The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Discussions about constructed worlds, cultures and any topics related to constructed societies.
User avatar
Egerius
mayan
mayan
Posts: 1587
Joined: 12 Sep 2013 21:29
Location: Not Rodentèrra
Contact:

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by Egerius »

LinguoFranco wrote:This is an opinion thread.
Yes, this is an opinion thread, but not the kind of opinion thread you're thinking about.

From the original post:
Bristel wrote:This thread is intended to provide interesting stories and reactions about what your conpeople and concultures would do in response to something in human culture.

Provide a reaction or story about a given topic, then provide your own below it in bold letters.
Languages of Rodentèrra: Buonavallese, Saselvan Argemontese; Wīlandisċ Taulkeisch; More on the road.
Conlang embryo of TELES: Proto-Avesto-Umbric ~> Proto-Umbric
New blog: http://argentiusbonavalensis.tumblr.com
Firebird766
cuneiform
cuneiform
Posts: 166
Joined: 14 Oct 2014 02:13

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by Firebird766 »

It's an opinion thread, yes, but it's an opinion thread for what our conpeople think about things, not what other people think about our conpeople.

I could tell you that the average citizen of Naqil would have significant concerns about World War 1 trench warfare, but that doesn't help you any.
User avatar
LinguoFranco
greek
greek
Posts: 613
Joined: 20 Jul 2016 17:49
Location: U.S.

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by LinguoFranco »

Firebird766 wrote:It's an opinion thread, yes, but it's an opinion thread for what our conpeople think about things, not what other people think about our conpeople.

I could tell you that the average citizen of Naqil would have significant concerns about World War 1 trench warfare, but that doesn't help you any.
My bad. That's what I get for not reading the OP.
User avatar
elemtilas
runic
runic
Posts: 3021
Joined: 22 Nov 2014 04:48

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by elemtilas »

Axiem wrote:What do your conpeople eat on holidays?
Firebird766 wrote:What do your conpeople eat that others might find disgusting?
Can knock both birds off their perch with one answer here...

Teleranian cuisine, especially all those particular and special dishes found around holiday time, are a true adventure for the bold of stomach. "Nothing says loving like hot fried Emperor Haristos's Five Spice Surprise Double Fried Lung Stuffed Stomach Delicasy Dish!, just like Mom used to make!! Only now with more thymus stuffed gall bladders! Try it with a side order of our famous Queen Nurz's Pickled Fire Spiced Eyeball Kebob!!! Now stuffed with fresh live galing worms!!!!!!"

Basically, in Teleranian holiday cuisine, if they can tease some organ out from a freshly slaughtered animal and find a way to stuff it into something else, they will do so. And enjoy the resulting mess with a gusto bordering on the nationally insane!

Perhaps I could tempt you with a plate of Emperor Wang Lang's Seventy-Two Hour Pickled Lung Barbecue? Made with only the freshest of lungs, smoked and roasted on an open flame! It's a guaranteed hit at any Metranes festival, especially when served with Not-Quite-Hatchling-Duck Egg Pickle Surprise, stuffed right into the trachea! Wow!

Holiday food in Teleran is, from a certain perspective, one of the more interesting aspects of the culture. And from any perspective, it is certainly an adventure. How about trying some down home Empress Zong's Dog Pericardium Wrapped Century Eggs? Wow, they really pack a punch! Especially when served in a bed of live chilled galing worms!! Or take just one bite of Sharma Master Tomas's Thymus Stuffed Fried Ox Eyeball Amazement! Served fresh, just the way yer granma made em, drenched with No. xlvij qijap! You'll be amazed at the flavor and delicate crunch of the fried sclera! And to wash it all down, be sure to order a cup of St. Michael's Six Egg and Cream Nog of Spice and Wonderment. Can assure you, hardly any actual eggs were harmed in the preparation of this frothy, spicy drink! Just take some fresh creamy milk (mare or cow), some beer, an egg white, pepper and spice to taste -- oh, and don't forget, you'll need six fresh chilled rabbit eyes. Just stir it all up and enjoy a wonderful and refreshing treat -- just like Grandma used to make!!

