Hiding Waters Culture

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Hiding Waters Culture

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Taken from Dr. Zahar's Ethnographical Questionnaire.

This pertains specifically to the Hiding Waters feayr pack. Some items are indicative of broader cultural trends throughout the feayr species, but some are not.

Part 1!

Fun stuff in this section: Sexism! Yaaaaay!


I. Questions of Place


(a) Describe the geography of where your society calls home.

The Hiding Waters pack occupies a territory of about 200 square miles centered at Hiding Waters Falls (Ushilshiváshinari, "the waters where she is hiding") from which the pack takes its name. The falls form the mouth of the Nightsong River (Ùulunùevolskuváhirito, "he sings beside it all through the night") at the northernmost point of Suthániìlmùi Bay. The Hiding Waters territory extends over a good portion of the coastline and up into the northwestern foothills.

The area is predominantly a fairly dense coniferous forest, with a number of treeless river valleys in the foothills region which form popular grazing areas for large ungulates.

The bay is surrounded primarily by high chalk cliffs and is generally shielded from ocean squalls. It is a common haven for fish, whales, and other aquatic mammals and assorted sea creatures.


(b) Describe the climate your society deals with. How severe are their seasons?

The temperature is relatively cold, ranging from summer highs of 15-18 degrees C to winter lows of -10 degrees C. Precipitation is very frequent--rains in the summer, snows in the other seasons.


(c) What kinds of natural disasters has this society gotten used to?

Periodic cold snaps and famines brought on by anything that culls the local prey populations.


(d) What are the most commonly-grown foods?

None to speak of--agriculture is not common.


(e) What are the most commonly-eaten meats?

Fish and shellfish, followed closely by deer and elk, then small trapped game and various fowls, and in season, whale.


(f) What foods are considered exotic or expensive?

Whale, sea lion, certain mountain goats which rarely venture into the pack's hunting grounds.


(g) What forms of alcohol are common? Rare?

Alcohol is highly toxic to the feayr in any significant quantity. However, there are a variety of herbs used for smoking. Of these, a certain kind of seaweed is particularly prized.


(h) Is there usually enough food and water for the population?

Yes. There is a very high infant mortality rate, so the pack is slow to grow.


(i) What is this place's most abundant resource?

Fish.


(j) What is its most valuable resource?

Shells, seaweed, whale fat.


(k) What resource is it most lacking?

Metals, arable land.


(l) How do people travel from one place to another?

By foot, canoe, or kayak.


(m) Are the borders secure? In what way?

Yes. The feayr are highly territorial; there are always several teams of scouts patrolling the territory borders, and with feayr noses at work, trespassers do not get far.


(n) How many people live here?

About 100.


(o) Where in this place to they congregate?

Mostly near the falls, though they sometimes split up to follow seasonal herd movements of big game.


(p) What part of this place do they avoid? Why?

Settlements do not stray far from the river, as fish and shellfish are too important a food staple. Hunters and scouts, however, range pretty much all over.


(q) What are the most common domesticated animals here? And what are they domesticated for?

None to speak of. In rare cases wolves will bond with a pack, but they are considered fellow members more than anything else--there is no systematic domestication.


(r) What are the most common wild animals?

Foxes, SQUIRRELS, hares, deer, elk, wolves, wolverines, ptarmigans, ravens, voles, osprey...


(s) Which animals are likely to be pets? Which ones won't be?

The feayr don't really have an analogous mindset to "keeping a pet," although members (usually pups) may care for a wounded creature and bond with it.



II. Questions of Time


(a) How far back does this society's written history go?

They (currently, I may change this) have no written history, only oral.


(b) How far back do its people believe it goes?

The oral tradition, it is said, goes back to the beginning of time.


(c) What is the worst disaster they believe they've faced?

A number of wars with nearby packs, but more grandiosely, the making of the earth, and the events leading up to the stealing of fire from the sun.


(d) What was the best thing that every happened to them?

Aìána's gift of rain and shape-changing, and the finding of Hiding Waters.


(e) What in their past makes them feel ashamed?

Most such feelings are projected onto the mythic hero Raven, who always manages to make a grand mess of everything. But, to his credit, he almost always tries to put things back.


(f) What in their past makes them proud?

The finding of Hiding Waters.


(g) What are they afraid of happening again?

Ay, so many things from so many stories...the river drying up, the sky going dark, the salmon not running, the mountains getting offended...


