'Imperial Culture' (non-canonista)

[jason taylor]

Wurlana:

The language of the Wurlana (nomadic Luriani) unique to their ethnicity and different even from that of other Lurriani. Like many trade-nomads they were at one time traditionally multilingual due to the common desire to have one language for business and another undecypherable by outsiders. This need has long fallen by the wayside with the ability to text in modern computers making any further form of encryption superfluous. Nontheless Wurlana as well as Ganglic and other languages is taught to Wurlana children for the sake of tradition.

[Astromancer]

Masked Balls

Because of the strict rules of status and decorum in many parts of the Imperium, Masked Balls and Carnival-like festivals are highly popular. The social anonymity is highly seductive. Many acts of espionage and intrigue use these balls as a cover. Many people looking to disappear do so at these festivals.

[jason taylor]

Sabotage feuds:

Because of the uneasy balance between the state and the clans feuding remains a possibility but seldom rises to lethal level. However sabotage both cyber and solid space is a real possibility. Technically perps are punished as individuals. However any chief that lets one of his own go to the gallows for him risks being deposed, thus making it unlikely that he will order a hit. Likewise no clan wants to depend solely on mercenaries for its defense and offense. A substitute is the use of sabotage. If directed at a rival clan's business facilities the penalty will usually be in money, which of course is fungible and therefore any raider unfortunate enough to be caught by the constabulary is remitted by his own clan.

The feuds consist of repeated raids back and forth. The police are usually thought of as a third party; while complaining to the police directly is considered bad form, luring a rival into a position where he can be arrested is a grand coup.

This rather refined sort of feuding does not apply with outsiders especially those that are likely to pose a real threat(such as pirates and bandits and their supporters). In such cases deadly force is often used according to the rule of "Hot Trod" whereby any given clan can claim self-defense if the response is within a maximum time after the attack, subject to review.

[jason taylor]

Victors stål Fureteg:

Like as not I have something of the kind elsewhere as I have thought of it a long time ago. But I don't want the boredom of searching, so...

Founded by Njal Bjornson of the planet Tizon Victors stål is known for making quality cutlery. Founded in an acknowledged homage, each product still retains the heraldric Helvetian Cross logo of it's original namesake, modified by a reverse-v shaped background of an intersecting crossbow and halberd. It is like the earlier version most famous for it's multitools but also makes large survival knives and it's own version of the Sword Worlder Seax favored for uses where a machete would be used in the Imperium. Aside from it's knives it produces a large number of other survival equipment as well as ordinary cooking cutlery and indeed any purpose for which one might need a sharp blade. It has a strong reputation outside the Sword Worlds and a long standing contract with Chandlers LIC, but it's products might be found in any outfitting shop.

Njal in his youth spent many years in the Confederation Patrol and learned to appreciate good tools both for shipboard repair, and dirtside bushcraft. On his death he left an endowment to bereaved dependents of patrol personal. Victors stål is of course a popular source of equipment for the Patrol, and many a Patrol spacer keeps one of this company's knifes in his locker.

[jason taylor]

Note, I mentioned Wise Otters before somewhere in the past, but I wanted to do a little development of them.

Wise Otters:

A rare minor race found on a small number of partially aquatic worlds. They have a behavior and appearance that has been compared(loosely) to Terran sea otters, though being about the size of a Terran cat. Like the above these they have a natural pouch for carrying but having more dexterous forepaws(if not as much as the human hand)they are capable of using a greater number of sophisticated tools both of their own manufacture and of sophants they interact with; Victors stål has made a line of Ottertools for this purpose, often with an emphasis on hooks for opening shellfish or folding tools, and prongs for picking up sea life. Like humans they are omnivorous but they have a decided emphasis on aquatic animals, and some settlements cultivate chiefly for the manufacture of such tools as bait, lines, and nets.

