Post by Porping on Dec 10, 2012 23:20:53 GMT -8
These are short guides to the lands of Doxom. Do not make assumptions regarding these cultures- if you have a question, ask the admin who created your culture: TheElohim - Sisiphee, Maunder - Endsburgh, Isgdappls - Nuavia.
Endsburgh:
History: Endsburg was historically a female dominated, class-divided society governed by a parliament of elected women. Creativity, romanticism and emotional expression were highly valued in the upper class, while the lower class suffered out of sight. Many men dressed as flamboyantly as their more emotional counterparts. Children inherited their mother's titles and creed, and daughters were bred to become outstanding members of society. Many families stopped having children after they produced a daughter, having done their part for society and not seeing the need in burdening women with countless children. However, more recent years have seen a power shift. 42 years ago, a parliamentary member by the name of Valeria Warrene gathered enough support to declare herself Queen. Her rule was a happy one, leading her country into a golden age. She raised a daughter, Valeria Alcestis Warrene, who succeeded her mother as Valeria after her tragic death from a bout of consumption, which ended her 8 year reign. Young Alcestis found comfort in the religion of her youth, a practice almost forgotten and regarded as a collection of beautiful stories. She gradually restored the faith during her quiet 20 year reign, which was passed on to her daughter, Valeria Guinevere Warrene. Guinevere was plagued by her plainness and her lack of talent. Taking a firmer grasp on the newly reinstated church, she glamorized her plainness as purity, a simpler kind of beauty, a new romanticized concept for her artistic subjects to devour. The trend spread, rapidly consuming the land and turning into something more. Fashions became oppressive and shockingly modest, and attitudes became meek and resolved. Women faded into the background of society, and men came to the forefront of society, all in fourteen years. Classes all but disappeared. The Valeria always loved men who could look past her face long enough to suck up to her. A small group of disgraced women are attempting to revive feminism and the restore the provocative and blunt nature of art and philosophy in an underground movement with the help of a very few upper-class men who miss their old, openly flamboyant ways. They are called the Green Carnations.
Governance: Theocratic Matriarchy, ruled by the Valeria. Previously ruled by a Parliamentary system.
Geography: Highly developed inner city reminiscent of 19th century London: crowded, dreary weather, yet somehow elegant. Areas of rural estates and farmland outside of the city, featuring gently rolling hills, meadows, and occasional tributaries of the river Syne, which flows through the heart of the city.
Economy: Heavily reliant on the labour of the once-male proletariat to harvest and process raw resources such as wool and wheat from the outlying estates owned by the once-female higher class, which ran businesses and spent frivolous amounts of money. Not very sustainable. Economy has once again been up in the air due to the new power shift and changing of hands; the fashionably complacent women take the places of the once-working-class men, who spend frivolously, now having copious amount of funds to do so. (The females don't mind anyways. They are all used to being starving writers and teachers and artists ;D )
Demography: 220k women, 180k men. Speak Endrian (though they have no name for their language, not knowing that any other exists, besides the Ancient Language in which scriptures are recorded). Divided into three classes, upper (pred. male), middle (mixed) and lower (pred. Female); the clergy is all female and of the Valerian bloodline. The upper and lower classes have been disappearing into a growing middle class as societal lines are redrawn and the country is progressed.
Education: Focuses on history, dance, performing arts, studio art, and psychology. Philosophy has been overlooked in recent years and choir is reserved for the maidens of the holy clergy.
Culture: Very focused on actual culture, not at all on science (they still run on coal, people). Recently taken up a fad with their religion, which has not been earnestly practiced since ancient times until now (and holds clues and traces to very old magic not know by the Endsburgians, having lost all meaning of the rituals). Now very modest and elegantly egregious instead of flamboyantly so. Food is bland and unimaginative due to their lack of agricultural variety. Lots of meat and potatoes. Architecture very Victorian (mm, Gothic Revival). It's London if our timeline was flipped and we got more uptight over time instead of more open and whatnot.
