These sea-folk have profited greatly through their similarity in physical appearance to the Sorvanni. For over a millennia they were the Sorvanni’s chief lieutenants in the administration of their vast empire and thus they accrued both great fortune and great enmity amongst the rest. The Kaeda were the first to make contact with the Kaelra many years ago and they are also blamed for bringing the scourge of that race upon the Dagati, the similarity the names of the races seldom goes unremarked. Now in these days they are discriminated against in many of the great cities of the New Worlds and struggle to find a place for themselves in the New World order.
Personality: The Kaeda are cowardly but cunning. They will run from any fight that they are not sure they will win. They won’t attack unless they hold the overwhelming advantage. They will always try to keep an escape route open, usually fighting near water for this purpose. Oftentimes they will attempt to conquer their foes by other means, such as economics or by using cat’s paws. They are also ruthless, using any means possible to win.
Physical Description: Kaeda look much like Polynesians.
Alignment: Kaeda are True Neutral, they rely on the protection of laws and society to keep them safe but do not hesitate to break laws for their own ends as long as they feel they won’t be caught.
Effects of War: As stated before the Kaeda were the first to make contact with the Kaelra and carried on peaceful trading for years, even visiting their homeland. It was perhaps as a result of this over-familiarity that their island nation of Choros was the first to be attacked after the Selevani. The Kaeda were subjugated in a matter of days and spent the rest of the war as a staging area for the Kaelra. The Kaeda submitted peacefully while looking for a war to stab their conquerors in the back. Many Kaeda trading vessels secretly ran supplies to the resistance movements on land, an organization of such smugglers is the origin of the Flying Corsairs. Many independent Kaeda corsairs also fought in the major sea battles of the time. The Kaeda resistance movement didn’t start to gain momentum until near the end of the War of Daggers and only succeeded in throwing off their invaders until they had already begun to retreat from the mainland. During the War of Earth the smaller islands of Choros slowly began to sink. During this time the vast fishing, merchant, and pirate fleets of the Kaeda were pressed into service in order to carry the refugees first to the mainland and then to the New World. When they reached the New World the various fleets of the Kaeda found that they were not welcome amongst the other races and slowly migrated either northwards or southwards around the continent.
Known Kaeda Lands: The greatest strongholds of the Kaeda are in the Northern Isles. The Kaeda are a major power in this largely unexplored collection of islands. Of the Kaeda who went southwards there are rumours that many settled under the auspices of the Kum’a’kar and are loyal citizens of that that empire. However this number accounts for only a small percentage of the Kaeda who went to the south and as with all the races there is a constant search going on for Kaeda who may have settled in places as yet unknown.
Religion: The Kaeda worship Serrith, the Queen of the Waves and Winds. They worship the slow and awesome force of natural force. The Kaeda build large and imposing temples which are made to last forever. Kaeda take religion seriously and devote every 10th day to prayer and contemplation, on this day no work or play of any sort may be done but rather only relaxation.
Language: The Kaeda speak Serenevar. This tongue fast and ever-changing tongue is a patois of the many languages that the Kaeda have dealings with. Serevar is the universal language of seafarers, just as Trade Tongue is for land-travellers.
Names:
Accent: Oriental
Adventurers: Kaeda adventurers tend to be those who seek their fortunes on the High Seas. They adventure to gain the fame and fortune to retire in comfort in the very status-driven Kaeda society. Their cowardlyness actually serves them in good stead in adventuring. Kaeda adventurers may not get sung about, or amass huge treasures, but they at least live to enjoy their minor wealth.
Notable Rituals: The All-Island Regatta – Every year during the height of the hurricane season all of those who wish up to take the mantle of the most dangerous and difficult race ever held congregate at the island of Jalak in the most northern of the northern isles. Then when the first hurricane strikes the island of Jalak all the ships must rush to harvest the Koare flowers, which only grow on the surface of the sea and only sprout during a hurricane. The Koare flower has many restorative properties and if properly refined it can even stave off death itself as long as there is even an inkling of life left in the subject. The ship that brings back the largest amount of leaf is declared the winner and its owner is given monopoly on the flower for the rest of the season. After this there is also a race that is supposed to go through every Kaeda settlement in the entire northern isles and the winner of that race is given a purse of 1,000 marks. Many navies and trading costers also recruit from this race and keep a close eye on the winners and close runner-ups. Both this race and the Koare harvest are topics of intense interest to all Kaeda and are frequently the cause of huge bets and speculation.
The Floating Festival – During the calmest season of the year all of the most famed ship-builders of the world will sail their newest creations to Kourya (the largest city in the Northern Isles) and there all the ships will come together in a sacred spot approximately 4 miles offshore and the Floating Festival begins. This is a time of games, trading, and water-sports as well as a time for sailors to show off both their skills and their ships. The Floating Festival is replicated to a smaller degree in every Kaeda city.
Kaeda Racial Traits