Moratallen
Fast Facts
Height: 7 ft. to 8 ft.
Weight: 200 (lbs) to 400 (lbs)
Lifespan: Adult (18 years), Elder (80 years), Deathly (100 years)
Notable Features: Powerful builds. Noticeably taller than most mortal races. Elemental aspect to eyes.
Player Restrictions: None
Racial Ability: Varies by type. See below under Physiology/Biology.
Population: ~11,000,000
History
When the world was young and filled with naught but spirits, gods and the raw currents of untamed power that helped forge the foundations of the universe, Aedrin saw a need for assistance in stabilizing that power. Eikaen, King of Dragons and Brightest of the Endir provided for them all the bridge needed to bring order to the raw and unfettered power of the aetherium but it was left to the other Dragon Gods to shape that power and give it purpose. So it was to Aedrin that the task of filtering down the forces of the aetherium into forms that could be of purpose to the mortals that would one day inhabit Ransera or at least would not eradicate them upon contact with it. The Wildking took hold of the raw currents of power and reshaped them into the various elemental forces in the universe. Upon finishing this work, Aedrin summoned various trusted spirits and to them he entrusted the task of guarding the flow of these elemental energies across the many planes of existence
These guardians became the Primordial Lords, vastly powerful elemental gods that held dominion over the primordial forces Aedrin gave shape to. With this work done, the Dragon God of Nature turned his attention to other tasks as he went about constructing the cycle of Life, Death and Rebirth alongside the Dragon Goddess Raella and her beloved husband the Dragon God Wraedan. For untold ages, the Primordial Lords saw to the sacred task given to them by the god of nature. That changed with the Age of Dreams however. In the earliest era known to Ransera’s mortals, the Primordial Lords were there when Raella breathed life into the Hytori. They were there when mortals took their first steps, eyes opening to a young world with hearts that beat for the first time. They were there when the foundations of Sol’Valen and its Boundless Empire were built.
And they were there when the Rift Gates tore those foundations asunder. It is this event that set in motion things that would forever change the Primordial Lords. Staying true to their purpose, the mighty elemental gods came together and battled against the aldir spirits that clawed their way through the veil separating the mortal realms from the Shrouded Realms of the Mistlords. Sacrificing much of their power to the cause, the Primordial Lords upheld their sacred duty to preserve the elemental forces of the mortal realm and in so doing, they aided in preventing the rifts from tearing the world apart. In the wake of the Riftgate Wars, many of the Primordial Lords were diminished and fading. Aedrin intervened and bestowed upon them a new life. Some went on to become the Gritaeri, the Elemental Lords that remain to this day. Others received Aedrin’s careful guidance and became newborn mortals themselves. Thus began the Giants.
Kyllendroth, Titan of Helikaern
Among the giants there were none stronger than Kyllendroth. A warrior of both cunning and savagery, he stood out among his peers as possessing both strength and power above that of other giants. It was said that he was but one step away from the mighty Primordial Lords of Old, so great was his power. Kyllendroth was not satisfied with life as a mortal. Powerful he might have been but he remembered what was once his and what he had lost. He saw mortals as selfish, he saw the Hytori as arrogant and undeserving of the world that had been built for them. Had not the Primordials been diligent in their stewardship of the mortal realms? Had they not shared all they were with mortals? Had they not stayed true to their duties? And what had been their reward? To be relegated as lesser, to be made to stand aside as mortals spread across the world receiving the attention of the Dragon Gods who had all but abandoned the Primordial Lords to their fate. Kyllendroth resented the Dragon Gods, Aedrin especially for it was the Dragon God of Nature whom the Primordials and the Giants most dearly revered. Kyllendroth rejected this reverence and over time began to spread his beliefs among the Giants.
But Kyllendroth was not wholly successful in his quest to foster resentment toward Aedrin and the other Dragon Gods. He came into conflict with the leaders of the Giants and in an act of rage, he battled them decrying many as fools. It was a terrible conflict that saw storms and quakes shake the lands around the Giant home of Helikaern. In the end, Kyllendroth was defeated. He and his followers were banished from Helikaern but Kyllendroth swore revenge. Travelling far from the lands of his people, Kyllendroth’s journey was a hard one. The world itself seemed determined to extract from him a terrible price for his heresy. One by one his followers fell, further hardening the giant’s heart against the Dragon Gods who had so forgotten him and his people. There came a day when the last of Kyllendroth’s followers fell, leaving him to wander the lands of Ransera by himself for many years. When the last of his strength seemed to be failing him, Kyllendroth fell to his knees and let out a bellow of rage to the skies.
