Bal'adeni

Bal'adeni is the capital of Ashal'Thalas, and home to nearly half of the residence of the isolated province of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas. With Thalassian Spires soaring among the trees of the Eversong-like Central Highlands forest which surround Bal'adeni, even the city's busiest marketplaces have an odd serenity to them, much like the Quel'Thalas of old, as Ashal'Thalas is a deeply traditional region, founded with as such with limited historical contact with the rest of Quel'Thalas, Bal'adeni is a vital hub in the trade of agricultural goods and foodstuffs from surrounding lands, raw minerals and finely cut gems. Master tailors and jewelcrafters have a long-established presence in the city, which is bolstered by the patronage of its socialite governor, Sun Matriarch Salandra Firesong with Countess Ysandre Firesong but seven years old and in regency to her aunt Salandra.

As non-elves are prohibited in Ashal'Thalas, the location of Bal'adeni adjacent to Malana Island, an offshore island with deep water port where foreigners are permitted for trade purposes. As one of the few deep water ports on the east coast of Quel'Thalas, and possibly the only that will not impose a heavy tariff on neutral-flagged ships, Malana Island serves as a vital trade link between Quel'Thalas and the outside world, and much of Bal'adeni's economy is based around trade.

History
Bal'adeni was founded shortly after the arrival of the battered Quel'dorei to Quel'Thalas, with the founding of the Sunwell bringing a measure of peace after the journey that claimed so many lives. And radical change had come to those whom survived.