The Moor Elves
Deities - None in favor, The Grey Lady, Skraag, Deceased Queen GriefLocation - Rocky Caves, Isles, or near the Ashlands/Volcanoes of the Eastern Kingdom
Clans - Varies, As there are several.
Allied/Friends - Many are not fond of ‘em... Not fond of any of ‘em.
Origins
As the Dread Queen Grief, the Queen of Corruption, grew into power - She sought to create creatures that would follow her bidding. She found the once so-called High Elves of the past, creations of the Goddess Shalherana, and manipulated their whole being into her ideal creature of corruption, The Corrupted Elves. Then the gods and mortals devised a plot to destroy the Dread Queen, once and for all. Upon victory and henceforth- Her death, her presence and influence has long since disappeared from the realm of Altera.. as well as from the Corrupted Elves for centuries. They no longer abide by the corruption of Queen Grief, a fading memory of oppression, and to this day - they have shed their past looming title- becoming their own sub-culture of Elves.. The Moors.
Build
Slender, tall creatures; The Noblest of Moors are usually seen straight-backed and stand tall regardless of their height ranges. The essence of pride and self-worth are present in their stable pose when in the company of others. Few Male and Females have broad shoulders- many tend to stay slim in width after full maturity in growth due to high metabolisms which is fairly common in the race of Elves. The ease in movement and stealth comes in the less weight they carry and their lean shaped body. Their movements are elegant, sharp and calculative. Those in Middle, lesser Clans and poverty stand loosely, hunched over on occasions due to a lifetime of servitude in the presence of others.
Moors have more sharper features upon the face than Forest and Silver Elves. Diamond shaped faces are the most common shape of the face along with narrowed-slanted eyes, sharp high-cheek bones, pointed-thin ears, and sculpted jawlines. Their lips are thin and their noses narrow.
As they near the last years of their life, they grow more crooked in stature, becoming stooped and relying on structural aids while their bones become weak and faulty.
Skin
Different shades of the color of stone- light grey, dark grey, to deep dark-black. Similar to the color of mist or the night sky. During their young age until the olden years, the skin is flawless without blemishes, discoloration and healthy.
During the olden years, wrinkles would form about the face, as well as dark odd spots upon the skin, signifying a nearing of Death.
Edit 12/30/18: There are no longer any new Albino Moors accepted as it is a rare trait and enough current players carry it.
Eyes
From the darker reaches of the Color spectrum, the color of the eyes only range from shades of purple/violet, shades of brown, or black. As there is a chance of faultiness of the eyes, blindness occurs within the Moors during the later years due to Old Age- their eyes turn milky white.
Hair
White, Shades of Grey, or Black.
Hair styles tend to differ between each Moor or Clan. Within all Clans, the length of hair is a cultural tradition of sorts. Males and Females would keep their hair long to braid it. Due to their slow aging, it is hard to tell their true age, thus the braid length shows approximately how long the Moor Elf has lived. Some even keep it trimmed to certain lengths to show their true age range, though not too accurate, as hair tends to grow longer than necessary:
- Short cropped - Shoulder: Youth
- Chest length - Waist length: Maturity
- Kneecap length - Ankle length: Olden Years
Not all Moors keep to this code- and it is an Ancient Clan tradition that has started to fade off as many keep their hair clean cut and short or up to a certain amount, with or without braids. In few cases, Female Moors do keep to the ancient traditions of hair length while the Males have been known to do otherwise.
Voice
The tone of both gender’s of the Moor is a more deeper, raspy voice than the childish Forest Elves or graceful Silver Elves. Wherein speaking in a normal tone or a whisper, the deep voice can seem almost soothing and alluring. Raising the voice for a more powerful effect of tone would take on the same traits. While shouting would bring about a sound that comes off as loud, crude and scratchy. It depends on how loud and what the condition it was for raising the voice. The Male voice is several notches lower than the Female voice.
Hearing
Moor Elven ears are perceptive to picking up sounds or loud hushed whispers from across taverns. Their hearing ranges are a bit longer than humans- and fair between the other sub-cultures of Elves, as well as the Nakam. As humans can hear muffled whispers through walls, Moor Elves are able to distinguish words spoken and tones when doing the same. During their first few years of life- their perceptive hearing would not have developed into its full potential until maturity. After that- there is a gradual decline in hearing during the later years near death. Even in maturity, their sensitive perception of hearing brings about a fault. Moorish ears are vulnerable to loud, harsh sounds. Sounds can become irritable from loud noises and in fatal cases - incapacitated.
