Chapter V: The Caladaran

Caladaran: Section 1

In the age following the Sundering, the caladaran race rose under the tutelage of two planar travelers: Chadraln the Seer, and Jalassa the Disciplined. The pair of them nurtured the young caladaran in the far-flung glades of the Rirro Jagka, to the south and east of the Dantaron river valley. It was here that the race developed its immense capacity for study and reason.

Eventually, the Seer would instruct the caladaran to embrace the magics of Earth, and granted them knowledge of Iandir, one of Avendar's three creators. Their great capacity for magic made them natural adepts, and their desire for order led many to embrace His law. This knowledge drove a wedge between Chadraln and Jalassa. Unbeknownst to the caladaran, the War of Fire's end was nigh by the time the first of them left their racial glades.

With their arrival in the human Republic of Earendam, the caladaran gifted the new civilization with knowledge of Iandir, as well as His magic. They quickly took to the art of healing, and gifted to humanity the first codified laws and the script which would form the basis of the common tongue of the present.

Caladaran: Section 2

A second wave of caladaran would follow in the coming years, driven from their home by warlike kankoran and alatharya. These caladaran brought with them their monastic tradition in earnest, as well as the precepts of psionics. They introduced to humanity the worship of Jalassa, who appealed strongly to the human and aelin aristocracy. It was during this time that a leading acolyte of Jalassa, Adrajisk, would begin the fusion of mental techniques that would become known as ginta'cham'akan.

Those caladaran who did not acclimate to multi-racial fusion sought refuge outside of Republican circles. Many of them left human civilization for the wild, in which they might settle in new monasteries or live as hermitic lives. The worship of Alajial originated with them; as the War of Night took hold, this would be the primary face of the caladaran people. Those who participated in the conflict often served as healers, leaving the majority of the fighting to the great heroes and heroines of other races.

With the close of the War, the Alajian caladaran would help the ch'taren develop the new sphere of Spirit. Their contributions were profound, directing significant study in the application of magic to mental tranquility. The race itself, which had long grown apart in the development of its three major creeds, began to again cross-pollinate. This helped to cement the general direction of the caladaran through the collapse of the Republic.

Caladaran: Section 3

In the modern era, caladaran are often teachers, sages, or healers. They seldom act as warriors or men of the sword, instead focusing on their innate wisdom to resolve conflicts. They often prefer a solitary lifestyle, which can lead to the classical representation of the caladaran hermit as well, they can be found in monasteries devoted to Alajial or Jalassa. Reason is the most powerful tool a caladaran possesses, and the one with which he is most adept.

Caladaran are often known by their appearance and contemplative nature. Usually, they are tall and thin, with rough, bark-like skin. This often leads to a comparison with trees, which the caladaran often appreciate, due to their long lifespans and attunement with the natural world. Their faces are humanoid, but rarely show the signs of age until they have advanced a great many decades.