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The Ones Who Couldn't Be Saved
Fewer creatures in the Mortal Realms are more misunderstood than the Maelim. Their deeds are infamous and their being corrupted and twisted. They are rightly feared and reviled by the denizens of the Mortal Realms. Humans and Benelim have storied histories of conflicts with the Maelim over the centuries. Countless atrocities and wars waged by both sides. Angyls and True Nephilim view them with nothing but silent contemp. Daemons and certain deities see them as little better than pawns.
But no one hates Maelim more than themselves.
Their origins can be traced back to Godfall, just like the Benelim. The Gods desired to create a new breed of Nephilim, closer to human in size. By the time the Second War in the Heavens began, these recently dubbed Novalim were spirits without a physical form. When Godfall concluded the war, the Novalim were engulfed by a torrent of magical energy. The baleful power ravaged their sprits, twisting and corrupting them. The Gods rushed to salvage them as well as give them their bodies at last.
But not all of them could be saved. Some were too badly damaged, others the Gods were simply too late. Their physical forms were misshapen and deformed. Some were on the cusp of madness and others went feral. Some didn't outwardly show the symptoms right away, chief among them was a Maelim known only as the Mad King. But the degradation was inevitable. The Mad King was friends with the first of the Benelim, soon to-be High King Ioannis. Together they tried to heal the Maelim, but all their attempts failed. Not even the Gods could save them, Whenever Terra tried, all she did was make them further twisted. Their essence was set in stone, altering it further could only make it worse.
Legend says before the corruption was complete, The Mad King wished for Ioannis to put him out of his misery. No one knows for sure if he honored those wishes.
A Life of Brutality and Tragedy
The life of the Maelim is one of tragedy and bitterness. Like Benelim, they are seemingly ageless or at least incredibly long lived, although most Maelim don't like that long. Their physical form is wracked by deformities and abomination but even worse it their mind and spirit. Each and every Maelim has a distinct feeling of uncanniness in their very being. A wrongness that frightens them and angers them. They are foul, bitter and spiteful. They are mentally unstable and abrasive which in turn leads to no end of hardship and strife.
Most see no chance for hope or prosperity so they give into their vices. Some drink themselves into a stupor, many others take up arms and lash out against all in their path. These Maelim often join together as warbands and cause untold suffering. Compounding matters is a development that is almost in mockery of the Benelim Lifesongs.
The self-loathing among Maelim is so extreme they usually don't even have names. As a result, the only time a Maelim can stand out is through deeds, usually those of violence and death. An aspiring warlord could gain a Moniker of Infamy through strength of arms and cruelty. A title that signifies them as an opponent to be feared. Examples include 'The Butcher', 'The Ravager', and 'The Beast'. Many Maelim aspire to live up to these legacies causing untold harm as a result.
Maelim often find themselves pawns of greater powers. Maelim are warlike and fearsome, which has proven desirable to criminals as powerful as deities to as common as humans and Benelim. Sometimes they do this willingly, sometimes it is a deal made out of fear.
Flickers of Hope
Despite the rampant corruption and bitterness, hope might not be lost. While many Maelim give into their vices... some do not. Many Maelim simply wish to live their own lives. And despite their reputation, Maelim can be just as civilized and intelligent as anyone else. Whole tribes of Maelim dwell in the swampy hinterlands just south of the Realm of the Golden Wood. Nomadic, these tribes typically don't bother anyone and wish to be left alone.
In the north there are Maelim kingdoms as well. These are brutal domains, often clashing with Murex or the Northern Kingdoms and they are often safe havens for criminals. Yet they are still quite stable and can be reasoned with if treated with respect. Sometimes a Maelim will seek to reform their race as a whole. One notable example of this was The Mad Prince, a Maelim who claimed to be a child of The Mad King. He was eventually murdered, such was the price of hope.
Benelim have been known to have civil if tense relations with certain tribes of Maelim. There is often an unspoken rule between both peoples; Never Strike First. Yet for the Maelim's part, only High King Ioannis has their respect. The few times in history Benelim and Maelim worked together was often the result of his request.
Such cooperation never lasts long as the Maelim's abrasiveness inevitably forces a return to the status quo. Yet in spite of how often it gets crushed, the flickers of hope have never fully died. Maybe one day The Mad King will return and save his people. Or perhaps the strength to be better was always there, just waiting to be discovered. After all, it's never too late to try...
Notable Maelim
The Mad King
The Mad Prince
The Butcher
The Prince
The Scythe
The Beast
The Brute
The Ape
The Trapper
The Flayer
The Chieftain (Chief)
The Hunter (Lazarus Seven)
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