Guide to the Khelek Crystalands

[Darastrix]

Culture
Infrastructure
Maps
Villages
Places of Business
Noble Houses
Foreign Relations

[Darastrix]

Temperament and Trending Traits
Khelek is famous for breeding stolid, cold, and dour people, prone to hostility towards anyone they’re unfamiliar with. While the people of Khelek may show a disapproving side to “outsiders,” they are surprisingly warm to loved ones and their communities. The Khelekian creed is to look out for your own. What many non-Crystalanders do not see are the tight-knit families and communities. Even bitter rivals will stand shoulder to shoulder against an outside threat. This is not to say that the people of Khelek live in total harmony; they suffer from the same failings that any community does.

Founded by an ancient Sulan war general, much of the Khelek life still retains remnants of their strict military roots. Public displays of affection are frowned on, as is disorderly conduct such as public drunkenness. Timeliness, efficiency, industriousness, and loyalty are all highly valued qualities in an individual.


Jobs
Jobs are highly dependent upon which area of Khelek an individual lives in. Those in Amastar, which is close to the sea, make their living revolving around their fishing and whaling trade. In Gwellon, mining is the primary source of income. Cruuelka, by virtue of its proximity to the border, deals primarily in trade, furs, and wool. All the jobs necessary to support these micro-economies are in ready supply. Scholarly-minded individuals may be fortunate enough to get a position advising or tutoring, otherwise they seek their livelihood in Mentis if this is their area of strength. Military and guard positions are also plentiful and are seen as honorable professions.


Education
School is considered an important aspect of every child’s life. Within the cities, and especially in the capitol city, attending school is mandatory. Schooling starts at a young age (about seven to eight years of age), though terminates varying on an individual basis. Adolescents expecting to enter an apprenticeship or assist in family business may leave off their schooling as early as eleven or twelve years of age (or at least until they have proven able to conduct sums and have adequate literacy), while children who have a more uncertain or leisurely future ahead of them may remain in schooling as late as fifteen or sixteen years of age. In the more rural areas, schooling is still enforced, but exceptions are made if, for some reason, a family is unable or unwilling to put their children into school. Orphans are not exempt from this practice and will take classes alongside their peers. Individuals seeking education beyond this will travel to Mentis.


Food
Similar to Ronduin, Khelek boasts a wide variety of seafood cuisine, though their flavors are wildly different from their southern neighbors. Khelek's seafood dishes are often spiced with a favor towards salty and sour. Fish are usually saturated with butter or an alcoholic batter and served with a variety of pickled vegetables as side dishes. Supplementing this seafood diet, mutton, veal, and goat cheese are widely used, being essential staples amongst the poorer folk. A variety of unique mushrooms grows in Khelek’s soil as well and can be found in dishes of all kinds. To drink, the most famous item in Khelek’s culinary reputation is a concoction known by its slang name “Ice Water.” Called winzar originally in Old Tongue, this clear liquid is an extremely potent alcohol. Khelek is also well-known for having a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic hot drinks to help them through the harsh, cold winters. Favored desserts are usually nut dishes with dried fruit or jams coming in a close second.


Fashion
What people wear is often utilitarian and practical first, ornamental second. In the cold months, dress often consists of heavy layers for both sexes. Wool lined boots and gloves are an absolute must, with the wealthy spending extra to have a deerskin outer layer. Most individuals settle for hard leather for their boots. Heavy woolen overcoats and cloaks are also necessities. Men will often wear woolen overshirts with a softer material worn beneath. Pants are worn tucked into boots and are generally made of a heavy linen. Women wear dresses of heavy linen over thick woolen shifts with lambswool stockings. Wealthy individuals often have their clothing tailored with fur trimming to display their status. In the warmer months, clothing is scaled back to simple, lighter linens. Baggy pants with a cloth sash around the waist, tucked in tunics, and a light overcoat is considered very fashionable amongst men, though most peasants forgo the overcoat. Women tend to wear breezy sun dresses.

