Hospitality

How do the dominant cultures of Liggjavard feel about guests? Some common sayings reveal a lot about people's attitudes towards the stranger in their midst.

The parlor door is open, the chamber door is shut.

— Rothilimion host, muttering to their spouse as they bring out a cheese platter

Rothilimion are slow to make close friends, even among their own kind. Sometimes shortened to "Parlor door, chamber door," this saying illustrates how the elves of Rothilimion enjoy having guests for formal, polite, and brief visits, but then they are done. As a visitor, you will not be invited to spend the night, nor even share a meal, when visiting the Rothilimion. The only exceptions are when visiting hosts trained by the Ambassadorial Service, who are used to adapting to foreign cultures, even when it makes them uncomfortable.

Fight your brother.

— Ervangorlen tracker

With the Motsaandu, what is left unsaid is often more important than what is spoken aloud. "Fight your brother!" is what the Motsaandu say about hospitality - the unspoken implication is that you are welcoming to the peaceful foreign stranger. The Motsaandu are gracious hosts, unless you raise your hand against them. Then they will call you "family", and attack without mercy.

Criminals are not like fruit.

— Viisas guard officer

The lizardfolk of Maapera say this because it is true. Criminals aren't like fruit, because you can't eat them before they go bad. For the humor-impaired Lizardfolk, this is not a joke, just good advice. They know that outsiders get upset being thought of as food, and try not to repeat this saying in front of them. On the other hand, piirakka made from prisoners can be so, so tasty.

A colleague brings beer. A friend brings stories. Family brings both.

— Steuen mining engineer

The dwarves of Hertenland work hard and play hard. When they relax, they want beer and entertainment. ("Good ales and good tales," as one visiting bard put it.) It is not uncommon for Dwarves who are visiting each other to announce their arrival by holding up a cask of something fermented and roaring "Family brings both!" to announce they have a story to tell and a drink to go with it. (Non-dwarven visitors to the halls of the Dwarf Lords will be welcomed if they make this kind of entrance, but they'd better be able to back it up with skill in both drinking and storytelling.)

DRAFT

This article is currently a work in progress and may be incomplete or subject to change.

Formal Topics of Study

The Rothilimion Ambassadorial Service has sponsored a great deal of research on cultural differences between the people of Hvatvetna in recent years, in order to better maintain Rothilimion neutrality.