The Móh'rhím (Stýrash
"Black Tribe"), or the "Shadow Elves", as they are also sometimes known, are
one of the more mystifying elven tribes of
Caelereth. Their realm is the noxious
and odoriferous Water Marshes in
Northern Sarvonia where the Injèrá
has hid her countenance from for many a millenia. The origins of the Móh'rhím
are as nebulous as their dark-lit lands but it is said that the present Water
Marshes reside upon the ruins of the legendary and fabled
elven city of
Fá'áv'cál'âr and the Shadow Elves are
the descendents of those who had refused to abandon the city even after it was
laid to dust by the Gods.
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Picture description. The
mysterious shadow elves who are still living in the ruins of the ancient
elven Empire of Fá'áv'cál'âr. Image drawn by Quellion. |
The Móh'rhím are presently ruled by
Avásh'aelía. Or as the stories goes. No one knows for sure for she has
rarely if almost never been seen by anyone outside of the Móh'rhím. According
to legends, the Queen has many names but her most feared title is the
"Bone Queen" and with it, she rules
the Water Marshes and its inhabitants completely without peer. Rumored to be as
ancient and eternal as the light elves of the
Thaelon, she is also quite insane and
those who dare cross her borders do it out of extreme desperation or a madness
rivalling the Queen’s. Such trespassers are, like a bad tale, never seen again.
Appearance.
Like their tribal namesake, the Móh'rhím have, over the Ages, evolved into a
shadow-like form. These shadow forms are akin to normal life-sized shadows cast
by a person but they can flit independently across walls and spaces with a
fluidity that is at once impressive and frightening to behold. A rare survivor,
long dead of a natural death as this record is being written, who stumbled into
the Water Marshes once described that the shattered walls of the city are thick
with constantly moving shadows that whispered incessantly. Whispers that one
can hear but can never make out words within.
How and why they have evolved into shadows is a matter hotly debated by both
elven and
human historians. But the popular reasoning seems to be that it is the
effects of a curse laid by the Gods during the destruction of
Fá'áv'cál'âr. Cursed as they had dared
to stay on in the city after it's demise. If the Shadow Elves were to venture
away from the boundaries of the Marshes, it is said that they will melt away to
nothing under the harsh light of the sun.
Another more prosiac explanation is that this shadow-changing ability is merely
a facet of adapting and surviving a harsh and unfriendly environment. The Water
Marshes are well-documented to be constantly brimming with a sulfurous fog that
comes from the numerous bogs that fills the area. Within a few days in such a
place, a human would quickly perish. But
in their shadow-forms, the Móh'rhím seem not to mind the lethal and vemonous
air around them.
Though such a state may seem unfortunate to some, the Móh'rhím have used their
ability to change into shadows to their advantage by befuddling any enemies and
keeping the borders of their city safe from trespassers.
Similar to their cousins, the light elves, the Móh'rhím rarely take on a
corporeal shape. When they do physically coalesce, their skin is ebony and
their hair white as newly fallen snow. Their eyes are large and dark. Their
Queen, Avásh'aelía, is said to have
a fondness for the physical form and, unlike the rest of her subjects, chooses
to appear as a terribly scarred young elven
woman with hair as black as night.
Another idea that has been suggested by scholars and historians why the
Bone Queen usually appears in a
corporeal state, unlike most of her subjects, is that
Avásh'aelía is powerful enough to
withstand the noxious fumes emitted by the bogs of the Water Marshes. So there
was no reason for her to adapt to her immediate surroundings to survive as the
rest of the Shadow Elves had to.
Like most of the elven races, the Móh'rhím
are very beautiful to behold when they choose to manifest themselves in a
corporeal form though their beauty is like that of a waning moon on a cold
starlit night rather than the bright, unearthly loveliness of the
Astyrhim or the fierce handsomeness of
Tethinrhim.
Coat of Arms/Sign.
