I picked Kaldar because I wanted a tall human and they talked about woodsy-ness (sure it's a word) in the description. I'd already picked Ranger as my guild. Hanryu is my first character and DR is my first MMO/text game. Since then I'm really glad I picked Kaldar because I like the lore (limited though it may be) associated with the race.

I picked Kaldar for my cleric because I liked the religious lore and the charisma bonus.

~Hunter Hanryu
http://drplat.com/CombatEquipmentCompendium.xls
http://tinyurl.com/HanryuTanning

Well, originally when I decided to roll up a Kaldar it was because I was in the process of reading David Eddings' Tamuli series and the Kaldar race reminded me quite a bit of the Atans in the series which quickly became my favorite part of the books. So when the option to create them became available I jumped on it within the first little bit of them being released.
For the first week or so after rolling Jere up I really had no idea of Kaldar history or lore but then I happened to run into Pureblade and the whole Kaldar-Gorbesh thing was opened to me. I quickly found this route to be quite a bit of fun as I could get into interesting RP situations and conflicts with a race that I really didn't know all that much about at that point without having to make my character into a total jerk constantly. I received more than my share of beatings and deaths early on from it but I guess when you RP your character as Gorbesh that close to the Red Winter you kinda have to roll with the punches (or slices, or arrows, etc). The more I learned about the Albarian cultures the more I really enjoyed playing as Gorbesh and spent quite a bit of time coming up with a backstory (which I may post as and IC post if I get really ambitious) that would make sense with IG lore and timelines, and as much as he's proud of his heritage Jere's really for all 3 races rather than just his own.
In that vein, if any Kaldar/Gorbesh/Gnome ever wants to get together IG and dicuss histories, share stories, or just help me deplete my vast supplies of Albarian liquor feel free to find me IG, usually around the Lang/Rossman's area although I take trips out to Asketi's Peak when I get tired of the crowds.

Oritai Jerecis S'Onser'ei, Fist of the Empire
-player of

Well, it seems I was a little bit more ambitious than I thought, so here's Jere's history(or most of it at least). I apologize if it's a bit stream-of-consciousness-y, the computer I originally wrote it on has been replaced twice since then, so I tried to write it in a single clip from memory.



