Caeda Culture

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## History

No one knows how to Caeda tribe came to existence, though it is believed to have been a break off from a larger tribe. The Caeda was apart of the Tribal Federation on Nuown, a group of similarly cultured tribes far far to the west of Rathnir. Caeda literally translates to Alloy, in part because of how they were the federations top smiths, and so they could say, "Alone, our metal is weak, but when combined together, our alloy is strong." They were well respected enough to gain the patronage of Torah, the god of Smithing and Diligence. Due to the benefits gained from having the patronage of such a highly respected god, many of the lesser tribes began to resent the Caeda, as well as the higher tribes. A civil war broke out for an unknown reason, and the Caeda sided with the ruling tribes, which had lost the war. As was customary, the Caeda and the other losing tribes had their patronage revoked, and their gods were replaced with resented gods. Hearing tales of "Yumi Aadul" (Misinterpreted Yimmu Audal) they began a long trek east. The Caeda, after they're exile from Nuown, wandered east for a long time, searching for the great empire Yumi Aadul. At some point around the 4th generation of exiled Caedans, a man known as Orasama Amina came into power. He wasn't a huge fan of the search for Yumi Aadul, thinking it a pointless waste of centuries they could've used. He took the Caeda and began to conquer, to emphasize this is not in rathnir, but beyond the border. Those Caeda who still believed they could make it to Yumi Aadul left, receiving the name Caeda-nala. Orasama Amina's Kamuhrm fell within 2 decades, in leading the Caeda to glory, he also ended the main branch of Caedans, as the rest were slaughtered by natives, silently integrating into the natives, or trickling back into the Caeda-nala. The name Caeda-nala was soon dropped as they'd become the main branch of Caedans. Despite his wrongdoings, Orasama Amina is still a huge figure in Caedan lore, so much so that being called Amina was a huge flex. They traveled for 6 more generations, before finally arriving in Rathnir. Days after the tribe entered, they became scattered, as game was scarce, bandits constantly threatened them, and they were introduced to new sicknesses. Many Caeda regrouped in Bardonia some time after the initial scattering. They appointed NattyNuke as the new leader, being the eldest male relative of the previous chief, his uncle. Under Natty's leadership, Natty negotiated for the rights to settle Hiroka-Lani in Theios-Essukdal territory, allowing for the Caeda to become one of Great Houses of Anoshphey.

## Customs

### Phrases

"Aevi Nos!" (A-vi No-s), a common and popular phrase meaning 'Stalwart Core,' this was typically said to warriors before they left for battle.

"Khar nala!" (Car Na-la), a battle cry of sorts, meaning 'Do not flee,' it was originally used as a command to not break rank, but eventually it evolved into a battle cry synonymous with 'Do not give up' or 'Do not lose hope.'

"Teri oso kre akar mel lyy va Kolmi." This is a Caedan phrase that roughly translates to, 'We serve to protect the light of Theios."

"Tare (va) Kolmi." This is a short Caedan phrase translating to Will of Theios, or a more direct translation, meaning, 'The Will of the Bringer of light.'

### Naming

The child's middle name is they're father figure's first name, their first name is given, and their last name is hereditary. In some cases, the middle name of a child may change depending on who they view as their father.

### Early Days

A nomadic Caedan childhood is not easy, at the age of 4, the children leave their families tent and are forced to live in the same tent with 3 other people of the same gender. Each child is responsible for carrying the supplies needed to set up a tent, as well as their bow. Because of the hunter gatherer lifestyle, Caedan children learned how to hunt at a young age, they were also required to learn skills such as basic bow crafting, learning what is and isn't edible, and how to survive on their own. At the age of 8, the child is given 3 weeks to craft a bow. The bow serves as a test of the child's skills, which determines what they'll do in the future. The Caeda always had a few sheep that provided wool they would use for clothing, most girls became hunters, scouts, and tailors, though every 10 years the 8 year old with the best memory would become an apprentice to the Reris, or Lore Keeper. Most boys became hunters, resource collectors, warriors, general laborer's, and smith's. Of curse there are many other professions not listed here.

### Teenage Years

After being assigned a profession, the eight year old would enter an apprenticeship. They should be learning their craft until they are fourteen, where they are finally allowed to work without supervision. After turning 17, they'd become eligible for marriage, once married a couple would form their own tent. Life would be mainly uneventful, save for the migration every ten or so years. There were no work hours, so people got to work on their own time, spending free time to socialize and have fun.