His anger was answered and before him stood a woman beautiful and terrible. She swirled with power, evoking in him both awe and horror. She declared herself to be Myshala, the Lady of All Wishes and she had seen the desire burning in Kyllendroth’s heart. She offered to him a deal, she would bestow upon him the power to seek out his vengeance upon those who had wronged him. In exchange? He would deliver to her the heart and souls of all Giantkind. Kyllendroth accepted and with but a breath, he was restored. The mighty giant returned to Helikaern and though they sought to imprison him, the giant defeated the elder giants and claimed kingship of all Giantkind. Upon his success, Myshala appeared to him once more and bade that he make due on his promise but he spurned her. He spat upon the Mistlords just as much as the Dragon Gods, for it was the Mistlords and their Shrouded Realms that had been the cause of the downfall of the Primordials and for that he cursed them. Myshala warned that to refuse her would bring terrible consequence but Kyllendroth still refused. With that, the Lady of Wishes vanished and Kyllendroth set about conquering the lands before him.
At every turn he was met with misfortune, which only served to enflame his rage and anger. That was until he met a traveller by the name of Shaeoth. Shaeoth proved to be strong, powerful, and cunning. This traveller earned Kyllendroth’s admiration and in turn, Kyllendroth earned Shaeoth’s. So it was that Shaeoth made a proposal to Kyllendroth, to work alongside them as a partner in their quest to depose the natural order of things. This agreement came just in time as in the homeland of the giants, a terrible catastrophe was unleashed as the mountains of their home erupted in fire and ash. The destruction was unstoppable as the great calamity buried the giant cities and lands under molten rock and ash. From this devastation was created the Ashen Wastes, a broken land that remains devoid of life even to this day as the fires of Mount Helika burn eternally.
Vowing even greater revenge against Aedrin and the Elemental Lords that allowed such an atrocity to befall the Giants who were their kin, Kyllendroth swore himself and what was left of his people to Shaeoth. As their armies marched against the forces of Sol’Valen and the armies of Arcas, the Titan of Helikaern would meet his ultimate fate at the hands of the Emissaries of Drimera, Myshala, Akrivar and Lyren.
The Day of Mourning
Arcas was slain. But in his final moments he banished Shaeoth and their generals from this world, that they might never again visit their evils upon Ransera. As the conflict came to a close, the giants were without a home, without a leader and without purpose. They had followed Kyllendroth to ruin and now he and Shaeoth were gone. Aedrin came to the giants then and extended his hand to lead them back to the ways they had abandoned. To return to the elemental currents of power but Aedrin found himself blocked as Myshala appeared and took what was owed to her. Instead of being returned to the elements, Myshala bound the giants to mortal flesh forever, denying them the return to the elemental currents of power from which they were birth. This mixing of powers both Dragon God and eldritch Mistlord left its mark upon the giants and though they were flung further from the realms they once inhabited, they became something new altogether.
The Moratallen and the Age of Conquest
The giants were no more. At least, there were no longer enough of them to truly be considered anything but a dying race. In their place were the Moratallen, the half-giants marked by Myshala and Aedrin’s attempt to bring them back into the fold of the elemental currents of power. To guide them, Aedrin called upon the Gritaeri, the Elemental Lords that now stood where the Primordials once did. So it was that the Moratallen were divided into various tribes, each following a particular elemental path. They wandered far during the Age of Conquest, with many leaving their clans in favor of integrating into the various kingdoms that were rising to the forefront of the era. During the Age of Conquest the Moratallen became known for their strength and the unique elemental affinity that each of them possessed depending on which tribe they hailed from.
The Sundering of the World
The Moratallen leaned heavily into their belief in the elementals that guided them and this in turn saw them weather the storms of the Sundering much better than most. It is one of the few times since their birth into the world that the whole of the Moratallen race banded together in order to ensure their survival. The resilience and strength of the giants from which they were descended prevailed and together the Moratallen were able to establish a place of sanctuary to weather the storms of the Sundering. They migrated to the Isles of Ecith and sheltered there alongside the Orkhan, native to the Isles. Their kinship with the elements enabled them to protect themselves and even prevented the annihilation of the Orkhan race. As the worst of the Sundering faded and the Orkhan began to establish themselves in the Isle of Ecith once more, a great sickness took hold within the Moratallen. This vulnerability lead to the capture and enslavement of many Moratallen at the time but the half-giants were eventually spared further loss through the intervention of the Orkhan. The orcs repaid the kindness of the half-giants and ushered them into their cities allowing the Moratallen to recover and aid in finding a cure for this illness. It was only with the arrival of the Order of the Dawnmartyr that a true cure was found.
The Order of the Dawnmartyr
While many Moratallen eventually departed the Isles of Ecith in favor of returning to climates that better reflected the elementals they followed, there were those who chose to remain with the Order of the Dawnmartyr. The half-giants and the orcs are perhaps the two races other than human that were most frequently seen among the ranks of the knighthood. They were a common sight at the city of Ailos prior to its fall and there are many Moratallen who remain grateful to the knighthood for the role they played in saving their people.
