Eternal Champion Species

[Mage]

So, with the Elric and Hawkmoon books out, and upcoming books in future, and my limited time, I figured it would be easier to run a Sailors on the Seas of Fate style game.

So, to give players options, and let them come from different worlds, lets list out the different races, and maybe give them some sort of bonus akin to cultural background, or rather in addition to it, and stats.

Well, the following are done:

Humans
Melniboneans
Merryn (I know I screwed up the spelling)
Half Melniboneans.
Tragic Millenium mutants

I am not very knowledgable about the rest of MMs books, but I am enthusiastic.

Others to do:
Vadhagh?
Mabden?

What else is there?

 

[Vagabond]

I assume you meant Myrrhyn?

The Nhadragh, Ragha-da-Kheta, and Shalafen (from Corum)
The Dharzi?
The Kelmain?
The Boatmen of Xerlerenes?

-V

 

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

The thing about EC species is that the different species in each world are all largely the same. So Mabden = Humans, Vadhagh = Melniboneans, and so on. There may be some differences in culture and some may be at more primitive or advanced technological levels, but otherwise the same.

 

[Loz]

I assume you meant Myrrhyn?

The Nhadragh, Ragha-da-Kheta, and Shalafen (from Corum)
The Dharzi?
The Kelmain?
The Boatmen of Xerlerenes?

-V

The last three in the list get quite a lot of detail in the Elric Companion...

 

[tarkhan bey]

What is the name of the root race for the Melnibonean's? I think that the term "Eldren" has been mentioned(possibly in the Erekose books). Would this be the racial designator? Are the Mernii and the Vadhagh simply different types of Eldren or are the Vadhagh and the Melniboneans different strands of the Mernii? If the latter,is Mernii their correct racial name and Melnibonean their "tribal" grouping?

 

[Loz]

What is the name of the root race for the Melnibonean's? I think that the term "Eldren" has been mentioned(possibly in the Erekose books). Would this be the racial designator? Are the Mernii and the Vadhagh simply different types of Eldren or are the Vadhagh and the Melniboneans different strands of the Mernii? If the latter,is Mernii their correct racial name and Melnibonean their "tribal" grouping?

There's no real taxonomy. The Eldren are the elder race from Erekose, Mernii/Melnboneans from Elric, Vadhagh from Corum, and so forth. They all share similar racial characteristics but are very different culturally. Its impossible to tell which is the progenitor race and what is designator would be. Quite simply, Moorcock's never detailed it.

Mernii is what the Melniboneans called themselves before one faction started to worship chaos whilst the others worshipped the balance. The chaos worshippers became the Melniboneans whilst the mernii fled (and I termed them Menastrai for the Unknown East book). So from that POV the Melniboneans are a cultural/religious group.

Sorry I can't be of more help!

 

[Mage]

So they are the same just different ethnicities? In that case what of the balance worshipping melinboneans?

 

[Loz]

So they are the same just different ethnicities? In that case what of the balance worshipping melinboneans?

To begin with all the mernii followed the Balance. That changed when Aricoh gained influence via the White Crow / Silverskin bargains described in the comic series 'Making of a Sorcerer'.

In the 'Unknown East' book I called the Balance worshippers who fled at the end of the civil war the Menastrai, but that can't be considered canon as its a game book. So, taken the canon, the mernii were the Balance worshippers and the ones who chose the side of Chaos, and vanquished the mernii became the Melniboneans taking their name from the island, I guess.

 

[atgxtg]

There's no real taxonomy. The Eldren are the elder race from Erekose, Mernii/Melnboneans from Elric, Vadhagh from Corum, and so forth. They all share similar racial characteristics but are very different culturally. Its impossible to tell which is the progenitor race and what is designator would be. Quite simply, Moorcock's never detailed it.


Sorry I can't be of more help!

Considering the cyclic nature of the EC series there might not be a progenitor reace per sey, but one could fold into the next. Moorcock does drop a few clues and hints, though.

The Dragon in the Sword reveals a race of Eldren who eventually become the Melniboneans.

 

[Loz]

Spot on, atgxgt. I don't get too hung up on the weird relationships between the elder races but I can see how it might be important for a campaign - especially one that spans different planes.

