She of Many Names
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To flesh out a amazing sub-species.
- Image Credit: Here and here.
- Canon: Not Applicable.
- Permissions: Not Applicable.
- Links: Elzeri, Church of the Word.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Name: Mornedhel.
- Popular Names: Dark Elzs, Nightcrawlers, Nightshriekers.
- Designation: Sentient.
- Origins:
- Ancestral Homeworld: Valythor
- Current Homeworld: Nessantico.
- Average Lifespan: Can live up to 600 years.
- Estimated Population: Rare.
- Description: An counterpart of the Elzeri species as the night is that of the day. The Mornedhel are described as exotic and mysterious beings of shrewd beauty. Flexible, slender and frigid. Their people evolved from the Elzeri that were stranded in the Elenna System, causing them to develop their own traits biologically and sociologically, they rarely travel outside their own system and were once a glorious society of greater advancement in technology that became stranded in both time and evolution.
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
- Breathes: Type I & Type II.
- Average Height of Adults: 1,6 up to 1,8 meters tall.
- Average Length of Adults: Not Applicable.
- Skin color: With a navy like tone, the Mornedhel's skin is oily to the touch and so rarely leaves this tone unless through miscegenation.
- Hair color: Be it pale white or pitch-black, the Mornedhel are never found with colored tones in their hairlines.
- Distinctions: The Mornedhel evolved differently from the Elzeri genoma, not carrying most of their notable features, the Mornedhel are different in but a few biological traits when compared with the Elzeri. The first one being that the Mornedhel do not feel cold, causing them to survive even the lowest of temperatures without their bodies actually feeling its effects, it is even possible for a member of the species to shove his own hand inside a tank of CryoBan with physical distress being much less immediate than that of a human being, believing that the species have developed homeothermic internal regulations. The second is a skeletal formation made almost entirely of pure cartilage, with the sole exception of their vital parts such as their skulls, causing them to possess lightning reflexes, natural agility and greater flexibility. A third difference between them and the Elzeri would be their voices, a evolved quality that was by and large the product of their enhanced vocal range, allowing them not only to modulate and tailor their speech but also imitating sounds to sonorous perfection. Described as incredibly soothing and hypnotic, the Mornedhel are the only species of mammals capable of achieving the same intonation notes as that of the Ssi-Ruuvi language, causing their own language to be quite difficult to understand. The fifth trait would be their heightened natural senses, those being their olfactory and auditory senses, much more delicate than those of an ordinary Elzeri. This heightened sense of smell allowed them to determine the emotional state of their associates simply due to change of scent thus allowing Mornedhel to "read" an individual. These olfactory sensors were typically known as "scent eyes" in which a Mornedhel that was familiar with the "scent" of a being would be allowed to read their targets and even detect signs of deception and thus making it hard for others to lie to them. Last and not least, the species known for having perfect night vision, able of seeing things very clearly even with pitch-black scenarios in front of them. The Mornedhel also have developed a secondary stomach instead of a second liver such as the elzeri, causing them to have higher metabolisms than humans. Despite that, most Mornedhel are in excellent physical shape, and their incredible metabolisms allow them to eat even the richest of foods, but there are very rare cases of weaker metabolisms and fatter examples of their species in both male and females.
- Races: There are no subspecies among the Mornedhel. However, their people are divided among six different clans of different customs and principles, in the elder days they were ruled by an High-King, now they are divided in six ‘Tols’, their own word for ‘feud’ or ‘kingdom’, each Clan is ruled by a Jarl of their own that has in his control both land and people, by appointing Thanes to serve him as their vassals, some are named after the land they occupy while others named after their capitals. The Mornedhel do not separate themselves like the Elzeri and so rarely care about bloodlines and prefixes in their names, each Thane is in charge of a "People" that calls itself by either the land they live in or by some ancestor's name, each People are ruled by one of their clans and owns fealty to their Jarls. Here they are listed:
- Clan Maegyr of Tol Harad
- Clan Arvina of Tol Khând
- Clan Galvus of Tol Forod
- Clan Durrendaire of Tol Rhûn
- Clan Paenymion of Tol Valmar
- Clan Scaeva of Tol Erelean
- Force Sensitivity: Standard.
STRENGHTS:
- Night Creatures - It is believed that the Mornedhel eyes evolved to allow them to see with perfection in the darkest environments. Mornedhel are more than capable of clearly seeing a gnat in pitch-black darkness flying three meters from them and can even tell which color they are.
- Homeothermic Beings - Homeothermic beings almost easily confused as being endothermic even by scholars, the Mornedhel are capable of sustaining acceptable body temperatures from within their own bodies, allowing them a impressive resistance to frigid temperatures such as one hundred degrees below zero without the clear disadvantages of other mammals.
