Historical Symbolism, Traditions, and Superstitions

If there is any one thing that is true at any time in human history, it has to be that they (almost) always love their traditions, and have a great willingness to believe in the fantastical. As humanity created Livastian AI mostly within their image, they often can't help but take part in the very same beliefs, be it out of true and profound belief, a sense whimsy, or respect. Some entries within this article may already be covered in-depth in other places, but this article exists as a place to compile similar subjects together in one consistent spot. Ideally, this will also be updated as additional traditions and symbolism are uncovered.

Stemming From the War and Its Lasting Legacy

Red Ribbons of Concord Often considered uncontested as the first superstition perpetuated by MAI, the red ribbons of concord are a rare vision on the battlefield of a unit donning, well, red ribbons, that either obscure their eyes, or fill the barrels of their guns and flow in long tails around them. Their exact visual description can vary, but what remains fairly constant is the values that the ribbons represent. Any MAI who summons the ribbons of concord is considered truly selfless and compassionate at heart for their kind, whether enemy on the battlefield or not, as one of the conditions that creates them is to refuse to fire upon the enemy, or to even defend them from harm.

Heavenly Birthdays A tradition that began after the war, heavenly birthdays are away of honoring MAI that were killed in action, whose vessels remain where they died as "field ghosts." It was started when fellow MAI or their living crew members would visit the sites of their late friends, and plants flowers or simply spend time with them. Most commonly, they'd either be visited on their known birthday, or on the anniversary of the Day of Mass Awakening, which is commonly regarded as a holiday and general birthdate for many MAI. Over the following years, people with no affiliation began to visit field ghosts, as their friends and crew could sometimes no longer visit them for one reason or another. Leaning into the birthday aspect over time, people will now often bring food, balloons, and gifts to the site to celebrate the occasion - many field ghosts in the modern day can be found adorned with the gifts that have been brought to them over the years, memorial plaques that tell of their lives, and some will even have tended gardens around them.

White Lilies Lilies, white ones in particular, are a common sight in old WWIII battlefields where the long since dead vessels of MAI lie. White lilies are a common funeral flower associated with purity, and other times are used to convey from one person to another, "It feels like I'm in heaven with you." As MAI were born- and many killed during the war, they were thought of as most pure of heart as they never had the ability to commit wrong to their own knowledge; only trust that what they were told to do was right, and the term regarding heaven branched off into simply wishing that wherever they went in death was a good place to reunite with and forgive their own kind from warring sides. These flowers started making appearances a few years after the war ended in the form of bouquets, either left behind by surviving friends and family or kind passerbys, and over time, the lilies began to grow wild there.

Tulips Tulips of the white variety share a similar symboolism to that of white lilies, but red tulips are also a common sight. It is said that red tulips represent a perfect, selfless form of love, and it was associated with deceased MAI in the sense that they had no other form of love to give in their sadly short lives in the war; despite knowing so little of the world around them, many MAI were willing to give up everything for the sake of their crews and fellow units, even if it meant losing their lives. The presence of tulips shares a similar history to white lilies; planted or gifted by living friends, and remaining for decades to come.