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About Passas, An Introduction

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Similar to "The Republic", this essay, written by Alons Breary in the early 590s, sheds light on the state of Pallisican society as it existed in the late sixth century. Although Breary's specific role or occupation is unknown to history, it is believed that he was a merchant who visited Passas between the years 572 and 587 WG. In his essay, Breary writes about Passasian society at a time in which the foundations were first being laid for what would eventually become the Kingdom of Passas.

About Passas, An Introduction

Alons Breary 592 WG

Passas, officially, is a Free Society, founded upon the egalitarian principle that all people are inherently free and equal. This has not always been the case, as there have been a handful of attempts at restoring a government for the Passasian people, and each has enjoyed a brief period of moderate success, but none have endured the test of time.

The reason for this is really quite simple. The people of Passas are raised into the idea of self-government, meaning that each person is expected to govern his or her own action, in adherence to this basic understanding of the ways in which the universe operates:

1.Every cause is also an effect, every effect is also a cause. In this way, the universe is infinite. There is no beginning nor end. 2.The universe is information. There can be no distinction made between the self and the space which the self inhabits, for space and matter are one. In this way, all things are mere extensions of the self. 3.Nothing is permanent.

The most obvious implications of these concepts can be observed in the typical easy-going, even stoic, demeanor of a typical Passasian. They understand that there is no true reason for concern or worry, or sadness, or even happiness or joy. These are all states of the constant mind, which is manifest through the self. A Passasian realizes that any attempt at the establishment of a hierarchy is futile, because there is no true difference between any two people. “A king is but a peasent with a shinier title,” one might say. “God is but the way in which man sees himself.”

There are no laws in Passas, in the sense that one would usually consider. There is no police force, nor taxation agency, nor courts of law. No Passasian regards himself in a position to judge whether the actions of another individual are just and right, or wicked. There are simply too many variables to consider, and it really isn't worth the time. As such, Passasians are expected to be the judges of their own actions. In general, Passas is an extremely peaceful, serene place. People still disagree, of course, but the need for violence and hatred has long since been abandoned.

This is due mostly to the ways in which Passasian cities are organized. Each city is comprised of 16-20 housing communities, each comprised of 8-10 housing units which may be home to 1-3 families at any time. Housing communities are built around several acres of fertile farmland, in which all residents of the community work, tending to the crops and livestock for five days out of every week. On weekends, goods are sold and traded in Farmer's Markets across the country. Over time these Farmer's Markets have become the center of the social scene in Passas, usually carrying an atmosphere of festivity and celebration.

Typical Passasian households consist of a mother and a father, and 2-5 children. Female members of the family generally work with livestock, while males tend the fields. Children are expected, but not forced, to attend school on a regular basis. Education is provided by the Crown of Hamland.

The Pallisican religion and language, in recent generations, have fallen into disuse as Passasians adopt belief systems which focus on experience rather than faith in a god separate from the self. Despite the recession of Pallisican theism, one element of the religion still holds strong. That is, the Ally Plants, psychotropic an entheogenic substances such as Blood Vine, and Tarsica Root which are used to induce altered states of perception. Interestingly, the use of Ally Plants in Pallisica dates back to well before the first establishment of the Republic of Passas, all the way back to the earliest indigenous inhabitants of the region.