Culture

All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who suther are lost.

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Ryker
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Culture

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(OOC: Please excuse the informal presentation, I wrote all of this on my phone because my internet was out. Anyway, here is the basic culture of Suthergold.)

I. Questions of Place

(a) Describe the geography of where your society calls home.
See map.
(b) Describe the climate your society deals with. How severe are their seasons?
Temperate to tundra
(c) What kinds of natural disasters has this society gotten used to?
None in particular
(d) What are the most commonly-grown foods?
Hoarfrost petals, various genetically engineered crops
(e) What are the most commonly-eaten meats?
Arctic Salmon, other species of fish, Honeybird
(f) What foods are considered exotic or expensive?
Pigmy elephant, pheasant
(g) What forms of alcohol are common? Rare?
C.R. Ales, Northern Mead, Storish beer. Quiverbane wine
(h) Is there usually enough food and water for the population?
Yes
(i) What is this place's most abundant resource?
Engineered crops/fuel
(j) What is its most valuable resource?
Gold
(k) What resource is it most lacking?
Copper
(l) How do people travel from one place to another?
The Tunnels, Ryker Airships, Kingsgate Auto, Golden Wolves
(m) Are the borders secure? In what way?
Yes. Various guard posts as well as understandings with neighboring states
(n) How many people live here?
50-60 million
(o) Where in this place to they congregate?
Cities
(p) What part of this place do they avoid? Why?
Greenwinter, it is a preservation/sanctuary. Classified facilities, that’s classified
(q) What are the most common domesticated animals here? And what are they domesticated for?
Rathravens, pets. The common pheasant, food
(r) What are the most common wild animals?
Cortallian owl, regal jackdaw, crested jackdaw, gliding vixen, ground pheasant, black mountain goat, vulture ants
(s) Which animals are likely to be pets? Which ones won't be?
Rathravens, Starks
II. Questions of Time

(a) How far back does this society's written history go?
Over a century
(b) How far back do its people believe it goes?
Over 10,000 years
(c) What is the worst disaster they believe they've faced?
The Great Abandonment
(d) What was the best thing that ever happened to them?
The Second Revival
(e) What in their past makes them feel ashamed?
N/A
(f) What in their past makes them proud?
Industrialization of a wasteland
(g) What are they afraid of happening again?
Internal political warfare
(h) What are they hoping will happen? Do they think it likely?
To be the most prominent county in all of Micras. Yes
(i) What do they assume the future will hold?
Fortune for the land
(j) How has this society changed? Do its current members realize this?
Entirely. Yes
(k) What are the most popular stories about the past?
Origins of the pantheon
(l) Who in the past is the greatest hero? The worst villain?
Cortallia/Rathus, Tseto (though not intentionally)
(m) Do people think the present better or worse than the past?
better
(n) Do people believe the future will be better or worse than the present or past?
Better but less so
III. Questions of Sex and Family

(a) How many spouses may a man or woman have?
As many as agreed upon by the spouses-to-be
(b) Who decides on a marriage?
All immediate members in the relationship
(c) Can a marriage end in divorce? How?
Yes. A marriage lasts five years, after which the union may be continues or discontinued so long as an agreement is reached
(d) Who usually takes custody of children if a marriage ends for some reason?
Circumstantial
(e) How is adultery defined? What (if any) is the punishment? Who decides?
Sleeping with one outside of a set relationship. A small fee if charges are pressed. Offended party
(f) How are families named?
Most commonly it is the female’s first name mashed with the male’s last name (ex. Jule Crevisha and Danal Ankan = Crevikan
(g) What happens to orphans?
Sent to closest willing relative or handed over to the state
(h) How are boy and girl children treated differently?
Ex. Boys tinker with machine components while girls reverse engineer the results and improve on them to be sent back to the boys (no bias really)
(i) Are premarital relations allowed?
Yes
(j) How does your society define incest? Rape? How do people react to these?
Sharing a Great-Great Grandfather. Sexual relations with a five (or over) year age difference after 13 until 17, anything prior to 14, non-consensual. Highly unacceptable (far more so for rape however)
(k) What, if anything, is considered a good marriage gift?
Whatever the newlyweds asked for
(o) How do people react to homosexuality?
Impartial
(p) How do the genders dress?
Formally: men in slacks and a coat over a ruffled blouse (optional top hat), women in a slim dress or in feminine version of male attire
(q) Is prostitution legal? How are prostitutes viewed? Is this accurate?
Yes (though they are mostly hired by the upper-class). Lunatic (as in Lunaris). It’s like saying that all rectangles are square
(r) What professions or activities are considered masculine?
Dead Ringing, crafting, fencing
(s) What professions or activities are viewed as feminine?
Mothering, healing, manufacturing
(t) Does this society connect the ideas of marriage with love?
Yes
(u) What does this society mean by the word "virgin" and how important is it?
Vaginal/anal penetration. It is desirable for young men/women but not essential for social acceptance.
IV. Questions of Manners

