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Humans, relatives of the Morvende, Maulan live in trees. They are also known as dawn-singers.
Their origins are obscure; maula is thought to derive from marolo or outcast. They were part of the humans who hid out after an exceptionally bad war, were taken into a geliath, and who developed a new culture based around song. But they missed the sun, eventually they moved back to the surface, leaving the Morvende, which is where their 'outcast' name comes from. They are generally called dawnsingers, but their own name for themselves is maulan Every day is greeted with song as soon as the sun appears, a ritual gratitude for the renewal of light.
Maulan sing all the time, their music mostly long ballads, and extemporaneous ballads are much prized among them. It is considered a high honor to have one's song sung by others, and even adopted; the Sartoran triplet influence is present, and so is the subtle shifting of keys, but though melody lines can be complicated, there is generally one, sometimes sung in round. Their music is not "lace" like they term the morvende music. Maulan also use wood instruments to the same effect, and in some place tiny chimes and bells.
Maulan consider all forestland their home--that is, they are comfortable there. They have no sense of ownership whatsoever. They wander their entire lives (though some individuals, families, and clans have favorite routes) and stay in tree platform cities. At the slightest hint or trouble they vanish like smoke, taking with them their musical instruments and the clothing they stand in. They use water and magic to stay clean, and so no one ever owns more than one item of clothing, which is added to or subtracted at will. They do work hard at maintaining the tree platforms, often weaving fine patterns into rails, or carving scavenged wood, and many times these are left as gifts for sunsiders who share food. They, like the morvende, are completely vegetarian, relying on complicated roots and fungi, fruits and honey, all foods they've developed over the centuries. Their food actually tastes good to sunsiders asked to share--though it's seldom anything sunsiders crave afterward.
There are occasions when great groups of them meet for what they call Sings which are conclaves or conventions, when some decision deemed important to all must be made, and news is passed along by signs and symbols that ordinary folk seldom notice.
Occasionally maulan take a hankering to live in the world, which they are free to do, as are morvende. If they return they are welcome, if they don't they are visited.
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