My name is Jerecis S'Onser'ei, true servant of the Ice Mother Misiumos, former soldier in the Gorbesh 8th provincial infantry 3rd battalion and now near permanent resident in the Langenfirth district of the Barony of Therengia. In order to preserve whatever I can before the ravages of age claim my memories, this is my story as best as I can tell it.
I was born in the western provinces of the Empire, in the year Sidasas-Aneus 1725, or as Kermorian scholars would figure, 341AL. I am a camp-son to Sergeant Jerennah S'Onser'ei of the 2nd provincial cavalry, my mother's identity was never revealed to me, as is custom for male children of unions between active soldiers in the armies of the Empire. My childhood was unremarkable for one born to my station, save for my general interaction with the Kaldar tribes, as the garrison my father was stationed at bordered their lands and I frequently accompanied him on far-reaching patrols into the Tribes' forests. I spent most of my days running errands and gathering food for the soldiers and so when I came to my twelfth birthday it seemed only natural that I should begin my adjunct training with the fourth company, spending my days practicing with bow and blade, and learning to care for the weapons, armor and mounts which kept the armies working properly.
On my fifteenth birthday I was officially inducted into the legions of the Empire, being assigned to the 8th provincial division and given what was supposedly a prestigious and honorable posting, sent north through the passes toward Kermoria to reinforce the Great General Alaushi's depleted garrison at HighHold. The glamour of the post quickly faded as I spent the better part of the next year patrolling the battlements presiding over the near-empty civilian settlement there and spending most of my down-time playing the ever popular game of 'who's the biggest drunk' with my fellow soldiers.
Near the end of my first full year at my posting we received word from the Emperor's Outriders that a vast group of Kaldar and Gnomes from the Western Provinces, led by the prophet Trimbolt, had left their lands and were headed up the passes toward our lonely fort. Emperor Giesa's orders to the General were to let them pass by without incident, which upon seeing them I realized was the only rational course of action for us. Years later I still have trouble imagining the magnitude of such a journey, the sheer numbers as they passed by us were staggering; the last stragglers passing us nearly two days after the prophet and his retinue came into sight. Less than a week after their passing a squad of Outriders, from the 1st Imperial division arrived at HighHold with further orders from the Emperor. Alaushi was to send a detatchment of two battalions to accompany the squad of Outriders, following the path of the Kaldar and Gnome exodus on a fact-finding mission. The General, while not happy to send away nearly a third of his total remaining troops could not ignore a missive directly from the Emporer, and so selected the 3rd and 7th battalions for the mission.
So it was in my sixteenth year, I was to be sent from the Empire with a few hundred of my countrymen to find out exactly why a High Prophet and a large portion of the Kaldar and Gnome peoples had fled the Empire as if their feet were on fire. The first portion of our journey passed by without incident as we set a brisk pace in order to make up a s much of the two weeks as we could before reaching the 'Hand. Upon reaching the borders of that black place, we fell into our igrained training, using the few Outriders who had served in the most recent Kermorian expedition as scouts and positioning the rest of our force as close together as we could without stomping on each others' toes. Two days passed without incident, but it seems that to pass through a place such as the 'Hand, bringing a full three divisions or following the lead of a High Prophet are incredibly good ideas if you wish to arrive at the other side safely. The second night nearly half our Outriders did not return from scouting, and we lost all but two of our night-watch pickets. For the next six days, we lived in constant fear of who would be taken next, I still cannot describe some of the unholy things I saw there, friends and squad-mates ripped to shreds mere feet from me, or the bloodcurdling screams of fellow soldiers in the night, as Misiumos-knows-what dragged them deeper into the swamps. It was only through the bravery and skill of Gorbesh far better than myself that I survived the crossing. Of the near seventeen-score soldiers who departed HighHold a week prior, only six of us stumbled onto the roads south of Shard, and two did not survive their wounds long enough to see the southern gates.
With our numbers decimated and, as we soon found out, an extremely hostile population surrounding us, the remaining four abandoned our mission and tried to survive as best we could in this land. The lone surviving member of the third battalion besides myself, Iraujin, and I traveled north slowly, hiding in the woods, scavenging what food we could as we made our way to Zoluren and points north. He was killed trying to cross the chasm north of Shard, as taking the gondola was simply out of the question being outfitted in our uniforms still. I eventually made the crossing myself and drifted for months until I finally arrived in the human city of Riverhaven, where I made friends with a young Prydaen named Halite and we spent the next few years honing our skills, he taking what he could in the city, I hunting whatever I could to feed us.
In the years since I have made a home in Therengia, serving the Baron in his cavalry (once a soldier, always a soldier) taken a wife and made as much of a life as I could for myself here. Although I have tried numerous times to return to my homeland I have yet to find a pass south through the mountains of Forffedhar or a ship captain suicidal enough to try the crossing by sea, and to my shame, my fear of the 'Hand has kept me from trying to fight my way back through that terrible place.

Yeah I just got to see it myself in the post and it is. Turns out I really ought to preview before I click the post button. I'll reformat it and see if I can't make it look less terrifying.

Well, here's the post reformatted and hopefully much less threatening.

---

My name is Jerecis S'Onser'ei, true servant of the Ice Mother Misiumos, former soldier in the Gorbesh 8th provincial infantry 3rd battalion and now near permanent resident in the Langenfirth district of the Barony of Therengia. In order to preserve whatever I can before the ravages of age claim my memories, this is my story as best as I can tell it.

I was born in the western provinces of the Empire, in the year Sidasas-Aneus 1725, or as Kermorian scholars would figure, 341AL. I am a camp-son to Sergeant Jerennah S'Onser'ei of the 2nd provincial cavalry, my mother's identity was never revealed to me, as is custom for male children of unions between active soldiers in the armies of the Empire.