- Cartilaginous Skeletons - With pure gristle occupying their skeletal structures instead of bone material, the Mornedhel are much more agile, flexible, lighter and graceful than humans, giving them almost lightning reflexes for carrying this lightness within themselves. And also serving as a defensive mean, avoiding the unpleasantness of having bones shattered or broken.
- Copycats - With vocal cords more evolved than those found in the galaxy, the Mornedhel are masters in the art of oratorical copy of sounds they recently heard, such as imitating the noises produced by nearly every single being in the galaxy, from howling like a Wookie, to hissing like a Ssi-Ruu or even roaring loudly like a rancor.
- Olfactory Senses - The heightened sense of smell allows the Mornedhel to determine the emotional state of their associates simply due to change of scent thus allowing Mornedhel to "read" an individual. These olfactory sensors were typically known as "scent eyes" in which a Mornedhel that was familiar with the "scent" of a being would be allowed to read their targets and even detect signs of deception and thus making it hard for others to lie to them, causing them of being favored as one of the best trackers in all the galaxy.
WEAKNESSES:
- Luminous Sensitivity - In terms of eyesight, the Mornedhel are extremely sensitive to light which led to them holding triple eyelids in order to protect their vision from sudden bursts of illumination. Their large eyes possessed the traits common with most reptilian species namely that they suffered from poor eyesight. The unusual structure of their eyelids made them susceptible to being blinded by sudden flashes of light.
- Misanthropes - Due to sociological reasons of their ancient history, the Mornedhel carry deep hatred for the most ordinary species of aliens found in the galaxy. There isn't a single insectoid species that isn't despised by them, for they believe that all insects are animals meant for slaughter, but it is said that every Mornedhel carries pure spite for the Arkanian species.
- Homeothermic Beings - In order to keep their bodies capable of producing enough heat, a Mornedhel requires constant nourishment, requiring to eat at least every two hours to keep themselves with enough energy to keep themselves warm in the frigid weather of their homeplanet.
- Cook Faster - The Mornedhel have low body resistance towards very elevated temperatures, such as that of planets like Tatooine. Due to having the necessity of getting hydrated or facing the damaging results as such of having their skins sunstroked badly, potentially leading to fatal outcones.
- Well-Behaved Slaves - It was discovered that the non-force user Mornedhel are prone of being telepathic tricked much more easily than other species in the known galaxy. This has created the myth that they are susceptible to slavery without the issues of defying their captors and breaking their shackles easily, the very suggestion of it can be considered a grave insult for them.
CULTURE
- Diet: Omnivore. Mornedhel are known for having two very powerful stomachs much like those of a hyena, capable of digesting nearly anything they eat that has some nourishment value in it.
- Communication: Although they can easily speak most of the galaxies most spoken tongues such as galactic standard, binary and huttese, the Mornedhel are known for possessing two different verbal languages; Edhel and High Elzar, two written forms are also known, Edhel and the ancient runic writing of Mer. Consisting of what most people find beautiful words spoken and written that can be traced from a a distorted form of the High Elzar, language spoke by the Elzeri Species, the Elzeri are said to consider Edhel a 'brutish unpleasant barbarian tongue'.
- Technology level: Once the Mornedhel were a highly advanced society when compared to the galactic standard, now, their advancement as a society involved and their technological advances abandoned by a simpler way of living using only what is needed from technological gadgets. Yet, knowledge of the old ways still live within the species.
- Religion/Beliefs: The Mornedhel are not counted as members of the Church of the Word despite being related with the Elzeri, only a handful of them have truly joined that faith be it now or in the past. The Mornedhel themselves have their own beliefs aside from those of the Elzeri, worshiping a single powerful deity that personifies the will of the night, Lestat the Blind Bat also referred to as Nightbringer, that being a vengeful creature of the night. Oddly, this deity lacks an actual religious body to uphold its beliefs. Centered in the worshiping of the everlasting nightfall that lingers around their planet, their deity composes every aspect of their social ways but unlike the Elzeri, religion does not take a hold of their lives, Lestat is well known for taking offerings in his name, be it any way his believers might see fit to give him be it in vegetables, riches, flesh and even blood. The deity is represented by the commandments imposed on them long ago by the Dynasty King Artorious in the Tale of Lestat, now represented by strange shrewd shaman-like priests called Seers that are said to be granted visions from their beliefs in Lestat, a well-know fact of their belief is that the Mornedhel do not bury their dead, instead they are said to burn their flesh and built small shrines in the natural parts of their planet, in a way of offering their ashes to the nightly skies so that Lestat may guide them to the afterlife. The Mornedhel also worship what they describe as 'spirits of yore', those being the spirits of the ancient heroes and villains of their mythical tales. Their Seers hold enough respect as to being summoned to perform the 'banishing' of another Mornedhel for having broken the law. That one being cast aside and expelled from their land to live a drifted.
