Callidea
Callidea is an elven city in a hidden location underneath a glacier in the North, populated exclusively by dark elves, specifically Aevandrow.
History[edit]
Callidea was founded by the Third Great Migration of dark elves, or drow. Because they turned to the north, they took the name aevandrow (“aevan” in Elvish meaning “north”). Originally pursued by udadrow cultists wishing to punish those they saw as heretics defying the liberating goddess Lolth, the aevandrow hollowed out part of a massive glacier in which to hide. This became the First Cavern although the city has considerably expanded since.
Geography[edit]
The city is located under a massive glacier called the Silver Ribbon. As glaciers do flow and travel, the trailing edge of the glacier is constantly being magically melted and the leading edge refrozen. The glacier provides meltwater, shelter, and concealment. Tunnels through the bedrock allow entrance and exit, although few tunnels extend so deep that they emerge in the underdark.
The First Cavern is preserved as an irregular dome of ice in the western part of the city, and acts as a center of politics and religious worship.
There are very few outside towns and villages with the exception of the Callidean Docks, a cold harbor-town about two miles away from the city proper that acts as a “front door” to the city where goods can be traded.
Culture, Politics, and Religion[edit]
As Callidea is aevandrovian, it is matriarchal and ruled by the Council of Queens Under the Ice. Under each queen are several princesses who fulfil individual roles (like a minister) and who can step in at a moment’s notice if a Queen is unable to carry out her duties. With the exception of these leaders, the city does not have a wide gulf between upper and lower classes and healthcare, education, and food are available to all.
Unlike udadrovian culture, men are afforded equal status and can attain the rank of Queen (though less frequently). The basics of magic are taught to most drow of all genders, and many people view magic as a vocation rather than a field of study because the city relies on magic to grow food, provide freshwater, and keep the city from being crushed as the glacier moves along.
Halone is a major goddess and Callidea celebrates a yearly festival depicting Halone fending off Lolth with her spear of ice, representing the glacier. LIke most elves, Sealticge and Dreisang feature in worship, although perhaps less so than other elven cultures.
LIke other drow, the dark elves gained that name because they “turned away from the light to Lolth’s shadows”. Although like the lorendrow, the aevandrow disavow her, there are some among the aevandrow who feel that Lolth should still have a place of reverence in their society because she spoke to their ancestors, encouraged them to secede from the high elves, and therefore aevandrow society would not exist without Her. This opinion is generally considered repulsive and Princess Celandine referred to these activists disparagingly as “LARPers” in a conversation with Mino.
Population[edit]
Callidea is populated exclusively by dark elves. It is exceptionally rare for other folk to visit the city, much less stay there for very long. Visitors usually only stay at the handful of inns in the Callidean Docks and rarely progress further into the city proper. However, the aevandrow are more than willing to venture out and visit other locations and cultures representing their city.
Notable Citizens[edit]
Celandine, Princess of Callidea is the ambassadress to the Fairweather Vale. She was killed by assassins in October 1335, though the city quickly spent the time and resources needed to resurrect her. She then sailed back to Callidea and dramatically took the wind out of the sails of her would-be assassins. She resumed her diplomatic duties after a short period of recovery.
