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Main Page | Society | Religion & Tradition | Law & Punishments | Prestige Group | Physiology & Appearance | Notable Characters | Additional Information
Society & Culture Prior to the fall of K'dath-Mal, Mhordul philosophy and lifestyle was almost totally based around one major activity: the Hunt. Hunting was and still generally is the most important part of Mhordul life and absorbs most of their activity. Beasts (or foreign humans, in the belief of some Mhordul) that puts up a struggle before being killed are considered worthy prey. They think that such prey make more respectable trophies. The weaker, or less cunning, are considered pathetic prey, and give little satisfaction or challenge. To get food, the Mhordul usually eat what they kill. The Mhordul try to learn as much as possible about their prey if they are captured alive, to later use that knowledge against similar opponents. Because so much of their lives are spent hunting and perfecting their skills in battle, little time or resources are left for research and development. The Mhordul were originally a semi-nomadic people. They have always had certain caves or dens spread across the land which they went to and from as desired, generally living only in closely-knit familial clans, with loose affiliations to other Mhordul clans. Some generations ago, with all the expansion and development of the other human races, it was deemed unwise for them to continue to dwell in smaller, separated groups. Thus, K'dath-Mal was formed, which was a rather fruitful new way of life for the Mhordul while it lasted. Since it's fall, however, many Mhordul have reverted to the older ways, while some remain near the ruins of K'dath-Mal, and other individuals head out into the world alone, seeking to find some place alone or even among outlanders. The aggressive Mhordul culture had made them a military power to be respected and feared. Many of them still tend to view all other races as prey, and make sport of pursuing what they deem worthy adversaries. It should be noted, though, that these points of view regarding foreigners are not as entirely common as they once were. Like most aspects of their lives, elements of their culture, such as social rituals and beliefs, are based on the Hunt. One of the practices surrounding the Hunt involves the ritualistic tattooing when a Mhordul Child reaches the age of adulthood, with further tattooing to symbolize various achievements over their lifetime. The act of the Hunt is one in which the Mhordul women are said to participate in equal numbers as the men. Mhordul women are tattooed like their mates, and the Vhalurian historian Grant, of House Bronston, commented that Mhordul women "fight like the men and are nowise inferior to them in bravery". The Mhordul believe that you must never sympathize with your prey. However, they do bestow a rather unexpected form of compassion towards their prey, believing that they should never let them suffer unnecessarily. Another seemingly unfitting aspect of the Mhordul is their reputation for being unusually honest. This, however, does not mean they do not use seemingly underhanded tactics during battle, such as sneak attacks or ambushes. If you find yourself talking to a Mhordul, you at least know you are not being lied to, which more often than not is seen by other cultures as their only saving grace. After the Mhordul catch their prey, they remove anything they currently need or can make use of; the skeletal system, skin, muscles, internal organs, ligaments and tendons. These items are used as food or resources for crude crafts - much like when any human hunts and kills a deer. Generally the bones, or any interesting personal possessions of the prey, are kept as trophies of the hunt. Unusual trophies bring envy from other Mhordul, and Mhordul females desire a male who has such unusual relics, and vice versa. These items cannot be taken before the moment of defeat. Status is determined by possession of such trophies, as they show the Mhordul’s proficiency as a Hunter. Trophies are displayed openly and proudly in the Mhordul’s home, not locked away in safes and boxes the way most foreign people keep their valuables, as a stolen trophy holds no honour.
Social Titles It is not uncommon for certain members of Mhordul Society to carry social titles. A father and son who share the same name, for example, would be known as Kargak, the Elder and Kargak, the Younger, with the same being true for a mother and daughter of the same name. Noteable injuries from important hunts may also result in receiving a social title, such as Theran, the One-Eyed or Xujarek, the Silent if one lost an eye or their tongue, as examples. Titles can also be given that carry some indication as to the reputation of the individual, as in Ourok, the Bloodthirsty or Lerak, the Wise. Generally, titles are bestowed to worthy individuals by the Clan Council, which prevents people from just claiming titles for themselves without merit, such as Blubog, the Really Mighty. Earning a social title is a great honour - except when the title is a punishment, as in the Liar -, since having such a title tends to ensure one will more likely be remembered after their death. As being an oral culture, when telling stories of the past, there may eventually be more than one Xujarek to make mention of, but odds are there will not be more than one Xujarek, the Silent.
