Mirror Valley (Cyten Tumbar):

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Index:

Economics & Demographics

Introduction:

Mirror Valley is the Human name for the location. It is known as Cyten Tumbar in the Elven tongue. It is located in the lands that were once the Old Kingdom near the border of the Eastern Territory. It is one of the few large communities of Elves remaining in the Palladium World and is even rarer in the fact that the Elves occupy the same basic lands as Dwarves and they live in peace. The Elves live in the valley and the Dwarves live in the low mountains surrounding the valley.

History:

For thousands of years, the Old Kingdom was known as the Domain of the Elves. The Elves called it the "New Kingdom" and cities dotted the land. They were surrounded by smaller Elven communities. The Elves were allies with the Dwarves. Something happened and the two races went to war. Huge numbers of Elves and Dwarves were killed and many cities were decimated. This war weakened the Elf and Dwarf domination and lead to the sub human races invading the Elven lands during the next several thousand years. Many of the surviving Elves were forced to flee to other lands. Some of the Elven cities survived but they became overcrowded with Elves forced from their homes. In many cases, the cities have decayed and have become dirty reminders of what they once were. It is so drastic in some cases that much of the population subsists off of Bread and Milk created by Wizards.

Mirror Valley is one of the exceptions to the way most other Elven communities within the Old Kingdom are. The Elven Community dates back too before the Elf and Dwarf War but has always had a small population and was considered remote. It was not affected very much by the war. The valley had a small population of Pegasus surviving the disaster that befell the rest of the winged steeds. The leaders of the valley determined that they would keep that fact secret as much as possible. After the war, the Valley no longer could depend so much on the Elven Nation so had to defend themselves without outside aid. As the Old Kingdom became weaker, the valley was attacked by groups of sub humans multiple times. Many times, the valley was able too just barely hold their own but they were able to keep free from invaders.

A few thousand years after the war, a Dwarven prospector discovered gold in the river below the valley and went to the valley locking for the source of the precious metal. After a period of tense discussion, the Dwarf was given permission to look for the source of the gold. He found that the mountains contain veins of both gold and iron. After another period of discussion with the Elves in the valley, a small group of Dwarves were allowed to move into the mountains. The Dwarves were from a variety of different clans and were tired of the hatreds that their race had for elves. They began tunneling into the hills to build their own community.

From the beginning, both sides were determined that they would live in peace and work to defend the valley. They began by having the leaders of both races discuss how it would be best for them to defend the valley. They also traded with each other for what the other could not either grow or manufacture themselves. The Elves shared the food they grew in return for the Dwarves' items of fine metal work. The Elven soldiers were armored in the finest Dwarven armor and armed with the Dwarves' highest quality weapons. As well, the Dwarves did the stone work in the valley and built a series of stone towers on the ridges of the hills to act as lookouts. The Dwarves and Elves manned the towers together to defend their valley. Once the two races began working together, defending the valley became far easier. The towers enabled the defenders of the valley to spot attackers further out and the Dwarves are able to use the secret tunnels in their hills to move their troops directly in the path of any assault.

Until about fifty years previously, the valley was virtually unknown to lands outside their own. Everything was sold by merchants from the valley itself. Both Elf and Dwarf traders sold their goods outside the valley. Goods sold included weapons and armors manufactured by the Dwarves, herbs and fine cloth good made by the elves, and magic items created by the alchemists who occupied the valley. Part of the reason for the secrecy was due to the elves trying to protect the existence of their population of Pegasus. The policy was changed because of the emergence of other populations of Pegasus and the possibility to get military aid from the Eastern Territory. It also does much to simplify trade from the valley.

Description:

The valley is one of the most beautiful locations in the whole of the Palladium World. It is a bowl shaped valley with a large opening to the North East of the valley where the river flows from the valley. The valley is surrounded on all other sides by low mountains or high hills with the exception of a narrow notch from the south which the river flows into the valley. It is joined by several streams from the mountains before the river goes down a waterfall and enters the valley. The river meanders through the valley until it feeds a large lake. This lake is known as Mirror Lake and the clear waters are also what the valley gets its name for. The river then flows out the valley toward the Eastern Territories.

