Malador (MAH-LAH-DOOR)
Structure
The Hierarchy of Malador is reflective of the combination of their culture during the Dune Trials and the newly instated culture of the defenders of Lateras.
The Scorch Warden:
The Scorch Warden is the title bestowed upon the leader of Malador. Those with this title have ultimate authority over executive, judicial, and legislative decisions. However, the Scorch Warden has several official bodies who are delegated to make the less important decisions.
The Tribal Council:
The Tribal Council is a legislative body made up of 3 members of each tribe and the Scorch Warden. This body makes laws, debates matters of importance, and makes diplomatic decisions.
The Ancestral Circle
The Ancestral Circle is an advisory body to the Sorch Warden. It is made up of the spirits of the past champions and leaders of the Maldorian people.
The Dune Tribunal
The Dune Tribunal is a judicial board of judges who preside over Malador. Their main goal is to interpret the law and judge those accused of breaking it.
Elemental Enclave
The Elemental Enclave is a faction of Dragonborn Elemental Magi whose magic is used to keep the Red Scale Desert from overtaking the Red Spire. They control the sands of the desert, the heat of the sun, the cold of the desert, and the fires that keep alite the streets.
Culture
The culture of Malador comes from its tribal roots during the Dune Trials. During the Dragonborn's tribulations in the Red Scale Desert, the characteristics that allowed tribes to survive were ingenuity, instinct, martial prowess, and adaptability. These values over the millennia have become cemented into the culture of the Maladorians, and they are represented through the modern-day lives of each citizen. It has been a little over a century since Malador was officially inducted into the High Council of Lateras, and became recognized as a sovereign nation. At this time, Malador was culturally and socially animalistic, but through the efforts of greater Lateras and the efforts of the Maladorian people, Malador has become a rapidly growing and innovating nation culturally.
Tribal Aspects
Through the reconstruction of Malador, the tribal nature of the Maladorian people has persisted. In Malador, there are three major tribes that essentially all dragonkin of Malador have fallen into. These three tribes are the Pantheo, the Tor-la-ka, and the Null-tari. These three tribes were the largest three tribes during the Dune Trials and were the major three tribes that unified together to fight the demons. In Malador, each of the tribes is equally represented in society.
The Pantheo Tribe
The Pantheo tribe is the tribe that resulted from the religious hold-outs from the Starmade Pantheon and the Kingdoms of Malador. The Pantheo tribe believes that their gods were killed by demons during the Three Great Calamities. They have a deep reverence for their gods and worship the memories and legacies of their gods rather than the gods themselves. The Pantheo tribe believes that they can show their devotion to their perished gods through combat, for as their gods died in battle, they will worship through combat. To the Pantheo Tribe, each time they clean their blade, they are worshipping their gods, each time they swing their weapon, they are praying to their gods, each time they slay an opponent, they are sending a sacrifice in the name of their gods.
The tribe itself is led by their champion, known as the Red Herald. The Red Herald acts as their leader and is considered to be chosen by the Starmade Pantheon itself. A Red Herald is chosen one of two ways. The first way is called "Ascension by Combat". This is when an individual who believes they have been chosen by the Starmade to be the Red Herald challenges the current Red Herald. When a challenge is made, the elders of the Pantheo Tribe will vote if they believe the challenge is valid. If the vote is unanimous, the challenge must be accepted by the Red Herald. A week from the issuance of the challenge, the Red Herald and the known "Red Chosen" will begin the Trial of Crimson Sands.
The Trial of Crimson Sands starts with the Red Herald being sent out into the Red Scale Desert with one weapon of their choice. After three days, the Red Chosen will be sent out into the Desert with the sole objective of killing the Red Herald. Both are forbidden from returning to the tribe until the other returns with either the head of the other or their weapon.
The Second way the next Red Herald is decided is when the current Red Herald is approaching the end of his life. Then, he will choose the next Red Herald. This Red Chosen will then shadow the Red Herald and learn all of his religious and political duties.
