Society & Culture
Glassians are isolationist xenophobic people who believe that they are unique amongst all the people on Aia in that they are immortal. They are reborn after death, like Kain, who is reborn very quickly & abruptly after his deaths … just, slower.
The split today is between reincarnationists & absolutists — those who still believe in the cycle, and those who fear it’s broken.
The Creeping Terror
The 2-decade-long invasion of every force on Aia to ruin Glass is unprecedented. They have never had a comparable moment in history, and Kain is not here to weather the storm with them. The last 20 years is the first time in history that Glass has not been ruled by an angel … but by men, as weak and corrupt and faltering as the rest of Aia.
“Are we really immortals?” That is the question, and the creeping doubtful terror, of the age.
What Glassians believe (the memes)
The memetic beliefs that separate the Glassian from the rest of Aia:
- We alone reincarnate into ourselves.
- We are guided by the blood & wisdom of the only true immortal on Aia.
- We are the most beautiful & pure people on Aia — porcelain-white, slender & tall.
- We have the most beautiful country — and in fairness, it is.
- Nobody has ever invaded us & they never will — which is why the Venetians would rather put you in debt. Forever.
- The gods themselves crawl in every cup & tree & make themselves our servants. Until they don’t anymore.
Culture & Pride
The culture of the Governors is expressed in the subtleties of plays & entertainment. The Commoners roar around the bonfires as they roast the House Effigies during the Red Autumn celebrations in November. Nobody has ever made finer statuary, pottery, or timberwood structures.
The rivers run with ruby-crusted sands. The water flows off arching rooftop gutter channels. Birchwood sprawls paint the land. Glass is a rich & royal tapestry of ever-changing hue.
Compiled Crisis
An early theory of capital is spreading. The Venetians developed it & imported it to Glass around 30 years ago — shortly before the Coralers struck with borrowed windguns & an almost comical viciousness.
The result is a terminal imperial crisis. Debt, no more tributaries. The island is flooded with foreign mercenaries & operations from the two other notable foreign powers — Hydrea and Venice. The ranks of the indentured servants are swelling with formerly free men. Everyone’s a slave, broken, fleeing, or joining General Ram.
Kain abandoned them. They forgot & then lost their basis. The Glassians grow anxious. Creditors are calling. The people are impoverished. The festivals are dying out & the spirits are rioting. The entire country is burning.
People keep drinking to pretend things are okay.