There are many stories on how the valley was created. As a small group of hills surrounding a valley, it appears that it may have been created by a volcano eons ago. The two other stories about the valleys creation includes a rock falling from the sky before the times of the old ones and the stories of a massive explosion during the battles against the old ones.

Over half of the valley is forested including the sides of the mountains and hills. Mixed in with the forest are several orchards including apple and pear orchards. The valley also has many variety of flowers, many of which are believed to be extinct outside the valley. Many rare herbs grow in various places in the valley with several types of healing herbs.

The mountains are tipped with watch towers which are the only easily noticeable sign of humanoid habitation from outside the valley. There are four towers on the north and western mountains. On the southern and eastern mountains are three watch towers. Around the watch towers, the areas have been cleared to increase visibility.

The largest population in the valley is in a village on the lakeside. The village is surrounded by fields which both crops are grown and livestock are raised. There is a smaller community that lives in and around the waterfall where the river enters the valley. There are two other communities with one on the north and south east sides of the valley. These lands include the areas where the Pegasus are raised. The remainder of the population in the valley is scattered all around the valley in groups that are usually a couple of families or smaller.

The Elves which live on the side of the lake live in mostly wooden huts. Some of the wealthier members live in highly decorated stone building built by the dwarves and other important buildings are built from stone as well. These include the main meeting hall, the temple, granaries, and many of the work shops. On the northern side of the waterside village are stables for horses and other livestock.

There is a large hall carved behind the waterfall by the dwarf allies of the elves. The underground hall is where the Elven leaders of the valley reside. There are many living areas also carved from the stone along with storage areas and other features that would be expected from a place where elves live. Most of the remainder of the population live in houses built in the trees although here and there is a stone house built on the ground. These are where many of the wealthier elves live. The houses are often highly decorated and are constructed by their Dwarven neighbors.

The Dwarven community lives in chambers carved deeply into the rock of the hills and mountains surrounding the valley. The tunnels run almost the whole length of the hills and mountain. The tunnels have been dug deep into the earth to find iron and silver veins. The Dwarven chambers are carved as exquisitely as any of the Dwarven Halls of Legend. There are figures of various heroes from both Dwarven Legends and more modern times. There has been a specific effort to avoid figures from the Dwarf and Elf War. This is in an effort to keep peace between the two races that make up the majority of the population. The two main entrances to the Dwarven chambers are forty feet wide and about thirty feet wide. The doors are made from solid steel and are highly embossed. The doors stand on the valley side about one mile to either side of the narrow notch which the river flows into the valley. There are many smaller tunnels that exit out the mountain using concealed doors. There are also tunnel entrances to each of the towers standing on the hills.

Population:

The valley has a population of around 13,000 beings including the valley itself and the dwarves living in the hills. The population does not include transient populations and few supernatural creatures reside in the valley. The main exceptions are four unicorns which reside in the forests and a handful of Fairy Folks.

About 12% or about 1,000 individuals total are various magic using types or are powerful psychics. This number does not include the fact that about twenty-five percent of the population are minor or major psychics. Common type of practitioners of magic include Wizards and Warlocks. The most common powerful psychics types are Mind Mages, Ps-Mystics, and Psi-Healers.

The largest population are the dwarves who inhabit the hills in their underground halls. Essentially the Dwarves live in one underground city. While small compared to some Dwarven halls, they are still quite impressive. The second largest population is the village on the end of the lake with about 2,000 individuals. The population is mainly Elves but about 500 are non-elves with most of the non-elves in the village being humans. There are a few other clusters of inhabitants. Two of about 400 elves are clustered around each of the fields where the Pegasus are raised. There are also about 200 elves than inhabit the halls behind the waterfall and around it.

The Changelings mostly have integrated themselves in the Elf population of the valley. The Gnomes live in small groups in shallow subterranean tunnels on the insides of the hills surrounding the valley. In spite of the close physical proximity of the Gnomes to the Dwarven Halls, there is very little contact between the two races.

	8,000	Elves
	4,000	Dwarves
	500	Humans
	200	Gnomes
	100	Changelings
	200	Others Races

Mages & Psionics:

As stated previously, about 12% of the population are practitioners of magic or are powerful psychics. This does not include that about 25% of the population are minor or major psychics. This is the list on how the percentages of powerful psychics and practitioners of magic are broken down. Practicing Necromancy or Witchcraft tied to supernatural are not allowed within the valley. As well, Summoners and Diabolists are carefully watched for evil activities.