The Tor-la-ka Tribe:
The Tor-la-ka tribe was a tribe of atheistic Dragonkin who survived the Dune Trials through ingenuity, survival instincts, wisdom, intelligence, and adaptability. Through this, the tribe has gained a strong and deep connection with the values that helped them survive their darkest times as a tribe. In modern times, the Tor-la-ka tribe is a group of scholars, farmers, wizards, engineers, and scientists. When Malador was first introduced into the greater society of Lateras, the Maladorians struggled to understand the civilized nature of their new neighbors, ultimately leading to several cultural conflicts. However, the Tor-la-ka's unique perspective and abilities led them to quickly absorb and apply the modern knowledge and technologies of the outside societies. Quickly, the Tor-la-ka created several schools and programs dedicated to teaching their uneducated brethren how to speak, read, and write the common language of Lateras. Additionally, the Tor-la-ka took to the organization and creation of the Red Spire and their Grand University, the Golden Oasis. Together with support from the Null-tari tribe and the High Council of Lateras, the Red Spire took shape as the Tor-la-ka Dragonborn worked with the many different humanitarian workers from the nations of Lateras. Eventually, all of the global cooperation led many of the Tor-la-ka tribe men and women to become experts in fields like architecture, agriculture, medicine, magic, and engineering.
The Red Spire only took 40 years to build, and given the help from the surrounding nations, Red Spire was massive and could house the entire Dragonborn population within its walls as well as the several thousand international workers sent to help create Red Spire. In its creation, the Tor-la-ka tribe built the Golden Oasis, a premier University within Red Spire whose sole purpose is to educate their neighbors and bring about a better world for Lateras and its people. The Golden Oasis teaches all who wish to attend expert-level courses on all things academia, from high-level agriculture courses to introductory illusion courses. Within the Golden Oasis is the Reflection Pool, where magical water portals lead to hundreds of thousands of pocket dimensions where the Tor-la-ka tribe and students of the university live. The leader of the Tor-la-ka tribe is the Headmaster of the Golden Oasis, named the Ancient Dean. The Ancient Dean is a title earned through rigorous academic work as well as having had said work be applied to society in some meaningful way. Once that is achieved, the individual can be considered a candidate for Ancient Dean. Then a board of supervisors named the Mirror Court hears each candidate plead their case as to why they should be selected as the next Ancient Dean. Ancient Deans are a lifetime position, and there has yet to have been an incident so vile as to have led to the expulsion of an Ancient Dean.
The Null-Tari Tribe
The Null-Tari tribe of Maladorians sit in various administrative, political, religious, and collaborative positions within the nation. The tribe itself was a small group of Dragonkin during the Dune Trials. The group came together as kindred spirits as they were the few Dragonkin who still remembered and revered their god Null-Gorath. The Tribe during the Dune Trials only wandered the desert for a short time before Null'Gorath spoke to them. It was said the Null'Gorath appeared in a sandstorm and told the tribe to travel north and find where the sand turns to stone. After several months of hard travel and fighting with other Dragonborn Clans, they found a small oasis, with water pouring from the side of the Shielden Mountains. Here, the tribe created a small town where they all lived and survived.
The town, known as Primordial's Respite, was the first to encounter the Demons that came through the cracks of the Shelden Mountains. Here, the town's new leader, known as Draconian Flameheart, the current Scorch Warden of Malador, made his name known. He was the General of the small Dragonborn forces of the town. Here, he held the town for over 12 years until the other Dragonborn tribes arrived. From there, the Null-tari tribe commanded the other tribes in the fight against the demons and solidified their position as the savior tribe of Malador.
In current Malador, the Null-tari tribe is heavily involved with the effort to expand and innovate the Red Spire. They are constantly looking for new ways to integrate the tribes together to make a more cohesive Maladorian people. Currently, many of the Null-tari are found developing planning, and administrating Malador and its people. Currently, the Null-tari is the dominant tribe of Malador due to its leader being the current Scorch Warden of Malador.
Public Agenda
The public agenda of Malador is to provide a place for the Dragonkin to prosper. Openly, they have called upon the nation of Lateras for aid in the development of Malador and the construction of Red Spire. Drakorian Flameheart has pledged the nation's loyalty to the protection of Lateras but has said also that if he were forced to choose between his people and the continent, he would choose his people. The High Council of Lateras agrees with his sentiment and Malador has become respected among the nations.
Another goal of the Maladorian government is to reduce the impact of the three calamities. They are putting a large amount of the nation's assets into rebuilding the cities and towns of their nation, to eliminate the blackblood disease, and to revert the Red Scale Desert back to the lush forests of ancient Malador. They have taken great strides in these categories through the help of others. The Fertilan clerics and paladins have proved valuable in reducing the symptoms of the blackblood disease and reducing its mortality rate. The Chauntean Druids have turned sand into soil and cracks into rivers with their magic, making the area around the Red Spire livable again. And through the help of the Dwarves of Paradyse, they had the necessary materials and knowledge to build and create the capital of Red Spire.
