Crown of Thorns
Administration
Elective forest monarchy
Capital City
Elyrakök
Major peoples
Wood Elves, Firbolgs, Thornbloods, Forest Gnomes
Current situation
Throne crisis and impending civil war
The Crown of Thorns is not a state established in a forest, but a legal order that considers the forest itself as a sovereign entity. Land cannot be sold; Groves, valleys and hunting grounds can only be used for certain periods of time. For a large structure, permission is required from the ruler as well as from the druids who interpret the root network in the region.
Queen Elyra Thornsoul is slowly turning into a living tree because of a treaty made forty years ago. He can talk less, but still has not announced his successor.
Root-gate policy
The Echo-Root bond around the Throne Tree is not property to the Crown of Thorns, but a sovereign witness. Root Guardians hold that the gate can open only with the grove’s assent, a living threshold, and a recognised oath; the Open Branch Council seeks limited passage for refugees and trade. Elyra’s transformation has turned the question of which word still binds into a succession crisis.
Communities and groups
- Crown Elves: Influences foreign policy, archives, and major settlements.
- Root Firbolgs: Protects sacred sites, migrations and funerary groves; is distant from the central government.
- Thornbloods: Ancient humanoid society that is the backbone of the army and demands equal citizenship.
- Sub-Branch Gnomes: Manages sub-root passages, seed archives and communication networks.
- Root Guardians / Open Branch Council: The main blocs fighting between human removal and limited settlement rights.
Major settlements
| Location | Description |
|---|---|
| Elyrakök | The capital city, surrounded by giant trees with their root halls, around the Throne Tree. |
| Salkımkent | Eastern border trading city with hanging bridges. |
| Deerpass | The military center where three natural roads leading from there to the border meet. |
| Kokaltı | Semi-independent underground settlement ruled by Forest Gnomes. |
| wildocak | Officially non-existent human refugee city where five exiled dynasties meet. |