The most prominent parts of Kairosian society revolve around Service to the State, The Gods, Divination, and reverence for the stories of life. Services to the State and Service to the Gods are considered the two highest priorities a Kairosian citizen could have. From a young age, they are taught to put the State and the Gods above all else and are encouraged to avoid selfishness and egocentrism. That is not to say that the nation and the people do not value individualism; indeed, they view it as a good thing through the lens of the Kairosian whole. A country cannot grow and improve if the people stagnate or cannot take time for recreation, enjoyment, education and improvement.
Due to the Kairosian’s use of constructs to carry out dangerous or laborious tasks, most people in Kairosian society are encouraged to take an interest in the arts and literature, philosophy, divination or travel or to dedicate their time and lives fully to the State and their Gods. Some other nations may look down on Kairos for this, believing it makes them soft; however, the Kairosians believe that broadening their minds strengthens the nation, for a citizenry that knows themselves and the world will be more informed when choosing the best rulers to take them forward. Many nights around the campfires, the people of the Kairosian Expeditions can be heard exchanging poetry, stories or songs, playing games they have learnt from other nations or discussing theology and the latest prophetic readings from the schools of Oracle.
Monthly, the primary schools of Oracle hold street festivals where they proclaim their latest readings and prophecies to the populace. The four primary schools are Hydromancy, Pyromancy, Aethermancy and Augury. They are, respectively, the reading of water, fire, air and omens (or divine interpretation). The professional Diviners are highly revered in Kairos, and there are many more who perform other forms of scrying, such as tarot, the reading of animals and entrails, the reading of foods and tea leaves and other examples that, while not seen as being as accurate as the primary schools, are still respected and accepted if their readings can be corroborated with others.
Priests, known as Kurusso by the Kairosi, lead everyday lives alongside the rest of the citizens. They are ordinary people whose role within society is to interpret and spread the words of the Gods, but the Kurusso mustn’t be seen as anything more than mortals. Closeness to the Gods is not the same as being above others; that is one of the teachings of the combined pantheon. Equality across all aspects of society is vital to the Kairosi ethos. Priests can speak for a single God or the entire Pantheon (while dedicating their power to a specific god through faith magics); there is no real distinction between them.
Priests draw upon the past and the present and interpret the Gods’ words and how those words should influence Kairos and its people. All gods in Kairos are worshipped equally, with none being held above the others, though individuals will naturally feel affinity towards specific Gods. For example, an enchanter will likely feel a natural closeness to The Smith.
While the people of Kairos have fully embraced and accepted constructs amongst their citizenry and treat them in a semi-holy fashion, their hatred towards the Corrupted is unrestrained. They see Corrupted’s assault on their realm and desecrating the temples within their borders as unholy actions.
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The Kolossi
Funerals are of great importance in Kairos. Given that most people aren’t buried or cremated but collected by the state to be petrified, they are touching but open affairs, focusing on the joy of life and the achievements of the dead. It is common for attendees to tell stories of their deeds and how they made the lives of others better and leave trinkets, clothing, weapons, and armour that meant a lot to the dead with the body. It is important to note that within Kairosian society, the glorious dead are not simply from among the soldiery, but remembrance and acclaim are to be heaped on all who improved the lives of those around them, from the kindly older man who taught his grandchildren how to sew to the most decorated war hero, all stories are viewed through the same lens at Kairosian funerals.
After the funeral is completed, one of three things will happen. If the person chooses, during their life, not to leave their body to the state, then that wish is respected, though maybe not understood by all, and the family is free to do with the remains what they wish.
If the person has left their body to the state, the Masons will collect them and take them for cleaning, petrification, decorating and animation on Mystikos. First their bodies are cleansed, using sanctified waters and oils with blessings of priests of all the Gods then encased in stone by the Earth and Forge magicians of the State and finally painted with the deeds of their lives, showing their story on their “skin” before being animated using powerful weavings at The Porta, a forge-aligned ritual site maintained by the Masons.