(h) What are they hoping will happen? Do they think it likely?

They are hoping the salmon run will be great this year. Everyone paid proper respects to the salmon last year, so their children should be generous.


(i) What do they assume the future will hold?

A great salmon run!


(j) How has this society changed? Do its current members realize this?

Their mythos has become more ornate, and certain practices have fossilized in peculiar ways. But all of that is rubbish, for as the stories say, we have done things this way forever.


(k) What are the most popular stories about the past?

The making of the earth, the naming of Hiding Waters, the naming of the Nightsong, how Raven made the salmon run...


(l) Who in the past is the greatest hero? The worst villain?

Raven, of course! And Raven, of course.


(m) Do people think the present better or worse than the past?

There's a difference?


(n) Do people believe the future will be better or worse than the present or past?

There's a difference?



III. Questions of Sex and Family


(a) How many spouses may a man or woman have?

Precisely one.


(b) Who decides on a marriage?

The two being married. Although, if a male takes too long to choose a mate, the community may "prompt" him.


(c) Can a marriage end in divorce? How?

No. Unless the male commits a sufficient crime against the female and is killed.


(d) Who usually takes custody of children if a marriage ends for some reason?

Mating couples don't have custody of their children in the first place--they are raised collectively by the community.


(e) How is adultery defined? What (if any) is the punishment? Who decides?

In reference to consensual sexual relations between two individuals who are not mated, the male is at the very least heavily mauled and usually killed, unless his mate or the other female can do a very good job of standing up for him. The female is thought to have committed an act of thievery and must provide recompense to the male's mate, usually in the form of shells or finely prepared foods.

It is also considered adultery if the community feels a male has not done a sufficient job of protecting and caring for his mate; he will likely be shunned or denied food until his mate convinces the community to ease up.


(f) How are families named?

There isn't really any sense of family identity by blood relations, only pack identity (since really, everyone in the pack is related anyway). The pack is named for its territory.


(g) What happens to orphans?

There aren't any--orphans are raised by the community at large, and there is no attachment to one's blood parents.


(h) How are boy and girl children treated differently?

Girls are generally considered to be smarter than boys and are given more leeway in their behavior (although they are also expected to have a better capacity for understanding tradition and good behavior as they get older). Corporal punishment is much more common among male children (and juveniles and adults) than among females. Females are usually the first to learn to speak, in part because they are the ones most likely to be talked to as infants/toddlers.


(i) Are premarital relations allowed?

Almost always no, but in particular circumstances, yes.


(j) How does your society define incest? Rape? How do people react to these?

Mated pairs are typically selected within one's own generation (which is markedly defined since feayr have restricted mating and birthing seasons). There is a loose expectation to select a mated pair from different blood parents, but members often are not cognizant of those relations anyway.

If a male commits rape, he is always killed. (Specifically, buried alive to prevent his soul from reincarnating. It's kind of a big deal.) If a male is accused of rape, he is almost always killed (with his chances of survival being much better if another female can verify his alibi). If a female rapes a mated male, she must pay a recompense for thievery to his mate. If a female rapes an unmated male, it is considered a mark of dishonor, poor restraint, and bad character; she may be shunned and denied food for a while. For this reason, it is not uncommon for guilty females to let blame fall on the male instead--and for this reason, it is quite common for offended males to keep their mouths shut.


(k) What, if anything, is considered a good marriage gift?

Weapons/hunting implements for the male, shells and reeds for weaving wigwam covers for the female.


(l) What secret vice is believed to be widely practiced?

Hmm...that's difficult. There is not much opportunity for secrets or privacy in a feayr pack.


(m) What secret vice actually is practiced?

See above.


(n) What sexual habits are widely believed common among foriegners?

Jokes about feayr from the mountain packs getting friendly with the goats are not uncommon.


(o) How do people react to homosexuality?

Males are usually killed. Females are usually considered mentally ill.


(p) How do the genders dress?

Sparsely. The combination of natural resistance to cold and complications involving shapeshifting with clothes encourages most to not bother--there is not much of a nudity taboo among the feayr, especially among unmated individuals. For juveniles and mated individuals especially, the most common garment is a breechcloth woven from the wearer's hair, which will transform when changing shape. Females may wear an additional piece to support the breasts, if they have one. When circumstances call for it, elk hide parkas are popular, though they do not differ significantly in make between males and females. Females are more likely to ornament their parkas with blue beads and dye.