	20%	Wizards
	5%	Warlocks - Earth
	5%	Warlocks - Air
	5%	Warlocks - Fire
	5%	Warlocks - Water
	5%	Diabolists
	5%	Summoners
	20%	Mind Mages
	10%	Psi-Mystics
	10%	Psi-Healers
	18%	Psi-Sensitives

Economics & Demographics:

Agriculture:

Various agriculture is practiced in the valley. Around the lake are field that a variety of different crops are grown. The agriculture is boosted by the Earth, Air, and Water Warlocks who live in the valley. The Water and Air Warlock make sure the valley has enough even in drought years. The Earth Warlocks use their Earth magic to make sure the land stays fertile. The valley is basically self sufficient for both the humanoid and animals inhabitants of the valley although some grain is imported from the Eastern Territory.

In addition to normal food crops, a variety of herbs including healing herbs are grown. Rare flowers are also grown and are exported to other lands.

Livestock:

Livestock in the valley included deer, horses, and Pegasus. There are no cattle raised in the valley although deer take the cattle's place as both a source of meat and of dairy products including both milk and cheeses. Most farmers in the valley consider deers to be more hardy than cattle.

Horses are one of the most important products from the Elves in the valley. The valley is one of the few places where Elven specially breed horses can be found. The valley has the linages for all of their horse back for thousands of years. There are approximately 2,200 horses in the valley with 600 of them being Elven Warsteeds, 400 of them being Elven Scout Horses, and the remaining 1,200 being a variety of different breeds. About half of the horses are young animals which are still being trained. Most mounts are trained from birth and many of the handlers have animal empathy. All horses which are sold to non Elven communities are geldings but are still considered very valuable. Many of the humans in the valley are horse traders who have moved in semi-permanently. Other Elven communities can purchase females or un-gelded males but only in small numbers.

The Pegasus are only sold in very limited numbers and are extremely controlled. There are about 180 Pegasus in the valley and 60 are used by the military. The Elves consider the Pegasus to almost be their children. Still, hundred of individuals come up to the valley from all over the world each year to try and get a Pegasus as a mount. An individual must so up in the valley and petition to purchase one of the mounts. One of the keepers of the Pegasus will evaluate the petitioner if they should be permitted to have one of the flying mounts. Most are turned away at this stage. If accepted, the Pegasus are allowed to look at the petitioner. If one of the Pegasus likes the petitioner, the petitioner will be permitted to purchaser him or her. This only usually happens once or twice a year. It costs 1000 Gold to even petition to get a Pegasus and if accepted, the individual must pay an additional 200,000 Gold for the mount. The individual must also stay in the valley for several months training with the Pegasus before they are permitted to leave the valley.

In addition to the livestock, there is some fishing in the lake, rivers, and streams in the valley.

Elven Products:

This does not include magic items which are covered separately. The Elves make a wide variety of custom goods including clothing and wall hanging which are highly valued. Many nobles in the Eastern Territory commissioned specially made outfits and other products claiming that the Elven artists make items that appear to come alive. In addition, the valley makes a large amount of leather goods including high quality leather armors and riding gear. The valley is one of the few places where proper riding gear can be purchased for Pegasus. Specially made long bows and short bows are also available.

Dwarven Products:

The Dwarves around the valley create items of fine metalwork as well as exporting labor to create structures. Dwarven manufactured weapons and armor can be purchased in the valley for about 25% less than in cost compared to outside the valley and special commissions are available as well. In addition to high quality workmanship, intricate designs can be worked into them. These items are also sold outside the valley but when the fees are added in for the transportation, its cost is that of what they cost to be made outside the valley.

The stonework of the Dwarves in the valley is also legendary. Virtually all of the stone building of the influential Elves in the valley are built the Dwarves. Many lords in the Eastern Territory have hired Dwarven stone workers from the valley to supervised the construction of their castles. There have even been cases where nobles in the Timero Kingdom have seen people to get advice on their castles from the Dwarves in the valley.