Marriage & Offspring In contradiction to what outsiders may think, as a race of people, the Mhordul hold very strong family values. Depending on the social caste of the couple, marriages are either arranged by the parents (generally for political alliances within the tribe), or are decided by the bride and groom themselves. After the marriage is consummated, it is customary for the groom to settle a gift upon his bride, generally trophies or jewels. This reverse dowry custom actually has a grim implication. By opening his bride to the possibility of pregnancy and childbirth, the groom presents the gift in compensation to her for the risk to her own life. Not that the gift would help if anything did go wrong with childbirth, but it is a token to her that he respects and honours her for her potential sacrifice. Marriage for the Mhordul is for life, literally. Divorce and seperation do not exist in Mhordul society. Thus, marriage is taken very seriously. If one does grow tired of their spouse, the only way to end the relationship is to challenge and kill them. However, being that Mhordul tend to put more time and thought into choosing a mate than most other races, such divorce-challenges hardly ever take place. Rare is the Mhordul who never gets married. Only those of the spiritual caste choose to live solitary personal lives in order to better devote themselves to the gods, but marriages between Medicine Men and Medicine Women do happen.
Regardless of caste or level of sophistication, the
Mhordul love and cherish their offspring. Recognizing that children
are synonymous with their future, Mhordul parents do their best to
raise their children to be able to survive and thrive in the harsh
conditions of their society and environment. Discipline is strict,
but not harsh, and tempered with mercy. During those six days, the newborn is considered to have no soul and therefore to be not a person. It is over this time period that infants who are deemed to be mentally and/or physically deficient are released into the laval flows of their underground home, as they do not wish to dishonour a soul by forcing it to live in an unsuitable body.
Social Structure Since the fall of K'dath-Mal, the Mhordul have no overall social structure, merely individual clans led by the strongest, wisest, or eldest member, known as that clan's Venator. There are, however, some common names sometimes used to describe other Mhordul depending on their current path or situation. Ghyd'mal: A word used to refer to the few Mhordul who have chosen to remain on the land where K'dath-Mal once was. Oul-Rhekar: Reffering to Mhordul who belong to one of the newly-formed, individual clans. Ghol'aar: Which means a Mhordul which seems to have given up on trying to settle in with any one group or another, and often wanders alone from place to place, only briefly staying among one group or possibly nation for a short time, if at all. Such Mhordul often make a living by acting as Bounty Hunters, Assassins, or the like for hire. Though, rarely, the term is also associated to Medicine Men or Crafters who do not stay in one place, but instead constantly travel so as to help or supply as many of their people as possible, wherever they are. Zhyrol: A usually derogative term, used in reference to the rare Mhordul who ends up amongst outlanders, either as a slave or attempting to fill some other role within their foreign society. Thraul: Similar to Slaves, Thrauls are usually criminals of Mhordul society (although foreign slaves are not unheard of), the Thrauls have their heads shaved or cropped, to denote that they are powerless, and heavy iron rings placed around their neck to indicate their position. They have no rights, although generally they are treated fairly well by their masters (worthy slaves are rare and valuable commodities for the Mhordul). However it is possible for Thrauls to work their way back up in society. Often criminals, rather than being sentenced to a prison, are sentenced to a set period of time where they must serve whoever they have wronged as their slave.
General attitude towards the other races vs. Vhalurians Vhaluran, to the Mhordul, seems to be a kingdom-sized equivalent of a cocky young boy. After having recently reached manhood and growing their first whiskers, they tend to feel larger, stronger and more important than they actually are. vs. Tyreans Tyreans are a favoured target of Mhordul hunting parties. Their obsession with craftsmanship and materials make for excellent trophies when the battle ends. However, to their credit, they, like their crafts, seem to be made of more durable stuff than other foreigners. vs. Alyrians Alyrians speak too long and do too little. Attempting to converse with an Alyrian is worse than watching fungus grow on a rock. At least with the fungus, you can eat it afterwards. Then again that is true of Alyrians also. vs. Khemetar Khemetar are viewed as exceedingly strange by the Mhordul, with their insect-riding, obsession with paper words, and the disrespect they show their dead by turning them into slaves. Overall, they lack in useable resources the Mhordul need, unless sand becomes valuable, and are therefore usually deemed rather unimportant. vs. Azhurans Their way of only defending and never initiating combat shows their cowardace. However, their way of surrounding themselves with mountains and mostly impassible jungle was a rather ingenius defensive technique. But when the Mhordul are in need, such paltry problems are swiftly overcome.
Names
Common male names for Mhordul
Common female names for Mhordul
The Mhordul do not employ last names. They do, however, grant certain titles, as mentioned above, to worthy men and women of their tribe, in order to constitute a distinction between them and others with the same name. For example: Thurl, the Bloodthirsty and Xerena, the Unseen.
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