Lost Glassmakers of Kannalan

Lost Glassmakers of Kannalan is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

The Lost Glassmakers of Kannalan

In the early days of the Kannalan Empire, when title and position reigned supreme, skilled artisans and craftspeople found themselves in the unusual position of being quite important and excessively lauded while still being mostly powerless. One particular ruler along the western coast took this to an extreme with his glassmakers, placing them on a small island off the coast and giving them free reign amongst themselves with two significant caveats -- they must continue to produce glassworks for the kingdom, and they could not ever leave. In return, the royal navy patrolled the seas and protected the island from any manner of attacks, while the mages wove spells of obscurity about it, and soon, no one, not even the krolvin, felt the need to explore the small island.

The glassmakers, originally known as the Order of Scaergwyd, referred to themselves as the Sraeva. For at least two hundred years prior to their island incarceration, they were the preeminent glassmakers across Elanith, but after their exile, their glass became even more renowned. It was clearer, stronger, and able to be made in larger panes than any other glass. In addition, the artisans themselves were considered some of the best in the world, and glass produced by them came to be known as glyriss. For a hundred years, this island exile appeared to have worked.

And then one day, they were gone. The island remained, but all of its inhabitants had disappeared, and no one knew where. Items made of glyriss became so coveted and fetched such prices that literal wars were known to be waged in the Empire between noble houses just to take possession of it. One such war, known as The Goblet War, was fought between two nobles in Kedshold over a set of four goblets. A truce was made when they decided to marry off each of their children to one another and gift the goblets to them. Years later, the toddler offspring of this union was to break the goblets in an unfortunate accident and find himself exiled to an ignominious fosterage far away.

Rumors abound about what made glyriss so special and where the glassmakers went, and it was not until the Isle of Ornath became more approachable that the truth was uncovered.

The Sraeva of Ornath

Depending on who you ask, Charl or Niima took pity (or answered communes) on the Sraeva's plight and sent help (while others claim it was just a veritable message in the bottle reaching the right ears). Regardless, one night a pirate fleet cloaked in fog sneaked their way past the island's watchers and left again unnoticed, the entire population of the Sraeva and their families in the ships' holds. The ships made their way to the Isle of Ornath, where they were offered succor and refuge.

A small, unnamed island off the northern coast of Ornath was offered to any Sraeva who wished to continue their art, but the refugees also had other opportunities should they so choose. As a whole, they elected to move to this new island, with the caveat they would always be free to come and go, and of course, they controlled the entire lifecycle of their craft, no longer beholden to the whims of nobility. They named their new home Aeglyra, built shrines to both Niima and Charl, and settled in. Over the centuries, the Sraeva have integrated themselves into Ornathian society, but they still keep their glassmaking skills a tightly held secret between those of the Order. The Ornathians welcomed their newest population, and they kept their secret for centuries, waiting until the Sraeva themselves chose to acknowledge their continued thriving existence as Ornathians in 5125.

Glasses of the Sraeva

Today, the Sraeva make three distinct types of glass.

Glyriss: This is the glass that made them famous. It is versatile and stronger than other glasses without losing any transparency. While the exact recipe is a closely held secret, it is believed that kelp ash is at the root of its success.

Avenglyr: Also known as "goldstone," this Sraeva specialty is a glittering glass often mistaken for a precious gemstone. This glass is used in mosaic glasswork, beads, and other decorative works.

Feyglyr: This extremely rare glass is also known as 'ghostglass' because it is used by seers and divination experts who claim it assists them in reaching into the beyond. Rumor has it that human ashes may be used in its creation.

OOC Information/Notes

• Created by GM Xynwen, March 2025
• Material Restrictions: glyriss, avenglyr, and feyglyr all require fodder