### Late Life

At age 45, the individual becomes an elder, the elder's are tasked with teaching the young ones about all the basic skills they need. They also help to advise the chief and they also take care of infants. Life expectancy averaged at about 54 years old, and elder's aren't expected to do much work.

### Burial Customs

In post-exile Caedan culture, burying the dead was a luxury that the newly exiled could not afford. Instead, they'd carve the names of the deceased into stones. After 2 generations of this, the stones began to be known as soul stones, as they were said to house the soul of the deceased. This is largely considered to be false, as the souls never entered the stones, therefore it can't really be called a soul stone. It was customary for, during a pivotal moment, for the stone of an ancestor to be held. This may seem pointless, but the stone's are not carried to fulfill dying wishes of the dead, or to give the person a relief that someone is there with them. The stones are there to remind the individual of their mistakes, every minute detail that made the person cringe, sad, angry, or uncomfortable, ultimately placing a greater burden. Many post exile deaths were easily avoidable if they had the proper knowledge, most deaths for the first 3 generations were accidental, because of this an emphasis was made on avoiding mistakes. After the moment is done, the stones would be left behind, and the person forgotten.

### Clothing Scheme

The exiled Caeda only had wool from sheep and leather from hunted animals for clothing making, as they were nomadic and didn't cultivate flax or cotton. Due to this the Caeda developed a very simple style of clothing, with woolen shirts, rawhide poncho's, and baggy woolen trousers bound with leather. These garb are known as Cykla. (Seek-la)

## Language

The Caedan alphabet is identical to the Travelers Tongue's alphabet. The language is rarely spoken any more, but it still holds cultural value in Hiroka-Lani. It is not particularly hard to learn the language, but a large number of vocabulary is long missing, and only a few of the rules are remembered. Caedan words occasionally have the same pronunciation or similar spelling to the tongue's translation, such as Orne (Ore-neigh), translating to Iron. An example of the opposite is Nala, translating to Flee, Route, Retreat, Withdraw, etc.

Plurals are not common in the Caedan language, it's very rare to see a Caedan word with a plural version. Plurals are generally just implied.

Many Caedan names have meanings, such as the feminine name, 'Aiyu.' As such, when you refer to someone with a name that has a meaning, you add kivi to the end of their name. 'Aiyu' would be 'Okay,' whereas 'Aiyu-kivi' would mean 'Aiyu.' The Caedan language does not have any honorifics.

Caedan Tongue has an annoying amount of general terms, because of this, translating to other languages can be annoying, for example Neri-Ile would be meaning Sheep lake, but at the same time it could also be alpaca pond. Because of this, instead of combining words together, the Caeda simply put a dash between a describing word and the referent.

Most every 'e' at the end of a Caedan word is pronounced "eigh." And L makes a y sound when put in front of a vowel.

#### Basic Meanings

* Aiyu- Meaning Okay or sure. Typically not used in formalities, this is more of a casual term.
* Tora- Meaning group or many.
* Dinu- Dinu is a term used to describe the integration of a person or group of persons into Caedan culture.
* Teri- We, used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people considered together.
* Oso- to serve or work.
* Ruok- basically asking, 'are you okay?'
* Kre- Kre simply translates as To.
* Haelu - Settle, stop, halt, typically a little softer than yelling at people, typically used on children, or younger adults
* Nala- to flee, route, or withdraw.
* Asharu- Death, dead, etc.
* Ren- meaning man or boy.
* Sen- meaning woman or girl.
* Ruimi- time regardless of amount
* Reina- the hots coals of a campfire.
* Aevi- meaning Stalwart or Steadfast.
* Yara- Meaning guardian, typically of lesser importance.
* Ren-Yara- male caretaker, or less important male guardian
* Sen-Yara- female caretaker, or less important female guardian
* Ari- Guardian, typically more importance, a more general term
* Ren-Ari - Father, adoptive father, or some sort of important father figure
* Sen-Ari- Mother, adoptive mother, or some sort of important mother figure
* Tensune- indescribable bliss
* Hanu - Child, children, etc.
* Sen-Hanu - female child
* Ren-Hanu - male child
* Akari- also meaning Guardian but is far more prestigious, someone who protects.
* Akar- To protect, verb, the action of protection.
* Su- Means pat, hug, and other words that would show light affection
* Lyy- A light or flame.
* Va- Simply translates to Of.
* Nen- Simply translates to the word 'Just.' Not referring to Justice.
* Niko- typically used meaning innocent, but is synonymous with cute or adorable.
* Terame- meaning smith or metal.
* Aiko- Mischief, mischievous
* Khar- Do not or don't.
* Mel- The.
* Pat- Means No.
* Cume- meaning Dandelion or 'yellow flower.'
* Pin- meaning potato.
* Tare- Meaning will, as in someone's desire.
* Niya/Nya- A swear, meaning degenerate, filthy, or profane.
* Pinsen- meaning hairbrush.
* Orne- Iron
* Hiroka- meaning nut, typically referring to almonds.
* Lani- meaning large or big.
* Ryn- meaning lost.
* Lyoro- A minor landowner. Similar to Nadu.
* Nanihr- A title given to that of a mayor or barony. Similar to Sahrad.
* Nyala, or Alora- A title given to that of someone holding a county title.
* Shyhe- A title given to that of someone holding a duchy title.
* Kamuhr- A title given to that of someone holding a kingdom title. Similar to Lugal.
* Hamahl- The highest title possible, given to that who holds an Empire title.
* Kolmi- Meaning 'Bringer of light' or 'He who brings light,' it is commonly used among Caedan's to refer to Theios
* Awae- Meaning Ave or Long live
* Nesui- the general direction of 'north'
* Meinsza- south
* Adul- east
* Nata- west
* MORE COMING SOON PROBABLY