My childhood was unremarkable for one born to my station, save for my general interaction with the Kaldar tribes, as the garrison my father was stationed at bordered their lands and I frequently accompanied him on far-reaching patrols into the Tribes' forests. I spent most of my days running errands and gathering food for the soldiers and so when I came to my twelfth birthday it seemed only natural that I should begin my adjunct training with the fourth company, spending my days practicing with bow and blade, and learning to care for the weapons, armor and mounts which kept the armies working properly.

On my fifteenth birthday I was officially inducted into the legions of the Empire, being assigned to the 8th provincial division and given what was supposedly a prestigious and honorable posting, sent north through the passes toward Kermoria to reinforce the Great General Alaushi's depleted garrison at HighHold. The glamour of the post quickly faded as I spent the better part of the next year patrolling the battlements presiding over the near-empty civilian settlement there and spending most of my down-time playing the ever popular game of 'who's the biggest drunk' with my fellow soldiers.

Near the end of my first full year at my posting we received word from the Emperor's Outriders that a vast group of Kaldar and Gnomes from the Western Provinces, led by the prophet Trimbolt, had left their lands and were headed up the passes toward our lonely fort. Emperor Giesa's orders to the General were to let them pass by without incident, which upon seeing them I realized was the only rational course of action for us. Years later I still have trouble imagining the magnitude of such a journey, the sheer numbers as they passed by us were staggering; the last stragglers passing us nearly two days after the prophet and his retinue came into sight.

Less than a week after their passing a squad of Outriders, from the 1st Imperial division arrived at HighHold with further orders from the Emperor. Alaushi was to send a detatchment of two battalions to accompany the squad of Outriders, following the path of the Kaldar and Gnome exodus on a fact-finding mission. The General, while not happy to send away nearly a third of his total remaining troops could not ignore a missive directly from the Emporer, and so selected the 3rd and 7th battalions for the mission.

So it was in my sixteenth year, I was to be sent from the Empire with a few hundred of my countrymen to find out exactly why a High Prophet and a large portion of the Kaldar and Gnome peoples had fled the Empire as if their feet were on fire. The first portion of our journey passed by without incident as we set a brisk pace in order to make up a s much of the two weeks as we could before reaching the 'Hand. Upon reaching the borders of that black place, we fell into our igrained training, using the few Outriders who had served in the most recent Kermorian expedition as scouts and positioning the rest of our force as close together as we could without stomping on each others' toes.

Two days passed without incident, but it seems that to pass through a place such as the 'Hand, bringing a full three divisions or following the lead of a High Prophet are incredibly good ideas if you wish to arrive at the other side safely. The second night nearly half our Outriders did not return from scouting, and we lost all but two of our night-watch pickets. For the next six days, we lived in constant fear of who would be taken next, I still cannot describe some of the unholy things I saw there, friends and squad-mates ripped to shreds mere feet from me, or the bloodcurdling screams of fellow soldiers in the night, as Misiumos-knows-what dragged them deeper into the swamps. It was only through the bravery and skill of Gorbesh far better than myself that I survived the crossing. Of the near seventeen-score soldiers who departed HighHold a week prior, only six of us stumbled onto the roads south of Shard, and two did not survive their wounds long enough to see the southern gates.

With our numbers decimated and, as we soon found out, an extremely hostile population surrounding us, the remaining four abandoned our mission and tried to survive as best we could in this land. Iraujin, the lone surviving member of the third battalion besides myself continued to travel with me, as we slowly made our way northward. Hiding in the woods, travelling only at night and scavenging what food we could, we made our way to anywhere but where we were. He was killed trying to cross the chasm north of Shard, as taking the gondola was simply out of the question being outfitted in our uniforms still.

Eventually, after raiding a nearby farmstead and stealing a much less conspicuous but quite ill-fitting set of clothing, I made the crossing myself. I spent the next few months drifting around Zoluren until finally arriving in the human city of Riverhaven, where I made friends with a young Prydaen named Halite and we spent the next few years honing our skills, he taking what he could in the city, I hunting whatever I could to feed us.

In the years since I have made a home in Therengia, serving the Baron in his cavalry (once a soldier, always a soldier) taken a wife and made as much of a life as I could for myself here.