Pro tip: It is considered a faux pas, in the eateries and great houses of the cities where they care more about these things, to eat fresh galing worms with that fiddly little two pronged fork they use for skewering the rabbit eyes out of the crater. Proper etiquette enjoins one to use the little narrow oblong spoon for the worms. After all, according to all the etiquette handbooks, no one wants to find encrusted galing worm entrails sticking to their poached rabbit eyes! Also, it is considered boorish to munch the worms! That's very back country. Just enjoy the tickle and let em wriggle! They'll soon find their way on down! Plus they taste less bitter that way, on account of there being no spillage of gut contents.
Notes:
The galing worm is a little creature, about a five half-inches long, thin of body & pale white in colour. They kind of resemble wriggly bean sprouts, and share a similarly crunchy texture and coolth on the tongue. It's best, once harvested, to keep them in a cloth-lidded container for three days before washing. This allows the, time to evacuate their gut which will reduce the odd bitter flavor of the worms. Most folks just spoon a few up and happily munch --- they're really fine with a bit of salt and pepper or sprinkling of cinnamon and tumeric! In more refined locales, it is considered de rigeur to refrain from engaging the teeth. Again, a few at a time are spooned up and allowed to wriggle their way down your tongue.

It should be noted, however, that serving live galing worms is illegal in Auntimoany (but not Rumelia): The Safe Restaurant Cookery Act (1921) for example outlaws the use of live animals in cookery. This of course followed some while after the now famous "four and twenty blackbirds scandal", which occurred in the Year of the Twice Cooked Goose (1914) when Emperor Semlac IIII was at the great Yeolas feast.

Bloody things broke out of their pie and immediately swooped down on poor Empress Zunield and pecked off her nose! The chef was lucky that Semlac was quite the madman --- he thought it was all good fun and part of the show. By rights, he should have danced a last jig on Daniel Jones's Swing; but in stead he got a pension and a promotion to head pastry chef. I should note that Empress Zunield was not amused.

Neither was Parliament amused and after quite a wrangle, put paid to live animal use in the nation's cuisine. The Act stipulates that foods must be thoroughly cooked: "...that no living or half-alive thing of alman-kind may escape the confines of its dish and, by means of its native wings, fins or paws, make good its escape." But as with all good law, there are handy loop-holes! In essence, should the customer "be fully aware of any raw or alive products used in said dishes, and any potential effects of eating such dishes". Basically, if you get sick eating wiggly-worm soup, you were warned!


The Metranes is what the mid-Winter festival is called in Teleran, and the name and certainly some of the cultural accouterments have been borrowed wherever Telerani cuisine has advanced. Notably that international gumbo pot that is Auntimoany itself. It happily coincided with Yeolas and folks there have, with gusto, adopted and adapted the twelve-night festival to their own celebration.

The twenty-fifth of December is, of course, the Feast of the Nativity (whether of the Lord Krist for the Kristians, or Lord Mithras for the Mithraists) and marks the first day of the Twelve Nights which will end on 6 January, the Feast of the Three Astrologers.
Firebird766
cuneiform
cuneiform
Posts: 166
Joined: 14 Oct 2014 02:13

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by Firebird766 »

What's your question for us, Elemtilas?
User avatar
k1234567890y
mayan
mayan
Posts: 2400
Joined: 04 Jan 2014 04:47
Contact:

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by k1234567890y »

let me post a question? (:

If your conpeoples have sexual reproduction, then how do your conpoples think of sex in general? Do your conpeoples value sexual abstinence? Do they have a more liberal view towards sex or do they have a more chaste and "conservative" view?
I prefer to not be referred to with masculine pronouns and nouns such as “he/him/his”.
User avatar
elemtilas
runic
runic
Posts: 3021
Joined: 22 Nov 2014 04:48

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by elemtilas »

k1234567890y wrote:let me post a question? (:

If your conpeoples have sexual reproduction, then how do your conpoples think of sex in general? Do your conpeoples value sexual abstinence? Do they have a more liberal view towards sex or do they have a more chaste and "conservative" view?
Daine think about sex with some frequency, I'd say. [;)] :mrgreen:

As far as their attitudes towards sexuality, I guess from a modern human perspective you might say they are "more liberal" in practice, if not outlook. Though I think this might actually be a misnomer or a misunderstanding of the underlying attitudes.

The casual observer would certainly cite, and anthropological philosophers have long made much of the "sexual frenzy" that occurs at the quarter feasts. The quarter feasts are held four times a year and folk from all over a geographical region gather for all the usual social reasons: food, drink, competition, music, dancing, storytelling, sharing news, renewing old bonds of friendship and, in the Westmarche at least, negotiating marriages for the youngsters. Whenever Daine gather in numbers, there is always the opportunity for some recreational shagging. At the quarter feasts, the social expectation is that, contrary to the wisdom of popular music, you don't dance with the one that brought you and you certainly don't stay with your escort! Go find someone from far away and enjoy the starlit night with him!