Eyesight
Moor eyesight is sharp and quick in normal atmospheres.. and fairly good during the mature age. They are accustomed to easily adjusting in dark lighting and shadows. Objects and obstacles are quickly spotted whilst moving around. Because of this trait, they tend to avoid overly bright atmospheres. Bright sunlit rooms are temporarily stayed in. Moors that stay in such settings (constant-constant sunlight) for a long span of time and age (About 3/4ths of their life time)- would see some irritation in eyesight- perhaps a faint blurriness when there is a sudden change from light to dark lighting. Even Moors who keep to dull lighted atmospheres find it irritating upon the eyes when there is a sudden change of light. Many wear hoods to cover their eyes partially so that constant sunlight may not affect them in the long term. Once reaching an older age- the eyesight becomes more faint and strained- and many fall into blindness once nearing death.
Height
Listed is the average height range of males and females during full maturity in growth which is achieved near the start of maturity.
Males: 6”0
Females: 5”8
Note: Heights for Moors are at a maximum of 6'6 as per the Elven lore page.Weight
Listed is the average weight range of males and females during full maturity in growth which is achieved near the start of maturity.
Males: 170 lbs
Females: 130 lbs
Lifespan
From Birth to Death, life for the Moor tends to sway from free and long lasting to cautious and short. The average oldest members of the race live from around 250~300 years. Though it’s quite rare and many tend to die young due to illness or unfortunate deaths.
Once Moors have entered into mature stages of their growth, about their 20s- their physical appearance would start to slow down in aging. They retain a youthful look for over a hundred years or more- nearing well into their older years, about 250s- in which they begin to show signs of old age. During their last few years of life- their aging appearance quickens once more. Their muscles and joints start to become frail. Their physical stature becomes more crooked- fingers curled a bit, they slouch more often, and they move whilst hunched over. Most become weaker than their healthiest state.
During times of stress or great strain, the natural slow pacing of aging tends to quicken, regardless of the age range. Even when reaching maturity in growth and straying far from their olden years, Moors end up gaining wrinkles early or show signs of it.
The life cycle of a Moor is similar to other Elves. They grow from birth until maturity, retain physical features of youthfulness and usually obtain healthy lifestyles for long lifespans, then grow older upon reaching their olden years. A typical Moor would be in extra care and protection away from curious outsiders during their childish years. The child is taught the basics of walking and speaking simple words in the ancient language of the race, Mok’yra. As they grow, they’re usually taught about their culture amongst others in their household. Once a young Moor briefly reaches maturity in growth, there comes instances where most believe they know much about the world- and so they try to ‘spread their wings’. Their grasp on reality is thin and they are easily swayed this way and that. Much like sponges just waiting to soak things up- this is the time in which they take in all the information around them as they can.
During mature growth, around 20s and later on, - height is usually at its maximum peak. Weight tends to fluctuate depending on the Moor’s lifestyle. As stated earlier, high metabolisms would keep the weight fairly on average in alignment to one's height. You’d rarely ever find an overweight Moor- if at all. A typical Moor would find their path in life- whether it be through purpose, hardship, family, etc. In this age- they take what they learn and make use of it. During the later end of the spectrum- and in times of stress, many Moors during this age start to gain faint wrinkles upon the face. Few Elders are in this age range as they are still considered too young to lead others. But those who do enter into the higher ranks attain it due to their health, quick wits, and strong drive for leadership.
Once reaching the olden years, one has most likely reached their peak in knowledge and growth. The young would look to them for guidance and some find the need to teach the young so that the culture and traditions are passed down from generation to generation. Those who have reached this age are considered worthy to be Elders, and many do become one. Wrinkles, discoloration in the skin due to odd spots, and the loss of senses start to spring forth. These features don’t start up quickly, they gradually happen during this period of time. Loss of senses include a gradual decline in hearing, faint blindness and a weakness in the joints and bones. The sense of taste and smell dulls, but they are still considered stable senses.
Pregnancy
Fertility rates among the Moor Elves is fairly low. Though they are more passionate for companionship than other Elven sub-cultures- the need to repopulate is as low as it is for the Forest and Silver Elves, even lower as they find it discouraging to keep too many children to attention. Most couples are satisfied with one or two children. The ones already spawned require great care and detailed attention, otherwise they tend to bring shame to the Clan if left to themselves to learn and grow.
