New CBB

In lieu of Ketsuban's thread on the Safir.

I really want to flesh these guys out more, so feel free to any questions on them. I find that I conlang/world better when people ask me questions.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

but maybe give some kind of brief description at all first..?

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КЕРВЕНСКИЙ

Well, Ketsuban didn't either.

But, if you really want:

The Paz are the ethnonym for the people living in the country of Pazmat on the alternate planet of Techaria. They are not aliens, however--they are completely human, abliet one of a different species (but one so closely related to us Home Sapiens Sapiens that they can breed with us and have perfectly healthy children).

The Paz are noted for some things:

-Being the largest country in all of Techaria; Pazmat is roughly the size of North America, South America, and Wester Europe combined. Their borders actually extend across three different oceans

-Being deeply religious, or at least holding on their traditional religion of Qedha.

-Being expert mages and users of magic; Pazmat still controls the largest Magic Academy on both Techaria and Earth, the illustrious Cjirq Nheni (literally, "Cjirq School")

- The language of Pazmat is a lingua franca in all of Techaria, being actually know by more people as a second language than as a second language.

-Pazmat has been a leader in world politics in Techaria. It can be compared with either Ancient China or the Roman Empire--vastly ahead of its peers in everything from technology to politics to educated discovery. This has leveled off, however

-However, Pazmat is also known for being almsot psychotically militaristic, deeply racist, and extremely war-hungry; They have stared three world wars, basically singly-handedly taking on the entire rest of the planet (and near winning) and overall terrorizing the other people of Techaria. They also have shown themselves to not be averse to slavery, systematic eugenics, and other unpleasantries. These horrors are long in the past now....but the scars still remain.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

Yes, but a lot of his thread was people making fun of the people.

So, tell me, if I were to meet a Paz what would they think?

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Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

First of all, they'd think you were a Cryset. Cryset are the most Germanic of Techaria's main cultures (You are Swedish, right?)

After that, they would notice that you are not carrying anything relating to Qedha. Now that you have been fully established as a forigner, they might have a lowered opinion of you. Nonetheless, not being a Qedhaki (practioner of Qedha) means that they wod be wary of you--as those who are not Qedhakis cannot communicate with a Paz for a long period of time. And they cannot touch you, even accidently. This may give you an impression that they are cold and reserved.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

I'm American!

Why can't they talk with non-practitioners for long?

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Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

It's simply a religious rule. The "reason" given by their holy books, is that non-practitioners are considered "unclean" due to not being blessed by the forces of Qedha (there are not any gods in Qedha).

In reality, most Paz don't care about the rule. They only follow it because they know that the more conservative Qedhaki will chew them out like crazy if they don't.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

So is Qedha a form of animism, or is it something more abstract like (the westernized version of) Taoism?

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♀♥Ø

It is, somewhat.

I haven't worked out all the details but part of the idea is that all Qedhaki are connected into a massive "network" of connections. You can't see them, but you can chart them. This chart is called a "Wōt Zmcj. (Literally, "Soul Network")

Everyone on this network is linked to certain other people. It's advised to stay with people who you are close to you on the chart. Your position is rather arbitrary.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

How long do the Paz live?

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"Wait for the starvation of glaciers, chicken hamburger Noel Weber Arthur."

= | = | =

Same as normal humans. 70-95 years, normally.

They basically are humans. There's no noticable differences.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

This thread died disappointingly. Let's try to revive it.

I guess I shall talk about the Paz's culture now. More specifically, their views on kinship.

Unlike most cultures, the Paz don't place very much stock in family. They are of the belief that one should "spread out" and make strong friendships--going to your family for help with problems is considered to be a sign on unhealthily shutting yourself in from the outside world. It's friends who help you, not your family. You can't pick your family, but you can pick your friends, so they should matter more.

As such, most Paz families are not that connected together. This gives off the impression of being cold and distant, but that's not really how they are. Family is merely viewed as other acquaintances who happen to be related to you. Instead of staying locked up within the small network that is your relatives, you should make a MASSIVE network of friends. The more people you're connected to, the stronger you are.

This results in a very strange phenomenon: The Paz do not have family names. They DO have last names, but their last names are from their friends. Basically, you decide who your best friend is, and then your last name is "Weso [best friend's first name]", "We" meaning "friend", and "so" meaning "of". So your last name literally means "friend of X".

Anyone want to ask any questions? I'd like to flesh out their kinship beliefs.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

Lots.

Do Paz not instinctually feel the need to protect and help their family? That's a very deeply universal thing in humans, and all animals really.

How do the Paz define incest?

What groups are a person allowed to marry into?

Monogamist, polygamist, polyandrist, polyamorist, or something even weirder?

How about homo/bi/asexuality?

How are marriages carried out, anyway?

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♀♥Ø

Well, of course. They just don't think that you should care about your family more than your friends.



Sexual relations between parents and children, siblings, and cousins. It's considered morally wrong because it involves shutting yourself in from the real world.



Any. The Paz don't really care about marriage that much.



Monogamy, mostly. Stuff like polygamy and polyamoury is considered wasteful because romancing more than one person means that you're starting to care more about intimate relationships than friendships.



They don't really care about those things.



Traditionally, the two (gay marriage is freely allowed, by the way) people wanting to get married would consult with a Priest/Priestess inside a Qedhagjat (basically a church, though not exactly the same), and express their intention to get married. After that, they would then return a few days later, which by then, the priest (a priestess can do it as well, but I'll only refer to priests from now on) would have them sit down in a special room inside the Qedhagjat. This room is designed to be almost completely silent and to allow people to focus very carefully.

