and became a place of atrocities committed by the elves that the dwarves called "Blinding Death."
And the hatred and accidents extended by the ancient past continue to trouble Lauren Loren to this day...
As the War of Vengeance came to an end, Lauren Loren provided refuge to the elven refugees east of the Gray Mountains who refused to return to Ulthuan. Therefore, the elven refugees received aid and were allowed to settle in the forest, but they were always considered guests of the Golden Forest.
Moreover, the first elven colonists became more and more arrogant, believing that they were following the true path of elven tradition. It was during this period that a unique Aenir culture emerged. They call themselves Aenir after the Great Rune, which means memory, memory and the power of stone. And they believe that the Assur cousins have abandoned the true elven ways from their ancestors, the elves who helped the Old Ones build the Waystone Network...
In Aenir society, all elves are born into a community known as "Kindred" 』In the social class, the names of the two main kinship are combined from the city-state and woodland in the Eltharin language, which means birth and blood. The new blood relatives were added last to Lauren Loren, a reference to Aslay's cousins, who have the meaning of youth, unbridled energy and jealousy.
Therefore, the Enils are divided into three social classes based on family inheritance and historical reasons. The ultimate reason is that the original colonists found that the number of refugees exceeded them, so they established a network of relationships to protect their interests. Refugees also formed kinship groups to protect each other in the hostile new environment. After the War of Vengeance ended, the Aenir had become accustomed to this new social model of disdain for each other, so this tradition remained.
The city-state kin are the descendants of the original Lauren Loren colonists, and they are naturally the upper class of Lauren Loren. They have lived for generations in the remaining buildings or restored ruins of the original colonies. Ancient statutes protected their rights and kept them at the highest levels of government.
The Woodland Kindred are a middle class, descendants of the refugees who came to Lauren Loren during the War of Vengeance. They usually live in the woodlands, living in treetop dwellings like their Aslay cousins. Most of today's Aini All are woodland kin. Of course, there are examples, such as Kaia Vanmaris. She was born in the Woodland family and became the ruler of the Storm Zone and lived in the manor. All because of her own strength and the special nature of the Storm Zone.
The new blood relatives are the lowest class. They are the descendants of the refugees who came to Lauren Loren after the War of Revenge. They usually live in caves and ruins on the edge of Lauren Loren, or wander in the forest as wanderers. Or simply go to the human world to make a living.
Darkus was stunned when he heard Kaia's story at the dinner. In his opinion, this was the caste system, but fortunately, the second generation of new blood relatives could be promoted to members of the woodland relatives through a series of complex trials. The qualifications are not completely locked. If they fail, the new blood relatives participating in the trial will not be eligible for the second trial, and will often move to the empire to make a living.
Enil's social model has been operating to this day, and Darkus can think of the commotion inside with his heels. Kaiya didn't say anything, and he didn't ask, but he knew that as time went by, the forest kin group would no longer be the same. They would then thank their city-state relatives for providing them with a place of refuge during the War of Revenge. Some of the woodland relatives would definitely call for government reform and demand political status. Moreover, the series of treaties signed by Aenir and humans also included those living in the land. By Lauren Loren Borders' woodland kin are pushed to the brink of conflict. Fortunately the Aenir are not inclined to open rebellion, and no one has emerged who could lead the woodland elves.
Aenir does not use the forest to create bonds of common interest like its Asrai cousins, but it does borrow some traditions and patterns from Assur and Asrai, who limit professional relationships to neighboring states.
Neighbors were small social groups who came together to pursue a common interest or daily occupation and engaged in activities ranging from singing to warfare. The model is both complex and simple, just like a professional club in a certain country. You can join by paying a small entrance fee, ranging from ballet clubs to rifle shooting clubs.
It is also somewhat like the path of the Eldar. All the Eldar are pursuing their own hobbies according to their own wishes, indulging any whims and delving into all the differences. Once an Eldar masters one path, he can choose another, thus creating a set of skills that he can fully control. An Eldar must choose many different paths in his life, and the skills he acquires on each path prepare him for future achievements. In this way, the Eldar can avoid temptation and suppress their free-spirited nature.
When it comes to Enir, you can join without paying a membership fee, and it's not as fussy as the Eldar. A city-state kin will gather with a group of woodland kin. They may sing, weave, or learn martial arts, but that's it. Neighbors are not a place for speculation. Although they have the same interests, a city-state kin will not feel that it has anything other than interests with a woodland kin. The kin status between each other is like a gap, and no matter what class of Aenir, they rarely recognize people outside their neighboring gangs. Peer groups.
