Kassae

The Kassae

Overview

The Kassae, better known as Kassei, are a people found in the Gendur Valley and Western Ischarra. In comparison to their neighbors, the Kassae are a smaller group that lives in depopulated areas. The Kassae are known to be great craftsmen and are often found as traveling merchants in the Gendur region. While they can trace their ancestry to the Soranni and Ingharans, it is said that most have some ancestry and many traditions from Tarai people and because of this they are seen as foreign by the Soranni. Despite their apparent weirdness, the people are very peaceful and rarely wage war unlike their neighbors. It is due to this fact that they are often a minority in most lands with the exception of the Sirrtarae foothills.

Subgroups

The Kassae can be split into five main tribes, the Jongkassae, the Sukassae, Kaekassae, Lukassae, and the Daekassae. The Jongkassae are native to the Atsuryen region of Ischarra and the lakes north of the Gendur Valley, the Sukassae are native to the lake in western Ischarra north of Soranna, The Kaekassae are native to the hills in northern Anosfae, and the Daekassae are native to the Gendur Valley and the foothills of the Sirrtarae.
The Jongkassae are often found in small towns in the cold swamps of Atsuryen, where they focus on wood carving and trade. These people are more settled and hidden away from many of the populations. They face little discrimination in this region by the native Ischarri and Losiri.
The Sukassae are a group in western Ischarra and the Inghar valley who keep to themselves around the lakes and hills. They often mine the hills and sell the ores to the Ischarri and Soranni of the region. They face discrimination in Ischarra.
The Kaekassae are a group of Kassae who migrated south along the Sirrtarae and ended up in northern Anosfae. These people live a nomadic life and are found in mobile trade villages. They face alot of discrimination due to the beliefs that they are cheats and criminals.
The Lukassae are the most populous Kassae group, found in camps along the plains of the Gendur valley and Ilkin valley. These people often trade with other groups, and have been recently settling down around a city known as Demaci. This city is becoming the largest Kassae settlement and center of their power. The Daekassae are the most prestigious group of the Kassae, they are found in the hills of the Sirrtarae and are known as master craftsmen and smiths. They are the majority in their lands and so face no discrimination.

Culture

Diet

Kassae diet is often associated with grains like breads and rice from the Soranna region, as well as various products from foraging and herding such as sheep and goat.

Clothing

Kassae clothing often has alot of wool and silk due to their local materials; they typically dont wear alot of furs. The Kassae style of clothing is one which initially appears similar to their neighbors, however they have shorter sleeves and longer skirts. Sometimes, the Kassae even have sleeveless clothing, although this is usually worn over sleeved shirts. Kassae often also wear sashes of a red color for men and blue for females, while the children wear brown or green.

Hair

The Kassae sometimes grow their hair long like other Auri peoples, however they are unique as they often shave their sides and braid the back. Many Kassae ignore the long hair tradition of other Auri groups, which contributes to their discrimination.

Crafts

The Kassae are fine craftsmen, known to be able to mimic Soranni glass fairly well and are great forgemen. The Kassae, like the Ischarri, are known for their wood carvings. The Kassae are masters at more animalistic patterns and things mimicing nature in contrast to the Ischarri who focus more on making toys and decorations.

Music

Kassae music often is drum heavy, with other common instruments being flutes and ocarinas. Often, singing overtakes the music and the songs follow the beat of the singer.

Dance

The Kassei often dance in pairs of three. Their most famous dance is the Kassae winter festival dance, where the people dance with long torches around a bonfire.

Auri Rejection

Kassae often dont share other traits with their Auri relatives such as item reverence, duels, and values. The Kassae revere nature like the Auri, but view items as tools and do not assign any spiritual value to objects. It is for this reason they are seen as greedy when they hoard items. Kassae do not partake in duels, and instead try to settle disputes through dance and other competition.

History

The Kassae emerged from Ingharans who mixed with the Tarai peoples in the mountains of the Sirrtarae region. They were a people that were able to expand in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soranni empire as depopulated regions were filled in by their people. They left the hills and warred many Soranni villages in the valley until they had their own region. Subsequent dynasties would punish them and eradicate any militarism left in their people.
By the modern day they are a people known for trading and being outcasts. They are often living under outside regimes such as Suigan's empire or the many Soranni dynasties; however, this is no problem as they simply live their lives and wait for the enemy to fall and they can rule themselves again.