FA+
Shop
Viali Culture and Society
7 years ago
Here I am again with another post longer than a Viali's neck.
In all seriousness though, this post outlines the current general concepts and ideas surrounding Viali culture and society. Most things are subject to change or tweaks, but the gist of everything is pretty much settled and as you see here.
Without further ado, here are some descriptions of a handful of major areas in Viali culture and society:
Living styles:
Most Viali live in small packs in tents, either on their own or in small villages with others. A large group of Viali live in permanent cities dotted around Ryjira, where they live in residential buildings among other Viali. Each pack gets their own living space and nest. Individuals not in a pack also have their own homes, just smaller to accommodate only one Viali.
The Viali are split between nomadic groups, and sedentary groups. Nomads are usually found in tent living styles, while sedentary are found in cities. There do exist permanent and semi-permanent tent villages however, as well as temporary colonies on other planets.
General Ethics:
Harming another Viali in any way is seen as ethically bad, unless the other Viali has intent to do harm to other Viali. e.g. performing murder or ransacking a nest. Stealing from another Viali, or another nest is ethically bad, as well as any thievery. Forcing information from an individual through invasive means is seen as taboo. Privacy is seen only as important in privacy of the mind, otherwise privacy is not as important in Viali culture as it is, say, for humans. Privacy of the mind is seen as a right to all Viali. Unwarranted violence in their culture is seen as morally and ethically bad. Violence in defense of themselves and defense of the species, however, is seen as necessary, if it comes down to it.
Sexual Ethics:
Being seen naked is akin to seeing a human wearing casual clothing. Wearing anything is considered more formal, or seen as a uniform for a specific identification or otherwise. Seeing one’s cloaca in public isn’t seen as a taboo or a negative thing, and among a nest, sexual activity with those in your pack isn’t taboo, nor unheard of in Viali society. Sexual activity in public is generally accepted to be socially fine - other Viali usually leave the couple to their activities. Sexual behavior is only seen as ethically bad in public if the activity is unwarranted, forced through physical violence, or otherwise done in a professional or political environment where inter-species foreign affairs and such are performed. In general, sexual activity in public is a semi-rare occurrence.
Bearing a child in Viali society is a group-effort more often than not if the parents are in a pack. Viali children learn and grow up quickly, and it is not taboo for seemingly younger Viali to be introduced to sexual behaviors, or if they discover them on their own, it is encouraged for them to continue being curious, but know their social limits in that regard.
Entertainment:
Viali entertain themselves with music, art, games in AR, VR, and more. There are Viali artists, musicians, designers, gamers, and etcetera. Most entertainment is done in a VR environment, or through AR, depending on what they want to do. They do have physical instruments for music, and art supplies and tools for those who want to create in the physical world. Sports and competitive games are unheard of in Viali society.
Food:
Viali harvest meat from local fauna, and plant materials from local flora. They are omnivorous, and their diet consists of mainly prepared plant leaves, other plant foodstuffs, cooked and prepared meats, and similar. Their dishes are hearty, flavorful, sometimes strong, and filling, but these traits ultimately depend on the food being prepared. Viali eat on average three meals a day, with an average of 8 hours between meals.
Meats are collected through both hunting animals, and growing the meat artificially using animal genetics as a base. In larger communities, grown meat is more common then hunted meat, due to its ease of production and ability to feed many mouths without depleting resources. Nomadic and tent-based communities that are smaller rely more on hunting animals over grown meat. Hunters that hunt for food or sport are usually equipped with a bow and/or sword or ranged weapon, and either gather the meat for their own consumption, or hand it to the public vendors for delivery to a wider degree of Viali, as a delicacy or otherwise.
Plants are primarily grown in ammoniponic (an analogue to hydroponic) or aeroponic systems, which allows for plants to be grown indoors and in a controlled environment. Most plants on Ryjira are stout and bioluminescent, which also act as a light source for structures if the plant is decorative.
