#askculture

[loominggaia]

If someone is turned into a mermaid but is freed pretty much immediately and returned to their parents, could they have a relatively normal childhood? Obviously they lost their early childhood memories but if they have loving parents could they grow up nice and sane?

Good question! The undine's transformation spell does a number on a child's developing brain, and this damage can present later in life as paranoia, emotional instability, memory loss, and impaired cognitive function.

Not all mermaids will have these issues, but a significant number of them do. It isn't as much of a problem when they're enthralled and forced to battle, but once they escape thralldom and try to integrate back into society, the issues become rather apparent. The years of soldiering just intensifies these effects by adding a fat helping of PTSD on top.

So, a child who escaped thralldom immediately would not have the PTSD, but might suffer some symptoms of mild brain damage and of course amnesia from the spell.

But under the care of loving parents, I think these children can grow up to be just fine. These are all issues that can be overcome with proper medical care and therapy.

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[invisible-goats]

Why are your goats invisible

#askculture

so i did bioarchaeology for my undergrad and looked at different ways of telling the species of bones, particularly between sheep and goats (famously almost impossible)

because of this difficulty, in uk archaeology it's generally assumed that any ovicaprid (sheep-goat) bone is sheep unless people have a reason to believe otherwise. this means that there are essentially "missing" goats, because we know there were a lot of them from the domesday book but we don't have many bones we think are goat

so my dissertation title was "investigating the invisibility of goats in the archaeological record"

[olderthancisyoungerthandeath]

Ask Culture vs Guess Culture

I was today years old when I learned this concept; I mean I knew it all my life but never had words for it https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/05/askers-vs-guessers/340891/

[heartichelle]

Thinking about ask vs. guess culture lately and then I come across this Ted Talk.

I saw a show last year where the overarching theme was "What does it mean to be Canadian?" and the conclusion they comically came up with was "apologizing." It's almost a greeting, saying "Sorry" and means almost nothing because of its overuse.

[loominggaia]

Idea de cultura marienna: los marienna desarrollaron la práctica del uso de cremas naturales para protegerse del sol y de la sequedad del desierto

(Translated with Google Translator)

Idea of ​​Marienna culture: the Marienna developed the practice of using natural creams to protect themselves from the sun and the dryness of the desert.

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Ah good point, I forgot to address this in my last answer! The ancient Marienna's territory spanned across the Serkel Desert, which is an extremely hot and arid region. Skin protection is important for everyone to prevent dryness, sunburns, and cancer.

The Marienna used olive oil or coconut oil to protect their skin, depending on what was available in their tribe's region. These oils are still used by their descendants in that region today, but they are not the only solution for sun protection.

The Marienna traditionally wore large hats and cloaks made from woven palm fibers to shade themselves. These loose weaves allowed air to pass through, so heat would not become trapped in their clothes. They also drew thick black lines around their eyes using charcoal, which protected them from the bright light.

Over time, the Marienna began wearing more sophisticated clothing items invented by the Odazi humans, which were usually made from linen. Local Marienna often traded food for processed textiles in these early times, because humans had mastered technologies that other peoples had not, like processing flax into linen.

The Marienna elves came to enjoy the humans' inventions and eventually adopted these technologies for themselves, but by that time, these cultures were assimilating quite a bit anyway. The Odazi humans, Vankza goblins, and Marienna elves were commonly seen living peacefully together by the 2nd Age. They shared their ways of life, and together they had mastered the art of surviving in their extreme climate.

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[loominggaia]

It sounds like the usual Serpentist sacrifice is just staked out to be eaten by dragons. How are the noble sacrifices of terminally ill Serpentists done differently? You really got my interest with "in a way that both honors the sacrifice and the dragon". (Feel free to skip this one if it's too much esoteric worldbuilding. :) )

There is no such thing as "too esoteric" in worldbuilding if you ask me! Half the charm of a world comes from the little details like this.

In cases where people sacrifice themselves to the dragons willingly, the temple Drogazama loads the sacrifice up with The Good Shit(tm) first, so that they won't feel any fear or pain. The sacrifice will enjoy a peaceful slumber while they're ripped apart by the dragons they worship, and this cocktail of drugs is also believed to help their souls navigate to the afterlife. Better yet, the dragons get to enjoy a relaxing high after they eat the sacrifice!

Before the ritual, the sacrifice is honored with a party and a feast at their local temple. Basically they're treated like royalty for a day.

Meanwhile, unwilling sacrifices are literally just bound in rope and thrown onto a feeding altar, 100% sober and conscious. It's an incredibly brutal way to die, reserved only for the most heinous members of society. We're talking serial killers, child molesters, kpop stans, etc.