(q) Is prostitution legal? How are prostitutes viewed? Is this accurate?

If there are not enough males to provide mates for all the females of age (or the available males are somehow undesirable), unmated females may rent the mate of another female by giving her shells and useful household items like woven mats, ropes, and clothing. There is no stigma associated with this, and it can even be a mark of honor on the male being rented.

It is also possible, though very rare, for a mated female to make a similar exchange. There is a negative stigma associated with this, on both the female and her mate, though more strongly on the latter. (You may be noticing a trend.)


(r) What professions or activities are considered masculine?

Scouting, warring, takedowns when hunting


(s) What professions or activities are viewed as feminine?

Gathering, childcare, crafting, chasing when hunting


(t) What inanimate or sexless things are considered male or female?

The moon, Aìána, is female; the sun is her brother. When personified with gender, mountains, elk, and certain kinds of trees are usually male; the winds, rivers, and seas are usually female.


(u) What is the biggest sexual taboo?

Extramarital sex.


(v) Does this society connect the ideas of marriage with love?

In a sense. The male is permitted to choose his own mate, as he is expected to devote his existence to protecting her. Thus, it is considered good practice for him to select someone he cares deeply about. The female must accept the male who chooses her, and is expected to love and respect him enough to not make his life miserable.


(w) What does this society mean by the word "virgin" and how important it it?

Hasn't found a mate yet. That's pretty much it.
Last edited by Trailsend on 20 Oct 2010 19:46, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by rickardspaghetti »

I assume there will be more answers? Considering the list of questions is bigger than what you posted here.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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(b) Who decides on a marriage?
The two being married. Although, if a male takes too long to choose a mate, the community may "prompt" him.
All I could think of here was an old wolflady telling her son, "When are you going to meet a nice girl and settle down? I won't be around forever and it would be nice to have grandchildren."
(Upon further reading I see how this wouldn't happen but still its funny.)

These are wolf people right? I'm not making things up?
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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How does their shapeshifting work? What forms are they able to take?

You also mention various stories without saying much else about them. What can you tell me about Raven, for instance? I'm also going to assume "Making of the Earth was a terrible disaster" isn't an escheatological thing.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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rickardspaghetti wrote:I assume there will be more answers? Considering the list of questions is bigger than what you posted here.
Oh yeah, this was just the first batch.
Ossicone wrote:
(b) Who decides on a marriage?
The two being married. Although, if a male takes too long to choose a mate, the community may "prompt" him.
All I could think of here was an old wolflady telling her son, "When are you going to meet a nice girl and settle down? I won't be around forever and it would be nice to have grandchildren."
(Upon further reading I see how this wouldn't happen but still its funny.)
XD XD XD
Ossicone wrote:These are wolf people right? I'm not making things up?
Nope, you've got it.
Micamo wrote:How does their shapeshifting work? What forms are they able to take?
Naturally, just two: that of a human, and that of a wolf. It is possible to learn other unnatural forms as well, but this requires shanáisilun, "deep spirit," and is somewhat uncommon.
Micamo wrote:You also mention various stories without saying much else about them. What can you tell me about Raven, for instance? I'm also going to assume "Making of the Earth was a terrible disaster" isn't an escheatological thing.
Raven is modeled broadly off of the Coyote character of Northwest Coast Native American mythos. The social structure within a feayr pack is very rigidly constructed and all behavior is mandated by firm unspoken laws--there's not much room for acting out. Raven provides a projection for frustration and mischief in this regard--through him, the pack vicariously misbehaves. In a culture ruled by taboos where breaking tradition would be unthinkable, almost all of their stories are about their hero doing exactly that. Things always blow up in his face, of course, and he has to do all kinds of horribly embarrassing things to set them straight, but the feayr love a good laugh.

On a more personal level, Raven is sly and cunning, but rambunctious, jealous, easily offended, and never one to back down from a dare. However, he does have his brighter moments, stepping in to help the early people alleviate famines and plagues from time to time.