Single parenthood occurs often enough for some reason as Moors find their race tends to meet unexpected deaths. Life as a single parent is fairly common and not a shunning factor. Depending on the single parent’s class status and Clan link, they’d either live in ease while raising a child with the aid of other Clan members or struggle under poverty and lack of a strong Clan community. The latter parent usually relies on outside help or struggle with raising a child while balancing life as there’s a lack of immediate Clan members to help. This is why most Moors decide not to have children without planning ahead and having a bit of a supportive lifestyle. The lack of interest in repopulating is a major factor alongside it.
Half Bloods: Moors are only able to mate with other sub-cultured Elves and Humans. Along with that- They are only physically attracted to other Sub-Cultured Elves or Humans. There are no half Moor - half Dwarves running around, unfortunately.
There are no mixed-blood race traits.
Once the child is birthed- it’s either a Moor or the other race in terms of genetics, taking on either all of the mother’s race traits (skin color/tone, eye color, etc.), or the father’s. Although Moors and other races do not tend to get along, it is not uncommon to find a half-blooded Moor among the Clans. Half bloods who are anything other than a Moor- are never considered to be a Moor; most are shunned by the race.
Genetics/Ailments/Select Illnesses
Moors Elves are a Sub-Culture of Elves. They carry an elven genetic trait, hailing from Corrupted Elves who were spawned by (the now deceased) Queen Grief. Majority of Moors are generally physically healthy as well as mentally, especially those of Noble birth. There are fairly few to barely any causes and occurrences of deformity from birth. Physical ailments- such as when one gains scars or deformation upon losing limbs caused by outside interference - are generally tolerated in society as it is clearly understood in the Moor mindset that life for them as a race is always cruel and harsh. Managing to live with a physical deformity is a great feat in itself- as it shows they managed to live for another day. Some Moors even compare scars and injuries in order to show who’s the more fittest for surviving. Physical ailments from birth, however- such as albinism, muteness or such- are rare and even then would occur in the lesser Clans- many having been abandoned to slavery or the cruel world to fend for themselves.
Hysterical disorders such as the following - Paranoia, Depression, Bipolarity, etc. and frequent Aggressiveness- are cases found in Moors.. where the constant negative pressure from others, outside races or stress drive them to this state. Culturally- Moors who are categorized into such, of the body and mostly the mind of hysterics and insanity, and openly show their unstable state, are generally avoided and are borderlined on toleration - as they tend to bring a wave of bad luck, death and unwanted attention. Especially those of lighter skin and those of lesser Clans. Noble blooded Moors who have such ailments, however are shielded from the eyes of the public and kept safe within the closeness of their Clans if they can be healed. Otherwise, they are shunned as outcasts so that the Clan can keep their bloodline pure, sane and healthy. As Moors near the end of their lifeline- there is a small chance of risks to Arthritis or Dementia. But most Moors do not live long enough to reach old age.
Terms for Clinical disorders used above are not names that are used in the time-period that Altera is in. It’d mostly be categorized as insanity or simpler terms such as hysteria, nervousness, and etc.
Note: Because it has to be said.. 99.9999% of Moors, and pretty much any other race, do not have multiple personality disorders. Nor do they have mental or physical disorders of mindless killing impulses, lust for severe torture and insane driven. Tread these traits carefully and maturely.
Clan/Last Names
Last names signify Clan names, the kinship group of a Moor. Once a Moor joins a new Clan, they discard their last one, taking on a new last name as well. [More in Hierarchy below]
Briefly similar to temperaments of short-tempered Humans and pride of Elves. They can be indifferent, cautious, prideful, crooked- yet they do not embody all that is considered such monotonous traits. They are loyal, respectful of those deemed worthy, clever, tolerant, oath keepers, curious and devoted to their family, passions and desires.
Moors are the least-cheery among the other sub-cultured Elves, yet they do not lack emotions- nor do they hide it. Their body language shows their motives and inner workings, as well as their current temperaments. By observing such things, one can learn to be careful around Moors- If one treats a Moor with respect, the Moor would do so in return, or perhaps hold a tolerance at least. Other traits such as loyalty and curiosity are also reciprocal. The same can be said otherwise... Disrespect a Moor, and disrespect will be returned.
“Openly malicious and don’t care who knows it, but will keep their word faithfully and be generous and fair-minded in their dealings with others.”
