Nausur-in-Exile is the forested region that borders the Icewater River on its northern bank, separating the Reach from the Daleädau and the more northerly Untamed Lands beyond. It stands as a testament to the ancient elvish division between the wood and wind elves, as the Nausur region is where the first wood elf tribes retreated after the great conflict of whether or not to "build towers" as elvish historians put it -- namely, whether or not to embrace the city-based culture of the Southmen and to follow suit, constructing their homes of stone and learning the Art.
Those who rejected the tower-builders withdrew into the westernmost regions of the Greatwood, which would eventually become Nausur-in-Exile. Since those days, the forested connection between Nausur-in-Exile and the rest of the Greatwood have been worn away by geological changes and the encroaching realms of men and dwarves. This has been, to the elves of Nausur, simply fine. They have had little interaction with the Greatwood elves since the signing of the ancient treaty at the Circan Stones, dividing the Greatwood between the wind elves and the wood elves.
Nausur-in-Exile is governed by a federation of various wood elves, united beneath a single rule that is articulated in two yearly gatherings; in the winter, the elves gather at Circan Stones to meet with the Aelfwater Circle, druids who maintain the local region, and to give law, make rules, and dispense justice. Likewise, in the summer the elves gather at Bretheia, a sacred glade within the forest.
There are five major tribes who dwell within Nausur-in-Exile.
The Casemmen. Also known as the Watchers, the Casemmen are one of the oldest and longest-lived of the ancient tribes of Nausur. They use purple as their color, derived from several crushed shellfish and compounded into a dye. Their territories, mostly located by the hills and the sea, are marked with purple-dyed strands of linen. They are fisherfolk, rangers, and sailors, and tangle often with Refusers and pirates on the western seas.
The Cissorri. The Cissorri live amongst the hill-cats of the wood, and are some of the least-inclined to deal with outsiders. They are a relatively new tribe, formed from several smaller splintered tribes during the dangers of the 9th Age. They dye their trial markers and regional borders with orange.
The Endarromen. The great bulk of local Nausrian druids come from the Endarromen tribe. They are particularly devoted to Seniä, and they often erect stone shrines throughout the forest. Their ancestors are said to have first raised the Circan Stones. They mark their territories with undyed linen.
The Gelethin. Warriors, hunters, and swordsmen. The Gelethin do the most trade with Tailimisiä for metals, and thus distribute iron and steel throughout the entire forest. They are the most forward of the wood elves of the Exile, and they can often be found doing business with the dwarves of Effningas or the men of the Reach. Sometimes, Gelethin folk will hire out as mercenaries abroad and come home telling stories of the wide world.
The Lenamir. The bone tribe, as they are known, dress in the bones of animals that they have killed. They are a quiet people, not inclined to treat with many outsiders, but also non-hostile when they do. They wear bone armor and bone helmets, and will take in any Wind Elves who can no longer stand the rigors of civilized life. For this reason, there are several Lenamir wizards and sorcerers, unlike most of the other tribes of the Exile.
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