#askculture

[loominggaia]

How exactly does someone join the cult of the Crescent?

Good question! I think if you're the type of cruel, ruthless person the cult is looking for, you'll just kinda end up there without trying. The Cult of the Crescent has agents everywhere, hiding in plain sight, but they tend to congregate wherever nasty business is happening.

Wherever there is misery and suffering, the Crescent is never far away. Crime dens, riots, disaster zones, slaving and trafficking operations, battlefields, prisons...places like this attract bloodthirsty individuals and Crescent cultists. When the two meet, recruitments happen.

The cult likes to prey on angry, desperate people who have nothing left to lose. People who have no qualms about hurting others and making the world a worse place, people who have lost all hope in life itself. The cult empowers these people to take their anger out on the world and make everyone around them suffer.

Everyone is welcome to join the cult, no matter their species, age, sex, or any other circumstance. There is no discrimination here! But not all who join will thrive; many are filtered out by their own conscience as the cult pushes them to commit worse and worse atrocities.

However, one who takes that first step in may not simply back out, because initiation requires committing an act of terrorism in the Divine of Hate's name. Now you are an enemy of regular society. No kingdom will accept you, but the cult will...so long as you keep terrorizing society. If you refuse, the cult will terrorize you.

The bottom line is, it's best not to engage with these guys at all. If someone reveals themselves as a Crescent cultist, don't even fight, just get the hell away from them. Even the most elite of these guys are just slaves, forced to serve the Divine of Hate.

Everyone who has ever joined this cult regrets it, but they have no power to leave. They gave that up the moment they betrayed society.

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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]

The everyday life of a folkvarian family man

You are an average Folkvaran family man. You wake up before sunrise and see your breath in the air. Horrified, you realize that you slept in for way too long. So, you jump out of bed and scramble to throw more wood in the fireplace before the fire goes out. Whew! Crisis averted. Now your children will not freeze to death or fall sick with plague.

This kingdom is too damn cold to rest!

Speaking of your children, you wake them up and help them get ready for school. There is "only" 6ft of snow outside, so off they go to the bus stop, where they board a covered wagon drawn by yaks. Normally they walk to school, but not in these temperatures.

It's -40f, so you don many layers of your thickest snow gear and head to work at the wood mill. You spend the next 10 hours cutting planks, and then you return home, cold and exhausted with lungs full of wood dust. Your chronic cough is getting worse and you suspect you might have lung disease, but you know your kingdom has signed the Nymph Pact, and so its primitive medical science can do little for you. You sip herbal tea and hope for the best.

One of your kids caught a rabbit on the way home from school. You cook it and eat together as a family. You burn a little piece of the meat to send it up to the stars, because you are a proud Sylvanist.

Right after you put the kids to bed, there is a knock on the door. You see a Folkvaran military officer, who solemnly informs you that your wife died honorably defending her kingdom from the Evangelite menace. Your stomach twists, but you show no emotion. You shed only a single tear, because it isn't proper for Folkvaran men to cry. You must stay strong for your children. They will need you now more than ever.

Your wife was once an Evangelite slave, who escaped her shackles and fled to Folkvar Kingdom to be free. But in order to gain citizenship, she had to either marry a soldier or become one herself for at least 5 years. You offered to quit your job at the mill and take up the sword so she wouldn't have to, but she insisted that she be the one to fight. She wasn't just fighting for Folkvar, she said...she was fighting for herself and everyone in Evangeline's shackles. She had bravely died for what she believed in, and though your heart swells with pride, it also breaks with grief, for she was just a few months shy of earning her citizenship. All your future plans have come crashing down.

You break the news to the children the next day. The little ones cry, but like you, your oldest son refuses to shed tears in front of others. He instead channels his grief into courage, grabs one of his mother's swords, and tells you he will slay a thousand Evangelites in her honor.

You know you cannot stop him, and you don't wish to. Years later he signs up for the military, and you watch him march away towards the setting sun. You cough into your hand. There is blood on your glove.

This kingdom is too damn cold to rest.

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[loominggaia]

Great kingdoms from richest to poorest?

This is another one that's hard to answer, because as I always say, each Great Kingdom contains many different cities/holds within them, and these cities may have great economic disparity between them.

For example, Queenswater and Eastwalk are both Evangelite cities and they are even quite close to eachother geographically. But Queenswater is filthy rich, while Eastwalk struggles with rampant poverty. Places like Queenswater raise the average wealth of Evangeline Kingdom as a whole, while places like Eastwalk bring the score down.