The making of the earth refers to the creation myth, which entails a struggle between Aìána the moon, and Zhúthuos the sun. It mostly consists of Aìána doing something, and Zhúthuòs responding by immediately trying to one-up her, but always botching the job. Aìána steps in to fix things, Zhúthuòs doesn't want to appear outdone, and the cycle goes on and on.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Trailsend wrote:Naturally, just two: that of a human, and that of a wolf. It is possible to learn other unnatural forms as well, but this requires shanáisilun, "deep spirit," and is somewhat uncommon.
Is human or wolf form the primary? What does the transformation look like? How do their human forms look different from humans and their wolf forms look different from wolves?
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by rickardspaghetti »

I wonder how the Feayr would respond to changing into our secular views and morals. Extramarital sex for everyone! But no gay bashings!
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Micamo wrote:Is human or wolf form the primary?
Neither. Both are considered equally natural; the human form is preferred for tasks needing thumbs or carrying things, but wolf is used for traveling, tracking, hunting, etc. Either can be maintained indefinitely, unlike unnatural forms.
Micamo wrote:What does the transformation look like?
Quick and fluid, rarely lasting longer than a second. Taking unnatural shapes may take longer but is not usually painful or awkward, unless you're just crap at the skill in general.
Micamo wrote:How do their human forms look different from humans and their wolf forms look different from wolves?
Their human forms look different from the other humans in Domhantir in that they have a bronzey complexion, and hair matching their fur in wolf shape (usually some shade of black, gray, or brown, with rare white). They are relatively tall, and almost all of them have amber yellow eyes. (Feayr are born with light blue eyes which turn yellow with adulthood--except in some cases, where the eyes remain blue indefinitely.)

Wolf shapes are not readily distinguishable from other Feayran (here "Feayran" meaning "of the Feayran continent") wolves. Compared to wolves in other parts of the world, they tend to be a touch larger, with thicker fur and broader paws. Lighter colorings are more common than elsewhere.

EDIT: Rickardninja!
rickardspaghetti wrote:I wonder how the Feayr would respond to changing into our secular views and morals. Extramarital sex for everyone! But no gay bashings!
Hehe, oh yes. To say nothing of misogyny, divorce, and supermarkets. They'd be amazed that whatever spirits live here haven't wiped us off the planet yet. Or maybe they'd conclude we found some way to kill them.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Part the second!


IV. Questions of Manners

(a) Who speaks first at a formal gathering?

The pack's kalvái, who is vùurí ("in leading stance") over all the other members in all but special circumstances.


(b) What kinds of gifts are considered in extremely bad taste?

This is an excellent question--I'll have to think about that.


(c) How do younger adults address their elders?

Using the kìiráu ("following stance") speech register.


(d) What colors are associated with power? With virtue? With death?

Blue is considered holy; yellow is for marks of protection and strength; white has a number of positive connotations and is used to paint the bodies of the deceased. (Note: feayr cannot distinguish red from yellow.)


(e) If two men get into a fight, how is this supposed to be resolved?

In an akanuháurhr ("fight of two") ritual. A formal challenge is issued in kóarhr (challenging) speech register, and rules are determined. The most traditional akanuháurhr consists of hand-to-hand combat, though technically any form of agreed-upon contest can suffice. (In combative akanuháurhr, the winner is traditionally the first to get his hand or mouth around his opponent's neck three times.) The winner earns the right to be vùurí over the loser.


(f) If two women get into a fight, how should that be resolved?

Also by akanuháurhr, though the challenges tend to vary more than among males. If both females have mates, they will usually have their mates fight in their place.


(g) When is it rude to laugh at something funny?

When it occurs in the wrong type of story, or in the wrong place within the story. Also during most stages of funeral rites.


(h) What kinds of questions cannot be asked in public? In private? At all?

The mateship vow is always delivered in private. Akanuháurhr must be conducted in public.


(i) How do people demonstrate grief?

By playing sternum-bone gull flutes; by taking vows of silence; by burning whale-fat lamps; by throwing items of value into the river.


(j) What does this society do with their corpses?

They cremate in order to release the spirit from the body so that it can travel via the aurora borealis (sháitherishin, "river in the stars") back to the sea to start the cycle over again.


(k) What kinds of jewelry do people where? And when?

Articles of shell and bone. Due to shapeshifting complications, these are rarely worn except at formal and ritual events.


(l) Who inheirits property? Titles? Position?

The kalvái position is usually exchanged before the current leader's death. In the event of an unexpected death, individuals compete via akanuháurhr for the position.

Property is inherited by the mate, if there is one; otherwise, the pack distributes the deceased's belongings according to vùurái and kìiráu relations.


(m) What happens to those suffering from extreme mental illness?

They are either thought to be shamans, or in need of shamans. If the shaman's medicine does not work, she usually declares the individual nushkanáun, "bad spirit," and they are shunned out of the pack. The same may be done to shamans who fail to function in the community's eyes.