Although I have tried numerous times to return to my homeland I have yet to find a pass south through the mountains of Forffedhar or a ship captain suicidal enough to try the crossing by sea, and to my shame, my fear of the 'Hand has kept me from trying to fight my way back through that terrible place. While I may never stop searching for a path back to Albaria, I truly couldn't imagine returning to the life I had there.

The Kaldar race won me over from the start: muscle, stamina, and a hairline that didn't make them look half-alien. But the clincher was the up close and personal relationship with the meanest conquerors to hit the known world since Dzree and her lil buddies.

I wanted in on the ground floor when the Gorbesh made their next bid for domination. In my imagination, the realms had only gained a first impression of what the Gorbesh were capable of and the Kaldar - a people who'd lived among them/under their heel for untold generations - would be deeply involved in future Gorbesh events. For good or bad, on minor and/or major scales. As individuals, we could either help or hinder the coming conflicts and as a group we would find among us our own heroes and villains. So much potential for rp! I couldn't resist.

Yeah, so years and years have passed since then. I'd given up hope of anything even remotely like that happening for us. I try not to dwell on it because, to my mind, it means the Kermorians managed to do what the Gorbesh could not - assimilated us, absorbed us into a mundane existence. (Which, arguably, is exactly what the Kaldar wanted all along, right - a peaceful co-existence? Blah.)

But then a Gorbesh scout or an archer is spotted and I sit up straighter and Sin investigates. And hope returns....

That's why I started playing Kaldar. Why do I still play Kaldar? (All of me, save my original char, is Kaldar.)

When it comes to day-to-day gameplay, as a Kaldar you can build a character to be whatever suits. You have a character with built-in family who can be as close as you want them. We make excellent Barbarians, Rangers, Paladins, Traders, Healers, Mages, Bards, and Bandits. We love to laugh and we're all pretty rough and tumble. Bar room brawl or massive invasion, we fight to the death - theirs! Our women are as tough as our men. We all have calloused hands. There are no ladies or dandies among us. We have no interest in being nobles or royalty - we'd all rather be the sword that royals call on. Wartime or peace when we look to our leaders, we look to those who came before us and have first-hand experience to share. We are not soft and do not sit back to watch while others do.

You are Sinderra Tassan, a Kaldar.
You have thick-lashed crystal blue eyes and a broken nose. Your honey-streaked red-gold hair is long and thick, and is worn pulled back in a loose ponytail bound with a length of undyed leather. You have tanned skin and an athletic figure.
You are a bit over average height for a Kaldar.
You are in your prime.
You have a tattoo of a dragon made of blue ice breathing white flames on your leg.

Sinderra is my barbarian survivalist hamstrung with a target req and an inability to hide. Too much fun.

~

Well, thinking on the tribal system for Kaldar, I agree that the 7 Belladzia put forth would probably be too many to support, especially with the current population but I believe that we could probably do 4 without too much of an issue. Seperating them by philosophy/function on top of location would also make for more diversity rather than just location (plains, forest, river, etc.) So here are my ideas on the 4 tribes.

1.Sedraha vaz Duveus (Children of Duveus)- This would be the largest, and most clearly Kaldar of the tribes, forming the bulk of the population. They would be followers of Elder Duveus' original ideas, divesting themselves of the city life and living in small villages and communites throughout most of the western province. I imagine they'd be led by a council of elders type system, each village having a representative. This would be a good tribe to use the mist-shrouded white ironwood tree that Belladzia had designed for us.

2.Luyoenedra (Frostblood) They would inhabit primarily the northern and easter reaches of the Kaldaran lands, the high plains, tundras and western ends of the Stormcrest mountains. They would pretty much encompass the mammoth/mountain tribes, be primarily nomadic, following the large herds of mammoth or antelope or what have you that would travel around the tundras. I could see them being led much in the same fashion as the first tribe, with the exception that the elder would be more like an alpha hunter rather than simply one respected for his/her age and wisdom. As far as a symbol I could see something like a jagged snow-capped peak surrounded by a triangle of crossing mammoth tusks or some such thing.