 

[tarkhan bey]

Thanks for your thoughts chaps. The Dragon in the Sword, I knew I hadn't imagined that about the Eldren and the Melniboneans.
As my ongoing campaign is definately going to move through the planes eventually I would like to ask you all another question. Sorry if this is a slight hijack but I will make it quick.
Do you think that the Vadhagh were representative of a lawful counterbalance to the Mernii?(as implied in the Darcsyde supplement)

 

[Vagabond]

Also, it should be noted that Mabden =/= Human, at least not
exactly. The Mabden as found on Pan Tang are not of the same
stock as the rest of the Humans that existed in the Young Kingdoms.
The Mabden came from another plane, and were more attuned with
Chaos.

-V

 

[tarkhan bey]

I often wondered about the mabden of Pan Tang and a possible link to the Mabden of Corum's milieu.

 

[Mage]

So are the people on pan tang different from humans on the young kingdoms, or are they mabden or what??

As for melniboneans and this stock idea, what is the link with the olab? Maybe that is what makes them different?

 

[Loz]

So are the people on pan tang different from humans on the young kingdoms, or are they mabden or what??

As for melniboneans and this stock idea, what is the link with the olab? Maybe that is what makes them different?

The olab are tricky. The Jade Man's Eyes was an early Elric story before MM had fleshed out what came later. Elric sees a similarity, facially, with the Melniboneans and speculates that perhaps they have a common ancestry. Could be that the olab are a mutated version of the Melnibs - or something utterly different altogether and its coincidence. Again, a mystery worth exploring in a campaign, but otherwise left as one of those tantalising paradoxes that are best left unexplained.

 

[Vagabond]

So are the people on pan tang different from humans on the young kingdoms, or are they mabden or what??

Moorcock seems to go to some length to point out that the Mabden of
Pan Tang arrived from another plane, whereas the humans in the rest
of the YK sprung forth locally. Assuming the same philosophy is
carried through, the Mabden in Corum's world are the same/similar to
the Mabden of Pan Tang, and the humans of Corum's world are not
related to the Mabden either. I don't recall Moorcock stating if the
Mabden in Corum's world were native, or brought in by Chaos - I'll
have to reread. There are no Mabden in Hawkmoon's world, or none that
I recall being mentioned.

-V

 

[atgxtg]

Thanks for your thoughts chaps. The Dragon in the Sword, I knew I hadn't imagined that about the Eldren and the Melniboneans.
As my ongoing campaign is definately going to move through the planes eventually I would like to ask you all another question. Sorry if this is a slight hijack but I will make it quick.
Do you think that the Vadhagh were representative of a lawful counterbalance to the Mernii?(as implied in the Darcsyde supplement)

I think I recall some sort of link between the Vadhagh and black seers of Narhain. It was a long time since I read the books, though. Moorcock left lots of sublte hints through the various series. Like Serpriz being the warrior in Jet and Gold (you have to read 3 or four different series to get that one).

 

[atgxtg]

So are the people on pan tang different from humans on the young kingdoms, or are they mabden or what??

As for melniboneans and this stock idea, what is the link with the olab? Maybe that is what makes them different?

The olab are tricky. The Jade Man's Eyes was an early Elric story before MM had fleshed out what came later. Elric sees a similarity, facially, with the Melniboneans and speculates that perhaps they have a common ancestry. Could be that the olab are a mutated version of the Melnibs - or something utterly different altogether and its coincidence. Again, a mystery worth exploring in a campaign, but otherwise left as one of those tantalising paradoxes that are best left unexplained.

Yeah. I think orginally they were supposed to be the evolutionary ancestors to the Melniboneans, but that doesn't hold true after Dragon In the Sword. Or maybe it does.

Some possible solutions:

1) Elric was feeling nostalgic. No relationship.

2) Perhaps the Olab stole some Melnibonean/Mernii women (and/or men, no need for the primitives to be chauvinists) and there has been inbreeding.

3) Considering how Chas can warp things. Perhaps the Olab are the descendants of early sorcerers and other arcane experimentation, maybe even Melnibonean-Demon crossbreeds. After all this time, they have become a species.

4) Considering their resistance to Stormbringer, maybe they were some sort of demon summoned to guard the Black Sword. They are stuck on the Young Kingdoms plane.

5) Perhaps the are Mernii who refused Arioch's proposal, and were cursed for their defiance.

6) Maybe they are some sort of guardians left to protect the city/and or the last Menibonean.

7) Some combination of the above.

8) Something else entirely.

 

[Loz]

All the above are perrfectly possible and would make a great backdrop for a 'Bright Shadows' campaign where Melnib mystics go in search of their heritage!

 

[Fabs]

Like Serpriz being the warrior in Jet and Gold (you have to read 3 or four different series to get that one).

Yes, this revelation makes the meeting involving Serpriz and the Warrior in the Quest for Tanelorn need a little revision