Physiology/Biology
Generally speaking, a half-giant is unmistakable. They tower over most other races of Ransera. Their people are universally known for their robust builds with the strength and stamina to match. The exact appearance of a Mortallen however, is tied deeply to the elemental force that they are affiliated with and thus the clan from which they are descended. One thing remains true for all Moratallen however, their eyes tend to have an elemental aspect to them. A Moratallen of Fire might appear as though there are flames dancing in their irises whereas a Moratallen of Earth might seem to have a gemlike quality to their eye color. It varies with the individual and largely depends on which clan they are descended from.
Zhal
Zhal Moratallen are found most commonly in northern places or mountainous regions. As the Half-Giants of the Air, they reflect this trait. Like all half-giants they possess strong builds but are notably leaner than their cousins. Males and females typically easily reach 7 ft. but seldom crest over 7 ft. 10 in. in height. They are noted for their fair skin and typically have blonde to light brown hair. Eye color for the Zhal are typically variations of very pale blue to grey. They can survive easily in most cold weather climates and at high altitudes. Zhal most notably have very sharp reflexes and have a propensity toward a rather surprising amount of dexterity and grace despite their size. Zhal Moratallen can easily keep pace with even most elves when it comes to feats of dexterity.
Aqiv
Aqiv Moratallen are found most commonly in coastal areas, especially in the tropical climates of the world. They are most prevalent in the Isles of Ecith and in southern coastal settlements. These are the Half-Giants of Water. Like all half-giants they possess strong builds but are the shortest of their kind. Males and females typically stand between 6 ft. 8 in. to 7 ft. 2 in. in height. Aqiv Moratallen usually have more olive toned complexions. Hair color for the Aqiv tends to range between dark brown to black with eye color usually ranging from dark blue to indigo and in some cases even black. The Aqiv possess the remarkable ability to go prolonged periods without water due to their body’s heightened ability to make use of it, additionally they are able to hold their breath underwater for longer periods of time with even an untrained Aqiv easily able to remain submerged for up to 30 minutes. Aqiv are also able to withstand some of the heightened pressure of the watery depths enabling them to dive deeper into the seas and oceans without assistance.
Kishoi
The largest and most widespread clan, the Kishoi are the Half-Giants of Earth. They can be found throughout Ransera and are the half-giants most frequently seen across the continent. Kishoi are the physically strongest and largest of the Moratallen. Males and females easily reach 7 ft. and just as commonly crest a little over 8 ft. Kishoi have the most varied skin complexion ranging from fair skinned to darker tones. Their hair color tends to be light to dark brown, black and sometimes darker blondes. Eye colors tend to be green, hazel or varying shades of brown. As stated before, the Kishoi Moratallen are by far the largest and strongest of the half-giants. Their strength and stamina is such that even their skin is particularly difficult to pierce with blunt weaponry being all but useless against them. Kishoi are very hearty and are usually fast healers whenever injured.
Vishan
The smallest in number, the Vishan Moratallen are the Half-Giants of Fire. They are most commonly seen in desert landscapes, the savannah’s of Turoth or alongside their Aqiv brethren in tropical climates. The Vishan are average in terms of height and build with regard to Moratallen. Males and females range between 7 ft. to 8 ft. in height. Skin tones for Vishan range from smoky black and ebony to sun bronzed. Eye color for the Vishan is among the most startling of their kind with reds, amber and blue being common. Hair color can range from a very dark black to auburn to fiery red. The Vishan show remarkable resilience in the face of heat with some even displaying a natural resistance to fire. Additionally, all Vishan are able to see perfectly in even low-light conditions. Dim lighting for them is enough to see as though a room were brightly lit. Total darkness for a Vishan is that of very dimly lit conditions.
Psychology
The mentality of the Moratallen is that of a people who have suffered great loss but who have come out of it far stronger than before. Every half-giant is touched by a remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. Theirs is one of the eldest peoples to walk Ransera, though their kind have taken many forms they are able to trace their roots back to the very primordial forces of the world. This stokes in most Moratallen an unmistakable pride in both their culture and their physicality. Half-giants are renowned for their strength and stamina, something they are quick to remind the “smaller” races. As a people who have twice recovered from the brink of annihilation they have learned the importance of independence and capability. Laziness and wastefulness are anathema to most Moratallen. Beyond this, the individual mentality of a half-giant is tied heavily to the tribe from which they are descended.