(n) What are the most popular games? How important are they?

Most games take the form of casual akanuháurhr; wrestling and races are popular. Among scouts, a popular pastime is ushóadièhùori ("hiding in order to mark"), in which players attempt to stealthily track each other down and leave dye marks on opponents' skin without being noticed.


(o) What parts of the body are routinely covered?

Very few. Coverings for the loins are most common, especially among mated pairs, followed by the breasts for females (though this is considered more of a functional practice than a taboo).


(p) How private are bodily functions like bathing or defecating?

No one bathes alone; unmated individuals bathe with like genders, while mates bathe together.

Elimination of waste is done away from settlements, but it is not inherently a private affair, especially as waste is one marking used for indicating boundary lines.


(q) How do people react to physical deformity?

This is not often an issue, as deformed individuals do not often survive infancy. Those that do are cared for for as long as they survive; they may help with caretaking of children, construction of shelters, and other chores where they are able.


(r) When and how does someone go from child to adult?

Around the age of sexual maturity (9-11ish), a generation of pups undertakes ulkáimnerùir, the name hunt. (Recall that due to restricted birthing seasons, yearly generations are clearly defined.) On the day of the new moon, they depart from the camp to survive for two weeks on their own. On the day of the full moon, they return with some kill that they have brought down themselves (usually some kind of small game), and the pack feasts. Then, the pack elders grant full names (expanded from the common names received in infancy) to each of the young hunters, and they are considered adults.


V. Questions of Faith

(a) Is there a formal clergy? How are they organized?

The pack has one shaman, who is usually not a type-A personality.


(b) What do people believe happens to them after death? How, if at all, can they influence this?

If cremated, their spirit is freed from the body and follows sháitherishin to the sea, where it hangs out with the moon for a while. But spirit is equated with water, and water never stays in the same place. Eventually the spirit rises from the ocean and returns to the land, where it falls as rain to return life to all the things on the earth. In a sense, this is reincarnation, but in a sense, it is not; no single individual is reincarnated as another single individual, because in the sea, everything is mixed up, so there is a piece of everyone in every drop of rain. You have been reincarnated from everything, and will be reincarnated as everything again.

If not cremated and buried, the spirit remains stuck in the body, and rots for eternity. Good times.


(c) What happens to those who disagree with the majority on questions of religion?

The shaman may name them nushkanáun and have them shunned by the pack. If the shaman does this too often and too wildly, without proper observance of accepted ritual, the pack may begin to suspect that the shaman herself is nushkanáun.


(d) Are there any particular places considered special or holy? What are they like?

The ocean. Additionally, there are certain sites near the borders of territories which are thought to belong to the spirits alone; for legal reasons, these are usually the locations used for inter-pack gatherings.


(e) What are the most popular rituals or festivals?

New moon (day of silence), full moon (day of AWESOME), lover's moon (day of awww yeah, held on lunar eclipses).


(f) What do people want from the god or gods? How do they try and get it?

A good salmon run; plentiful prey; a lack of disease and cold snaps. If everyone is sure to thank the spirit of prey before eating it, and hold the proper rituals to show respect to the river and mountains and everyone else, we should be fine.


(g) How do their religious practices differ from their neighbours?

Not too significantly. The satellite packs around Hiding Waters are fairly closely related. Further into the north, the notion of reincarnation of spirit persists, but rather than cremating to send the spirit to the ocean, some packs use ceremonial cannibalism to keep things going.


(h) What is the most commonly broken religious rule?

There aren't many. Breaking rules risks offending spirits which puts the whole pack at risk, which means if the pack finds out you haven't been paying your dues (and it's hard for them not to, as there is very little private life), you're likely to be bitten.


(i) What is the least-violated religious rule?[/i]

The most oft-practiced are the rites for appeasing the spirit of slain prey.


(j) What factions exist within the dominant religious institutions? How do they compete?

It's a population of 100; not many factions to speak of.


(k) Are there monastic groups? What do they do and how are they organized? How do you join one?

There are traditional rites carried out for transmittance of the shaman position, and shamans-in-training often have to go through some wacky stuff. The particularly ambitious may ask the shaman to train under her, but more often they are hand-selected, often at the time of the name hunt.


(l) How are those who follow different faiths treated?

There are not many, but when they show up, they're usually declared nushkanáun.


(m) What relationship do religious and political leaders have?

