Morai (Men/Humans)

"Somewhere, in the wild lands of Anglëa, there awoke the first Men, shorter than their Shönain cousins, and lesser in longevity, but a fire burned in them far hotter; if the souls of the Shönai are like sustained torches, then the souls of Men are like raging blazes, brilliant and short lived."

— The Account of Men

Basic Information

Ecology and Habitats

Men have spread across nearly every patch of land in the world, and have made every land they inhabit into their home.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Most oftenly, they live in kingdoms, but there are a few democratic and aristocratic nations in the world.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Humans are sometimes cultivated by Daemons and Orikai as slaves and livestock.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Global

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Most Morai have little connection to magick, but there are a few who seek out knowledge of the arts. Most commonly, Men pursue Arcane and Luminous studies, but some are born who are endowed with Ancestral knowledge, and naturally exude magick.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Daemons often feed off the emotions and worship of the Morai.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

State of Salvation, the Church of Luminous Sterility

Beauty Ideals

As a species, beauty comes in many forms, both natural and artificial. Some prefer the grace of the trees and flowers while others can find beauty in a well-forged blade. Of all the species in Deia, the Morai are the most peculiar in their tastes, for their lives are the shortest, and they will devote themselves to a single craft until their end.

Gender Ideals

Typically, men bear the roles that tax the body and mind to extremes, so that their wives may focus on ensuring the next generation is properly nurtured. The ideal man is one who sacrifices for his nation and family, while the ideal woman is the one who ensures his sacrifices are not wasted. It is together, in most nations, that men and women create a sustainable society. This is not to say that there are not some nations where this is different; some of the Mërian states are more egalitarian in nature, and the treatment of women among the tribes of Men that followed Nix was below even the worst standards of slavery, though the men fared little better at the hands of their Daemon masters.

Courtship Ideals

Men are expected to court women, but it is the women who retain their choice in the matter. Men must appeal to them, then, for marriage, and it is up to the women to accept or decline. Generally, a man who has been declined is expected to give up the pursuit, at least until he has made himself more worthy to appeal once again. The strictures of this vary to a degree, but the general ritual remains largely the same.

Relationship Ideals

The man goes beyond the homestead to support his wife and family, while the woman tends to the homestead itself. In noble houses, the wife often takes up a role as mistress of the house, having full charge of servants, and does a great deal of work in inter-house relations, helping broker deals or managing matters of intrigue. In some cases, this involves the employment of assassins.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Anglëan (Valgrandish and Déhevolsh), Crë'ekish, Rhumnic (Classical and Rhäuma), Saxonish (Nördhic, Südhlic, and Lachlic), Áfondish, Lindish (Proper, Mogéntrian, Mërian Eastern, and Mërian Western), Llunerian, Yorukan, and Saharin.

Common Dress Code

All cultures wear clothes in varying degrees, some much more than others, usually depending on climate.

Common Taboos

Cannibalism is a universal taboo, save for among the Saharin and Saxoni during their darkest years.

History

The Morai subspecies all awoke in Anglëa, in the early centuries of the Age of War. The first to awake is thought to be the Anglëi, who went unnoticed for a long time in their Northern homes. The first to be encountered, however, were the Saharin, who fought for Nix during the Torn'Barath (the Great War). The Crë'eki were discovered also during the Torn'Barath, and fought to claim their own land within Garta'Jun after rebelling against Nix. They were ultimately defeated, however, and fled North, where they mingled with a tribe of Anglëi, and became the Rhumni.

The Rhumni forged a mighty and vast empire across most of Anglëa, and would ultimately bring about the downfall of Nix, and an end to the Torn'Barath. Near the end of that war, the Saxoni had awoken, and Nix tried to claim them, but they soon rebelled, and joined the Rhumni in defeating the Daemons.

Since the end of that war, Rhumnaria fell, Lindon was formed, the Saxoni sundered into approximately three different factions, and the nations of Lluneria and Yoruk were established in the far North. Both Lluneria and Yoruk were destroyed in their wars, however. Mëria was a kingdom established by Lindons in former Sun'Ashar, but it was split apart into many nations, which retained a shadow of a union to try and maintain peace between them.

Historical Figures

There are too many from the species as a whole to list here, and there will be given time for each culture's heroes in their accounts.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Variable, though most are hostile to the Orikai and Daemons.

Scientific Name

Morain e'Deia

Lifespan

80-100 Deian years

Average Physique

Male Morai tend to be built for outdoor survival and strenuous physical labour, and are thus broad and muscular, or lean and muscular. Female Morai tend to be lesser in physical strength, and tend to be lean or plump in figure.

Related Ethnicities

• Anglëi
• Lindons
• Saxoni

Related Myths

• Evan the Bull