3.Sava Pane (Southern Watch)- This would be a tribe that simply evolved over time, with the solidifying factor being the advancement of the Mists. They would have been the Kaldar living closest to the border with the Ocular, and would have formed from the Sons of Duveus out of a shared responsibility for guarding the border and a desire for revenge against the Ocular for lost lands and lives. I could see them being much closer to the Gorbesh in culture, more militaristic and less averse to living inside walls than the other Kaldar tribes, given the nature of their responsibility. Probably would be led by a Lord Marshal type character, whoever would command the defenses of the border. As far as an emblem something along the lines of a staring, wide-open eye from which springs a malevolent whirlwind (the malevolent whirlwind being Sieben's icon).

4. Taka Apapoehi vaz Ameshi (True Heirs of the Dragon)- This would be the newest of the tribes, Kaldar who had converted to worship of the Thirteen after Akran Dein came to the Empire. Culturally they would be from all the other tribes but would probably hold themselves a bit apart from the others since religion is such a divisive factor in Albaria. Leadership would probably be held by a council of 13 high priests or priestesses, one for each of the Kermorian gods. Symbolically I could see something along the lines of two concentric rings, the inner formed of 10 dull points of light with the larger outer ring being made of 13 blazing beacons.


As far as Kaldar in Kermoria. Obviously the largest number of Kaldar travelling with Trimbolt would have been from the Heirs of the Dragon, since coming to the place of Lanival's birth would be a sort of holy pilgrimage to them, but I could see members of the other 3 coming over as well. The Children of Duveus are too numerous to realy pin down as one type or another so many would have decided to come for a myriad of reasons, the Frostbloods intrepid nature may have sent some of their number over the mountains simply for the idea of exploring, and while I believe the smallest number would have come from the Southern Watch since they would view their responsibilities there as sacred, some may have come as protectors of the other tribes, possibly to see if Ocular had infiltrated Kermora or some may have just come for purely selfish reasons to escape their existence as guardians of the mist.

Anyway, just some ideas on the topic. Let me know what you guys think.

Jerecis S'Onser'ei, Fist of the Empire
-player of

I agree that the Children really did seem a little bland, just wanted to get a starting point for the majority of the Kaldar people but I think your idea of combining the tundra/mammoth riders into it wouldn't be a bad idea at all, would give them a little more fleshing out and they'd have more of a goal for the toughest of the Children to become mammoth riders.

As far as the True Heirs of the Dragon, it kind of tied into both Xin'Alaudas, being Xosiurion's (the Dragon God) blood brother and Lanival the Dragon. For the true heirs part I see all Kaldar, be it tribal or Gorbesh as being slightly arrogant and jingoistic (sp?) so with them seeing Lanival as Xin'Alaudas reborn they would see all other worshippers of the Lanival's pantheon as being false heirs, only they as Xin'Alaudas' decendants could claim to be true heirs.

For working the different tribes into Kermorian culture I'm completely open to hashing this out with everyone, this was kind of just a baseline for before the Exodus and really didn't have a ton of thoughts on the assimilation process. With that in mind I'd love to have an in-game meeting with anyone interested to try to work some of this lore out to the players' satisfaction. (I'll be out of town the week of the 11-18 but anytime after that I could do about any time).

<<Haha, ouch. Aniek et al. are gonna smite you. :-p

And yeah seeing as Jerecis is a fairly devout follower of Misiumos I realize that putting forth that emblem might get me in trouble, but just developing lore for the Ten doesn't seem like it's going to work and I'd rather see advancement for Albarians as a whole rather than just push my own agenda.

Very well thought out, Jere.

I rather enjoy the idea of the Frostblood as originally stated. The Children however do need more fleshing out, but I think that there are several bits of Albarian society that could fit them well.

For instance, we're leaving out the "little people" (no I don't mean gnomes, but maybe I do...) i.e. the people who carry on mundane normal lives as farmers, blacksmiths, etc. The Children seems like a good idea for a "general" part of Kaldaran society, one that perhaps a large part of the population belong to out of a desire to not ride mammoths, not be constantly on vigil/at war with the ocular, and not trying to push the Empire's buttons by worshipping the 13. The "Joe Sixpack" Kaldaran needs a place to belong.

