The Societies are the many nations and peoples of mankind. Each Society has measurable borders, beyond which its influence is agreed does not extend. Every spanner comes from a Society, and is considered a cultural expert of their native locality.
These borders wend along spacetime, waxing and waning with the
Society's success and failures in the world, and fitting together with
neighbouring Societies like a vast 3-D jigsaw. Known national boundaries
are by no means absolute: Societies can spill over national borders
for a variety of reasons (emigrations, severe changes in government,
etc.). Some Societies take remarkable, unique or unusual shapes (such
as Israel, and the the Society of the sailors of the oceans called Odysseus
Eftsoon.)
Many spanners of moderate Span, especially those of the Thespian and Foxhorn fraternities, spend great effort in making secret gains and backroom victories for their native Society. The text of history is sacrosanct, for the universe *is* - but so much of history's record is unwritten. It is these hidden glories that Societal politicians delight in.
Examples of Societies include (in no particular order): Britain, China, Israel, France, Russia, Inca, Babylon, Turkey, Brazil, Mongol, Rome, Spain, United States, Celtia, Ethiopia, Japan, Egypt, and so on.
By the decisons of the Third Atlantean Council, Societies are recognized as permanent structures, secure within their borders until the spacetime of the Inheritors. They are the framework of history, wars and all, and Societal spanners think of them as family and home. A nation is a larger and no less accurate form of family, and its disruption would be as destructive as an attack on a spanner's immediate family.
Some places are so sequentially popular, that they are like community centers, and spanners of all types gather there to trade stories (cautiously), organize jaunts, and just relax among one's own kind.
This material was written by and is copyright © 1998 Barbara Manui, Chris Adams, and Dave Fooden. All rights reserved.