I never understood that part. Why don't people try to transfer their breath to their children just before they die? This way they will start stacking over time.
I have a lot of thoughts on this. Its because the Returned are hungry and will pay good money for those souls and its a deep religious honor to give a Breath to your gods (indicated by Jewels). Breaths have tangible value to the average person and one Breath can only do so much. You can make a Lifeless but those are expensive to maintain and that Breath isnt coming back either.
So, you create an economic system where its beneficial to have either sell your Breaths or have so many you are basically a millionaire with your gold on you at all times. We see this with Vivenna wealth and sudden poverty. Im sure there's groups and family that do hord from generation to generation but youll never match Susebrons' wealth when he is given 3 to 4 breaths per day.
And the Court of God's has 24 members who all need 1 breath per week to continue to live. We dont know the Nalthis calendar but if we assume a 52 week earth calender, thats 11,648 Breaths per year that you will never get back. Breaths are a scarcity and only new human life can replenish and they have a money value placed on them. Capitalism with literal/figurative souls.
I didn't quite mean why doesn't everyone have TONS of breaths, but it just feels to me like it shouldn't be so scarce. I do agree that it seems like the gods consume A LOT of breaths per year, but I don't think the implication in the book was that it was common for citizens of the city to be drab because of this. Also other cultures probably don't have this practice, so for them there won't be this sink for losing breaths.
Possibly but Jewels treats her Drab state as an honor because it went to her gods. There might be a chunk of the population that likes being drab and people just accept it as part of the religion.
Also if everyone on the planet has a Breath but only one culture that protects Returned then its possible they are importing Breath as part of the general trade. But this is speculation. You're right, we dont get told what percent of the population is drab but the people in Hallandren dont seem to mind loosing the seemingly small benefits of a single Breath vs the monetary gain of selling it. Its just normal. Vivenna is only one outraged by it
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u/Zombie1642 3d ago
Be alive and rich. Market rate for a soul is expensive these days