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Old 10-10-2022, 12:13 PM   #725
jason taylor
 
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Default Re: 'Imperial Culture' (non-canonista)

Trade Stamp. This is a practice dating back to before the Imperium but modified several times the latest being in the Interstellar Standardization Treaties sponsored by Empress Arbellatra which negotiated practices for crossborder transport. It is a slab on every average sized and above shipping container used in intersteller commerce for placing tracking information. It contains a copy of the log and manifest of each shipper as well as a signature by the deliverer, recipient, and customs official respectively. It is not as some say an effective antismuggling tool (smugglers usually rendezvous with an interplanetary vessel in the less explored parts of a system anyway). It is however good for tracking lost and stolen items, as well as providing intelligence. The data from these is stored at starports and available on request to the public unless information declared secret by the government or by private request; and often used as material for such things as almanacs and rutters.

Mavens: Known by various names all of which evoke the implication of obscure specialization particularly at getting odd jobs done, these are personal "corporate samurai" of officials and nobles. They can be of various kinds such as a political fixer, an intelligence specialist or crime investigator, a cyberoperative, a solicitor or barrister. They serve under similar terms to Huscarls, indeed some actually are considered Huscarls, as many nobles prefer some sort of secret seryice or detective type force to well-trained bouncers, and it is not unknown for mavens to need martial arts skills.

Traelight Forbund: This is a Sword Worlder sorority based on the techniques of hearthtending. It maintains a magazine, both online and paper, publishes several books on the subject and organizes interstellar tournaments. While only women are admitted as full members, only the most secret of meetings are barred to males and men who take an interest in the subject or have loved ones who do often read the publications or appear at meetings by invite. Though mostly Sword Worlds there is no political barrier and members are allowed from other worlds even ones which the Sword Worlds are often at war with (Sword Worlder's consider it honorable to appreciate a worthy opponent). Traelight discusses such factors as wood types, soil, and climate, scent, and appearance. Interestingly a separate periodical is maintained for flame sculptures. While the Forbund is willing to amicably admit Darrian's despite their "strangeness" it is generally held that any technology above the chemical match takes away from the art. Indeed some insist on only using flint and steel in a fire made for artistic purpose, though using conveniences like an electric furnace for heating and cooking is acceptable. In any case the Forbund compromises by considering flame sculptures a separate discipline to Sword World, fireart albeit deserving publications specific to it in the same society.
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Last edited by jason taylor; 07-05-2023 at 12:58 PM.
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