The kalvái consults the shaman when things go wrong, and to ensure all the spirits are properly appeased. Which is usually to say, that the shaman is properly appeased :)


(n) What superstitions are common? What kinds of supernatural events/beings do people fear?

They fear all of them. (Also note that the feayr don't really recognize things as being "supernatural"; it's all part of the natural for them.) Care must always be taken to avoid offending the spirit of anything you eat. If you caught the creature fair and square by hunting it or in a trap you designed, as long as you're polite you should be fine. If you eat something someone else caught, special rites must be performed.


VI. Questions of Government

(a) Who decides whether someone has broken a law? How?

The community at large is judge, jury, and executioner, though they may defer to the shaman on certain issues. An accusation is made, the community believes or doesn't (other witnesses can help out here), and then it decides on the proper response and carries it out.

(b) What kinds of punishments are meted out? By whom? Why?

Males may be mauled in varying degrees of severity; the next most common punishment is shunning and denial of food until the community thinks you've learned your lesson. And if you really screw up, to the point that the community doesn't want to risk your spirit coming back around ever again, they bury you alive.


(c) How are new laws created or old ones changed?

By community consensus. If people stop caring about a law, they will stop enforcing it, and it is eventually forgotten.


(d) Is there some form of clemency or pardon? What is involved?

Anyone who can convince the rest of the pack to back down. This is usually the kalvái, though shamans may do something mystical, and if the crime was committed against a particular pack member, she may be able to forgive the offender.


(e) Who has the right to give orders, and why?

Anyone who is vùurí over the person they are ordering.


(f) What titles do various officials have?

Whoever is vùurí over the others in a group--such as a lead hunter or scout--could be considered an official, but they don't have titles as such.


(g) How are the rules different for officials as opposed to the common person?

They aren't, really.


(h) How do government officials dress?

The same as everyone else, with the possible exception of wearing yellow markings on the skin for the kalvái. At formal ceremonies, the shaman will often wear gray paint and carry assorted bones of things; the kalvái will wear yellow wherever it will fit, and bone jewelry. Walrus tusks are a popular accessory to heft around.


(i) Is the law written down? Who interprets it?

No. Interpretations defer to whoever is vùurí over you, which eventually leads up to the kalvái.


(j) Once accused, what recourse does someone have?

Pray to Aìána there's a female who likes you. Unless you are a female, then you just have to be convincing.


(k) Is torture allowed? What kinds?

Yeah. Mostly your typical beatings (enhanced by the fact that feayr like to use their teeth), though some of the shaman's "medicines" are decidedly unpleasant.


(l) How are people executed?

Burial.


(m) Who cannot rise to positions of leadership?

Folks who can't win an akanuháurhr.


(n) Is bribery allowed? Under what circumstances?

Not officially as such. But you might get away with it if you can pass it off as paying recompense to someone you've slighted.


(o) What makes someone a bad ruler in this society? What can be done about it?

Not protecting the pack, not listening to the shaman, not observing proper tradition to keep the spirits happy. If you think you could do a better job, you formulate an akanuháurhr to demonstrate such.


(p) What are the most common or dangerous forms of criminal?

Most common--someone who accidentally botches some rite. Most dangerous--probably a shaman gone bad.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Alright, but what form are they born in? Are they capable of speaking to each other while in wolf form? If so, how? Are they capable of doing things like urinating and defecating in both forms, or do they have to do some things in a specific form?

What kind of other shapes can they transform into? Can they only turn into things like bears or eagles or can they turn into rocks too?
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Can they take the form of another feayr?
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Micamo wrote:Alright, but what form are they born in?
Either. Multiple births are very common, and it's quite normal for some newborns to be born in wolf shape while others in the same womb are born human.
Micamo wrote:Are they capable of speaking to each other while in wolf form? If so, how?
Yes. I haven't totally worked this out yet--my plan is to have a separate phonological register tailored to the wolf vocal apparatus, such that the language is identical but with a different phonology in wolf shape. I've been putting this off because I have little clue how to design a phonology for wolves :P
Micamo wrote:Are they capable of doing things like urinating and defecating in both forms
Of course!
Micamo wrote:or do they have to do some things in a specific form?
Nope, barring the obvious like grabbing things with thumbs.
Micamo wrote:What kind of other shapes can they transform into? Can they only turn into things like bears or eagles or can they turn into rocks too?
Most will tell you any kind of animal. (Though maybe not insects, as that would be tricky for a few reasons.) Also, it's impossible to take the shape of something of a different gender than yourself.

