Bysaes Tyl

Bysaes Tyl is the only city of elven creation within the Dwendalian Empire.

City description
The city is built at the northern edge of the Pearlbow Wilderness, partially on the boreal forest floor and partially in a massive network of treehouses connected by elevated bridges and winding stairways. The surface streets (the Rough, or Talan) are made of smooth stones set in packed earth, gently enchanted to warm the pathways and melt the frequent snow, and are protected by a tall wooden city wall. The surface structures are tucked between rocks and the large trees. Nearly all of the structures are built from pine and other taiga trees, incorporating designs resembling a bowed arch rising to an apex. Spiraling staircases (the Shrouds, or Halya) twist around and within trees, climbing up to the elevated walkways and buildings amid the forest canopy.

Demographics
The vast majority of the population is elven, with a sprinkling of human and other races.

Government
The city is ruled by The Ring of Three, a group of elven elders, under a starosta appointed by the Dwendalian king, with whom they reluctantly cooperate. Several high elven houses also work with the Ring of Three to preserve their culture under imperial rule.

Defense
There are both local and assigned Crownsguard present.

History
Early in this age, the prominent elven society on Wildemount was the powerful nation of Molaesmyr in what is now the Greying Wildlands. Through some strange, not entirely understood cataclysm, the city fell and the surrounding forest was corrupted, which is now known as the Savalirwood. The elves scattered in two directions. Some of them went northward and joined Uthodurn, which had previously been founded by the dwarves. The others fled westward and became the elves that eventually were taken into the Dwendalian Empire in Bysaes Tyl, and throughout the rest of western Wynandir and Wildemount.

While the elves were able to build their city undiscovered for many years, the Dwendalian crown eventually became aware of their independent city-state and presented them with an ultimatum: accept Dwendalian rule or prepare for the empire to claim sovereignty over Bysaes Tyl by force. The Ring of Three convened and agreed not to fight but to submit, follow imperial laws and pay imperial taxes, under the condition that they could maintain some level of cultural autonomy within their city.