Elves, Shimokita

The Elves of Shimokita are a sovereign micro-nation dwelling within the Shimokita forest within the Gardenwald District of the Imperial commonwealth. Despite being entirely contained within Gardenwald, the Shimokita elves retain sovereign status and are legally considered as a separate political entity, having their own laws, legal system, government, military, and culture. The political relationship between the Shimokita Elves and the Commonwealth is one of live-and-let-live and mutual avoidance, with the Shimokita elves pursuing a foreign policy of Splendid Isolation characterised by the severe restriction of foreign nationals within the borders of Shimokita and the prohibition of Shimokita elves to travel outside of the forest, under penalty of death (although exceptions could be given by the Shogun or Emperor.)

The Shimokita Elves are the only large, politically independent community of elves within the Imperial Commonwealth, although elves live among all the cities of the commonwealth as with any other race, either after leaving Shimokita, migrating to the Imperial Commonwealth from external elf populations, or as second-generation elves from parents/ancestors who left the forests.

The Gardenwald district, in particular, has a large population of Shimonkita elves who have fled the forest fearing political persecution following the rise of the Nakano Shogunate, including Takihara Gozen, the head of the Gozen family and son of Iedo Gozen, the previous Shogun. Following the Gozen-Nakano Civil war, high-born and warrior-caste Families that had supported the Gozen Shogunate begun to face systematic extermination, leading many to flee into Gardenwald seeking asylum.

Culture

The Shimokita Elves prize Archery, Magic, Carpentry, Administrative abilities, Duty, Law, and order above all things.

It is said that an Elf who dies by the sword (rather than Archery or magic) is barred from entering the afterlife.

'''Socopolitical Structure'''

The political structure of the Shimokita Elves have apexes in two high offices, nominally equal but in reality heavily Asymmetrical. The Emperor is the hereditary male-only ruler by Divine mandate, head of the Imperial family, and spiritual leader. The title of emperor is passed down to the eldest son of the Imperial family, at which point all remaining younger siblings must immediately renounce all claims to the throne or face death. The Shogun is the hereditary Military dictator of the Shimokita elves, a de facto leader appointed by the Emperor as a Ceremonial formality. In contrast to the Emperor, who holds title by birth into the Imperial family and Divine mandate, the Shogun commands title and power via a military dictatorship. Although the Shogunate is passed down in a hereditary manner - with the ceremonial consent of the Emperor - there have been rare occasions o the rise of a new Shogunate following civil war, where a commander has staged a military insurrection or coup de'tat, eliminating the current shogun and their heir, resulting in a new Shogunate. While the Shogunate has changed families throughout the history of the Shimokita elves, the Emperor's line has run unbroken since the dawn of time.

The Current Shogunate, Elisa Nakano, claimed power following a brutal civil war in the year 619-622 AU, in which she successfully staged an armed rebellion against then shogun Iedo Gozen climaxing in a 3-month siege of the Imperial Oak.

The social structure of the Shimokita elves follows a caste system consisting of five tiers;

The Imperial family: Members of the Imperial family, and associates. The servants, concubines and guards of the imperial family are generally drawn from the Nobility almost exclusively, and are appointed by the reigning shogunate. It is considered an honour to serve in the Emperor's household, and those that do are considered part of the Imperial family. Rarely, those of the warrior class are permitted to serve the emperor. It is almost unheard-of for anyone of the merchant or foreign class to see the emperor, let alone serve him.

Nobility - Hereditary Feudal lords that own land and are permitted to maintain regiments.

Warrior Class - Families that have sworn loyalty to a feudal lord, and in exchange for military service are able to rent land from the Lords. Males and females of this caste are expected to enlist and serve from the ages of 50 to 250 years and receive a stipend during training and service both for daily living and the purchase and maintenance of arms and armour. Once they have served, they can remain a soldier or move to a different position without losing their caste status.

Merchant Class - This class includes almost everybody else, including elves not from Shimokita. Although members of this class do not have to serve within a feudal regiment, many still volunteer for militia regiments and can gain military training rivalling that of the warrior class, but it must be undertaken without a stipend funded by the local lord.

Foreign class: Non-elves, having no legal rights or protection within the borders of Shimokita.

'''Foreign Trade and the Status of Foreigners.'''

Forigners, especially non-elves, are forbidden from entering the Shimokita forest under threat of death, except for within the town of Yedo, a small town on the outskirts of the forests that acts as a trading hub between the Shimokita elves and the rest of the commonwealth and civilised world. Foreigners and non-elves are permitted to reside and live within the town, as long as they do not venture past the walls to enter the forest or venture of the ground-level into the tree-walks and branch-houses of the elves proper. Any non-elf found above ground can be legally immediately killed by any Elf, free of any legal repercussions (despite the protests of commonwealth diplomatic officials.)

The Shimokita elves must trade for any goods they are not able to obtain within the forest. Major imports include metals, fish, field crops (wheat, rice, ect.) Exports include ironwood, ..., ... , ...

The combination of an isolationist foreign policy and xenophobic culture with the lack of agriculture of forest-dwelling economy and recent population booms has led to an interesting political situation, whereby the Shimokita elves are politically dismissing of the commonwealth but entirely dependent on it for import of food. This Irony has not gone unnoticed by Shimokita leaders, and was a major reason for the Gozen-Nakano civil war; Following years of famine arguably caused, or at least exacerbated, by refual to accept less than ideal trade agreements with the commonwealth by the Gozen Shogunate, the Nakano family rebelled under the pretext of establishing trade deals with the commonwealth to allay the famine. This move was divisive; seen by some as an opportunity to end the famine and grow the strength of Shimokita, and seen by others has a political weakness that involved 'surrender' to the commonwealth (by accepting compromised trade deals) and ran the risk of making the Shimokita elves entirely dependent on the commonwealth for survival, a possible step towards vassilisation.

Following the war, Trade agreements between the Nakano Shogunate and Gardenwald Lords were established, roughly tripling the import of agricultural crops in exchange for, primarily, Ironwood bound for the Gardenwald shipwrights. In addition to this, the Nakano Shogunate also leases four hectares of farmland bordering the Shimokita forest, although what is paid in return is not public knowledge.

The Nakano Farmlands, as they are known, provide an interesting political situation. Despite being leased by the Shogunate on behalf of Shimokita, they are still legally a part of the Gardenwald District of the Imperial commonwealth, and thus subject to Imperial Law. Although the farmlands are worked by Shimokita elves native to the Forest, they are legally tenants of the commonwealth and may be called up for conscription.

Military 

Shimokita elves make heavy use of the spell woodwisp arrow, enabling them to deliver traditional large-scale volley fire within highly forested areas.

History

Famine

The Gozen-Nakano Civl War.

Notables

Elisa Nakano (??? - ???) - Shogun

Iedo Gozen (??? - 622 AU)- previous Shogun

Takihara Gozen ( ??? - 622) - Current head of the Gozen family, Living in Exile in the Gardenwald District of the Imperial Commonwealth. Son of Iedo Gozen.