Social structure:
Viali society is generally classless, but some subtle class references exist. Some Viali are hunters, others are researchers, and some others even still are explorers, and so on. Common fields a Viali can work under are: hunting, researching, exploration and documentation of new locations or planets, supply distributors, foreign exchange specialists, Inviolate defense soldier, and more. The three most common areas of work are: hunting, research, and exploration. Since the Viali are post-labor and post-scarcity, all work is done through volunteering, or AI. If a Viali just wants to live their life doing what they please, they can do so without consequence.
Government:
The Viali don’t have a defined central governing body, but rather they are split into clans. Clans are the largest category of Viali grouping, which consist of self-governing unions of Viali packs which work together to better the clan as a whole in some way or another, even if that means just going under one name. There does exist one higher rank than clans - the Viali Ecliptic - of which oversee the largest clan’s actions and make sure everyone is doing fine, but the Ecliptic isn’t seen as a central authority. The Ecliptic’s primary goal is to provide a central name for Viali government and the Viali as a whole to foreign bodies. The Crest, the highest officials in the Ecliptic, act as spokespeople and diplomats for foreign affairs in relation to the Viali, and hold no inherent power over Viali society that other governing bodies don’t already have.
Religion and Beliefs:
The Viali as a whole don’t follow any religion or organized belief, but they do feel being close to each other and being close to the planet is essential to their well-being and continued existence. They do not believe in a higher being necessarily, but they won’t rule out the possibility of reality being a simulation, or under the control of some higher order they are unaware of, due to there being no solid evidence to any of it so far, being unfalsifiable, as well as other theories. Their society is highly science-based, due to the Enchiridion’s presence and impact on them.
Foreign Affairs:
The Viali try to be as friendly as they can be to outside visiting species. Having a good reputation to them is a large part in also keeping them well defended. They don’t readily form alliances with other civilizations, as they prefer to remain on their own accord, but they will if they must. They are, to a degree, isolationists as a species, due to their paranoia of being attacked, or taken over.
Military:
Viali military affairs are all conducted through the Inviolate, their name for the military and the clan that does all military actions. Viali individuals can volunteer as Inviolate soldiers, and other military positions as required, and they keep Ryjira, and the Viali as a whole, safe. Military actions outside the Inviolate are rare, unless it is self-defense, or from a smaller clan’s military branch. The Inviolate act as a protectorate for the Viali, and most notably Ryjira and its main city, Stryatus. They have a chain of command that is highly organized and deployable, ready to send troops and armaments wherever and whenever they may be needed.
Traditions:
Viali tradition stems from their unity with each other, and their unity with Ryjira. They feel a connection between each other helps better establish themselves as individuals, and as a species. In their primitive times, the Viali slept together in one place to preserve warmth and stay together and unified. This tradition largely persists in that Viali packs all sleep in one large bedded area in the floor - the pack’s nest. They also traditionally have worn flowing, unrestrictive, open clothing - and they still do - just made from modern materials and using modern designs. They have never been a species to really hide themselves, as they see beauty in all things, and they have always been fond of their colorful selves, so in modern times, this tradition persists in the fact that nudity is seen everywhere more often than not; they have nothing to hide and see it as something that helps keep them all bound together more tightly.
Rituals:
Viali have day-to-day rituals, including a typical three-meals a day, nighttime hugs to their pack-mates before bed, individual and group-oriented feather preening and bathing, as well as affectionate rituals like a Viali giving flowers to one they love, showing affection through kissing, or a Viali giving another one of their large tail feathers as a gift of companionship. They also celebrate certain days as holidays, including the Day of Discovery, marking the day when they found the Enchiridion on Ris.
Economy:
The Viali don’t have a central currency when trading items. Instead, because of their society being post-scarcity, items are more-so shared between Viali versus traded. Inter-species trading is done with a combination of items and a special 3D printer-usable material. This printer material doubles as a currency and usable material to the Viali when conducting inter-species trade. The material itself, to them, has no material worth and is manufactured freely for use and production.