So, if I were to calculate each Great Kingdom's wealth overall, I would rate them from rich to poor like this:

Matuzu Kingdom

Zareen Empire

Empire of Damijana

Mogdir Kingdom

Evangeline Kingdom

Aquarian Alliance

Folkvar Kingdom

Lamai Nation

Seelie Court

Unseelie Court

Etios Nation

Yerim-Mor Kingdom

1-4: Stupid rich.

5-9: Average.

10-12: Struggling.

I will add that a Great Kingdom's wealth in gold doesn't always translate to the amount of power they have. For example, Etios Nation may not have the strongest economy, but it has powerful alliances, a strategic location, and a strong, hardy population that makes it a fearsome contender on the world stage. Unseelie Court doesn't have the best economy either, yet its leader is so fucking crazy and volatile that they can still get what they want most of the time. Every kingdom has its own strategies for pulling power out of their asses, even if they don't have gold in their pockets.

Also, an economic crash isn't always what causes a kingdom to collapse. It wasn't a bad economy that destroyed the Bormek Commonwealth, for example. In fact, their economy was booming for most of the kingdom's life. It was a poorly-conceived war which destroyed this kingdom, as its leaders bit off more than they could chew when they declared war on nature. Nymphs came to nature's defense and killed so many Bormish people so fast, it was actually the sudden population drop that led to Bormek's demise.

One more thing I want to add: this list has fluctuated drastically in the past, and it continues to fluctuate over time. There was a time when Yerim-Mor Kingdom proudly sat at the top of this list, and now they are at the very bottom due to various world events. The World of Looming Gaia is dynamic, meaning it is always changing as the story goes along, so this list might look completely different if we skipped a few years ahead in the timeline. This is just the state of it at this moment.

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[loominggaia]

Considering the racism between gold and silver dwarves, how’s this character concept sound? Dworf uncle ruckus. A fat, ugly, extremely racist silver dworf who’s convinced he’s a gold dworf, but has “revitigo” that makes him silver. He’s always spitting straight up S-teir professional racism towards silvers, hating them to his core. Despite himself being 102% silver (with a 2% margin of error).

I'm always a slut for Boondocks references lol

Truthfully, there are some delusional and self-loathing peoples like this in the Looming Gaia universe. They may not accept the species or race they are, might reject their nationality, or ethnicity, or some other quality about themselves.

Tojum is a character who hated herself for being a kobold. Kobolds are considered the lowliest creatures in Seelie society, so Tojum was taught early on that she was ugly and unworthy of good things. Eventually she escaped that culture and learned to have confidence in herself, but I think that rejection of her own species still lingers within her.

Mr. Ocean also struggles with this. He was mistreated and misunderstood by other cecaelia his whole life, and so he decided that they are all malicious creatures. He's probably the closest thing to an Uncle Ruckus in the series, because he rejects his own species, and on some level he really believes he transformed into a Terrian when he grew legs. He's a very passive and agreeable character in general, but around other cecaelia his whole demeanor changes. He suddenly gets kinda rude and shitty. It's a defense mechanism, I imagine.

Then there is Ginger and Itchy...They both distrust other satyrs, though Ginger isn't as open about this as Itchy is. Itchy will just blatantly say that satyrs are all lazy, thieving, hedonists. Ginger may not say it out loud, but her behavior towards her kind can say it all. Hell, they don't even trust eachother half the time.

Ginger knows it's ignorant and is at least trying to teach her children not to think this way. Itchy, meanwhile, regularly tells his kids not to trust other satyrs because they're "feral scum".

Evan is not ashamed of his species, but he is ashamed of his national heritage as an Evangelite. He goes as far as to reject it, saying he doesn't consider himself an Evangelite even though he was born in Evangeline Kingdom. Instead, he thinks of himself as a "man of Gaia".

Lukas rips on other Matuzans pretty hard, never missing a chance to mention how corrupt/horny/greedy/whatever they are. Then again, he rips on everyone for everything, so...

Those are just some examples I can think of at the moment, I'm sure there are probably more in the series somewhere.

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[loominggaia]

Between Zareen and Damijana, which has the more rigged arcades?

They're both rigged, but I would say Damijana's are a little worse. That's because Zareenite citizens have the freedom to vote, criticize their empire, form groups and protest, and call out bullshit when they see it. They are allowed to vote with their dollars.

This is not the case for the Damijani, who know damn well to keep their mouth shut when they see shenanigans. Damijani are conditioned from birth to never, ever rock the boat. Just keep your head down and brace yourself for a lifetime of unfair bullshit in Damijana...

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[loominggaia]

Do citizens of Damijana and zareen have tvs in their homes

Not usually. Damijana and Zareen Empire are both experiencing a severe energy crisis, and the government responded by imposing huge taxes on luxury electronics such as televisions and videogames.

