Overview
Keldara is a martial nation in northeastern Xalmyrra, counted with Teryndal, Soltheris, and Erenmyr among the four great nations. Its people are formidable warriors, and its cold northern lands include mountain fortresses and the fortress-city of Varentis, its capital.
Keldaran forces defend Soltheris, answer threats near Erenmyr's coast, and use the northern mountains' passage toward Thundermarch.
Geography
Keldara lies in Xalmyrra's northeast. Near Lake Velisyth, the northern peaks mark the borderlands of Erenmyr and Keldara. Soltheris lies east of the four-nation meeting point. The country has snow, frozen tundra, icy valleys, pine forests, cliffs, and difficult mountain terrain.
The Keldaran mountains block skyship travel toward Varentis and give local defenders an advantage in the cold terrain. Their northern reaches hold the cave or passage to Thundermarch, a route used in expeditions beyond Xalmyrra's storms.
Culture and Military
Keldara has a hardy, pragmatic, and martial culture. Keldaran warriors are formidable fighters, and Khoradyn teaches Jin Leiyun about Keldaran combat methods, philosophies, and beliefs during training in Thundermarch.
Keldaran forces defend Soltheris, participate in the unified expedition into the Land of Darkness, answer threats north of Keldara, and join Xalmyrra's coastal defense when foreign skyships approach Erenmyr.
Leadership
Keldara's leading office is supreme commander. Khoradyn held that title before his long absence. Feryon holds it afterward. Durvek is a Keldaran general in Varentis.
The supreme commander title carries political and military weight. Feryon speaks for Keldara in negotiations, sends and receives military messages, commands Keldaran mages, and exchanges plans with Aldar and the Xalmyrran Council.
History
Ancient Xalmyrran history places Keldara among the four nations affected by the atraxi arrival, the spread of the Xalmyrran language, darkness across Xalmyrra, and the War of Scars. Kaldramir Kaldaros, supreme general of Keldara, starts the War of Scars after learning about the repeating cycles.
Under Khoradyn, Keldara defends Xalmyrra against darkness. He deploys Keldaran soldiers wherever they are needed, sends soldiers to smaller villages, and later commits Keldara to a formal four-nation alliance and expedition into the Land of Darkness. During the collapse of Soltheris's southern defenses, Keldara is considered a temporary evacuation destination.
Khoradyn disappears after an expedition far north into the Keldaran mountains. The expedition leads him into a cave and strange mountain passages, and he returns alone with fractured memories; most of his fellow mages are missing, including Kren. Rhalyn returns separately years before him without her memories. Isaac created the tunnel from Thundermarch to Keldara.
After Khoradyn's return and Feryon's rise, Keldara remains active in Xalmyrran politics and defense. Feryon leads Keldara as supreme commander from Varentis, with Durvek serving as a Keldaran general. Aldar quietly uses Silas against a Keldaran general whose opposition to reinforcing Soltheris threatens Xalmyrran unity.
Renneth, Maric, Rhalyn, Feryon, and Durvek later investigate the passage north of Varentis. The journey leads through the deep Keldaran wilderness to the cave, where they encounter Krexyn, an ash-skinned shaper. The discovery prompts Feryon to call for reinforcements, a road, and a wall near the route.
Features and Places
- Varentis, Keldara's capital and a fortress-city carved into the cliffs of the Steel Ravine.
- The Keldaran mountains, including the northern wilderness and the route toward Thundermarch.
- The cave or tunnel between Keldara and Thundermarch.
- Mountain fortresses and crimson-fist Keldaran banners.
- Northern waters beyond Keldara, difficult for most travelers to reach.