It’s well past time I told you of us, little one. Of us, the Melders. Our home, Aquor. And of our role here. It is one you must remember well- The weight upon us is great. The price of failure, greater.

Aquor is a land of endless beauty, and wonder. The seasons cycle, from the heat to the rain, the sandy beaches of our home sometimes slammed by gales and storms. Our sev- … Six, great cities, bastions against the endless jungles of the interior, filled with monsters the like that inspire and terrify the world over. The volcanic rings that make up the outer islands, and those few mountains from which all the metal and wealth of our country are mined. Aquor is a place like none other. .. And this is only the start of it.

We Melders have served in this country for a long... *long* time.  The gods saw fit to grant us great power, for which we would turn these lands into a paradise for men. They granted us mortality, too- So that we would not see ourselves the clear greater of the men we serve. All we do, we do for them. … And for us. It is said that when our gods made Aquor, they split its forces into four. One, was given to men, and the others they designed the Melders for- To tame them, utilize them, and bring them to the service of men.
First was the Land, which became the demesne of men, and to whom all Melders owe their allegiance and service. The Land is what we Melders seek to cultivate, and protect, in our own ways. Perhaps the only thing men could want is greater governance. Men are.. fickle, in their needs, and wants, and so prone to war. We Melders are bound together by a unified need- A single chance to see our next generations. Were men drawn so irrevocably into needing to see eye to eye, perhaps they could accomplish governance in Aquor. As it is, we are what is best for them, and so we remain.

The Water is the domain of the Hippocampus Melders. They call themselves the Fathoms. The Fathoms are… stubborn. Dragged into heel by our one great failure, the Great Unifier Allayan showed them the error of their ways in days long past. She brought the Fathoms- and the rest of us- together into one government. I will tell you more of the Unifier, but know this: The Fathoms are the defenders of the waters. The fish, the whales, the leviathans, the ships that cross the seas. There is little that passes by water that they do not know of, and few ships who pass without the close eye of the Fathoms on cargo and passenger alike. It keeps us safe. Those who would bring ill to us have the most stringent, the most determined of us all to contest with. I wish as much as anyone that they would be kinder to outsiders. It would make many things easier, after all. But I understand their wariness- They deal with the worst outsiders have to offer. Suspicion protects us.

Air is the domain of the Pegasus- You and I. Our sect, the Towers, oversee the greatest defense Aquor has to offer: Our Wyvern forces. They were once called dragons, you know. Of course, true dragons are a very different force, and not one to be tampered with. Fire and scale, however, offer a formidable defense of Aquor from its enemies. Besides that, they are convenient, with few roads binding our cities together. There are few better defenses for cargo that must arrive quickly than talon and wing. When you grow up, perhaps you will be overseeing the flight schedules- Knowing where the wyverns are is an important job, as a wyvern missing can become… problematic. Or perhaps you will deal with the wyvern breeders themselves. Their work is the backbone of our domain of sky and sea alike. Our kind operate the weather towers, watching for incoming storms, and sending out news and weather reports by our lightbar system. A subtle thing, you might think- But the weather here is capable of vicious, horrible turns. Knowing what is coming saves many... *many* lives.

The final domain is Magic, and to this the Unicorn Melders are built. The Observatory spends more hours than I care to think seeking out every inch of magic they can possibly use- of both good and ill. They say knowledge is power, and they certainly know much. It is through their power that control over the jungles, and in many cases the wyverns, can be accomplished at all. Wards, land manipulation, even simply being able to move a massive load with magic. I wonder if they’re not too friendly with outsiders- We all benefit from having outsiders stay here, but they can be so overbearing. Scare people away, I think?

.. Ah, you’re right. I did mention the Unifier. Well. The First Unifier is why our great King- a unifier himself, even! May wear a crown on his head. Though the gods shaped us, they... did not make us perfect. We *need* men as much as men need us. We are capable of prejudice. Of hatred, of anger, of error. The sects once drifted apart, differing in their vision of whom was best fit to rise to prominence, and be those at men’s side in the eras to come. The gods, seeing our error, intervened, and sent the Unifier- A mix of us all, a physical truth that we had erred. That we are at our best together. Not all who saw the Unifier were willing to accept this truth. The Unifier, the first Great Queen of Aquor, showed them the error of their ways.

It is late- I will tell you of the great war another time. Remember always, little one: We *need* men. They *need* us. We must always strive to serve... and to protect the Melders, in turn. Many would surely kill us, if they understood our role. You, too, must seek to fulfill this grand role. Failure to uphold the tenants carries severe consequences. But I have faith in you, little one. Rest, now. Grow big and strong, and you will help us protect them all.