Bastians
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Female Bastian names have more vowels than consonants. They also have more rounded sounding names that flow off the tongue, instead of having sharp sounds.
Masculine names
Male Bastian names are sharp but subtle. They have a balance of consonants and vowels. Their names tend to be short, but lead with a soft sound, and finish on a hard and sharp note.
Unisex names
There are no unisex names in the Bastian culture. Their view of the world is exceptionally binary, being either black or white, eat or be eaten, predator or prey. And they see themselves as being on the top of the food chain. This leaves no room in the Bastian mind for compromise.
Family names
Bastians do not use family names, but replace them with the names of the organization, military order, or corporation they have dedicated their lives to. In a very real way, these are not jobs to them, but life-long pursuits, and a form of both steady employment and the determiner of their self-worth.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Baastians have a specialized dialect of the Tyrolean language that they call Bas. If contains specific terms for scientific and technological jargon, and is almost unintelligible to Tribals. Because of this, it is used to sniff out Tribal spies who are trying to infiltrate city-states to disrupt them.
Shared customary codes and values
Bastians value social stability and cooperation within their communities. A well-ordered society is a mark of excellence and is seen as a healthy community. Meeting the needs of the group are seen as the duty of every Bastian. They come together for the common good, protect their communities as a group, and always present a united front, even if they have vocal and energetic discussions behind the scenes about how to proceed. When a decision is made, that ends all discussion until or unless new information is available. And no Bastian would refuse to hear new information, as it could cause the community harm if they ignore it out of petty ego.
Average technological level
Bastians have a Kardeshev level of about .5, with the exception of their knowledge of genetics and their mastery over their own genome and DNA, which puts them at about 1.12. They have a tech level of approximately the early 1980's to about the late 1990's. They possess the technology to get into orbit, launch satellites, and have computers that can process gigabits of information per second. But they haven't mastered interstellar flight, haven't been able to explore the other planets in their system, and while they have nuclear capability, they haven't decided to apply it to military applications because of the horrible damage it will cause to the biosphere, particularly in relation to causing potentially more dangerous mutations in plants and animals that are already dangerous enough.
But genetically, they have created one technology that, in and of itself, got the entire Tyrolean race, Bastian and Tribal, banned from ever joining the Eternal Empire, in whose space Tyrol exists: The Shadowhunter Protocol.
Common Etiquette rules
Bastians use a combination of colors and scents to display their specializations and roles so there is no misunderstanding about whether they know what they're talking about or not. Thus, if one is discussing something with an expert on their subject, they ar the one that others will defer to in opinion, as they have the greatest knowledge of the subject. If someone is arguing with a SME it is usually because they are either in possession of new information that they are trying to get recognized so it can be added to the specialization, or they're arrogant and aggressive, which doesn't usually end well.
Among males, these rules are more relaxed, and vocal arguments are common, usually about matters and subjects neither male involved has any real knowledge of or expertise with, typically social or cultural subjects, like the best entertainer or a call made in a sporting event the previous day.
Common Dress code
Bastians use coloration in their clothing to denote their specializations. The primary color will always be at least half of the coloration of their clothing.
For males, their color scheme is simplistic, and black and white. Literally, they run five shades of grey, along with black and white. White is used for the youngest, unproven, and unfit for leadership. The darker the grey paast that, the higher that rank or authority possessed. Those who wear black as their dominant color are seen to possess the greatest authority among males.
Females use colors, each standing for a different discipline. Red is medical or biological, orange is for financial, yellow is for educational, green is horticultural or agricultural, blue is for industrial and commercial interests, and purple is for governance and administration related to civil operations and defense. Within those specializations the saturation of the color indicates the degree of authority, along with various scent clues as to subtle variations within said authority. Perfumes are not sold for sexual attraction so much as licensed to females who have earned the right to wear them.
Art & Architecture
Art is seen as a cultural necessity, as it is a reminder of the separation of the Bastian culture from the animals of the planet, including their Tribal cousins. It is an ego-stroke to produce artwork because it says that they have time to do such things and don't have to worry about survival as critically. Sculptures are seen as particularly impressive in this regard, as producing them is noisy and can attract predators, and they take a long time to make.
