Paragons

There once was a world
In which they all wore masks.
Golden lions were the façades of lords,
And high ladies tousled their locks
To compliment a butterfly face.
But of the most disgrace
Was for eyes to be seen.
How base, how unclean!
So the people walked blindly
And never thought kindly,
Seeing only the mask before their eyes.

— Lady Olive Stelworth Blackburn

A Paragon is defined by the Crathlian government as being a human being whose power level (that is, the measure of how many aignaoithe power carriers reside in one's blood) exceeds 100.00. In practice (and indeed, prior to testing, this was the definition), a Paragon is a human who has telekinesis and another ability. But a test score alone does not a Paragon make, as displayed by King Leonard (né Weaver) Whitewave Alderley.
Being the future Chosen Crown Princess of Crathlia myself, I feel I'm a decent authority on the matters of culture with which the general public may or may not be familiar. In this article, I often generalize noble Paragon as Paragon, since the nobility happens to be my area of expertise. Others can certainly write better accounts of non-noble Paragon culture. Less controversially, I generalize Class 3 Paragon as Paragon, leaving Class 1 and Class 2 Paragons to their own articles.

Culture

Cultural Heritage

Our heritage, whether we like it or not, is rooted in the Colonization and its evils. We are in power due to the power imbued in us from our shapeshifter ancestry.
We also trace our lineages back to revolutionaries and warriors, who drove out the shapeshifters that ruled us. Our culture therefore is rooted in displays of power and one's capability to protect his or her people. However, with time we have moved from a fixation on physical prowess to an emphasis on cunning and mental strength. Intelligence is prized, particularly of the emotional and strategic varieties.

Language and Dialect

We speak Crathlian, specifically the Northern or High Valley dialect. Other accents and dialects are considered lesser (though some Paragons speak them, having grown up in such areas). Such speech is unacceptable at Everdon Academy, and anything less than proper, standardized Crathlian is trained out of students fairly quickly, though a few students (particularly those hailing from the High Clans and thus growing up on manors) retain their non-High Valley accents.

Family Heads

The head of any given High Clan is the oldest member of it with the highest test score who is not governing another place (e.g. I will not be the head of my family nor the Duchess of Evenbrook after marrying Crown Prince Victor). The head of a clan also may not necessarily govern that family's duchy or county of Crathlia—he/she may step down in favor of a son or daughter for whatever reason.

Taboos

We hardly ever touch one another. Members of one's family are the exception, though usually not in public. In particular the touching of hands is seen as a threat. To touch someone's skin, especially without consent, comes off as aggressive or pushy. This is due to the Colonization, in which shapeshifters read humans' minds through the touch of skin. It persisted afterwards because of the large number of humans with telepathy during the Dark Age.

Clothing

Paragons dress with care and elegance. Women are expected, with very few exceptions, to wear knee-length skirts at all times. Similarly, men wear full-length pants and do not bare their shoulders.

by ReachingForStardust

For public occasions, the shoulders are often emphasized with decorative metal or cloth drapings. Noble Paragons of no rank have the right to wear unadorned silver circlets, and non-royal Alderleys wear gold circlets. Senators wear circlets with gemstones corresponding to their family names draped around their heads (see Senator Clarisse Alderley, third from the left, at right). Dukes/duchesses and their heirs wear silver circlets with strings of their clan's gemstone woven into their hair. The royal family wears golden tiaras (for females) and crowns (for males) studded with rubies, the Alderley gemstone.

Rings

For us, rings are symbols of status and family loyalty. Married Paragons wear at least two rings. The right is considered to be the physical hand, while the left is the mental hand.
Engagement rings, worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, symbolize a couple's love and are very simple, with an inscription on the inside known only to the couple. They are associated with romance.
Family rings, worn on the fourth finger of the right hand, symbolize the union of the married couple. In unmarried Paragons, they symbolize family and birth. They are traditionally given at age ten after testing.
Class rings are worn on the pointer finger of the left hand. A class ring from Everdon holds influence and worth, denoting a score exceeding 125.

Celebrations

For Crathlian Paragons, formal parties involving dueling, a grand feast, and a ball (in that order) are traditional for many holidays, notably Harvest. Traditional dueling is, in essence, a way to show off one's power, skill, and status--all important traits in noble society.

Coming of Age

A Crathlian Paragon becomes an adolescent when he or she is ten years old. On one's tenth birthday, his or her blood is tested, measuring the power carriers contained in it. The resulting score, for a Crathlian noble, can determine the course of the rest of one's life. For example, I am to marry Crown Prince Victor because I am the highest scoring, and therefore most powerful, young woman in the land. We place even more emphasis on this milestone than most Crathlians, given the importance of power level.

Funeral Rites

After death, our bodies are burned to return to the ground from whence we were made. Elaborate pyres are common among Paragons, along with large numbers of mourners. It is considered a noble's duty to attend the funeral of any other noble. During the burning, mourners sing hymns, keens, and wails for the dead and those who outlive them. Once the fires go out, a tree is planted atop the ashes, creating new life. Legend holds that if the dead's tree prospers, the journey to the afterlife is easy and sweet.