- General behavior: A clan based society, they were once ruled by the High-King of Alcarost, now ruled by the Jarls and divided into small petty kingdoms, the Mornedhel still keep that same clan based society, few petty kingdoms having large cities to accommodate its population, instead they prefers to live an isolationist lifestyle spreading themselves all over their planet in small family communities ruled by both a Patriarch and a Matriach all answering to their Thanes, local leaders in service of their Jarl. The Mornedhel do not believe in sexism, both genders are treated equally and given the same opportunities, such as befalling to either the Patriarch or the Matriarch to teach their young and raise them to believe in their survivor values, for the Mornedhel do not believe in the same things as most places in the galaxy, such as honesty, self-giving or altruism. They do not help others, they are taught to only care about themselves and to do nothing without the concept of being awarded with something. Money is an forgotten concept to them as they do not use it as they once did, instead bartering for their goods with what they have for they want. Selling sons and daughters for goods is a common practice among their people, such as murdering deformed newborns. They are taught to hunt ever since they can run and climb in trees, for hunting is one of the tree ways to live their lives. Those being 'Sow, Hunt, Build', for those that cannot hunt, must learn how to either farm or how to build and unlike the Elzeri, Mornedhel are known to marry for love and passion rather than power and influence, an example followed by nobility that so rarely marries for wealth and are known to marry commoners without feeling ashamed for it. The Mornedhel are also known for building houses on giant species of trees of their planets, this species are large enough for hosting comfortably at least fifty people and some are large enough to fit a few hundred. And yet the most astonishing trait of their society would be the existence of keeping practice of thralling in certain specific circumstances such as killing fairly the leader of a 'People', allowing the conquered people of being branded as thralls, they are not slaves since for they may not be sold and unlike the children of slaves, the children of thralls are free if they are born on their land of origin, and have rights almost the same as normal citizens, if not for being allowed to work forcefully in service of their 'lord'. The second circumstance also permitting them of branding the prisoners captured in battle as their thralls.
- Galactic Relations: Mornedhel can be quite suspicious over foreigners and are known of not only mistrusting them, but also discriminating them. They so rarely go along with other species besides their relatives and do not allow them in their planet, under penalty of death.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Tale of the Nightfolk began in tragedy. As the Great Pilgrimage of the Elzeri began during the Unholy Invasion, which lead to Nineteen Ships leaving the ancient homeworld of Valythor in search of safety among the stars, only to find the bitterness, cold and emptiness of space to be far greater than they could ever have imagined in their entire existences. It was when the Great Strife began that one of the nineteen floatillas decided to risk a different path of their lives and resented to be ruled by the Thirteen Crowns, to feed and house most ships with valuable resources and steady incomes. Some say that it was the Mornedhel that began the Great Strife that broke apart the fleet and caused the floatillas to scatter across the galaxy, others claim that Sangruvios Andronicus, remembered as "The Voyager" and as "The Rebel", was but a lesser son from a lesser branch of the extinct House Ingilious. He led his people to rebelling, by murdering the leaders in charge of his floatilla and taking over the navigation system, taking his ship far from the broken fleet, for he was said to be gifted with the visions of far-sight, a rare gift that allowed him to see what others could not and he so famously said.
"Why, O my people,’ he cried, ‘why should we longer serve these jealous gods, who cannot keep us, nor their own realm even, secure from their Enemy? Valythor lies behind of us and what I leave behind I do not count it as losses! Vengeance calls me hence, shall we mourn here deedless forever, a shadow-folk, mist-haunting, dropping vain tears in the salt thankless Void of Space? Or shall we go home? In the galaxy sweet ran the stars under unclouded skies, and wide planet lay about where a free folk might walk. There they lie still and await us who in our folly forsook them. Come away! Let the cowards keep this fruitless journey. But by the blood of Old Gods! unless I dote, if the cowards only remain, then grass will grow in the streets. Nay, rot, mildew, and toadstool.’
Long he spoke, and ever he urged the Elzeri to follow him and by their own prowess to win freedom and great realms in the planets of the galaxy ere it was too late; for he echoed the lies of Valmar that the Thirteen Crowns had cozened them and would hold them captive so that demons might rule Valythor. He spoke of empty planets awaiting to be conquered and filled them with the fires of life and their will. ‘Fair shall the end be,’ he cried, ‘though long and hard shall be the road! Say farewell to bondage! But say farewell also to ease! Say farewell to the weak! Say farewell to your treasures - more still shall we make! Journey light. But bring with you your swords! For we will go further than Ramuh, endure longer than Meraxes: we will never turn back from pursuit! And together we shall create Paradise!"
