Hiding Waters Culture

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Micamo
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by Micamo »

Trailsend wrote:Kids these days, hooking up with foreigners XD XD
Given the Feayr look so similar to normal Wolves I can definitely see accidental beastiality happening.

...On the subject, how is mating with a "normal" wolf viewed? Or mating with a human?
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by rickardspaghetti »

I was going to ask this very same question. Oh well.
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Trailsend
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by Trailsend »

Micamo wrote:
Trailsend wrote:Kids these days, hooking up with foreigners XD XD
Given the Feayr look so similar to normal Wolves I can definitely see accidental beastiality happening.

...On the subject, how is mating with a "normal" wolf viewed? Or mating with a human?
Heh! Perhaps not so common. The mateship vow is an oral recitation, to which the female must reply. Since a true wolf cannot speak to accept mateship, relations would be extramarital, and thus a no-no.

There haven't been any significant interactions with other humans yet in Feayra--the one explorer who came to the continent denounced it as a land of devils, and it's hard enough to get there that traders and explorers have so far been otherwise occupied. It's hard to say how the pack would react to a feayr-human couple, but since the feayr do not tend to draw conceptual lines between species anyway, I suspect it would be accepted fairly quickly.


Part the third!


VII. Questions of War

(a) Who declares war?

If the kalvái declares war, the rest of the pack will almost certainly follow. If a large body of the pack demands war, the kalvái may relent, but a sufficiently charismatic leader may be able to calm folks down.


(b) Who has the power to declare conditions of peace?

The kalvái's decisions filter down through the vùurái/kìiráu hierarchy to be accepted by the rest.


(c) What happens to prisoners taken in battle?

They may be killed, or exchanged back to the enemy, or expelled from the territory, or in rare cases, kept within the pack as something like slaves.


(d) What form of warfare does this society use?

They're wolves. ;) They war like they hunt.


(e) Who are the Elite warriors? What distinguishes them?

Particularly skilled hunters and scouts may be honored by being painting with yellow dye.


(f) How does someone get command of troops?

By being vùurí over them. This can be achieved through akanuháurhr, or by other public demonstration of ability.


(g) Where do the loyalties of military units lie?

Loyalty follows the vùurái/kìiráu hierarchy tracing to the leader of the team and eventually to the kalvái, but in general, there is a strong connection to the pack identity.


(h) Are there professional soldiers? Do they make up the bulk of the military?

If you consider the similarity between feayran hunting practices and feayran warring practices, then sure there are, and sure they do.


(i) Has this society ever attacked another? Do they want to? What would make them do so?

Not really. Their territory sustains them, and without strong motivation (drastic longterm famine, fleeing from a plague, etc.), feayr do not leave their territory.


(j) Who are their enemies? Who's winning?

None at this moment, although anyone not of of the pack (with familiar people from satellite packs being a notable exception) is regarded with distrust and dealt with harshly if proper protocol is not followed when territory lines are crossed.


(k) What do soldiers do when there's no war?

They hunt.


VIII. Questions of Education

(a) Does this society have its own language? Its own writing?

Yes, no.


(b) How common is literacy? How is literacy viewed?

N/A.


(c) What form and value are books?

N/A.


(d) Who teaches others? How do they teach?

As children approach maturity they are more and more incorporated into daily tasks; they are taught by whatever adult is performing the task, and they learn by doing. Other skills (especially those used in hunting) are learned through play with other pups and adults.


(e) Who decides who learns to read or write?

Edited question because N/A is boring: Who decides who learns to tell stories? The audience. People will call for pack members to tell stories if they enjoy listening to the member's telling. The more you tell, the more practice you get, the better you get. Some storytellers may pick out and tutor interested youth.


(f) Who teaches professions, like carpenter or scribe?

Anyone doing them.


(g) Are foreigners ever brought in to teach new skills? Who does that?

In supremely rare special cases.


(h) How do this society's doctors try to treat wounds and sickness?

This is usually the shaman's job, applying herbalism and mysticism.


(i) Which medical assumtions of this society are wrong?

Sooo many. Some are on the right track, if interpreted in bizarre ways (i.e., if you eat carrion, then you're eating something you didn't kill, which is thievery from the prey spirit--it is likely to become offended and take revenge on you, which is why you get sick), but a lot are just wacky.


IX. Questions of Art

(a) What are the favorite artforms?

Music making, dancing, but above all, storytelling.


(b) What are the least-favorite?

Craft and jewelry making are appreciated, but not quite as revered as the ones mentioned above. (There are exceptions of association--a masterful flute maker is a big deal indeed.)


(c) How respected are artists?

Elder storytellers are some of the most respected in the pack, and the go-to folks for questions of morality and tradition. It is up to the kalvái to interpret the story, but a good storyteller is usually able to make a particular choice the apparent best one.


(d) Do artists require official or unofficial protection?