The Móh'rhím's coat of arms is that of a black
sun, banded around the edge by a thin
circle of light, and surrounded by long jagged rays. The black sun signifies an
eclipse, alluding to the Móh'rhím's shadowy and solitary natures, and not a
tribute to Coór as some have thought.
Territory.
The Móh'rhím inhabit the wide expanse of the Water Marshes in
Northern Sarvonia. It is a
cheerless realm, filled with treacherous bogs that can suck an unfortunate man
down to their bottomless depths faster than a wizard’s spell. The
air is thick with injurious fumes and
cloudy even in the day as the sun's
rays are unable to penetrate through the noxious vapours. In the nights, the
air grows even thicker and lugubrious
and sometimes, it is said the screams of the damned can be faintly heard,
whistling across the marshlands.
The Shadow Elves guard their borders jealously from outsiders and it is very
rare to see a Móh'rhím leave the boundaries of the Water Marshes. There has
been talk among scholars that the Móh'rhíms’ reluctance to leave their spectral
realm is due to the fact that they have been in the shadows for so long that
light, when it touches them, will destroy them immediately. However, that is
hearsay and not be taken as the truth without adequate evidence. Still, it is
true that for a Shadow Elf to venture outside the Water Marshes is something
that is virtually unheard of.
People.
Though thought to be agents of evil by some due to their proximity and fondness
for staying within the shadows, the Móh'rhím are not inherently devious or
black of heart. They maintain a studiously neutral stand despite their bond to
Coór. They do not worship him but
rather, they recognise the indubitable truth that
Coór is but a facet of
Avá, Her counterpart if you will. He is
not to be loved but He is not to be feared and reviled either for reviling
Coór would mean rejecting the spirit of
Avá as well.
This neutral stance has lasted for eons and will continue to stand for as long
as Avásh'aelía breaths. It is
largely due to her that the machinations of the
Eophyrhim has failed as they have tried to draw the Móh'rhím into a
partnership against the other elven tribes.
Despite her madness, or maybe because of it,
Avásh'aelía remains one of most
powerful elven rulers of
Caelereth and even the most
bloodthirsty Eophyrhim would think twice before
crossing over the borders of the Water Marshes without her permission.
The Móh'rhím possess a power that has caused some trepidation among their own
kind. When in shadow-form, they can enter the mind of another living being and
cause the will of that being to become their own for a short space of time.
Because of this ability, others of their race often shun them although the
Móh'rhím seldom use this power for domination or control.
All Móh'rhím have this power but the strength of it varies in degree from
elf to elf.
Only a handful are strong enough to simultaneously control the will of several
minds at once.
Interestingly, it is said that their supposed Queen is not a true Móh'rhím as
she does not possess the ability to morph into a shadow form or have the mind
power the Móh'rhím do. Avásh'aelía
is always depicted in a physical form from what information gleaned from this
solitary tribe and from the odd elven
ambassador here and there (please refer to the Appearance section for more
details of the Shadow Queen's physicality).
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Picture description. A
female shadow elf in corporeal shape, featuring ebony skin and snow white
hair. Image by Quellion. |
Her rumored longevity, it is said she had been around since before
Fá'áv'cál'âr was destroyed, is
credited to that she is one of the Axhái, one of the first elves to step foot
upon Caelereth when it was newly
created. If an Axhái is truly what
Avásh'aelía is, then it is highly likely that she has powers far greater
than shadow-changing and controlling the mind.
Although it is always dark and gloomy within the Water Marshes as the fogs
prevents full light from shining onto the lands, the Móh'rhím favour the dusk,
night and dawn hours to reveal themselves and conduct their affairs as it
mirrors their solemn natures which is sometimes likened to ghosts. Also, the
Steward, appointed by Avásh'aelía,
conducts matters of the state in the hour of midnight as it is the time
favoured by Avásh'aelía so any
Móh'rhím desirous of consulting any issues or submitting in reports can do so.