Rich people can afford these taxes, but most people cannot, so the average citizen has to go to a public place to enjoy these things. Luckily TVs and arcades are everywhere in commercial spaces: theatres, bars, arcades, and so on.

If you want to watch a specific movie or show, you pay a fee at the theatre. If you just want to catch a random sports game or whatever, hang out at the bar. Arcades have different payment models; some let you pay a flat entry fee and let you play as many games as you want for X hours, while others are pay-per-game.

I wrote more about this in another post <----

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[loominggaia]

kind of a late ask by now, but are there any April fools equivalent holidays in LG?

There is a holiday called the Day of Deceit that originates from Zareen Empire, but has spread to other cultures in recent times. It's mostly commoner communities that celebrate this, but some gaians participate as well.

On this day, commoners celebrate their ability to lie by refusing to let a single truth pass their lips for the next 24 hours. This leads to a lot of silliness, confusion, and sometimes disaster.

As you can imagine, most fae find this day very annoying...

This holiday is most popular among commoners in Zareen Empire and Evangeline Kingdom, but you may find random communities celebrating it worldwide.

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[loominggaia]

You say In the odazi part of the human article that the obelisk that they built became the centerpiece of settlements so any of these settlements still exist and prosper?

Yes! Duali and Edelrhun are such places. There are also many smaller settlements that don't appear on the map, and so they are still unnamed in the series. They appear as villages, either compact or sprawling, in a radial formation around a central obelisk.

The obelisk towers high above all the other buildings and can be seen from far away. They are made from stone, usually polished to reflect light, or lit with a flame or magical glowing orb at the top. These measures increase visibility.

There are no roads out in the Serkel Desert because they quickly get covered in the shifting sands. Instead, it's these massive obelisks that help travelers find their way around. These constructs helped Yerim-Mor Kingdom ascend as a world power, as they opened reliable trade lines in regions where it wasn't possible before.

Today, those trade lines are plagued by bandits and Crescent Cultists...but that's a whole other story.

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[loominggaia]

What are Lamai’s Dark Shaman’s like? Are they just your typical necromancers, or is there something particularly unique about them as a group/people? Do they worship Necrom instead of the typical Vermism, making them heretics?

In Lamai Nation, I imagine the term "dark shaman" is a general term that means "mage who uses forbidden magic". Some spells are illegal to cast in this kingdom. For example, lobbing a hazard spell at someone, using telepathy to alter someone's free will, or any form of necromancy.

Necromancy is a hot topic in particular, especially in Lamai Nation. Raising zombies or otherwise tampering with the dead is illegal and considered very taboo here, yet it's still a rampant problem in this region.

There are secret networks of necromancers in Lamai Nation, and yes, many of them are operating in the name of Necrom. This kingdom's unique attitude towards corpses kind of feeds into this problem.

Dead bodies are not cremated here--in fact, the notion is considered offensive in Lamaish culture. Instead, they are recycled by specialists, who take the bodies apart and make things out of the skin, bones, organs, etc. for a fee.

Sometimes these specialists are in cahoots with dark shaman cults. Instead of recycling the bodies, they just sell them to the shamans, who practice their dark rituals on them. This usually happens to the bodies of unloved Lamaish people, who have no families or friends to claim their recycled parts, or whose families are too poor to pay for the recycling service. In these cases, the body-recyclers do the service free of charge, but keeps all the harvested materials and sells them for profit.

Or, like I said, they sell the whole body to the dark shamans, which is easier and more profitable.

Strangely, death is one of Lamai Nation's biggest industries. There is a whole facet of the economy built around the death of its citizens and the rituals around it. One side of this economy is legit and performed by licensed shamans, but the shadier side is performed in secret by their dark, unlicensed counterparts.

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[loominggaia]

What is your favourite kingdom? You can also rank them.

There are things I like and dislike about every Great Kingdom, so I don't think I can choose one favorite or rank them properly. But what I can do is talk about my favorite thing about each one.

Folkvar: Inspirational history...this kingdom was founded by oppressed people who finally had enough and broke free of their shackles.

Matuzu: Diversity of people and places...Whatever you're looking for, you can find it here.

Lamai: Unique culture...there is nowhere else even remotely like it on Looming Gaia.

Yerim-Mor: Interesting history...This kingdom is very old, and a lot of history's wildest events took place in its borders.

Zareen: Wacky over-the-top people...you can never be bored in this empire, because something bizarre is going on everywhere you look.

Evangeline: Reverence for nature...they may not respect their fellow peoples, but at least they respect the environment.

Mogdir: Enchanted garden aesthetic...the megaflora and all the giant bugs makes you feel like a bug yourself.

Etios: Primitive yet effective approach to life...No pointless redundancy or bureaucratic spaghetti in these parts! They just use common sense and get shit done!

