Sea Lords

While on of the Sea Lords tribes have settled in Zentirovan the rest are still driven by wave and wind. The exact number of Sea Lords would be impossible to determine as some settle and others continue their nomadic ways. What has stayed the same is that they practice an elemental magic that can channel the strength of the wave, wind, and storm. They are guided along their journey by a woman called The Oracle, that can hear the future upon the wind and see it in the water.

There is no feudal or caste government as you would find in most cultures - even nomadic ones. Instead, everyone works and ever partakes of the bounty. The only exception to this rule is The Oracle. She keeps herself apart as knowing too much about your future can be dangerous.

It is true that the Sea Lords may be the First among Equals, but their rule over the others is not master-servant or feudalism. Instead, they are considered leaders because they were selected by the wind and wave to be leaders. Much is expected of a Sea Lord and should they falter everyone suffers.

These magicians harness the power of the wind and storm. They rain lightning down upon their enemies and summon forth weapons of air to strike them down. Facing a Stormbringer in battle is to fight an opponent that can sense your smallest movement and move at the speed of the wind. Few captains will harass a Sea Lord vessel, but those that do will find themselves facing off the full fury and power of the Stormbringers before they can ever hope to board the Sea Lord vessel.

A wavedancer moves with the fluidity of the water and strikes with the power of the ocean deep. All creatures in the ocean can hear the call of the Wavedancers, but the sea itself ignores them. While they can move small amounts of water (river or lake) the sea is vast and untamable. Instead, the Wavedancers ensure that the ship and the people upon it are moving with the heart of the great ocean. Their knowledge of the sea allowed the Sea Lords to travel the ocean deeps.

There is only ever one (1) Oracle for each colony. This Oracle is always a woman who is strong in the power of wind and wave. When she becomes The Oracle she can use her power to look into the future - to see the world that is coming and thus guide the Sea Lords to their part of it.

When The Oracle dies a woman will power will always come at the same time of the previous Oracle passed one (1) lunar month later. The vast majority of the time The Oracle will be one of the colony's members, but this does not always happen. Sometimes The Oracle has to travel a great distance, but she always arrives at the correct time. Sea Lord legends speak of colonies that a new Oracle has not come as forever lost.

The Sea Lord culture is one of acceptance of one's place in life. It is good to reach for things and acquire things. Once you understand and accept where you are you can clearly see where you want to go and what it takes to reach it. The Sea Lords are not communal like many elven cultures, but instead is dominated by the knowledge that the sea can crush them at any moment and so everyone must work together to live.

The Sea Lords have no organized religion, although they do believe in the gods and more importantly powerful elemental beings that live upon the world. They respect those people that worship the gods; although they find them misguided in their efforts. The Sea Lords see the gods as aloof and supremely powerful beings. The smallest fish lives its life as a small fish. The shark that eats the fish does not care if the fish is worshiping it, nor does it do anything for the fish.

The magic of wind and wave is at the heart of the Sea Lords. Those that can harness, understand, and even command these elements are expected to use their gifts to the benefit of all. The Sea Lords believe that the elements of wind and wave are superior to all others, but they respect the strength of stone, earth, fire, and wood. Those that use other magics are seen as weak and incapable of true understanding. To those whose magic deals with devils, demons, and necromancy - they are killed.

• Zentirovan: The Sea Lords that settled among the Zents were cast out of their previous homes among the Shian Empire when The Oracle denied a warlords request to aid him against a war with his rival. When the war was concluded they were driven from their home and sailed east. The Zentirovan is a blend of Sea Lord and older Zent beliefs.