Melgari

The Melgari are the Elven folk of the Maënen, a forested region in Northeastern Arceleron. In the Common Tongue, they are often referred to as Brown-, Golden-, or Wood Elves, but Melgari, Mëlatri, or the Tree people is what they call themselves. Melgari rejected the stiff, formal traditions of Meldari high culture, preferring a more romantic, simple existence in harmony with the land and its wild beauty and creatures. They are relatively nimble and quick in body compared to their more "civilized" Grey Elven cousins (who often look down upon the Melgari as unruly, naive and barbaric). Their agility makes them well-suited as scouts and rangers. However, they are also a quick-witted folk, and many pursue successful careers in scholarly pursuits or trading. Melgari live two to three times as long as humans; with a 170-year-old Melgari being old and a 280-year-old Melgari being very, very old. Though they are considered less influential than some of their Elven brethren, they are also relatively prone to producing offspring. As a result, they outnumber all other mel on Silceris, this also due to their romanticizing of nature.

Being the best archers in all of Arceleron, maybe even Silceris, they can snatch and fire arrows in one continuous motion; they are even rumored to have invented the bow, although that would be a clear mistake since they had only taken the prototype of the bow from the humans. They have many natural and unique abilities; notably, they can train any kind of forest animal, albeit being deers, wolves and sometimes even bears. They also achieved a nearly chameleon-like skill to hide in forested areas. Many in the wild forests of the Maënen follow the tenets of the Council of Khadras. These "Khaedras Melgari" are religiously Primal and carnivorous, and do not harm the vegetation of Maënens.

Origin

The earliest days of the Melgari are recorded in written history but most tapestry and tales will tell different legends of their origins, these legends are however not considered their true origins.

Recorded history tells of their exodus out of Aeloth, going back to their birthplace of northern Arceleron. The self exiled people seemed unhappy with how the Meldari society was going, they felt that their brethern had lost their true origins and replaced it with petty saints and cursed temples. Though they found sanctuary in the Maënen, the Myrvonir who had been migrating back there seemed to have faded from history for centuries. For reasons which are still debated by scholars, they apparently had little lasting impact on Melgari culture beyond imparting some stonework and armour making techniques.

Early First Era

Eventually, the Melgari would be united under the leadership of Queen and King Serath, whose conquest of the wilderness and founding of the Serethian Dynasty heralded the start of the First Era.

Late First Era

In 406, a salacious scandal rocked Maënen: most of the females of the Serethian rulers had evidently been journeying to the secluded town of Myrtleshade for untold years to engage in extramarital relations. The city's population nearly doubled in a month's time, and weddings became a daily occurrence for months, as many Melgari sought to sire children with a noble lineage despite the ignoble circumstances. The news even brought many Brown Elves who had never lived in Maënen back to their spiritual home. These migrants, who largely came from Aldevaria and Southern Arceleron and thus did not follow the tenets of their homeland, were shocked to the established Melgari of Myrtleshade, and tensions brewed for years as a result. Finally, in 484, the temporary migrants' village of Avathyr, was burned to the ground for provocations that have been lost to history. The incident eventually inspired the formation of Royal Watch Movement in 485, a Myrtleshade-based cultural organization which hoped to formalize the Melgari approach to the tenets and thereby prevent any further tragic misunderstandings.

With the fall of the Serethian Dynasty in 584, the tribal powers went about warring among themselves, and marauders were able to get a foothold along the coast which they used to harass oncoming trading ships.

Second Era and later on

In 635, a pretender to the Serethian throne, aptly named the False King, led an army of mercenaries and followers which brought devastation throughout Maënen and most of the western coast of Arceleron until being defeated in 658. The only few surviving Serethian tribesmen, who had managed to survive as a Melgari power, were made rulers again and led the Mel through 509 years of peace. Since then, the Melgari have become more isolationist, traditionalist, and distrusting of central authorities, and this political weakness has led to significant losses in diplomatic relationships to their neighbors. Since the death of the last Serethian king Yiëfilien, the line of regency had been made matrilineal due to one of the best regents the Golden Mel had ever seen. Queen Zaekig Yanaë was a natural born queen and set a standard for ruling in these areas.