The truly greatest among the people of Kairos have their bodies embedded into giant statues called Prime Kolossi. These masterpieces of craft are anything from 5 to 100 feet tall, with some truly ancient heroes honoured in statues that tower over the citizenry. They are posed around the cities of Kairos, ready to be animated in defence of the realm when needed. Many were utilised and subsequently destroyed during the Corrupted’s invasion, and the grief at the loss of so many recorded lives is still felt strongly amongst historians and The Masons. In recent centuries it has become rarer and rarer for a Kolossi to have been made at this immense scale, and the majority from the last few hundred years are little more than life size.
It has been several years since any Kolossi were able to be made, since the Corrupted captured Mystikos island. This is causing fear and grief in the population as currently the dead are unable to be respected and remembered in the traditional ways. Instead, bodies are being cleaned and preserved but cannot be petrified or animated in a way that satisfies the people of Kairos. The reclamation of The Porta is currently a driving force in the political climate of Kairos, where tactical and sensible decisions are being questioned, and pressure is being put on Strategos to find ways through the mist to reclaim Mystikos.
Food
Because of the coastal archipelago, fish is the most common meat eaten in Kairos, often heavily spiced and seasoned with citrus fruits grown on the more tropical islands and salt created by evaporating sea water in shallow coastal pools. It is commonly eaten with ground-grown vegetables, tubers, flatbreads, oils, olives, and grapes. The Kairosian people are incredibly proud of their food. They will cook and cater for people as a sign of friendship and acceptance, and lots of Kairosian folk tales centre around the idea of feeding mythical creatures to keep them happy and friendly or winning them over with food in exchange for help or information.
Sharing food is symbolic of trust in Kairosian society. Due to the changing climate between the mainland and the archipelagos, a vast variety of herbs and spices can be grown. Combined with a solid range of crops, fish, and rice from some islands, Kairos is known for its well-seasoned and balanced dishes, and the people are very proud of them. They share food and cater to people as a sign of acceptance, trust, and friendship, and many Kairosian folk tales centre around the idea of feeding mythical creatures to win them over. Exceptional cooks are seen as gifts from the gods and are greatly respected. When simplicity is required, bread and oil is commonly reached to as way to show trust.
Festivals
The Elevation
Yearly, the people of Kairos celebrate The Elevation and the formation of the Council of the Pantheon by having a three-day celebration from dawn on Pyrokos to 2 am on Hydrokos. This is a festival of eating and drinking, art and plays, celebrating the finer things in life. For a week, the citizenry rid themselves of social responsibility, indulging in their interests purely for the joy of it instead of seeking improvement. The sudden cease of celebrations happens at the hour when the Boule historically voted on famed theologian Acasius’ motion and decreed the creation of the council and elevation of the gods. Kairosian rites and ceremonies like this often have a theatrical aspect to them, featuring the retelling of stories and dramatisation of events.
The Remembrance
There is a yearly, two-week-long festival called The Remembrance, where people feast and drink in honour of their loved ones who are no longer with them. In times of peace, the Kolossi are recalled to The Porta. The Masons and volunteers made of descendants of the deceased labour throughout the weeks to ensure the Kolossi’s stories are repainted, that any damage to them is repaired, and they are adequately maintained before carrying out a parade through the streets of Naxara, allowing people to check that their ancestors are being treated and maintained well and to celebrate and reminisce on their lives.
On the last evening of the two weeks, huge feasts featuring the dead’s favourite foods are held in the streets. Partying and retelling the stories of the dead happen across all towns and cities for those who cannot attend Naxara. This is a time of great revelry, not sadness, where people can celebrate the lives of those no longer with us and show their spirits that their descendants are making the most of life without them.
In addition to The Remembrance, in the last few years, painted stones have been included to remember the dead who could not be immortalised as Kolossi due to the capture of The Porta. It doesn’t even come close to filling the void left, but it is viewed as something better than nothing.