Places:Cirdanth

Preliminary:

The Elvish harbour town Cirdanth; medium sized buildings, surrounded by a city wall. The larger part of the town is inhabited by the original elvish population, but there is a human quarter near the docks as well. The elvish part is not crowded and dirty like medieval settlements, but has lots of open plazas, parks, trees, fountains,...whereas the human quarter is quite ugly and consists of a network of small and dark alleyways. The few wealthy human merchants live behind high walls, whereas the Elves display their possesions and beautiful homes more openly. Both groups rather keep away from each other; the only place where they regularly meet is the market, where most of the shops are located, right between the human and elvish part of Cirdanth.

Just as the city of Cirdanth is named for the kingdom of Cirdan, Cirdan is itself named after the river Cirda that dominates the landscape and makes it plentiful. Many of the citizens of Cirdanth and its lesser cities worship the river, believing that Cirda inhabits the waters. While Humans typically call both the northern and southern forks of the Elenstroem river by the one name, Elenstroem, the Elves of both Elgilad and Cirdanth refer to the Two Rivers as Cirda and Ylan. According to the contemporary Human understanding of Elvish myth, Ylan is the son of Galor and Cirda. Those who worship the Threefold make no mention of whether Cirda is male or female.

Cirdanth is the capital of the Cirdan Kingdom, one of the surviving Elvish kingdoms. The kingdom's ruling family is called Soryn or dunSoryn. The Lords of Cirdan consider the river that runs from the Oreth-Arinyae down to their harbour to be their domain. This includes the towns built along it including Erinsford, Waste's Edge, Menlad Crossing, Elfinford, and even Arynsval and the Abbey of Shining Mist. Many years ago, in the ages of Elvish glory, Cirdan was a much smaller kingdom; one of six. The lands west of the North fork of the Elenstroem were ruled by the House of Galoril and Guarded by both Dun Lothond and Dun Barethsol, while the crossings now called Menlad Crossing and Elfinbarge were under the direct control of the rulers of Elgilad.

By Cirdan law, the lords of these lesser citys are vassals of the House of Soryn and cannot legally expand their own domains by retaining the services of men of arms in other cities. This applies even to the various Syulvan cities and tribes hidden beneath the treetops. While these laws are carried out strictly, their essence is often ignored in the western towns, particularly in Erinsford and its relationship to Waste's Edge, Southome, and Wyverness.