The Starseeker Duchy

Location: The "Silver Peak" (High Central Mountains, Tayon). Description: Starrise is a city carved directly into the white and silver stone of the highest peak in Tayon. It is the antithesis of the capital: quiet, cold, isolated, and rigidly traditional. It is the domain of House Starseeker, a High Elven noble line that rejected the Republic's "meritocracy" to focus on their divine duty: watching the stars and forging Moonblades. They have closed their gates to the "mongrel" races (especially Dragonborn), preserving a stagnant but beautiful "Pure Elven" culture. 

Overview

The Starseeker Duchy is a remote, high-altitude province within the Tayon Heroic Republic. While the Republic's capital, Aerthos-Draconis, is a bustling political and economic hub, the Starseeker Duchy is a land of ancient, isolated tradition, known for its deep connection to celestial magic, astronomy, and the art of Bladesinging.

It is the ancestral seat of House Starseeker, a powerful noble Elven line whose members are said to be "born with their eyes on the heavens."

Geography & Landscape

The Duchy is located far from the capital, deep within the Central Dragon Peaks. The territory is defined by two primary features:

• Soaring Mountains: The land is a series of sharp, snow-capped peaks and deep, mist-filled valleys. The air is thin, cold, and clear. Because of its extreme altitude and lack of light pollution, the stars at night are staggeringly bright, a trait that gave the Duchy its name.

• Colossal Trees: The "colossal trees" famous in Tayon grow here, but they are ancient, silver-barked species that grow in the high-altitude valleys, their highest branches forming a secondary canopy that scrapes the clouds.

The Capital: Starrise

The Duchy's seat of power is the city of Starrise, which is built into the face of the highest mountain peak.

• Starrise Castle: The fortress is carved from the mountain's white and silver stone, a breathtaking spire that seems to catch the starlight. It is a place of quiet reflection, arcane study, and martial discipline.

• The Crystal Observatory: The most prominent feature of the castle is its massive, magically-domed observatory. For generations, the Starseeker family has used this place to interpret celestial events, which they believe to be the unfolding will of the gods.

• The Moonblade Forge: A sacred forge located deep within the castle. It is here that Duchess Elama Starseeker (Corella's mother) practiced her art and where the family's Moonblades are maintained.

• The Silver Terraces: The residential and training grounds for the Duchy's elite Bladesinger honor guard are built along the cliff face, connected by elegant, high-arcing bridges.

Politics & The Starseeker Heirs

The inhabitants of the Starseeker Duchy are predominantly High Elves known for being proud, traditional, and somewhat isolationist. They value artistry and arcane skill (a nod to Corellon's influence) but also a rigid sense of noble duty.

• The Duke: Following the death of Duchess Elama Starseeker, It is ruled by Corella's eldest brother, the new Duke Starseeker.

• The Countess: Corella's elder sister accepted her familial duty and rules a County within her brother's Duchy.

• Corella's Choice: Corella, as the youngest, was also offered a County to rule. She rejected this life of nobility. Instead of land, she claimed the ancestral Starseeker Moonblade and left to become a Knight-Errant, driven by her divine warning of a greater war. This act was seen by her family as a shocking abandonment of her political and familial responsibilities.