#askculture

[loominggaia]

Since in Mogdir they can't have pets or livestock except for bugs can they have service animals or guard animals or stuff like that?

Good question! The Mogdiri are allowed to have "pets" as long as the animal in question is their companion by choice. Mogdiri are not allowed to pen, trap, or otherwise confine an animal unless it's for self-defense. They also can't legally "own" an animal, there are no registries for pets. Buying and selling animals is illegal. They may not be treated as goods/commodities in this kingdom. (Bugs are the exception)

So, if a dog decides it likes you and wants to stay in your house, that's allowed. But grabbing a random dog off the street and keeping it on a chain is a no-no. If the dog wants out, you must set it free by law. And if that dog attacks someone and gets killed in self-defense, there is no legal action you can take because it never "belonged" to you to begin with.

All of this applies to service animals as well. Mogdiri people may not legally keep an animal to serve them, it's considered slavery. But if the animal chooses to serve by its own free will, that's fine.

Mogdiri actually have service bugs instead! Giant Arcadian isopods are a popular choice because they're so docile and trainable. They are strong enough that crippled peoples can ride on their backs, they are smart enough to lead the blind, and they are obedient enough to learn many commands.

They are actually exceptional service critters, so why do you rarely find them outside Mogdir Kingdom? Well, the Mogdiri have a special relationship with bugs. Most foreigners find them too gross and creepy...

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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]

now i want to see a service isopod in a harness-

He is working! Do not pet!

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[loominggaia]

Do the various peoples of LG have significantly different art styles due to their differences in anatomy? If i ask a gorgon to draw/paint a picture of a cat, then ask a human, then a minotaur, what would each of those look like?

That's a very interesting question! I think culture will affect art style a lot, so two trolls from two different ends of Gaia will draw in very different styles, for example. But I do think anatomy is a major factor as well, because some species naturally have better fine motor skills than others.

As a general rule, heavyweight species like trolls, ogres, centaurs, and minotaurs have worse fine motor skills. They were built for bashing and breaking stuff, not arts 'n crafts. The most delicate species tend to have the best fine motor control, like elves, sirenes, and fauns. Humans, goblins, gorgons, etc. lie somewhere in the middle.

Vision is also a factor. Some species have sharper vision, they can see details better, and differentiate between different colors easier than others. Elves have famously excellent vision, while goblins have notoriously terrible vision.

With all these things accounted for, I've come to these conclusions:

Because of their massive hands and poor fine motor control, trolls' art lacks details and is quite abstract as a result. They depict only biggest and most important details in their images while leaving the finer details up to the imagination. Their art is primitive and simplistic. This is also true of ogrish, centauren, and hoggish artwork.

By contrast, elven art is famous for its extremely fine detailwork. You can tell when a picture was drawn by an elven child because they meticulously render every strand of hair and eyelash when drawing people, among other details like clothes and jewelry. Elven children also tend to use more colors when coloring things because they perceive different shades more dramatically than, say, humans do.

Goblin's can't see very well from a distance, so their drawings are often large and abstract, similar to heavyweight art. They have better memories and fine motor control than heavyweights though, so you'll notice cleaner lines, better composition, and more accuracy to real life.

Sirenes are repulsed by ugliness and can hardly bring themselves to render it in their art. Sirene art is notoriously "romanticized" or exaggerated in flattering ways. If they're painting a flower, it will look more vibrant and colorful than real life. It's hard for them to draw portraits accurately because they tend to make the subject more beautiful than they really are.

Those are just some examples. As for drawing a cat, specifically...

Humans generally go for accuracy, gorgons pay more attention to patterns, and minotaurs tend to depict the general idea of something without as much regard to accuracy.

Human:

Gorgon:

Minotaur:

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[loominggaia]

Is Dr. Dreamer a real person or just some sleep medicine mascot?

They're definitely a real person, but I still haven't decided what they're like yet. I think there's potential for a very interesting character here!

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[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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[loominggaia]

(NSFW) Question: Cursed thought but which of the male FGG members are circumcised and which are not?

That's a really interesting question, because it made me think about the prevalence of circumcision on Looming Gaia in general. It's such a bizarre practice in real life, I just can't see it being as prevalent as it is in the real world. In the World of Looming Gaia, I imagine it's a more niche thing that only occurs in some regions, either for medical, practical, or cultural reasons.

In the real world, the practice of circumcision originates mostly from hot regions like Africa, South Asia, South America, and Polynesia. I assume there's some practical reason for that; maybe more sweating leads to more infections, and circumcision prevents more problems down in the road in these cases? I can't find much literature about this, it's just a guess on my part.

I imagine the quality of local medical care can also a big factor on whether people get circumcised or not. Their place in society, their wealth, and their relationship with their family are factors too.

So, with all that taken into account...

Lukas, Balthazaar, and Skel are most likely to be circumcised. All three of them hail from very hot, sweaty regions. They all had rich or middle class upbringings and access to quality medical care. In Lukas' case, it may be a matter of class, that noblemen are circumcised to separate them from the peasants--who don't always have access to such a thing. It's considered a mark of wealth and refinement.

In Balthazaar's case, it's probably a practical matter. The Rodangese are mostly blue collar folk who work outside in arid conditions all day long, and circumcising their boys might prevent skin infections down the road, so it's considered a worthwhile investment.

As for Skel, I imagine it was a practical matter as well. He was a slave boy and his masters believed it would prevent hygiene issues, and therefore less "maintenance" on their part. But also, they may have thought it would tame his sex drive later in life, because they realized he'd be alone with their daughters a lot.

Actually now that I think about it, Skel is probably more than circumcised...there's a pretty good chance he's a eunuch! Obviously the Barhatian royal family wasn't worried about him getting their elven daughters pregnant, but I imagine they'd take some kind of measure to discourage sexual activity between them. In this case, they would have neutered him shortly after puberty--either surgically or chemically, in addition to circumcision.

(Well the joke's on them, because it didn't discourage anything lol. Jasenia obviously had no issues with whatever he had going on down there.)

Javaan and Isaac are also from hot regions, but Javaan's mother had no means to have such a procedure done. As for Karenza...why would she spend so much time and energy lovingly crafting Isaac's body out of clay, only to destroy part of it later? The whole concept of circumcision would go against her values, I think.

Evan was born in such a fragile condition, his family never even considered it. Too risky in his case.

It's an alien concept in Glenvar's culture.

Mr. Ocean doesn't have anything to circumcise.

And Zeffer didn't have access to any legit doctors growing up, only back-alley butchers, so his mother never bothered.

I don't want this post to turn into a big debate about the ethics of circumcision because that's not really what it's about. I'm just explaining my reasoning to the best of my knowledge. Hopefully it makes at least some sense!

TL;DR: Lukas, Balthazaar, and Skel are cut kings. Skel is also a eunuch because it makes more sense and gives him more reason to be salty about the royal family's betrayal. I declare it canon!

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[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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