South of Doma and up the Rhyba Cenna to the west of Adassus sits the majestic elven city of Quayshi. The last outpost of civilization before the encroachment of the Breaklands, Quayshi also has close ties to the Goeyan elves far to the west — indeed, the former is the original source of the Quayshi. The forests surrounding Quayshi are dotted with villages of Quayshian culture, slowly petering out before giving way to the savage Rovers to the north and west. South of Quayshi the forests are dark and impenetrable. While primarily inhabited by elves, perhaps 10% of the city is made up of a mix of humans, smallfolk, and river mahksi. Of note, one family of goliaths — Komir Shadelover and his family — were in residence at least as recently as 523 K.S., though their presence appears to be unique.
The Quayshian government shows their strong allegiance to their Goeyan ancestors: their city council of nine meets at a table whose head is vacant. The throne at the table’s head symbolizes their distant leader, the King in Goeyan.
Council members are drawn from both the city itself and the surrounding region, though traditionally five of the members are drawn from with the city proper. Members serve rotating 8-year terms.
Quayshi trades extensively with Adassus, which sits at the head of the Rhyba Cenna. In addition to serving as a conduit for fine silks, mithril, and cinnabar from Goeyan, the area around Quayshi is rich in copper, tin, and zinc, resulting in a surfeit of excellent bronze and brass alloys. Their metalwork is fine, with flutes and other instruments of Quayshian origin in particular demand. Most notably, the local hills produce the brilliant blue and green turquoise stones the city is known for — the stone’s name comes from the elven “tur Quayshi”, for “of Quayshi”. The city also has a thriving agricultural economy, with fruits from Quayshi supplementing the Adassan diet.
The musical instruments made in Quayshi find their home in the elven musical system. While the cantares reserved for ceremonial occasions — funerals, pre-battle ceremonies, and religious occasions — can be tedious dirges, a much livelier tradition of tarku music includes festive dances, spirited courting songs, and lively odes and story ballads. While little can be found of it in the literature, those who visit the city will also find that the widespread practice of bawdy tavern-house songs is also alive with the elves. Their dances are wildly limber, beyond the capablities of most visitors, though they delight in watching others make the attempt and seem to laugh with an air of camaraderie rather than the condescension endemic to Tarima.
Many freshwater fish fill the Rhyba Cenna: the golden perch’s sweet, flaky flesh is a succulent example. The Quayshian lobster is a curious shellfish, midway between a northern marine lobster and the crayfish of the Typor delta region. Steamed properly, it is as delicious as either of its relatives.
Quayshian gentry are well-educated, with many studying above in the colleges of Doma. Some are even sent to Goeyan for their learning, and speak favorably of the schools there in comparison with the best of Doma.
Both Pashan and Semoz are commonly worshiped among the elvenkind, though their names are different (and virtually unpronounceable) in the elven tongue. Two festivals to Pashan occurred during my travels there: the first, translated as “The Drinking of the Dawn Nectar,” began at an uncomfortably early hour of the morning. Once you got past that fact, though, it was celebration of the bounty of Pashan: a tremendous feast replete with mead, dance, wine, and some rather enthusiastic post-prandial socialization. The second, “the Bounty of the Wild One,” was rather more staid: it seemed to amount to a large gathering sitting around a tree covered in vines, silently meditating and watching them grow. Timing your visit to align with the former is much recommended.
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