It is taboo to harm a storyteller during the telling of a story, or to harm the teller in reaction to the story itself. The community will usually step in to reinforce this, unless the teller has really managed to irk everyone.


(e) What kinds of trouble are artists in particular likely to find themselves in?

Poor sports may not take kindly to being rebuked in story form and may try to get even when the public eye is not watching, but this is fairly uncommon.


(f) How might a very successful artist live?

Essentially the same as everyone else, though at formal occasions when stories are told they often receive a better choice of food.


(g) What forms of theatre does your society have?

Story-telling itself is a very dramatic art, with the teller playing all the parts together.


(h) How naturalistic or stylized is your society's art?

Crafts are often exaggerated to emphasize particular features; storytelling performances do all they can to exaggerate things and get laughs and reactions out of the audience.


(j) What shapes are most common in your society's arts, like embroidery or architecture?

Stylized representations of animals, and circles representing the moon.


(k) Which artforms get the most and least respect?

At the top, storytelling; at the bottom, craft making (though all artists are respected to some degree).


(l) What form does censorship take?

If a large body of the community dislikes a particular story, they may shout the teller down if he tries to tell it again.


(m) Who may not be an artist?

Females are more common, but no one is systematically excluded.


(n) What qualities equal "beauty" in this society?

Smooth contours, the color blue. However, scent is much more prevalent than sight in determining beauty. The smell of rain and mint are some popularly romanticized smells.


(o) What makes a man or woman especially beautiful?

Again, smell more than anything. Strength and speed are desirable in males, and agility in both genders; wit and musical ability are desirable in females. White hair is especially prized; skinniness is a sign of weakness and is disliked.


(p) How do people react to tattoos? Piercings? Facial hair? Make-up?

Piercings are not particularly popular as they cause trouble when changing shapes. Tattoos are common for a number of purposes, most notably marking mated pairs. Body paint is used all the time for ceremonial purposes.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by Micamo »

Trailsend wrote:Sooo many. Some are on the right track, if interpreted in bizarre ways (i.e., if you eat carrion, then you're eating something you didn't kill, which is thievery from the prey spirit--it is likely to become offended and take revenge on you, which is why you get sick), but a lot are just wacky.
I love hilarious misconceptions. (My conspecies has incredible hearing, so they speak with very soft, very muted voices, often completely inaudible to humans. So for a human to hear an Agyon, the Agyon has to practically scream. However they don't understand the differences in hearing ability, so the Agyon think humans are all just THAT thick-headed.) Got any more of these?
It is taboo to harm a storyteller during the telling of a story, or to harm the teller in reaction to the story itself. The community will usually step in to reinforce this, unless the teller has really managed to irk everyone.
*Riavu steps up to tell a story*

Riavu: A shaman, a Feayr, and a golden retriever all sit around the bonfire...

*crowd gets up and tears Riavu to shreds*
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Trailsend
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by Trailsend »

Micamo wrote:I love hilarious misconceptions. (My conspecies has incredible hearing, so they speak with very soft, very muted voices, often completely inaudible to humans. So for a human to hear an Agyon, the Agyon has to practically scream. However they don't understand the differences in hearing ability, so the Agyon think humans are all just THAT thick-headed.) Got any more of these?
Well, waste and ash are commonly used to mark territory lines, so it's very important not to touch any such marks--you may offend the spirit of whatever left it. It's particularly important to not have any on your hands when you eat, especially if it's not yours, because then the spirit of whatever made the mark will think it owns your insides, and then all kinds of bad things happen.
Micamo wrote:*Riavu steps up to tell a story*

Riavu: A shaman, a Feayr, and a golden retriever all sit around the bonfire...

*crowd gets up and tears Riavu to shreds*
XD


PART THE LAST


X. Questions of sex and marriage

(a) Is sex confined to marriage?

Yes, with the exception of the aforementioned rent-a-hubby practices.


(b) Or, is it supposed to be? What constitutes aberrant behavior?

Anything extra-marital. Even superfluous physical contact with someone of opposite gender besides one's mate is looked down on.


(c) Is there anything about this culture or religion in that culture that specifically addresses sexual conduct?

In general (as in, on the level of gender roles and make up of mated pairs) yes, but specifically, no. It's one of very few times when you're away from the pack's eye, so what you do is mostly up to you, so long as its done with the right person.


(d) Are there laws about it? What about prostitution?

As mentioned, prostitution (for some value of "prostitution") is systematically practiced, and laws are firm concerning who can form mated pairs and how these pairs are formed. Other than that, though, little is regulated.


(e) How old should someone be in your culture to be having sex?

Juveniles are not expected (and not allowed) to being pursuing lifemates until after their namehunt. After they begin looking for mates, some additional time is expected to pass (one doesn't run into these things rashly). So, probably no younger than 13, though a mate should be selected by no older than 16 or 17.