A stem of dislike for other races has grown for decades. Most Moors have a tendency to have a strong sense of caution and alertness of others. This sense comes from the constant, unwanted prejudices that came long since the fall of Grief. They can be wary, suspicious, and uncertain of others due to the race’s past discrepancies. In return for the prejudice against them- they treat others in a similar fashion- as not all of them have reconciled with those who have previously persecuted them for past doings. A few find it hard to gain immediate trust of others- and they keep to themselves or close ones. After a time of reflection or in other cases, there are occasions where reconciliation is gained and trust is freely built.
Moor Elves are considered silent creatures, keeping to themselves and shadows in times of large gatherings/crowds. They tend to prefer time spent alone or with a select respectful few. This unsociable nature of theirs has led just a few Moors into wanderers. They grow to live separately from many of their Blood Families as they come of age to travel. They can be found living alone on mountain keeps or deep underground in caves. Yet, living alone can become quite tiring when the race itself has such a long life-line, as all Elven races do. Long term companionship is often sought out- thus, the majority of Moor Elves live in small clusters close to their own Blood. The company and strength in numbers bring pride and security from common unwanted threats from other races. The bonds they create with their companions relies on respect, loyalty and trust in order to establish strong ties. Especially within their immediate Clan.
Although they can be aggressive beings when provoked, and silent beings when left alone- Moors have a curiosity to things and creatures. Their suspicious nature tends to lead them to become overly questionable towards others and piq interest upon other causes and effects of occurrences. One of the few states this rests upon are towards hobbies, work, people, trouble, causes and other passions. Their long lifespan is also the cause of this drive to find a passion to live for, secrets to seek, alongside a search for companionship.
If one drive is lost, they find another.
The Moor Clans
“...Organized into "Houses" -- the term doesn't refer so much to what kind of dwellings they inhabit as to extended kinship groups...They take a great pride in tracing their lines of descent and keeping track of all their inter-House alliances and so forth.”
Moors are organized into Clans, Blood Families. Each Clan holds a family of parents and offsprings, sometimes along with close blood relatives. As the family line extends to other lesser blood-related relatives, different clans start to spring up. Two cousins would most likely end up being in two different clans. The Elder of the Clan is the Patriarch of the Clan. In rare occasions, Elders can be female if there are no immediate male members to take up the rank. They are those who provide wisdom or protection to their following. They hold the official decisions concerning their Kinship group and lead them through tough ordeals. The Elder of a clan may not necessarily be the oldest.. but the more wisest, strongest, wealthiest or quickest thinker in times of crisis or events.
A new Clan
- An Elder + a following: A new Clan begins when one has an Elder and a following. The following must include at least two others, excluding the Elder. So long as the Clan makes its way to be well known among the Moors- be it through direct relations or through word of mouth- they become recognized as a full Clan, one of their own, by the society of Moors, a New Clan.
- The Elder: So long as the Elder of a Clan is alive and able to keep their members in check, alive, and satisfied- the Clan maintains a lively state.
The end of a Clan, turning a Clan into a “Dead Clan”, occurs with the lack of an Elder or the death of its members. The members disperse and become “wanderers”, avoiding large gatherings and keeping to themselves at all times. They are usually ignored. In some cases, members of a Dead Clan can bond themselves to a willing existing Clan, converting their previous Clan lineage to merge with the new one. Other cases:
- Death of the Elder: The death of the Elder signifies a break amongst a Clan. The guide and leader is taken away from the factor- and so if a new Elder is not selected quickly, an ‘heir’ to the Clan, the Clan breaks apart as quick as the death.
- The Elder forfeits their leadership: Once an Elder quits the role by choice, the Clan is subject to dissolving if another Moor does not take up the slot. The Elder in question is subject to abandoning their role and cast aside as an outsider and exiled by their Bloodline.
- Death upon the Clan members: During large massacres of the Clans- Death of the majority members of the Clan signifies a break. If an Elder cannot keep the Clan together, the Clan name, bloodline, or lineage is prone to be halted, all traces of the Clan disappearing. The Clan name would be considered dead..
- In the past- Clan massacres meant being targeted by another Clan and occurred during many disputes and Wars. In the current Era- Clan massacres by a Moor Clan is deemed unlawful in the Political Moor realm and would be under scrutiny by other Clans- resulting in pursuit of removing the assailing Clan and it’s members. …- if and only if they are found out and tried against- Though it is pretty obvious when one Clan takes part in Clan massacres.
