Casadians

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.

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

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.

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.