Mercandol

The Mercandol people, or the Mercandoles, are a people who originally took part of the Flight of the Lost, aimed at landing on the large planet located in the system now known as The Long Belt. Their name comes from the ship they traveled on, the Mercandol, which is rumored to be the largest colony ship ever constructed. Their story is long, and told in many different ways, but it is one of betrayal, and would cause a schism so great that it would last thousands of years, founding the great rivalry between the Corporate Assembly and the Red Sun Commonwealth. During their flight, it would launch many exploratory ships, aimed at hitting planets like Aurum V and Anatar, driven by schisms aboard the the original ship.

Caste and Clan

The Caste system among the Mercandoles had formed during their long and painful journey fleeing from Earth. The colony ship needed constant maintence and work to make sure the population made it to their destination, and those worker groups would begin to form castes and cliques depending on which part of the ship they were working on. These castes grew and changed as the Mercandol people spread throughout the stars, but their deep rooted social norms were carried with them. The original castes were organized around the Wind caste, which were pilots and navigators, those who would guide the ship to its intended course. The Fire caste was made up of the welders, machinists and engineers, those that kept the ship moving. The Earth caste was formed out of the doctors, the agri-lab workers and chemists that kept everyone alive aboard the ship. The water caste was filled with the bureaucrats, entertainers and artists, who made the journey bearable. The four castes have grown into dozens, including the lighting, mists and mud castes. They penetrate almost every level of Mercandol culture, and in certain places they can mean everything. Some have dismantled the caste system on a legal level, but have still struggled to break the caste system. Mercandoles choose their caste at the age of 18, in a coming of aid ritual. Most people are encouraged to follow in the footsteps of their parents, but many choose their own paths in a different caste.