At the northeastern end of the Seven Kingdoms, the ocean carves into Kaderria, creating high cliffs and massive fjords. Once a kingdom like any other, Kaderria was goaded (some say outright manipulated) into becoming the powerful military nation that allied itself with the sorcerers (or was enslaved by them) and waged centuries of war on its neighbours. Under the Strangers' guidance, they broke the Great Treaty with the fey, and defiled their land with cities and huge forges, creating the vast industrial region around the capital. The Kaderrians remained loyal to Strangers until the end, when their masters were captured or killed by the Ancients and the Song was stripped from their blood for all future generations.
They rebuilt as best they could, even after being abandoned by the fey, and tried to mend their ties with both
their neighbours and the Ancients. After many years it was possible, and although the Kaderrians felt their severing from the Song very deeply, they were then (and have been ever since) an extremely tough, resilient people. When the last few Strangers reemerged, the Kaderrians fought them off tooth and nail, until most were driven out of their own homeland. Those who remained were hostages in their own country, and they could do little but stand by and watch as the last handful of Strangers took over their country.
Always the most industrial-minded of the Kingdoms, Kaderria became a fearsome foe,
churning out mindless golem weapons for the Strangers to use against their mortal enemies. The kingdom was finally freed when the sorcerers turned on one another and abandoned their stronghold in Vanaeimr to fight one another on the battlefields of the Moors.
After the Golem War had ended, many Kaderrians returned to rebuild their home, and many other stayed abroad to serve their neighbors. The discipline and military prowess of these fighters made them a valuable asset to the other kingdoms, who employed them as mercenaries to dispatch the last rogue automatons and monsters that the Strangers had employed. The mercenaries were glad to have this opportunity to earn gold for the reconstruction of Kaderria, and since then, the tradition stuck. Joining a mercenary guild is a popular career for young kaderrians in search of adventure, even if the training is harsh and the profession itself isn't a very relaxing one.
