Celentia Culture
Feb 19, 2013 4:17:51 GMT -5
Post by Kender Bard on Feb 19, 2013 4:17:51 GMT -5
An In-Depth Look At
Celentia
Celentia
Temperments and Trending Traits
In many ways, Celentia seems to resemble Khelek; it is a nation of militaristic minds. Unlike Khelek, Celentia has had little need to be concerned with civilians in the past.Although the island is home to non-military individuals, these are simply the families of soldiers who have elected to remain on the island. More commonly, adult children and siblings leave the community to settle elsewhere (with Second Hope being the primary choice of new location.)
Celentia is also warmer than Khelek in terms of more than just locale. The people, while not as openly embracing as Second Hope, do not shun anyone who steps foot on the island. People looking to come into the island are subjected to a rather unwelcoming screening process; their ship is inspected from top to bottom. Any cargo is inspected as well. If nothing suspicious is found, the captain, crew, and passengers are all given a mental probing by a Mind. Most often, this is an empath who is seeking out feelings of guilt, nervousness, anger, or other suspicious feelings, but it can also be a telepath. The two specialties are mixed up or combined so that guests are uncertain how they are being inspected.
Once the trial is over, they are welcomed onto the island. The locals are generally more relaxed and enjoy visitors so that they might receive news from other friends and families on other islands.
Mention pirates, thieves, and Fireteeth in the presence of a Celentian, however, and they will spit in disgust and denounce the whole lot of them. If there is anything that will get a Celentian enraged in an instance, it's mention of their ancient foes.
Jobs
Most jobs in Celentia understandably revolve around military matters. People who wish to be involved in the safety and defense of their homes beyond the duties of a guard--regardless of which island they reside--will move to Celentia to enlist in the army. Over 90% of the manpower invested in Celentia is naval power. The remaining are men specialized in land-based combat, although all soldiers must have some ground combat training.
Beyond the impressive navy, most remaining jobs are support jobs; shipwrights would be the second biggest trade. Smiths and tanners and other non-luxury crafts flourish as well. These are jobs most often taken by family members who elect to stay on the island with their family or men and women who were trained in a trade on Second Hope and sent over to Celentia to begin their work.
Luxury goods are sold through traveling merchants from Fire and Spice. Food can be hunted and grown on Celentia, utilizing the wild lands around civilization.
Food
Most dishes for Celentia are based on what resources are available around them. Fortunately for the citizens of Celentia, they have a bountiful selection. Strange and large creatures roam the wilds of Celentia. Though they can be difficult to bring down, often requiring hunting parties, the result is a feast's worth of meat.
For the less adventurous, the most common fare is fish supplemented by the cultivated gardens that border on the edge of the wilds. These small-time farmers have a difficult time getting a wide variety of plants to grow. Most crops consist of foods such as ginger, broccoli, cauliflower, muskmelon, and peppers. A wider selection of plant-foods and medicinal herbs can be found deeper in the wilds.
Exotic fares tend to run more expensive and are generally found on the plates of higher ranking officers. These privileged individuals can expect to dine on tender cutlets of wild boar, monkey stew, or roasted fowl.
Desserts are typically dishes made with the many fruits available; pineapple pie, mango pudding, and more. Chocolate is also available, but is an expensive treat and is, in fact, rather bitter.
Education
Education in Celentia is not strictly enforced. As most of the residents of the island are adults, and already trained, children are taught strictly through tutors or, in most cases, sent off to be boarded at Second Hope.
Children who remain on the island for tutoring either tend to be from wealthy families (often with family off in Grandisle to support the tutor's fees) or who are for whatever reason incapable of being shipped off and kept away from the family, usually due to poor health.
Children who come from families too poor for either option will often go uneducated in anything other than what their parents teach them. These children will most often remain on the island well past childhood and take up arms as a low-ranking soldier.
Fashion
Typical clothing in Celentia runs to serviceable or comfortable, but rarely both. Noncombatants wear loose, comfortable clothing. Men wear long skirt-like coverings. These garments, called atrongs, consist of two long and narrow strips of cloth, usually dyed a uniform color, worn on the front and back. Lower class citizens wear them to ankle length and leave them unadorned. Upper class citizens wear them long so that they brush or drag on the ground and generally embroider a House crest on the front panel. Under the atrongs is a simple wrapped cloth underwear. Women wear a similar design, but with four panels instead of two--two more for the sides of their legs as well.
For tops, men wear a variant of the Grandisle style. The tops are long and loose, worn similar to tunics. Rather than sport long sleeves, Celentian men wear a type of baggy half-sleeve that covers the top of their arm, clasps at the wrist, and leaves the underarm bare. Women forgo sleeves completely.
Soldiers and hunters wear different garb. Hunters wear tougher canvas that covers completely to help guard against thorns and brambles, some of which can be poisonous in the wild. Soldiers wear a similar outfit but cured leather armor on top. Metal armor is impractical and expensive. Only the Lord General is known to possess a full metal armor suit.
