Keldar



The Keldarii were the most numerous people in Aelandris, before the Blight.
They are, according to many of their own origin myths, descendants of a
faction of Vaelandrii who eschewed the traditional isolationism of
Vaelandris and left their homeland in ancient times, searching for their own
path.

Some, however, tell a much different story. For it is known, especially now
with so many Vaelandrii trapped in Altheria, that any child born to
Vaelandrii parents outside of Vaelandris will always be Keldari. No one
understands why, but the tragic truth has made the Keldari Exile all the
more heartbreaking. Some Vaelandrii still believe that their Keldari
children were afflicted with some sort of disease or curse, while others
blame the Ancients and the Old Magic they left behind within Vaelandris. For
the Keldarii, being the children of the Vaelandrii, are themselves direct
descendants of the Ryn'Vrydarii, albeit cut off from that vital link to the
Aether.

With so many first generation Keldarii existing within Altheria, it has
brought into question just what exactly the Keldarii are. Beyond the minor
physical differences from their Vaelandrii ancestors, it might be difficult
to understand for those not sensitive to the weave. While the Vaelandrii
possess a deep connection to the Aether, this connection is all but severed
in their Keldari descendants. Most shocking of all, while Vaelandrii can
live millennia, most Keldarii rarely live beyond a hundred years, if that.
This had not stopped them from spreading out across the world, their
children and childrens' children eventually becoming one of the most common
of the ancestries.

Keldarii tend to be quick on their feet and surprisingly resilient and
adaptable, and this combination of traits has likely led to their extensive
proliferation. Due to their number and spread, the Keldarii lack a singular
set of historical traditions and culture, having integrated with nearly
every society they've come across.

Being the most numerous and spread out across the world means that most of
those who lost their lives when the Blight came were Keldari. If there's one
thing that binds Keldarii together across cultures, it's a shared sense of
loss. Almost every Keldar who made it safely to Altheria and escaped the
Blight has a family member or close friend that did not make it, and this
greatly shapes their perspective.