Magic Items & Services:

The valley has a total of four Elven Alchemists with three of them residing in the town and the other residing in the palace. The Alchemists have the knowledge to make several magic items that are generally only known within the Western Empire. These include regenerating armor, bottomless quivers, and rings of tandem telepathy. Generally these items are made from the army of the valley but can be commissioned for the right price. In addition, most of the more commonly available magic items are available. Normally, a variety of magic swords and armors are available already manufactured. Most of these are shipped to distant lands to be sold. In the Valley, Gems of light are incredibly common and cost only 500 gold.

Magic items are very plentiful with many members of the military having magic armor or a magic weapon and about one in twenty of the general population having a magic item. This does not include gems of light which virtually all but the poorest homes have. About 80% of the magic using members of the community have at least one magic item with many having multiple magic items.

Some people also travel to the valley for magic services. There are a large number of magic users and psionic who specialize in magic or psychic healing.

Society:

Social Structure:

One thing that needs to be understood is that the elves consider the valley to be a valley of Elves. While the Tolerate other races, they do not consider them to be part of the social structure. Humans are the most likely race to be evaluated in this way. Changelings hide as part of the Elven structure and the Gnomes take care of their own affairs. As such, the humans are considered to be permanent outsiders. It is not that they have a hatred of humans or other races but the feeling is simply that they do not belong in the valley. A few traders and individuals passing through are ok but they do not want to see large numbers of non Elves settling. The Dwarves are considered outsiders by the Elves but in the sense that they live in the mountains and have little interaction with the Elven society. The Dwarves also do not welcome other races into their midst. They do enjoy the profits they make from the other races but do not want them living in their tunnels. The two races have a live and let live policy between them that has lasted for thousands of years.

In the Elven society, males and females are considered equal although in general a larger percentage of males can be found within the military. In the Dwarven society, there is a bit of lingering patriarchy but this has been slowly diminishing over the years from interaction with the Elves and in most ways the races treat each other equally.

Buildings:

In the town along the lakeside, most of the building are constructed from wood although some of the more wealthy members of the community live in highly decorated stone buildings with some being the size of mansions. Important building such as the meeting hall, temples, granaries, and many of the workshops are also constructed from stone. Theses include the residence of the three Alchemists who reside in town. Most of the stables are constructed from wood but an increasing number are being rebuilt in stone.

There is what is basically a huge mansion behind the waterfall where the river enters the valley. The underground hall was carved millenniums before by dwarven craftsmen and highly decorated.

Finally, the valley has many homes scattered throughout the valley. Most of these homes are built within the trees themselves but there are larger stone building built on the ground. Most of the stone building have been commissioned from the Elves' neighbors, the Dwarves, and are highly decorated.

The Dwarves live in vast highly decorated tunnels within the hills. These halls have two large doors which are the main entrances but also have a variety of secret exits leaving the mountains. The dwarven halls are intricately carved and are decorated by many statues.

Religious Groups:

Most of the more peaceful religions within the Palladium world are permitted within the valley including a large number of the warriors within the fighting forces worshiping Rurga whom they consider to be Elfin in nature. Interesting, there are comparatively few priests and druids within the valley.

If anyone within the valley is found to be worshiping a Deity of Evil or Demons or Devils, they are immediately killed or expelled from the valley. The action depends on the feeling of the elders and on a variety of political conditions. An elf from a wealthy or powerful family is more likely to get expelled instead of killed compared to less wealthy or connected individuals. Witches of Demons and Devils will be executed no mater what their status and wealth is. While not directly religious based, necromancers are treated the same way. As well, humans and other races worshiping beings of evil will be executed.

Views on other races:

Other than their Dwarven neighbor, for the most part only Humans, Gnomes, and Changelings are fairly well tolerated. As well, any races which are traditionally accepted will be allowed into the valley. Other races are much less welcome. A few Wolfen, if they have obvious business, will be accepted but large groups will be turned away. Most other races will be warned away from the valley and if they continue towards the valley, they will be attacked. Races which are considered hostile are Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, Trolls, and most Giant Races.

Government:

Elves:

Unlike most nations within the Palladium World, the Elves of Mirror Valley are not ruled by a Hereditary Lord. The Elven community is instead ruled by the Elders of the valley. The term "Elder" does not necessarily mean the oldest Elves within the valley but those who are viewed as the most knowledgeable and skilled at their trade. It is also expected that they have good leadership abilities and good negotiation skills. Some elders in the past have been surprisingly young.

