The Murkor People in The Relics of War

In preparation for my next writing project, The Ballad of Alchemy and Steel, I wanted to go a little more in-depth about the Murkor people that you’ll see in The Relics of War, as well as the mentioned novella.

The Ballad novella will feature two of them – Sal’zar and Jal’den. In the main series, there are a number of point of view chapters for Aran’daj, but given his role and position, the reader doesn’t get to experience much of the Murkor culture first-hand.

Let’s talk about naming.

The first portion of the names is the equivalent to a familial name, or surname. The name is passed down from the mother’s line, as their society is matriarchal. When two Murkor are granted ujar’havel (a life partnership), the male takes the familial name of the female – if the pairing is conventional. In the very rare cases where it is not, both partners retain the name of their birth.

The second portion of the name is their personal name. In Jal’den’s case, his name translates roughly to “dawn-born son” of the Jal family. I believe I mentioned this in The Talisman of Delucha, but it may have been in the later chapters of The Moon’s Eye. (At this point in time, I’m not entirely sure when this occurred – writing two fairly lengthy books in the span of 5 months has left my writing memory a little wonky.)

Murkor Society

As I mentioned, their society is matriarchal. Major decisions for each family are made by the mother, sometimes with little input from her partner or children.

The society as a whole is led by the Matriarch, who makes decisions that affect all of the Murkor people. The Matriarch’s position isn’t passed down generation to generation, instead, the current Matriarch will name her successor, typically days after she takes up her post. Often, her successor is a close friend, rather than a family member.

The society is further broken down by castes. Until the age of seventeen, Murkor children are considered casteless. Each year, during the summer solstice, the choosing ceremony is conducted for the seventeen-year-olds. At that time, the leaders of each caste select the individuals they wish to accept into their castes. (There are some aptitude tests and expectations required for certain castes, and others require a demonstration of ability.)

The Murkor are very private people and don’t show their faces to anyone outside immediate family or romantic partners. They wear hoods to cover their faces, but can be identified by the color they wear (dictated by their caste status) and by the tattoos visible on their hands, which depict their family name(s) and personal name.

Casteless children – or adults who have been expelled from their caste – wear gray. Soldiers wear black, alchemists green, the Matriarch’s or Kal’s personal guards wear red, craftsmen brown. There are others, but you get the idea.

The Kal is a figurehead nearly as important as the Matriach. He is her life partner and the spiritual leader of the Murkor people. The Kal is also typically named as a ceremonial caste leader – in The Relics of War series, he is the alchemists’. The Kal is the only male who can hold such a position of power.

Their Lands

The Murkor live in the Underground Caverns, an area located in the northern portion of the Wasted Land. They guard the caverns carefully, though during times of peace are welcoming of travelers for trade.

The Murkor People

The Murkor are humanoid. They have dark blue skin, and the tattoos I mentioned earlier are usually silver in color. In addition to the visible tattoos on their hands, they are often decorated head to foot with various designs. Each tattoo holds meaning; some depict caste, some great achievements, others depict a symbol or name of their life’s partner or children.

They are a largely nocturnal species. They can see very well in the dark, but bright light can be painful or blinding (another reason they wear the hoods is to shade their eyes).

The Murkor are usually a peaceful people. They maintain a military presence for the defense of their lands, though during times of peace the soldiers are usually more for show. Historically, they have been conscripted numerous times and forced to fight – even when they or the Matriarch do not want to. In The Relics of War, several of the Murkor are involved in a scheme to break free of the conscription, but it will come at a steep cost.

The Murkor featured in my stories

Aran’daj will be the first the reader encounters in The Relics of War. He is the commander of the army, named to his post by the Matriarch. (The Murkor women do not partake in soldiering. Their role as the leaders of their society is deemed more important.)

Jal’den is a soldier, named Arms Master (or the commander’s second-in-command) due to his specialized weapons training, even though he is young.

Sal’zar is an alchemist and is pulled aside by the Soulless for reasons you’ll learn in the trilogy. He’s unique amongst the Murkor – I’ll leave it at that.

I’m excited to get started on The Ballad of Alchemy and Steel. Expect to see it release free for newsletter subscribers in late spring 2022. I’m considering offering a paid-for ebook edition if there’s enough interest. Here’s the cover art for the novella:

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Thanks for reading this week’s post!

For more information on The Relics of War, click here. The Moon’s Eye (book one in the series) is currently available for preorder. It will release January 11, 2022.