In return for the generosity of their neighbors, the Maladorian people have offered their strengths and talents to hold the evils that target Lateras at bay. The Ember Knights are a group of Dragonborn who have pledged their life to be the first line of defense against the Demon threat. They have built a fortress deep in the Dood Domein, where they patrol the ash and soot deserts of the land, looking for the stray Demon warband that has found its way into the material plane through the portal to the abyss.
Another threat monitored by the Maladorians is the Shimmers. The Shimmers are constantly guarded by the Maladorian army, and anyone who comes close to the Shimmers without proper documentation is arrested and is either deported or charged with espionage against Greater Lateras. The military divisions that guard the Shimmers are also experts in maneuvering the complex natural environments within their borders. Given their expertise, they often guide the wizards, clerics, and scholars of the High Council of Lateras through the Shimmer's everchanging environment, protecting them as they study the Shimmer's oddities.
The last threat that Malador has pledged to stave off is the orc tribes of Feurum. While the people are not known to even be alive, as the orcs have not been seen in over a century, their threat still persists. If the orc tribes were ever united, their incursion could cause untold damage to Lateras and all who live within. Therefore, the Maladorians monitor the archipelago from a distance to keep tabs on the islands. They have been given the authority to kill any orc that sees them and to destroy any semblance of the congregation of the orcish tribes along the island's coasts.
Assets
The nation of Malador is very new and does not have the same monetary assets as other nations, but they do have some unique assets that have given them the upper hand in situations in the past.
Economic Assets:
Ani Deposits: Many nations rely on Ani to power their various magical and mechanical mechanisms. Therefore, they are all willing to pay top dollar for the vast Ani deposits found in the Red Scale Desert as well as the Ani found in the Shimmer zones.
Dune Silk: Dune Silk is a special export of Malador. It is used as a premier material for luxury garments, powerful magic cloaks and robes, and artisan crafts. This silk is created by sandweavers in the Red Scale Desert. These sandweavers are large magic insects that create complex burrows. They roam the sands of Malador and absorb the magic energies of the sands to create its dune silk. The silk itself has unique magic properties such as the ability to store magical energy, a lightweight texture, a slight shimmer, and resistance to magic.
The Primordial Gardens: A successful initiative created by Drakorian Flameheart to revitalize and recreate the Ancient Primordial Gardens. Through the rediscovery of ancient texts detailing the techniques of the ancient Dragonkin Groundskeepers, The Red Spire has been able to grow large amounts of food compared to its very little arable land. Using terraced farming techniques atop their buildings along with the ancient techniques, they are making special foods and ingredients that grow nowhere else.
Military Assets:
The Graviton Fortress: The Graviton Fortress is a Drak Hou Temple that floats above the city of Red Spire. It serves as a rapid mobilization point for the Drak Ruiter.
Null Crystals: Null Crystals are special Ani crystals pulled from the Shimmer Zone that can absorb the magical ability of nearby Ani. These crystals have been given to leaders and captains in the Malaorian Military, creating an even playing field for engagements involving Ani weapons and armor.
The Wrymcaller Clan: A clan of Dragonkin in the Null-tari tribe with a deep connection to Null-Gorath and the Ancient Wrym's. Through special hymns and prayers, they have been able to call upon the ancient Wyrms and summon their spirits into battle for a short time.
The Sun-Aegis Sheild Wall: A defensive wall that surrounds the Red Spire. It is charged by the magic energies of the sun and imbues Ani batteries with radiant energy. When activated, a wall of solid fire and light will appear around the city and disintegrate anything it touches.
Red Sandstorm: The Red Standstorm is a magic sandstorm that can be summoned by the Red Magisters. It is a powerful sandstorm that can envelop and follow enemies within the Red Scale Desert. Rapid strikes of lightning and gusts of wind filled with razor-sharp sand torment and kill those trapped within.
History
The history of Maldador is one of tragedy, survival, and adaptability. Malador has been an official nation in Lateras for only a little over a century. But its people have lived in the nation since the creation of Lateras by the gods.
Early History
When Lateras was created, the primordial dragon Null'Gorath helped the gods form the land that makes up Lateras. Through this, Null' Gorath was given a plot of land in the Southwestern portion of Lateras named Malador. Malador was once a beautiful and bountiful land of beautiful forests and gardens tended to by the Dragon god himself. This would be the landscape in which the original Dragonborn would be made.
From their inceptions, the Dragonborn were gifted in their stature, strength, and wisdom. Null'Gorath spent time crafting these values into the Dragonborn to assist in their lifelong task, which was to tend to the massive gardens and forests of Malador. In the beginning, Null'Gorath lived among his people and treated them as his sons. And just as his sons tended to the land, Null'Gorth attended to his sons. Each one of the Dragonborn were specimens of perfection, and all of them strived to be perfect in all ways.
