The Elysian Federation has a number of shared customs which have spread across the cultures of the various Nomes.
The Faith of Foundation
The Federation is not a religious union, but it does have an official religion. The
Gods of Foundation are the deities adopted by the
Genasi during the rebellion against the
Elemental Princes. Each major city in the Federation - with the exception of the
Nome of the Storm's Eye - has a Temple of Foundation, with a shrine and a primarch for each god. Smaller houses of worship rarely feature all seven shrines, and are tended by priests of lower rank.
Nominal Autonomy
Elyian fedral law covers a very narrow set of high crimes, and moderates relationships between the Nomes. In other matters, each nome has authority to govern its internal affairs and foreign relations. Some nomes take pains to conform to the norms and conventions of the Federation, but this is not required, and others are fiercely independent.
Polymatrimony
Elysian society and the
Foundation Faith both countenance, and even encourage, mutually plural marriage. The customs of the Federation insist that love should never be shameful unless it is hidden. Love should be celebrated, openly, and supported. The form of Elysian polymatrimony is, however, somewhat class based. The wealthy are expected to support multiple partners, either their own or their spouses', while the poor are supposed to be thriftier with both their money and their affections. The most common criticism of this custom is that it tends to make love a comodity, more available to the rich than the poor.
Most plural marriages therefore have a high-status couple at the core, with two or more additional partners in relationships with one or both of the core couple. Any addition to the marriage should be acceptable to all extant partners, even those they will not be intimate with. Rarely, a matrimonial group will involve three or more members of the core group, or support a tertiary partner who is not involved with anyone in the core.
The Stonelight
The head of state in the Federation is known as the Stonelight. The electors of the nomes choose a new Stonelight every seven years, to act as a spiritual guide and mediating influence on the Federation. They are also the highest Primarch of the Archon.
Titles
Like most
Cainan cultures, the Federation uses non-gendered titles.
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