The Khalikar are widespread across the wastelands of Mirasia in the east and Forenya Forest in the west. Long political turmoil and rough homelands have created a rift the Khalikar into two cultures, strongly divided from one another.
In the east lies the Tempest Wasteland, badlands tainted by an ancient Kokkori computer in the mountains. Warlords and emperors rise and fall and vie for control over the land, and the Kokkori relics which they worship.
While to the west is Forenya Forest. According to Bjorsine legend, the forest was created from a sprout of the sacred Bjorsine Undertree, and wars with the gods and the invading Ura to the North made living in the forest difficult. Over time, and fleeing from the Azwrakki threat to the far east, many Khalikar migrated westward, gradually occupying Forenya and surrounding glades and fertile land. They were discovered by the Bjorsine and many taken as slaves, starting a long lasting Khalikar slave trade for the Bjorsine that wouldn’t end until an alliance with humans formed centuries later.
Their sporadic history and lands have lead to a very disparate people, lacking many universal beliefs, traditions, and histories. Instead there exist smaller cults and societies separated by either the rough terrain of Forenya Forest or the roving bands in the wastelands.
However when the Khalikar excel in a field, they are some of the finest in the known world. They are well known for their arts, weapons, archery, tracking, diplomacy and trading among many others. And large Khalikar city states are noted for having the highest quality of living, in cities like Ethirfell, where the arts flourish, and Gwarthos, one of the trading capitals of the world.
The Khalikar are predominantly expansive and creative.
A bitter history has left the Khalikar fragmented and far spread across Crecia, from the forests of Forenya in the west to the Tempest Wasteland in the east, intermingling with their Azwrakki kin. Constant invasion from Azwrakki and domination from the Bjorsine left the Khalikar to claim what they could, often times what no one else wanted, or what no one else could take.
Khalikari architecture, artwork and textiles have become well known around the world. Fragments of the Khalikar style remain in Azwrakki clothing, and during the age of the Volduric Empire the Bjorsine recognized the value in Khalikar artwork.
Worship an ancient Kokkori computer inside Mount Korath, considered the holiest place and often fought over for control.
Prominent Khalikar kingdoms in the far east do not shy away from slavery when needed, however they are often Ch-chari slaves, mostly in charge of menial and grunt work. Either from invading Ch-Chari forces, or on outskirts into Ch-Chari territory to seek out slaves.
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Borodel is thought to be the birthplace of the Khalikar, and where they originated before expanding outward to find new worlds. Once known for its lushness, hidden in a fertile valley, all that remains are ruins and scavengers after it was pillaged long ago by Bjorsine invaders from the south.
Gwarthos is often thought of as being the trade capital of the world, and throughout its history has remained independent from surrounding nations. The city is built upon the cliffs of Alvalon, protected by the mountains and powerful fleet.
Ethirfell was a city constructed to be the center of an empire. It has been the seat of power for the western Khalikar since its inception.
The city of Dagrabeth is not known for its monuments or wonders but rather its people. It lies physically and culturally between the eastern and western Khalikar, and that mix is easily seen within the city walls. There is a unique blend of cultures which has also been subject to many civil wars over the years, and different ideals and powers constantly struggle to control the city and its people.
Once a powerful, ancient Kokkori computer built into the base of Mount Korath, Rei-yu has become a holy site for Khalikar, acting as the center of the eastern people. The site is constantly filled with internal strife between opposing Khalikar tribes, as well as causing diplomatic issues with the Kokkori to the north who want to reclaim the city in the names of their ancestors. Over the millennia the computer has tainted the land, giving a permanent twilight, staining the eastern lands of Mirasia, and possibly what resulted in the colorful pigment in the skin of many Khalikar. It is also suspected that the energy from the site also attracts Ch-Chari to the region, although the city itself is protected by the hard bedrock that the computer lies on.
An outlaw capital of the world