Children in Khelek also experience bundling in their youth until they are toilet trained and able to dress and undress themselves with relative ease.


Leisure
For men, the most popular form of entertainment is hunting. From wealthy Crystalanders riding about in mounted hunting parties as a social event to simple peasants heading out into the woodlands alone or with a few family members, all can enjoy this sport, which has the added benefit of bringing more food home to the family--especially important in the winter months, when food must be carefully husbanded. Women are encouraged to take up knitting, sewing, and quilting as hobbies, though more spirited women find themselves hunting with the menfolk.


Family
Family is considered one of the most important things in a Crystalander’s life. Though children may not be showered with affection, it is the duty of the head of the house to think not only of his family’s well-being, but also his children’s future. He is expected to take steps to cultivate a prosperous future for them, if at all possible. Death in the family is considered one of the highest tragedies. Families usually consist of a man, his wife, and an average of two children. Extended family (grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins) are given respect and are second only to the immediate family.

Homosexuality is not looked upon well in Khelek for this reason (among others), and individuals are often unable to pursue homosexual relationships openly. People have been cast out from their families for this transgression, one of the worst social penalties an individual can incur. Adultery is also taboo; individuals participating in it are seen as licentious and uncontrolled in appetite, and may be shunned from social circles. Divorces become the object of scornful and disapproving gossip, though typically little more than that, unless the situation is clearly one where a divorce is preferable, such as the aforementioned adultery.


Religion
Religion is a solemn and grave affair amongst Crystalanders. The Forces are regarded with immense respect but also what is considered a healthy amount of fear. Etaf and Efil are the most favored of Forces, each garnering about equal amounts of worship. Efil is seen as a “light of hope” in the dark, cold winters, while Etaf provides a stable comfort in a people who do not handle change well. The temple of the Forces is a plain stone structure with sharp angles dominating the architecture. It is no showier than any other public building, and perhaps even a little more unostentatious than usual. The primary statues of the Forces are depicted as follows:

Efil appears as a matured woman of some indeterminate age, her features matronly - a trifle stern, but compassionate in her stance. Her belly is swelled, just a little, to leave it uncertain whether she is with child or merely bearing the weight of middle age.

Taed is depicted as a cloak hanging in midair. The only human feature is a pair of hands peeking out of the sleeves, one holding a sword and the other holding a set of scales.

Etaf is depicted a woman with her head tilted upward, away from the people who pass through the temple. Her cloak is embellished with a pattern of stars, and her eyes are set with a pair of glittering gems.

Thuoth is a human of indeterminate gender who wears a sardonic expression as he (or she) points down at a thick tome resting on a pedestal, as though to say "Look it up for yourself."

Worg is shown as a muscular, hard-faced woman with a fur cape and a staff in her hand that points directly at anyone who dares stand before her.

Soahc is a handsome, if cold-looking, man, his shoulders back, chest out, and chin up, his arms outstretched as though welcoming his well-deserved adoration.

Info by Kender Bard

[Darastrix]

Article Pending

[Darastrix]

Nation Map



Map by Darastrix


General City Layout



Note: In cities other than the capitol, the blue area belongs to the lord of the city or is open space.

Map by Kender Bard

[Darastrix]

Malagard
Khelek's capitol city.

Gwellon Village
This village is almost due west of Malagard and rests in the shadow of a large group of iron-rich hills, which are its main source of wealth. Besides the mined ore, Gwellon produces a large amount of iron and steel goods, including farming implements, cookware, and weaponry.

Amastar
This village is the farthest northeast and the most isolationist of the towns, due to its remote location. It provides the majority of Khelek's seafood and whale products and houses a naval port. Many buildings are new or show signs of relatively recent repair.

Cruuelka
Closest to Khelek's borders at the southwest, Cruuelka is slightly more accepting of outsiders than is the norm, and often trades vellum, furs, and wool to Mentis. Largely agricultural, Cruuelka participates in a system of exchange with Gwellon, accepting the slag produced by the iron furnaces (which they use as a fertilizer) as partial payment for their crops and livestock.

