Qiampian
I wasn't able to finish this article during Summer Camp, but are my notes on what I'd wanted to write.
A diaspora spread around the world.
Some sort of quote would have gone here.— attribution
Overview
Living in a continually-contested city, marked by a dozen histories, flooded every year, and haunted by its own citizens, all results in a unique culture
Qiampians are seen as resilient, collaborative, and as having a close relationship to death. The latter can mean they come across as morbid or matter-of-fact about mortality.
Details
Qiampian culture is working together through the annual floods. It's growing up camping in the grasslands, catching and releasing fireflies into the starry sky. It's visiting your recently-widowed neighbor to help them through their grief. It's checking on your friends and listening to them through the night if needed. It's being focused on community and unafraid to face hard times and difficult emotions.
But it's also losing one culture in a sea of others. Dealing with a pushy conqueror. Arguing with outsiders who care more about ghost sighting than the people whose lives they're interrupting. It's the frustration of being a "vital economic stronghold" and yet receiving no support. It's frustration with larger forces that only want the benefits of the territory.
Things I've mentioned:
on a border, so gets a lot of travelers and transplants
dusk/dawn and other time-of-day things
pears are a common offering to Melahr
their patron god is god of time/rivers
stuff about how river is symbolic of time
Results
have a relationship with death that's unique to the region
most end up with a healthier approach of facing the grief
however, some end up suppressing the feelings, unable to face it but not wishing to create a dusk
even children are taught of death, often much younger than in other cultures
focus on collective responsibility - they know it takes many disciplines to manage the floods and address the ghosts, and everyone must play their part
however, they may also end up judgmental of others who don't seem to be pulling their weight
Spread around the world
like any city, there are many who are well off enough to travel
Qiampians, however, often travel to escape, not just their responsibilities but the ghosts
especially common among those dealing with grief, under the belief that if they're not in smq they won't create a dusk, or because it's easier to work through their grief if they're not in the environment that reminds them of their loved one
others who are going through difficult times are encouraged to leave to not result in a dawn spirit
being on the river and on the border between two countries gives them lotws of ability to travel
Stereotypes
many common stereotypes, but they can be seen in a positive or negative light
| Positive | Negative |
|---|
| At peace with death and experienced in dealing with grief | Morbid, indifferent toward the grief and suffering of others |
| Focused on collective responsibility and helping their community | Get involved where they aren't wanted or needed |
| Raised with knowledge of and respect for human mortality | Bad parents, forcing their kids to grow up too quickly |
| Have a respect for other cultures | Have no loyalty to Usharay |
Read More
Flooding of the Mehr - the cycle of the river changes how the culture interacts with the world and each other
Seer - a profession that's uniquely qiampian due to their need to handle ghosts
Felhalanni - Celebrating Time's Passage - this tradition is common to many cultures, but qiampians have a unique twist on it
All work is copyright Rin Garnett 2025, all rights reserved. Background image by Dawn Hudson with edits by Rin Garnett. This is a short-term project for Summer Camp 2025. If you're interested in more of my work, check out wow that's a lot of stars.
Cover image:
by
Rin Garnett using assets from Karen Arnold and Maria Gandolfo
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