The Great Gardens of Silmorael
a land arranged to perfection
Silmorael is the Mother of Elven Magic, and wife to the First High King. It was she who laid down the rules and prescriptions of magic that all Elves follow, to preserve the forests and fields that their kind claimed as their own. And it was she, who first turned the Elves towards the perfection not only of themselves, but also of the land that they conquered. What was once wild forest and overgrown fields, has in many places been tamed into gentle and orderly gardens and plains, a perfect blend of order and chaos. And thus the Great Gardens of Silmorael were born.
Of course, different High Houses have different notions of perfection. Some prefer to keep their territories more natural, preferring to blend their designs and their lives with the surrounding forests. Others are more heavy-handed with their shaping of nature, clearing out the deep forests for more artificial gardens and fields. This makes for a harmonious assortment of landscapes, as opposed to a harmonious whole throughout the Hundred Houses, and is sometimes a point of contention between different Houses that have very differing ideas on what constitutes “nature perfected”. Summer Wars have in fact often been triggered by the komen of a House taking offence at the landscaping artistry of another House whose lands border theirs.
Silmorael is the Mother of Elven Magic, and wife to the First High King. It was she who laid down the rules and prescriptions of magic that all Elves follow, to preserve the forests and fields that their kind claimed as their own. And it was she, who first turned the Elves towards the perfection not only of themselves, but also of the land that they conquered. What was once wild forest and overgrown fields, has in many places been tamed into gentle and orderly gardens and plains, a perfect blend of order and chaos. And thus the Great Gardens of Silmorael were born.
Of course, different High Houses have different notions of perfection. Some prefer to keep their territories more natural, preferring to blend their designs and their lives with the surrounding forests. Others are more heavy-handed with their shaping of nature, clearing out the deep forests for more artificial gardens and fields. This makes for a harmonious assortment of landscapes, as opposed to a harmonious whole throughout the Hundred Houses, and is sometimes a point of contention between different Houses that have very differing ideas on what constitutes “nature perfected”. Summer Wars have in fact often been triggered by the komen of a House taking offence at the landscaping artistry of another House whose lands border theirs.
Contributors: Arani