The Sea of Grass

Government

House Kaday rules the Sea of Grass. Spirit Mastery is their art. Members of the house, the Chieftains, are scattered among the nomadic tribes of horsemen. Lower Noble Houses govern smaller bands. Some leaders of the Lower Houses serve as Administrators in the small towns and few cities of the Kingdom.

Terrain

This kingdom consists of vast, open steppes of grasslands and wide, slow rivers. Hidden folds in the land give lie to the open horizon. If one knows the land, it is possible to hide armies of cavalry in the steppes.

Summers are hot and dry. Thunderstorms, prodigious displays of lightning with no accompanying rain, are common in the summer and fall. The winters are mild. Snow sometimes falls, but quickly melts in the following days. Springs bring a constant west wind and daily rainstorms.

Herds of wild horse, cattle, bison, antelope, and other grazing animals roam the Sea of Grass. Game is plentiful to those who know the land.

Culture

The dark-skinned people of the Sea of Grass are largely nomadic herders. Wealth is counted by the size of a family’s herds and the number of warriors they can muster. They are dedicated to their horses, hawks, and tribe.

Those who dwell in towns and the few large, stone cities are largely farmers and craftsmen. These people are not treated with disdain, rather they are regarded with quiet sympathy. They forego the wide open sky for a small patch of dirt, and all the people are richer for their sacrifice.

Bravery, honor, and family loyalty are the keys to understanding the people ruled by House Kaday. Overly polite behavior is viewed as weakness or fear. Highly organized in warfare, in daily life the people of the Kingdom seem unruly and chaotic to outsiders.

Commerce

Among their own people, barter is common. When dealing with outsiders, Imperial coins are always used as the standard of exchange rather than any barter system. Livestock is the key export of the Sea of Grass. Fine finished goods are typically imported.

Warfare

The followers of House Kaday are the supreme cavalry of the Empire. None has ever withstood their charge without high walls. These nomadic warriors are masters of the curved blade, dagger and sword, the lance, and the horse-bow. They wear hardened leather, chain with plate inlays, leather and chain helms, and high horseman’s boots.

In times of trouble, they gather at rallying points in the Sea of Grass by families and tribal groups. They sweep out of the steppes without warning, thousands of cavalry moving in martial unison.

Notes

(Original source material here.)