Kil-Glenfol

History

Kil-Glenfol is an elven city lying in the far northwest of Tynntangial, the elven homeland. As with the other major cities of the realm, Kil-Glenfol was named after the ruling family in the city, the Glenfol family. This was in the time before the first war with the Dark One or the Karrantine wars. Unfortunately disaster struck when a plague swept through the city leaving barely a tenth of the previous population.

The city could have ended up as a ghost town, another pile of ruins to be claimed by the Silverloam forest, but it did not. After a number of years, when the plague had well and truly disappeared, elves from other cities began to arrive hoping to make the most of the opportunities to be gained by occupying the large fortress against the north. Many of these elves changed their family names; some low ranking 'Daven's changed their name to 'Davenne' in order to claim higher positions in the newly created family. This practice was widespread, but still many elves kept their original family names.

Rule of the city had passed from the Glenfols due to their weakness after the plague. The position of Lordholder (the position that succeeded King after the formation of Tynntangial) was held by various different families, and feuds were commonplace. One family then rose to the Throne and through wise rulership and a firm hand managed to calm the city and bring peace and prosperity back to the troubled populace. The family were the Sylphanin whose run on the throne stretched through many generations.

It didn't last forever, however. Geral Sylphanin was the last of the Sylphanin to sit on the throne, for his son, Milner, dissapeared during one of his many treks around the realm. He was said to have Elessidel blood in him, but not the desire to rule. Reports came of him running away to live with a human woman from Karrantine, but nothing was substantiated for a long while.

In the time since then many families had held the throne, the Davennes being one of the more frequent. Not twenty years ago the head of the Sandor family (who had held the throne for a short time previously) was found dead in his bed and the Davennes again claimed the throne for a while.

The story went on until the Inner Chamber took over.

Inner Chamber

The Inner Chamber was set up during the days of Sylphanin rule to counteract the threats that other families posed to their position on the throne. Through the chaotic years that followed Geral's demise the 'Chamber gathered people to itself, picking and training only the best to join its ranks. When the throne yet again fell, only a few years ago, the Inner Chamber stepped in and claimed it for the Sylphanin.

An operation had been underway for some time to locate the original Sylphanin line and Milner himself if possible. The operation uncovered much, and eventually a mission was sent to bring back the heir to the Throne, Jawvig Sylphanin. In the meantime the people of Kil-Glenfol conceded Jarryn Sandor of the Inner Chamber as Protector of the city until the Sylphanin were once again on the throne. Many of them were tired of the constant turmoil and longed for the peaceful times of bygone days.

The Inner Chamber itself uses the military ranking system common to Tynntangial, but is distinct from the House Army of Kil-Glenfol (although currently in command of them). It is geared up as a secret service operation, and so not entirely suited to the day to day running of the city. Specialising in surveillance, not much in Kil-Glenfol remains a secret for long.

Layout of the City

Kil-Glenfol is a walled city, hence the 'Kil' suffix to its name. It has gates in the south and east of the walls, which form a rough elipse elongated north-south. In the north of the city, set on higher ground, is the citadel. To the north of this citadel, between itself and the walls, is a small area of forest land reserved for military training. Just to the south of the citadel are many of the military barracks.

The citadel itself contains various buildings. One of the most important of these is the palace which resembles a castle in its construction, circular wall with an open courtyard in the centre and various rooms surrounding it. These include the throne room, great hall, kitchens and accommodation. The accommodation was originally intended for royalty (before the formation of Tynntangial), with dorm like provisions for servants. Nowadays it houses a few guests and important people, the servants quarters retaining their original use. The throne room and Lordholder's accommodation is left unoccupied.

The palace is a left over from the years of feuding many millenia ago that took place between the elves themselves, and to some extent the Kohrran barbarians to the north. The city expanded over time with first the citadel and then the city walls being built to protect it.

The majority of accommodation for guests and administration is in the form of various other more conventional buildings around the citadel. These, together with the debating chamber and further military accomodation form the contents of the citadel.

Surrounding Lands

The land that Kil-Glenfol is set on is relatively flat, with the exception of the area the citadel sits upon. Roads stretch east and south from the gates, and although set in the Silverloam forest, the area is cleared of trees for some miles around the city where farms are set. There are small streams running through the plateau, directed by farmer's trenches. They issue from hills to the west and north, but lack in substance. The city itself gets water from various wells in the city.

Being at the very northwest of the land, the Silverloam does not spread far to the north and west, but protection is offered by the hills to a certain extent. The great forest is far thicker to the southeast where the roads stretch out to the rest of civilisation.

The People

As already mentioned, the people come from a variety of backgrounds, but the city is so far removed from most of the rest of Tynntangial that even the more recent immigrants still conform to many of the general opinions.

It is a very isolated city, and the only contact it has with intelligent non-elven society is in the form of the Kohrran barbarians. Even these humans (who certainly don't consider themselves barbaric) are little known to the elves. It is just remembered that on the occasional harsh winter the humans will have to come out of the harsh wastes to the north for better hunting, and confrontations have resulted.

The outcome of this isolation is a certain amount of xenophobia. They do not trust foreigners, and even elves from other cities are often treated with much distrust. There are a few humans in the city (Jarryn's personal secretary, Johnson, for example), but they do not stray into the public eye if they can help it.

Current Affairs

Due to the Dark One's armies uprooting them from their lands, the Kohrran barbarians recently arrived in Kil-Glenfol in their droves seeking the sactuary of the walls and a real chance to stand against the Dark One. Unfortunately their arrival has outraged many citizens, and a number of assissinations have been carried out against them.

Many of the elderly and children left the city in large numbers for the relative safety of Kil-Morial and other nearby cities during the period of siege that may well come upon the city. Meanwhile forces have arrived from Kil-Gilaen, Davendell (although these have been reassigned at the war front), the Royal Army and soon from Grimmalka Keep, other countries in the Grand Marche and across the seas in the form of the Chadwick Expeditionary Force (CEF).

Not all of these forces will be used in or around Kil-Glenfol (unless the war reaches the city), but as the Dark One's armies have already reached the edge of the Silverloam, Jon Lin Sandor (High Marshall of the Royal Army) decided to base his operations in Kil-Glenfol for the moment.

More details will be given as they become available.