Kratian

The Twenty Families

Twenty families invented the Aux language of trade and are said to have founded Krato. These twenty each took names from this new language to identify their families and this name is passed down through the generations. Over time families began to specialise in specific trades or develop separate communes.

The Families

Alden

Known for their influence over Aldaport, the head of the Alder house doesn't officially rule the city but he has large influence over the Alder family, all of whom have good reputations amongst the population.

Aldaport

Due to the winds of Lanmet, Aldaport is one of the first places the Al Renyans land. Watch towers stand far from the city where beacons are lit to warn the town of incoming raids. The Alder family is one of the strongest forces in the city although there is also a large Renyan immigrant population who are influential and promise favours to traders heading to their home land.

Chriden

A small, well liked family commonly known for their weather reports.

Stormwatch

Run by the Chriden family, this building watches for storms and predicts future weather patterns that may effect the sailing of ships. The Chriden then sell their predictions to cautious sailors. in addition to their outposts in Aldaport and Last Stop they also have bases over the sea in Ald Yaksay and Saltensan.

Doul

Due to their intense rivalry with the Inder family, the Doul moved into the more peaceful occupation of trade as a reaction to the Inders developing interest in combat.

Nadol Haven

Pop: 35,000
The result of a joint effort by the Nial and the Doul to make a place safe from raiding, Nadol Haven is furthest away from the Sugazeh tribes and has easy access to the water. There is even a small island off the shore with provisions for when the population is Sea Stone.

Erikson

A minor family of travelling teachers.

Falken

A family with a tainted reputation due to a history of brutality who are striving to repair their reputation.

Gibbard

Some claim the Gibbard family has lost their taste for the sea and many members of the family who hear this are quick to anger as, in the past, their lighthouse has kept many safe and they remain a well respected family.

Gibbard Point

Gibbard Point is a lighthouse maintained by the Gibbard family. It is built on a strip of land on the way to Nadol Haven and provides the Gibbard family with their source of revenue as passing ships pay a tithe to pass. The payment required is not large but the trade winds mean many ships take this route thus ensuring the Gibbard's enjoy a comfortable existence. There is a small village set up around the base of Gibbard point where many of the family live.

Hale

A minor family of treasure hunters.

Inder

Known as fierce fighters and some of the only close combatants amongst the Kratians.

Inder's Tower

One of the few well defended settlements of Krato. The Inder family control this region. It is one of the few Kratian areas that has large herds of cattle. The main settlement sits on an island where the river, which is close to the sea, forks. A stone bridge links the island to the mainland and the houses nearby have flat roofs for archers to stand on to defend against invaders attempting to cross the bridge.

Kerran

A minor family primarily consisting of archaeologists.

Losen

Most of the Losen have died or been absorbed into other families but a few remain, keeping the bloodline alive.

Mardur

The Mardur have close blood ties to many Renyan families.

The Queen's Favourite

Run by the Mardur Family, this is a Krato merchant crew that specializes in trading with the Renyan Unitary . The Queen's Favourite consists of a standard crew of 12 and will often take on three to five extra hands when doing the across-sea voyage.
It can hold approximately thirty people at a stretch.

Nial

Part rulers of Nadol Haven (see Doul for more information).

Olsen

A minor family known to be skilled alcohol brewers.

Pae

A family with a poor reputation for being criminals.

Roland

Most of the family has been eclipsed by a single member; Rulf Roland.

Saints of Krato

The reputation of ship crews can become legendary but none more so than The Saints of Krato. Saint Rulf Roland is the captain of this small ship of crew members with reputations of mythic proportions. Each member of the crew is almost as famous as the captain.
Amongst the members of the crew are a pair of twin sisters from Krato named Immeris and Ine Inder. Each sister carries a rope at all times and they are experts at passing these between themselves in battle as they trip, catch and wound their foes.
Iden Inder and his seven sons, distant relative of the twins, act as the archery squad for the ship. The seven sons are expert bowmen and Ian has the uncanny ability to throw arrows to them which always seem to land in the right hand at the right time.
There is a Shadekissed on the crew who is know as 'The one who crosses waves, slays sky demons, breaks the fist of lesser men and has seen the heart of the world'. He carries a pole that is longer than most men and covered in an vicious barbs. He is well known to carry a grudge against a Sunkissed who he claims released a sky demon on him (but who this Sunkissed is is changes with each telling).
Most unusually, Rulf's crew includes a Bakaneer crew member. The Bakan has an unknown name, doesn’t speak a word and won’t kill anyone. Her only skill seems to be throwing harpoons with precision into the clothing of her targets to pin them in place.