(a) Who speaks first at a formal gathering?
The highest authority present
(b) What kinds of gifts are considered in extremely bad taste?
Some articles of clothing, money, anything sexual, some consumables
(c) How do younger adults address their elders?
It depends on the relationship between the two, though all are taught to be respectful
(d) What colors are associated with power? With virtue? With death?
White. Red. Nothing (as in emptiness or a void)
(e) If two men get into a fight, how is this supposed to be resolved?
Take it to court or settle it peacefully on their own
(f) If two women get into a fight, how should that be resolved?
Same as men
(g) When is it rude to laugh at something funny?
When it’s your joke/story or when no one else thinks it funny
(h) What kinds of questions cannot be asked in public? In private? At all?
Legally, anything goes but there are some rude questions: anything personal or controversial to a stranger
(i) How do people demonstrate grief?
~ 10 days are spent mourning/grieving.
(j) What does this society do with their corpses?
Burial, cremation, entombment
(k) What kinds of jewelry do people where? And when?
Watches (any type), rings, necklaces, earrings. Anytime they want
(l) Who inherits property? Titles? Position?
Whoever is chosen in the last will and testament.
(m) What happens to those suffering from extreme mental illness?
Sent to receive professional care for a speedy recovery or decreasing symptom severity
(n) What are the most popular games?
Dead Ringing, sword fighting, Krenshaw.
(o) What parts of the body are routinely covered?
No legal requirements but any sexual organ is covered for social acceptance
(p) How private are bodily functions like bathing or defecating?
There are some public bathhouses (unisex and very sanitary) where one might clean their body, defecation is to be done in a private place (preferably one with the means to dispose of waste).
(q) How do people react to physical deformity?
Unphased, reconstructive surgery is rather affordable though.
(r) When and how does someone go from child to adult?
Young adolescence, puberty and education
V. Questions of Faith

(a) Is there a formal clergy? How are they organized?
All faiths have their own system
(b) What do people believe happens to them after death? How, if at all, can they influence this?
They accept that anything might await their souls so they do not stick to any one belief
(c) What happens to those who disagree with the majority on questions of religion?
Others might kindly inquire about a new perspective, nothing more
(d) Are there any particular places considered special or holy? What are they like?
Temples, Underwall, Old Goldendown, Kingsgate. Gold and marble
(e) What are the most popular rituals or festivals?
None are better than any other
(f) What do people want from the god or gods? How do they try and get it?
Their power. By earning their approval through demonstrations of responsibility
(g) How do their religious practices differ from their neighbors?
Highly adaptable
(h) What is the most commonly broken religious rule?(i) What is the least-violated religious rule?
There are no religious rules
(j) What factions exist within the dominant religious institutions? How do they compete?
The Priesthood, Sutherland. They don’t
(k) Are there monastic groups? What do they do and how are they organized? How do you join one?
Yes. Follow one deity with more reverence than others. Ask and prove your worth
(l) How are those who follow different faiths treated?
Equally
(m) What relationship do religious and political leaders have?
They hardly touch each other at all
(n) What superstitions are common? What kinds of supernatural events/beings do people fear?
None
VI. Questions of Government

(a) Who decides whether someone has broken a law? How?
Court system after charges are pressed. Jury is custom
(b) What kinds of punishments are meted out? By whom? Why?
Fines, social exile. Judge/jury/Defender’s Council/Count (special cases)
(c) How are new laws created or old ones changed?
The Count’s court decides on laws
(d) Is there some form of clemency or pardon? What is involved?
Yes. If new evidence has been presented which favors the defendant’s case considerably
(e) Who has the right to give orders, and why?
The Count’s court controls the local government while the Defender’s League is the closest entity to a universal authority in the county but only has power when requested to assist.
(f) What titles do various officials have?
Count, Viscount, the Ryker, ranks in the League
(g) How are the rules different for officials as opposed to the common person?
Unnoticeable
(h) How do government officials dress?
Formal attire (though they may clothe themselves as they see fit)
(i) Is the law written down? Who interprets it?
Yes. The Count and his people
(j) Once accused, what recourse does someone have?
IRL Miranda Rights
(k) Is torture allowed? What kinds?
Under no circumstance
(l) How are people executed?
Legally declared dead while biologically alive for a period of time
(m) Who cannot rise to positions of leadership?
The legally dead (not liches)
(n) Is bribery allowed? Under what circumstances?
Under no circumstance
(o) What makes someone a bad ruler in this society? What can be done about it?
Prejudice, allowance of unnecessary violence, close-mindedness. Dethronement after two warnings from the population
(p) What are the most dangerous forms of criminal?
Militant bigots, corrupt authority
VII. Questions of War

