Mordaenye

The **Mordaenye**, or *People of the Onyx Dragon*, also known as *Dark Elves*, are the descendants of those Elven refugees and exiles who fled the chaos of the Mad Emperor Celleach's reign, when the Erodemian Empire was torn apart by civil war and ruthless ambition. Saved through the intervention of a powerful Black Dragon, Kzendaal, the Mordaenye have carved out a mighty culture in the Underkingdom, not content to merely survive, but flourish in their brutal environment.

Their countenance is as much a reflection of the Underkingdom as it is because of their carefully-nurtured resentment and bitterness, towards those who pushed them over the edge - they are ruthless, proud and intensely spiteful, believing most others fit only to be dominated or destroyed...for in their minds,the surface is their birthright, and they desire above all else to bring their own brand of order to the chaos of Terral.

The Mordaenye live under a strict caste system, where men and women are born to serve in their assigned roles. It is a highly totalitarian and unified society, and yet it is filled with great liberties and freedoms for the Mordaenye, as well as social mobility and meritocratic achievement - whilst simultaneously being hell on Terral for the damned and accursed souls unlucky enough to be enslaved by them.

## Description

### Physical Characteristics

The Mordaenye are among the tallest of the Elven subraces. Males tend to stand between 5'5'' to a full 6'3'', on very rare occasions standing almost as tall as a Skaldic male; females are usually around 5'3'' to 5'7''. Their skin is extremely pale thanks to the lightless realm of the Underkingdom, ranging between a light, ash grey to an almost off-white tone, with the usual colour being an alabaster, nearly translucent white.

Males tend to be broad-shouldered and gaunt, with less facial hair than humans, though they can cultivate short beards and thick moustaches, and are typically more athletic than muscular. Females tend to wispy and frail-looking, but in general the Mordaenye have an unearthly - some would say unholy - and frighteningly beautiful countenance, with high cheekbones and narrow, highly symmetrical faces. Like all elves, their eyes are aslant, almond-shaped and sport vertical irises. The most common eye colour is varying shades of red, blood-red being most prevalent, though black, extremely light-blue, violet, lilac purple  and rust-bronze are known. Hair colour is usually white or black, though on occasion a Mordaenye is born with midnight-blue or dark-purple hair. Red hair is uncommon, though sometimes found among the Dragon Caste nobility.

Mordaenye night-vision is extremely highly attuned; their eyes tend to be a little bit larger than other elves, able to take in more light, and on most occasions their pupils appear to be unusually large. In dark environments, their irises can even be visible. However, the downside is that they are very sensitive to bright lights, as it takes longer for their sight to adjust and their pupils to dilate. Sudden flashes of light can be extremely painful physically, and blind them for hours, if not days.

Physically, the Mordaenye tend to react somewhat slower than other elves, but they make up for this with their particularly sharp minds and considerable endurance, the latter being matched only by their Armavaenye cousins on the surface.

### Psychology

Like all Elves, the Mordaenye's emotions and senses are highly sensitive and sharpened to a razor's edge; in the case of the Mordaenye, this tends to make them extraordinarily proud, bitter, faithful and sombre individuals. The Mordaenye are resentful and taciturn, deeply serious and almost humourless by nature, frequently resentful and short-tempered, quick to avenge insults, perceived or otherwise, against themselves and their kinsmen. This does not, however, preclude any positive emotions - the Mordaenye are fully capable of happiness, joy, even love, but it is a deeply private and personal thing, and they prefer not to display such emotions except in close company.

A Mordaenye's capacity to hate is the stuff of legends; those raised in Mordaenye society keenly feel the sting of betrayal and the trauma of the collapse of the Elven empire, and most within the Empire are taught to hate and despise all non-Mordaenye life. The Mordaenye see most outsiders as mosquitoes to be crushed underfoot, and even those born outside the Empire or who abandon their cruel peers have difficulty relating to outsiders or mustering empathy for them - at least at first, for the Mordaenye mindset, more than other elves, is shaped by their environment rather than their blood.

