Griddish is a disk-shaped, domed world that exists outside of the realm of the Vars, like Earth and Farth. It's described as a place that has a gentle light, airy breezes, a terrain littered with Slipshot Silos, and because it is a disk, it lacks a single warming star like the sun as well as day and night.

Griddish has two distinct classes: Engineers and Slaves. It's important to note that Slave in this sense is not your typical definition of the word. Slaves are generally seen as subservient, without any freedoms, bound by an oppressor, and so on. Here, Slave is a technical term that describes the relationship that each member of this class has with the Tenddrome. Each member is a Node within the Tenddrome, which is a vast network of other Nodes who, as a whole, provide order, guidance, and security to the Slaves of Griddish.

The Engineer Class

Engineers are considered the governing class of Griddish. They form the technocratic system that defines the laws and economy of Griddish. Officially called Engineer Class Citizens, they fall into two distinct groups:

• Development: Members of this subclass work on technology innovation directly.
• Governance: These are administrative types who conduct technocratic parliaments to decide the political and economic future of Griddish.

Engineers do not have access to the Tenddrome, so anything that happens there remains beyond their direct awareness. Much of the technology of Griddish requires access to the Tenddrome to function. For example, Slaves can request Vérkatrae to do certain things, but only through the Tenddrome. Many of these are mundane tasks, like repairing a malfunctioning Slipshot Silo or making climate adjustments within the Griddish dome. Slipshot Silos can only be initialized through the Tenddrome. And so on.

The Slave Classes

Among the Slaves, numerous classes exist. In the Slipshot series, we meet only a few:

• Mechanics (Mechanic Class Slaves): Handle the daily technical operational tasks of Griddish as well as the Vars. Opal Fremmitty is a notable member of this class.
• Admins (Admin Class Slaves): Manage the overall technical systems that keep Griddish running. Judith Merlon is a notable member of the Admin Class.
• Psyches: A sub-class of Admins who provide psychological services to Slaves. Benj is a member of this sub-class.
• Producers (Producer Class Slaves): Carry on agricultural and manufacturing functions. Mora Thrembroke, who we have yet to meet in Vol 3.0, is a former member of the Producer Class.
• Bestiars: A warrior class that emerged from the Mechanics, led by Rive Amber, the main antagonist of the story.

Many more classes exist; these are only the ones we have encountered so far.

Tensions Between the Classes

Tension between Slaves and Engineers is palpable. Many of the Slaves believe that the Engineers are corrupt in the way they handle the Vars and the Slipshots. When a Var is deemed a failure, it is the Slaves, in particular the Mechanics, who are required to meddle with the Var. This causes a moral dilemma among many of them, especially Opal Fremmitty and Rive Amber, whose regard for the Engineers is quite low and often results in violence.

Of course, not all Engineers are on board with what's going on. Enter Matere Songgaard and Betel Longshrew Piper, who we will talk more about in another post.

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