There is one representative from what is considered each power group within the valley. The individual is chosen by an informal majority vote by the elders within their group. While they can be dismissed by the same method, it has only happened a handful of times since the system has been set up. In most cases, the elder will rule until they step down or die from old age. In some cases, the elders have been known to rule for centuries. One representative is from the various craftsmen and farmers from the valley. There has been much discussion about breaking this down into one representative from the farmers, one from the herdsman, and one from the craftsman. There is some opinion that they are under represented and that one individual cannot represent all the crafts properly. A compromise is being debated where there would be two sub-representative from the craftsman who would be allowed to vote on non-military decisions. There is another representative for the practitioners of magic and powerful psychics. Alchemists are not allowed as Elders due to the fact that they could potentially be seen as representing two groups. Finally, there is a representative for the military in the valley.

The main meeting place and official residence is the palace behind the waterfall where the river flows into the valley. There they are treated much the way that nobility is treated in other places. A few have preferred their own estates but most have resided in the palace. In addition, many of the generals in the military and other advisors reside in the halls for faster communication with their leaders. The halls behind the waterfall are also the traditional meeting place between the Elves and Dwarves.

Dwarves:

The Dwarves have a more traditional form of Government than the Elves. They are ruled by a hereditary king who rules the Dwarven Halls. The line of Dwarven kings trace their way from the original Dwarven prospector who discovered the valley and who later became the first king. Generally rule falls to the eldest son but the other Dwarf lords can decide that he is unfit for the crown. If the primary choice is declared unfit, a younger son or even another branch of the family may be chosen but it must be a descendent of the original king. The nobles make the final decision but need a two thirds majority to choose someone else for king other than the eldest son. Only males are eligible for rulership but over the years there have been several pushes to alter it for the most capable child, either son or daughter, to be chosen as ruler. So far the original patriarchal system remains but the eldest child, a daughter, of the present king is very charismatic and it is likely she will push to become queen.

Important Figures of Mirror Valley:

Kendron Agustiana: He is the Elven military elder. Before he took his position as the military elder, he was the general in charge of the Pegasus Riders. He was elected to his position when he was fairly old and is not as physically active as he once was. He is still quite fit though but depends on his generals to give him the information that he needs to know.

Lumiene Riengeler: She is the Elven magic elder and is a Wizard of incredible skill. She is also a major psychic and has an excellent reputation with the powerful psychics. She is fairly young but had adventured extensively before taking her position. She is likely the most world wise of the members of the elders.

Ferrin Crawaaner: He is the Elven craft elder and before he took his position as an elder, he was one of the valley's horse breeders. He has dealt with the knights and other horseman for years and has a surprising empathy with the troops.

Ewanson Naphrelle: He is the Elven chief general and is likely going to be the military elder after Kedron. He is presently the leader of the heavy cavalry but is respected by the other troops as well including the Dwarves. He is very young for his position so if he gets a position among the elders he could potentially hold it for centuries.

Darnessa Lindstrome: She is the Elven eldest alchemist and is reputed to be more than 2,000 years old even though she looks to only be about five hundred years old and is still quite attractive. There are stories that she has found some kind of magic to make herself virtually immortal.

Starton Exton: He is the present Dwarven king. Unfortunately his health is failing and is not expected to live more than a few more years. He is seen as a fair king by most but his support for his eldest son has alienated many of the other nobles.

Kenley Exton: She is the Dwarven king's eldest daughter and is very strong in personality and wants the throne when her father dies. She has managed to get a good number of the other Dwarf nobles to support he bit. In addition to her drive, she is reputed to be an excellent warrior.

Belkaro Exton: He is the Dwarven king's eldest son and is younger by about ten years to the king's eldest daughter. While he also wants the throne, he is considered weak by many of the other nobles and has already made enemies with many of them. He has spent vast amounts of his father's money on himself and treats all others except for his father like dirt.

Treaties & Policies:

Mirror Valley has little or no contact with areas not listed below and in a number of cases might not even know about them.

