Moss Grove

Moss Grove is a city that is home to both Elves and humans alike.

Information
Moss Grove is a rather large city incorporating both human and elven designs, "A pleasant mix of both cultures", as it likes to describe itself. Many of the city's buildings are carved from stone, but are build around or try to incorporate the surrounding trees. When lumber is needed, the tree cut down must be following certain rituals, before a new saplings is planted.

Geography
Moss Grove is located in a dents forest by the coast in the south-east region of Kalon.

Leadership
An elven city state in the south-east region by the coast. It has a rough population of 32,000. It is jointly ruled by the High Judge, the Council and the Arch Druid. The Council spends much of it’s time attempting cooperation between the High Judge and the Arch Druid.

The Council is switched out every 5 years by popular vote. It is made up of Humans and Elves.

The High Judge position is inherited from parent to the oldest child of the old elven ruling family. The present High Judge is High Judge Shanyria. She is one of the oldest elves in Moss Grove and hates Arch Druid Alaias to the point of calling him a child.

The Arch Druid, this title was once held between 3 brothers but only one survives. The current Arch Druid is Arch Druid Alaias. He hates the High Judge and refers to her as a hag.

Despite counting fewer numbers, the ruling class of Moss Grove is made up of ninety percent of elves. Those in religious positions are split evenly between the two species, although elven druids are considered more important than their human counterparts. The druids claim to be able to talk to the world itself, which they view as a form of celestial, and make their will known, claimed to be an ability rarely seen in humans. Surprisingly, no one in Moss Grove feels the need to take these teachings to other cities.

Culture
While Moss Grove is a city of two races there are very few if any half breeds within the city; only two have been recorded in the last 50 years. There is no law against the mixing of elf and human blood but it is frowned upon. This is because the half breed children rarely live past the first few hours of birth and even if they do survive they have to live with health defects. It is considered kinder to not have mixed children at all. Most critics will claim it's still largely to do with racism between the two species.

Bloodlines and family trees are huge in Moss Grove. Inhabitants can and are expected to be able to recite their family lines at any given moment. Not knowing your bloodline is akin to not having an education or worse, leaving ones job choice to be limited to the worst of the worst. The city's Nymphs are all without official bloodlines.

The Nymphs of Moss Grove are those without bloodlines/families. They act as hosts and entertainers to the rest of the city and any visitors. Nymphs do not apply for their job and are instead brought up in it, either as orphans handed over to Nymph Mothers or as abandoned babies brought to the Glade, the name given to the headquarters of all Nymphs. Despite not having families, they are given an education in all basic subjects, as well as in "traditional elven customs".

The city makes money through selling "the Elven experience": Armour, weapons, clothes, artwork, and much more in the elven style are sold throughout the city, with the Nymphs acting as cultural guides, storytellers and entertainers around the city. Those wishing to study Elven cultures in other areas, are highly advised to stop at Moss Grove to hire a Nymph, as they are fluent in Elvish.

Maybe tourists will notice that locals all wear masks. These can be full or half masks and made from any materials. These masks can be plain or highly decorated. It is considered rude for locals to not wear a mask as it is a sign of respect to those affected by and lost to the Face Stealing Plague.

The Celestials

The celestials worshipped in Moss Grove as known as The Provider and The Abstained. These are titles and using their real names is seen as disrespectful. The Provider is the primarily celestial that is worshipped while worship of The Abstained is considered ‘dark’ and ‘improper’.

The two celestials were once worshipped together as dual celestials representing the dual sides of nature. Hot and Cold, light and dark, growth and decay. The two were never seen as good or evil until the human began to integrate with the elven culture. The Abstained is less popular because of her dark nature but is still worshipped.

The Provider is Celestial of the Forest, representing growth and rebirth.

The Abstained is Celestial of the Forest, representing death and decay.

The Holy Amphitheatre, the holiest site in all of Moss Grove, where the Druid communicate with the celestials. However there are rumours that neither celestial has actually replied to the Druids in years.

History
Once a wood elf settlement Moss Grove became a mixed city when a group of human refugees, fleeing from religious persecution, stumbled across it. While both groups were suspicious of each other to start they soon found they had very similar beliefs. They believed that the forest they lived in/the world they lived on was a living breathing celestial and they were only accepted because of the celestial’s graces.

The elves also followed the belief that nothing happened by accident and everything had purpose. While debated heavily in the early years it is now agreed that without the humans in their city they would not be as prosperous as they are now.

Face Stealing Plague

30 years ago a sickness hit Moss Grove which became known as the Face Stealing Plague. It started as a typical flu (fever, chills, headaches, weakness/aches) before boils, pox and hives would appear all over the body. These boils, pox and hives would swell and burst, if not treated correctly the open wounds would become infected and then could lead to at best scarring or at worst death. Almost all of the population of Moss Grove was affected and at least 3500 people died from this plague.

At first it was believed to be a normal if deadly illness but then was discovered to be magically based. The Arch Druids (3 brothers at the time) fought back against the plague and were able to defeat it but not before 2 of the brothers were killed. The Accursed is blamed for this illness.

The scarring left by this plague has resulted in the wearing of masks. Everyone in Moss Grove wears masks to hide the possible scarring from the boils or to show respect to those that were lost to the plague. These can be full face masks or half masks and can be made from any material.