Housing.
As the Móh'rhím largely exists in a shadow form, they have little use for
housing. There are some who say that the Móh'rhím do not truly sleep, hence the
lack of need for proper housing among them. When they do rest, they can do so
in their shadow forms, akin to a somnambulant state where they do not move or
speak. And a sure sign of this strange resting state is when the shadows are
lying long on the grounds.
But for the rare few who choose otherwise, they live among great ruins of
Fá'áv'cál'âr, deep in the heart of the
Water Marshes. There, a few stone houses still remain as the last remnants of
the ancient city and the Shadow Elves stay within such residences. The
Shadow Queen and her retinue
supposedly reside in the middle of the ruins within a large, crumbling fortress
where the dead are said to walk and whisper.
Clothing.
The clothing of the Móh'rhím are simple, functional but elegant. Due to their
melancholy nature, they prefer clothing in the shades of black, grey or dull
silver. The men would usually tie their hair back with thongs of leather while
the women will let theirs loose and long down their backs without any
adornments. The women also favour old-fashioned gowns reminiscent of those worn
by their ancestors during the time of
Fá'áv'cál'âr with a high neckline and long sleeves that touch the ground
when they walk. The men mostly wear dark-coloured tunics cinched at the waist
with a belt with similar coloured trousers and boots.
Diet.
When the Móh'rhím are in their shadow forms, they do not need any sustenance.
In a physical form, they subside on a diet of meat and
water, needing only very little of
both to survive. They would cast their minds to the surrounding forest outside
of the marshes to search for a deer or
stag and once they do, the Móh'rhím would use their power to blend their will
with that of the animal. The beast will then make its way to the edge of the
Water Marshes where a Móh'rhím in a physical form would meet them. Once the
beast has granted permission for its flesh to be used as sustenance for its
host, the Móh'rhím will then withdraw his or her mind from that of the beast
and quickly cut the throat with a sharp knife.
Weapons.
The Móh'rhím can weave a sword out from
their own beings when in their shadow form. When in need, a blade literally
grows out of the palm of a Móh'rhím which then lengthens into a sword.
Depending on the user's ability, this shadow
sword can be as hard as steel to cut through flesh with frightening ease or
be as insubtantial as moonlight. However, even when in insubstantial form, the
shadow sword can kill for it can pass through a living person's body like a
deadly winter chill to freeze the heart, causing instant death.
When in corporeal forms, the Móh'rhím are unable to conjure their shadow-swords
and resort to carrying normal swords or
staffs.
Although they are competent swordsmen or women, their chief power lies in their
shadow-forms where they can supplant the will of an enemy with their own. From
then, it is but a simple task to make the enemy fall upon his own
weapon and suffer gruesome deaths.
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Picture description, The notorious Bone Queen, ruler
of Fá'áv'cál'âr after its fall. Picture drawn by
Enayla. |
Government.
The Móh'rhím are ruled by Avásh'aelía.
Other than that, they see no need for the overly complicated trappings of a
council or a court. All Móh'rhím are equal in status and their Queen watches
over them all and that is enough. A capricious ruler at the best of times,
nevertheless, the Shadow Elves are fiercely loyal and protective of their
queen. For because of her presence, the borders of the Water Marshes have
remained untouched for many Ages and the Móh'rhím are thus able to live in
peace. If the price of this peace is a mad queen, then so be it.
However, even Avásh'aelía's madness
has its limitations. While she keeps the borders safe from invasion and other
sundry major threats, there remain the matters of everyday details of a
government such as retainers of the court, the occasional squabbles between
subjects etc. In a moment of rare sanity, during the early years of her reign,
Avásh'aelía had appointed a steward
to handle such details. Though
Avásh'aelía seems eternal, the Móh'rhím do fade away eventually. Whenever a
Steward feels his time drawing near, he will pick his own successor. While a
capable nature is of course essential, the most important requirement to fill
the Steward's position is unquestionable loyalty to the
Queen.