Eastern Territory: Largest trading partner due to the shortest distance of travel through hostile territory. Everything from Elven mounts to cloth and metal products are sold to the Eastern Territory. The Eastern Territory also sells grain to Mirror Valley. Mirror Valley acts as a warning to the Eastern Territory for invaders from the lands of the Old Kingdom attack the Territory's small villages and is hoping to talk the Eastern Territory into helping them out at times of need. Unfortunately, the Eastern Territory is having many problems with Wolfen on their borders.

Elven Island: Mirror Valley has only minor contact with the Elven Island due to distance and differences in the way the two locations are run. The distance is also too far for reasonable trade between the two groups. Several Elven breed horses have been sent to island to give assistance with their breeding program.

Elven Communities within the Old Kingdom: Mirror Valley has some contact with them and some trade but since much of the trade has to go through hostile lands, trade is limited. Distances and their small size preclude any military aid as well.

Monster Races of the Old Kingdom: The Elves and Dwarves treat these creatures with hostility and generally will attack any that wander within a couple of leagues of the valley. Races treated with hostility include Goblins, Hobgoblins, Orcs, Ogres, Trolls, and most of the giant races.

Timiro Kingdom: Mirror Valley has some limited trade with Timiro Kingdom but virtually all of it travels through the Eastern Territory and there is little direct contact.

Western Empire: Mirror Valley has no real contact with the Western Empire. Leaders in the Western Empire have heard about a Valley of Elves near the Eastern Territory and that they produce magic items that are general only known in the Western Empire but the leaders are not sure if they should do anything. There is little they could do because of the huge amount of territory that they would have to travel. A few adventures have travel from the Western Empire to Mirror Valley.

Wolfen Empire: The Wolfen are one of their closer neighbors but there is little contact between them. The leaders of Mirror Valley wish to be friends with the Eastern Territory but do not want to make enemies with them. There is strong suspicion against the Wolfen and there have been Wolfen attacks on the valley over the centuries.

Military:

While the actual Elven military of the valley numbers about 1,000 members strong, virtually the entire population of Elves within the valley have been trained in combat skills. These include basic hand to hand, the use of the bow, and the use of the sword.

The Dwarves have a similar that all of the population needs to learn basic combat skills. These include basic hand to hand combat and the use of a melee weapon with blunt weapons, axes, and swords being the most common.

Virtually all troops are issued extremely high quality weapons made by the Dwarves of the valley. Those that wear metal armor are given high quality Dwarven crafted armor as well. This includes the heavy cavalry. Archers are issued high quality Elven crafted bows. Light troops are issued studded leather.

Magic items covered under the groups themselves do not include magic items that the individual troops have. The magic items stay in the military if the individual leaves. Some have family heirlooms and other have adventured outside the valley to acquire items of their own. About one in ten of the low ranking troops have a magic weapon or magic armor. In the higher ranks, about one in two have either magic armor or a magic weapon. Some have more with one in five having both magic armor and weapons and one in ten having multiple magic items.

Each group listed is lead by a General who has several lower ranking officers to act as his support. Each is issued a ring of tandem telepathy so that they can talk to their leaders and through intercessors with the other generals. Several Elves within the main Elven halls job is to keep track of what is told to them on their rings of tandem telepathy. Along with passing messages, they are to do their best to write down any messages for further use just in case messages get confused. Most Generals also have magic weapons and armor issued to them.

Tactics for the troops vary based on situation and number of troops. In general, the leaders of the Elf and Dwarf troops are good at combining their forces. They are also very good at using the terrain to their advantage. If they can get a group in open area which is not armed with a lot of missile weapons, they will whittle the enemy away using bows. Some other common tactics include the use of the skirmishers to lead enemies into traps formed by the ground archers. Others include engaging the enemy with the dwarves while the cavalry and skirmishers attack from the sides.

Guard Towers:

The valley has seven guard towers on the heights to act as early warning for any attackers going toward the valley. Their primary job is not to fight but to give warning in the case of an emergency. The towers were built by Dwarven stone masons and are incredibly strong. They also have escape tunnels entering into the main Dwarven tunnels in the hills.

Each tower has a total of eight non gifted Elven Guards (Can be minor or major psychics), two Elven Wizard, Mind Mages, or Psi-Mystics. They also have eight Dwarf troops in each tower. Guards are rotated from the towers every four days. Each tower is equipped with a ring of tandem telepathy with connects with another ring within the Elven halls. Each tower is also equipped with a gem of reality and eye of the eagle. The towers are lit internally by Gems of Light.

