The Race of the Maelorians

Population: 4,7904,712
Land size: 600,000 square miles
Ethnic Diversity: 98% Maelorian     2% Mixed Race     >1% Maelorian Progenitor
Gender Diversity: 48% Female       52% Male
 
Council Elders:
1. Galathros Nardonel- Head Elder
2. Arundel D'Elnise- Financial Officer
3. Scaelor Mazlenheim- Public Works
4. Bedo- Educational Management Elder
5. Dendrin Durellia- Historical Record Keeper
6. Dodran Durellia- Historical Record Keeper
7. Elespra Caleptus- Council Adviser
8. Jade Hieral- Foreign Communications Elder
9. Ehrgon Zekkaiha- Recreational Management Elder
10. Desmond Morrebain- Armed Forces Elder
11. Padra- Council Adviser
12. Nicholai Rendoran- Council Adviser

Progenitor Leaders:
Head Artisan: Alkenine
Head Artificer: Melerasa
Head Architect: Cathound



Roots of Maelorian descent and culture can be traced back over thousands of years to various small communities, yet the unified society that exists now dates back about 800 years or so. The Maelorians still consider themselves to be an old race and feel as though they have always existed as one people.

Records show that the first Maelorians were worshipers of a god named Velcar. Velcar was their god of creation and they believed that Velcar was the sole being who gave them life, passion, curiosity and, above all, knowledge. The smaller settlements of the scattered Maeloria built their societies entirely around Velcar and it was said that each person was handcrafted by Velcar's anvil and that his fire ran within their veins. People were gifted with extraordinary knowledge creativity and longevity. Each Maelorian would indulge and create or learn to their hearts content, yet none strove for a common goal.

Many believe that the Maelorians took Velcar's gift for granted and aroused his anger by doing this. For whatever the reason, the long life and knowledge within people vanished. Children were born mortal and without the blessed fire of Velcar in them and they saw that Velcar could strip them of their blessings just as easily as he had given them. Only a few pure individuals were given this gift, and the Maelorians saw that they had erred in their ways. It was at this time they worked together to form a collective society in hope of pleasing Velcar once more. Grand cities carved into mountains were crafted and tall stone buildings were raised on otherwise barren plains. For the first time Maeloria worked as one to better the masses. Over time, more people were touched by Velcar and given his blessing and the Maelorians were ever grateful for their second chance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Progenitors:
Velcar views all his people as equals yet some Progenitors are given greater magic than others. Greater and Lesser separates the significant gap in the Progenitor abilities.Although the ones blessed by Velcar have increased they are still rare. In the capital of Maeloria, Vilesse (Literally: In Velcar's Name) there are 332 Progenitors. They are separated into Artisans, Artificers and Architects. Progenitors are said to have a purpose to fulfill, no matter how small. As a result they will often live quite long to carry out their task from Velcar. Each Progenitor can weave magics into their creations. The greater the skill, the more powerful the magic.
  Artisans: Artisans are masters of forging and creating weapons and armor. The least skilled Artisan is able to precisely craft a near flawless blade. The most skilled Artisan can turn an ordinary object into a deadly weapon.
  Artificers: What would the world be without beauty? Artificers strive to make jewelry, sculptures,or anything of elegance and beauty. They often work along side Architects or Artisans to create breathtaking works of art.
  Architects: As their name describes, the Architects design and shape wondrous buildings. They are also the most revered for Velcar has made them the keepers of knowledge. They are far more knowledgeable than any other Progenitor and their wisdom is high sought after. They enjoy building immense Libraries and filling them with countless tomes and writings. Maelorian libraries are second to almost none.

Government and Foreign Policy:
Today the Maelorians live in very a very isolated society and are slightly unwelcome to other nations or belief systems. Very few migrate to Maeloria for this reason. They have a strong order set up within their cities and they value their structure.

The government is dictated by several individuals. The Council of 12 are 12 elders of the community who have been chosen by the people to represent them. The Council works in the interest of the population with the advice and participation of all the Progenitors in the city. This collaboration is referred to as the Convent.  Each city generally governs itself. The only exception is that Vilesse tend to take an authoritative role. Every year the Convents of each city gather in Vilesse for a national meeting.

Armies:
Maeloria has some of the best troops in the land. They do not possess any form of artillery units as their tactics rely on direct combat. Due to their ability to craft some of the most potent magical items, all of the troops are extremely well equipped. Their infantry consists of highly trained legions and warriors with a variety of weapons at their disposal. Large siege engines are consistently invented and perfect. All mounted beasts are fashioned custom armor as well. The real treasure of the Maelorian Army is their Dragoons.

