Khelim
We, the Player Characters, represent a new generation of Khelims who have recently emerged in large numbers on the Braided Shore. This is an unusual situation, because the Khelims were previously associated with a group of traveling master crafters, who received their name from the Vellan word for "dandelion". These crafters would move from place to place, leading the construction of various projects, like dandelion seeds being carried away by the wind. Although the Khelims existed for many generations, they gradually disappeared at the beginning of the Halzhaan period.
The current inhabitants of the Braided Shore are called the Asken. According to lore, their ancestors arrived by boat and brought with them a tradition of complex knot-crafting. Our characters share the same origin, but we are not native to the region, because those that are born in Braided Shore are not qualified to be Khelim:
The courtyard is amazing... You can just feel the mystery of the ages in the old stones. I was born in Braided Shore so I don't qualify for a Khelim. But I always dreamed about studying the esoteric sciences. This place brings out the those feelings in me even more. One of these days I will demand to be allowed to go to Rivenleaf and apply for a scholarship.
This notion is emphasized in the introduction, as regardless of whether we travel by land or sea, the Braided Shore remains unfamiliar territory to us:
Grabbing your pack, you slide from your perch and land with a thud on solid ground. The caravan clatters ahead without you as you take your first steps into a world that just moments aho was nothing but scenery.
Moreover, as our adventure unfolds, we realize that none of us are proficient in the common language of Vellan, which is the knot-based language in Braided Shore. Again, this lack of proficiency underlines the fact that we are outsiders to this region:
The thundering waves fade... Darkness blossoms into blinding light... They say that to survive a shipwreck is to be reborn... The sound of pattering paws is unfamiliar, and the voice that calls behind it, speaks to you in an unknown tongue.
Known Khelims
Quotes/ Messages regarding of Khelims
Did you know that many generations ago there was a self ordained caste of travelling master crafters that the villagers named 'Khelims'?
These 'Dandelions' served with their crafting skills, going from place to place leading the work of various construction projects and such.
The Khelim's gradually disappeared when the towns and cities grew and the Councils formed at the beginning of the Halzhaan period...
...Only to reappear now, as if walking straight out of legend.
Can you see any Kinship between us, 'Khelim?' Hehe...