Skirmishers:

The Skirmishers are a group of Elves who ride the light scout horses and number around 200 at any given time. Their job on the battlefield is to use their long bows at long range on their opponents. Most of the Skirmishers are Rangers. The Skirmishers also perform the job of ground scouts. They will range for leagues around the valley looking for danger. Approximately twenty to forty riders are out scouting at any time. They are equipped with flares to signal Pegasus riders in case of an emergency. Many of the Skirmishers families have been part of the Skirmisher forces for centuries.

Heavy Cavalry:

There are about 300 members in the heavy cavalry. The Heavy Cavalry consists of Elves, mostly Knights and Paladins, who ride Elven war steeds and their primary job is that of heavy combat. They are also equipped with short bows and are expected to skirmish in battle due to their war horses being faster than most. Even more that the Skirmishers, most of the Cavalry are descendants of generations of members of the heavy cavalry. Due to extensive training, even though they are not nobles, they are considered Knights or Paladins.

Pegasus Riders:

Likely the most elite portions of the Elven military forces. They act as both scouts and as the first line of defense for the valley. There is a total of forty eight Pegasus riders with twelve air warlocks being part of the airborne forces for a total of sixty. The air warlocks main purpose is to defend the Pegasus from spells that attack them and all are expected to know the spell of calm storm. The Pegasus riders are constantly training.

Each Pegasus rider is equipped with Leather of Iron with the Pegasus wearing magical leather barding which is enchanted in the same manor. Each rider is also outfitted with an Everfull Quiver. Two in each group of twelve is equipped with a ring of tandem telepathy with connects with another ring within the Elven halls. Also, each group is also equipped with a gem of reality and eye of the eagle.

Whenever weather permits, six groups of two are sent out once per day to check in all directions for any activity in the plains surrounding the valley. Each pair is equipped with a ring of tandem telepathy with connects with another ring within the Elven halls. Each group is also equipped with a gem of reality and eye of the eagle to help in spotting. This is in addition to the normal gear of the riders.

For combat, the Pegasus riders for in groups of twelve with two of each group being air warlocks. Their tactics are far as dealing with attackers varies but are designed to minimize risk to the riders and mounts even at the expense of reduced damage to the enemy. If the enemy has a large number of archers, the Pegasus riders will try and stay out of range. Otherwise, they will do massed arrow attacks on the enemy. One common attack is to fill large baskets full of small sized (slightly larger than the size of golf balls) rocks and empty the baskets on the top of the enemy from about a thousand feet while the Pegasus flies as slow as possible. While comparatively few rocks will hit the enemy, some do hit and the weapon commonly causes terror to attacking troops. There is also a virtually inexhaustible supply of rocks from the Dwarves and their mines. There are also vast numbers of potions of "cloud of slumber" which can be dropped on enemy troops. Another tactic used is to use the more powerful air warlocks to create powerful storms including tornadoes and send the storms against the enemy.

Elven Ground Troops:

The remaining troops are trained as ground archers. While they are trained in the use of close range weapons, their role is expected to be the support of Dwarven troops or mounted elves using arrows. There about two hundred ground troops and they also spell the Elven portion of the guards in the tower.

Dwarven Troops:

The Dwarves have a total of about 800 troops. Unlike most of the Elves, there are trained to fight on foot in direct heavy combat. Most Dwarven troops are outfitted with heavy armor and armed with Battle Axes, War Hammers, or Long Swords.

Practitioners of Magic and Powerful Psychics:

A large percentage of the magic using individuals and powerful psychics are part of the military. Psychic healers are recruited in large numbers to keep the troops healed and most of the other occupations are recruited to give direct support for the troops. These listing include the special troops assigned to specific units.

	40	Wizards
	10	Warlocks - Earth
	22	Warlocks - Air (12 assigned to Pegasus Riders)
	10	Warlocks - Fire
	10	Warlocks - Water
	10	Diabolists
	10	Summoners
	24	Mind Mages
	20	Psi-Mystics
	26	Psi-Healers
	16	Psi-Sensitives

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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