On that note, it was because the first Bastians had the confidence to create permanent structures that the first city-states arose. Architecture is seen as being of primary importance among Bastians. The more permanent a structure appears, the greater the social significance. Brutalism is therefore seen as being the most beautiful and culturally significant of all structures.
The greatest and most important buildings in a Bastian city will be the science research labs, technology and industrial complexes. Government buildings are more subtle, and defensive structures will look like the buildings around them for camouflage.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
The only common custom among all Bastians is that males are universally conscripted into their defense forces, and trained from the age where they can walk and play in the art of combat, with testing geared towards sorting them into their future leadership roles, whatever they may be.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Birth is a community affair, particularly if one of the parents is of high social authority. Parties are thrown, each pup is celebrated as it is born, and those in the parents' inner social circle are allowed to sniff the pup after its sire, before it is presented to the mother. Bastians accept this reversal of social norms because pups are communal property, not that of the parents, and the community must accept them before they are allowed to be accepted by the mother.
Males, in particular, have a sense for genetic problems. If the sire smells anything off about his own pups, it is considered his right to kill the pup right then and there. Most, however, will insist on a geneticist confirming his suspicions, and he will tell his mate what the situation is, before he tears the throat out of the newborn. Such things are seen as a regrettable mercy, as defective offspring have less survivability and contribute far less to society than healthy pups. Outside of the midwife/geneticist, no female has the right to say anything about this right.
Pups are not named before they open their eyes, and when each opens their eyes there is another party, where they are celebrated and named by their sire. The mother will continue to raise them, with the help of other females, until they are weaned, at approximately 6 months of age. Then the final rite they will undergo before they are deemed to be "of age" is held, where they are sorted into their future roles, with males being taken for military training and females being provided with more an education that is semi-formal, semi-casual, permitting them to explore roles for a short time and decide on what they want to do with their lives to contribute to society.
Coming of Age Rites
As Bastians reach physical maturity before the become sexually mature, their coming of age is slightly different from other species in the galaxy. A Bastian who comes of age celebrates with their new community, joining the corporation, civil organization or governmental agency that has submitted the greatest amount of resources for their talent.
This amount is paid into the common fund, a financial account used to cover the living expenses of all members of a Bastian city-state. It is a nebulous concept structure used to express the resources required to provide a typical standard of living for the level of authority that a given Bastian is expected to rise to. Few Bastians fail to attain their expected authority.
For males, there is an additional aspect to this rite, as an older female may select them for a mating partner, adding to their specific authority and being full-blooded males in their communities. Only young males with extremely high expectations are usually picked for this particular rite, though if a female senses something about a particularly misrepresented male, she could pick him to initiate a reevaluation of his potential.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Bastians, like most Tyroleans, rarely die of old age. Unlike Tribals, however, Bastians don't typically die to the environment, but rather they die in their wars with other city-states or in raids on Tribal villages. When death occurs outside of the limits of the city-state, the body is rarely able to be recovered. The environment reclaims it quickly, devouring it completely in a matter of hours.
Regardless of whether there is a body, any Bastian who is unable to be located for longer than 3 days is declared legally dead. Disappearances are usually unresolved, but because the loss of a member of the community deminished the whole, murders are rare. Also, because individual Bastians don't own anything, their possessions are returned to their host community, their research turned over to the next closest senior authority on their subject, and if they were in charge of any projects or defenses, their teams are redeployed to new authorities. Their names are added to the roles of the departed for their community, and a formal period of mourning is held the night of the declaration of death, involving a reading of their accomplishments to the community, and a dirge howl of remembrance that usually lasts over half an hour, but can be longer if the dead Bastian was particularly respected or meaningful to the community.
Common Taboos
Murder is the strongest taboo. Killing a member of the community diminishes the whole. Weakness invites more death, both in retribution and in being taken advantage of.
Anti-social behavior is seen as a mental illness to be cured, if possible, or weeded out, if not, before it becomes a liability to the community. Sociopathy is considered one of the worst forms of anti-social behavior. Bastians who refuse to conform to their expected roles, however, are re-evaluated to make sure their talents weren't misreported. If they are found to have been miscast in their role, they are immediately sorted into their new groups and are checked up on after several months to see if they are better adjusted in their new role. This is done a maximum of three times before they are labelled as malcontents and exiled. If they were not miscast, they are treated for mental illness and every attempt worthy of their expected authority level is granted before they are resorted into the malcontent group and exiled from their city-state.