These sacrifices are not celebrated. Instead, they are whipped, beaten, and humiliated before the ritual to cause pain and also open bloody wounds that will attract the dragons faster.

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[loominggaia]

I’m gonna guess in a world of magic that the “do not attempt what you see at home” warning in a lot of media is taken a lot more seriously? With the existance of magic making a lot of the superpowers & cartoonish phenomenon in comic books and movies becoming actually feasible!

How often is it that some young and dumb people get injured trying to use magic to imitate what they see in media? Like some teenage fae trying some half baked spells to fly and shoot laser beams of their eyes or something along those lines?

Good question!

I hate to make this comparison, but it's the best one I can think of: this phenomenon is similar to young/dumb/drunk people playing around with guns or fireworks IRL. It does happen from time to time, people lose body parts and even their lives by throwing spells around irresponsibly. Lobbing a hazard spell is treated like firing a gun.

Children can certainly cast spells irresponsibly, but magical tragedies among children don't happen as often as you'd think. Toddlers and young kids can't usually cast spells strong enough to hurt people, and by the time they're old enough to grasp such spells, they are usually old enough to understand how to use them responsibly. Magic mentors teach about this responsibility long before they start teaching the actual spells. Of course, some kids are just destined for trouble no matter what...

(For example: When Tep was a child, he nearly burned down Yerim-Mor palace numerous times by playing with pyromancy spells. He knew better, but he just couldn't resist the allure of the flames...)

As for drunk people...Casting spells takes intense concentration, so novice mages can't cast them at all while they're drunk/high. Experienced sorcerers can, but these spells will be weakened or sloppy. Once in a blue moon there may be an incident where a sorcerer slams some bad drugs and starts throwing lightning bolts around in public, but it's pretty rare.

Safety is the highest priority when it comes to spellcasting. As I said, it's treated a lot like gun safety, and there are just as many regulations around who can cast spells, and when and where they can cast them. Accidents do happen, but they're not common enough to tear society apart. Magical misfires are like car crashes; they're rarely intentional.

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[loominggaia]

zareen seems to be doomed to this eternal cycle because no matter what happens they're still a capitalist empire at heart. no matter how well intentioned or progress facing the empire will always follow wherever the coin goes. whether it's its citizens not being able to reap the benefits of automation because robot labor is cheaper than people labor and so they're out of jobs, because the industrialist party will literally poison the planet in the name of endless skyrocketing profit, or because even the party that's objectively ""good"" is considered an economic drain after a certain point. its very systems do not allow for social prosperity, and any institution built around is going to be rotted to the- [national anthem of the USSR starts blaring in the background] [gulp] [a little red dot appears on my forehead] [it's sponsored by Chippo] erm. i mean that zareen seems like a pretty cool place to live ahahaha....

Ding ding ding! You get it! No matter which of their stupid parties is in charge, they are still not fostering a sustainable civilization. (None of the Great Kingdoms are, but Zareen Empire is hurtling towards its own demise much faster than most due to its aggressive disregard for the Nymph Pact, among other things)

Zareen Empire has hit many walls in the past (resource depletion, mostly) and it has had to pull some radical and, frankly, fucked up maneuvers to keep existing. Eventually this empire is going to hit a wall that won't crumble, and it'll either have to turn around and go backwards, or smash into it and die.

(Also, the thought of an assassin's laser in the shape of a corporate logo annihilated me lmao)

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[loominggaia]

niittinaatti The Boanningwad could be Native Americans since they were the first to live in that land that got colonized by the dworfs that formed Zareen which is similar to the USA Also the Maskamar could be Sámi

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Ah you're right! Interesting parallels!

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[loominggaia]

Since Disgrace is allowed into the Royal Gala because he used to rule Yerim-Mor, does that mean any former rulers or those related to them can go? Can someone just go "yeah my great something grandma ruled this one city for a while 4726 years ago" and they let them in? Where do they draw the line

Whoever once sat their ass on a Great Kingdom territory's throne, or is directly blood-related to someone who has, is allowed to attend royal galas. Even if they currently don't rule anymore, or their relative rules 1,000 years ago. Even if the territory wasn't considered part of a Great Kingdom at the time, it still counts if it became one later on.

I imagine there is some kind of vetting process to weed out the liars and fakers. The World Athenaeum has records of just about every noble in Gaia's history, so vetters probably look them up in the records to be sure.

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[loominggaia]

(Very dark question inbound) What place on Looming Gaia has the highest suicide rate? And for the reverse, which place on Looming Gaia has the happiest population?

