Fabula Astra ✨

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.
# The Kavisi
The Kavisi are semi-nomadic traders who pioneered magical airship technology. They have some more permanent settlements on massive mesas in the desert that are only easy to reach with their help. They have a fairly elitist culture, rarely letting outsiders in. When they do, they are carefully vetted.

The Kavisi made their initial fortunes by trading across the Khesiid, a large sandy desert that lies between several major civilizations. The Kavisi's early history saw them as one of several tribes of landbound nomads who plied this trade, with a lifestyle and culture adapted to the harsh desert conditions. Their fortunes changed drastically with the rise of an artificer named Saka, who invented a device which came to bear her name; a magickal engine which can project forces acting upon it out in a directed cone. This technology was quickly incorporated into the first generation of Kavisi skyships. Quickly absorbing many of the other nomadic traders, the Kavisi rapidly developed into a sprawling trade empire, soon extending well beyond the borders of their desert home.



## Culture
The Kavisi are a culture defined by adventure, commerce, and the aquisition of wealth. They are a cosmopolitan people, welcoming many outsiders onto their crews, many of whom go on to join the Kavisi more permanently through contract, marriage, or a number of other ceremonies. As such, the Kavisi do not represent a single ethinic group, and people of all descriptions may be found manning their skyships.

The Kavisi are often known to be shrewd traders, with an established haggling culture and an affect that many outsiders may percieve as rude or blunt. Additionally, while not something often stated outright, the Kavisi typically consider their own rules and laws to take precedence above those of the local cultures they trade with, and have been known to engage in smuggling of illicit goods and flaunting of tariffs and taxes when it suits them, leading to their vessels being banned from certain highly controlled ports. 

With that said, loyalty and honor are highly valued in Kavisi culture, as their integrity and reputation as traders is a crucial asset. In particular, they are absolutely ruthless when faced with contract-breakers and pirates. The penalty for breaking a contract among the Kapisi ranges depening on severity, ranging from the stripping of property to exile. The penalty for piracy among the Kavisi is death.

Still, Kavisi tradeships make for a tantalizing prize, and so Kavisi sailors are typically well-trained in swordsmanship and pistol combat, with many crews having regular sparring competitions to keep their skills sharp while at sail.

While the Kavisi are best known as nomads and traders, they do have several permanent settlements within the Khesiid desert. These include the cities of Elaamon, Ceniir, and Ranakiir, all atop the Grand Mesa at the desert's center. These cities are themselves fairly bustling trade hubs, though it can be difficult for outsiders to convince a Kavisi captain to allow them to travel there.


## Kavisi Skyships
The Kavisi soon became famous for their ornate wooden skyships--often styled as sailing ships of the sky, their hulls painted in striped blues and golds and decorated with elaborate filigree, crowned with stark white sails extending from the hull on multiple axes. These lightweight vessels were far more maneuverable over land than more common dirigible-type airships, and could even be modified to transition into seafaring configurations to traverse water (though the mechanics of Saka engines meant that flying above the waves was impossible.)

while Kavisi airships may look delicate from the ground, they are typically quite well protected. While most Kavisi airhships lack visible armaments that might get them mistaken for vessels of war, but would-be pirates usually discover that their vessels possess an array of hidden weapons more than capable of fending off small or moderate raids. Kavisi artificers have also devised a number of magickal defenses which are commonplace among the Kavisi fleet, including wind barriers, fog cannons, and other, more esoteric devices.

Most Kavisi airships are built at the Great Shipyards of Elaamon, atop the Great Mesa in the Khesiid.