Anyone who has had contact with Daine has made note of their mode of dress --- or, really, the lack thereof --- they wear very little clothing, and often times none at all. While it's true that Men often don't wear a whole lot more clothing than Daine, they at least like to think they do and are thus more civilised. The Daine body, while a thing of beauty and aesthesis, is not considered a sexualised thing. For Daine, sex is about relationship, not cosmetics and perfumes and big boobs and provocative sultrification. If you're a visitor to a place, or a caravanboy passing through or there's a fair going on and a girl you've made friends with before wants to make out with you, she'll just come up to you, lift her left shoulder slightly, give you a little smile and ask point blank: "so you want to go for a little walk? Maybe get it together?" Very matter of fact. They don't get the games Men like to play.

Visitors to Daine countries have described curious sexual practices among them: friends sometimes have sex for no apparent reason (sometimes even those who are married); girls sometimes kiss and embrace and touch one another and boys often wrestle and tussle with one another in ways that Men sometimes wonder if "somethin untoward ain't going on hyah". "Sexual orientation" is not something in the consciousness of the philosophers of Men, and terms like overt or open homosexuality and "gay marriage" and so forth are nowhere close to the radar. There are, without doubt, some small percentage of Men who do lean that way and while the Daine themselves are under no illusions of any sort, some of these Men, if they are also of a Philosophical bent, may wonder about the Daine. All this "something untoward" is just the normal playing out of Daine in their relationships with each other.

For Daine, part of making war, is in fact making love. Before a contest, the participating warriors will shag each other silly, and then once in a more conducive mindset, everyone can better enjoy the ritualised and stylised nature of the combat. After all the excitement of the war, it's on to the feasting, merry making and, well, perhaps more sex.

There are no particular social mores requiring abstinence. They wouldn't understand the reasoning anyway. Sex is kind of like breathing or eating or drinking. All four are not only healthy activities of everyday life, but also social activities and also needful for sustaining a happy and healthy life. That said, they would consider abstinence ánd gluttony of any of them to be unhealthy and deleterious to health and happiness. There are times when one needs to hold one's breath or lay off the feasting and shagging for a while. All things in balance. Daine cultures and literatures certainly reflect a healthy regard for those who keep things in balance, and frowns upon leading a lifestyle that exaggerates towards gluttony.

I mentioned once before (I think in this thread) about the ritual of offering visitors amiable companionship to share their beds while they're staying with a community. Socially, this is the host community saying to the honored guests: we're sharing with you our homes, our food, our sustenance and ourselves; you become part of our community while you're with us, even if it's but for a night. Visitors are thus expected to work productively at what needs doing and may also be called upon to defend the community if the need arises. Socially, this is also a way to sort of proactively avoid potential relationship problems (though, it can also introduce problems of its own!). Biologically, this is also a way of disseminating genetic bits and pieces.

Youngsters get their "sex ed" from an early age. As infants and toddlers, Daine children are quite aware of the sexual activity of their parents (biological mom & dad, plus mothers' sisters) and other joined couples living in the same house. Privacy is something Daine do not have, unless they are willing to walk a good distance away from home to get it, so most couples just get on with shagging each other no matter who's watching. They learn early enough what it's for (social contact, relationship strengthening, sociable pleasure, and of course making babies) and who does it with who and in what contexts. In several Daine cultures, there is also the practice of taking the soon-to-come-of-agers and, if they haven't already given it a try, pair them up with someone older and more experienced to kind of show them the ropes.

Of course, this lack of privacy can also have some humorously embarrassing consequences! Especially for the tweens --- youngsters in their twenties or thirties, just coming into puberty and naturally interested in giving it the old college go. It can be terribly embarrassing when you've got a nice private place all sorted out and your best girl is there and things are kind of working out okay and who should show up but your little brothers and their pesky friends and everyones watching you and asking pesky little brother questions like What are you doing? and Who is the girl? and Can we watch? and She's cute, but we thought you were after so-and-so! and Why are you doing like that!?
Firebird786 wrote:What's your question for us, Elemtilas?
Huy! I never posted a question! [:$] Gosh, that was a terrible oversight.

So, a question over on another forum got me to wondering, in particular about those of you with "pre-modern" cultures. Do people travel (especially long distance) for pleasure in your worlds and cultures and how long might such travel last (a fortnight or three, six months, two years)? If so, how do they support themselves whilst travelling? So, basically, issues of financial support while travelling, either to highly functioning cities or to backwaters or dysfunctional cities.
User avatar
eldin raigmore
korean
korean
Posts: 6352
Joined: 14 Aug 2010 19:38
Location: SouthEast Michigan

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by eldin raigmore »

elemtilas wrote:So, a question over on another forum got me to wondering, in particular about those of you with "pre-modern" cultures. Do people travel (especially long distance) for pleasure in your worlds and cultures and how long might such travel last (a fortnight or three, six months, two years)? If so, how do they support themselves whilst travelling? So, basically, issues of financial support while travelling, either to highly functioning cities or to backwaters or dysfunctional cities.
In Early Adpihi people traveled mostly to find resources missing from home. Often "living space" was the most-missed resource; and even when it wasn't, it often made sense to settle next to the new source of whatever-it-was. So people usually traveled to change residence. However another frequent cause of travel was to find a spouse who was suffiiently unrelated.
Travelers supported themselves by; 1) bringing supplies with them; 2) hunting-and-gathering on the way; 3) trading or doing spot-work when traveling through a settled area.

