Setting
The Caleth are one of the two sapient races on Dera, the planet of the Cal-Dera-Ban system. Theirs is a loose government of mostly independent states, called manors, each allowed to do its own thing as long as it honors the occasional royal decree. Thatâs not to say it doesnât have nobles, because it does, but theyâre more like a cross between a mayor and a philosopher or artist than a prince â even the ones that are actually princes.
This system lends itself well to fair governing. Any position above a local governor doesnât have much in the way of additional power until one gets to the highest ranks. Indeed, there isnât even a specific system of nobles; some are appointed by the royals, others elected, and still others just heads of councils, and often symbolic ones at that, depending on the local charter. As such, scheming for power isnât profitable unless one thinks themselves capable of getting promoted all the way, which isnât entirely unheard of, but practically speaking is so. And besides, Caleth have more interesting things to do than politics, like baking or wrestling or making fireworks.
Because of their loose government, everything runs like and effectively is an independent village. A side-effect of this is that anything requiring cooperation between multiple manors is difficult, and a side-effect of this in turn is that there isnât much public transportation. There are naval ships for going between ports, and private airships, but theyâre rarely economical unless one is going a very long distance and most simply canât afford them. Travel by animal or cart is more common âand some wild inventors have built self-powered carts driven by magical explosionsâ but not terribly fast. And so most stay in their own manor and the closest few their whole lives, resulting in a strong sense of community. Everyone save the local nobles are pretty much equal in most manors; thereâs little division between sexes in Caleth culture, and much individual freedom.
Caleth architecture emphasizes ease of construction and practicality, and light. Giant windows are a common sight, as are fireplaces. Otherwise, theyâre simple structures usually made out of light-colored wood, arranged in no particular pattern. Theyâre snug and cozy, comfortable rather than fancy âthe kind of place you enjoy arriving at, especially when itâs your own home after a long day. Even the capital, Caltown, is like this, with its castle a welcoming place and its royals often seen in the streets distinguished only by somewhat nicer clothes.
Their clothing is similar. It consists of simple fabrics in bright colors (rarely white, which is seen as boring), with a fairly large variety of styles. Menâs clothing is usually some sort of pants and a shirt, usually short-sleeved, with patterns or designs on both. Women usually wear short dresses, but long dresses or a skirt and a blouse (or a simple band over the breasts) are also options. Itâs not unheard of for women to wear pants, though, and fairly common for men to wear skirts, which are more comfortable given the rough fabric they often use. Robes are also worn sometimes by either sex, and are the closest thing they have to âformalâ attire.
Parties are common on Caleth manors, and most of the town will show up. A month is considered a very long time to go without dancing and feasting. The dances are wild and happy, with blazing fires keeping the night away and joyous anarchy the order for evening. Except for being the only thing they like to do after nightfall, this is basically their daily lives, just more intense. Not all Caleth like quite this much partying, but theyâre welcome to just not go, and someone or other will open their house to the others who feel that way and theyâll have a quieter (but still happy) evening there.
There is a bit of a darker side to their culture, though. Thereâs so much of an emphasis on individual freedom that actually getting people to do work is hard. Trying to convince a Caleth to do something he or she doesnât want to do is usually an exercise in futility. In most manors, people work on farms or at trades because they enjoy the work, or run stores because they like meeting people while trading and selling. But sometimes a community gets too well-off, and then it starts getting too many dilettantes, and itâs not unheard of for slavery, in name or in fact, to become accepted in an area. This is an open secret, and itâs known that a significant amount of their prosperity comes from that fact. Cognitive dissonance occurs. (And it could be argued that the fact that theyâre so willing to blow off responsibilities because they feel like doing something else is a dark side to them, too.)
Major manors include the capital Caltown, with the royal palace and the largest temple to the sun ânot exactly a religious structure but more a place to contemplate nature or realityâ; Redport, a naval center in the far north named for a reddish mineral that tints the waters there; the Isle of Rocks, an island full of gold and materials useful for building; and Treeport, a shipping center near a strangely coastal forest. The east, near the border with the Bani, is sparsely populated save Lookout, a mostly self-sufficient farming community and one of the places where slavery is common.