That's not to say that there can't be some interesting things added to them. For instance, they could be the primary tribe that the gnomes deal with, or perhaps gnomes may even choose to belong as well. Or perhaps, being more nature oriented, they could specialize in the life magic arts (rangering, empathic ability etc).

Mainly I say all of this, though, because I really like the structure you've laid out for the Frostblood, from the name, to the leadership structure, to all of the rest. I particularly think that this particular tribe would be the one to house the Mammoth Riders, particularly because of the leadership structure, but also because, well, the Mammoths.

I wonder that maybe Kaldarans would migrate between tribes on occasion, either at regular or irregular intervals, perhaps as their own personal beliefs or lives changed over the course of a lifetime.

Very interesting indeed.


~Mammoth Rider Maulem Akavame, Death Dealer of Therengia

Telfogli says, "It is the Barbarian who refuses to continue to die who has failed their duty."


The Barbarian Guildleader Les says, "Kill. Don't care what. Make dead.">

Ah, I went with the idea of a Kaldarn Bard as one who saw the potential for honor and power within the bardic enchantes. Songs that both had purpose and force at the same time often serving to pay homage and honor to those great who had come before.

>>Oh and I'm VERY tentatively planning a semi-OOC meeting to discuss lore-related stuff for Saturday, October 2nd at around 10pm Eastern or so.

10pm EST is way past my bedtime (I go to bed around 8). I could do earlier though most likely; 6pm or earlier would be best.

Of course if other people require the later time that's fine. I'm used to being in my out of the way time zone. :)

>>Of course if other people require the later time that's fine. I'm used to being in my out of the way time zone. :)

Just sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong, but this poster is a seriously great RPer and for me, would be worth moving my meeting time if I could without excluding everyone else.

And no, I'm not being sarcastic in the slightest. I absolutely loved RPing with ALEPH-ONE's Bard.


- Terra

>>... thought 10pm EST would be 5pm in your zone but it's actually 3am eh?

Yes... sigh!

>>And no, I'm not being sarcastic in the slightest. I absolutely loved RPing with ALEPH-ONE's Bard.

Aww, Terra, you're making me blush. It's too bad we haven't crossed paths with my Kaldar yet; I wonder what you'd think of her.

>>Really great to hear we've got a solid RPer who's interested in Kaldar dev. Just wish I knew his character's name, I have a horrible time connecting char names with board identities.

My character's name is Eyuve, like my IM. And both Eyuve and I are female. ;)

I generally try to save bright red for people I dislike. Does this mean you hate all Kaldars?


I will continue to get blunter on this topic until people get the message or my posts contain enough profanity to be removed. - Armifer

>>I save my racial hate for the elves.

I approve of this message, except for a select few.

I will continue to get blunter on this topic until people get the message or my posts contain enough profanity to be removed. - Armifer

Hey as long as it gets me a mammoth. I've died for much dumber reasons.

First I need to offer my apologies, the holidays and real life have taken their toll throwing me significantly where I wanted to be for development right now. That said, Kaldar have very much been on my mind lately and I have some stuff in the works I think you'll enjoy (Though nothing I can offer details on yet). I know we had some mini meetings and some discussions on these forums, but I'd like to try something a little simpler.

To kick off 2011 -- What one thing would you like to see for Kaldar this year? What one question about their history/culture/etc would you like answered?

I can't promise to answer all the questions, though I'll try and get as many as possible.

-Raesh

"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose

Any citation there for me to follow up on? Otherwise it's the first I've heard of it, but that doesn't really mean much either way.

-Raesh

"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose

Actually Kaldar do have our own symbol, a mist enshrouded white ironwood tree. We finally got it with our last GM Champion.


Oderint Dum Metuant

Mist enshrouded white ironwood tree.

And the meaning of the mist?

And then the meaning of the ironwood tree?

And why is the ironwood tree white?

Doesn't this image seem overly white (I picture mist as being white, so a hazy white field, with a white tree).

And while you may think or read this with a sarcastic tone, I am sincerely interested in the meaning of this. I want more background for my character.

Thanks,
Shadow7988

_____________________________________
Victory Over Lyras, on the 397th year and 156 days since the Victory of Lanival the Redeemer.