In Later Adpihi, just before the segue to Reptigan, up until the Final War, people traveled mostly for knowledge and commerce. There was a professional class of explorers who were usually either rich themselves already, or were employed by universities or academies or governments or Geographic Societies or what-have-you. They supported themselves the same way as previously; but with much more emphasis on "bringing supplies with them". (There was still some "traveling to find a mate", but residents of big cities usually didn't have to do that.)
During the Final War, of course, people mostly traveled to fight the war or to escape the war. They supported themselves either the ways soldiers typically do, or the way refugees typically do.

In Reptigan, even space-travel took on a large commercial purpose. But traveling for exploration and to acquire knowledge continued; it just moved out further into space. Exploration was usually followed up by commerce.
When the multi-species character of Reptigan came to the fore, travel for purposes of building new habitats -- habitats for someone else to migrate to -- became much more common. Often the most convenient species to build a habitat wasn't the most convenient species to actually settle there. In those cases, the builders arrived first; then the settlers. The builders would be paid handsomely. Some took the money (or whatever the wealth was) and retired someplace congenial; others made a career out of building.

Among the Arpien, travel is regarded as inherently toilsome and wearisome and all-round rough and unpleasant. But, then, so is staying in one place. "Officially", therefore, "traveling for fun" is an oxymoron. Doesn't stop a certain sort of covertly-exuberant individual from doing it. Having difficulty supporting oneself is just par for the course.

[hr][/hr]

Oh yeah! I need to ask the next question!

What do typical members of one of your concultures1 think typical members of that (or another one of your) conculture2 think of deciding never to remarry after one's first marriage ends (whether in death or in divorce)? And are they right or wrong? (In other words, do typical members of the topical conculture2 actually think that, or do they think something else?)
User avatar
Axiem
sinic
sinic
Posts: 316
Joined: 10 Sep 2016 06:56

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by Axiem »

eldin raigmore wrote:What do typical members of one of your concultures1 think typical members of that (or another one of your) conculture2 think of deciding never to remarry after one's first marriage ends (whether in death or in divorce)? And are they right or wrong? (In other words, do typical members of the topical conculture2 actually think that, or do they think something else?)
Most of the people of Mto in general, if asked this about the Tánsùl, and they actually know a thing or two about the Tánsùl aside from thinking them to be "those thieving whistlers", when it comes to a man's wife dying, they would probably think about it for a little bit, and then postulate that the man would normally would commit suicide if his wife dies, so that he may join her. They'd consider this a good thing (in general, no one really likes the Tánsùl), and wouldn't consider it much more than that. As for a woman's husband dying, they'd figure her not remarrying afterwards wouldn't be much of a big deal (and they'd be in favor of that, anyway). As for divorce, they'd say that Tánsùl just don't divorce.

As for reality, divorce is indeed extremely rare among the Tánsùl—it's hard to justify it given how small the communities tend to be, and how marginalized the population is—but their thoughts on widowing are a bit different. In general, if a man or woman is still of "family age" (that is, within the generally assumed age range of being able to have children and support them), they go through a traditional grieving process, wearing a black scarf, and then are heavily encouraged to remarry for the practical reason of family if nothing else (in some situations, the remarriage may be pushed even during the mourning period). If the widowed person refuses to marry again, it leads to community tension, and they are frequently requested to go elsewhere; the widowed person almost always obliges.

If after "family age", though, then there's still the traditional mourning period, but just shrugs for whether or not they remarry.


What would a member of your culture consider Comfort Food?
Conworld: Mto
:con: : Kuvian
User avatar
alynnidalar
greek
greek
Posts: 700
Joined: 17 Aug 2014 03:22
Location: Michigan, USA

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by alynnidalar »

eldin raigmore wrote: What do typical members of one of your concultures1 think typical members of that (or another one of your) conculture2 think of deciding never to remarry after one's first marriage ends (whether in death or in divorce)? And are they right or wrong? (In other words, do typical members of the topical conculture2 actually think that, or do they think something else?)
It would not be unusual in Sanmra. Given their general lack of a biological or social drive to reproduce (when you live >500 years, there's no particular need for everyone to have children all over the place), it is reasonably common, and in some places idolized, for a widow or widower to refrain from remarrying. If they do remarry, it is usually after a lengthy period of mourning.