At that point, he would read a very long hymm, specifically one for marriage (Called the Gevazdel, literally, "Marriage-song"). After he is finished, they are expected to pronounce it back to him exactly as he said it, something that isn't as hard as it may sound, due to general use of focus/memory-enhancing magic. After they recite it back to him, they stand side-by-side, and tie their inner hands together with rope, almost like they were handcuffed together. However, this represents their new connection--one so strong that it can be "seen", so to speak. They then walk all throughout their town, quietly broadcasting their marriage to all those who can see. If the rope breaks, they must go back to the Qedhagjat and tie themselves with a new one. Only once they have travered their whole town without the rope breaking, are they considered to be married.

That's all that's required, but some do have a celebration afterwards, generally involving a very elaborate feast with all their friends, and drinking a wine called Zjmscir, made from a plant believed to enhance fertility (which it does not, but it DOES increase sexual response).

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I'm not sold on that marriage ceremony just yet, I may change it.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

So basically your answer is... They don't really have kinship, because except for incest you do anything you want with anyone you want.

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♀♥Ø

I guess? I'll concede that I really should've thought things out more.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb

You know... with all the information you've put up so far, why *do* they practice monogamy anyway? It just doesn't make any sense: If their culture is all about building up deep relationships with lots of people, why can't sex be part of these relationships? Heck, I'd argue being regular sexual partners is one of the deepest types of connections you can have with someone. So why are they against it?

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♀♥Ø

Here's a few questions:

1. What do the Paz do to ensure high levels of hygiene (if they do any practices at all)? That is, how's their sanitation?

2. How do they view music? What sort of music do they like? What do they think is the purpose of music for the Paz, for instance?

3.





That's how baboons do it!


But in all seriousness, I'm surprised at your incest taboos... rather, lack thereof. The only society I can think of in the real world where any similar thing was possible would be Zoroastrian Persia (Ptolemaic doesn't count since they didn't allow parent-child to my knowledge), and even then it had a clear religious motive. Anyhow, perhaps to deepen this a bit, can you explain what you mean when you say it's considered morally wrong to shut yourself in from the real world? Does that mean in Paz culture that, for instance, those people living in their parents basements would be considered, say, extremely immoral?

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I now have a blog. Witness the horror.

I think I think, therefore I think I am.
- Ambrose Bierce

Where do newlyweds live?

What sorts of houses do the Paz have?

What is Paz linguistics like?

Are the Paz matrilineal, Patrilineal, or something else? They might pass their things onto their friends, I suppose.

What sorts of diseases do the Paz have?

What sorts of taboos or superstitions do the Paz have? Are there any particular reasons for these?

How does the Paz government work?

Do the Paz have something akin to trade unions?

What if you loath someone who is close to you on the Wōt Zmcj? How do you chart people?

What sort of attitude do the Paz have to their government?

_________________
"Wait for the starvation of glaciers, chicken hamburger Noel Weber Arthur."

= | = | =

Pazmat has more than few rivers infused with magic, keeping them clean, so that was what most of them bathed with. Of course, the truly affluent could afford to live on villages right next to these rivers, allowing them to bathe everyday in them. The richest of the rich were able to buy soap from Satkicz, when they weren't violently slaughtering the indigenous peoples there and raping their land, that is.

Those less-fortunate would have to wait for shipments from these rivers, which would be diluted due to being separated from the source. The farther your lived, the more the water had to travel, meaning the less pure it was. This still shows in the modern-day language with idioms like "X lives so from a river" for "X doesn't bathe very well".

Nowadays, though, modern-day plumbing and the development of hygiene products for all social classes such as soap has basically allowed all to


Newlyweds live the first year of their lives in their local Qedhagjat (if it is full they will move to the closest one in the country that has a free room). There they live as if it was an apartment, using the Qedhagjat daily for spiritual purposes.



I haven't decided yet, but if you twisted my arm, I'd say that due to living mostly in grasslands and hilly plains, that they would have a housing style similar to 1500s-1600 western Europe.



Not sure what the question is, but the Paz have always been highly interested in linguistics due to the massive dialect continuum that exists in their native language. As such, it is considered a highly prestigious field of study, especially since Pazmat has hundreds of minority languages from conquered peoples.



Both.



Most of the us boring Terrans have, but there are few others, mostly of which adversely affect spiritual purity. Those particular ones are inadvertently caused by demons in Gehenna.



It's a common street belief that eating the leaves of a plant called Tacwat, a plant with spiny, purple leaves, will curse your lover to have terrible luck. This is mainly due to a previous emperor who loved the taste of Tacwat, but the hallucinogenic effects accidently made him kill his wife. Rather than take the blame for it, he said that she was cursed due to him eating it. Today, it's a common, but illegal drug.

Another superstition requires a bit of explanation. Traditional Paz male upper-body clothing is a sort of belt that is worn across the chest, starting from one shoulder and going diagonally down to the opposite hip. This sash is called a "Owutcalb", literally "Chest-ring", and usually has writing going down it. The "standard" direction is to start at the left shoulder and go down to the right hip. Starting at the RIGHT shoulder and going to the left hip is considered seriously bad juju, mainly because Owtucalbs used to almost always have "Genczjivo" ("We (as in the Paz in general) will prosper"). In Old Pazmat script, if the Owutcalb is positioned on the right shoulder, then it looks more like "Zarivgzjivo" ("We will suffer defeat").

There is no reason for this superstition to even exist anymore, given how the New Pazmat script doesn't have this little "feature" anymore, but people still hold onto with sayings like "[X] is such a right shoulder" for "X seems like a distrustful person" and "Is your Owutcalb on right?" for "Are you sure you can do this?".

Owutcalbs aren't even worn anymore, except for festivals, anyway...

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Sorry for not answering all of your questions, but I'd like to think about them some more. I answered what I could.

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Banami bhjaddhos rafi mau cy vyaja cecerror.
Fools do not see the sun nor sail the seas
-Azenti Proverb