Maelmari¶
A standard Maelmari (left) and Maelmari Brute (right).
Maelmari are the ascended race of the Chaos Deity Maelihs.
Replacing vanilla Minecraft Piglins, Maelmari appear as humanoid creatures with bright red skin and brown/black horns. They follow vanilla Piglin mechanics, meaning that regular Maelmari are hostile toward the player by default, but can be pacified with gold, while Maelmari Brutes are always hostile.
Ascension¶
Maelmari are created through a ritual at the Sepulchral Altar, the in-game devotion site for Maelihs in the city of Rhaveloth. The details of this ritual are not clear, but it seems to involve a full-body burning of the Drehmari victims, organized as a mass spectacle every week. Most Maelmari are unwilling victims, although it appears that some may have been Drehmari devotees of Mael who chose to enter the Burnt Lord's service.
Maelihs is also capable of turning Virmari into his Maelmari.
It is unclear the degree to which the process of Maelmari conversion fundamentally changes people, but there is variation in intelligence and strength within the Maelmari race.
History¶
Maelmari were first created by Maelihs very early in the Second Avihm, as a response to Virtuo creating the Virmari. Mael, jealous of the love his sister received from the people, used the Maelmari as his own army to wage war on her lands, beginning the Deity War.
Some of the first Maelmari were felons from the First Tharhan Empire. These Drehmari were offered to Mael by his neighbors in Tharhan as a means of protection, ensuring that Maelihs would not invade South Tharxax in his conquest.
Throughout the post-Felling history of the realm, Maelmari have acted as an antagonistic force to the Drehmari, with the Empire of Maelihs being at war with the major Drehmari powers more often than not.
Maelmari are the predominant race throughout far southwestern Drehmal, in the Hellcrags and The Carmine.
Society and Culture¶
Maelmari appear to follow a highly stratified social system, all falling beneath the rule of Maelihs and his Burnt Generals. The only other god they worship is the Aspect of Warmth, Brightwyrm Lai, who is seen as a staunch ally to Mael's cause.
Maelmari technology has been a relative constant throughout history, not advancing to the level of Avsohm but constantly being advanced enough to pose a threat to the continent. For instance, the Maelmari were the only race who had access to airships in the first 500 years of the Third Avihm, not suffering from the loss of technology that came with the Fall of Avsohm.
Maelmari are generally warlike, and almost exclusively carnivorous. While the average Maelmari is simple-minded, some have intelligence comparable to that of Drehmari, most of whom live in Rhaveloth or at the Burnt Palace. These Maelmari are often employed directly as researchers by Maelihs, such as the Sunchasers.
Maelmari are broadly hostile to other races, and can be found throughout the realm at small outposts or within Mael's Empire. However, within the empire especially, Maelmari must interact with their Drehmari subjects, acting as overlords and tax collectors living in Drehmari towns such as Tharxax City and Ebonrun. While these relationships are almost always adversarial, it appears that they sometimes became friendly or even romantic, as the Mihkmari came about through mixing of Drehmari and Maelmari heritage.
Spread¶
Maelmari are found en masse in the Hellcrags and The Carmine. They can also be found guarding Ebonrun, in the ruins of Semehol, at encampments in North Tharxax and the Ebony Veldt, and in smaller outposts in Merijool, Akhlo'Rohma, and Casai, among others.