In Sanmra, the ideal of marriage is this beautiful perfect partnership between two totally compatible people with no problems whatsoever who 100% married for love and never ever for practical reasons. Thus, remarrying after your spouse dies (or at least remarrying too quickly) is seen as a sign that your first marriage wasn't this perfect ideal (because how could you possibly find another person who is just as perfect as the first time around? Did you choose poorly originally?? What's wrong with you???). Obviously, in the real world, this isn't how it works, but that's the façade you're supposed to put up.

From the perspective of the Tuanmali, they are aware of the Sanmran ideal, and therefore might have the idea that nobody ever remarries after the death of their spouse--but this is the 21st century, after all, and they have the internet the same as anybody else, so they can find out the truth if they're interested.
Axiem wrote:What would a member of your culture consider Comfort Food?
Oh, noodles, for sure. A nice, simple dish of noodles cooked in a meat broth, optionally with some veggies or bits of meat mixed in. This is called kulir.

Another option would be susa, porridge (available in a variety of grains). A simple, bland dish, it is often eaten for supper, but can also be fried into cakes and eaten with fruit as a treat. This is known as susa haudlanelos--fried porridge.

Another is fried flatbread (saiha) sprinkled with savory spices--almost like flavored tortilla or pita chips.

The ultimate comfort dessert is fun, a light cake-like bread that's usually soaked in fruit syrup and served with fresh fruit. If Sanmra had a national dessert, this would be it! Variations on it are served at just about every special occasion (and any other time people can come up with an excuse to eat it). You can even buy it from street vendors, who stock an array of syrups and fruits to top it with as you like. (the latest craze--a piece of fun with a berry syrup, paired with a piece of very dark chocolate)

Is there any sort of astrology, tarot, or other method of trying to determine the future in your culture? What is it used for?
User avatar
elemtilas
runic
runic
Posts: 3021
Joined: 22 Nov 2014 04:48

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by elemtilas »

alynnidalar wrote:Is there any sort of astrology, tarot, or other method of trying to determine the future in your culture? What is it used for?
In the World, there are many forms of divination. Cartas grew out of the pastime of playing various games with tiles, slips of card & tallies of wood, bamboo or bone. There are as many schools of cartas diviners as there are kinds of card packs (which vary considerably in size, shape, number and kind of suits and number of ranks & arrangement of triumphs.

The usual pack of cards in the Eastlands consists of a large number of cards divided into three general classes. First are the pip cards, which are cards that depict a certain number of iconic pips on their face: for example, the "cater of crowns" has four crowns painted upon its face while the "deuce of wands" has two staves or wands painted upon it. These cards are numbered from one (the ase) up to twelve (the dedouze). In between, of course, each pip value has its peculiar name, which seem to be bastardized Rumelian numerals. Next are the honors or court cards, which depict four noble ranks: the queen is the highest in rank among the Daine everywhere, and also in Codeis and Oz and frequently in Auntimoany, followed by the consort, the princess and the warrior; in other countries, the king ranks highest, followed by the queen, valet and maiden, or else king, queen, prince and princess. Obviously, the same exact pack of cards can be used in either fashion: it's simply a matter of declaring which ranking is to be used during the game. Thirdly are the triumph cards which are 40 in number. All packs of cartas are arranged in suits, or distinct sets of symbols. A few packs have only four suits, but the number of games one can play with these is quite limited. Most games require an eight suit pack and not a few require the more deluxe sixteen suit pack. No matter how many ordinary suits come in the pack, they all contain a single suit of forty trump cards and a motley assortment of fools. Thus, the four suit pack has 108 cards (52 pips, 16 honors and 40 trumps); the eight suit pack has 176 cards and the sixteen suit pack has 312 cards.

Astrology, like *here*, is part-time philosophy (mostly of a cosmological nature), part-time divination and part-time actual sky watching & day keeping. Necromancy & thanatometry are also popular in some quarters. Cheiromancers, Tcheyomancers, Geamancers and Yeggramancers are met with in many cities of the East. Perhaps the most curious of all are the pomatomancers, those folks who divine the nature of the future by scrupulous examination of a person's coiffure.

Very popular among wealthier clients in the cities of the Eastlands, the Hermetic Guild of Pomatomancers advertises itself as ...adept at the ancient and mysticall Arte of divining a person's true future via the Signs and Portents innate and inborn within the subject's very Body, these same Signs and Portents being expressed within the Hairs of the subject's head and face. Pomatomancers may often be found attached to the saloon of one of the madames that cater to the quality of the city. Their practice is noteworthy for its extensive massage of the scalp and hair given before any treatments, and then an examination of the same hair after all treatments are done. Pomatomancers claim that a thorough study of the subject's hair and capitology or topography of the head as well as studious comparison of the subject's hair both before and after pomade treatment and also with mysterious and arcane Rubrics or images found in specially prepared pattern books yields a horoscope far more accurate than that produced by even the most skilled astrologer.