## Culture

### Government

The Mordaenye tend to live in semi-independent city-states - small polities that can be as small as a walled village, to cities and citadels large enough to fill an entire cavern, with vast, masterfully-designed stonework. A typical settlement is led by the elected Host of the Judges, comprised of Dragon Caste noblemen and Priestly Caste judges and administrators. They are elected from prominent and experienced citizens and representatives of the Castes, based on merit, to serve the city and its people as councilors and representatives. Often individuals from the Mystic, Labourer and Warrior Caste are allowed to serve in the Host, and help dictate policy or otherwise represent their Castes.

Ultimately, however, a city-state is ruled by the Dragon Caste, whose dynasties employ a large number of all the various Castes, in a mutual power-brokering and councilor system between the most prestigous and powerful dynasties known as the Concordat of Wyrms. The Concordat can range from between three Mordaenye Dragon Caste dynasties in a small town, to up to 19 in the largest of the city-states. Most Dragon Caste houses have an estate within the settlement proper, or in the surrounding caverns or territories. The Concordat works for the mutual benefit of the city and the Imperium as a whole, though there is always a degree of familial or personal ambition; to a certain point, this is encouraged, and friendly rivalries to strengthen eachother are outright permitted through duels, tournaments and other contests of skill and bravery.

The Concordat itself is a vaguely democratic institution; Dragon-born within the Concordat are expected to elect an Overlord to act as the supreme civil power in the settlement. This Overlord serves for life, and theirs duties are largely symbolic; among other things, to act as a mediator between the Dragon-born, to appoint candidates for the Host of the Judges, and to organize and lead festivals. Although their rule is technically symbolic, in practice they garner a great amount of power thanks to their wealth of experience and knowledge.

The Overlord may claim a variety of titles, depending on how large the settlement is within a given Mordaenye province; from lowest to greatest, Chief Advocate of a modest village, High Arbiter of a large town, Grand Judicator of a small city-state, and Supreme Judge of the largest city-states. All Overlords, regardless of their title, serve as part of the Imperial Electorate, a council of powerful Warlords and Overlords who form the high nobility of the Imperium. A new Emperor is elected, by majority vote from this Electorate, and they and their family becomes the Royal Dynasty, for a period of up to 75 years, though they may resign earlier - or if the Electorate grows sufficiently dissatisfied with the Emperor's performance, and calls for a snap election. Although technically the Electorate is controlled by the Dragon Caste, in reality, the Priestly Caste has a great amount of influence, thanks to their ties to the Dragon Caste through education and patronage.

To become a Warlord, however, is typically the result of a mix of personal ambition and the obligations of the Imperium. Dragon Caste members are trained military officers; they often serve as Commanders leading forces of Warrior Caste troops on patrols or raids, or as Lieutenants and Captains commanding larger formations, under the authority of a Warlord as part of a larger Warband. Indeed,  many young Dragon Caste sons and daughters, especially from smaller, weaker houses, are expected to serve as  important officers in another Dragon Caste Warlord's Warband. To become a Warlord, one must prove themselves constantly on the field of battle, both for skill and bravery in combat, and excellence in leadership, strategy and tactics; in time, a Captain or Commander may be given an Imperial Commission, granted an audience with the Emperor himself, and granted the wealth and servants to raise a Warband of his own, inviting Dragon Caste nobles to serve as officers, Warrior Caste Warrior Creches to serve as his main force, call for volunteers from other Castes, and conscript Labourers or accept volunteers to serve as his Regular forces.

In other to avoid inbreeding, a Mordaenye house's individuals often marry those outside of their settlement's Concordat; in so doing, they often bring a new degree of creativity, versatility and traditions from the new member. Ties of marriage and mutual service in war often lead to the foundation of long, deep-seated friendships between various Dragon Caste houses, though rivalries between other houses seeking glory are also quite common. However, this rarely ends in open bloodshed thanks to Kzendaalian religious edicts and Imperial forces intervening, and is typically channeled through more productive means - such as capturing more slaves than the rival, or creating greater works of art or weapons, and so on.

### Mordaenye Society - The Castes

The Mordaenye abide by the Caste System, a strict system in which individuals are born into specific castes, and bred, educated and ordered to serve in their particular roles. The Mordaenye place a very high value on law and order in all aspects of their lives, and they believe that the Caste system is the embodiment of this way.