Family
By nature, most Celentia parents are a protective lot and families have a fierce loyalty to one another. This doesn't prevent splitting the family up, however. As stated in education, most children are sent to board in Second Hope. People crave news from other islands, letters and such, and try to stay in as close contact as possible from such distances.
Family loyalties does manifest at time in blood feuds. These fights are rarely physical or violent but they can mean a great deal of social strife. Although Celentia can't hold a candle to the politics of Grandisle, public snubbing, slander, and gossip are all very commonplace. These fights usually stem from clashes on a political level between officers that their families then take up in a more domestic manner.
Insult one member of a family, and you insult the entire family. This fierce devotion is even more apparent in families wealthy enough or old enough to have a crest. At times they even are influenced by particularly long and loud affairs in Grandisle or the other islands.
Religion
Firegem religion follows after the Naruta style rather than Morilantan or any other extreme views. However, there is considerable emphasis on specific aspects of each Force and that focus varies between the islands. The statuary of the temples reflect this. On Celentia, there is simply one temple, though the most revered Force there is Worg.
Etaf's statue stands as a middle aged man clad in robes but also wearing a breastplate beneath them. At his feet are items of various trades--a sword, a net, merchant's scales, a book, and more--and his hands are spread outward as if to say, "Choose." His face is passively neutral and patient.
Soahc's statue is that of a tiny, disfigured man, almost more monster than human. He stands atop crushed and splintered ships. There is a cracked shield in one hand. The other hand holds an unfurled tactical map in flames. His face is lit with an unholy glee.
Efil is a mature woman, her eyes closed and a look of beautific peace on her face, her hands held out to the sides and lifted up, palms up. Plants grow from her upturned palms and a panther lies curled at her side. A baby in a basket rests at her feet.
Taed is a man with a sunken, hungry appearance in hunter's garb. He holds a bow, but rather than nocking an arrow, he holds a lightning bolt. His placement and pose seems to suggest he's taking aim at Efil or Soahc.
Thuoth is portrayed as standing next to a small table upon which a map lays unfurled, markers of the battlefield carefully placed. He studies it with a look of fierce concentration.
Worg takes the place of honor in the temple, clad in the garments of a soldier. A monstrous looking creature rears up behind her, bleeding heavily from a wound inflicted on its hide. Though the creature seems to be an amalgamation of several creatures, there is clearly a crest of the Fireteeth Isles upon its brow. Worg holds a long spear in one hand and massive shield in the other, his face depicted as a scowl of challenge.
In many ways, Celentia seems to resemble Khelek; it is a nation of militaristic minds. Unlike Khelek, Celentia has had little need to be concerned with civilians in the past.Although the island is home to non-military individuals, these are simply the families of soldiers who have elected to remain on the island. More commonly, adult children and siblings leave the community to settle elsewhere (with Second Hope being the primary choice of new location.)
Celentia is also warmer than Khelek in terms of more than just locale. The people, while not as openly embracing as Second Hope, do not shun anyone who steps foot on the island. People looking to come into the island are subjected to a rather unwelcoming screening process; their ship is inspected from top to bottom. Any cargo is inspected as well. If nothing suspicious is found, the captain, crew, and passengers are all given a mental probing by a Mind. Most often, this is an empath who is seeking out feelings of guilt, nervousness, anger, or other suspicious feelings, but it can also be a telepath. The two specialties are mixed up or combined so that guests are uncertain how they are being inspected.
Once the trial is over, they are welcomed onto the island. The locals are generally more relaxed and enjoy visitors so that they might receive news from other friends and families on other islands.
Mention pirates, thieves, and Fireteeth in the presence of a Celentian, however, and they will spit in disgust and denounce the whole lot of them. If there is anything that will get a Celentian enraged in an instance, it's mention of their ancient foes.
Jobs
Most jobs in Celentia understandably revolve around military matters. People who wish to be involved in the safety and defense of their homes beyond the duties of a guard--regardless of which island they reside--will move to Celentia to enlist in the army. Over 90% of the manpower invested in Celentia is naval power. The remaining are men specialized in land-based combat, although all soldiers must have some ground combat training.
Beyond the impressive navy, most remaining jobs are support jobs; shipwrights would be the second biggest trade. Smiths and tanners and other non-luxury crafts flourish as well. These are jobs most often taken by family members who elect to stay on the island with their family or men and women who were trained in a trade on Second Hope and sent over to Celentia to begin their work.
Luxury goods are sold through traveling merchants from Fire and Spice. Food can be hunted and grown on Celentia, utilizing the wild lands around civilization.
Food
Most dishes for Celentia are based on what resources are available around them. Fortunately for the citizens of Celentia, they have a bountiful selection. Strange and large creatures roam the wilds of Celentia. Though they can be difficult to bring down, often requiring hunting parties, the result is a feast's worth of meat.