Of course, it's all, at best, unadulterated bunkum and at worst, thoroughly adulterated bunkum (see under Perspiculum of Queen Noory the Wise), but this doesn't stop people from trying and subscribing to various forms of divination! Kind of like with using magic, trying to have a shufty into the undiscovered country is fraught with peril.

What are your folks' opinions on body decoration of any kind? (e.g., mere reasons of beauty or status display or cultural display (war, weddings, funerals) or avoided at all costs because it's the work of a devil)
User avatar
qwed117
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4094
Joined: 20 Nov 2014 02:27

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by qwed117 »

elemtilas wrote:
alynnidalar wrote:Is there any sort of astrology, tarot, or other method of trying to determine the future in your culture? What is it used for?
In the World, there are many forms of divination. Cartas grew out of the pastime of playing various games with tiles, slips of card & tallies of wood, bamboo or bone. There are as many schools of cartas diviners as there are kinds of card packs (which vary considerably in size, shape, number and kind of suits and number of ranks & arrangement of triumphs.

The usual pack of cards in the Eastlands consists of a large number of cards divided into three general classes. First are the pip cards, which are cards that depict a certain number of iconic pips on their face: for example, the "cater of crowns" has four crowns painted upon its face while the "deuce of wands" has two staves or wands painted upon it. These cards are numbered from one (the ase) up to twelve (the dedouze). In between, of course, each pip value has its peculiar name, which seem to be bastardized Rumelian numerals. Next are the honors or court cards, which depict four noble ranks: the queen is the highest in rank among the Daine everywhere, and also in Codeis and Oz and frequently in Auntimoany, followed by the consort, the princess and the warrior; in other countries, the king ranks highest, followed by the queen, valet and maiden, or else king, queen, prince and princess. Obviously, the same exact pack of cards can be used in either fashion: it's simply a matter of declaring which ranking is to be used during the game. Thirdly are the triumph cards which are 40 in number. All packs of cartas are arranged in suits, or distinct sets of symbols. A few packs have only four suits, but the number of games one can play with these is quite limited. Most games require an eight suit pack and not a few require the more deluxe sixteen suit pack. No matter how many ordinary suits come in the pack, they all contain a single suit of forty trump cards and a motley assortment of fools. Thus, the four suit pack has 108 cards (52 pips, 16 honors and 40 trumps); the eight suit pack has 176 cards and the sixteen suit pack has 312 cards.

Astrology, like *here*, is part-time philosophy (mostly of a cosmological nature), part-time divination and part-time actual sky watching & day keeping. Necromancy & thanatometry are also popular in some quarters. Cheiromancers, Tcheyomancers, Geamancers and Yeggramancers are met with in many cities of the East. Perhaps the most curious of all are the pomatomancers, those folks who divine the nature of the future by scrupulous examination of a person's coiffure.

Very popular among wealthier clients in the cities of the Eastlands, the Hermetic Guild of Pomatomancers advertises itself as ...adept at the ancient and mysticall Arte of divining a person's true future via the Signs and Portents innate and inborn within the subject's very Body, these same Signs and Portents being expressed within the Hairs of the subject's head and face. Pomatomancers may often be found attached to the saloon of one of the madames that cater to the quality of the city. Their practice is noteworthy for its extensive massage of the scalp and hair given before any treatments, and then an examination of the same hair after all treatments are done. Pomatomancers claim that a thorough study of the subject's hair and capitology or topography of the head as well as studious comparison of the subject's hair both before and after pomade treatment and also with mysterious and arcane Rubrics or images found in specially prepared pattern books yields a horoscope far more accurate than that produced by even the most skilled astrologer.

Of course, it's all, at best, unadulterated bunkum and at worst, thoroughly adulterated bunkum (see under Perspiculum of Queen Noory the Wise), but this doesn't stop people from trying and subscribing to various forms of divination! Kind of like with using magic, trying to have a shufty into the undiscovered country is fraught with peril.

What are your folks' opinions on body decoration of any kind? (e.g., mere reasons of beauty or status display or cultural display (war, weddings, funerals) or avoided at all costs because it's the work of a devil)
On Aiga and Teles, the Akur people, my very first conpeople, tattooing was a part of life. During the early ages of the culture and peoples, they consistently were fond of tattooing. At marriage the pair would get tattooed 4 lines around the neck. For the most part this would be the most tattoos that a women would get. The shamans, who were typically women, would get a line tattooed below their chin, but that would be the most. The male warriors and hunters had a lot of tattooing related to their kills. Warriors would have the clan symbol of their enemies tattooed on their chest after a war. The hunters would get tattoos for hunting prey that were considered maneaters (an Earthly example is an elephant or lion).