(f) What is considered too great a difference in age for a couple?

Two generations (that is, two years) is pushing it, though this rule can be relaxed in special cases.


(g) Do relationships allow multiple partners?

Nope.


(h) Should sex be a one-to-one experience? Or are groups allowed?

If multiple couples got together to have sex, it would be considered very bizarre and looked down upon, but it might be allowed so long as there were no relations going on across mated pairs. Knowing this would be difficult, though, so the community probably wouldn't go for it.


(i) And, of course, what about homosexuality? Is it frowned on? Encouraged?

"Frowned on" in the sense of "we will kill you or dub you insane depending on your genitals"


XI. Questions of death and burial

(a) What is their understanding of death and dying?

Spirit is water, water is spirit, and it always moves in a circle. The feayr see themselves at the apex in the circle when the spirit commences its return to the sea to begin again.


(b) Do they cremate their dead? Or, how are dead bodies disposed of?

Yes, as mentioned.


(c) Is the family responsible for the body?

There are no families; the pack entire participates in funeral rites.


(d) What part do the priests play?

The shaman may chant some things and do some dances to point the released spirit in the right direction. Musicians help by playing sternum-bone horns.


(e) Are there cemeteries at all?

Ashes are usually sent over the falls, just in case there's any spirit left in them.


(f) Or, does everyone have a crypt in back with all the relatives in it?

Nope.


(g) Do people visit the dead? If so, how often and why?

No, but the feayr don't really think of the dead as being "cohesive" enough to visit. Their ancestors have all mixed together, they have all come back, they are all still here. There is a piece of everyone in every drop of rain.


XII. Questions of suicide

(a) What do people in this culture think about suicide?

That it's a bizarrely vague southern word.


(b) Is it the greatest sin one can commit? Or is it a sin at all?

That depends. Are you flaking out? Giving up? Or have you gone as far as you need to go? These are all very different things with different names.


(c) Is it the great and last comfort of a tormented soul?

Not really. Comfort for a feayr is home--the land, the territory that they belong to. But souls have no territory, they have no home. They are always moving, always wandering. That is what death is, and while necessary, it is feared for this reason.


(d) Is it worse than murder?

Not usually.


XIII. Questions of Law, Justice and Police

(a) Is there a civilian police force, or is law enforcement the province of the military?

Yes and no on both counts. There is no clear distinction between "civilian" and "military," or between the police force and not the police force.


(b) Is the police force a nationalised one, or are there multiple regional forces?

If you want to consider each of the satellite packs as being its own regional force, sure, but they don't really work this way.


(c) How "military" are they? Are they usually/ever armed?

Again, no good distinction between civilian and military.


(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 community, as mentioned, judge, jury, and executioner.


(e) Are there individuals or groups who are above the law?

Not entirely, no, but certain individuals (most notably the shaman, because shamans are weird, and females, because females are holy) are given more leeway than others. For these groups, though, there are whole other sets of codes and traditions which much be followed.


(f) Is there a secret police?

No.


(g) What is the role of police informants, if any?

Anybody who saw what happened.
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Micamo
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by Micamo »

There's another right one, but how about some wrong ones? Though if they seriously believe the "spirits owning your insides" thing then that would make a pretty good reason to not practice homosexuality...

Anyway the last part's questions are all basically answered by the previous ones. But well done on filling the whole thing out.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by Trailsend »

Micamo wrote:There's another right one, but how about some wrong ones?
Oooh you wanted wrong ones!

Obviously, there's the whole "If I give you food without practicing the proper rites the spirits will smite us" bit. In terms of health, they attribute most afflictions either to spirits taking revenge on you, or just having bad spirit (and spirit is water, recall) in you. Thus, shamans have all kinds of delightful methods for inducing vomiting, diarrhea, etc.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by Micamo »

Trailsend wrote:Obviously, there's the whole "If I give you food without practicing the proper rites the spirits will smite us" bit. In terms of health, they attribute most afflictions either to spirits taking revenge on you, or just having bad spirit (and spirit is water, recall) in you. Thus, shamans have all kinds of delightful methods for inducing vomiting, diarrhea, etc.
Riavu: Can you help me, Shaman? What is wrong with my body to give me this terrible headache?

Shaman: I'm so sorry to tell you, but an evil spirit has made its way into your prostate. The usual herbs will not do to expel it.

Riavu: So what needs to be done?

*Shaman pulls out a rusty knife.*

Riavu: ;-;
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by rickardspaghetti »

The last thing he said was "núk", followed by screams of pain.
"What did you do to him, shaman?"
"I have no idea, but he sure won't notice his headache now!"
そうだ。死んでいる人も勃起することが出来る。
俺はその証だ。
Spoiler:
Ǧ Š Ȟ Ž Č

ǧ š ŋ ȟ ž č
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