Wise Otters live near shore. They normally live in clannish societies based on kinship and favor trading. They have most of the concepts that are recognizable in sophants including religion, philosophy, politics, hierarchy, property and trade including money, aesthetics, agriculture, and warfare. Unlike humans they apply their native genius less to toolmaking and more to ecology and have a highly developed array of disciplines regarding tending the life in the shallow waters they live in. Some humans idealize this trait but they are as apt to use it to exploit their environment as for aesthetic purpose. They however make a point of exploiting their environment efficiently and replacing what they take, as well as increasing the local productiveness. They are seldom as ambitious as humans to say the least, and internal quarrels take the form of disputes over prestige, mates, territory, property, and so on, or simply the suppression of the occasional criminal or insane that does not fit the normal pattern of such motives. The causes of quarrels would in fact be familiar to humans; it is the frequency, or rather lack thereof that is different. Wise Otters do not initiate high intensity warfare(though they may take part if a military campaign ends up in their neighborhood, or they may hire on as members of another race's military) nor do they indulge in constant war. Rather they engage in skirmishing between clans until one clan has had enough and the issue is settled by agreement. While they seldom are actual citizens of a polity controlled by another race, they often form alliances. It is common for instance for them to make an alliance with a fishing community. They might also serve specialized roles for large port cities; they have been known to be recruited for maritime rescue teams for instance.

Like Terran otters they have a playful streak however to much cannot be made of this. They have their own aesthetic ideals. They enjoy music and poetry and have their own traditions in this regard. They also have elaborate aquatic dances. Storytelling they have a great fondness for and can appreciate some tales from other races. They do not really understand the Human and Aslan propensity for tales of experiences that would be extremely unpleasant in real life and have few counterparts to epic, adventure, or horror, or similar genre. They do enjoy contests of wits or physical prowess as long as they do not involve to much hardship, and thus enjoy stories of hunting or fishing, or sports, or even indoor games. They also enjoy tales of romance and friendship and many a human romantic comedy has gone down well. Simple humor is well known among them and a skilled comedian can gain great fame.

Their small size has made for problems with the propensity of even friendly humans to keep carnivorous animals as pets or working beasts. A common procedure is to put a security fence to keep errant beasts out of otter territory. It is also known to give special training to local animals or to put surgical implants in them or genetic surgery.

[Astromancer]

Flying Mounts


Bioengineered animals meant to be ridden though the skies are poular. Most are fragile in both physical and mental health. If a better base stock for genetic engineers to work with, those who find these animals and bring in the best foundation stock, would be richly rewarded. Of course such large flying animals would be a vast pain to catch and transport alive and in good health.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Flying Mounts


Bioengineered animals meant to be ridden though the skies are poular. Most are fragile in both physical and mental health. If a better base stock for genetic engineers to work with, those who find these animals and bring in the best foundation stock, would be richly rewarded. Of course such large flying animals would be a vast pain to catch and transport alive and in good health.

Sounds like good racing stock.

[jason taylor]

Golden Appaloosa:

A breed used used on Joyeusse rivaling the famed
Sword World miniphant as a local symbol. Descended from crossbreeding between the North American Appaloosa horse and the Central Asian Akhal-Teke (known for the golden sheen of it's skin)* it is used in for ranching and other work when mechanization is not available or not preferable as well as in equestrian atheletics. Known for it's endurance capacity and it's tell-tale leopard spots descended from it's ancestry it is a national symbol of the the planet.

Controversy extends as to how it arrived. Some say embryos were carried with the first immigrant voyages, and others that Hertugs imported horseflesh from Terra to bolster their image long after settlement was assured .


*The Nez Perce actually do have a project of importing Akhal-Tekes to breed to their Appaloosa stock.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Sounds like good racing stock.

That one of the uses. The Imperials also talk about "The Sport of Kings."

[Astromancer]

Imperial Education Ministry

This ministry, in alliance with the Ministry of Culture, works to create a unified galactic culture. They don't bother trying to set the educational standards for everyone. A unified working class culture would only benefit Ine Givar. The IEM works to build and sustain a unified educational curriculum for the Nobility and the other elites of the Imperium. Such a curriculum creates a common language for the leaders of society. The IEM also works to make sure that the nobility get a somewhat better and more adaptable education. So that nobles simply seem smarter and more worthy.

The IEM also works to limit educational opportunities for those seen as a threat to the 3I. Also, certain ideas are keep out of circulation or in circulation according to their usefulness. The idea that "It's a proven fact democracy can't work on a galactic scale." is in point of fact unproved. However, keeping everybody of importance believing that it is a proven fact that democracy can't work keeps Ine Givar a fringe movement and keeps the masses willing to make sacrifices to sustain a system that marginalizes them. The Imperial Educational Ministry wants everybody to learn the lessons that suit their station in life. And especially those that keep them in that station.