The Kalamaran Empire

The ancient Kalamarans had red hair, with occasional browns and blondes. Their skin was olive in color, and their eyes were blue, hazel, or gray. Today, however, because the mighty Kalamaran Empire touched all human races, the diversity among them is great. Every combination of skin tone, hair and eye coloration, as well as build, can be found among the Kalamaran populace. Only the nobility, who marry chiefly among themselves, retain the classic red hair with any frequency. Their size varies greatly, with the tallest people in the north and the shortest to the west.

The Kalamaran language is spoken throughout Kalamar and there maining elements of the former Empire. It is the native tongue of the inhabitants of the Young Kingdoms, even those who might be of Brandobian lineage or otherwise. Because of the many other peoples conquered and assimilated by the Kalamarans and the great size of the former empire, the dialects are many and varied. Natives of different regions have difficulty understanding each other’s speech, although at this point in time, their written words are still nearly identical.

The Kalamaran Empire - an outsider’s view

"Yes, Kalamar is large, but few of us non-Kalamarans accept the claims to greatness that the people of the Empire espouse. We know the truth – that their ‘greatness’ was stolen from conquered peoples. We fear the Empire, knowing it might turn on us at a moment’s notice, if Kabori sees anything worth taking.

Still, the Kalamarans are worldly and sophisticated by most nation’s standards, and though most of us are wary of a Kalamaran stranger, few treat them as inferiors, with the notable exception of Brandobians. The people of Kalamar are well traveled and well read and very few can not speak less than a handful of languages.

Oh yes, the capital city, Bet Kalamar, is the center of the Empire. It is a wondrous place filled with sights and smells the world over, but it is also a dangerous place, where you might quickly find yourself bereft of possessions – or even your life."