This is kind of a hard thing to measure, because I think certain groups within Great Kingdoms may suffer from these issues more than others. For example, the suicide rates in Evangeline Kingdom are very low for commoners, but very high for fae and gaians.

I would say that overall, the Empire of Damijana has the most deaths by suicide, followed by Zareen Empire, and then Yerim-Mor Kingdom.

In Damijana's case, it's the oppressive work culture, lack of sunlight or natural surroundings, lack of freedom in general, and extreme social pressure that pushes citizens to their limit.

As for Zareen Empire, people are overworked, underpaid, sick and miserable from pollution, and lack purpose in life beyond feeding a capitalist machine.

And Yerim-Mor Kingdom...well, between the Gold River War's aftermath and the Cult of the Crescent's terrorism, it's basically become Hell. The Morites live in extreme poverty and constant terror. They view suicide as a better alternative to being tortured by cultists or starving to death, and I can't say I blame them.

Now, for the happiest kingdoms...

Lamai Nation takes the top spot. Most Lamaish citizens are satisfied with their lives and feel supported by their families/communities. Faith in the local religions are strong, the government is relatively competent, and this kingdom faces very little foreign conflict. Some species don't do very well here and are not happy, but most Lamaish citizens are gorgons, and Lamaish culture revolves around gorgon needs.

In second place is Matuzu Kingdom. While this kingdom is very large and diverse, its holds are all pretty well-funded and social programs are abundant. Its cultural diversity means there is a lot of opportunity, no matter who you are. It's hard to feel "stuck" in Matuzu Kingdom because there are so many paths available to its people. When one path doesn't work out, Matuzans are free to try another.

I think Etios Nation takes third. There is some serious inequality in Etiosi culture, but overall, most of its citizens are satisfied with their simple way of life. Its this simplicity that keeps peoples' heads clear. While the industrial kingdoms are overwhelmed by tons of small anxieties, the Etiosi tend to have bigger but fewer problems in their lives, and much more support from family and community to solve those problems.

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[loominggaia]

Cosas que quiero resaltar:

Nombres de evangeline: los nombres de la familia real de evangeline hacen de una manera u otra, referencia al color azul y a materiales similares. Extra: por un tiempo pensé que azura se llamaba azula

Definición de los dragones: viendo que algunas cosas son consideradas dragones aunque claramente no lo parezca, me recuerda a los dragones de natlan, genshin impact (de esos el que más me parece un dragón es el de agua, el que no me parece dragón es el verde)

Parecidos de personajes: esto lo puse en un comentario algo viejo, pero hay personajes que me recuerdan a otros personajes. Por ejemplo, jaq me recuerda al príncipe Sidón de la leyenda de zelda

(Translated via Google Translator)

Things I want to highlight: Evangeline names: the names of the Evangeline royal family make, in one way or another, a reference to the color blue and similar materials. Bonus: for a while I thought Azura was called Azula. Definition of dragons: seeing that some things are considered dragons even though they clearly don't look like it, it reminds me of the dragons from Natlan, Genshin Impact (of those the one that looks most like a dragon to me is the water one, the one that doesn't look like a dragon to me is the green) Similarities of characters: I put this in a somewhat old comment, but there are characters that remind me of other characters. For example, Jaq reminds me of Prince Sidon from the legend of Zelda.

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Evangeline: You're correct! Indiga's parents were huge nationalists who had so much pride in their kingdom, they named their daughter after its sacred color. Indiga carried this tradition forward with her own children, and those children carried it forward with her grandchildren. I think it'll carry forward for many, many generations.

Dragons: I'm not familiar with Genshin Impact, but I did a quick Google search and I think I see what you mean. They're cute creatures, but some of them don't really look like a traditional dragon. In the World of Looming Gaia, the "dragon" classification is rather arbitrary and differs by culture.

Resemblance: I never notice these until people point them out, but once they do I can never unsee it! Someone also said Azura looked like Disney's princess Jasmine, and now I see it every time I look at her. Someone else once said Isaac resembled Miles Morales from Spiderman. I think if you look hard enough you could compare a lot of Looming Gaia characters to characters from other franchises. I'm always curious to hear what comparisons people draw.

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[loominggaia]

Skylie really seems to be a tad autistic to me, if more high functioning than Blomi of Folkvar. This is from the perspective of me, a clinically diagnosed high functioning autistic who ALSO writes and peruses fanfiction/fantasy incessantly. Seriously, I'm seeing a LOT of me in her. I'm actually making a fanfiction mostly centering on Cyana and her sneaking out, but Skylie (And Lazuline) are major supporting characters! It's on my AO3 of the same name as my Tumblr!

