The Culture of Calandis
What’s the same? What’s different?
In creating Calandis, I wanted to create a realistic escape for myself and my readers. I wanted it to remain familiar, but the best parts of familiarity. As such, I’ve created a world that is softer in ways beyond what Western civilization offers in 2026.
Here are some of the highlights:
Calandis is a river- and canal-centered world. Every settlement, be it a large city or a small village, is located within a reasonable walking distance of a traversable canal or on one of the Cardinal Rivers (the Rivers Ought, Keen, Opal, and Brey). Any area beyond traversable waters is considered “the Wilds” and remains largely intact and unspoiled.
Calandis is a weapons-free world. There is no war. There are no standing armies. Guards are armed with batons or billy clubs. You will not see a sword, dagger, or gun in any of my stories. The people of Calandis simply do not consider weapons of murder, or murder at all, to be an option.
Gender roles are present but entirely optional. In marriage, a dowry can be paid by either party. In the case of the main character, Wick Barrow, his father took his mother’s name. His sister was also contractually married at the age of 22 to the Avery family. She kept her name as Barrow. No one thinks about gender. Women can be mechanics or healers. Men can be nannies or bakers. Men can dance with women. Women can dance with women. Men can dance with men. Onlookers might get jealous, but no one thinks it odd.
Great status and wealth are largely earned, and a person’s perceived value centers on their work. The most valued members of society are those belonging to a variety of guilds. This is the darker side of Calandis, and is prone to abuses by masters of their apprentices, who are often bound to the masters for a fixed term under a standard employment contract (which can always be bought out). It is rare to see someone succeed who has not worked through an apprenticeship, though not so rare that it’s shunned.
The age of adulthood is twenty-five. This is called a person’s “Standing Day,” when they are expected to stand on their own without parental support. Anytime prior to someone’s 25th birthday, they can be entered into contracts by their parents (either to marriage or to an apprenticeship).
Formal schooling is the privilege of the well-to-do. Illiteracy is common, but those who cannot read and write are not shunned or ridiculed. Their value is based on the quality of their work.
Every settlement on Calandis is market-driven, with life centered on a single market plaza. The currency is copper/silver/gold, called bits (copper), ribs (silver), and tines (gold), and follows a standard 1:100 ratio.
The festivities are based on seasonal festivals. While there is a 12-month year, each month is 34 days long, and the year is 408 days. The seasons and months are named differently from ours.
The technology is currently at an Edwardian level. Ships operate on gas or coal. There are electric lights, but they are rare.
The goal of most people in Calandis is to earn their fortune, but there is a healthy and appropriate emphasis on leisure and fun.
The government is run by an elected high council, which has jurisdiction over a heavily bureaucratic public service operation broken into various boards. Wick’s story centers on the “Board of Works,” which operates largely in secret to ensure the effective operation of the cities, rivers, and canals through the creative use (or abuse) of Smudges. Most people do not know that Smudges exist, and those who have heard of them consider them to be mostly the stuff of nursery rhymes and bedtime stories.
The economy of Calandis is market-driven, but not capitalist. There is some central planning, as the government oversees commerce in all areas. One cannot operate a storefront without a permit, and those permits are expensive and require monthly fees, often in exchange for the shop space + housing. Roads, rivers, and canals are maintained. Ferrys provide low-cost public transportation throughout the realm. Heat in big cities is centralized, as is water/gas/other utilities. The tax system is progressive and property-driven. This does create a wealth disparity, and there are some unfortunate areas where poverty is common (the Low-Drip neighborhood in Kingstep-on-Brey).
The lowest sort of job one can take in Calandis is, surprisingly, being a barger. Why? Because bargers are very visible. To work on a barge is to be unmarried and without an apprenticeship. They aren’t outright disrespected, but some, especially the wealthy, will consider it a poor choice in profession. Folks who make a barge their life are often seen as unserious.
While there is religion, it is seen as deeply personal AND private. People do not discuss it. No one attempts to convert anyone. No one forces their beliefs onto others.
That’s what I’ve written so far. As I plan to finish the main trilogy (“Wick and the Wandering Barge,” “Wick and the Copper Kettle,” and “Wick and the Whispering Woods,” prior to releasing anything, I expect this world to get much more vibrant, adding details to all three stories to make Calandis a living, breathing realm.
Why? Because of one of my greatest regrets with the world I created in Fjorgyn was that I wanted there to be things in book four that I couldn’t include, as they weren’t always present in the story from the very beginning. Now that I am much more experienced in storytelling, I want to take my time in creating wonderful worlds that can be felt from page one :-)
Have a good week.
-RJ
