#topic: windarian culture

[symphonicsoul]

what's something small or mundane to others that's very important in your culture? also, is there anything that surprised you about windaria's? what about wonderland's?

A hand raises to gently press against the colored band that wrap around his neck and a sad smile stretches across thin lips.

"This band is more than just decoration. All members of the Kingdom wore one in varying colors and no two bands were the same. They are our Sielun Värit and they are a reflection of the colors of our souls. I think in human terms you could equate them to identification.

Misterican bodies do not remain when we die. There is nothing left behind to bury and we do not return to the soil as all other life does because we are no born of it. From the Skies we are born and to the Skies we return.

This band is the only thing that is left behind. Proof of existence, if you will. It is how we know that a loved one has been lost and their Mist dispersed back to the heavens from whence we came. It looks as thought it be merely decorative, an accessory to most but to us - it was the proof of life. To lose it was exile and lost of your very identity.

To us, our Sielun Värit was everything."

His hand falls away as he thinks upon the rest of the question. There were many little innocuous things about Windaria's culture that made it what it was but he doesn't know where to begin with them.

"I suppose as an outsider looking in, in a similar sense one could say the same thing about the markings on many Windarian's faces. They appear decorative in nature too but as I lived there, I came to learn that they are symbol of military ranking. Black Wind was that of a Major if I am remembering correctly.

What I can remember vividly is his complete refusal to go any higher in the ranking because he had to desire to become more involved in the government. "

There is a shift and a sigh as he thinks. Wonderland is a situation that is very much different with extremely different circumstances that are hard to explain. Even more so because of all the years he's lived here - nearly two decades at this point - he has still hardly seen any of it with his own two eyes. His time here has been more Chaotic than he cares for.

"Wonderland however, is, different. I struggle to pin point a singular thing because there isn't a singular culture. It is a culmination of many cultures being forced to coexist with one another by a higher being. There aren't many themes that run fluidly through Wonderland from one culture to the next.

If anything the one thing I can offer is we are all lost. Everyone who is here has lost something or someone. Our homes. Our family. Our lives. Wonderland's people is as fractured as it's terrain is. So it's hard to pin point a single thing. These are Chaotic lands and we're all just trying to survive them."

[symphonicsoul]

Headcanon: The Tuliase Kielto 

The Tuliase Kielto, in other words, was Misterica’s mass prohibition on the use of firearms and that’s just what it means. “Firearm Prohibition.”  Firearms, while invented and put into use at one time by the Misterican people, were banned outright when it was found they were being used in ways that could be considered torturous and the amount of damage they could cause to one’s hearing. 

Windaria, locked in a never ending feud with the Mistericas were the people to invent and employ the use of these weapons first. Misterica, adopted the technology in kind as to not allow their enemy to gain an advantage against them. It was a rolling bolder of events that lead to bigger and more deadly weapons, which in turn meant bigger and more deadly explosions. 

The nature of an explosion of any kind can be quite damaging to someone of Misterican descent due to the damage it inflicts upon their hearing. They’re capable of blowing out a person’s hearing entirely and many Mistericans were deafened in both battle against the Windaran’s and the process of their own inventions.  

Other problems came along with firearms beyond the deafening and torturous sounds they created. The smoke they let off from their explosive rounds were damaging to Misterican lungs and a shot from one of them to the chest at any place meant for a torturous and painful death for the one who was unfortunate enough to receive it.  The more Mistericans dove into the technology the more they found themselves piling up their own causalities if anything from pure accident. 

It had seemed that the Windarians had found the perfect weapon to use against them. They’d found a weapon they could not implore themselves if only because in doing so it destroyed their hearing and polluted their lungs. Firearms of all types were considered a torturous device by Misterica and their use was banned outright through the populace 

Because of this development in Windarian armaments, the Mistericans explored how to better combat the threat. Thus they poured their own research and development into their sumunaamio (mist mask) to not just filter their Mist from their breath before it entered the air but also to protect their hearing as well. Mistercia also developed a two way filter within their masks, that both filters their own mist from their breath so it does not get into the air unless they want it to and a filter that works to purify smoke and any other hazardous fumes from the air to prevent them from reaching Misterican lungs.

The Religious Council deemed such weaponry both barbaric and demonic. They declared it a mark of Bahamut’s followers to use such torturous devices. The Royal Knights and the Misterican Military have been trained to deal with such weapons and they were all forced to take an oath not to use them upon their enlistment. Some mercenaries and independent agents however will still resort to their use from time to time but for a Misterican to be found with a firearm in their possession it is a hefty price to be paid.

[symphonicsoul]

A Prince’s Thoughts || Always Accepting

@lady-quen​ asked:

💭 + firearms

“I have nothing good to say about those barbaric cannons. Even if they are my counterpart’s weapon of choice. I still despise them. His entire species had those damnable things as their go to weapon and I can do nothing more than loathe them. They are nothing but a mark of death for my people. 

