The Kasirga Clan is one of the nine Lyra Sarabands that was banished from the Lyra alliance after electing an Eidolon as their Shepherd, breaking with tradition. The Clan resides in The Ouroboros, a Sahanka that accommodates nearly a thousand nomads, and specializes in aerial acrobatics, gymnastics, and tightrope walking. The Clan has joined the Rediscovery Endeavor and offered The Ouroboros to serve as a mobile outpost for exploration forces.
The Ouroboros
The Kasirga Clan’s home, The Ouroboros, soars over the landscapes of Asgartha in the form of a ring engraved with thousands of frescoes and bas-reliefs. This colossal structure slowly rotates like the wheel of a cart, held aloft by a core of aerolith embedded at its center.
Inside the ring, surrounding the aerolith core, numerous dwellings have been constructed on a complex, stationary scaffold - a maze of ladders, stairs, platforms, beams, and walkways. It is a true ship-city that unfolds there, with its buildings, monuments, and town hall.
The structure is constantly accompanied by flocks of birds which migrate at the same time as this Lyra caravan moves. The ring can be positioned horizontally and spins on itself with a slight vertical tilt, like a serpent trying to bite its tail.
Modifications for Expeditionary Corps
The Axiom’s makers have worked on The Ouroboros’s hull to protect it from the Tumult, making it a mobile outpost for the exploration forces. The Sahanka, which had been their home for centuries, now has the air of a flagship under Axiom guidance.
Admiral Temera Singh has taken residence within The Ouroboros along with her staff. The Clan was forced to build numerous other barracks to accommodate them. The casino, taverns, and entertainment halls of the flying Kasirga city were left untouched, presumably to maintain the troops’ morale once far from Asgartha.
Artistic Specialty
The artistic specialty of the Kasirga Clan revolves around aerial acrobatics and gymnastics, as well as tightrope walking. The Clan includes aerialists, animal trainers, and clowns who work outside the big top.
The Casino
The Ouroboros is also known for hosting a renowned casino where all those who wish to engage in games of chance flock. Cards, dice, roulette wheels, and slot machines are spread out in a dim, voluptuous, and feverish atmosphere.
Leadership History
Cayrat Steinn (Former Shepherd)
Cayrat Steinn was the respected former Caravan Shepherd of the Kasirga Clan. He was described as an idealistic man who always kept his feet on the ground. He courted Esmeralda despite their different natures - he a mortal, she an Eidolon. He spoke to her of his dreams and aspirations, having set his mind on finding Mnemosyne, the mother of the Muses, believing only she could hold the memory of the world and shed light on all that humanity had forgotten.
Age marked his face with lines around his eyes and deeper lines on his forehead. His hair and beard gradually turned white. Esmeralda was there when he took his last breath, holding his hand as she felt his strength wane. She welcomed his soul into the realm of memories and dreams.
After his death, Cayrat’s body was entrusted to the Tumult in a ceremony. He became an Eidolon, though his image risks withering into nothingness unless his memory persists in the world.
Esmeralda (Current Shepherdess)
Following Cayrat’s death, the elders summoned Esmeralda to announce she had been chosen to take his place as Shepherd. They revealed she was the most capable of ensuring continuity of the previous Shepherd. To Esmeralda, this continuity meant finding Mnemosyne to rediscover the memory of a world that the Age of Tumult had seen fade away - achieving what Cayrat had always wanted.
Esmeralda is described as an Eidolon with thick brown hair swept by the wind, wearing earrings that tinkle in the breeze. She rides a giant goat named Djali.
The Banishment
The Kasirga Clan became the first among the nine Lyra Clans to elect an Eidolon as the head of their Saraband. The nine Matriarchs of the Faction did not appreciate this break from tradition, declaring that only a mortal could become the vessel of their voice.
When the elders remained steadfast in their decision, convinced Esmeralda was the one to lead the caravan for the Clan’s good, the Matriarchs conferred and condemned the decision. They proclaimed a stinging ultimatum: if the Kasirga Clan persisted in pursuing this path, it would be banished from the Lyra alliance.
The Matriarchs declared there had always been nine Clans among the Lyra, united despite their differences. Together they had sung the Song of One and saved Asgartha from ruin more than a century ago. However, the Nine Sisters had no choice but to exile the Kasirga Clan - a dishonor they had to endure forever.
Torn between her beloved’s wish and the respect due to the Matriarchs, Esmeralda decided to entrust the fate of the Clan to the Kasirga elders. She would comply with their choices. The banishment sounded like a thunderclap, forcing the entire Clan into exile.
Possible Influence of Amahle Kalu
Esmeralda suspects that Amahle Kalu, pariah among the Eidolons, had gradually regained some influence and convinced the Clan elders to vote for her as Shepherdess. It appeared as if they wanted to voluntarily detach themselves from the Matriarchs’ influence, though Esmeralda keeps this suspicion secret.
Joining the Rediscovery Endeavor
After their banishment, Esmeralda spoke to her people, revealing a wild hope: to find the Lost Tribe of the Tumult Nomads. With any luck, they would be accepted into their fold, this time with the world as their playground instead of a closed Peninsula.
It was Esmeralda’s decision to join the Expeditionary Corps and offer The Ouroboros to the common effort. The Sahanka became a mobile outpost, and the Clan scattered with the Wind while work was completed.
Some Kasirga settled in the Ruzzante district of Arkaster, passing time in taverns or performing in the capital’s theaters. Others tried their luck further afield in other cities of the Peninsula or isolated themselves in bucolic chalets. Part of the Clan found refuge in the warm hearths of the Bravos Bastion at Haven, in the limestone caverns.
Esmeralda hopes the Wind will push the other Lyra Clans to follow them, and that other Exalts will join them even if they’re not currently in good standing.
Timeline
393 AC - Acrobat Performances at The Screed
Kasirga acrobats performed at The Stage, the Lyra mobile performance venue at The Screed outpost. Their appearance was part of the entertainment roster alongside Jack Frost’s ice sculptures, with upcoming acts including Nyala, Auraq, and the band BLISS!.
Known Members
- Esmeralda: Current Shepherdess, Eidolon who was the beloved of Cayrat Steinn
- Cayrat Steinn: Former Shepherd, deceased, now exists as Eidolon
- Itoro: Inkcaster and calligrapher who serves the Clan, uses ink birds as messengers
- Fen: Member of the Clan, granddaughter of Cayrat, has companion Juju (bird)
- Auraq: Exalt described as a maverick seeking attention and fame
- Gerda: Member who normally would scold children for taking from hanging gardens
- The elders: Decision-making body who appointed Esmeralda as Shepherdess
Communication Methods
The Clan uses ink birds as messengers. Itoro, an Inkcaster, can swing her massive brush through the air and strike the ground, causing black liquid to trace shapes from which countless soot sparrows spring. These birds carry messages and summons to gather the scattered Clan members.
Nature and Philosophy
It is in the Kasirga Clan’s nature to drift like seeds carried by gusts of wind. They believe the Wind takes them where it wishes and has always pushed them in the right direction. Their nature is linked to wandering and the roaming that comes with it.