Those within the Castes are permitted to marry only within their given Caste; a Labourer cannot marry a Warrior, nor a Mystic a Priest. Social mobility is limited, but Mordaenye place great stock in personal merit and ability; a Labourer who displays considerable insight and innovation could be allowed to marry into the Mystic Caste. While the Labourer would not become part of the Caste, his or her children would be born into the Mystic Caste, and raised in the way the Caste requires. Likewise, a warrior who displays considerable piety and devotion to the Onyx Dragon would be allowed to marry into the Priestly Caste, and so on.

The Castes are divided into the Labourer, Warrior, Priestly, Mystic and Dragon Castes.

The Labourer Caste is the largest Caste of Mordaenye society. They consist of farmers, hunters, merchants, craftsmen, artists, stonemasons, musicians and all forms of semi-educated and uneducated labour, each one considered a citizen of the Mordaenye, and guaranteed the protection and rights that it entails, including, among other things, a right to a fair and public trial and to be treated with the dignity accorded to their station. These rights apply to all Castes, and not merely the Labourer Caste. Labourers are typically organized into basic families, with individuals marrying into different families. These families are often owners of plantations or facilities, employing various Caste workers and slaves to perform their tasks. The former are paid and expected to be treated with dignity; the latter are permitted to be bullied, despised, maltreated and killed at the whims of their taskmasters.

As with all Castes, the Labourers serve the Warbands and Warhosts in battle; in their case, they act as volunteers or conscripts known as Regulars. Equipped and trained by the Warrior Caste, the Regulars are given spears and pikes, shields depending on the length of their spears, basic boiled leather or light mail armour, and bear the colours of their city proudly. Richer citizens are able to equip themselves with maces, morning stars and even warhammers, but ultimately all Regulars are subordinate to Warrior Caste Serjeants and Captains, and Dragon Caste Commanders.

The Warrior Caste forms the core of Mordaenye military might. Warriors are bred to be so, raised from birth to become the perfect soldier, indoctrinated and taught the ways of the spear and axe. Well-trained and highly disciplined, they form the guardians of Mordaenye settlements, and the campaigning soldiers of their armies. Individuals are usually organized, at birth, into Warrior Creches. Warrior Caste children are trained and instructed, usually by their parents and their brothers and sisters, in the ways of discipline, soldiery, and warfare, taught to forge and maintain their own weapons and armour, how to survive and thrive in the wilderness and under extreme conditions, to fight as a unit, and taught the ways of the Onyx Dragon by the Priestly Caste. They are also taught field surgery by the Mystic Caste. Upon the completion of their training at adulthood, the Warriors are given their weapons and sigil of the Warrior Caste to maintain and keep, and are organized into companies within the Warbands, Warhosts and Legions; ideally, Warriors from the same Creche are integrated into the same units. Slaves are typically distributed to the Warrior Caste to serve as levies and camp followers.

Warriors almost always go to battle in heavy mail or scale armour, often with lamellar or half-plate armour, wielding single-handed battle-axes with large kite or tower shields, and greataxes, as well as halberds, glaives, voulges and polehammers, among other polearms.

The Priestly Caste consists of those dedicated to the Onyx Dragon, and the faith and law his dogma espouses. They are not merely priests and acolytes; they are also administrators and scribes, judges and historians, law-keepers and chaplains. The day-to-day running of a Mordaenye settlement is usually handled by the Priestly Caste, but their primary role is to act as guides and advisors for the Mordaenye and their leaders. Individuals are brought up in Covens, where they are indoctrinated and educated in the faith and taught to revere the Onyx Dragon above all, beyond their lives, and even the ruling Dragon Caste. They are taught to be literate, to tend to the spiritual and mental needs of their fellow Mordaenye, to remain true to their laws and customs, and to learn how to best administrate and arbitrate Mordaenye settlements. Among other things, they also maintain and oversee civic projects, including the assignment and punishment of slaves.