Around the time of the Se'Seranya (the Great Fall), the tattooing became highly unpopular. It is suspected that the civilization that invaded the Akuri areas (precipitating the Se'Seranya) perceived the tattooing as a brutalization of the body. While some Akuri areas (and possibly some Traaic peoples) still tattooed much later on, it was increasingly stigmatized. Recently it has seen a rebirth, but it still lacks social acceptance.

Metal jewelry (rings and piercings) is not exactly well known. Some people have it, but they are the rarity. It is not looked down upon; it is merely a strange oddity. Branding and similar forms of scarification are looked down upon greatly. It is a crime to brand a person, especially branding a person as chattel. The genital regions are occasionally tattooed. It is generally looked down upon. Genital piercings just aren't common here. Male circumcision isn't looked well upon and is seen as a largely outsider thing. Female circumcision is viewed upon as nearly criminal in most cases. Male subincision is not practiced, excluding the subincision of the foreskin alone. Subincision of the foreskin is common. A possible explanation is the avoidance of phimosis.

Next question: What plant or animals do your conpeople hold lucky?
Spoiler:
My minicity is [http://zyphrazia.myminicity.com/xml]Zyphrazia and [http://novland.myminicity.com/xml]Novland.

Minicity has fallen :(
The SqwedgePad
User avatar
eldin raigmore
korean
korean
Posts: 6352
Joined: 14 Aug 2010 19:38
Location: SouthEast Michigan

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by eldin raigmore »

qwed117 wrote:.... The genital regions are occasionally tattooed. It is generally looked down upon. ...
Well, of course it's looked down upon! It's not at eye-level, is it?











:mrgreen:
User avatar
GamerGeek
sinic
sinic
Posts: 345
Joined: 17 May 2017 18:10
Location: The Universe
Contact:

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by GamerGeek »

eldin raigmore wrote:
qwed117 wrote:.... The genital regions are occasionally tattooed. It is generally looked down upon. ...
Well, of course it's looked down upon! It's not at eye-level, is it?

...

:mrgreen:
-_-
shimobaatar
korean
korean
Posts: 10372
Joined: 12 Jul 2013 23:09
Location: UTC-04:00

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by shimobaatar »

eldin raigmore wrote:
qwed117 wrote:.... The genital regions are occasionally tattooed. It is generally looked down upon. ...
Well, of course it's looked down upon! It's not at eye-level, is it?
[bəˈdəm t͡s̩ː]
User avatar
eldin raigmore
korean
korean
Posts: 6352
Joined: 14 Aug 2010 19:38
Location: SouthEast Michigan

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by eldin raigmore »

(I didn't mean to derail the thread; I apologize.)
qwed117 wrote:Next question: What plant or animals do your conpeople hold lucky?
User avatar
Axiem
sinic
sinic
Posts: 316
Joined: 10 Sep 2016 06:56

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by Axiem »

qwed117 wrote:Next question: What plant or animals do your conpeople hold lucky?
A stereotype, at least, of the Nairu (that is, members of the Nairu Federation, which has a really more awesome name I haven't come up with in the Nairu language), is that they find whales lucky. It's said that when they go on fishing expeditions (a little perilous, living at the edge of the arctic circle, as they do), seeing whales in the distance makes them think they'll get large hauls for the trip.

This stereotype is mostly true, in the same way that "frat boys drink lots of beer" is mostly true.

(Incidentally, I post these answers in the Mto thread, where I'm always open to further discussion, and also sometimes provide more ancillary details that are orthogonal to my answer, but still about Mto)

Next question: how does your culture handle human waste? I.e. what are toilets like, and what sort of plumbing/sewer exists?
Conworld: Mto
:con: : Kuvian
Ducklord the Great
rupestrian
rupestrian
Posts: 7
Joined: 17 Jun 2017 21:24

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by Ducklord the Great »

What plant or animals do your conpeople hold lucky?
The Kanuridans hold cats to be lucky. They are seen as messengers for Yabha, the God of Sanctuary. He sends them across the world searching for strife and struggle. Cats aren't worshipped or pampered, and domesticating cats is a slur against the heavens. The Kanuridans heavily disliked the Zubadoki for many reasons including their widespread domestication of cats. However, wild cats bring an end to strife.