Sports: Why is this category even on here? XD Boys. *shakes head* Back in parliamentary days, there wouldn't be any mention of sports ... The national sport is an artful blend of rugby and croquet.
National symbols: The corset, symbolic of women's fashionable restrictions. Okay, just kidding. Flowers are a big deal, and every flower is symbolic for something different. The flower symbolizing the Valerian rule and national unity would be the Dahlia for elegance and dignity.
Sisiphee:
History: In the past the Sisiphee tribes were heavily reliant on shamans and magic but were larger and spread throughout more of an area though they didn't live where they do today. Several hundred years ago the leader of the largest tribe Grimuee and his people joined close to a hundred of their neighboring tribes together and started traveling to each tribe and taking them over. All of the other tribes quickly learned of this and were forced to join him or those opposing him. Soon after there was a war and many battles that ensued which lead to the destruction of almost half of the tribes, more than half of the Sisiphee, and most of the shamans with Grimuee as their new victorious leader. With Grimuee and his followers looking to forget the past they set off in search for a new home eventually ending up where they live today. After arriving each of the tribes wanted the new found power over all the tribes that Grimuee held which led to his murder and the splitting of the tribes once again. All of this is strongly believed to be the doing of the Doormen halting the spread of the Sisiphee.
Governance: Each tribe of the Sisiphee has a Chief and a Shaman as their leaders but the biggest tribe's Chief is Krone and Shaman is Gal-emshe.
Geography: A great barren plateau several thousand feet high, covered in rock and gigantic mushrooms. There are several large lakes and rivers that most tribes tend to stay within a two days journey of.
Economy: Large amounts of wild game and plants (especially the giant mushrooms) provide for this huge population of hunters and gatherers. Many of the tribes trade goods such as spices, beads, animal skins, and other types of ceremonial clothing with one another to show they are still at peace with on another.
Demography: Language- Sisi, population- 124,963(Exact numbers xD), There are about 500 different tribes, all of the tribes believe that their shaman keeps them in touch with their spiritual sides and that they keep demons away.
Education: At birth the tribes shaman decides what profession the child will pursue. Girls are usually chosen as gatherers. Though most shamans are females there are many men who are shamans as well such as Gal-emshe. Men are often chosen as warriors and hunters that pursue physical perfection. Just recently many of the tribes have started training the gatherers, hunters, and warriors to use certain spells that the shamans have rediscovered such as a spell that gives you better stamina for short periods of time although you feel all the fatigue afterwards(not all of them are magically gifted, and generally these spells don't work at all).
Culture: Having perfected the arts of hunting and gathering they have a wide selection of meats, spices, and wild vegetables. Many men and women spend their spare time making trinkets and ceremonial wear. Recently the shamans have been seeking to learn more about ancient magic through tales and ceremonies. Living in makeshift huts of mud or under the large mushrooms when they find large patches of them because of the frequency at which they move from place to place. Larger tribes have been known to make more permanent homes made of stones and glue made from the crushed mushrooms(there are many uses of the mushrooms). There is also a ritual called an androchiromachy which happens when a man challenges another man in hand to hand combat to the death.
Sports: The sports are more like tournaments where people fight to determine the best warrior or who brings back the most food.
National symbols: The symbols on most Sisiphee ceremonial clothes are animals and the most used and known animal because it is the most abundant is the Volantes Lacerta which looks like a komodo dragon mixed with a cockatoo.