The Priestly Caste is the only Caste outside of the Dragon Caste with the right to bear swords. They typically go light, wearing leather armour, light chain or scale, if not just their robes, relying upon their agility and training. They typically wield rapiers or scimitars, usually with a smaller shield, though some rare ambidextrous individuals wield two blades at once. The Priestly Caste fulfill the role of taskmasters for slaves, goading and leading them into battle, as well as enchanting and encouraging the Warrior Caste, preferring to call upon their divine magics to empower and bolster the Warriors and themselves, as well as healing wounded Warriors.

The Mystic Caste comprises the educated  and academic class of Mordaenye. Not merely restricted to mages, the Mystic Caste also includes mathematicians, chirurgeuons, researchers, explorers, engineers, alchemists, scientists and philosophers. More flexible than the Priestly Caste, the Mystics act as innovators and forward-thinkers. Though considered somewhat unorthodox, their knowledge and ingenuity is valued among the Mordaenye, especially their mages, who find great utility in all aspects of Mordaenye life. Their great universities and academies provide basic education and literacy for all Mordaenye Castes; those born into the Mystic Caste are taught to be instructors and teachers, to help educate others, even the Dragon Caste. Slaves are often given to the feared Chirurgeons, used as experimental stock for macabre and horrific tests; it is a common saying among the Mystics that while any Warrior can hold a man's life by a thread, only a Mystic can pull that string and unravel the tapestry of a man's being, to weave it into something glorious...or something nightmarish.

The Mystic Caste's mages also practice a dark form of summoning. While they conjure elementals and other creatures in the typical way, they also summon demons - fiends of chaos, bloodshed and cruelty. However, the Mordaenye, believing the demons to be the polar opposite of their philosophy and mindset, do not have such fiends serve them willingly; instead, they bind and dominate the demon, often using a slave as a host for demonic possession, to keep the demon in reserve and to properly whittle down its defenses and dominate its will to the caster's. They also use their innate psionic powers to effectively lobotomize demons, breaking them in to serve as thralls.

The Mystic Caste act as battle-mages and spellswords, preferring offensive magic and summoning spells to disrupt and destroy enemy formations, and to help reinforce faltering lines. Their Spellswords often fight to counter hostile magi, and rely upon their agility and reflexes to evade harm and dole out retribution against vulnerable targets; they are often seen as opportunistic in battle. Outside of combat, though, they tend to the wounded with their advanced knowledge of surgery and alchemy.

The Dragon Caste is the highest of the Castes. They are the nobles, the governors, the feudal lords and royal families, the only ones allowed to bear swords, the symbol of nobility. They are the rulers of the Mordaenye, and are expected to serve in all Castes for several years - fifteen in the Dragon Caste, to learn the ways of leadership, administration and culture, as well as etiquette and higher learning; ten years as a Labourer, to learn farming, construction and hunting, to understand the feelings and needs of the lower classes. Five years as a Mystic, for higher education and learning, to master mathematics, philosophy and anatomy for surgery, among other things.  Ten years in the Priestly Caste, being indoctrinated into the Dragon-Cult that defines Mordaenye society, learning of their history, and twenty-five years in the Warrior Caste, for a Dragon-borne must learn, above all, how to defend and lead his people. Ten of those years are spent in military academies to to learn the tenets of strategy, tactics and command, to fight and bleed alongside their fellow warriors. In total, those of the Dragon Caste spend 65 years of their life, from birth, training in the various Castes to become the perfect Mordaenye.

The Dragon Caste consists of noble families, their members serving as the overall leaders of Mordaenye settlements and military outposts. They serve as ranking officers and commanders of Mordaenye Warbands and Warhosts. In battle, the Commanders are often the first to the fight, leading retinues of fellow Dragon Caste leftenants and hand-picked Warrior Caste elites into the fray, fighting and commiting to the most decisive areas of the battle. They are the only Caste aside from the Priestly Caste allowed to wield swords; typically, bastard or hand-and-a-half swords are preferred, though some wield greatswords, and others prefer the power of axes and halberds. They are given the finest, heaviest plate armour and weapons, trained to become masters of their art of war and command.

### Art and Leisure

The art and aesthetic of the Mordaenye is darkly regal, yet often ruthlessly effective, incorporating highly symmetrical shapes and designs, art and crafts inspired by the scales, teeth and claws of dragons, and spikes imitating stalactites and the fangs and talons of draconic creatures.