Owls are also seen as holy, as the great Zalinad, lord of the universe, uses them to watch all things. However, he doesn't interfere in human affairs, so they don't view them as lucky exactly.
My conworld is Nonwah, viewtopic.php?f=24&t=6186
dooooooooc
rupestrian
rupestrian
Posts: 8
Joined: 18 Mar 2015 01:45

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by dooooooooc »

How does your culture handle human waste? I.e. what are toilets like, and what sort of plumbing/sewer exists?
well, my conworld doesn't have humans, so nobody deals with human waste at all [;)]

Abaublians didn't have quite as much pressure for elaborate indoor plumbing like us Earthlings because heavy nightly rains washed away the day's waste completely and provided plenty of collected water to last through the next day. (So no walking to the nearest river, filth doesn't pile up, etc.) Additionally, most Abaublians live in low population villages, rather than tightly-packed cities. Typically, an Abaublian will use either a chamberpot (which is emptied at the end of the day some distance away from the village) or go on a nice walk to relieve themselves.

How independent are children allowed (or expected to be) in your culture? ie, before someone comes of age, what sorts of responsibilities do they have, what kind of decisions can they make on their own, etc, if any? (How are children who are too independent/not independent enough treated?)
User avatar
Axiem
sinic
sinic
Posts: 316
Joined: 10 Sep 2016 06:56

Re: The Conculture/Conpeople Opinions Thread

Post by Axiem »

dooooooooc wrote: How independent are children allowed (or expected to be) in your culture? ie, before someone comes of age, what sorts of responsibilities do they have, what kind of decisions can they make on their own, etc, if any? (How are children who are too independent/not independent enough treated?)
In Kuvia (which is where I should be focusing on more, since that's where my in-progress novel is set), the answer to this question depends on the class of the child. Certainly in general, children are expected to be "seen, not heard", and at a young age are pretty heavily socialized into the keep-your-head-down-and-follow-the-rules culture of Kuvia. Children will still be children, and while childish antics are appreciated, they are not celebrated: there is no concept of "hang up your child's artwork" in whatever form.

Full independence is generally frowned up, but children are still allowed to roam free in general. Overly independent children are punished, sometimes severely, both by their parents and by other members of society. On the other hand, no one would bat an eye at a six- or seven- year old walking by themselves to a nearby plantation or store.

Children of the upper classes (that is, of plantation owners and other aristocrats) are almost universally sent to boarding schools from an age that translates roughly into 9–10 Earth years old; while private tutors exist, they're rare and expensive. Boarding schools, on the other hand, do a fantastic job at inculcating the up-and-coming ruling elite into the proper Kuvian culture. These students study the things one would generally expect: law, math, science (that is, magic), literature, sports, and so on. Board schools also enforce roles and chores, with (at times severe) corporal punishment for slacking. Students do get some personal time, which includes open campuses, so they aren't fully imprisoned or anything—but they are forced into a fairly regimented lifestyle. Perfect preparation for their adult life.

Children of the middle classes (which tend to be trade-workers, professionals such as doctors or architects, or merchants) are also trained to be functioning adults. There are boarding schools that cater to the middle and upper-middle class—and some of the more elite boarding schools will grant scholarships to promising individuals—that tend not to be quite as intense as upper-class boarding schools, but are still pretty similar. There are also local cheaper schools in the cities that can provide a reasonable education in at least the basics. These children are often expected to follow in their family's trade or profession, but it's not unknown for them to branch out and more or less apprentice themselves to some other trade-worker. These children receive responsibilities around the profession as generally befits their ability.

Children of the lower classes (which tend to be menial workers, beggars, and so on) tend not to get much of an education. In some cities, the local schools might be affordable enough—or offer scholarships—but the children mostly run free. They're still more or less expected to learn a trade and pull themselves up by their bootstraps—and quite a few are able to—but in practice, the cycle of poverty is not broken. It's not uncommon for them to get trapped into slavery before they become adults; on the other hand, many grow up to be productive citizens, if lower-class.

Children of slaves are put into an odd legal limbo. Since slavery is not justified by race or ethnicity (but rather by "prisoner of war" or "criminal" or "in debt" sorts of statuses), children of slaves are not automatically slaves. Neither are they fully free, either. Instead, they're kind of half-slaves (I don't yet know the term), and are given a much better chance at buying citizenship status than their slave parent(s) is/are. (If either parent is a slave, the child is a half-slave). They're in roughly the same boat as lower-class children, but often with less supervision. Many of them end up getting trapped into slavery "on their own volition", but some are able to eke out an existence and eventually become full citizens, if likely lower-class.

...that's a lot, and a little off-topic from your question. Sorry.

Next Question: does your culture have any "shortly after birth" or "coming of age" ceremonies? (For example, infant "baptism" and young adult "confirmation" in some Christian circles)
Conworld: Mto
:con: : Kuvian
Post Reply