Ciadan
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
Because of gender and sex ambiguity pC, most names do not have feminine or masculine implications. Majority of them are unisex, and are direct terms of things in the world spoken in Ciadan.
However, there is a masculine/feminine form within their grammatical language.
It's moreso a remnant of which vowel was stressed in the proto-lang (a- stress is feminine, u/i- stress is masculine)
Family names
Generally, there are no last names or familial names passed on. There's too few of them for it to matter, and it became a long forgotten tradition.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
It's hard to determine this, since they are all nomadic and very rarely travel in large groups.
Culture and cultural heritage
Ciadan have very little cultural heritage because they are so scattered, and most have reverted to a more primal 'culture' of early primates.
There are a few things from humans that stayed/passed on, but the Ciadan generally don't know where it came from or why it's being passed down unless it's for more practical and survival means.
Shared customary codes and values
There is almost no violence at all amongst Ciadan. While disagreements and anger happen, it's a huge taboo to fight physically or mentally.
Abusive or violently inclined individuals are far and inbetween, and are generally shunned by most Ciadan. If there are settlements, they aren't traded with or accepted.
This customary behavior is due to the mass extinction in the Cataclysm and chaos that erupted after. As a species, they have generally come to the conclusion that it's self-destructive to be malicious towards their own. Even non-Ciadan are generally regarded with respect. Prey animals are thanked and nothing is overhunted or exploited. It took the apocalypse for the remnants of humans (or what remained of them) to come together and respect the planet and its inhabitants.
Average technological level
Common Etiquette rules
Most Ciadan, whether out of respect for each other or wariness/fear, keep their distance from each other. They rarely interact outside of small family groups, and often go out of their way to not even be seen by other Ciadan. There's very little interaction and if there's any accepted etiquette, when they see each other from a distance, they exchange gazes for a few moments, don't move toward each other and move on. It's an exchange of respect for their space/territory.
Common Dress code
Whatever they can make or find is generally accepted. Nudity is not uncommon, but clothing is more for function than aesthetic.
Art & Architecture
Architecture is not super common, as they are nomadic. Basic shelter of animal hide or other materials that can be taken down or left behind is more often used. Sunbeams' inhabitants are more outliers than anything and choose to make buildings out of wood, stone and earth. Basic windows and doorways, some rounded some rectangular. Based loosely on animal species' way of shelter. Art is common enough, be it trinkets, jewelry, resin, charcoal drawings on stones, walls, caves etc, or even pigments made out of plants or minerals. Clothing is often more functional than for aesthetic, but some Ciadan can make pleasing/artistic clothing.
Art is used to tell stories, emotions, communicating danger, safety, etc to others passing through, and even for entertainment.
Tribes often leave 'sprays' of their handprints in places that they frequent/migrate as a way of marking territory.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
For the most part, Ciadan try to scavenge and hunt for themselves individually or in small family groups, and sometimes they can be found interacting with each other in small camps for short periods of time before they depart from each other. This is often means of trading goods, stories, relationships etc. There are generally a few symbols that can be drawn or etched that they all have universally come to understand, which convey danger, safety, food, whatever.
Funerary and Memorial customs
When a Ciadan dies, they are mourned over by family/friends for a day or two, then taken into the wilds covered in a cloth. The mourners stay for awhile and say their goodbyes, then leave the body. Usually the mourners leave the deads' tools, trinkets, jewelry etc and leave them with the body. Possession of things that they liked or made and kept with them is very important to the Ciadan, and it continues into death. It's generally in bad taste to keep certain items unless it's a matter of survival. (A tool for harvesting or hunting that would be hard for the survivors to make again, for example)
These beliefs are not rooted in any mysticism like the Egyptians, but rather out of respect for the beings' memory and recognition that while they have died, they still exist and deserves to be treated the same as if they were alive.
There is also a heavy importance placed on honor vs dishonor of the deads memory.
