Irath Allanar

The Eladrin of Irath Allanar are some of the world's most accomplished arcanists and artificers and have lived since the creation of the World. Their society is one defined by their longevity. A high elf is not considered an adult until they reach 300 years in age and even then none are truly respected until they have lived at least 600 years. The birth of an Eladrin child is an extraordinarily rare event and is celebrated by the entire city. Such children are guarded intensely and educated for 100 years in all manner of subjects. Usually once their century of tutelage is complete and Eladrin will select an area to specialize in and spend another century or two perfecting their art and learning other skills to supplement it. A master blacksmith, for example, can also be expected to be an expert wood carver, tanner, glassblower, hunter, woodcutter, and miner as well. Eladrin take great pleasure in crafting something from start to finish with their own hands. Many painters, for example, also are accomplished botanists, chemists, and weavers so that they can travel the Dreamwood and cultivate and collect the raw materials to create their dyes and paints, and to weave their canvases. Such painters would also keep a collection of sable martens, squirrels, hogs, oxen, and goats to collect hairs for their brushes.

Perhaps the most favorite pastime for the eladrin is a strange game that only they have the longevity and patience to play. In the common tongue its name translates roughly to "the fate game" or "destiny contest." To begin, two high elves will spend a long period of time in discussion and debate with one another to determine the stakes. These debates can sometimes last years, but typically only take a few months. When played for low stakes the winner of one of these games might claim something as small as a genuine smile, or a story of their youth, from their defeated opponent. Higher stakes games are often played for more permanent prizes. One might wager their ability to read the Eladrin script, or to see the color blue. Rarely are the prizes of this game anything material, unless there is significant sentimental value to the material thing for one or both players.

Once the stakes are decided, the challenger will choose one simple event. This event can be anything imaginable, but it must be straightforward and simple. Examples include, "an object falls," or "a shape is drawn," or "something is learned." After the initial event is decided, each player will add conditions and specifications to the event, "an object falls" might become "a coconut falls" which might become "a coconut falls in a cave" and then "a coconut falls in a cave and lands in a lake," and so on until both players agree that the final event is sufficiently challenging. These conditions sometimes end up spanning entire books and there is a library in Irath Allanar of completed events such as these.

Finally the game can begin. It is a slow, patient game. Many lasting hundreds of years, depending on the difficulty of the challenge. Neither player is permitted to take any actions that directly cause the goal event to occur, but both may use any other means to guide it into happening. Players use all manner of prophetic magic and long-term planning and schemes to subtly bring the triggering event about, but victory for one or another is inevitable and both players are always certain when one or the other has won.