Ideals

Beauty

In general, the ideal Paragon is like an unpainted marble statue: smooth, pale, and perfectly proportioned.

Women

The ideal Paragon woman is pale-skinned, with no freckles nor other blemishes. With a perfect hourglass figure, she is full-breasted, though flat-stomached and somewhat athletic. She is hairless, other than her thin eyebrows, her long lashes, and her long, healthy tresses, able to be styled in cascading curls or complex updos. Her eyes are large and dark-lashed, and her lips are red and rounded.

Men

The ideal Paragon man is also pale-skinned, with no freckles nor other blemishes. He is clean-shaven and free of body hair, other than his narrow eyebrows, his long lashes, and his short, healthy, neatly-styled hair. Rather tall (though not too tall), he is lean and toned. His eyes are large and deeply colored.

Gender

Women

The ideal Paragon woman is socially clever above all else. Moreover she is charming, able to make a friend of any stranger. Her knowledge of the classics (literature, language, history, science) as well as the Sacred Writings of the Cavern is impeccable, but she's not too interested in one particular thing. She cultivates an art in service of the Creator, whether it be music or painting or poetry, and leads her family in prayer. In difficult situations she is brave but careful, her risks calculated. She is kindhearted (though not to the point of stupidity) and motherly, her children being well-behaved and virtuous.

Men

The ideal Paragon man is gentle and kind, until someone threatens a member of his family (though not himself), particularly his wife or child. In these matters his retribution is swift; while violence has gone out of fashion, he must vocally defend those he loves or risk being considered less a man. His kindness may exceed the bounds of practicality in that he will help people even when they may be manipulating him (while a woman ought to be smart enough to tell the difference). He is well-versed in the use of his ability. Just like his female counterpart, he paints, makes music, or writes, according to the inclination of his soul. When difficult times strike, his primary duty is to his family, to keep them safe and cared-for at any cost to himself.

Courtship

Beginning at age ten, young Paragon nobles meet those eligible of the opposite sex at Everdon Academy. During this time, it is rather common for parents to make matches for their children based on score or other benefits. Many nobles are engaged by sixteen, though some as young as eleven (I myself was engaged to Prince Victor at thirteen; he was eleven at the time). Others woo future husbands or wives with attractiveness, kindness, or the power level they can offer their children.
Before marriage, all nobles must maintain their virginity, in truth, but more importantly in appearance. If it seems that a Paragon has compromised his or her purity (e.g. by being alone with a member of the opposite sex or by being overly flirtatious), he or she will have a much harder time finding a marriage partner.

I offer you my blood and all the power within it. Will you do me the great honor of being my wife?

---

Your blood is mine, and mine is yours.

— Traditional Paragon Marriage Proposal

Upon the proposal, the less powerful of the two (in modern times, generally based on test score) offers his or her hand to the more powerful. These proposals must be done in front of several witnesses from both families.
Once engaged, the future husband and wife often walk together with their arms linked, though any more touching than this in public is considered rather vulgar. Romance at this point should include gifts such as personally-made art, as well as genuine complements related to appearance or otherwise. They may also go on private outings (garden strolls, horse riding, etc.), though bedrooms are clearly reserved for the wedding night and beyond.

Relationships

A perfect Paragon clan (i.e., those who share a family name) is united and loyal, looking out for one another first. Cousins of the same age are as close-knit as siblings. Marriages are carefully chosen from the best outsiders and initiated into the family with rigor and care during the courtship.
Friendships outside of one's clan are considered ephemeral and uncertain. Though useful, such relationships are expected to end in eventual betrayal. Women are encouraged to make such friendships (though carefully and without too much emotional attachment), while men are considered wise to love only their families and wives. (King Leonard (né Weaver) Whitewave Alderley may be considered an exception in that he has no acceptable family members outside his wife, and thus before marriage was required to branch out, to his eventual benefit.)
In marriage, loyalty is crucial. Even if the couple personally grows to hate one another, they must stay together or be considered failures. Ideally, of course, husband and wife are partners, working together towards the same goal: the betterment of their children. To that end, marriage also must produce children, preferably powerful ones.
Parents are always considered responsible for their children's actions, even into adulthood. Thus parents must carefully discipline and teach their children, even though they are not expected to be the primary caretakers of said children (most Paragons are cared for by a nurse until age 10, when they are sent to boarding school). Many Paragon parents are not particularly affectionate, prioritizing discipline; that being said, there are also many Paragon families who are privately affectionate. What remains constant is that physical touch is not acceptable in public settings, even in one's own home while guests are present.
From a young age, children are expected to be polite and well-spoken in company. They may not speak when adults are present unless prompted. Many are put on display (my words; I find this practice mildly disturbing myself as I reflect on the childhoods of my peers), reciting poetry, performing dances, spelling difficult words, etc., to the applause of guests in their households.