## Religion

The Caedan religion was actually apart of a larger pantheon. When the Caedan people lived among the Tribal Federation of Nuown (not in Rathnir), each tribe in the federation had a patron god. Any new tribes would be given a god from the pool of existing gods. Any new gods that were similar to an older one would be devoured by them. The gods of the Tribal Federation of Nuown were not traditional gods, rather they were spirits of sorts. The gods of Nuown did not walk the earth, rather, each of the gods would have an item tied to them. This item was their essence, the source of their power. The item would display the power of the god, each of these items would be highly guarded by the tribe the particular god is patron of.

Terame was the traditional god of the Caeda people, Terame was the god of Smithing and Diligence. Terame was a much better god to the Caeda people. Despite Terame being taken away from the Caeda during the exile, whispers of Terame still exist among the Caeda. Terame quite literally translates to "Smith," in Caedan tongue. Terame was said to be very diligent in shaping metal, to a point where he'd sacrifice his followers health to do so. Their patronage was highly respected in the Tribal Federation of Nuown.

Baat was the god of Mischief, Treachery, and Sand. To have the patronage of Baat was a great disrespect, as Baat was not seen as a good god in the Tribal Federation of Nuown. Baat, starved of attention, coveted the Caeda people at first, but after a mere two generations of patronage, Baat got bored. Baat wished to return to the Tribal Federation, but he was tied to the Heart of Baat, and as the Heart of Baat was in the possession of the Caeda, he'd harass them constantly. The Caeda had also hated Baat, much preferring their old god, Terame. Knowing they couldn't survive without a patron god, they chose to give offerings to the Heart of Baat. Despite the mutual hatred, Baat still protected the Caeda, as it was his duty.

## Races

### Human

Well, they're human, not sure what you expect lore wise. Humans were the primary race of the Caeda, but have since become a minority to the Keita.

### Niori

Niori are a race similar to that of a dryad, yet they work a bit differently and vary differently. Niori are born of biomes, no one really knows how they come into existence, and none have been recorded to occur naturally in Rathnir. Their appearances and mannerisms vary based on which biome they are born of, there are even sub-races within the sub-races. A Niori can be a Niori, a flower forest niori, and a white tulip Niori. Generally the sunnier biome Niori are more cheery and optimistic, while colder or dryer Niori are more pessimistic, though there is also a great deal of individualism, it's not too unusual to see a cheery badlands Niori. A Niori will generally have features like a specific plant growing from their heads, and have a slight hue in their skin tone and a more prominent hue in their hair. They are able to breed with humans, which produce a Keita.

### Keita

Keita are the offspring of humans and Niori, and are capable of reproduction with Humans, Niori, and other Keita. Due to the humans of the original Caeda being isolated from other races, they often mingled with bands of Niori, occasionally integrating said bands into the Caeda people. Because of this extremely close contact, within generations pure humans among the Caeda were rare, and pure Niori were impossible to find. The Keita generally have more human features than Niori, but still often have oddities like very faint hues in skin tone and hair, as well as preference to sunlight. Keita can range from mostly human to mostly Niori or somewhere in between, making for a lot of genetic diversity.