I'll take your experienced word for it! I declare autistic Skylie canon!

---> READ DARKWINGPHOENIX'S FANFIC ON AO3 <---

I just read your fanfiction, and I'm so impressed with the way you utilized the lore! You also characterized Indiga's family very well, they're all behaving pretty much the way I imagined. That little interaction between Cyana and Marine was perfect! I also like the way Cyana and Lazuline confide in eachother. Cyana trusts Lazuline like the mother she wishes she had. Even though they have their sisterly squabbles from time to time, they do share a common enemy: their overbearing parents. This is something they bond over, as they are both hiding secrets from them.

I realize this is only the first chapter but it's already so good, you've got me eager for more!

Here are some relevant lore tidbits that may or may not be useful to you:

-In addition to hand-copying Traditional Lindist texts, Lazuline also recruits the help of literate slaves to do it for her. The work is tedious, but the slaves are eager to do it because these texts are anti-slavery in nature, and spreading them to the public may help guide Evangelite culture in that direction one day. These texts also support women's rights and magic use for non-commoners, which are all things that Modern Lindism opposes.

-At some point, Lazuline's slaves learned to carve stamps out of wood or other scrap materials to make copying the texts faster. Each stamp contains one page of text. Obviously Lazuline must keep these stamps hidden when not in use.

-There are many illiterate people (especially slaves) in Evangeline Kingdom. So, Lazuline also spreads the texts by mouth. She does this by reading Traditional scriptures to groups of goblin slaves, then selling those slaves to masters all over the kingdom. Since goblins never forget anything they learn, they can recite these scriptures to other slaves they encounter while they work.

-Evangelites believe homosexuality is a literal disease that is spread by sexual activity between the same sexes. They believe victims cannot be cured, so they must be executed to contain the spread. However, exceptions are made for minors (in Evangelite culture this means under 16 years of age for humans), who are instead sent to special clinics to "treat" their disease (essentially conversion therapy). Evangelites believe there is a chance to cure the disease while the victim is still young, but once they are adults, it is too late.

Practically, this is meant to serve as a lesson to young gay Evangelites to shape up and pretend to conform, or else. It also offers mercy to children who contracted the disease through no fault of their own, such as in cases of sexual abuse. Less mercy is shown for adult victims, who are expected to "know better" and "protect themselves". Yes, victim-blaming is a rampant issue in this culture...

-Wealthy adults can also wiggle their way out of the death penalty by buying their way into special adult institutions, marketed as "quarantine centers" to keep the homosexual "disease" from spreading. The price is steep and they can never leave, but it does spare them from death. The royal family would certainly take this route with Cyana, and though these institutions offer cushy accommodations fit for the wealthy, the thought of being confined to them forever horrifies Cyana. These places are basically golden cages. Residents are closely monitored and all sexual activity is forbidden. Visitors are allowed, but they are watched the whole time to make sure there is no disease spread going on.

I imagine if Cyana's parents found out she was a lesbian, they would go on a rampage trying to find out who gave her the disease, and a lot of innocent slaves, castle staff, and townsfolk (especially the women Cyana hangs out with) would be executed without trial. I mean, just look at how they treated Saphirra's husbands: all imprisoned for life based on nothing but their daughter's accusations!

This fact alone scares the hell out of Cyana, so she is very careful not to get caught. She knows any woman she dates is in danger just by associating with her, and it plagues her with fear and guilt. This is why she dreams of just fleeing her kingdom entirely one day.

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[loominggaia]

Wait… Zareen has test tube babies? For centuries?!! How common was this? What do they use it for? What is Zareen and the world’s opinion on these test tube babies?

I talked about this more in this other post, but here is some additional info:

Zygrow services are expensive, so it's not something lower classes are doing. However, it's becoming increasingly common for upper classes to have children this way, as fertility rates plunge in the polluted industrial kingdoms and having children the natural way becomes less possible. Currently, Zygrow's services are only available in Zareen Empire.

This technology has been around for so long, most Zareenites are accustomed to it. Culturally, Zygrown babies are seen as superior to naturally-birthed babies (though in reality, there isn't much difference between the two). It's the type of thing parents brag about, because they fell for Zygrow's bullshit marketing. "Our little Johnny is a Zygrow baby! He's much more advanced than those other kids!"