- In other cases - Clan massacres were when Clans were targeted by outsiders: Dwarves, Humans, and Barbarians, etc.. for many reasons. Territorial gains, racism, bad blood between the Clan and the outsiders in question. This was one of the largest reasons a Clan dissolved.
Bonding Clans
Marriage:
A merging of two Clans through the link and marriage of two entities. The new couple would take on the more powerful and Noblest Clan names. The two Clans and bloodlines would join in power, wealth, and land.
Willful Bonding:An agreement between two Elders of their respectful houses in which they join Clans, resources, ideals, responsibility. The more renowned, powerful and nobler Elder of the two would become the Elder of the new Clan. They would take on the more nobler Clan names.
Or- an agreement between an Elder of a Clan and members of a Dead Clan to join together.
Ranking of Clans
A Hierarchy within a Hierarchy
The Noble Clans [The Hal’Mar Class (Meaning Upper Class in Mok’yra)] - Few wealthy Clans who have the most direct and longest reaching bloodline since the beginning of Moors - uninterrupted by outside bloodlines. The Noble Clans are praised and highly respected by all other Clans. The old bloodline is considered sacred and a blessing for they are direct living relatives of a long lineage of Noble Moors. They strictly keep to the cultural traditions of the Moors. And the Elder is kept in high regard and respected over all else. They take on occupations of Leadership and value skills of command, combat and healing over all else. Authority figures, Generals and Physicians are praised workings of the Noble Clans. There are only a few well known Noble Clans in the world.
Consists of Pure-Bloods of darker-grey to mid-greyish complexions. Their hair fair ranging from pure white to whitish grey. Rarely would you find a Half-Blood here, if at all. Offsprings of Purebloods that are Half-Blooded or are of lighter skin used to be forced into slavery. Now some are outcased to the wilds, or kept in their ranks with great distaste and discrimination. Half-Bloods who do not take on the Moor genetic-trait most definitely become outcasts, abandoned by the Noble Clans.
Example: Harrowin Hal’Uvath. Some prefer to not use the prefix of Hal’... Harrowin Uvath.
The Middle Class Clans [The Mol’Mar Clans (Meaning Middle Class in Mok’yra)] - Consists of small bodied Clans. The Middle Class Clans are family clusters that tend to average lifestyles. They make up the working class- those of trade, business, farming, blacksmithing, and the militia, etc. - Though they are in positions of authority in their business. They tend to service others through their work more so than themselves and have done so for centuries. Not many find it necessary to climb the social ladder- though they make sure never to fall from its graces and wealth.Consists of Pure-Bloods of few darker complexions and few lighter ones. Hair ranges from whitish grey to dark grey and blacks. Harbors few Half-Bloods of both Moor and Non-Moor genetic-traits.
Example: Laoka Mol’Nazish. Some prefer not to use prefixes.. Loaka Nazish.
Peasants/Servant Clans [The Tel’___ Clans] (The Prefix Tel’ meaning “Servant”)] - As with any structure, there are figures who do the brunt and back-end work beneath nobles and the middle class folk. The Servant Clans were integrated long ago- and consisted of some clusters of un-educated Moors- those who were descendants of the exiled, from dead clans, previous slaves, or had no coin to live on, etc.. They were in servitude to others for their lifetimes, dealing with the lowest jobs and work available in Noble Households or under Middle Class Clans. Some examples being as maids, homemakers, caretakers, farmhands, dockhands, etc. Sometimes catering to a specific Clan and none else. Their own descendants usually being prone to the same lifestyle. In return for their devotion and work, they were given shelter and/or coin. Outsiders would consider Servant Clans barbaric and an exploitation of fellow people. But in the Moorish Clans, this rank is viewed as a necessary part in their average lifestyle as the support of the Tel’ and their work make up a good portion of Moors- right next to Mol’Mar Clans. Servant Clans are a way for Noble Clans to extend their influence.. many Servant Clans were under servitude to Noble Clans.Mixed traits of skin tone and hair color. Consists of mostly Half-Bloods, of both Moorish and non-Moorish traits. Hal’Mars and Mol’Mars who have fallen from graces. Descendants of Exiled Moors, captured, those tried for treasons, those of lighter skin, disfigured, those with physical/mental ailments, etc.
Example: Yasinya Tel’Maht
Clanless - The Exiled or those who have forsaken all ties to Moors are in this category. They are considered the lowest of the low and are not treated with respect or dignity. They are outsiders who carry no Clan name....There is no way to move up in Rank once you forsake ties to the Moors.
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