> [!infobox] > # ![[Kaldia.png]] > | | | > |---|---| > | **Type** | Realm | > | **Government** | Tribal Council | > | **Judicial** | Free & Open | > | **Council** | [[Kaldia#Politics\|Council of Elders]] | > | **Aliases** | - The Scorched Jewel<br>- The Forgotten Land | # Overview Kaldia is an exotic and isolated continent, defined by its vast desert, dense jungles, and towering mountain ranges. A land of resilience and adaptation, its people have built their lives around the unforgiving terrain and scarce resources. Kaldia is known for its rich spices, rare creatures—including dinosaurs—and unique cultural traditions that set it apart from the other regions. The region has an air of mystique, with ancient ruins buried beneath the sand and whispered legends of lost civilizations. Though it remains mostly detached from the politics of Zalfaria and Azmarinia, its exotic goods and mercenaries are highly sought after. # Geography Kaldia is divided into three major biomes: the central desert bowl, the dense western jungles, and the coastal regions. - **The Desert Bowl**: The vast, arid heart of Kaldia stretches between [[Kald]] in the west and [[Carran]] in the east, enclosed by towering mountain ranges on both sides. [[Carran]] is nestled against the eastern mountains, while Kald is tucked against the western range, making both cities crucial hubs of civilization in an otherwise harsh wasteland. - **The Western Jungles**: The lush and humid jungles of western Kaldia surround [[Redwater]], a city-port known for its infamous blood-colored waters. The jungle harbors deadly creatures, exotic flora, and hidden ruins from ancient times. - **The Coasts & Islands**: [[Far Water]], located on a small island to the north by northeast, serves as an isolated town with unique customs and superstitions. [[Anghor]], on the southmost coast, is rarely visited due to its remote location, making it a haven for smugglers and outcasts. # Religion Kaldian spirituality is deeply tied to the land and its hardships. Furthermore, alongside the uncommon nature of Kaldia and the diversity of its people, there is a plethora of religions worshipped both openly and secretively. - [[Vaaldin]] - [[Ehesis]] - [[Nixzotl]] # Achievements - **Mastery of Survival:** The people of Kaldia have perfected desert navigation, water conservation, and jungle survival. - **Exotic Domestication:** Kaldia is one of the few places where dinosaurs and other rare beasts are tamed and trained for use as mounts, guardians, or even war animals. - **Spice & Perfume Crafting:** Kaldian spices and perfumes are some of the most expensive in the world, known for their potency and rarity. - **Ancient Ruins:** Scattered across the desert and jungle, remnants of a lost civilization suggest that Kaldia may have once been the cradle of an ancient empire. # Politics Kaldia does not operate under a singular monarchy or oligarchy like Zalfaria or Azmarinia. Instead, it is ruled through a Council of Elders, where influential city leaders, merchants, and warlords come together to maintain order. The Council is decentralized, with each city handling its own affairs unless a major issue threatens the region as a whole. - **Elder [[Rashim Al’Zahir]]** - The Silver Falcon of [[Kald]] - **Elder [[Yasmin Rin-Salar]]** – The Scorching Hand of [[Carran]] - **Elder [[Hakim Qareth Al'Mansouri Sadiq]]** - The Crimson Serpent of [[Redwater]] # Economics Kaldia thrives on the trade of exotic goods, particularly spices, rare animals, and handcrafted textiles. Though it has little direct interaction with Zalfaria and Azmarinia, both regions covet Kaldia’s wares. Caravans brave the desert to carry goods to coastal trade hubs like Redwater, where they are shipped to foreign lands. ###### **Exports:** - Exotic spices, rare herbs, and perfumes - Exotic creatures - Fine textiles and desert-forged weaponry - Rare jungle medicines and alchemical ingredients ###### Imports: - Metal and processed goods (Kaldia lacks the infrastructure for large-scale metalworking) - Magical artifacts (most magic users in Kaldia are self-taught) - Luxury items from foreign lands # Social Structure & Culture Kaldian society is built on resilience, tradition, and honor. Respect is earned through survival, knowledge, and contributions to the community. Hospitality is sacred—refusing aid to a traveler in need is considered a grave