Glaciamens
This is technically not a Crystalands city. Prior to the founding of Sensatia, the Minds of Naruta lived in what were known as Communities: secret and secluded cities where Minds kept themselves hidden away from the other Elementals. The Khelek Community of Glaciamens, like the others, has been abandoned since around year 1002.

Village Info by Darastrix

[Darastrix]

Name	Type	Owner	Rank
The Archer's Aim	Tavern	NPC	***
The Drunken Knight	Tavern	NPC	*
The Ice Hawk	Restaurant	NPC	**
Snowsong	Tavern	NPC	****
The Sword's Scabbard	Inn	NPC	****
Winter Rose	Flower Shop	NPC	N/A
The Wolf	Restaurant and Tavern	NPC	*****

Ranking is basically how high-end/expensive a place is. I'm using it primarily for inns, taverns, and restaurants, but you can get a feel for what another kind of place may be like with a certain rank. It basically goes like this:

*--Very cheap, and you get what you pay for.
Inns and taverns with this rank are usually dirty. You could end up with lice or fleas from sleeping in the beds, and really, you'll stay cleaner if you DON'T use their washbasins. The food is suspect. If you want to eat, go ahead, but the less you know about the food's origin and how the it's prepared, the better. Remember, you get what you pay for, not what it's advertised as. (Just what kind of meat is in that pie, anyway?)

**--Still on the cheap side, but sanitary conditions are better. The place may not be much to look at and may have dirt here and there, but it's generally "just good, clean dirt" as they say. The drinks may be watered down, and the soup more broth than meat and veggies, but it's pretty much safe to eat.

***--Average. Not too pricey for some peasants, and not too cheap for some of the local higher-ups to deign to come visit. Neat and clean, if not elaborate. These places have simple, hearty food, good drink, clean linens, and comfortable beds.

****--These places are a bit more expensive than what your common Narutan will want to pay, but the price is generally worth the service. These attractively decorated inns often include extra amenities, and the beds are softer and have better quality linens than are strictly necessary. Food and drink ranges from just better versions of what you may find in an average establishment to dishes made with rarer, more expensive ingredients, such as an ocean shellfish dish in Ilyamen or Reave.

*****--The favoured haunts of nobles and rich merchants, these places will put a sizable dent in a common--middle class citizen's purse. Some are simply establishments with 4-star quality and inflated prices, while others are truly worth the high cost. Decor is often elegant and elaborate and the food and services offered are of the highest quality.

[Darastrix]

Khelek Crystalands

Note: All noble houses were appointed by King Lucifer in 1009. There are no "old" houses.

House Name	Family	Source of Weath/Power	Colours	Symbol
Crawford	Lord Brad	Royal appointment	----	Blue rose with a star in the center
Kanani	Lord Kaleo, wife	Royal appointment	Green/White	Ivy-wrapped staff
Kazimir	Lord Lucifer, son, mother	Seized Rulership/Land Taxes	Navy/Silver	White Snowflake in a black disc
Pajari	Lord Fyodor, 3 children	Royal appointment	Tan/White	Fusil of yarn
Richter	Lady Isabella, husband, daughter	Royal appointment	Black/white	Balanced scales
Sokoll	Lady Yeva, husband, 2 children	Royal appointment	Navy/Lime	A rolled scroll
Utkin	Lord Marshall	Royal appointment	Grey/Black	Rearing horse

[Kender Bard]

Nations starred * are members of the UN and thus have economic priveleges but are otherwise under the relations indicated.

Kingdom Caelium - Neutral
New Anarlina* - Allied - Miltary
Ekaitz - Neutral
New Morilanta - Tense
Ronduin* - Neutral
Sensatia* - Neutral
Humontis* - Neutral
Beastlands* - Neutral
Naurorod - Neutral
Reave* - Neutral
Ilyamen* - Neutral
Celentia - Neutral
Grandisle - Neutral
Second Hope - Neutral
Fireteeth Isle - Hostile