Alcantari

"By the seas."

Overview

Situated on an archipelago off the Wild Northeast’s eastern coast, Alcantari is an aristocratic city-state steeped in tradition and power play. Five noble families—Faedinen, Mallos, Caeldiar, Rimorfen, and Alagosdil—rule the region with an elegant, iron fist. Faedinen, whose matriarch and patriarch sit as the High Lord and High Lady, holds the reins of the city-state’s political power.

Governance

Governance in Alcantari is a fine dance of diplomacy and strategy. Each noble family has its say, yet it is the Faedinen, with their High Lord and High Lady, that wields the most influence. The Council of Houses, the city-state's ruling body, deliberates on and enacts policies that shape Alcantari's future.

Economy

Alcantari’s economy is largely maritime-based—a reflection of its geographic position and the expertise of its predominantly sea-elf citizenry. Fishing, seafaring, and trade form its economic backbone. Shipwrights are renowned across Praetoria for their swift and elegant ships, and artisans and craftsmen skilled in other trades further enriching Alcantari’s economic landscape.

Trade routes, charted and maintained by seasoned mariners, connect the city-state to distant shores, ferrying exotic goods and forging alliances. Alcantari’s port bustles with traders hawking spices, silks, and gemstones; meanwhile, skilled artisans forge precious metals, pearls, and gemstones from the ocean's depths into trinkets, tokens, jewelry and other adornments.

Alcantari mints one of the many variations of Azmarean currency that serve as the primary medium of exchange in the Wild Northeast.

Demographics

Races

Alcantari is predominantly populated by sea elves originally hailing from Azmare’s Great Archipelago, although it is also home to a smattering of other Azmarean immigrants who serve mostly as tradesfolk and sailors.

Religions

Alcantari’s citizenry primarily worship Xelia, Goddess of Seas and Storms, although many also pay tribute to Serathera, Goddess of the Wilderness.

Culture

Alcantarian architecture is known for its slender, spiraling towers; graceful, multi-tiered homes and shops with expansive patios and balconies; and temples, palaces, basilicas, and amphitheaters, all constructed of coral and stone, which shimmer with the hues of the sky and the sea.

Philosophy centers on the relationship with nature and the balance between respecting and exploiting the ocean’s bounty, while literature is dominated by tales of brave mariners, legendary sea beasts, and the mysteries of the deep.

Theaters offer performances that reenact these tales. Alcantarian music is light, mystical and enchanting, and dances are lithe and graceful, mimicking the ebb and flow of the tides.

Seafood, unsurprisingly, is the staple of Alcantarian meals. Delicate dishes of seared fish and herbs are a favorite. Seaweed soups, oysters, and kelp-wrapped delicacies cater to both the humble and the highborn. A popular dessert is the brine pearl, a gelatinous sphere filled with seawater and syrup.

Popular sports include regatta (or boat racing), nautical navigation, and simulated naval battles.