The Maelorians saw and understood the power and ferocity a dragon could ensue, so they sought to emulate that in their works. Some Artisans thought that they could fight better if they used the dragon as a template. Dragoons have some of the rarest and most powerful armor ever created by the Maelorians. The armor covers the entire body even down to the head so no Dragoon's identity is revealed. It is created in a way that bends and twists with the body and allows for a wide range of movement. The most remarkable thing is the metal wings fashioned at the back. They appear as an ordinary cape, but when activated they allow the Dragoon to propel into flight with the grace and power of a dragon. Dragoons often carry several weapons that they are exceedingly proficient at.  Dragoons are not high in numbers but they are deadly in combat. They train seclusive and strictly for years. All of their training leads up to their final trial. Every Dragoon must slay a Dragon alone. Most die during this last test but the ones who survive are honored and respected in the community as a full Dragoon.
Over the years a Dragoon can move up in rank by slaying a stronger dragon. The top Dragoons have probably slain dozens of ancient dragons single handed.
Only the finest Artisans make armor and weapons for the Dragoons, which means that they are the ones who posses the most powerful and elegant weapons and armor.
Examples of Dragoons:




The current leader of the Dragoons: A noble named Tharandur. He is the successor of Desmond Morrebain. He is the most skilled fighter in Maeloria on record.


Most of Maelorian battle tactics revolve around their huge mobility. Ranged attacks are non-existent in Maeloria since so much of their strategy relies on the element of the attack from the air. The Dragoons allow Maeloria to be present at all side of the battlefield due to their high range of motion. Most often Dragoons will attempt to flank a force that is occupied with the copious ground units. It is with the large number of ground units and constant assault on the enemy's weak points by the Dragoons, that Maelorian armies achieve victory.

Maelorians: They enjoy the pursuits of knowledge and all things innovative. They are the inventors of the age and spend their time creating incredible wonders. They are hesitant to accept the cultures of others, however, and many find them to be stuck up or overly proud. They can be hostile to new people or beliefs but they are generally level headed. Maelorians do prefer to live out their days in more isolated communities than travel to other places.

Notable figures:
Galathros Nardonel acts as an overseer on Maeloria's Council of Elders. He has a strong sense of Nationalism and obviously thinks highly of Maeloria. His primary concern is establishing a strong presence on Spero. He does hope that other nations will learn from Maeloria's organization and attempt to emulate it. With any luck other nations might even adopt the entire Maelorian society and help them expand.



Arundel D'Elnise is the financial organizer of Maeloria. It is her task to manage the expenditures of the cities. She also works alongside Galathros in decision making. She has a strong adamant personality.



Scaelor Mazlenheim has a love of reading and writing and marveling at works of art. He enjoys the pleasures and beauty of life. It is his responsibility to ensure these opportunities to the common Maelorians. He is more laid back and thoughtful of the Council. He is more open to other ideas.



Bedo is a scholar and a disciplined man. He has a lighthearted appearance but possesses a large amount of self control and willpower. He studies several hours a day and is the most knowledgeable of the Council. It is his job to manage the educational system of Maeloria so that the people may learn.



Dendrin Durellia is a twin brother and a keeper of the historical records that Maeloria has in its libraries. He is usually the one who sifts through material and organizes it for the convenience of his brother. He is more strict than his brother Dodran.


Dodran Durellia is a twin brother and the other keeper of Maeloria's records. He takes the job of a scribe more often and is generally more of a historical evaluator than his brother. His mood tends to be more easy going than Dendrin.



Elespra Caleptus is wise and many value her opinion. She is the eldest on the Council and maintains a high level or respect. Thought slightly old fashion, she often tries to consider all points of view.



Jade Hieral is the youngest of the Council. She deals with all foreign affairs. Most Maelorians dislike a lot of contact with other nations. While Jade might not enjoy leaving Maeloria she is fascinated with other races and loves to learn about them.


Ehrgon Zekkaiha is a very wise man who enjoys pursuing philosophical questions. Although he is intelligent enough to hold a higher rank, he prefers to spend his time more leisurely and day dreams a lot. He currently works on maintaining the average daily lives of Maelorians.



Desmond Morrebain was the former leader of the Dragoons. He was an elite warrior and strategist in his day but has long since retired. He was known as Morrebain the Mighty, His high reputation earned him the position of head of Maelorian Defenses on the Council of Elders.



Padra is another wise individual who enjoys tackling problems. He has a very traditional Maelorian viewpoint and feels that the Maelorians should be focusing more on pleasing Velcar than expanding or dealing with other nations.



Nicholai Rendoran is another young mind on the council, though still older than Jade. He is there for his newer ideas and a different unconventional belief. He is the most open minded of the group and wants to welcome the new races and work alongside them.


Progenitor Leaders:
Head Artisan: Alkenine
Head Artificer: Melerasa
Head Architect: Cathound