With their large supply of metal, adamantine and mithril, the Mordaenye are particularly skilled smiths and craftsmen when it comes to tools and especially weapons. In the former case, it is especially helpful for their almost preternatural skill with stonemasonry and sculpting, and their architecture and engineering talents are second only to the Dwarves and Uldurim; they learned much of stonework from the Uldurim, one of their very few allies. Mordaenye architecture emphasizes grandeur, intimidatingly large and richly-decorated design features carved directly from the rock, and structures often incorporate flying buttresses, ribbed vaults, towering pillars and wicked spires, almost invariably cunningly made to resemble draconic aspects. They are designed first with structural integrity in mind, and are almost always built to withstand sieges, and to provide defense for citizens and for militia and warriors to man.

One of the most important Mordaenye structures are the Law-Pillars. In each settlement, vast pillars are carved from stalagmites and columns, and the laws and histories of the settlement, its heroes, and the way of the Onyx Dragon are inscribed into the stone by the skilled arts of Labourers and their slaves. The Priests then enchant the runes, causing the words to glow even in the darkness of the Underkingdom. The Law-Pillars act not merely as statements of law and history, but also as calendars and clocks, with enchanted fires and runes burning, glowing and dimming in accordance with the passing of time and the seasons.

Despite, or perhaps because of, their peoples' emphasis on war and expansion, Mordaenye have a right to be proud of their culture. A strong written and oral tradition exists among their people, and Mordaenye poetry, fables and music is as varied as any other, though often with a melancholic, introspective edge - a contrast to the bloodthirsty violence that most races witness.

Art such as music, architecture, literature and dance is not the domain of any particular caste; it is something that transcends class boundaries and social position, though each caste tends to have its own particular bent. Labourer Caste music tends to be informal and somewhat bawdy and raucous, and troubadours and traveling performers count themselves among the Labourers, performing for the general population and showcasing their work. Warrior Caste art tends to take the form of metal-working and elegant engravings upon their arms and armour, their music distinctly martial in nature, and often used to help time marches and parades. Priestly Caste artists create beautiful frescoes and tapestries, often religious or spiritual in nature, and the unique design of Mordaenye churches maximizes acoustics for the use of chorales and high praises. Mystic Caste artists use their unique talents as mages to infuse the essence of the arcane into the paintings and art they make, creating fascinating, moving pictures that shift and change, and their music often makes use of magical means to enhance their voices and skills. Dragon Caste artists take pride in their deeply elegant, symbolic and grand works; their poetry is epic in  content, their music soul-touching in its dark beauty, and no expense is spared to showcase the finest artists of the Imperium, and their masterpieces, to the noble courts.

### Mordaenye and Slaves

Slaves are a vital part of Mordaenye society. Unlike the Uldurim, where slaves are the property of the King, Mordaenye thralls are solely the property of those who have been assigned them, or those who captured them. Slaves have no rights in Mordaenye society; every unjust and cruel action is overlooked and even encouraged, and thanks to the Mordaenye beliefs of superiority, and the belief that they consider only themselves "people", abuse, humiliation, summary execution, experimentation and worse are allowed against the slave by its owner. They are give only meager garments and whatever tools are required for their tasks.

Slaves do everything the Mordaenye do not want to do; they clean the streets, work on buildings, cook, serve food and drink for everyone from the lowest Labourer Caste farmer to the highest-born Dragon Caste noble. They farm for mushrooms, mine ores and minerals, and even serve, forcibly, as slave levies - little more than cannon fodder for wave attacks, to wear down and tire out an enemy force.

A slave can never hope to advance in Mordaenye society. Manumission is unheard of; ultimately, their fate is to be executed, sacrificed to the Onyx Dragon, or worked or beaten to death. The Warrior Caste force slaves into levy formations; they are given crude clubs or whatever weapons and armour they can scavenge, and forced to fight and sacrifice themselves against their own people. The Priestly Caste is especially fond of blood sacrifices, immolating, suffocating, bleeding dry or tearing out the hearts of slaves, to glorify the Onyx Dragon.