Contrary to what they will be told, this isn't always a death sentence. Depending on their talents, a malcontent may fit into a Tribal village quite well, assuming they are violent enough to fight for their place. Some even end up leading their new Tribal brethren. Once a former Bastian has undergone the rite of passage for their Tribal village, theya re a member of the tribe and considered Bastian no more. They will be expected to contribute to their new tribe, and what they can claim is theirs. This typically fits with most anti-social Bastian mindsets.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Bastian ideals of beauty fall into their perceived roles in society. Bastians are less interested in physical beauty than they are in mental traits. Unfortunately, because Tyrol is such a violent world, dangerous in the extreme, the traits that incourage survival are often cutthroat and deceitful. This has made it into the Bastian mindset.
Males are fighters, protectors, and leaders, and those who embody those precepts are seen as ideal. For a male, strength and stature is key. This is ironic, as Bastians are smaller and less muscular than their primitive Tribal cousins. Still, being wily and cunning is seen as a worthy sexual trait, and proving one is able to best an opponent through sheer force of will, cunning, cleverness or use of the environment to your advantage is seen as hot.
Females are creative, clever and innovative. For a female, smart is sexy. Females are the scientists, administrators, and philosophers (such as the state of Bastian philosophy is...). A female is considered a good partner if she is able to improve on an existing technology, invent something new, or broker a deal that is exceedingly beneficial to the Bastian.
Gender Ideals
As discussed above, males are protectors and fighters. They are physical beings, in every sense of the word, except perhaps stature, where they are smaller than the Tribals. A male is seen as a defender of Bastian culture and their city-state. Regardless of what they do for a living, they are expected to drop everything and join the common defense when their community is threatened, be it by another city-state, Tribals who live outside the cities, or the environment itself.
Females are not expected to lead in the traditional sense. They control the day-to-day of their communities, city-states or corporations. They are the operational officers to a males executive authority. A wise male surrounds himself with clever and cunning females, not other boisterous males.
Courtship Ideals
Females are sexually receptive only when in heat. At any other time, a female Bastian is within her rights to kill a male who tries to forcefully mate with her. In older times, she would tear out his heart, rip off his penis, and display his neutered and gutted body impaled on a spike outside her residence as a warning against future acts. In the modern age, most females prefer to gentle such attackers, simply removing their testicles and leaving them to their new fate as less aggressive members of society, which means their prospects for excelling are nearly nil.
When in a female is coming into heat, she will typically make it obvious who she plans to mate with that cycle. Males will have already competed for her interest, trying to top each other's accomplishments. Competition among males is always non-lethal, and usually consists of males trying to prove their more cunning than the others. Once one is chosen, other males will turn to trying to impress the next female to come into heat.
It should be noted that female Bastians synchronize their cycles in much the same way as humans, and because Bastians are just as pack-oriented as wolves, it isn't uncommon for them to organize themselves behind the scenes and choose who they plan to mate with privately, while letting males posture and compete for their attention. Males are more hormonal during this period, and never seem to notice the manipulations. Indeed, so long as every male in a group ends up with a partner with whom they can breed, they probably wouldn't care, either.
There is one notable cultural norm to discuss: when females decide not to get pregnant during their cycle. Contraception is not a facet of Bastian life. But occasionally a female, particularly one who is getting older and for whom pregnancy would be more of a burden than skipping a cycle, will decide not to mate with a mature male, and will, instead, choose a male who is socially mature, but sexually immature. This is considered her privilege, particularly if she has already produced a litter of offspring and/or at least one exceptional pup. Such a female could conceivably, no pun intended, mate with nothing but sexually immature males who were of social age for the rest of her life without recrimination.
Relationship Ideals
Males lead, females support. That is the bottom line in Bastian relationships. Within groups of males and females, a structure of who does what depends on their specializations, but there is no official pecking order, except for one male and one females who are recognized as the best leaders in their given roles. Others defer to them for their expertise, and they, in turn, defer to others in more specialized roles.
Encompassed species
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