Null'Gorath's Abandonment
Eventually, Null'Gorath was forced to abandon his children for several centuries. Lathrane, the Giantess Chaos God of Envy and Passion, had amassed a giant army to invade the material plane. Null'Gorath acted quickly and left his children to stave off the threat of Lathrane. The war has been given the name the Red God's Defense, as Null'Gorath utterly destroyed the Giant army over 4 centuries.
The Dragon Kingdoms of Old
Initially, the Dragonborn of Malador continued to tend to the primordial gardens of Malador. But without the guidance of their god, the dragonkin fell off the path intended by their god. The Dragonborn grew frustrated with the absence of their god, and their frustration turned to animosity. This animosity grew until the name Null'Gorath was said in jest and anger. The Dragonborn began to worship false gods that they called the Starmade. This pantheon grew until every Dragonborn in Malador was a stout worshipper of the Starmade. By this time, the primordial gardens were unkempt, and the plants within ended up withered and dead. Statues to the Starmade Pantheon were constructed and forests were cleared for the creation of Kingdoms and Castles. This led to conflict as Kingdoms fought Kingdoms for either territory, gold or their gods. Malador and its inhabitants had fallen into a dark age of war.
The Return of Null'Gorath and The Three Calamities
After the Red God's Defense, Null'Gorath returned to Malador, excited to be with his children whom he had worked so hard to defend. On his arrival back to Malador, his spirit was shattered seeing how far his children had strayed from their purpose. Their worship of the Starmade Pantheon and the neglect of the Primordial Gardens made Null'Gorath furious. At that point, he decided to severely punish his Dragonkin. First, his anger resonated through the land of Lateras that he had created, and a massive earthquake rocked the land of Malador, the distant tremors were so strong that several of the Dwarvish Kingdoms in Paradyse were destroyed. The Kingdom's of Malador was left shattered and crumbled to dust, many of the Dragonborn were killed in this earthquake, and society was in pieces. Next, Null'Gorath brought upon a plague in the land. The plague was known as the Blackblood, as it severely limited the life of the Dragonkin, as it slowly coagulated and crystallized the blood of the Dragonborn until the infected would ultimately die from hemorrhaging, heart attack, or stroke. This plague was designed to infect the very soul of the Dragonborn and infect even the children of the infected upon birth. This plague is fatal and once infected would kill the Dragonborn after 40-50 years. Lastly, Null'Gorath cursed the land itself to drought and famine. The almost constant rains in Malador became once a year, the rivers and lakes all dried up, the soil itself was stripped of its life and became sand, and the sun became so hot in Malador that the land became a deep red desert.
The Dune Trials
The Dragonborn of Malador entered a period they have named the Dune Trials. During this millenia period, the Dragonborn would know no peace, as they would fight, kill, steal, and lie just to survive a day in the red sands of the once bountiful Malador. Food and water were scarce and little could be scavenged. To survive, it took ingenuity and violence. Brother turned on brother for food and Son killed Father for shelter from the sun's wrath. The once proud Kingdom's of Malador devolved into squabbling gangs and tribes willing to eat the Dragonkin next to them to stay alive. Clans and tribes roamed the desert in search of salvation and survival, and war was constant. The Dragonborn tribes became masters of war and martial ability, as those who mastered it lived on through the wars for food and water. This was all life was for the Dragonborn until the Great Demonic Incursion.
The Great Demonic Incursion
When the Incursion started, it took time for the demons to trickle through into Maaldor from the Paradyse mountain ranges and the Sheilden mountains. The demon warbands gathered in the North of the Maladorian Desert and wandered, looking to slaughter. Eventually, demons began running into the tribes of Malador, but years of fighting had prepared them for the combat to ensue. The demon warbands were killed off one by one by the Dragonborn tribes, and the Dragonborn were happy to find a new food source. The tribes followed the demon warbands to the Shielden Mountains to the North, where they fought clustered demons. The numbers of the hoards in the North were seemingly endless, and 1000s of demons were killed just to make a dent in their lines. The Null-tari tribe, a Dragonborn tribe who still worshipped Null'Gorath, brought the tribes together and unified the tribes to end their demon opponents. Together, the Dragonborn was an unstoppable force, they won battle after battle and pushed the demons back to and through the Shielden Mountains.