Each person makes their own string of small resin/stone/wood/bone/shells/glass beads colored in the fashion of their own pigmentation and wears it as jewelry throughout their life. For each 12 moon cycle, they make a single bead to add to the string, which acts as a tally for how old they are/how long they've survived.
When they die, a bead from that piece of jewelry is taken for each mourner who wishes to remember them and worn on a separate piece of 'memorial' jewelry.
This is a sign of respect/love/honor for the dead, and is highly dependent on the quality of that persons' deeds in life. If the person wasn't honorable/kind/loving, the survivors wouldn't take any of the beads and leave them with the dead.
This is a symbolic gesture of dishonor for the dead, as their memory and who they were will NOT be passed on or remembered.
Examples of Jewelry:
In the case of young children or babies dying and not having enough beads to pass around for the mourners, they will make them for each mourner. Usually, it's the parents that do this, but in some cases, it is anyone who was close to the child.
Finally, the body is left in the wilds for nature to take them back. Whether they are eaten by creatures or decompose into the earth, they are believed to be taken back into the earth to cycle back as something different.
Common Taboos
Violence is very taboo, and murder is extremely hated and appalling. If someone does either, they are banished from the group and not allowed into their territory again. There is usually no violence necessary to enforce this, as the group generally just shuns the perpetrator and refuses to share any food, shelter etc.
This includes both physical and mental malice.
If an offender is banished and uses violence again against anyone in the group, the group acts as one to defend themselves and their tribe. This usually doesn't end in death, as the offender usually flees at being outnumbered.
This however, is a last resort and violence is used only in cases of self defense.
Common Myths and Legends
Seasons Myth:
There are a group of people who, once upon a time, saw a giant drift across the sky (Asrea, Daksu).
They were fascinated by this, and sought to build upwards to see them.
The higher in the sky they reached, the larger they became.
What was once a people no bigger than us grew to the size of the Beasts - and the more they grew, the more they built.
Until one day they reached high enough to trace lines in the clouds.
And it was then that they, themselves, became one with the clouds.
One was stretched infinitely thin and spread across the sky - you can see him in the strips of cotton high above us.
One burst outwards and became infinitely tall - but this process was painful, and even now we see him lash out against us all - he sits above the sea, the only place able to take his pain
One tripped and fell to the ground, and during her descent the wind came to catch her - even now, the wind that loves her so still keeps her suspended, somewhere between the ground and the sky.
The final one, on seeing all her friends disappeared, cried - and her tears split into many and fell to the ground. The earth, feeling her mourning, reached up to her and cradled the land in green, hoping that it would cheer her up.
All four, wanting to see each other again, travel the world, all leaving some mark on the land hoping the other will see - Lightning for the Pained, Stone for the Fallen, Cracked Ground for the All-Seeing and Life for the Mourner.
Megafauna/Titans Myth:
WIP
- trio of gods are vaguely referenced
each day of the week are named after titans/megafauna that are infamous/deified on the mainland.
megas tend to migrate in cycles. They have become the equivalent of the zodiac.
Humans/Predecessors Myth:
WIP
trying to piece together what the people who lived in all the structures were like by looking at all the old things left.
questions about the huge structures and why they existed (nomadic life vs sedentary)
they've found old pictures of humans, animals, machines etc that no longer exist
machines are a complete mystery to them, as is metals, alloys and plastic.
clothing from the past have mostly disintegrated, but images of it all have influenced current tailors, so some fashions still carry on.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
This ranges widely, as it did bC. Ciadan are few and inbetween, so even finding someone who enjoys your company is rare. There's plenty of interspecies relations as well.
Gender Ideals
Whatever you are, it's fine. Nobody actually cares, and will call you whatever you identify as.
Courtship Ideals
Widely varies, especially considering the sheer amount of species. However, human courtship traditions/instincts are still prominent.
Human genetics still keep Ciadan a social species, and mates can range from one to many and casual to intimate.
Relationship Ideals
Having a relationship at all is something most crave, be it friendship to having a mate. However it's done, it's generally accepted.
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