offense. However, outsiders are expected to respect Kaldian customs, or they may quickly find themselves unwelcome. ###### Cultural Aspects - **Clothing:** Kaldian attire is lightweight, flowing, and suited for the desert heat. Face coverings are common to protect against sandstorms, and jewelry often holds spiritual or familial significance. - **Etiquette:** Honor is everything. Insults are rarely forgiven, and personal duels (non-lethal) are a common way to resolve disputes. - **Legends & Superstitions:** Many Kaldian myths speak of a lost golden city buried beneath the sands, waiting for a worthy ruler to reclaim it. ### Greetings & Etiquette ###### "The Sun and Sand" Greeting - The most common greeting in Kaldia, especially in the desert cities of Kald and Carran, involves placing the right hand over the heart and then touching the forehead before extending the hand outward, palm up. - This symbolizes offering one's intentions openly and recognizing the harshness of the desert sun and shifting sands in daily life. - The appropriate response is mirroring the gesture and saying, _"Sun and Sand"_ when the hand touches the forehead and then reaches out respectively. ###### The Blood Oath - Warriors, mercenaries, and those who engage in serious deals often cut a small mark on their palm (or press their thumb against their dagger) and clasp hands, sharing a drop of blood. - This is only done when sealing an unbreakable pact, such as a contract for revenge, lifelong loyalty, or sworn vengeance. - Breaking a Blood Oath is punishable by exile or worse. ###### The Three-Finger Gesture - A gesture of casual acknowledgment used by sailors, traders, and smugglers. The index, middle, and ring finger stand up together while the pinky and thumb curl inward. This signifies the three main cities standing above the continent. - This greeting is used in Redwater and along Kaldia’s coast to identify native Kaldians and signal friendship. ### Traditions & Customs ###### The Oasis Pact - If a traveler is offered water or shelter in Kaldia, they are obligated to protect their host from harm while under their roof. - Denying a person in need a drink of water in the desert is considered a crime, and only those marked as exiles or traitors can be refused. - Breaking the Oasis Pact—betraying a host or harming a guest—curses the offender to be "forgotten by the sands" (ostracized, shunned, and ignored in all settlements). ###### The Trial of the Dunes - Youths of the desert clans must undertake a three-day journey alone through the dunes to prove their endurance and self-reliance. - Returning successfully means they are given their first true name (many Kaldian names are earned rather than given at birth). - Failing this trial is seen as a mark of shame unless the individual atones through an act of great courage or sacrifice. ###### The Riverwine Ceremony - In Redwater and the jungle regions, the rare red wine of Kaldia is used for important ceremonies. - When a leader steps down, a new trade agreement is forged, or a child reaches adulthood, participants drink wine mixed with river water, symbolizing the blending of past and future. - To refuse the Riverwine is a deep insult unless one is abstaining due to faith or a blood oath. ###### The Sand’s Judgment - In Kaldia, courts of law exist, but personal disputes (especially among warriors, merchants, or noble houses) can be settled through a "Judgment of the Sands." - The accused and accuser are each given a single weapon and must fight within a ring of shifting sand, determined by elders or the Council of Elders. - Some trials require no weapons, only endurance—standing beneath the sun without food or water until one yields or collapses. - The winner is deemed truthful, though this system is sometimes abused by the strong and influential. ###### The Silent Dagger - In Kaldia’s underworld, a small dagger left in a doorway means one of two things: - Blade pointing inward – A warning to leave or cease your actions. - Blade pointing outward – A mark of death, meaning retribution is coming. - A dagger with a red ribbon signals a demand for negotiation or ransom before a conflict escalates. # Mysticism ###### The Sands Remember - The desert is believed to retain the echoes of all who have walked it. - Legends tell of whispers on the wind that carry the voices of the dead, guiding or warning travelers. - Some