Rumour has it each of the crew are seeking different items and that they have struck a pact to keep trading and participating in the occasional bout of piracy until every crew member possesses what they seek.

Svensen

After a vicious loss early on in their family history, the Svensen instituted mandatory practice with the bow for all children in the family and they now utilise this skill quite profitably.

Coastal Rain

A Mercenary company led by the Svensen family in Krato. They are a band of elite archers, known to be deadly archers. They have an office in Vasyard where requests for their services can be left for them and if they accept the contract, they will then sail to where the conflict exists.

Thrum

Skilled horse riders and river men, they have almost given up life on the sea.

Thrumvale

Population: 17,000 Thrumvale is managed by the Thrum family. It sits on the joining point of two rivers and manages many of the supply lines between different Kratian cities. When the rivers can't be used for transport, the Thrum family will often turn to caravans as their method of travel. When travelling overland, they rely on horses from Montihume and speed to avoid Sugazeh tribesmen.
They own a a small herd of Genies and when raided, each Genie is matched to a specific a rider that will head to the field and lead them away from the battle.

Vasmus

Home to some of the most skilled shipbuilders in Lanmet, it was created by the Vasmus family.

Yasyard

Yasyard lies south of Aldaport, past a series of tributaries. An outer ring of palisades and spike traps are set in random patterns surrounding Yasyard as a defense however, the intention is not to stop the Sugazeh but slow them.

Wurgen

Wurgen is a minor family since many of them have died while exploring away from the continents.

Yore

If injured in Krato, the hope is to see the banner of Yore on an approaching ship. Most crews will have a medic but only Yore dedicates themselves to the practice. They have mobile medical supplies they remove from the the ship and set up on the shore as a type of field hospital.

Naming Traditions

Unisex names

To distance themselves from the Monts, the Kratians also based their first names on incredibly ancient seafarers. They keep one name element while leaving the other the same for all children, for example: Hallbjorn, Hallbera, Halldor, Hallfrid, Hallgerd, Hallkel and Halli. Personality traits will often become nicknames.

Family names

With the constant threat to life, family is very important and Kratians place much emphasis on their lineage. The last name of a Kratian citizen consists of both the first names of their parents hyphenated. Each Kratian studies their family line as far back as it goes through oral chants.

Culture

Common Dress code

The garb of choice in Krato is anything water resistant (mainly seal skin) with many interior pockets. Kratians carry tools in these pockets but more importantly they store food in them which they keep ready for when they are forced to wait on the water. Kratians use many different types of dyes as they trade for them but they produce green themselves and will often choose this over the others.

Art & Architecture

Buildings in Krato have an open design, with a flow that allows movement around and between the buildings easily. They often possess doors or openings on the wall closest to the sea. This design is predominantly driven by the Sugazeh raids so that if a home is taken over by the Sugazeh, it is easier to shoot arrows into the building from a boat.
Stepwells are a common feature in northern cities.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Everyone in Krato lives in a constant state of preparedness to enter a boat with all their possessions they can carry. Most homes sit next to or on the water with a boat in sight at all times. This allows the majority of the Kratian population to escape raids from the Sugazeh without a fight as the raiders will often choose to live in the abandoned houses as opposed to fighting on the water. Kratans will sit out on the water until a captain comes along and pushes the invaders out. This practice is called "Sea Stone" since the waiters can do nothing but sit still like stones and wait.

Funerary and Memorial customs

The Kratan dead are dropped in the sea with stones tied to them and it is thought that they watch over their families once they are gone.

Sport

Most Kratian sports have their origins based on the importance of water to Kratian society. Swimming is the most common sport and along-side archery is widely practiced for practical reasons. Boat racing is more competitive and has a certain level of elitism in competitors, which often draws wider crowds. Amongst children, volleyball is a popular sport in addition to swimming. All children are extremely comfortable with the water.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Clothes are commonly made of seal skin, usually with fur coats in the cold weather. Linen and hemp are less traditional garb but also very common. Green is the most common dye as it is produced locally but yellows, blues and reds are traded for and frequently seen - often families will adopt identifying colour combinations based on one of these or a combination. Body accessories such as piercings or tattoos are considered foreign.
When Kratian's are considering potential partners, fast swimmers and calloused hands are prized attributes as well as people with a good reputation amongst the populace.

Gender Ideals

People of non-binary genders or who are attracted to the same sex are expected to keep it quiet but are generally tolerated. A few families (such as Hale and Olsen) are known to be much more accepting and welcoming.

Related Organizations

• Kratian League

Related Locations

• Krato