This is also the project that Darkus will focus on next. In his opinion, a neighbor gang model that is both a club and a path is very good. Maybe it can be learned and quoted, just like the somewhat embryonic Edreze Order. , the current religious group can be regarded as a club and path model from a certain perspective.
The Aenir's religion is also unique. Like their Asrai cousins, they recognize the entire lineage of the pantheon, believing in gods both above and below. Rituals, meditation, divination, and burial practices also differed according to birth kin.
After death, the relatives of the city-state relatives will bind the departed soul to the gem, while the souls of the woodland relatives will usually undergo rebirth rituals with the spellweavers, and some will be reborn as treants or tree spirits.
——Lauren
Loren's political system is even more noisy than the cultural and social system. I heard Darkus call out to go back to Nagaroth or Lustria immediately to experience the innocence of the new world...
In the first generation of Queen During the reign of the princes who crowned and ruled Tal Litanel, there was a vacuum in Lauren Loren's rule, governed by the High Council and ruled by the Phoenix King.
Following the War of Vengeance and the coronation of the First Queen, a three-person council was given the power to govern the High Council and established an advisory body similar to the Senate. Although the Aenir are divided into three classes, they consider their government to be the most democratic of the elven kingdoms, as decisions are usually made by vote of the Council rather than by royal decree, which may also be stated in the Woodland Kindred. One of the reasons why he hasn’t made trouble even when he asked for help.
Therefore, Lauren Loren's top-to-bottom governance system is very clear. The queen is the nominal supreme ruler, followed by the three-person parliament, the high parliament, and the lowest is the Senate.
There are three border areas in Lauren Loren, namely the Stormwind area ruled by Ms. Kaia Vanmaris of the Eternal Woodland family, the Frostfall area ruled by Lord Dialok of the Elwyn family, and the Sudden area ruled by Lord Galstra of the Cloudwalker family. rain zone.
The inner core area is the Sun District where Tal Litanel is located. Ms. Delina of the Malverick family is responsible for overseeing the defense of the Sun District. Tal Litanel is more like a municipality located in the Sun District.
Although the Queen serves as ruler of Lauren Loren, she leaves day-to-day management to her High Council, of which she is also a member.
The Three-person Parliament is the high court of Lauren Loren. When the High Parliament reaches a deadlock, the Three-person Parliament needs to make the final decision. The members of the Triumvirate include the Queen and two Auxiliaries, one of whom rotates out each year from among the four rulers of the three border districts and the core district. Another adjutant is the Queen's Champion, the 'Lord of the Festival', who has passed the trials of combat as the ultimate test in the summer contests and celebrations. The victor is considered to have gained Asuryan's approval and is thus able to ascend to the Council of Three.
The High Council was located in Tal Litaner and represented a family from each of the major city-state kinsmen in the Sun Region, plus three from the four regional rulers, and another serving as rotating adjutants, all except Caia. The members of the High Council are all city-state kin. The High Council that governs Tal Litanel also receives missions from the Empire and decides on the terms of the agreement.
When the three-person council does not need to make a decision, it will quietly observe the agenda of the high council. The High Council can also meet without the presence of the Council of Three, and according to Kaia, if faced with this situation, it is usually an arbiter named Ado who maintains order in the council by tapping the marble floor with a halberd.
This Enir named Yado is not simple. He has lived for at least 4,000 years. He was once the champion of the first queen, and he still remembers the past before the battle of revenge.
The Senate meets in Tal Litanel once a year to discuss foreign affairs involving neighbors or the defense of the entire territory of Lauren Loren. In times of crisis, emergency Senate meetings can be called. Senators are respected elders, warriors and explorers. The staff structure includes the four regions of Lauren Loren. They propose specific action plans to the High Council based on their frontline experience, but they do not enjoy political rights themselves. , with the exception of Kaia, the Senators are basically at the top of their game for the Woodland Kindred.
If you want to enter the High Council, unless you are an extremely special being like Kaia, there are no restrictions and shackles on women in all elven societies, let alone strong women. Of course, except for people like the Phoenix King and the Witch Wang is a restricted profession. There are many famous women among elves. To put it bluntly, bloodline and orthodoxy are sometimes not that important. What matters most is the fist that can break the rules and the strength behind it!
