= Mai'oi'aiu - Moon elves = = Introduction = The number of moon elves is very limited, only few thousands of citizens. Mai'oi'aiue don't live here, they have only one city, Sah aiuen enat, City of nighlight, which is also called the High Realm. It does not exist in reality at all, but once a month when the moons are in right position their city appears and a stairway leading to it is shown. This is the only way to move from the City of nightlight to world and back. Teleport spells and alike don't work thus anything less than divine power of gods is of no use. The city stands in a place where both moons cast light ever and boundlessly. The sun has not been seen there ever, it is like eternal twilight. The moons however are not always full and the cycle of their creates a kind of deliberate day rythm to elven city. This a-month-long period is called Ianaeil, light and shade. In human point of view time seems to stand there, seldom they build anything, never get old nor die ever. The world they live in is bordered by the stars. When you walk away from the city of nightlight, sooner or later you will return to place you left. = Appearance = Mai'oi'aiue are the most beautiful beings ever created. Their movement is placid and peaceful, it looks like they float over the ground. They have bright green or blue eyes and long light bluish hair, which is usually braid. Their face glow soft light and gives them hypnotic impression. Mai'oi'aiue dress invariably in loose-fitting black gown which notwithstanding are decorated highly different ways. The gown has no hood nor there is a separate robe or other especial garment in their ensemble. Their dressing is not bound to any classification or hierarchy and the gown is very free in style and profile. Most have ornaments of stars and star charts or other formalized celestial bodies and different plants, espcially herbs. Ornaments are sewed on back or sleeves of the ensemble, not to chest - that is taken for only one enchanted mark, Eaulfiath, every moon elf carries and it can be seen only in light of both moons full. It is especially important during the time of the song of two moons when it has high and grand symbolic meaning. It means balance and moon elven supreme power over other created kinds. The mark of moon elves http://www.majik3d.org/~archantes/me_eaulfiath.gif = History = The history begins with famous words: "Were created two kin elven folk, below, another over. Created they were in deepest night. Equal from another, as fair were their visage. Born of others was to be, in the light of full moon, others at the darkest hour of night. So was it to befall that the elves of nightlight loved and adored greatly the silvery moon, the elves of shadows learned to know only the darkness. So learned the elves of nightlight the art of life and thus shall their wisdom be mighty. There shall be none who will find a power that unsettles the elves of nightlight. It is cast that safe shall the city of nightlight stand. The way of elves in shadows is black for agony. Four shall lead them, to endless battle shall they be led. So was it to come that no war, no suffering will carry grief to their spirits. And for power and balance the elves in their High realm serve. Great is their power for been pour out from greatest creator himself. Thus serve the elves in no awe but in high regard and obeisance the most great. So was it to be set that the most high ones of those who were created deify the most high one of those who cast." These texts are read aloud for their god in services in temple of nightlight. = Culture = == Food & Trade == Mai'oi'aiue do not sell anything nor they buy things from any other race. They live in isolation. Food they eat they get from surroundings of their high realm. == Manners == Mai'oi'aiue are polite and kind towards each other, but also formal. Other races however, they dislike. They need no advice or knowledge from anyone. Elves greet one another and salute each other with precise and calm hand marks and gestures, and there is dozens of them for differen situations. In the midst of mai'oi'aiue a closing of eyes signifies honour and means allegiance. When moon elves for example greet, the upper in hierarchy closes his fist and the lower puts his hand round it. This signifies, with straight look into eyes, strong friendship. == Philosophy and Temperament == Mai'oi'aiue have dedicated themselves in research and exploration and keeping their world on balance. They know that when night falls will a day follow, when sun sets, there will be rain. In moon elven songs there can be seen pieces of their picture of the world. Quotation is from mai'oi'aiulen aneoilnath, moon elven saga of knowledge, its first, second and 33rd, the last verse. I see grass grow, decay it may, I feel moth flying, way of death. Standing water, soon moving, Arising air, far setting Beginning road, follow round, I know, you see the world, when songs fairest will sleep to silent. Never it returns, round the circle, so matchless, so alike. ripping fire, tree arise, fading star, brilliance born. Ending road, new to begin. I know, you see the world when silence great will fold to song. Wave shall rouse, shall release the created I sense strenght there, sense weakness. Trembling mountain, all return, crumpling earth, new meet. Splintered sphere I see, I know, you see the world, when strenghts greatest into nothingness break. Moon elven notion of time is not linear nor cyclical but a kind of endless spiral or set of waves. They believe everything to be repetitious but different and completely new. You can't upset, frighten or disturb mai'oi'aiu because this spirality gives them safety. They know the waves of the world as they say. Moon elves think practical and focus only on essential and they do not pay attention to unavailing issues. It will always happen as it will, is one of mai'oi'aiuen sayings, but however they do not let things happen by only themselves - although breakers rouse all they release may the crest of the wave break. Every now and then it is honorable to calm down the winds tearing the world. The sea doesn't have to rage all time. This profound way of thinking means that mai'oi'aiuel guide and balance the drift of the world to prevent the worst fluctuation. They feel responsibility and sympathy towards life. On the other hand most tales and legends remember them as destroyers and killers for moon elves remember the other side as well. It is not always for the better if only life and joy carries greatest