Nuavia:
History - Nuavian legend speaks of a legendary pilgrimage, the details lost to time. The oldest citizens retell stories of old retold by their parents' grandparents, about how Nuavians came from the land and used to breathe in the air without water. The story involves a society fleeing from a great disaster, and even of magic. With nowhere to go, the Nuavians at the edge of the Pohjatu Ocean faced certain genocide. They all sent a unified cry of prayer to their God, and he sent a savior to them in the form of a man. His skin was an image of swirling water and depths unknown, and his face bore a smooth white mask. His eyes were blue light, and his voice was God's voice, and he said to them: "You will take to the water, my children. You will settle the ocean floor, and you will breathe the water as you have breathed the air all these years. You will live in peace with one another, and the time will come where you will again fight to survive. Unity will save you, and your mother the ocean." With that he led them into the ocean. Once immersed in water, his body transformed into a true man's, and his name was Thestolos. He led them to their under-water mountain home, Nuavia. Using magic only to save them from unavoidable hardships, he helped create a society that was no longer reliant on him. One day, when his time had come he bid his friends and sons and daughters farewell and disappeared into the depths. It is said he still inhabits the ocean, and he will be personified again in time of great need.
Governance: The Republic of Nuavia exists under a Monarchy system like that of England, with the Royal family answering to the Conclave. Members are elected to the Conclave by the public and there are checks and balances between the King and the Conclave.
Geography: Nuavia is an underwater mountain, with much of the 400,000 living within it. The royal family lives at the peak, and the peak is still about a mile underneath the surface of the ocean. The magma flow within the mountain was redirected and used as a power source, giving Nuavians a high standard of living, with incredibly advanced technology. Aside from the heat power, Nuavia also has a rich vein of a deposite known as Brinestone, an electrically charged clay like substance that provides all of their light and vehicular energy.
Economy: Nuavia is self reliant, and being such a small nation it trades internally and the system of currency is known as Korel.
Demography: Language: Nuavi, Population: 400,000. clear cut social classes, the highest being the royal family the lowest being the mining families. Education: All Nuavian children are publicly educated in sciences, technology and mathematics.
Culture: Very modern, influenced a lot by their media.
Sports: Ringball (quidditch minus the Snitch played on jet-powered vehicles) as well as varying forms of normal sports.
National Symbols: An animal recognized as a nation symbol is the Lysethi, a colossal whale like animal that instills fear in most Nuavians but is respected all the same. Each social class tends to have different symbols, with each family having it's own crest.
Endsburgh:
History: Endsburg was historically a female dominated, class-divided society governed by a parliament of elected women. Creativity, romanticism and emotional expression were highly valued in the upper class, while the lower class suffered out of sight. Many men dressed as flamboyantly as their more emotional counterparts. Children inherited their mother's titles and creed, and daughters were bred to become outstanding members of society. Many families stopped having children after they produced a daughter, having done their part for society and not seeing the need in burdening women with countless children. However, more recent years have seen a power shift. 42 years ago, a parliamentary member by the name of Valeria Warrene gathered enough support to declare herself Queen. Her rule was a happy one, leading her country into a golden age. She raised a daughter, Valeria Alcestis Warrene, who succeeded her mother as Valeria after her tragic death from a bout of consumption, which ended her 8 year reign. Young Alcestis found comfort in the religion of her youth, a practice almost forgotten and regarded as a collection of beautiful stories. She gradually restored the faith during her quiet 20 year reign, which was passed on to her daughter, Valeria Guinevere Warrene. Guinevere was plagued by her plainness and her lack of talent. Taking a firmer grasp on the newly reinstated church, she glamorized her plainness as purity, a simpler kind of beauty, a new romanticized concept for her artistic subjects to devour. The trend spread, rapidly consuming the land and turning into something more. Fashions became oppressive and shockingly modest, and attitudes became meek and resolved. Women faded into the background of society, and men came to the forefront of society, all in fourteen years. Classes all but disappeared. The Valeria always loved men who could look past her face long enough to suck up to her. A small group of disgraced women are attempting to revive feminism and the restore the provocative and blunt nature of art and philosophy in an underground movement with the help of a very few upper-class men who miss their old, openly flamboyant ways. They are called the Green Carnations.
