"The Macran people who still choose to inhabit P'Ache Micro fall into one of two categories; like their planet they are hot or wet, and often both. I kid, of course. There is nothing hot nor wet about the Macrans. There are, however, two types.
The first group, who make up the majority of the population, are mostly involved with the extraction of various materials from beneath the planet's surface. These are hard working folk, who do what many of us would rather not for the good of The Alliance.
Then we have the second kind. The type who insist on maintaining the traditions which really should have developed at some point over the last four or five millenia, but apparently have not. They are not worth wasting more time on."
— Extract from
Travels Through My System: An Exploration of P'Ache Solar System
by
Peacekeeper V'Kly
People of the Swamp
The Macrans refer to themselves as the People of the Swamp. A lot of their planet is water, and the thick atmosphere retrains heat and makes the climate thick and muggy. The traditional Macran dress is designed to counteract this, with beads and fabrics wrapped around the head, neck and waist as decoration. The rest of the body is covered in intricate designs painted on to the skin in
Kired, a type of mud unique to P'Ache Micro.
Macrans became known as
Peacekeepers in the late 700s PT. They are still a unique ethnicity but are often grouped in with the other ethnicities from
P'Ache Solar System.
Because they have been grouped together for over four millenia, a lot of the ideals and traditions have blended together. However, they still have a few elements which separate them, and these are listed below.
History
The Macrans have a long and varied history, and are infamous within the
Peacekeeper Alliance for their rebellions in the early days before The Alliance was formed. These were known as
The First Micro Rebellion and
The Second Micro Rebellion, and resulted in the reworking of the original peace treaty to make it more accepting of the traditions of the planet they were made with. Even though these events happened 4,000 years ago, they are still taught in
Peacekeeper Academy today.
Culture
Sankla
Sankla is an entire meal on a plate.
It includes the creamy eggs of a
Sirap as a starter, followed by a rich and sour mousse which is eaten in meatballs (also made from Sirap) served wrapped in cheese. The glass contains a thick salty pudding to finish the meal.
P'Ache Micro | Meal | Costly
The Macrans of 4,000 years ago are very different to the Macrans of today, who share a lot of customs and ideals with the other people classified as
Peacekeeper. However, there are small groups who live on
P'Ache Micro who follow some of the traditions of their ancestors. There are also variations of these tradtions which are followed by those living off-planet.
Variations
- Pool births
- Washing the mother in water during and after the birth
- Outdoor births where possible
Birthing
Water births are traditional for Macrans. They believe that giving birth in water is cleaner, and increases the chances of both mother and baby surviving. Traditionally this should be a swamp, or outdoor open body of water.
Variations
- Some may get tattoos
- Children may recieve a small amount of ceremonial kired from parents or loved ones
Coming of Age
When a child comes of age they are taken on a mudwalk, around the area they were born and raised. They are touched on the arms and legs by the people of their community, each person marking them with kired. This is when they are old enough to cover their body in intricate mud designs, and they are treated like adults.
Variations
- Messages are sent to family and friends
- Sometimes food is sent
Peace Day
A feast day which celebrates the day on which peace was reached with the Primians after
The Second Micro Rebellion, and they were allowed to hold on to some of their traditions. The feast is held with friends and family and they celebrate their victories since the previous feast.
Brilliant! You've packed such a variety of detailed information into an easy-to-read article.
Thank you so much! That's so kind! :)