Written by Cordelia Colbreak Evenbrook

by ReachingForStardust

Diverged ethnicities

• Drainers
• Healers

Encompassed species

• Humans

Related Organizations

• Everdon Academy
• Kingdom of Crathlia
• Tír na Creatlach

Languages spoken

• Crathlian

Family Names

The Eight High Clans

The eight High Clans' etymologies are well-documented, though some of it more legendary than historical fact. Here I list the original bearers of each name and how they attained these epithets.

• Alderley- Corrupted form of Alden Ó Flaithrí, whose grandchildren took the surname Aldenlory (and variations), and eventually Alderley in association with "alderman." This is one of the few remaining Crathlian surnames based on an ancestor's given name.
• Blackburn- The first bearer, Brigit Blackburn, killed her shapeshifter husband and many other shapeshifters during the Crathlian Revolution by boiling their blood, bursting through their skin and killing them from the inside out. "Black" came from her hair, the meaning of the name of her shapeshifter ancestor (Cianán), and her ruthlessness, as well as the color of charred skin.
• Evenbrook- Formerly named Eleanor of the Brook, Eleanor Evenbook defended her home from the mainlanders, and it never fell to the invaders. Thus, she was named "even," in reference to being able to resist even the most powerful warriors of the mainland, and "brook" in reference to her former name.
• Waterguard- The first bearer, Kiera Waterguard protected Arden Isle and Dalry Isle at Fort Wavebreak from invaders through a tsunami convergence with Queen Brigid Wavebreak. Both women attained their surnames through this famous defense and others similar to it. "Water" of course refers to the weapon and "guard" refers to the action.
• Greengale- Formerly named Edith of the Green, Edith Greengale defended her homeland against the Alderleys with her strong winds for decades. "Green" came from her former name, and "gale" referred to the weapon she used.
• Colbreak- The first bearer, Alastair Colbreak fought with King Matthew Alderley the Great during the uniting of North Lautney under the Alderley crown. "Col" came from his ability to drop ambient temperatures to extreme lows and "break" referred to what he did to them after they were slowed down by the cold.
• Ironwood- The first bearer was Adrian Ironwood, the first famous metal manipulator, whose infamy was so great that many warriors stopped wearing metal armor for fear that he'd turn it on them, as he did to many southern Paragons. "Iron" of course referred to the main metal he manipulated, and "wood" referred to the location of his home—in the middle of the woods—as well as his status as a person who seemingly came from nowhere.
• Daymarch- Emma Daymarch, once called Emma of the Daylight, gained infamy from her resistance of the Crathlian Revolution. "Day" referred both to her former name and her mastery of light, and "march" referred to her army's march across South Lautney and conquest of the rebels who took her home from her.

Noble Surnames

These names are less well-documented; etymologies are listed below.

• Weatherby- "weather" and "by," probably denoted someone famous for controlling the weather
• Colemors- elements "cole" (usually denotes someone with power over ice) and "mors" (means "death" in a dead mainland language, usually denotes a great warrior or someone with healing/killing powers), either denoted a great warrior with ice powers or the child of ice powers and a Healer/Drainer
• Whitewave- elements "white" (usually denotes someone with power over ice or light) and "wave" (usually denotes someone with water powers or someone who can control waves, such as sound waves), probably denoted the child of such people
• Redbreak- elements "red" (usually denotes a great warrior or someone with healing/killing powers) and "break" (usually denotes someone with explosive powers or some other ability that evokes breaking), probably denoted a great warrior famous for breaking his/her enemies in some way
• Stonemors- elements "stone" (usually denotes someone with power over rocks or the earth) and "mors" (means "death" in a dead mainland language, usually denotes a great warrior or someone with healing/killing powers), either denoted the child of such people or a great warrior with earth powers
• Stelworth- elements "stel" (which may refer to "star" or "steel") and "worth," probably denoted a famous person with light or metal powers
• Feyrock- "fey" and "rock," probably denoted the union of clairvoyant/foresight powers and earth powers, or a Dark Age Paragon family trying to associate themselves with the faeries rather than the shapeshifters
• Clearwater- "clear" and "water," probably denoted someone with water powers or the union of water and light powers
• Windweaver- "wind" and "weaver," probably denoted someone with wind powers
• Lightrock- "light" and "rock," probably denoted the union of light and earth powers
• Rosmors- elements "ros" (meaning "dew" or "light rain" in a dead mainland language) and "mors" (means "death" in a dead mainland language, usually denotes a great warrior or someone with healing/killing powers), may have denoted a union of the two or a great warrior who happened to have the ability to manipulate dew, or the name was given as an ironic nickname to a mainland Paragon in Crathlia
• Rayburn- "ray" and "burn," probably denoted someone with particularly powerful light powers or fire powers

Non-Noble Surnames

Non-noble surnames follow the same two-word pattern that indicates an ancestor's power, e.g. Snowfall, Ashbrook.