The Mystic Caste uses them for several purposes; foremost as test subjects for heartless and macabre experiments, often pumping them full of alchemical concoctions to use as mindless, brute labour or disposable shock troops in battle, or used as living bombs and sappers, loaded with explosive or acidic concoctions, forced to dash into enemy formations or against fortifications and obstacles, and detonated in their midst in a violent and extremely painful end.

Those slaves who escape the Mordaenye are often broken, in mind, body and spirit, by their captivity, for the Mordaenye not only brand, lash and beat their slaves, but take pleasure in humiliating and tormenting them, stripping away their individuality and their very pride. Perhaps even worse, the Mystic Caste's mages often use them as demon-hosts - ritually binding demons to living slaves, possessing them and controlling the fiend within, almost invariably damning the victim's soul to a fate worse than death.

## Religion

### Faith and Worship

The Mordaenye accept the worship of only one being - Kzendaal, the Onyx Dragon. It was Kzendaal who, in life, took the ancestors of the Mordaenye under his wing, who saved them from the terrors of the Underkingdom and who gave them laws and ways to form a society to live by. He was a stern but caring father, one who gave his life to defend his adoptive children, and even in death, his spirit, locked in a deathless, dreaming sleep, watches over the Mordaenye - but is blind to their doings, even as he offers the priests his divine power.

The Kzendaalian faith places a heavy emphasis upon unity, and the strength and power that it brings, exulting the Mordaenye to work always for the benefit for eachother, to discipline their minds and bodies. It is a faith that demands hard work and labour, and does not tolerate the lazy or indolent; it favours the bold, the loyal, the pious and beneficent who make sacrifices to increase the grandeur and prosperity of their people. The faith is the originator of the many laws and customs of the Mordaenye, and a strong sense of justice, personal honour and orderliness are seen as sacred virtues.

The Mordaenye, thus, view Kzendaal as a god in his own right, the saviour of their race, the giver of all that is good and just in the world, the only creature worthy of their adulation and worship, to the point that their society revolves entirely around his will - or so they believe. In truth, the bitterness and hatred of the Mordaenye's traumatic escape to the Underkingdom has perverted the original cult and dogma of Kzendaal, turning his stern but fair laws towards justifying oppression and genocide of the worst sort; if Kzendaal were to awaken, he would weep at the state of his children.

The Priestly Caste is the only caste allowed to administer the rites and rituals of the Kzendaalian religion. Prayers are performed four times a day - in the morning, noon, afternoon and evening, with priests presiding over prayers with sermons, leading hymnals and chorales in praise of Kzendaal, blessing each caste and distributing alms, and medicine; sacrifices of animals and slaves are quite frequent.

The Kzendaalian faith advocates for racial and political unity no matter what, and the rituals and worship of Kzendaal is the glue that holds Mordaenye society together, condemning as cardinal sins treachery and dissent among eachother; to betray a Mordaenye or the Imperium for the sake of greed or to aid the enemies of the Mordaenye is considered to be the ultimate crime, and is punished through hanging, drawing and quartering, so that an example to others is made of the consequences of infidelity.

### Mordaenye Death Cult and Funerary Rituals

The Mordaenye rituals for funerals reach across castes - most non-Dragon Caste Mordaenye who die to illness, injury or old age are ritually cremated and their ashes stored within urns. For Labourers and Warriors, these are usually simple designs carved with the names of the deceased upon them, but for the other castes, they can be elaborate and beautifully-designed urns with delicate carvings displaying motifs of dragons, and in the case of Dragon Caste dead, even paintings upon the urn displaying their deeds and familial sigils.

The Mordaenye believe that when they die, their souls are committed to Kzendaal himself, where the dead are granted eternal rest within the deathless dream of their dragon-god's spirit. It is believed to be a place of perfect order and harmony, an idealized version of Mordaenye society, a place of eternal twilight under a bright, cool moon, a holy representation of the destiny of the Mordaenye, and their greatest dream - to rule eternally upon the surface in a place where there is no death, no pain, no sorrow or hate, and where serenity and peace envelop the land forever under the aegis of the Onyx Dragon.