desert mystics claim to hear "The Dunes' Murmurs," an ability to commune with the shifting sands to find lost items, hidden truths, or even forgotten graves. ###### The Stars Hold Fate - Stargazing is a sacred art, and navigators, mystics, and seers read the constellations for omens. - The appearance of the Burning Serpent (a rare red comet) is said to mark a time of great change or upheaval. - Some desert tribes refuse to travel during a "Starless Night" (nights with heavy clouds) because it is believed that the gods turn their gaze away, leaving mortals vulnerable to misfortune. ###### Blood and Oath Magic - In Kaldia, words alone are weak—true power comes from binding a vow to blood, sand, or flame. - Some desert seers use drops of their own blood mixed with desert ash to cast spells or foresee the future. - An Oath Etched in Fire (a vow sworn over an open flame) is said to bind a person’s fate irrevocably. ###### Curses of the Wastes - The "Empty Path" Curse is one of the most feared in Kaldia. A person marked by this curse is doomed to lose their way, no matter how skilled a navigator they are. - The "Thirsting Curse" is placed upon those who betray their kin, said to make all water taste like dust in their mouth. - Some claim that breaking an Oasis Pact (harming a guest or host) invites the wrath of the desert itself—causing sandstorms to follow the offender until they atone. ### Sacred Rituals & Practices ###### The Rite of Sand and Shadow - Mystics and fortune-tellers perform this ritual by casting sand over a dark surface and reading the patterns it forms. - The way the grains settle is said to reveal a person’s past, present, or fate. - If the sand forms a circle, it means protection. - If it forms a break or a gap, it warns of danger or betrayal. - If the grains seem to vanish before hitting the surface, it is said that the spirits refuse to answer. ###### The Silent Vigil - When a loved one dies in the desert, their body is wrapped in cloth and left beneath the stars for one night. - It is believed that their spirit lingers until dawn, giving seers or family members one last chance to hear their final words in their dreams or the wind. - If the night is silent and the wind does not blow, it is considered an ill omen, meaning the soul is not at rest. ###### The Walk of the Forgotten - Those who have committed grave betrayals (such as breaking a blood oath or an Oasis Pact) may seek redemption through the Walk of the Forgotten. - They must journey into the deep desert alone, without water or supplies, and survive until they find a natural oasis or are guided back by the wind. - If they return, they are reborn in the eyes of the desert and may rejoin their people. - If they do not, it is said the sands have claimed them as their own. ###### The Whispering Fire - Kaldian mystics sometimes burn special desert herbs to invoke visions or speak with spirits. - The flames are said to dance differently when spirits are present, and some seers interpret their movements to understand hidden messages. - A blue flame means a restless spirit seeks revenge. - A split or forked flame means a crossroads in fate is near. ### Sacred Places of Mysticism in Kaldia ###### The Weeping Dunes - A stretch of desert where the sand is said to "sing" when the wind moves over it. - Some believe it is the voice of ancient spirits, while others say it is where lost souls wander, unable to find rest. ###### The Glass Mirage - A legendary hidden ruin where the sands have turned to glass-like crystal, reflecting the sun in a way that creates illusions of entire cities. - Mystics say that on certain nights, one can glimpse the past or future within the mirrored sands. ###### The Obsidian Shrine - A lone black stone monolith standing in the desert, untouched by time or erosion. - It is believed to be a remnant of an ancient civilization, possibly pre-dating the Kaldian people. - Some mystics claim touching it grants visions of a forgotten past. ### Mystics & Their Roles in Society - **Sandseers** – Diviners who read the sands and stars to predict the future. - **Ashspeakers** – Those who commune with the dead, often feared but respected. - **Flamekeepers** – Mystics who use fire rituals to see beyond the material world. - **Stormcallers** – Rare individuals believed to have a connection to the desert winds, able to sense coming sandstorms or disasters.