The Maomer

Culture

The Maormer, or Sea Elves, are an elusive race dwelling on the distant archipelago of Pyandonea, south of Summerset. Unlike their Altmer cousins, who embrace order and continuity, the Maormer embody exile, seafaring, and sorcery. Their culture is shaped by the ocean: its storms, its creatures, and its endless horizons. They are pirates, raiders, and sailors, but also a people bound by discipline and unity under their immortal ruler.

Maormer society is fiercely hierarchical, ruled by the King of Pyandonea, traditionally King Orgnum, an ancient sorcerer said to be immortal. Authority flows downward from him, with nobles, captains, and warlocks commanding fleets and settlements. Every Maormer is born into duty, trained to serve the fleet or the court. Independence exists only in piracy, though even pirates are expected to swear loyalty to Orgnum’s dominion.

Religion is centered on serpent-worship. The Maormer venerate sea serpents as divine beings, harnessing them through sorcery to serve as steeds and weapons. Temples in Pyandonea blend ritual sacrifice with summoning rites, binding serpent-kind to Maormer will. Ancestor reverence is secondary, subsumed into the cult of serpents and the sea. Their magic is feared: enchantments of illusion and weather allow them to vanish into mist or summon storms against foes.

Daily life is maritime. Children are raised aboard ships, learning to sail, fish, and fight from youth. Settlements in Pyandonea are coastal fortresses, blending shipyards with temples. Food revolves around fish, seaweed, and traded grain, supplemented by captured spoils. Clothing favors light silks, often bleached white or pale gray, adorned with coral, shells, and serpent motifs. Music emphasizes drums and horns, echoing across waves, while stories recount Orgnum’s wrath and seafaring triumphs.

To outsiders, the Maormer are feared as pirates and raiders. Their fleets strike Summerset, Valenwood, and even mainland Tamriel, vanishing as swiftly as storms. Yet within their culture, piracy is both survival and honor, a demonstration of strength and loyalty. They are bound by sea and serpent, exiles turned masters of the waters.

History

The Maormer trace their origins to Summerset itself. According to legend, Orgnum was once an Altmer king, exiled for rebellion. He and his followers fled south, settling on Pyandonea. There they were transformed by serpent-worship and sorcery, their appearance marked by pale skin, white eyes, and sea-born features. Their exile defined them: outcasts who turned bitterness into strength.

In the First Era, the Maormer emerged as threats to Summerset. Their fleets raided coastal towns, enslaving captives and burning ships. Orgnum, wielding illusion and storm sorcery, led them personally, his supposed immortality ensuring continuity of rule. The Altmer fought them repeatedly, but Maormer fleets always returned, sustained by Pyandonea’s isolation and sea-serpent power.

The Second Era saw their greatest campaigns. In 2E 486, Orgnum launched a massive invasion of Summerset, his fleets nearly overwhelming the Altmer. Yet the Altmer, with aid from the Psijic Order and their allies, repelled the invasion. The Maormer remained persistent enemies throughout the Interregnum, striking Valenwood and Elsweyr as well. During the Three Banners War (2E 582), they exploited chaos to raid the coasts, though Pyandonea never formally joined Tamriel’s alliances.

Under the Third Empire, Imperial fleets clashed with Maormer pirates in the Abecean and Topal Seas. Despite Imperial naval power, Pyandonea remained unconquered, too distant and treacherous for sustained campaigns. Orgnum’s fleets remained constant threat to Altmer and Bosmer alike. The signing of the Summerset Accords in the late Third Era briefly curtailed hostilities, but Maormer piracy never ceased.

In the Fourth Era, little is recorded of the Maormer, but their presence lingers. Their fleets still raid, their illusion magic still confounds, and Orgnum is rumored to rule still, ageless and wrathful. By 4E 201, they remained a distant menace: rarely seen inland, but feared wherever the sea touches. Their exile endures, but so does their power.

Other Information

Physiology:
Maormer resemble Altmer but with striking differences. Their skin is pale, often chalk-white or with faint bluish tinge. Their eyes are milky or colorless, adapted to sea and storm. Their hair is pale blonde, white, or silver, though many shave heads for practicality at sea. Their builds are tall and lean, like other Elves, but hardened by seafaring. Some accounts claim faint scales or serpent-like traits, whether real or myth exaggerated.

Architecture and Settlements:
Pyandonea’s settlements are coastal fortresses and harbors, built of coral, stone, and enchanted wood. Towers rise from cliffs, overlooking shipyards filled with serpent-prowed vessels. Temples to Orgnum and serpent cults dominate cities, their interiors filled with mosaics of waves and coils. Unlike the crystalline spires of Summerset, Maormer architecture is functional, built to withstand storms and raids.

Warfare:
Maormer warfare is naval. Their fleets are swift, sleek, and supported by illusion and weather magic. They summon storms, cloak ships in mist, and unleash sea serpents against foes. Their warriors favor curved blades, spears, and bows, fighting with agility rather than brute force. Boarding actions, ambushes, and surprise define their strategy. On land, they are less formidable, but still skilled in ambush and sorcery.

Magic and Attitudes:
Maormer are masters of illusion and weather magic. Their mages conjure storms, cloak ships, and confuse enemies with phantasms. They are also adept in serpent-binding, controlling sea beasts through ritual. Unlike Dwemer skepticism or Altmer perfectionism, Maormer magic is pragmatic and martial, designed to sustain fleets and dominate foes. They view Daedra with suspicion, relying instead on serpents and Orgnum’s sorcery.

Naming Conventions:
Maormer names are similar to Altmer but often harsher and sea-influenced: Orgnum, K’juran, Lhialna. Titles emphasize naval power: Captain, Corsair, Warlock. Epithets reflect deeds or appearance, such as “Stormrider” or “Serpent-Bound.”

Relations with Other Races:
The Maormer are universally mistrusted. Altmer view them as heretics and traitors. Bosmer suffer their raids, despising them as slavers. Imperials know them as pirates, while Khajiit and Argonians encounter them on sea lanes. Few alliances exist, for Maormer isolation and piracy ensure hostility. To outsiders, they are enemies first, curiosities second.

Art and Expression:
Maormer art emphasizes the sea. Jewelry of coral and shell, carvings of serpents and waves, and sails decorated with serpent sigils adorn their fleets. Music uses horns, drums, and chants, echoing storms. Stories exalt Orgnum’s immortality and sea-born victories, passed orally through crews. Their art is inseparable from piracy and religion: expression as tribute to serpent and sea.

Afterlife and Philosophy:
The Maormer believe in eternal sea: souls joining endless waves under Orgnum’s dominion. Serpent cults promise immortality through devotion, claiming Orgnum himself is proof. Philosophy values strength, cunning, and loyalty to fleet. Exile is identity: they are the outcasts of Summerset, yet masters of ocean, turning rejection into dominance.

Legacy of the Maormer

The Maormer are Tamriel’s exiles of the sea: once Altmer kin, now serpent-bound pirates of Pyandonea. They embody contradiction: disciplined yet ruthless, refined yet feared. Though absent from Tamriel’s heartlands, they shaped history through raids, wars, and terror. By 4E 201, they remained shrouded in myth, but their threat endured — a reminder that not all of Elvenkind embraced stasis, and that exile can birth dominion. Their legacy is the ocean itself: shifting, perilous, and eternal.