Society

The elves of Maënen, the humans call it, have always stood ready to defend themselves against aggression, and have done so on many occasions. They often rely on their forest-coupling skills to make use of guerrilla tactics. However, the Melgari seem to be the most pacifistic of all the modern races on Silceris, as they have never instigated war with other nations (leading some more militant cultures to criticize them as cowards), though they have been accused of needlessly escalating some conflicts. Nevertheless, the Melgari are heavily dependent on good relations and trade with other races, as the Council of Khaedras forces them to import the timber needed to make their homes, arrows, and other wooden instruments. Their own resources for trade include hides, river pearls, and certain rare potions and medicines. When they are at odds with the Eastern kingdom of Humans or other trading allies. They have attempted to accommodate other races in Maënen throughout history, though many remained wary of outlander encroachments into their home. To this day, they have little more than foot paths connecting their tiny settlements in Maënen's sparsely populated forests.

The Melgari greatly value diversity. Their respect for life's many facets is inherent in many of their old sayings. Other races are generally welcomed in most of Maënen, the Witlands, though most foreigners stay in large cities. Travelers are encouraged to take care when imbibing drinks of fermented animal essences which are popular among the Melgari, as non-Melgari may have adverse reactions to them.

Life in Maënen

Though the Melgari first united under the Serethian Dynasty, this form of governance has been called a "loose hegemony". There are in fact many leaders throughout Maënen who wield varying degrees of authority, such as the Council of Khaedras. Their territory has sometimes been referred to as the "Elven Nations", perhaps because of the autonomy practiced by various leaders.

The Melgari have adapted to life in the jungles and rain forests in many ingenious ways. For instance, in the heat and humidity of Maënen, common ink refuses to dry. It is still prized, though, as it is perfect for writing temporary messages on certain types of porous stone. But to write words permanently, the Melgari use an ink which can dry even if a parchment is submerged in water. Ink which glows faintly in the dark, perfect for writing in the shadows of the forests, is also prevalent. Writing on a leaf or a flat stone is common in Maënen, and often preferable in a place where quality parchment is rare and even paper is uncommon. Though they refrain from smoking plants, many enjoy smoking bugs from bone pipes. Finding light without resorting to the danger of fire is an issue on the perpetually shadowy forest floor, but as the moons rise, additional light is provided by luminous molds, and fungal growths at the base of the oaks. Higher up, nocturnal flowers attracting torch bugs, whose hives light the branch platforms.

The Melgari share Maënen with many beasts of the forest, including Maënen. They have a long history of welcoming those who seek refuge within Maënen. Many foreigners visit Treehearth at some point, the marvelous traveling city of the Melgari. Cultural loyalties have tended to divide the Brown Elves, such as the rivalry between the Deravans and the Serethians, and the schism between followers of the Kharadian Council and " civilized salad-eaters" who have no qualms about breaking the rules of the council.

Culture

Art & Architecture

Melgari cities are usually located on the branches and in the trunks of the Eldeans, with some individual tree-houses on the forest floor. The Khadras Council does not allow the Melgari to shape the trees in the traditional way, so instead Melgari treecarvers magically persuade Eldeans trees to grow into houses.
However, Maënen does not consist only of the Melgari tree-cities. Some of the cities are built in other architectural styles: for example Fafarnan and Leaf's Rest are primarily Human, Northpoint is Fjordwalker, and Aemhen'yon is a mixture of Fjordwalker and Meldari styles.
Maënen is also dotted with numerous Nylian ruins, built by the Nylian, millennia ago. In the northeastern part, old Dwarven temples can also be found.

Major organizations

Council of Khadras: an important puritan group of Melgari that have laid rules in how to live in Maënen. Their opinions have always been highly valued.
The Mouths of the Queen: The official name for the court of the Queen. They are seen as those that influence every royal decision made by the queen.