Governance: Theocratic Matriarchy, ruled by the Valeria. Previously ruled by a Parliamentary system.
Geography: Highly developed inner city reminiscent of 19th century London: crowded, dreary weather, yet somehow elegant. Areas of rural estates and farmland outside of the city, featuring gently rolling hills, meadows, and occasional tributaries of the river Syne, which flows through the heart of the city.
Economy: Heavily reliant on the labour of the once-male proletariat to harvest and process raw resources such as wool and wheat from the outlying estates owned by the once-female higher class, which ran businesses and spent frivolous amounts of money. Not very sustainable. Economy has once again been up in the air due to the new power shift and changing of hands; the fashionably complacent women take the places of the once-working-class men, who spend frivolously, now having copious amount of funds to do so. (The females don't mind anyways. They are all used to being starving writers and teachers and artists ;D )
Demography: 220k women, 180k men. Speak Endrian (though they have no name for their language, not knowing that any other exists, besides the Ancient Language in which scriptures are recorded). Divided into three classes, upper (pred. male), middle (mixed) and lower (pred. Female); the clergy is all female and of the Valerian bloodline. The upper and lower classes have been disappearing into a growing middle class as societal lines are redrawn and the country is progressed.
Education: Focuses on history, dance, performing arts, studio art, and psychology. Philosophy has been overlooked in recent years and choir is reserved for the maidens of the holy clergy.
Culture: Very focused on actual culture, not at all on science (they still run on coal, people). Recently taken up a fad with their religion, which has not been earnestly practiced since ancient times until now (and holds clues and traces to very old magic not know by the Endsburgians, having lost all meaning of the rituals). Now very modest and elegantly egregious instead of flamboyantly so. Food is bland and unimaginative due to their lack of agricultural variety. Lots of meat and potatoes. Architecture very Victorian (mm, Gothic Revival). It's London if our timeline was flipped and we got more uptight over time instead of more open and whatnot.
Sports: Why is this category even on here? XD Boys. *shakes head* Back in parliamentary days, there wouldn't be any mention of sports ... The national sport is an artful blend of rugby and croquet.
National symbols: The corset, symbolic of women's fashionable restrictions. Okay, just kidding. Flowers are a big deal, and every flower is symbolic for something different. The flower symbolizing the Valerian rule and national unity would be the Dahlia for elegance and dignity.
Sisiphee:
History: In the past the Sisiphee tribes were heavily reliant on shamans and magic but were larger and spread throughout more of an area though they didn't live where they do today. Several hundred years ago the leader of the largest tribe Grimuee and his people joined close to a hundred of their neighboring tribes together and started traveling to each tribe and taking them over. All of the other tribes quickly learned of this and were forced to join him or those opposing him. Soon after there was a war and many battles that ensued which lead to the destruction of almost half of the tribes, more than half of the Sisiphee, and most of the shamans with Grimuee as their new victorious leader. With Grimuee and his followers looking to forget the past they set off in search for a new home eventually ending up where they live today. After arriving each of the tribes wanted the new found power over all the tribes that Grimuee held which led to his murder and the splitting of the tribes once again. All of this is strongly believed to be the doing of the Doormen halting the spread of the Sisiphee.
Governance: Each tribe of the Sisiphee has a Chief and a Shaman as their leaders but the biggest tribe's Chief is Krone and Shaman is Gal-emshe.
Geography: A great barren plateau several thousand feet high, covered in rock and gigantic mushrooms. There are several large lakes and rivers that most tribes tend to stay within a two days journey of.
Economy: Large amounts of wild game and plants (especially the giant mushrooms) provide for this huge population of hunters and gatherers. Many of the tribes trade goods such as spices, beads, animal skins, and other types of ceremonial clothing with one another to show they are still at peace with on another.
Demography: Language- Sisi, population- 124,963(Exact numbers xD), There are about 500 different tribes, all of the tribes believe that their shaman keeps them in touch with their spiritual sides and that they keep demons away.
