Draelonde | Tyrrapedia: Encyclopedia of Tyrra

Draelonde, also known as Elfheim on the surface, is a Dark Elven kingdom located in the Northern section of Evendarr. "Draelonde" when translated, means "shadow haven". It's ruler is Emperor Jared Shyamachi. The borders of Draelonde were sealed in 591 ER, and travel to and from this place is greatly restricted.

Draelonde also appears to be Unique among the various "lands" held by the Dark Elves, in that they also lay claim to the lands on the Surface above their kingdom, as well as the caves and byways of the Underdark below.

(Taken from: A Guide to Traveling Across Tyrra, by Mme Zara, Guildmaster, Ravenholt Astrologers Guild. Original to be found in Ember's Library of Ravenholt)

ELFHEIM- The homeland of the Drae, this isolated country sits on the northeastern border of the Duchy of Ravenholt. Up until recently, it was a Barony of Ravenholt, until it was granted independence by King Richard. (Edit: Draelond/Elfheim established in Early 592 E.R.)

Elfheim is a land of sparse scrub lands small farms and mountains. Most of Elfheim is to be found underground: mines, cities, strongholds, and vast tunnels are spread beneath the barren surface. The Drae prefer to live together in family settlements near natural resources or strongly defended positions. Larger cities may house many family settlements. Some information regarding population, resources, and points of interest are considered privileged information and are not discussed openly.

Citizens must register with the border guard when entering or leaving Elfheim. Non-citizens are expected to be escorted by a member of their host's family at all times. There are no inns. All visitors are shown hospitality by the family that invited them. I personally have never visited Elfheim, and am only reporting on what I have learned.

The Drae of Elfheim are fiercely nationalistic. Since few drae have been known to originate from outside of their borders, they are often believed to be racist, instead of very patriotic. They seldom trust outsiders and recognize few of them to be true equals. A non-drae may be made a citizen, (a rare occurrence.) by an act of adoption into a noble family. However, he or she will never be guaranteed acceptance by the drae, and will be expected to maintain a drae escort for their protection.

Their precious stones, fine silver, and elven finished goods are still traded for staples and construction materials. Alas it is no longer possible to obtain any of the fine mushrooms cultivated there. At this time, all food is being saved for war-time consumption.