Culture
The Moratallen are a divided people, there is no missing that fact. It is as plain as the differences in their physical appearance but one thing that unites all Moratallen is a fierce pride in who they are. From the very beginnings of their people, they have been a race that has been defined by its strength and adaptability. The one true sadness of their people is that they have long since lost a place to call their own. When the calamity of Helikaern destroyed their homeland, they have remained a people united mostly only by common cause until such time as that cause has ended. Nevertheless, there are a few centers of civilization where the varying Moratallen cultures are strongest.
Zhal Moratallen
The Zhal are those Moratallen that venerate the elemental forces of Air, Ice and Lightning. At a glance, they can be considered a people as cold and aloof as the very elements they revere. The truth of the matter is that Zhal are noted for their adherence to ideals of freedom, personal expression, and sharpness of the body and mind. They are most commonly found in the colder regions of the world and this fosters in them a survival of the fittest mindset where personal skill and ability determine one’s usefulness to society. The bastion of Zhal society is found in the Region of Karnor in the Free City of Zeraphesh. The Zhal are known for their hunters, archers and their feats in animal husbandry. Their home of Zeraphesh is described as an “airy” place with most structures being built into the mountains. Attire for most Zhal tends to incorporate leathers, hides, and furs that are suited to the colder regions. The Zhal might be resistant to the cold but they are not foolish. As a people they appreciate music, song and dance and are known for being skilled jewelcrafters. It is common among the Zhal to find Elementalists specializing in the elemental forces of Air, Ice or Lightning. They are known for their ability to create elemental lodestones attuned to those forces. Zeraphesh and the Zhal remain the chief builders of skyships in the region of Karnor.
Aqiv Moratallen
The Aqiv are a humble people with a great deal of reverence for the oceans and seas. They are the half-giants who venerate the elemental forces of Water and Sunlight. The Aqiv are found predominantly in the Isles of Ecith with only a smattering of communities existing in the Republic of Cathena and a few other places in the world. They have a strong preference for more tropical climates due to their proximity to the seas. As a people they a renowned for being great fishermen, sailors, and are often sought out for their expertise as divers and shipbuilders. Life for the Aqiv begins and ends with water and their affinity for the sunlight has lead them to embrace life as astute farmers. Conversely, the Aqiv are also known for their presence among pirates leading to a slight stigma among those cities unfamiliar with their ways. Aqiv tend to be rather curious individuals who, while easily capable of living inland, are at their best when near water.
Kishoi Moratallen
The Kishoi are by and large the most varied of the Moratallen. They are a people who have made themselves most at home either among the Dwarves or in the Kingdom of Atinaw where they are most commonly seen. However, the Kishoi Moratallen are less unified in their mentality and are the half-giants most likely to have adopted the ways and cultures of what is local to them. The Moratallen of Earth, Metal and Wood are exactly what affiliation with such elements would imply. They tend to be well grounded and down-to-earth people with an appreciation for ideals of strength, honor and bravery. They are the most adaptable of the Moratallen which has lead to them having less of a centralized identity which is more suited to being as widespread as they are.
Vishan Moratallen
It is decidedly uncommon to see a Vishan Moratallen outside of the warm regions of the world. Their affinity for the elements of Fire and Shadow have made them a people renowned for their exotic appearance. They are by far the most passionate of the half-giants, with fiery tempers, impassioned natures and a vibrancy that makes them well sought after at celebrations and social events. The Vishan are the most prideful of the Moratallen and are a people whose friendship and loyalty is the most difficult to earn. Their exotic nature has lead them to being hunted and enslaved in the past and this has made many of them guarded and wary of strangers. Alongside their Aqiv brethren, the Vishan are quite populous in the Isles of Ecith and in the Republic of Cathena but can be found in other places of the world as well. They known for being a people with skill as blacksmiths due to their affinity to fire. The Vishan are universally regarded as a people accomplished in the areas of song and dance and are noted for their deeply moving and insightful poetry.
Reproduction, Aging and Death
Moratallen have lives that are comparable to humans in most regards. Their families tend to be quite expansive however, with one household easily containing up to three generations of a single family. Owing to their history and the challenges they have faced as a people at large, the Moratallen tend to be very family oriented with regards to most of their values. Men and women among Moratallen share roles equally depending on their individual cultures. Children are considered the responsibility of both parents to most Moratallen with marital norms varying across the different clans. Zhal and Vishan tend to be monogamous whereas Aqiv tend to be polyamorous. Kishoi vary depending on where they are from at large.
Language
Tallenese. While it possesses a few dialects, owing to the cultural diverge of the Moratallen themselves, the fundamentals of Tallenese are recognizable to those who speak it. Not all Moratallen speak Tallenese as it depends largely one the individual’s exposure to it. It is far more likely that a Kishoi Moratallen speaks the local language whereas Vishan speak Tallenese almost exclusively during their upbringing leading to their dialect to be the most prevalent. The language is described as very emotive with some swearing that it holds sway over the elements.
