Untheileneise Court

The capital of the Elflands and seat of the Emperor; a sprawling palace that is a city within a city.

"...designed by Edrethelema III and built during the reigns of his son, grandson, and great-grandson, Edrethelema IV through VI. Thus, for a compound of its vast size, it was remarkably and beautifully homogeneous in architecture; rather than sprawling, it seemed to spiral together into the great minareted dome of the Alcethmeret..."

Includes:
 * The Alcethmeret
 * The Tortoise Room
 * The Rose Room
 * The Untheileian
 * The Michen'theileian
 * The Verven'theileian
 * The Untheileneise'meire

Rituals and Practices
Since many nobles live at court, there are frequent social engagements, including regular dinners as a court, and also smaller gatherings in private quarters of various families.

Coronation
The coronation of a new emperor is a complex ritual largely unchanged for many centuries.

The new emperor must fast from 6 a.m., when his edocharei begin to prepare him, until he is crowned at midnight. He is bathed in herbs, possibly sacred ones, and then dressed in the keb and the Dachen Mura. Outside his inner chambers, his four nohecharei, the Lord Chancellor, the Archprelate, the Adremaza, the Captain of the Untheileneise Guard, and any others present kneel to him. He clasps hands right to right and then left to left with the Lord Chancellor, who asks him three ritual questions: the date of his birth, the true name of his father, and the augury of favor (i.e., the god or goddess he follows). The Lord Chancellor then asks for the emperor’s chosen regnal name. The Archprelate — unmasked for now, to signify equality between himself and the emperor — speaks the words of the cleansing and releasing, which leaves the new emperor free to take up a new life. The emperor now exists between worlds.

The Archprelate leads him and two close companions to the underground vigil chapel beneath the Alcethmeret via an ancient hidden passage, where the emperor is left alone to pray and meditate. At sundown, the Archprelate, now masked, and the two companions retrieve the emperor, who is then dressed completely in full white regalia. He takes oaths from the nohecharei, Corazhas, Adremaza, Captain of the Untheileneise Guard, the princes of the five principalities, his own closest family, and finally the Lord Chancellor.

All these parties form a procession to the ivory throne at the heart of the Untheileneise Court, so that the emperor may be crowned at midnight. The Archprelate stands on the dais holding the crown, the Ethuverazhid Mura; the nohecharei stand at the two large torchières flanking the dais. The emperor ascends the dais and bows to the Archprelate, who bows in return and asks the binding questions. When the emperor swears his answers, the Archprelate calls out, “Then kneel for the last time, [regnal name] [family name], and accept the crown of the Elflands!” Once crowned, the emperor rises to face his people. Then he is taken back to the Alcethmeret, where he is permitted to eat and sleep.