The Elder Scrolls kept by the Elzeri called accounted their as the Sindari, the Rebels. For over fifty years, they flew through the cold void of space and drifted among the stars hoping to find what Sangruvios had dreamed of, going from place to place and passing through empty systems that had not yet matured to holding life. And as soon as time passed they regretted following Sangruvios to what they saw as an ill-fate, and much like the shadow of a cursed doom lied upon them, their ship was caught in an electric storm as she entered a nebula to escape a flock of purrgils that chased them through out the stars. Due to that storm, their ship was stranded and forced to land in one of the stars flying over the planet, they chose the smaller planet, much smaller than Valythor and yet bigger than the ordinary satellites found in the galaxy, as they discovered its atmosphere to being favorable for their species, they called themselves lucky and believed to have found paradise and as for that they called the planet Nessantico, which meant "Land of the Free".
But the shadow of betrayal and rebellion was lying upon them, and as fate dictated the Long Night had arrived. For the smallest dying star in the system reached the outburst point and exploded, unleashing tons of radioactive particles into the air, changing the trajectory of the larger star in the system, slowly driving it to assume a position in front of the smaller star. Almost as if causing the smaller satellite and itself to orbit together along the system, perpetually damning its smaller star to an endless state as the same as an eclipse, forcing the inhabitants of Nessantico to live forever in darkness and low light.
It was perhaps due this event and its radiation that caused the species to 'evolve' and reshape themselves, its skin got darker and its eyes were changed into assuming a vision fit for this environment. Up to this day there is debate about this matter, as the Mornedhel themselves believe that this event was regarding the awakening of Lestat and their changes were considered but a gift freely given to the children occupying his realm.
As they changed, so did their culture, Sangruvious had claimed for himself the 'dusk crown' and ruled over the species from the Barad Ezellohar the Lightless Tower in the island of Falas, a magnificent construction that now lies entirely covered in darkness. Ruling over his subjects, Sangruvious imposed an iron-will over them and lead them into reshaping themselves around his beliefs, spreading slowly over the land and taming its wildlife to their own will. They called themselves Mornedhel and had no contact with their kin, the Elzeri, for many years.
It wasn't until Sangruvious grandson took over his grandfather's dusk crown to ascending as High-King of Barad Avathar that the Mornedhel had yet to achieve their union and become a magnificent society. Artorious was young and bold, he began his fame when the mythical creature called Nauron gave him his blessing and helped him to unite all the land into a single power under his control. By showing his power he built the massive fortress-city of Alcarost and moved his court to his new city, where it was said that he gained knowledge from the stars and drew his power from the night, with that same lore he taught his people the ways that would lead them to their golden age. Becoming highly advanced in some standards of galactic technology, the Mornedhel soon began to merge Sith Alchemy with Bio-engineering to create species of beings to serve their own purposes, creatures with wills of their own and sociological advancements that caught the eyes and ears of some brilliant curious minds of the galaxy. For the Mornedhel worked relentlessly and they could provide others with whatever they desired to not only clone, but to create a new being to serve loyally to his owners.
This event is remarked as the Golden Age of the Mornedhel, as their fame reached out through out the stars, resonating with respect and prowess. Dynasty King Artorious Andronicus lead the Mornedhel with love and honor, he did not ruled for power and allowed all to have an equal chance to prove themselves. This very fame made them known to the Elzeri, still in self-exile, and this very fame also caused them to becoming targets of one of the most dangerous galactic species yet unknown to them. The Kaminoans.
Their dealings with the Kaminoans are now forgotten in the memories of the nightfolk and remembered only in myth by the elzeri of yore, the Mornedhel themselves have forgotten about this matter and remember this only as the shadow of betrayal that gave fruit from the days of their ancestors. What is registered is that the Kaminoans and the Mornedhel fought for control and importance over their dealings regarding cloning and biological engineering for the Kaminoans taught the Mornedhel much regarding this matter and felt themselves betrayed by their 'pupils'. How this war was fought no one alive remembers, but the Shattering caused them to turn one another in exchange for power, the Kaminoans used massive cloned human armies to ensure this, for Artorious was loved by the people but not by the other nobles clans among the Mornedhel that felt themselves neglected by the High-King in matters of influence and disputes over the spoils of their Golden Age. The Shattering brought down Artorious in the Fields of Pelennor where he was killed in battle by his own son, Mordious the Accursed, that craved for his father's crown.
In his attempt he failed to conquer the planet, for a hundred rivals arose from each clan and Mordious himself was murdered in the Bloody Banquet and the Line of Artorious was hunted down and destroyed by Cassandrus the Vengeful. The Golden Age of Night was no more and in the savage years that followed the infighting for succession the Mornedhel divided themselves in six clans of impressive wealth and influence, each ruling over their own keeps, but never again would a High-King take over the Andronicus Crown and in the Mornedhel became highly engaged in keeping themselves forgotten.
Dawnguard
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