Why would I have something positive to say about something that strips us of our senses and poisons our lungs? Too many good Mistericans lost their lives to those things. Too many more were severely injured. They spell destruction and nothing more. They are hardly a tool for self defense when all they can be used for is destruction and domination. They are a dominator’s weapon.  

I hate them.  I will never change my mind on them either. I will never understand why the powers before use choose to fashion Bahamut’s vessel in that of a golden cannon when there were so many less brutal options. 

I despise firearms and that includes Orthrus. That horrible thing is the one I hate the most quite frankly. It is Black Wind’s trusty second and it tears through flesh and bone alike with little care. It only destroys whatever it comes in contact with. Including my hearing.  Should I be fool enough to remain on a battlefield with that wolf howling for too long, even with my ears shielded by my mask, my head will still be left searing in pain afterwards. 

The number of ... what did Cid call them again - ...hold on give me a moment - Ah yes - Migraines.  The number of migraines I have now has increased at least ten fold and their duration has only extended. You need to understand that a gunshot causes a massive influx of vibrations in the air space and while most creatures cannot hear those vibrations, we Mistericans,  can. 

Every time that beast fires it sounds like a miniature war crying overhead. It’s nauseating. I cannot count the number of times I have been left feeling dizzy after a battle because of that damnable thing. I don’t care if it is Black Wind’s only line of defense. 

He wouldn’t need to use it so much if he’d just learn to rely on me. To trust me.  That’s a subject that’s neither here nor there for this conversation however. Long story short,  The Tuliase Kielto has nothing to do with my vehement hatred of those wretched tools. It has everything to do with the massive medical backlash I suffer from contact with them as a Misterican and my counterpart’s consistent negligence to give a damn about it when using it in my presence.”  

[symphonicsoul]

[ @kazeofthemagun​ ] 

"Hey, Makenshi." Yu was the one who approached this time, curiosity in hazel eyes. The time was peaceful and the young boy decided to spend some time with the Misterican prince. "So, uh, I've been wondering about your summon spirits. We've seen Mister summon plenty of times but when I asked him if he could show us his other spirits just now, he said he won't because it's a sacred technique."

He smiled somewhat sheepishly. "He did not go into further detail than that." The younger Hayakawa's sight sought the ground. "I hope I didn't insult him with the question.."

His eyes lingered on his feet for a moment before dark browns met jade green again. "How about you? We've only seen you summon a few times and your method is very different than Kaze's. I think it's a very beautiful one.."

The kid's gaze lit up with pure wonder and admiration before recited his request on a singular breath. "C-can you show us your dragon up close o-or is that inconsiderate to ask?"

The prince listens as he sets, floating in midair as he does sometimes as the younger of the Hayakawa pair approaches. He’s not surprised when he hears of how Black Wind reacted to such a request. There is much the child does not understand of Windarian culture and he can hardly blame the boy. There was much he did not understand himself but came to learn in his time living in deep in the forest with them when  he had no where else to go. 

“He did, did he? That sounds about right. Black Wind isn’t incorrect when he says it’s a sacred one. You need to understand Windarian customs to better understand Black Wind and his summons, Yu.  He might not remember most things but he remembers his people and his home and he takes them very seriously. The Windarians were a prideful warrior people. They take these kinds of things quite seriously. 

I don’t think you insulted him, so don’t worry too much about that. However, make sure you show the soil more respect in the future. Do you understand what Soil is? You saw them didn’t you? Each color is a crystalized soul of someone who’s passed on. They’re given a second life through the Soil, and using them to summon frivolously would be quite disrespectful. He’s not being rude, he just has poor communication skills. 

It’s not your fault Yu, he’s always been like that.” 

He’s shifting himself around he explains, listening as the topic is shifted from Black Wind to himself.  His own summons. Different he says? Well of course they are. 

“Of course they are, we’re very different people. The Windarians have always been the polar opposite of we, Mistericans. So it’s only natural that Black Wind’s summons and methods are different from my own. I can explain it to you but I can’t show you. It’s not inconsiderate at all, I’m quite honored you’re so interested in my dragons but I can’t summon them just to do so. It’s quite draining you see.

Where Black Wind’s summons rely on the Soil of those who have passed, mine rely on the Mist of the living. More specifically, my own. My dragons are an extension of myself there for they are fueled by my own energy to be brought to life. They are created from my breath Yu. The breathe of life itself lives within my lungs.  That is Mist. The very breath of life. While I am capable of summoning Sword Dragon for any reason, they function on my intent and are powered by my life force. 

So it is quite draining to do so I’m sorry, but you understand, yes?”