(a) Who declares war?
While neutrality is a priority, the Kaiser’s court may (under extreme circumstances) force the Count to partake in nonessential warfare.
(b) Who has the power to declare conditions of peace?
The Count and the opposing side
(c) What happens to prisoners taken in battle?
Sent back home or may live in Suthergold if they choose
(d) What form of warfare does this society use?
Nonlethal
(e) Who are the Elite warriors? What distinguishes them?
Higher ranks of the League and the Guard. More training
(f) How does someone get command of troops?
Proving ability to the Council
(g) Where do the loyalties of military units lie?
The people
(h) Are there professional soldiers? How good are they?
They are an effective line of defense
(i) Has this society ever attacked another? Do they want to? What would make them do so?
No. No. Too much to imagine
(j) Who are their enemies? Who's winning?
None
(k) What do soldiers do when there's no war?
Protect the rights of other civilians
VIII. Questions of Education

(a) Does this society have its own language? Its own writing?
Yes. Yes
(b) How common is literacy? How is literacy viewed?
99.999% in the adult population. A necessity
(c) What form and value are books?
Paper and some digital, they are appreciated by society
(d) Who teaches others? How do they teach?
Those dubbed responsible and able to communicate the truth to young minds. Various methods (separation of church and state)
(e) Who decides who learns to read or write?
There is no such decision, all children learn to read/wright a language a t a very young age
(f) Who teaches professions, like carpenter or scribe?
Same as teachers (above)
(g) Are foreigners ever brought in to teach new skills? Who does that?
Yes. No one nationality “does” one thing in particular
(h) How do this society's doctors try to treat wounds and sickness?
Advanced medical technology
(i) Which medical assumptions of this society are wrong?
None
IX. Questions of Art

(a) What are the favorite art forms?
Sculpting, smithing, drawing, writing, acoustic music
(b) What are the least-favorite?
None are looked down upon but the least common is polydeism (possessing more than one god’s power)
(c) How respected are artists?
Quite
(d) Do artists require official or unofficial protection?
No, but they may have it all the same
(e) What kinds of trouble are artists in particular likely to find themselves in?
Perhaps a publisher of bigotries might receive negative criticism
(f) How might a very successful artist live?
Upper-class but still working
(g) What forms of theatre does your society have?
Foreign plays
(h) How naturalistic or stylized is your society's art?
It usually pertains to the theme of gold, steam, and marble
(j) What shapes are most common in your society's arts, like embroidery or architecture?
Perfect circles or squares
(k) Which art forms get the most and least respect?
N/A
(l) What form does censorship take?
No censorship
(m) Who may not be an artist?
All may pursue what they wish
(n) What qualities equal "beauty" in this society?
Symmetry, proportional to the average human, clean-shaven, high muscle-to-fat ratio, flexibility, yellow/white iris, healthy hair (if any), cleanliness
(o) What makes a man or woman especially beautiful?
Man: broad jaw and shoulders, narrow hips
Women: pronounced breasts/hips/thighs, “hourglass figure”
Note: no bias is present towards those lacking any of these features.
(p) How do people react to tattoos? Piercings? Facial hair? Make-up?
They are innocently curious if not indifferent
X. Questions of sex and marriage

(a) Is sex confined to marriage?
No
(b) Or, is it supposed to be?
It depends on your values which you were raised with
(c) Is there anything about this culture or religion in that culture that specifically addresses sexual conduct?
No
(d) Are there laws about it? What about prostitution?
No. No (but knowingly passing on any serious disease is considered damaging property and will be dealt with according to severity to the victim’s wellbeing)
(e) How old should someone be in your culture to be having sex?
16-17 years is thought of as acceptable for both ages
(f) What is considered too great a difference in age for a couple?
None
(g) Do relationships allow multiple partners?
That is up to those in the relationship
(h) Should sex be a one-to-one experience? Or are groups allowed?
Depends on what one believes
(i) And, of course, what about homosexuality? Is it frowned on? Encouraged?
It is just a normal element of society
XI. Questions of death and burial

(a) What is their understanding of death and dying?
It will happen to most beings in existence
(b) Do they cremate their dead? Or, how are dead bodies disposed of?
Up to the family /friends/etc.
(c) Is the family responsible for the body?
Unless they declare otherwise
(d) What part do the priests play?
Depends on what is requested for the body
(e) Are there cemeteries at all?
Yes
(f) Or, does everyone have a crypt in back with all the relatives in it?
Some do
(g) Do people visit the dead? If so, how often and why?
On occasion. Pay respects, speak to their soul/spirit/ghost/etc.
XII. Questions of suicide