Damijana: Unique technology...the blend of magic and machine exposes all kinds of interesting concepts that aren't possible elsewhere.

Seelie: Interesting and and mysterious leader...exactly who is Titania? What's her angle? We just don't know, and most likely, neither does she.

Unseelie: Gothic aesthetic and chaotic culture...you never know what kind of crazy stuff is gonna go down in this land of lax laws, but that's what keeps things interesting!

Alliance: Noble cause...the Alliance banded together to fight against a great injustice done to them by the Terrians. Their demands are perfectly reasonable, although their actions are a little, um, overzealous at times.

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[loominggaia]

I wonder how demons do all this stuff without getting caught? Do they ever get arrested? Also where do they live?

Oh, they do get caught. A lot. Technically demons have a 30-year lifespan once they reach adulthood, but most of them get slain by monster hunters long before they can die of old age.

Some demons can survive for many years before getting caught though. Most of this comes down to sheer luck, but a sharp wit doesn't hurt.

A demon's victim(s) will often house them and help them hide from authorities. It's not uncommon for their parents to do the same for them, even after they have transformed from children to demons. Their parents may still love them and fear for their safety.

But if not, then demons will find some place to hide during the day and only tend to come out at night, when it's dark and there are less people out. During the day they stuff themselves in alleys, crawlspaces, crevices, treetops, rooftops, barns, basically anywhere they'll fit. Their wings help them reach obscure places that peoples can't easily get to, so their hideout may remain unnoticed for a long time.

Demons are most common in big cities because the more people there are, the more potential prey they have. They are seldom seen in small towns, unless they're just passing through or temporarily hiding from the law or something.

Also, many people see demons out in public but don't bother reporting them, even in jurisdictions where demons are not allowed. Because by the time someone finds an officer and calls them over, the demon has already spread its wings and fled far away. These monsters are sneaky, quick, and highly evasive. This makes them a real pain in the ass to police, so law enforcement tends to leave them alone unless they're actively causing a problem.

A random demon playing darts in a tavern? All but the most uptight law officers will ignore this. A demon harassing people in the tavern for sex, or cursing people, or getting in fights? Okay, now that's hard to ignore. If an officer doesn't slay this demon first, some of the townsfolk probably will.

It might seem like demons are just galivanting around without a care, but actually they live very short, dangerous, and fast-paced lives.

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[loominggaia]

razzek Hahaha! I get the feeling there are at least a few brothels (or they look like brothels) run by very well fed demons. XD

This is true, a lot of demons work in the sex industry and it can be very lucrative for them! Maybe not legally, but they can earn income under the table this way (in most Great Kingdoms it's illegal to hire monsters. Often it's illegal for monsters to be in kingdom territory at all!)

What typically happens is the brothel owner hires a demon prostitute and charges customers to have sex with them. The demon gets free "food" and boarding from their job, and in return, promises not to curse these customers even if they have a bad time.

The demon may or may not get some money from this. Usually I think the owner takes all the money and the demon just works for "food" (sex) and housing. This is one way demons can get by in Great Kingdom territory.

However, outside the Great Kingdoms (like Taybiya for example), it's possible for demons to own their own businesses, including brothels. The odds would be against them, but it would not be impossible. Some may work for themselves and keep all the rewards of their hard labor.

In the Looming Gaia series, there is a demon named Iriana who worked at Mr. Sarfeesha's brothel. He kept all the money she made, but gave her housing and protection in return.

SPOILERS BELOW

v

Iriana didn't like this arrangement though, she wanted the money too. She eventually plotted against Mr. Sarfeesha with his business partner, Adel, and they killed him to get the inheritance from his will. The cherry on top of this scummy cake? They stole Itchy's part of the inheritance too...

Anyway the point is, not all demons are satisfied with sex alone. Some desire money, their own house, and all the same rights and rewards the peoples get. And honestly, who can blame them for that?

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[loominggaia]

If Fey can't tell lies, can they become actors?

Yep! A fae's inability to lie is purely psychological. They can play a character in an act, so long as everyone involved is aware that it's an act. They cannot purposefully deceive others with untruths, their brains won't let them.

An act may require a fae to say things that aren't true, like "I was born in Duali". Maybe they weren't really born in Duali, but the character they're playing was, so in this case the fae is not telling a lie.

A fae can't just stroll into a random situation and pretend to be someone they're not, making false statements that only apply to their character and not them. They have to be aware that others are aware that they're pretending.

They may make a statement like, "I'm getting into character" before playing their part. But I think in the context of a film set or stage play, this goes without saying. Everyone knows that they're acting, so the fae is free to play their character without hassle.

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