The Discovery and Adoption of the Maladorians
The Dragonborn of Malador had never left their land before and were unaware of the societies outside of Malador. They first encountered the Gnomes of Arctig in a tense and bloody encounter. The Dragonborn and Gnomes both thought of each other as enemies, and the combat was bloody. The Gnomes ended up winning the engagement through superior combat doctrines and strategy. The Dragonborn did not surrender, and almost all were killed by the Gnomes, but a few were taken as prisoners of war. One of the prisoners was their leader, A Null-tari tribe member named Drakorian Flameheart. During his stint as a Prisoner of War, we learned the Gnomish language in only a few months and began to tell the gnomes of his people. The gnomes released Drakorian, and it led to a peace treaty between the two peoples and an alliance. The dragonborn were essential in the fight against the demons, as their strength and martial ability proved useful in head-on demon engagements. After the Starfall event, Malador was officially accepted by the High Council of Lateras as a nation, and aid was granted by every nation in Lateras to make it livable again.
Modern Day Malador
In modern-day Malador, each nation of Lateras has a presence in the nation. Fertilis has a church of Aslan in the capital of Red Spire, where the Order of Divine Protectors has created a humanitarian center. Here the priests and paladins of Aslan use their magic to heal the afflicted of the Blackblood and extend their lives or ease their suffering. They also use magic to create food and water for those who need help. The elves of the Silva Vitae also are often seen wandering the edge of Red Spire, constantly using their druidic magic to revitalize the land, creating fertile soil, flowing rivers, and a cooler climate for Red Spire. Porth Badd built the foundation for the Gold Oasis University, the first-ever University in Malador where magic, technology, and innovation are taught to anyone willing to learn. Paradyse has an extension of the World Shapers, their blacksmithing guild, within Red Spire to supply and shape all of the stone and metal required to build and expand Red Spire for its citizens. Arctig sent its military generals to Malador and taught the leaders of Malador how to regiment their armies, how to station them, and modern battle strategy. Additionally, the Gnomes sponsored the creation of a military academy in the Gold Oasis. Lastly, the Tieflings of Drak Hou established a Graviton Fortress above Red Spire, where the watchful Drak Ruiter can help defend the Maladorians from threats.
"All For The Dragonkin."
Founding Date
5 A.1.
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
The Crimson Kingdom
Training Level
Elite
Veterancy Level
Decorated/Honored
Demonym
Maladorians
Leader
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Founders
Head of State
Head of Government
Currency
Flameheart Draconics
The official currency of Malador is known as Flameheart Draconics, a unique and intricately designed form of currency that reflects the cultural and historical significance of the Dragonborn people. The Flameheart Draconics come in various denominations, each featuring symbols and motifs that pay homage to Malador's past and present.
Draconic Symbolism:
The obverse side of the Flameheart Draconic bears the image of a majestic dragon, representing Null'Gorath, the primordial dragon god who played a vital role in the creation of Lateras.
The reverse side features the Flameheart, a symbolic representation of the Tor-la-ka tribe and their unifying role during the Great Demonic Incursion.
Denominations:
Cinder (C): The smallest denomination, featuring a dragon egg on one side and a flameheart on the other.
Inferno (I): Mid-level denomination, depicting a coiled dragon in the midst of fiery breath.
Apex (A): The highest denomination, showcasing a dragon in full flight with wings spread wide.
Material and Craftsmanship:
Flameheart Draconics are crafted from a unique alloy infused with Ani, the magical ore discovered in Malador.
The metallic sheen of the coins is accentuated by enchantments, creating a mesmerizing display of colors in the light.
Security Features:
Magical enchantments woven into the coins serve as security measures against counterfeiting.
Each denomination possesses a distinct magical signature, ensuring authenticity.
Cultural Representations:
The Flameheart Draconics celebrate Malador's diverse culture through intricate patterns and engravings representing each Dragonborn tribe.
Some coins feature runes symbolizing unity, strength, and resilience, reflecting the shared history of the tribes.
Exchange Rates and International Recognition:
Flameheart Draconics are recognized and accepted in various nations, especially those with ties to Malador.
Exchange rates are determined based on the value of Ani, fostering economic cooperation with other nations.
Ongoing Designs:
To commemorate significant events or alliances, Malador periodically releases limited-edition coins with new designs.
These collector's items serve as a cultural record and a source of pride for the Dragonborn.
The Flameheart Draconics not only serve as a medium of exchange but also carry the rich tapestry of Malador's history, emphasizing the unity and strength of the Dragonborn tribes as they continue to rebuild and thrive in the aftermath of challenges.
Deities
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