For the less adventurous, the most common fare is fish supplemented by the cultivated gardens that border on the edge of the wilds. These small-time farmers have a difficult time getting a wide variety of plants to grow. Most crops consist of foods such as ginger, broccoli, cauliflower, muskmelon, and peppers. A wider selection of plant-foods and medicinal herbs can be found deeper in the wilds.
Exotic fares tend to run more expensive and are generally found on the plates of higher ranking officers. These privileged individuals can expect to dine on tender cutlets of wild boar, monkey stew, or roasted fowl.
Desserts are typically dishes made with the many fruits available; pineapple pie, mango pudding, and more. Chocolate is also available, but is an expensive treat and is, in fact, rather bitter.
Education
Education in Celentia is not strictly enforced. As most of the residents of the island are adults, and already trained, children are taught strictly through tutors or, in most cases, sent off to be boarded at Second Hope.
Children who remain on the island for tutoring either tend to be from wealthy families (often with family off in Grandisle to support the tutor's fees) or who are for whatever reason incapable of being shipped off and kept away from the family, usually due to poor health.
Children who come from families too poor for either option will often go uneducated in anything other than what their parents teach them. These children will most often remain on the island well past childhood and take up arms as a low-ranking soldier.
Fashion
Typical clothing in Celentia runs to serviceable or comfortable, but rarely both. Noncombatants wear loose, comfortable clothing. Men wear long skirt-like coverings. These garments, called atrongs, consist of two long and narrow strips of cloth, usually dyed a uniform color, worn on the front and back. Lower class citizens wear them to ankle length and leave them unadorned. Upper class citizens wear them long so that they brush or drag on the ground and generally embroider a House crest on the front panel. Under the atrongs is a simple wrapped cloth underwear. Women wear a similar design, but with four panels instead of two--two more for the sides of their legs as well.
For tops, men wear a variant of the Grandisle style. The tops are long and loose, worn similar to tunics. Rather than sport long sleeves, Celentian men wear a type of baggy half-sleeve that covers the top of their arm, clasps at the wrist, and leaves the underarm bare. Women forgo sleeves completely.
Soldiers and hunters wear different garb. Hunters wear tougher canvas that covers completely to help guard against thorns and brambles, some of which can be poisonous in the wild. Soldiers wear a similar outfit but cured leather armor on top. Metal armor is impractical and expensive. Only the Lord General is known to possess a full metal armor suit.
Family
By nature, most Celentia parents are a protective lot and families have a fierce loyalty to one another. This doesn't prevent splitting the family up, however. As stated in education, most children are sent to board in Second Hope. People crave news from other islands, letters and such, and try to stay in as close contact as possible from such distances.
Family loyalties does manifest at time in blood feuds. These fights are rarely physical or violent but they can mean a great deal of social strife. Although Celentia can't hold a candle to the politics of Grandisle, public snubbing, slander, and gossip are all very commonplace. These fights usually stem from clashes on a political level between officers that their families then take up in a more domestic manner.
Insult one member of a family, and you insult the entire family. This fierce devotion is even more apparent in families wealthy enough or old enough to have a crest. At times they even are influenced by particularly long and loud affairs in Grandisle or the other islands.
Religion
Firegem religion follows after the Naruta style rather than Morilantan or any other extreme views. However, there is considerable emphasis on specific aspects of each Force and that focus varies between the islands. The statuary of the temples reflect this. On Celentia, there is simply one temple, though the most revered Force there is Worg.
Etaf's statue stands as a middle aged man clad in robes but also wearing a breastplate beneath them. At his feet are items of various trades--a sword, a net, merchant's scales, a book, and more--and his hands are spread outward as if to say, "Choose." His face is passively neutral and patient.
Soahc's statue is that of a tiny, disfigured man, almost more monster than human. He stands atop crushed and splintered ships. There is a cracked shield in one hand. The other hand holds an unfurled tactical map in flames. His face is lit with an unholy glee.
Efil is a mature woman, her eyes closed and a look of beautific peace on her face, her hands held out to the sides and lifted up, palms up. Plants grow from her upturned palms and a panther lies curled at her side. A baby in a basket rests at her feet.
Taed is a man with a sunken, hungry appearance in hunter's garb. He holds a bow, but rather than nocking an arrow, he holds a lightning bolt. His placement and pose seems to suggest he's taking aim at Efil or Soahc.
Thuoth is portrayed as standing next to a small table upon which a map lays unfurled, markers of the battlefield carefully placed. He studies it with a look of fierce concentration.
Worg takes the place of honor in the temple, clad in the garments of a soldier. A monstrous looking creature rears up behind her, bleeding heavily from a wound inflicted on its hide. Though the creature seems to be an amalgamation of several creatures, there is clearly a crest of the Fireteeth Isles upon its brow. Worg holds a long spear in one hand and massive shield in the other, his face depicted as a scowl of challenge.