power. Moon elves act like rulers of the universe, as acolytes of greatest god. They love to dominate and wield the sceptre over other races. They adore power. == Military == Mai'oi'aiun are never taken ill nor they can be killed but only by the most powerful forces upon earth. They have no army nor soldiers. They know the way of battle but never they will need this knowledge for they possess great powers by nature. And the greatest of those is indeed the enchanted beautifulness they carry. One seeing a moon elf, visage or else, is not able to raise a sword nor an archer is able to take aim against him. Like the most dignified bird in the sky is a heart-stirring sight, is a moon elf more greater. Only those who are most powerful and stout can break the enchantment, but however hardly ever one of those has survived. The moon elves carry another, more deadly power. They wield spear weapons made of strange and rarely known wood and it is called eo'altheiu. The spearhead is made of skilfully carved green glowing gemstone, enailui'uo. A strike does not kill in a moment but regardless of it the victim faces maybe the most cruel death. The mind of an enemy is filled with the greatest grief and trouble. It strikes even the most inhuman hearths and even dark elves and lesser demons break in sorrow. For them who have never been able to feel that emotion, it is the most dreadful suffering imaginable. An enemy of moon elf falls thahe'uianai, to light of madness and ends his sufferings by himself any old how. So one can say that no moon elf have ever besmeared his hand in blood. == Law and Order == The community of mai'oi'aiul is exceptional, everyone has equal right for power and honour. They barely ever compete for riches but only for knowledge and argument. Practically moon elves have an invariable grouping and hierarchy and most of them accept it. Some are leaders, some grows food, some herbs, some trades them, some writes, some reproduces, some makes research and so on, and still every elf has almost as much time for study and church service. Rarely has another moon elf killed other of his kind or stealed from each other. They do fight and compete every now and then for status, but they all know the loss which meets their kind when even one leaves. That is why they scarcely ever raise weapons against each other. == Religion == Mai'oi'aiu honour and deify only the greatest god, Namhas and the balance he represents. There can't be found a temple on earth that competes the most magnificent temple dedicated to him, the Temple of nightlight, enath oenia'naiues. Every elf visits the hour of prayer every time, and the temple has room for whole mai'oi'aiu people. The worship is precise and exactly planned. One service lasts for one and a half days in human time and through it the moon elves perform different hunouring rituals in exact order. Every elf takes part in every ritual, which explains the length of the worship. The most important state is the Time of two fullmoon song, which is held in the beginning of every 33rd ienaeila, a human month, when next time of two fullmoon comes. Mai'oi'aiuen chronology is divided to 38 thanienaeile, which means about 38 months. == Language == The language of moon elves, tinaehl, is incredibly complicated. No member of other race have ever learned it. Only some gods and sages master it along with them. It is an euphonious, has incredible beauty in sound. It contains much vowels and vowel-like syllables and hardly any sharp consonants. Word are complex, they have dozens of pronouncing dictionaries and there is over 60 000 letters and sounds in tinaehl, some of them even as long as some human words and still alone meaning but a syllable. Above and beyond mai'oin'aiuh speak quickly and it is hard to recognize different sounds. There is other compound words than the noun words human know, which are much more complicated, like a kind of noun-verb or verb-verb structures. In addition words formed like this change their spelling radically. There is more pure tenses as well than the human languages possess. Tense changes according to when something is made and when it has been discovered. The one who understands tinaehl can only admire its incredibly precise way of expression and its most tiniest grammatical details and their effect to argument, not to mention to written word. Word is this text are conjugated in strange ways in human eyes. This is just because of tinaehl grammar. == Magic == They have many powers which will be discovered soon. = City of Nightlight and its vicinity = City of mai'oi'aiu is build in blue, turquoise, white, gold and silver - in colours of moon. Often are the outer parts of buildings covered with crystal arcs and from their roofs flow fountain-like water streams trough thousands of small juts making the hundreds of gems shine and gleam in light of moons. It is said that when you enter the High realm, you are as near to heaven as you can. City if nightlight has remained changeless for centuries. Rarely there is build anything. The townscape is spacious and broad, streets have been surfaced with stone, houses are mostly two and a half storied and have many layers of roofs. Most distinctive part of elven city is the great high towers rising towards moons. It is full of statues decorated with gems, beautiful light green and argentine trees, small well-heads, gardens and small rivers. Thousands of black flags stand over the city honouring the safe darkness of night. There is no marks or decorations in moon elven flags. There is woods, small fields and hills outside the City of nightlight, where elves gather their food. They grow strange plants, from which are prepared the nourishing food of elves. The most typical is Saeothean, elven bread. Its chief ingredient is minced leafs of a plant, which is poisonous for other than elves, called lathaoas. It is very nutritious and preserves well. Humans can eat it slightly but suffer occassionally stomach aches. = Role-playing = Moon elf is one of the hardest, maybe difficultiest playable races. As a moon elf the player should be very quick-witted and ready-minded. Moon elves are noble and proud, irritating one can say. It would be good if designers having no sage character could take some of these rare characters. A moon elf is interested in world happenings but as mentioned they can't be upset. They know that there will be sun after rain - metaphorically ever. One can describe a moon elf by word calm, and it may seem that they are almost unemotional.