In the most remote region of the Dining Hall, just next to the wide arch that leads into the lands of the Kitchen, there’s a massive, majestic Cupboard standing in the shadows like an austere giant made of wood and dishware.
Embodiment of the rigor and efficiency of the Realm, the Cupboard is strictly tied to the myth surrounding the Great Imperial Army, as it hosts the prestigious Army Academy, as well as the residence of many nobles of the brass.
If you exclude the smaller settlements near the Inbetweens or beneath the Table, the town of Unter is the poorest in the Realm. It is located on the bottom shelf of the Cupboard and, despite being effectively part of Glasburg and falling under the same jurisdiction, has been largely left to its means.
There are no checkpoints to enter, and after stepping into the city, you find yourself in a vast space that is left dark and cut off from the light from the Great Window.
The city once had a flourishing economy, as it was an important trading post with access to the Piping.
You see, through a hole in the inner wall of the Cupboard you can step into the Inbetweens and reach a thick Pipe with a hole, where all manner of goods from the port in Tuberdam arrive into the Realm.
Today, this Pipe is only a minor post and has practically fallen out of use because, after its recovery, the Kitchen has become the main port for the Realm. Sadly, many of the workers and delivery people that moved to the city with their families are now jobless and forced to live on the verge of misery.
The main concern for people in Unter is the many criminal organizations, undisputed rulers of the city.
Glasburg is a charming city built in the glazed section of the Cupboard and structured on three levels connected by two wooden staircases on the middle shelf. To reach the city you have to either pass through Unter and climb up the stairs located in the decontaminated Inbetweens or obtain the necessary permits to land with the exclusive carriages pulled by beetles that take off from Astraviya.
Glasburg is divided into three vertical sections: the central one is wider and known as Teller, while the two lateral wings are called Tassen West and Tassen East respectively. Each of the three sections is further divided into three shelves, each connected by staircases made of wood and porcelain.
Teller, the largest neighborhood, is mainly populated with houses, restaurants, hotels, and everything else you’d expect in a normal town, except for the fact that by just turning toward the glass panes of the Cupboard, you can see the entire Realm.
Thanks to this feature, Glasburg can boast an incredible view on par with the one in Astraviya, but also an aptitude to attract and conserve sunlight, making it comfortable, bright, and warm year-round.
Teller pubs are famous throughout the House for their great variety of strong and fine ales, often served with the best mushrooms imported every day through the ports in the Kitchen and Unter.
Tassen East is where you can find the residences of most of the high brass of the Great Imperial Army, as well as many Captains of the Golden Backs, while Tassen West on the other hand is the home of the Royal Army Academy, where young soldiers are trained every day to make their nation proud.
Life at the Academy is incredibly tough, and the close quarters the cadets live in are fertile grounds for equal amounts of camaraderie and hazing. Day after day, the young littlings have to face grueling training or veritable survival tests, and sometimes they get sent on missions in the nearby regions even before graduating and getting deployed to their post in the House.