## Folklore

### Grenech the Greedy

Grenech the Greedy is a classic Caedan tale, it tells the story of a group of women who entered the forest, searching for Ryn's iron sword. They came upon the base of a mountain, where they found a small cabin. Knocking on the cabin, a dwarf appeared, introducing himself as Grenech. He had three children, and all of them hated the women, but the women were well equipped, so he chose to show them hospitality. After listening to the women's story, he told them he knew knew the location of the sword, which was a lie. He said that he'd only tell them if they went to the cave and slew the monster that had been eating his family. The women complied, but one of them died during the battle. Returning to Grenech, grieving, they asked for the location of the sword. Seeing how weakened they were, he and his children attacked the women, and killed all but one. No one knows the accuracy of this tale, but it was written in the first book ever written by a Caeda, as well as it being orally passed down before that.

### Nala Ren

Nala Ren translates to Running Man. There is very little information on this folktale, but it is believed to have been a monster of sorts, used to keep children from wandering to far from home.

### Epic of Ryn

The actual words of the original story is long forgotten, but the story itself still very much exists in different forms. Ryn means Lost in Caedan tongue, the story is of a warrior named Ryn. Ryn was considered to be the Heracles of the Caeda people. He was said to have slain a pack of wolves with an oak trunk, crushing the wolves flat. In recent years, Ryn has been interpreted as Reina, an Angel of Theios.

#### Ryn's Weapons

His most famous story is of when, at age 17, he bested the Bestigor King in three challenges, one of strength, one of intelligence, and one of drinking. After losing all three challenges, the Bestigor king flew into a rage, ordering his 12 sons to bring him the head of Ryn. Ryn fled the area, with 20 sheep belonging to the Bestigor King. The strongest son, Durl, caught up to Ryn and attacked, they fought for 23 minutes. The battle ended when Ryn ripped the horns off the head of Durl, a great shame to the Bestigor people. Upon his return, a weapon was forged of the horns of Durl, a weapon Ryn used even in death.

Another famous story of Ryn is of his acquirement of the first Iron sword of the Caeda people. At the age of 18, Ryn was searching for sweet berries when he came upon a dwarven hold. The dwarves spotted him and attempted to drive him out with awful music, the dwarves did not want visitor's but did not want a war with humans. Ryn still approached, knocking on the large stone gate. He demanded to be allowed entry, the dwarves refused him entry and fired an arrow at him. In retaliation, Ryn tore a fir tree from the earth and began pounding of the stone gate. After breaking into the hold, the dwarves were so astonished that they got on their knees and apologized, one of them gave Ryn an iron sword as an apology gift. To Ryn, this iron sword had been like no weapon he'd ever seen.

Ryn used both weapons in combat, favoring his left hand, where he wielded the weapon of Durl's horns, and in his right hand was the sword of iron.

#### Ryn's Quests

The returning of the first flame- During the Caeda's exile, the first flame was stolen. The first flame is what kept the head god of the Nuown pantheon alive. Each god was tied to a certain item, and Merilyn (Mer-ill-in) the patron god of gods, was tied to the first flame. Without the flame, the god's power dwindled. While Ryn was a Caedan man, he still held respect for his generational brethren back in Nuown. He searched the land for 3 years for the first flame, finally finding it's location. The first flame was heavily guarded by goblin shaman's, tapping it's power for their dark rituals. He stalked the grove where the goblins hid, learning patterns and who was in charge. 3 weeks of stalking later, and he saw the perfect opening to steal the flame, a small group of Bestigor scouts came into the grove, and the goblins attacked. Seeing his chance, he jumped onto the alter and slew the shaman's, he then lifted the brazier that held the flame and began sprinting towards the exit. Ryn sprinted all the way back to the Nuown and returned the flame, in gratitude, the god's enchanted his iron sword with the flame of Merilyn.

## Current History

### Dinu of Siroba

On 5/10/2021, the County of Siroba was officially integrated as a county with Caedan culture, officially being renamed to the Nyalam of Siroba. This event was the first Dinu the Caeda had performed in a century, and it went rather well. Following this, the people seemed to have an increased interest in Caeda culture. Along with this, Siroba was added to the Caedan dictionary, meaning Boat, canoe, or raft.