The High Elven Kingdom of Vanilion and Thilien
The High Elf Kingdom of Vanilion, was one of the last remnants of the High Elf imperialism in Zarhuy that maintained much of its glory, and one of the few colonies that survived the wave of invasions and migrations that happened after the Apparition of Humanity.
Description and Population[]
With about 300.000 inhabitants, the Kingdom of Vanilion is surrounded by mountains to the north, east and west, and to the south to a sea:
The capitol city is of over 50.000 inhabitants, and most of the aristocracy had there their houses, aside from the palaces and fortresses where they live in summer, often built on estates in the country, or in the northern land of Thilien, a destroyed high elf colony that Vanilion absorbed to build estates and farms with Wild elf peoples, often originally native to Thilien, working under them as serfs, slaves, or low wage employees. The land of Vanilion itself has a slave work force of orcs that perform much menial labor.
Economy[]
A Vanilion Palace
Manufacturing and Crafts[]
The Kingdom lives mostly from the trade of products of Zarhuy, with the High elves of Ushaenor, selling Ivory, gemstones and gold, in exchange of manufactured products they sell back to the nations of Zarhuy and Antor, from where they get the raw materials:
Work Force[]
Aside from the rich traders, or skilled crafts-elfs, the bulk of the population are farmers. Within Vanilion itself, orc slaves are used for hard labor or farming. In outer lands, particularly Thilien, orc slaves are not used so as to prevent the escape of such slaves. Instead, poor elves, particularly the aforementioned Wild elfs do such work as either slaves or poor employees. Natural barriers prevent such 'Wild Elves' from going anywhere save the often harsh and hostile land of the plains of Antor.
Defensive Measures[]
Vanilion[]
The price of freedom for Vanilion, is of permanent vigilance of their borders, in cunning and strong defenses such as forts and fortresses, and training of its inhabitants, and participation in its military, as well launching "preventive" campaigns and wars to the neighboring areas, usually against the Antorian Orcs of the northern plains of Antor who have a long history of raids against elf colonies. Mountains, rivers and other natural barriers aid greatly in this.
Thilien[]
Vanilion's own 'colony' of Thilien is maintained as a buffer region to protect the main kingdom. It's a land of estates in a more wild country of daring land holders with a large population of Wild elfs being welcome to work the land rather than orc slaves as is done in the main kingdom. This is done so as to prevent dangers of slave revolts, to 'help' the elves that remain in Zarhuy, and to ensure that elven scouts and auxiliary border soldiers are maintained in large numbers to defend the frontier and launch 'preventative' raids on Antorian Orc villages or other enemies, such as the Loranor perhaps.
Decadence[]
However, the High Elf Kingdom, even being one of the last shining city of the High elves in Zarhuy, was in decadence: mostly a moral one.
The extravagance of new generations have weakened their economic power, and more than ever, the birth rate was ever more reduced, and the creative impulse that created the colony, have long ago leave the spirits of the aristocratic classes.
The Half Elf Quiebrahuesos Wargh views the land of Vanilion