Production/Trade.
The Móh'rhím are self-sufficient and do not welcome trade of any kind. A few
are designated hunters or seamstresses, smithers, but whatever they produce are
not for trade with the outside but mainly for usage for their fellow bethren.
Holidays,
Festivals and Observances.
In the deathly still month of Queprur,
the Móh'rhím will gather on the darkest day of the eleventh month and observe
the traditional Day of the Dead. It is the only festival they still observe for
it is on this day that they, along with their Queen, mourn the passing of
Fá'áv'cál'âr and those who died with
it.
Another important observance closely tied with the vanished spendour of
Fá'áv'cál'âr is the Daínfáhelvós,
literally meaning the "Day of the Exile" in
Styrásh. Historians are still
not sure which exact day that the observance falls on, due to the Shadow Elves'
secretive and reclusive nature, but what is known is on the twilight eve of the
Daínfáhelvós, everyone of the Móh'rhím will gather before the great stone gates
of the Queen's palace and shed their
shadow forms to appear in a normal physical state. They do this to honour their
Queen who had returned from the move
North in ca. 11750 b.S. after the destruction of the great
elven empire
Fá'áv'cál'âr to reunite the scattered
elves who still lived within the city ruins
into a new elven tribe. From the eve to the
twilight of the Daínfáhelvós itself, the Móh'rhím would at times sing the old
songs passed down to the generations dating back to when
Fá'áv'cál'âr still stood among
themselves or chant new hymns in honour of
Avásh'aelía.
History. The Móh'rhím
are reputed to be the descendents of the elves
who refused to abandon the great
elven empire
Fá'áv'cál'âr after its
destruction by the Gods. The Water Marshes itself is rumoured to be the ruins
of Fá'áv'cál'âr
and there is another story that says there are some
among the Móh'rhím who had been the original inhabitants of the great city,
including their Queen.
From what can be gleaned from the ancient myths, this is how the story follows.
After the cataclysmic annihilation of the city and the devastation wrought by
the Final Wars, the elves of what used to
be Fá'áv'cál'âr
decided to scatter and head for new lands with Saban.
The elves that accompanied Saban became
known as the Dark Elves and they eventually settled
in the forest of the Paelelon. The
elves who remained became the Móh'rhím.
Their Queen, Avásh'aelía, had been
one of those who accompanied Saban along his search for a new abode but at the
Hovel Frond Forest, the two
had a quarrel and Avásh'aelía,
perhaps recgonising the onset of her madness, decided to turn back and return
to the place that had given her so much joy and grief. When she returned, she
declared herself Queen of the Móh'rhím by virtue of her noble lineage for they
say she descended from the direct line of the
High Avá'ránn.
What remains of
Fá'áv'cál'âr is now called the Water
Marshes and her new Queen refuses to
rename or rebuild
Fá'áv'cál'âr for fear of calling down the
Gods’ wrath once more. So gradually, its inhabitants knew the ruins as the
Nameless City.
During the Age of Awakening, there were vague reports of a mass offensive
mounted by the Eophyrhim in a bid to gain control
and expand their power. The Móh'rhím fought them off but at a substantial loss.
Their numbers declined and were never fully
replenished after this attack.
The final decisive battle came when Saban, the then ruler of the
Eophyrhim, supposedly
used the dark magics lost during the
War of the Chosen to unleash
an army of unspeakable creatures upon the Nameless City.
How Avásh'aelía fought
the ravening horde is not clear but some have said that she had help from a
powerful talisman of her own in the shape of a crown made of bone. Other
reports state that this talisman was orginally a suit of armour that had been
broken and fragments of it scattered across the land, each powerful enough to
repell an army. After the Eophyrhim
retreated, the talisman in whatever form is said to
have been lost, only to reappear briefly in the world of
humans, although how it ended up there is
still a mystery.