Education: At birth the tribes shaman decides what profession the child will pursue. Girls are usually chosen as gatherers. Though most shamans are females there are many men who are shamans as well such as Gal-emshe. Men are often chosen as warriors and hunters that pursue physical perfection. Just recently many of the tribes have started training the gatherers, hunters, and warriors to use certain spells that the shamans have rediscovered such as a spell that gives you better stamina for short periods of time although you feel all the fatigue afterwards(not all of them are magically gifted, and generally these spells don't work at all).
Culture: Having perfected the arts of hunting and gathering they have a wide selection of meats, spices, and wild vegetables. Many men and women spend their spare time making trinkets and ceremonial wear. Recently the shamans have been seeking to learn more about ancient magic through tales and ceremonies. Living in makeshift huts of mud or under the large mushrooms when they find large patches of them because of the frequency at which they move from place to place. Larger tribes have been known to make more permanent homes made of stones and glue made from the crushed mushrooms(there are many uses of the mushrooms). There is also a ritual called an androchiromachy which happens when a man challenges another man in hand to hand combat to the death.
Sports: The sports are more like tournaments where people fight to determine the best warrior or who brings back the most food.
National symbols: The symbols on most Sisiphee ceremonial clothes are animals and the most used and known animal because it is the most abundant is the Volantes Lacerta which looks like a komodo dragon mixed with a cockatoo.
Nuavia:
History - Nuavian legend speaks of a legendary pilgrimage, the details lost to time. The oldest citizens retell stories of old retold by their parents' grandparents, about how Nuavians came from the land and used to breathe in the air without water. The story involves a society fleeing from a great disaster, and even of magic. With nowhere to go, the Nuavians at the edge of the Pohjatu Ocean faced certain genocide. They all sent a unified cry of prayer to their God, and he sent a savior to them in the form of a man. His skin was an image of swirling water and depths unknown, and his face bore a smooth white mask. His eyes were blue light, and his voice was God's voice, and he said to them: "You will take to the water, my children. You will settle the ocean floor, and you will breathe the water as you have breathed the air all these years. You will live in peace with one another, and the time will come where you will again fight to survive. Unity will save you, and your mother the ocean." With that he led them into the ocean. Once immersed in water, his body transformed into a true man's, and his name was Thestolos. He led them to their under-water mountain home, Nuavia. Using magic only to save them from unavoidable hardships, he helped create a society that was no longer reliant on him. One day, when his time had come he bid his friends and sons and daughters farewell and disappeared into the depths. It is said he still inhabits the ocean, and he will be personified again in time of great need.
Governance: The Republic of Nuavia exists under a Monarchy system like that of England, with the Royal family answering to the Conclave. Members are elected to the Conclave by the public and there are checks and balances between the King and the Conclave.
Geography: Nuavia is an underwater mountain, with much of the 400,000 living within it. The royal family lives at the peak, and the peak is still about a mile underneath the surface of the ocean. The magma flow within the mountain was redirected and used as a power source, giving Nuavians a high standard of living, with incredibly advanced technology. Aside from the heat power, Nuavia also has a rich vein of a deposite known as Brinestone, an electrically charged clay like substance that provides all of their light and vehicular energy.
Economy: Nuavia is self reliant, and being such a small nation it trades internally and the system of currency is known as Korel.
Demography: Language: Nuavi, Population: 400,000. clear cut social classes, the highest being the royal family the lowest being the mining families. Education: All Nuavian children are publicly educated in sciences, technology and mathematics.
Culture: Very modern, influenced a lot by their media.
Sports: Ringball (quidditch minus the Snitch played on jet-powered vehicles) as well as varying forms of normal sports.
National Symbols: An animal recognized as a nation symbol is the Lysethi, a colossal whale like animal that instills fear in most Nuavians but is respected all the same. Each social class tends to have different symbols, with each family having it's own crest.