This system lends itself well to fair governing. Any position above a local governor doesnât have much in the way of additional power until one gets to the highest ranks. Indeed, there isnât even a specific system of nobles; some are appointed by the royals, others elected, and still others just heads of councils, and often symbolic ones at that, depending on the local charter. As such, scheming for power isnât profitable unless one thinks themselves capable of getting promoted all the way, which isnât entirely unheard of, but practically speaking is so. And besides, Caleth have more interesting things to do than politics, like baking or wrestling or making fireworks.
Because of their loose government, everything runs like and effectively is an independent village. A side-effect of this is that anything requiring cooperation between multiple manors is difficult, and a side-effect of this in turn is that there isnât much public transportation. There are naval ships for going between ports, and private airships, but theyâre rarely economical unless one is going a very long distance and most simply canât afford them. Travel by animal or cart is more common âand some wild inventors have built self-powered carts driven by magical explosionsâ but not terribly fast. And so most stay in their own manor and the closest few their whole lives, resulting in a strong sense of community. Everyone save the local nobles are pretty much equal in most manors; thereâs little division between sexes in Caleth culture, and much individual freedom.
Caleth architecture emphasizes ease of construction and practicality, and light. Giant windows are a common sight, as are fireplaces. Otherwise, theyâre simple structures usually made out of light-colored wood, arranged in no particular pattern. Theyâre snug and cozy, comfortable rather than fancy âthe kind of place you enjoy arriving at, especially when itâs your own home after a long day. Even the capital, Caltown, is like this, with its castle a welcoming place and its royals often seen in the streets distinguished only by somewhat nicer clothes.
Their clothing is similar. It consists of simple fabrics in bright colors (rarely white, which is seen as boring), with a fairly large variety of styles. Menâs clothing is usually some sort of pants and a shirt, usually short-sleeved, with patterns or designs on both. Women usually wear short dresses, but long dresses or a skirt and a blouse (or a simple band over the breasts) are also options. Itâs not unheard of for women to wear pants, though, and fairly common for men to wear skirts, which are more comfortable given the rough fabric they often use. Robes are also worn sometimes by either sex, and are the closest thing they have to âformalâ attire.
Parties are common on Caleth manors, and most of the town will show up. A month is considered a very long time to go without dancing and feasting. The dances are wild and happy, with blazing fires keeping the night away and joyous anarchy the order for evening. Except for being the only thing they like to do after nightfall, this is basically their daily lives, just more intense. Not all Caleth like quite this much partying, but theyâre welcome to just not go, and someone or other will open their house to the others who feel that way and theyâll have a quieter (but still happy) evening there.
There is a bit of a darker side to their culture, though. Thereâs so much of an emphasis on individual freedom that actually getting people to do work is hard. Trying to convince a Caleth to do something he or she doesnât want to do is usually an exercise in futility. In most manors, people work on farms or at trades because they enjoy the work, or run stores because they like meeting people while trading and selling. But sometimes a community gets too well-off, and then it starts getting too many dilettantes, and itâs not unheard of for slavery, in name or in fact, to become accepted in an area. This is an open secret, and itâs known that a significant amount of their prosperity comes from that fact. Cognitive dissonance occurs. (And it could be argued that the fact that theyâre so willing to blow off responsibilities because they feel like doing something else is a dark side to them, too.)
Major manors include the capital Caltown, with the royal palace and the largest temple to the sun ânot exactly a religious structure but more a place to contemplate nature or realityâ; Redport, a naval center in the far north named for a reddish mineral that tints the waters there; the Isle of Rocks, an island full of gold and materials useful for building; and Treeport, a shipping center near a strangely coastal forest. The east, near the border with the Bani, is sparsely populated save Lookout, a mostly self-sufficient farming community and one of the places where slavery is common.
The Caleth Federation
The western civilization, and the "gold" in the title - a race that lives intensely and by whim.
Minimap
northwest |
north |
northeast |
west |
You are here. |
east |
southwest |
south |
southeast |