Races and Cultures of Hermertia

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Origins and History: The historical home of the Casadians lies in a vast desert on the far-western continent of Alterra. The desert was surrounded by impenetrable mountains, thus keeping the residents therein isolated from the rest of the world. When a passage was found through the mountains, the Casadians chose to leave the desert behind and resettle in the more fertile lands beyond the mountains. The Casadians prospered in their new lands, using their talent in warfare gained from a harsh life in the desert to earn a not insignificant fortune working as mercenaries. This period of prosperity came to an end when a deadly plague swept through the continent, claiming a large portion of the region’s population. The advent of the plague was followed shortly thereafter by the appearance of enormous hordes of the undead appearing on the western shores of the continent. The people of Alterra were forced to flee east, eventually escaping across the eastern ocean. The descriptions of these events bear a striking similarity to accounts of The Fleeing that forced the original Mercurians and the Isiliothans from their homes. After a failed attempt to unite the survivors, the Casadians traveled eastward and settled cities of their own. Upon the discovery of the Mercurian Empire, the Casadians sent a number of colonists to join the empire. These colonists are the forebears of modern Casadians.

Appearance: For the most part, Casadians are of average height and build. Their complexion tends to be darker than most Hermertians, though this varies greatly. The original Casadian desert tribe was almost entirely golden-haired, but intermixing with other peoples has led to the a significant portion of the population having brown or black hair.

Estimated population size and spread: The estimated size of the Casadian population is around 100,000, mostly residing in New Hermertia. The population of Casadians is mostly concentrated in their old and new world holdings, though a large number of Casadians reside in Northtown in the Imperial City.

Particularities: The harsh conditions of the desert has instilled a number of odd social proclivities in Casadians that vary greatly from those commonly found in other peoples of the Empire. Casadians place great emphasis in social cohesion and cooperation; a trait necessary for survival in the desert. Casadians also give immense value to merit and little value to familial ties. Bloodlines matter little to Casadians; a view that is at odds with the predominance of feudalism in the empire. During their early days in the empire, a lack of respect for feudal titles kept the Casadians somewhat isolated diplomatically and socially from the rest of the empire. Casadians are fierce warriors, with most adult Casadians possessing at least some familiarity with combat. Despite their inclination towards warfare, they focus their efforts on fighting the undead instead of conquest. The manifestation of this can be seen in the Slayers Guild and the Altheri, both warrior orders dedicated to protecting civilization from the monsters of the world.

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Origins and History: These hardy inhabitants of the Apocryphaen Wastes trace their lineage to a civilization that stood long before the great Fleeing. Today the ancestors of the Hrynjandi are known as the Þingr, former master craftsmen who inhabited the Theran valley and its surrounding lands. Much of their knowledge has been lost throughout the ages, including the precise location of the Þingr capital.

The Hrynjandi as we know them today are descendants of a group of people who fled their homeland during the Fleeing to the relative safety of the Apocryphaen Wastes. This exodus was led by a near mythical figure known to Hrynjandi as the Stormsword. Under his guiding hand, the thousands of Þingr refugees endured bitter storms, marauding bands of deserters and according to Hrynjandi legend, the dark tendrils of Sodrungr's wrath. Upon reaching the sanctuary of the Old World, the great caravans of the Stormsword disintegrated into chaos.

It was then when the growing divisions between the refugees finally crystallized into the factions that would eventually become the two major Hrynjandi tribes. On one hand the merchants and mercenaries had grown irate at the Stormsword's increasingly tyrannical rule. On the other side were those who remained loyal to the Stormsword, mostly peasants and professional soldiers who still believed in the old hierarchy.

Eventually, the merchants and sellswords broke away from the primary expedition and travelled east from the valley the Stormsword had chosen to be their new home. Those who remained confident in the Stormsword's abilities settled in the shadow of Mt. Anaudir and would eventually become what we know today as the Dyrendi tribe.

To the east of the of the frigid valley that was now home to their seperated brothers and sisters, the merchants settled upon a mountain not far from the coast of the Wastes. There, upon Mt. Skaftind, they founded the city of Skar and would later become known as the Skarendi. These people are considered to be the most cosmopolitan of the three major tribes. They've held on to their mercantile traditions and after the fall of Skyspeaker Vargon's unified Hrynjandi, are now the major power in the Apocryphaen Wastes.

Last, and certainly least of the three great tribes, were the Alendi. These people were part of an entirely seperate expedition from the borders of the old Þingr Kingdom. They settled in the far northern reaches of the Wastes on the island of Þingey. Centred on an ancient Þingr artifact, the town is a major supplier of food to the rest of the Hrynjandi.

Appearance: The majority of the Hrynjandi population posseses a pale, white complexion endemic to those living in darker regions. The average Hrynjandi is usually of a hardier build than that of their neighbours, mostly due to the difficulty of living in the wastes and their primarily martial culture.

Estimated population size and spread: The Hrynjandi are almost entirely contained to their homeland in the Apocryphaen Wastes. The entire population of approximately 15,000 is heavily discouraged from leaving their lands, especially after the fall of Vargon's unified Hrynjandi.

Particularities:The Hrynjandi Tribes are as diverse as they are many. Even though all of them descended from a common ancestor, the Þingr, they have long since split apart and formed their own cultures often based on their ancestral way of life. The three principal tribes of the Hrynjandi are the Andel River Tribe (Dyrendi), the Skaftind Mountain Tribe (Skarendi) and the Þingey Island Tribe (Alendi). The Hrynjandi Tribes were united in the third era when Skyspeaker Vargon brought peace to the Hrynjandi lands.

It's often considered that the Dyrendi are the least progressive of the three tribes, instead of embracing new ideals they prefare to shun those that practice them and hold on to their own traditions. The Dyrendi are a warlike culture that values the strength and purity of mind and body before all else. Included in these beliefs is a strong preference of keeping their bloodline as “clean” as possible. In the past the Dyrendi often embarked on crusades against other tribes, especially those that made their home along the river Andel. Early in the 2nd Era, they had conquered the parts of the river reaching into the Wastes and firmly established themselves as the Stormsword's descendants.

Appearing almost as a mirror image, the Skarendi have taken a completely different approach to life. Today they are considered the most progressive and advanced of the three tribes. Owing their success to their proximity to Ossuteraria and the resource rich Mt. Skaftind, the Skarendi have held on to their mercantile ideals and continued to practice trade throughout the region. It is said that the finest iron and steel in the Empire is forged at Skar. Along with living in the only walled city in the Wastes, the Skarendi maintain a deeply rooted connection to their past.

Far to the north of either of the two aforemention tribes, the Alendi quietly plow their fields and catch fish on the isle of Þingey. The beliefs of these farmers and fishermen are based almost entirely on those that Dyrendi travelers brought in the early years of the Hrynjandi. Unlike their more warlike cousins, the Alendi preferred to hold on to their peaceful ways but quickly adopted the religion of the southerners. The Alendi capital is a small city built around a Þingr artifact where one of the great mysteries of the Old World took place. Namely, it is where Skyspeaker Vargon disappeared into the void; never to be seen again.

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Appearance: The Kairatites are a pale skinned humanoid, having lived underground for thousands of years they have developed this pale skin and after a disease rampantly spread through the Kairatites they developed purple scarring which still lingers today. Most possess dark hair.

Estimated population size and spread: There are approximately 30 000 Kairatites across the empire, mostly residing in Kaine but some exist in other parts of New Hermertia (and old) but in very small numbers.

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