Although Kaia is a member of the Eternal Woodland family, Vanmaris is her surname and ancient family name. Vanmaris is an ancient family in the Kingdom of Cosqui. After the Great Schism, the Vanmaris family moved to the colonies and lived in the West. S. Leonasca.
Over time, some members of the Vanmaris family moved to Atho Talarian. This branch of hers was brought from Sis Leonasca during the War of Revenge. The family has an excellent magical heritage and foundation. The other branch was brought by Leandra from Esso Talarian. of. According to Kaia, she also has a cousin who currently lives in Middenheim and works as an adviser to the ruler there. Kaia gained this special status today thanks to her family's inheritance and outstanding magical talent. The Storm Zone, which often faces invasion, needs her presence, and her status is unshakable.
The visit ended quickly, and there was actually nothing to see. Although the view here is very, very good, you can see the dazzling glass reflection of Tal Litanel, the fog shrouding Obion Island, and the The outline of Marienburg and Norsca could be seen across the Sea of Claws, not to mention the ships plying the Sea of Claws.
Nothing happened at noon, and Kaiya took the Druchs back to her manor to rest. She now desperately needed to catch up on some sleep. Possibly due to the influence of the forest, the Drukis also felt sleepy. After a brief lunch, at about four o'clock in the afternoon, she regained some energy and organized a tea party with two members of the Elf Council of the small city-state.
Darkus tried to take a sip of the dream wine. Although it was called wine, it did not taste like wine. According to Kaia, it was made from mountain springs and the honeysuckle and jasmine flowers that grew there.
"It's as sweet as...cream, and light...ethereal." Darkus said with a strange expression. He couldn't accept this taste, especially after drinking it, there was a strange herbal taste accompanied by milk. .
Darkus then snapped his fingers, indicating that his cousins should try their things. During the dinner, the cousins must show their friendship as landlords, but the tea party was different again. Various specialties from the Kauchen Plain were displayed. It was placed on the table for Kaia and the two city-state elves to try.
"Don't worry, this is ordinary tobacco, used for leisure. It does not contain other ingredients. As rulers, we must maintain a sharp and clear mind, instead of becoming a madman and a drooling fool." Maranur said While walking, he pushed a box of chewing tobacco in front of Kaia.
Kaia didn't show much defense against Darkus and the others. She first tried chewing tobacco under Maranur's trick. After chewing a few mouthfuls, her expression became strange. With a smile, she spit out her chewing tobacco, then took another puff from her pipe, filling the council chamber with smoke.
"I have dealt with the Drukhi before." Kaia raised her head and blew out a puff of smoke and said with a smile. Then she puffed out the smoke while talking about the past. She added, "I tried Bring what they have brought, it is indeed pure tobacco." Then she handed the other pipes to the city elves for them to try.
"It's similar to what those dwarves smoked in the Frostfall area." said a city-state elf who exhaled smoke.
"There are still dwarves in this forest?" Cowell asked in disbelief.
"Yes." Kaia frowned and said after exhaling the smoke, and then she talked about various reasons.
There are dwarves not only in the Frostfall area bordering the Nordland, but also in the Showerland area bordering the Midden Territory, but these dwarves are not mountain dwarves, let alone North dwarves, but Empire dwarves who live with humans.
After the War of Vengeance, centuries of peace followed. The Aenir lived in relative isolation, and the dwarves gradually abandoned their fortress in the Silver Mountains, located outside Lauren Loren, which now forms part of Nordland. turf.
"Excuse me for a minute...Silver Mountain? A mountain with a silver mine?" Maranur interrupted Kaiya rudely, because he captured a very important message in Kaiya's words.
"Yes, there is a mountain with silver mines. According to the feedback from the reconnaissance there, there are a lot of silver mines there." After Kaiya finished speaking, she took another puff of the pipe. When she put the pipe to her mouth, she could find that The expressions of the Druchis in front of them all changed.
Kaia was a little confused as to why the Drukis were like this. Aenir usually did not use metal currency, but they maintained the circulation and supply of gold and silver coins for transactions with the empire. Most Aenir know and can appreciate the value of coins, and the currency of the empire is quickly returned to the hands of some of the elves who deal with human merchants through trade and barter.
The High Council had previously made a similar proposal to occupy Silver Mountain and mine it to gain an advantage in trade with the Empire. However, in the end this resolution was rejected for two reasons. The number of Enil was not enough and there was no supporting equipment to continue mining. , and the most important thing is to pollute Lauren Loren's environment, which will make the already bad situation worse.