However, at least two feayr have managed to learn wind shape. One was a hermit, who taught the other, who was promptly thought an evil spirit and banished from the pack. I have plans for his brother to eventually (through horrible, horrible means) master fire shape.
Ossicone wrote:Can they take the form of another feayr?
With work, yes. Oh, the fun I have with this one :P
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by rickardspaghetti »

If a Feayr left a hand print in human form, would it turn into a paw print if he changes to wolf form?
そうだ。死んでいる人も勃起することが出来る。
俺はその証だ。
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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rickardspaghetti wrote:If a Feayr left a hand print in human form, would it turn into a paw print if he changes to wolf form?
Nope--the shifting process affects only themselves. (And fortunately, infants they are carrying, foods they have recently ingested, etc. :P )
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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What happens if the community is really divided as to whether a person is innocent or guilty of a crime? How does the community determine whether a shaman is just a bad doctor or if the sick person is an evil spirit? And if a shaman is found to be incompetent, what recourse is given to the people who were wrongfully cast out?

Actually, what recourse is given to people who are found to have been wrongfully accused? Let's say a woman falsely accuses a man of raping her, and the community executes him in the usual manner. If she later admits she made the whole thing up, what happens?

You say children are "collectively" raised. What does this mean exactly? Does it mean everyone cares for all the kids at once? If so it seems pretty easy for any individual to just shrug off their responsibilities. As well, how is it made sure that the children don't come under any bad influences? Nobody probably wants the kids to all grow up to be just like Oscar the lazy pipe-addict.

Finally, eating something someone else killed requires a special rite. What exactly is this? Is everyone expected to hunt and kill their own food? If so then how does anyone have time to do anything else?
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Micamo wrote: Nobody probably wants the kids to all grow up to be just like Oscar the lazy pipe-addict.
But Oscar the lazy pipe addict is like so cool. Every kid wants an Uncle Oscar who just goes with the flow.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Micamo wrote:What happens if the community is really divided as to whether a person is innocent or guilty of a crime?
Discussion continues until a consensus is reached or everyone loses interest. (Note that "consensus" can mean a variety of things--either everyone agrees, or everyone who disagrees is afraid of how it'll look if they voice discontent, or there's a large enough majority to outweigh any dissent, or everybody decides to compromise and only almost kill him, etc.)
Micamo wrote:How does the community determine whether a shaman is just a bad doctor or if the sick person is an evil spirit?
The pack has some idea of what proper mystical protocol looks like--if it looks like the shaman is doing everything right, they are likely to accept her conclusion. If the shaman is breaking accepted practice, folks are likely to get suspicious.
Micamo wrote:And if a shaman is found to be incompetent, what recourse is given to the people who were wrongfully cast out?
Not much. If they were very recently banished, someone might try to trail them and bring them back. If it's been much longer, though, they're either dead or long gone anyway.

I should have mentioned that there's a difference between "shunned" and "banished." When people are "shunned" as punishment for particular crimes, they are ignored, but their presence is still tolerated--thus, there's an understanding that at some point they'll have served their time, and we can start acknowledging their existence again. On the other hand, if someone is declared nushkanáun and actually chased from the territory, it is very unlikely that they could be brought back even if the pack changed its mind, simply for logistical reasons.
Micamo wrote:Actually, what recourse is given to people who are found to have been wrongfully accused? Let's say a woman falsely accuses a man of raping her, and the community executes him in the usual manner. If she later admits she made the whole thing up, what happens?
Quite honestly, they may simply not believe her. If she's very persuasive about her guilt, there would be a fairly heavy stigma put on her (though she would still get points for coming forward), and her testimony would have little weight in the future. They would probably dig up the accused male's remains and burn them.
Micamo wrote:You say children are "collectively" raised. What does this mean exactly? Does it mean everyone cares for all the kids at once? If so it seems pretty easy for any individual to just shrug off their responsibilities. As well, how is it made sure that the children don't come under any bad influences? Nobody probably wants the kids to all grow up to be just like Oscar the lazy pipe-addict.

