Mellta

The Mellta are a species of highly intelligent bipedal feline, created by the God Stallis, one of the conjoined triplets who make up the God Tribien. They appeared on Azgaar in the region of Comhalla during the Age of Civilisation.

They are a sedentary species, preferring to live in communities of various families. Of the three sentient Hallan species, Melltanians are the most numerous. They can possess magical abilities, though this is undefined and not genetic, meaning that two mages are not guaranteed to have a magical child.

Physiology
Male Mellta have an average height of 6 ft when standing, while females average 5 ft 5 in. An estimated average weight of males is 98kg and females is 55kg. Mellta are fast runners, capable of running up to 35mph, and as such, have several adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail.

Their heads are small, rounded, and they have a short snout. The ears are small, short and round; they are tawny at the base and on the edges and marked with black patches on the back. The eyes are set high and have round pupils. They have whiskers, which are fine and inconspicuous, and are used to aid with vision, especially in the dark, by providing additional sensory information.

From their eyes to chin, they have black tear-like fascial streaks. Their fur coat is typically tawny to creamy white or pale buff and is mostly covered with evenly spaced, solid black spots. Each Mellta has a distinct pattern of spots which can be used to identify unique individuals. The chin, throat and underparts of the legs and belly are white and devoid of markings.

Newborn babies are covered in fur with an unclear pattern of spots that gives them a darker appearance, their long fur falls out as they age. The hair is mostly short and often coarse, but the chest and the belly are covered in soft fur. They have a short, rough mane along the neck and shoulders, which is more prominent in males.

Behaviour
Due to their physique, the Mellta tend to be merchants, hunters, gatherers, rogues and farmers. Very few Melltanians are warriors, and two-handed warriors are almost unheard of.

Their society is a plutocracy: the true power conferred strictly by the wealth likes in the hands of a dozen merchant princes, known as the Righ. The Righ are not princes in the literal sense, but heads of banks, trading companies, and vineyards. Each have a personal army, and each are locked in a constant struggle against all the others. They possess sufficient capital to resolve any external diplomatic quandaries with a well-aimed purse or threat of withdrawn trade.

Mellta facilitates a great deal of trade, both through piracy and legitimate business, between themselves, the other Hallan species, and their allied nations. Their exports are varied, trading in wine, woodwork, topaz, leatherwork and silk.

The Mellta cannot produce young by mating with any other species.

Family Ties
Melltanians live in communities of various families. These usually consist of a mother, father and their children. The children leave home when they reach adulthood, and may take a husband or wife and have children of their own. When the parents become too old to look after themselves, they often move into one of their children's homes until they die.

While low born families value choosing a partner for love, the noble households use marriage as a contract between families. The parents choose a suitable family to tie themselves to, and their children are expected to marry out of a sense of duty, rather than love.

Religion
The Mellta religion is a complex system of tritheistic beliefs and rituals that form an integral part of their culture.

They follow the doctrine of the God Tribien. Although they believe in the God Viribus and Goddess Fentire, they primarily follow the word of the Stallis, God of Topaz.

Education
While any Melltanian child is permitted access to education, the cost is high and therefore it is usually only the nobility who gain access to a formal education. Lower born children are often home-schooled by their mothers or taught to hunt and gather by their fathers. Some lower born children are sold to assassin guilds when their parents cannot afford to raise them. While they are young, they train to steal and pick locks, eventually moving up to assassinations as they age.

Professions
Women have strictly defined roles. They are considered pure and delicate and not allowed to participate in combat, among other things. Noble women are expected to marry for the good of their families. Lower born women may become woodworkers, handmaidens, dressmakers or prostitutes.

Duling between noble males, usually to a non-fatal extent, is a past-time and a way to solve disputes among the nobility. Most lower born males tend to become rogues or hunters. Rogues may join assassin guilds or become mercenaries, while hunters work for the good of their village.

Relationship with other species
Although they sometimes rely on the Mathan for their agriculture, the Mellta are primarily hunter-gatherers. As they are carnivorous, they hunt for themselves- Ruadh and Torc are their preferred source of meat, but they have been known to hunt other predators such as Allaidh and Sionnach. They gather berries and other vegitation primarily for potions and to provide food for Mathan and Feidh.

Aside from the other two Hallan species, the Feidh and the Mathan, the Mellta have never encountered any other sentient species inhabiting the planet. They consider the Feidh and Mathan their kin, due to their religious beliefs.