"Can you tell me in detail?" Maranur said with a hint of seriousness in his tone.
"Of course, about 300 years ago, we signed a logging agreement with the Empire. After that, humans were allowed to collect resources in the Silver Mountains on the northeastern border of Lauren Loren, and some of the city-state relatives of Kor Imamor lived there. Nearby. But the situation there is not very good, the population is sparse, and there are many cunning goblin tribes wandering around there. According to humans, it is a marquis's fiefdom, including most of the area south of Silver Mountain, and There are still some disputes among humans. Another human family claimed ownership of the Silver Mountain after the signing of the Treaty of Leaf."
"Has the Silver Mountain been mined?" Darkus asked the most important question.
"Not yet." Kaia did not answer immediately, but first confirmed with the two city-state elves.
Darkus nodded. He knew that with the future development, the silver mines there would be mined on a large scale by humans within two to three hundred years, and with it would come the environmental pollution of Lauren Loren. As a A staunch environmentalist, he will never allow this to happen! As a druch, he will resolutely defend Enil's Lauren Loren!
"I'm very curious as to why your reaction to Yinshan...is so big. Can you tell me the reason?" Kaiya asked curiously.
Darkus's expression became sinister, and he squinted his eyes to think. After hearing Kaia's words, he slightly raised his head towards Maranur, who was sitting opposite him.
"Of course, if everything goes well, we..." Maranul stopped mid-sentence, took the bucket on the ground and spit out the chewing tobacco, and then said, "We will use Obien The island is an advanced base and attempts to return to Elsin Alvin."
"In what way?" Kaia's expression became a little solemn, but she didn't care about the matter between Druch and Asul, she only cared about Lauren Loren, she asked seriously.
"Trade!"
"In addition, it is unilateral trade, supplemented by military means." Darkus added.
"What role will Lauren Loren play?" Kaiya quickly communicated with the two city-state relatives. After seeing that the city-state relatives were in a state of shock and could not provide advice or help, she continued to ask.
"Speaking of which, there is nothing to hide. In the plan, we are preparing to take action against Sis Leonasca. If possible, we will build a supporting seaport or military port here. In addition to guarding against Norse heading south, People can also control Nordland, Ostland and Kislev, and of course they will provide you with supplies and guarantee your interests." Darkus said bluntly.
This is the will of a race and cannot be shaken or blocked by anyone alone. It doesn't matter if you know, and it doesn't matter if you don't know?
"Last night at the banquet, I talked to you about Lauren Loren's political system. To be honest, your proposal made me very excited, but you also know that I can't make a decision." Kaia smoked her pipe silently , she didn’t answer immediately. After a long time, she said slowly.
"Parliament." Darkus sighed, without showing his disdain or teasing tone.
"I know you are going to the Sun Zone. You can stay here temporarily for a week. After I take care of things, I will set off with you. I am the auxiliary officer of this year's three-person parliament. By the way, then Silver Mountain?"
"Lustria not only has these specialties, but also countless gold and gems, and of course pure silver, a 4,000-meter-high Silver Mountain!" Maranur said grandly, finishing the sentence While doing so, he even stretched out his hand to make gestures.
"Lustria? I'm sorry, I remember what you said yesterday. You set out from a plain in the continent of Lustria called Ashriel. But as far as I know, Lustria is a very dangerous area. There are all jungles there, and there are ancient existences. I once read the "Expedition Records of Belsarius" in Tal Litanel's Library of Sorrow, his adventures and final encounters..."
Kaia was very happy. Smart, because a fool cannot be a spell caster, she has mastered the key points, she knows what unilateral trade supplemented by military means means, this is the same as pulling down Lauren Loren to sell trees after cutting them down in other places, she He smiled, then changed the topic and asked curiously.
"Because I am different from Belsarius, because I am the Pope of Lustria! Because I am the messenger of the Ancient Saint!"
Darkus did not answer, but turned his head to look at Renn, and saw Renn's After seeing his expression, he knew what was going on. He turned his head and said to Kaia with a smile.
I feel dizzy writing this chapter, but I still have to have this chapter...
This chapter is like a mission, explaining some things that won't be confusing later on. Guys with names will appear in the follow-up, including Leandra who has been mentioned many times before
(end of this chapter)