Ionphall

The Ionphall are a mixed group of people with a history dating back centuries. The name of their original planet was lost over time but stories of "The First Port" have been shared between generations for as long as anyone can remember. Ranging between all of the shades of Earth's humans, Ionphallese are as physically varied as a species as the fish in the sea they used to catch before moving on to settle the "Islands in the Black Sky". This is how it has always been, a group of unique parts bonded together by a sense of community and duty to form a unified whole.
The Ionphall's philosophy may have evolved and united humanity as a whole culturally, but physically not much has changed. Ionphall are much like modern humans. A pair of arms, legs, eyes, and ears with a single nose; the only differences are negligibly slight variations in pigmentation, muscle density, and height. They stand on two feet and carry the burden of their responsiblity on two shoulders and one back at the worst of times, but work together to move the goals of their families forward.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Cebisa, Rashida, Kamaria, Deidre, Niamh, Aisling, Mariko, Kana, Aoi.

Masculine names

Temilade, Folarin, Remilakun, Aigleach, Lorcan, Killian, Daisuke, Hideki, Kenji.

Family names

(we'll get back to this)

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

English which is already a hybrid language, is the basis of Ionphalese, which borrows from it's parent language and introduces various idioms from the languages of the Ionphall's colonies and their people, morphing over several generations as new usages of old words and new ideas inspire new terms to express themselves.

Culture and cultural heritage

Etymology is studied extensively in all of humanities colonies. It is believed that the meaning of one's name is a source of strength and a direct connection to the ancestors before you. Remembering your ancestors, friends, and loved ones is crucial to the development of a strong member of the community. Being able to honor the contributions of your peers is the core of idea, as such important people are often revered by passing down their names to children and for those with the greatest impact passed on as their true name during their coming of age ceremony. Commonly, young Ionphall are recognized by their family name along with the name of a famous person they resemble or their parents admired.

Shared customary codes and values

Observe and Recycle

The Ionphall's beliefs all stem from the idea that anything that benefits the fleet as a whole is worthy of existing, that which isn't should be logged to at least be noted as being unusable. Studying concepts, products, and other people is central to everyday life. Concepts can be re imagined to suit the whole, Any object can be re purposed, and people can be swayed to be more useful or at least be re-positioned to be less harmful. A great deal of the Ionphall's progress as a civilization is owed to their constant reexamining of the things that they come across in the name of improving and introducing them as new tools for societies advancement.

Personal freedom serves the whole

Life among other things is a valuable resource and should be preserved and nurtured for the sake of the people. Free will is encouraged in the sense that any individual is allowed their own personal autonomy. You're allowed to leave and discover yourself if necessary. Eventually there will be some good that comes from it. Either you'll succeed and word will come back to the fleet of your success, or you'll die or otherwise never be heard from again and it will be treated as a mark of failure.

Honor your family and it's traditions

Respect is paramount to the continued advancement of society. That starts at the home and is instilled into the children as early as they can walk. History is recorded in book and song alike with myths and shared with the young with the parents both teaching them directly as they prepare them for their jobs in the fleet. The First Family and the Five Houses understand that preserving the original traditions of the people they govern is iimportant for the development of humanity as a whole. Only with the ability to foster creativity and different viewpoints can the Ionphall hope to continue growing as a people, and only by keeping a sense of pride in the traditions of your forefathers can the youth maintain a sense of independence. After all, if their isn't anything to branch away from to begin with, how can the young have establish their individuality in their communities? With careful guidance, the leadership decided that it is these interactions that help the grow at the greatest rate, and through careful management of these people can they progress.

Common Dress code

The Ionphall have no unified dress code, but prefer loose flowing clothing with the iconography of their parent cultures, blended with those of their neighboring colonies.

Coming of Age Rites

Naming Day

When a child becomes a full on adult their parent's bestow upon them their "true name", a representation of the young adult's character and the hopes of the parents have for their child. Children are taught from early on that they should work hard to earn the names of their heroes and if they don't live up to them they may end up with a name that will bring shame upon themselves. The ceremony is usually held privately at the home, but depending on the sector one lives in a party may be held in the honor of the new adult. The ceremony typically involves a list of the child's deeds up to the day marking notable events in their lives and is treated like a celebration of the transition into adulthood and the glorious contributions they will deliver in the name of their family.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Ancestral Shrines

Honoring the dead is important to many cultures. The Ionphall do this by dedicating a room in their home filled with pictures and books chronicling the lives of their predecessors. This room also serves as sort of a family musuem with more prosperous families dedicating sections to prominent ancestors displaying their weapons, armor, and any notable crafts they may have made. This could include poetry, jewlery, clothing they may have knitted. If it was remembered fondly and had a role in making that person noticeable in the eyes of history, it will be stored in the family's shrine. Once every four months, the family will visit the shrine and lay down offerings of their ancestor's favorite things, usually food, but in some cases it could be a freshly sharpened weapon, a work of art, or a symbol of their station. During this visit, the family will recall the events of the season, normally giving thanks to the ancestor's guidance over the family and telling stories of what the children were up to during the season.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Ionphall have no unified beauty standards nor do they care for them in particular. If you're clever or strong and not displaying anything that'd denote an air of weakness or simpleminded, finding a mate is a matter of time instead of that of chance.

Gender Ideals

Men and women are viewed equal socially and in matters of education and war. The Ionphall believe in versatility and understand that true strength takes many shapes.

Related Organizations

• The Five Houses
• The Grand Circuit