(a) What do people in this culture think about suicide?
It must be prevented
(b) Is it the greatest sin one can commit? Or is it a sin at all?
No. No (but it is highly discouraged all the same)
(c) Is it the great and last comfort of a tormented soul?
The general population believes it to be the result of a chemical imbalance in the body which may be treated through modern medicine.
(d) Is it worse than murder?
No, it is a cry for help which must be heeded
XIII. Questions of Law, Justice and Police

(a) Is there a civilian police force, or is law enforcement the province of the military?
Yes (civilian)
(b) Is the police force a nationalized one, or are there multiple regional forces?
Multiple regional forces which eventually fall under the same chain of command.
(c) How "military" are they? Are they usually/ever armed?
First line of defense. Yes
(d) What is the extent of their authority? Can they shoot you? Can they use magic? Can they torture or otherwise force a confession? Can they use telepathy?
The Code. If the situation calls for it (only nonlethal rounds)
(e) Are there individuals or groups who are above the law?
No
(f) Is there a secret police?
No
(g) What is the role of police informants, if any?
There are none

P.S. The conculture questionnaire may be found here: http://www.frathwiki.com/Dr._Zahir's_Et ... stionnaire
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Re: Culture

Post by Kaiser Mo'll I »

Quite the fascinating read... answers a lot of questions I had. Interesting to see that Lunaris is providing Suthergold with a steady supply of prostitutes... a girl's gotta make a living I guess :wink:

Also good to see that C.R. is doing its Goldshirian motherland proud by having an ale brewery. If you have the time to list the characteristics of a few of its brews, I'll add them to the GRABB Register.

*starts filling one of these forms for Lunaris*
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Re: Culture

Post by Ryker »

You may note that Suthergold has an abundance of avian species while lacking mammals/fish/ etc. This is due to invasive species, particularly the vulture ant. The vulture ant earned its name for its behavior of stalking an animal in large groups, gradually forming a moving wall which eventually closes in on the animal and the entire group either jumps or sprints to swiftly kill its prey. This dramatic shift in the ecosystem caused most native species residing on temperate terrain to either migrate elsewhere or die out. Once their prey's numbers decreased, their nature became less bold. The ecosystem has since brought balance to itself through birds filling the roll of their predecessors as well as gliding mammals and reptiles thriving, though still serving as the occasional feast to a colony of the now insignificant insects which threatened the food web.

Please note that all of this occurred a few centuries prior to my arrival and most of this information is the conclusion come to by the majority of biologists and other similar fields of study.
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Re: Culture

Post by Ryker »

I encourage others to fill this out for their own regional cuture.
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Re: Culture

Post by Verion »

Dr. Zahir sounds like someone who could use a good punch in the face to allow him to return to reality.
1.Titus Morvayne, Prefect of Shirekeep, Count of the Skyla Islands
2.Eki Aholibamah Verion, Queen in the North
3. Ludovic Verion, Lord of Blackstone and Governor-General of the Iron Company
4. Jeremy Harwinsson Archer, super sleuth

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Re: Culture

Post by Ryker »

You're lucky I'm against censorship. Those offering something more productive are more than welcome to present themselves.
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Re: Culture

Post by Mira Octavius-Aryani »

There's no reason we would want to learn the values of a different culture. After all, they might not champion cut-throat anarcho-capitalism and that is never something we should strive to understand.

I've been meaning to do a questionnaire for Kezan. But feel free to cull this thread of malcontent.

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Re: Culture

Post by Seoni Milharna »

Mr. Aeneas, have you considered anger management?
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Re: Culture

Post by Tokaray al-Osman »

Seoni Milharna wrote:Mr. Aeneas, have you considered anger management?
Satire is dead.
His Imperial Magnificence Aurangzeb II Steffki, Kaiser of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, Thane of the Shirelands, Keeper of the Apollo Legacy, Wielder of the Sword of Vengeance, Grand Master of the Orders of the Dragon, Griffin, Phoenix, and Chimera, Sovereign of the Golden Mango Throne.
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Re: Culture

Post by Ryker »

Seoni Milharna wrote:Mr. Aeneas, have you considered anger management?
1. Uncalled for
2. If anyone does insist on egging on our controversial friend, please do so via PM or a new thread dedicated to suggesting methods by which Aeneas may achieve maturity on a socially acceptable level.
3. This is form my phone so forgive the poor structure.
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Re: Culture

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Tokaray al-Osman wrote:
Seoni Milharna wrote:Mr. Aeneas, have you considered anger management?
Satire is dead.
Unfortunately.
1.Titus Morvayne, Prefect of Shirekeep, Count of the Skyla Islands
2.Eki Aholibamah Verion, Queen in the North
3. Ludovic Verion, Lord of Blackstone and Governor-General of the Iron Company
4. Jeremy Harwinsson Archer, super sleuth

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Re: Culture

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CLOSED
By order of the Goldshirian Health Committee for over-cluttering and topic stagnation.
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