Finally, eating something someone else killed requires a special rite. What exactly is this? Is everyone expected to hunt and kill their own food? If so then how does anyone have time to do anything else?
Jobs are taken in shifts. On a typical day, a group of hunters will go out to track down a large kill. The rest will stay at the camp to fish, mend shelters, treat hides etc.--and of course, care for the kiddies. It's explicit on a given day who is supposed to be watching the kids (it's rarely one person), so folks know who to blame if they lose one. However, folks trade off, sometimes doing childcare, sometimes hunting, etc., so no one person raises the kids.

Receiving food from someone else requires performance of sáishte observance--this mostly entails specific posturing between giver and receiver and recitation of traditional exchanges, identifying both individuals as members of the same pack, attributing success of the hunt to the pack, and directly appealing to the prey's spirit for understanding. Sáishte is performed daily between the child-keepers/fishers/everyone else who stayed home from the hunt and the hunters (and vice-versa, if the hunters receive fish from the fishers). Being on the bottom end of sáishte all the time gets a little belittling, which encourages people to trade out of jobs and help with food collection.
Ossicone wrote:
Micamo wrote: Nobody probably wants the kids to all grow up to be just like Oscar the lazy pipe-addict.
But Oscar the lazy pipe addict is like so cool. Every kid wants an Uncle Oscar who just goes with the flow.
XD Yes, of course.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Trailsend wrote:Quite honestly, they may simply not believe her. If she's very persuasive about her guilt, there would be a fairly heavy stigma put on her (though she would still get points for coming forward), and her testimony would have little weight in the future. They would probably dig up the accused male's remains and burn them.
Women have a free murder button and there's not even a penalty for being caught using it? Ouch. That's pretty messed up, but at least should make for some good drama.
Jobs are taken in shifts. On a typical day, a group of hunters will go out to track down a large kill. The rest will stay at the camp to fish, mend shelters, treat hides etc.--and of course, care for the kiddies. It's explicit on a given day who is supposed to be watching the kids (it's rarely one person), so folks know who to blame if they lose one. However, folks trade off, sometimes doing childcare, sometimes hunting, etc., so no one person raises the kids.
Is the job rotation thing a requirement or just a common practice? If someone wanted to, could they do the same job every day?
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

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Also; Funny idea I got. (I don't know what names are common in your conlang so I'm just gonna make them up)

Riavu: Hello! Where have you been? None of us have seen you in 3 days!

Utanu: You're never gonna believe it! I just found the girl of my dreams. I made her my mate. We've spent the past few days... *ahem*

Riavu: Well that's good to hear! I thought you'd never find a woman at this rate. So who's the lucky lady?

Utanu: You don't see her? She's right behind me!

*Utanu points to the Golden Retriever behind him*

Riavu: ...Um...

Utanu: What? She may not be much of a looker but she's my woman all the same!

Riavu: Oh screw it. Nevermind. Have a lovely life together you two.
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Re: Hiding Waters Culture

Post by Trailsend »

Micamo wrote:Also; Funny idea I got. (I don't know what names are common in your conlang so I'm just gonna make them up)

Riavu: Hello! Where have you been? None of us have seen you in 3 days!

Utanu: You're never gonna believe it! I just found the girl of my dreams. I made her my mate. We've spent the past few days... *ahem*

Riavu: Well that's good to hear! I thought you'd never find a woman at this rate. So who's the lucky lady?

Utanu: You don't see her? She's right behind me!

*Utanu points to the Golden Retriever behind him*

Riavu: ...Um...

Utanu: What? She may not be much of a looker but she's my woman all the same!

Riavu: Oh screw it. Nevermind. Have a lovely life together you two.
Kids these days, hooking up with foreigners XD XD
Micamo wrote:Women have a free murder button and there's not even a penalty for being caught using it? Ouch. That's pretty messed up, but at least should make for some good drama.
Messed up, yes. Drama, most certainly. It is likely that if these practices got abused enough that the male population dropped too low, the community might destabilize, and wacky things would happen until more males could be brought up. As it is, that hasn't happened in known history, partly due to birthrates--chance of being born male is 60% to female 40%.

However, it should be noted that accusations of rape (and other serious crimes) are rather rare, due to the aforementioned lack of private life within the pack. Two people who are not mates are very rarely off by themselves, so without a good bit of conspiring, it is difficult to get false accusations to hold water.
Micamo wrote:Is the job rotation thing a requirement or just a common practice? If someone wanted to, could they do the same job every day?
Not an explicit requirement, but an expectation. A truly exceptional hunter would probably spend most days hunting, but at some point some people would get together and ask him to handle childcare for the day, and it would look bad for him to refuse.
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