Grindia

The 36th day of the 12th month, which was one of the three great celebrations in a Grindian year, it celebrated the coming of the new year.

In ancient times, the weather was cold during new year and snow fell constantly, so Grindians would stay at home, indoors, to welcome the new year. People would celebrate in their homes by feasting and sleeping without doing anything else. It was also why the day was known as the Day of Rest. But with the improvement in warmth-retaining clothing, people started going out on the streets during the Day of Rest. Some shops even used the opportunity to have sales, further reinforcing the day’s festive air.

It was common knowledge that there were two sources of family names on Grindia. One of them was hereditary, a name passed down from a heroic ancestor. For example, the Norton family name was translated to Raging Bear in the language of fairies. Another source was a given surname, a surname granted to a person from another of status, like Baron Shazin's. A name like Bejisanro meant 'lowest of the alley'. It was a typical commoner surname.

While a name like Bejisanro sounded rather unique, those who understood the history of nobles knew that names like that were used before the magi of the magical civilization invented Grindia's current lingua franca. Following the introduction of the new language, many surnames were made using the language of fairies for those of magical heritage. Names like Bejisanro denoted that their ancestors were of the lowest social class that were not given names in the new language.

The most glaring
difference between this world and Lorist's past life world was the presence of the two moons in
the sky. The first larger silver moon was called Daphlyn and it was personified
as the Silvermoon Goddess and also known as the Goddess of Love. The smaller,
blood-red-colored moon which hung in the night sky like a crimson, crescent
fang was called Sufanna the Bloodmoon Goddess and also served as the Goddess of
Vengeance. According to the legends, when Sufanna reveals itself as a full
moon, it would signify the beginning of another major conflict on the
continent.

Apprenticeship is a huge deal on the continent. The relationship between a master and apprentice is far closer and significant than how it was in Lorist's past life. Choosing a master is a serious deal filled with lasting implications. The apprentice has to see his master as a second parent. They are obligated to obey their master for the rest of their lives, and serve in some capacity to further their goals.

In Grindia, prostrating oneself with all limbs flat on the ground was one of the most extreme forms of submission. It was normally reserved for sacrificial ceremonies to the gods. It just so happened that the Hanayabarta kingdom mandated that the slaves show them the same degree of respect to sate their egotistical cravings for power.

Grindia was rather large and irregularly shaped. Humans only populated two-thirds of the land area that formed the shape of a ladle. The Northlands wasn't truly located in the north of the Grindian continent, but rather the middle. The reason it was called as it was, was because it was the northmost point humans had settled. Past the Northlands was uncharted wildlands that humans hadn't frequented since the end days of the magical civilization more than two thousand years earlier.