Cut to Johnny, eating paste with the rest of his peers. lol

Outside of Zareen Empire, Zygrow's operations are seen in a more negative light. The Nymph Pact nations generally view it as unnatural and an insult to Gaia, and believe it will have negative consequences on society over time. Even other Industrial nations, like Damijana and Yerim-Mor, are wary of Zygrow's technology and have banned it...at least publicly. (I think these governments secretly commission projects from Zygrow while publicly condemning them...the tech is just too exploitable for these rich ghouls to ignore. Rumor has it that Chieftess Serafeen herself is a Zygrow baby!)

Even in Zareen Empire, Zygrow's operations are strictly regulated. For example, they are not allowed to alter genes of peoples in any way. They just insert sperm and egg into the growth vat and whatever happens, happens. If the result is a deformed or otherwise unhealthy child, so be it. The law prohibits Zygrow from interfering in the way these children grow.

(Though once again, they have secret projects that break this rule, like their "super soldier" program. Some of their customers are privy to this and have bribed Zygrow to edit their children's genes in some way, so there are some genetically-enhanced people roaming Looming Gaia currently, despite the illegality. I will once again reference Chieftess Serafeen...you think her ultra-brilliant mind is natural? Yeah, about as "natural" as Empress Qara's boobs...)

There are less restrictions for animals, and Zygrow has taken advantage of this to create lab-grown meat for the food industry and special war dogs for the military.

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[loominggaia]

...what is zareen growing test tube babies for 😧

Various purposes, some of them nefarious and some benign...

Zareen's territory is so polluted that cancer and other diseases have become a fact of life for its citizens. Fertility rates have taken a sharp dive as a result because everyone's organs are so messed up by the time they reach adulthood. Some men shoot blanks...Zareenite men shoot microplastics.

But the Zareenite tech industry came up with a marketable solution: artificial growth vats! Yes, now you can simply have your eggs and sperm harvested while you're young, freeze them until you're ready to have kids, and then buy a plan with your local Zygrow(tm) service. Your baby will be developed in one of their fancy patented growth vats, rather than your shitty tumor-riddled womb. Great results guaranteed!*

*Great results not guaranteed. Zygrow(tm) is not responsible for injury, death, or strange mutations that may occur during processing. No refunds.

Zareenites use this technology for scientific purposes as well. Peoples aren't the only things they grow; they are also experimenting with the concept of lab-grown animals for the meat industry. The technology isn't perfect and the logistics aren't quite there for large-scale distribution. But if they manage to iron out the kinks, they might be able to have a domestic food industry again and stop throwing so much money at Evangeline Kingdom for imported meat.

Of course, this growth vat technology is used by the military as well. Zareen's unique war dogs are a result of this genetic meddling. These dogs are hulkish abominations that are bred purely for violence, but as a result they are not healthy enough to reproduce on their own. So, they are created in growth vats using harvested eggs and sperm.

Rumor has it that the Zareenite military also uses Zygrow(tm) technology for a secret "super soldier" project, but the government refuses to comment on this...

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[loominggaia]

What are Bozzag's "designer slaves" like?

As a concept, designer slaves are used to show off their master's obscene wealth. Unlike field or house slaves, they rarely get their hands dirty doing menial tasks. Their main purpose is to look flashy and entertain.

As their name suggests, designer slaves are "designed" to look a certain way by breeding/eugenics. Kelvingyard, for example, has an extensive breeding program to produce slaves with specific traits. These offspring sell for much more money than naturally-bred slaves.

Sometimes slaves are bred purely for their looks. Masters who collect designer slaves are looking for the most beautiful, unique, or unusual-looking individuals to add to their collection.

It's often said that the designer slave's job is to just "sit around and look good", but that's not always true. Usually they're taught to play instruments, tell jokes, sing, read books aloud, or perform tricks to entertain guests.

Not all designer slaves are the result of breeding programs. Kelvingyard is known to seek out victims with unusual traits and target them for capture. Philippa is an example with her gigantism, and also Linde with her albinism.

Rich clients often commission Kelvingyard to find them slaves with specific traits they desire. This is what happened to Linde; the client who sent goons after her was specifically looking for albino slaves.

Given Bozzag's obsession with fox fur, I think his designer slaves would all have red hair. It's not even something he does consciously...in his mind he's looking to collect "beautiful" slaves. It just so happens that every slave he finds beautiful has hair in shades of red. (And yes, as you can imagine, he's got a special fixation on red elves in particular...and boy does he have a raging hard-on for Empress Qara Zareen! Hubba hubba!)

I will have an article about Bozzag's family coming up in the future. His son appears in "For Goodness' Sake", but he also has an interesting ex-wife and a daughter who I'd like to introduce later on in the series.

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