Llanhythel

Llanhythel is mostly covered in evergreen forests, and towns and cities of the gwyllion are in clearings, the outskirts or even in the trees themselves. Llanhythel has the smallest population of fae in the five nations, but their forests are full of wildlife.

Their main trade is lumber, game and textiles.

The ley lines that flow through Llanhythel have given the gwyllion the ability to communicate with spirits known as ysbridion, who sometimes help - or even hinder - their plans.

Due to their connection with ysbridion, gwyllion have taken to praying to them for whatever needs they have. They worship them all equally, but may have preferences for certain ysbridion depending on what their life dictates - for example, a gwyll who works as a healer may pray to Iachawr more than other ysbridion. Altars may be kept in the family home, or set up as and when needed, and there are communal altars for the town’s ysbridion that are maintained all year round.

Gwyllion celebrate Calan Mai, which is when the veil between fae and ysbridion is thinnest. It is often said that strong practitioners of evocation can see the forms of ysbridion during this day. They hold parties in the town square from dawn until dusk, and is a time of celebrating the connection not just with ysbridion, but all with others in the community. Titles and formality of the gwyllion are discarded for the day.

Due to past events, the government and the military for the gwyllion have now become one and the same. The country of Llanhythel is presided over by the Brigadier General. To rise up in the ranks, it is from your actions and your merit, not your circumstance of birth or wealth.

Each town is run by a Sergeant instead of a Mayor, Lieutenants run boroughs, Captains run shires, and Colonels run counties. Among their other responsibilities, Captains are in charge of companies and Colonels oversee the regiments of the nation.

Children do not have ranks, and attend school until they come of age and enter training, whereupon they become a Cadet. Upon completion of training, a gwyll earns the rank of Private and is assigned a Regiment and Company. National service lasts for three years, during or after which, they may earn the rank of Corporal. Once national service has been served, there is a choice to leave the service and become a Citizen, or continue within the military.

As the military is a meritocracy, rising through the ranks is purely based on one's actions and performance. After Corporal comes Sergeant, a required rank if a gwyll wants to become the mayor equivalent of a town. After that comes Lieutenant, who can serve as second-in-command for their Captain, or even in charge of a Borough if they are more politically inclined. A Captain may command a Company, serve as second-in-command to their Colonel, or oversee a Shire. A Colonel is the second-highest rank in the military, and answer directly to the Brigadier General; they may be in charge of a Regiment or a County.

If a gwyll does not enter training, they receive the rank of Civilian. Usually Civilians have a medical reason for not entering national service. If a gwyll who is capable of entering national service goes out of their way to avoid it, this is considered unacceptable in gwyll society.

Each Regiment, directed by a Colonel, is comprised of two Companies. Companies, directed by Captains, are a gwyll's family during service. They rise together, fall together, and support each other. Currently, Companies serve a district and its Citizens and Civilians, often taking the role of law enforcement and manual labour within the settlements.

The Current Brigadier General, Madoc Lewis, served in Viridian Regiment, Canary Company, and rose through the ranks slowly, but earning the deep respect of their peers along the way.

Captain Meghan Lloyd, the current leader of Vanora's Watch, served in Saffron Regiment, Cinnabar Company.

Gwyllion can use Evocation which allows them to contact ysbridion and seek aid in combat. In addition to simpler evocations, gwyllion may perform a powerful ritual known as Voice of Ysbridion, which calls forth one or more spirits. Bound to answer truthfully for the duration of the ritual, those ysbridion called to speak may be petitioned for information, aid or inspiration… though some ysbridion are more patient than others, and some may take even this temporary barrier to their freedom as a slight.

Gwyllion also possess an innate affinity for the element of Light and an innate weakness to the element of Sea.

To play a gwyll, the best way to portray this is by giving an ethereal glow to the skin. You can achieve this effect by applying highlighter (preferably gold or champagne tones) all over visible skin.

Some gwyllion may also have pointed ears, many types of which can be purchased from various retailers. They are more likely to be smaller than the ears of the piskies.

Gwyllion are somewhat ostentatious in their appearance, enjoying gold and white alongside pastel tones. Asymmetry and mixed textures is common, and takes inspiration from the outfits of royalty in many modern takes of medieval culture (e.g. BBC’s Merlin), as well as the Rococo and Baroque fashion of France.

Plate armour is the go-to for gwyllion, and ideally would be golden in colour (though we understand this may not be achievable, so standard steel/silver is fine).

Longswords and rapiers are widely used, alongside tower shields. Tower shields may have covers that allude to the gwyll’s company and regiment, but isn’t necessary.

Ashley Jones, formally Corporal Ashley Celadon Savoy Jones

Children of the gwyllion start out life with just a given name and their surname, the latter of which passes from the father (a remnant of their aristocratic traditions). Once they are assigned to a Regiment and Company, these are added as middle names, though are not generally used in everyday conversation. Their rank comes before their name, and any epithets are added to the end.

While gwyllion may have a range of viewpoints on the world and their fellow Bendith, here are some commonly held attitudes towards other nations:

The korrigans of Mythvye are rarely encountered due to their distance between their coastal homeland and the forests of Llanhythel. Impressive stories of their strength have reached Llanhythel, however – between their unique claim to the seas and their command of illusory magic, it is widely understood that an alliance with the korrigans could be immensely beneficial. Indeed, in recent months, there have been hushed discussions behind closed doors as to whether the korrigans could be persuaded to allow the gwyllion to train on their boats…

The booakers of Havod are typically viewed as warm and generous, if a little provincial. Their attitude to death is often regarded as blasé, particularly by gwyllion who have trained in the military since youth and hold a much more solemn approach to the defence of (and, where necessary) taking of life. Though some gwyllion sneer at the simplicity of life in Havod, most can’t help but feel somewhat charmed by their lack of ostentation and their care to ensure that even the poorest of the booakers can have their voices heard in political matters.

Gwyllion typically respect the piskies of Lyonn for their survivalist instincts and adaptation to the world around them. The organisation of pisky society into yarldoms is easy for gwyllion (who fight as part of military Regiments) to relate to, providing some common ground with which to ease social overtures towards the pisky traders and adventurers who sometimes cross paths with the gwyllion. The best interactions with piskies are brief, purposeful and respectful; gwyllion usually do not have much patience for the esoteric philosophical views likely to emerge during a prolonged conversation with a pisky.

The coblynau of Kloth’va are appreciated as allies and, more importantly, sources of metal for use in gwyllion armour and weaponry. The dense and inhospitable nature of Kloth’va forests and the mineral-poor quality of Llanhythel land led to the formation of a long-standing trade agreement: fine metalwork in exchange for game hunted in Llanhythel woodland. Both nations having become somewhat reliant on this trade as their populations expanded, the gwyllion generally take care to hold back any opinions which might offend coblynau; discussion of the coblynau class system and the fact that the lower classes outnumber the nobility are taboo subjects for this reason.