Kinship structure:
The Viali’s analogue to a family is their pack. Even then, they do things in their packs that are intimate and very close. All Viali in their packs bond closely with one another, and all individuals in a pack end up knowing all other individuals in the pack very well, on average. Inter-pack activities and affairs is relatively common. Two Viali coming together as a couple is a common sight, but it isn’t taboo for a Viali to be in close relations with more than one Viali at a time. It’s actually fairly rare for a Viali to only be in intimate relations with just one other Viali. These things are socially accepted due to the Viali’s ability to innately control pregnancy. All Viali have two parents, but the actions between children and parents are also loosely bound, similar to the bounds of a Viali and their pack members. It is very common for a whole pack to raise a Viali child hatched from its pack members. Parental/kin relations are loose between Viali, but that doesn’t diminish the affection they all have for one another.
In all seriousness though, this post outlines the current general concepts and ideas surrounding Viali culture and society. Most things are subject to change or tweaks, but the gist of everything is pretty much settled and as you see here.
Without further ado, here are some descriptions of a handful of major areas in Viali culture and society:
Living styles:
Most Viali live in small packs in tents, either on their own or in small villages with others. A large group of Viali live in permanent cities dotted around Ryjira, where they live in residential buildings among other Viali. Each pack gets their own living space and nest. Individuals not in a pack also have their own homes, just smaller to accommodate only one Viali.
The Viali are split between nomadic groups, and sedentary groups. Nomads are usually found in tent living styles, while sedentary are found in cities. There do exist permanent and semi-permanent tent villages however, as well as temporary colonies on other planets.
General Ethics:
Harming another Viali in any way is seen as ethically bad, unless the other Viali has intent to do harm to other Viali. e.g. performing murder or ransacking a nest. Stealing from another Viali, or another nest is ethically bad, as well as any thievery. Forcing information from an individual through invasive means is seen as taboo. Privacy is seen only as important in privacy of the mind, otherwise privacy is not as important in Viali culture as it is, say, for humans. Privacy of the mind is seen as a right to all Viali. Unwarranted violence in their culture is seen as morally and ethically bad. Violence in defense of themselves and defense of the species, however, is seen as necessary, if it comes down to it.
Sexual Ethics:
Being seen naked is akin to seeing a human wearing casual clothing. Wearing anything is considered more formal, or seen as a uniform for a specific identification or otherwise. Seeing one’s cloaca in public isn’t seen as a taboo or a negative thing, and among a nest, sexual activity with those in your pack isn’t taboo, nor unheard of in Viali society. Sexual activity in public is generally accepted to be socially fine - other Viali usually leave the couple to their activities. Sexual behavior is only seen as ethically bad in public if the activity is unwarranted, forced through physical violence, or otherwise done in a professional or political environment where inter-species foreign affairs and such are performed. In general, sexual activity in public is a semi-rare occurrence.
Bearing a child in Viali society is a group-effort more often than not if the parents are in a pack. Viali children learn and grow up quickly, and it is not taboo for seemingly younger Viali to be introduced to sexual behaviors, or if they discover them on their own, it is encouraged for them to continue being curious, but know their social limits in that regard.
Entertainment:
Viali entertain themselves with music, art, games in AR, VR, and more. There are Viali artists, musicians, designers, gamers, and etcetera. Most entertainment is done in a VR environment, or through AR, depending on what they want to do. They do have physical instruments for music, and art supplies and tools for those who want to create in the physical world. Sports and competitive games are unheard of in Viali society.
Food:
Viali harvest meat from local fauna, and plant materials from local flora. They are omnivorous, and their diet consists of mainly prepared plant leaves, other plant foodstuffs, cooked and prepared meats, and similar. Their dishes are hearty, flavorful, sometimes strong, and filling, but these traits ultimately depend on the food being prepared. Viali eat on average three meals a day, with an average of 8 hours between meals.
Meats are collected through both hunting animals, and growing the meat artificially using animal genetics as a base. In larger communities, grown meat is more common then hunted meat, due to its ease of production and ability to feed many mouths without depleting resources. Nomadic and tent-based communities that are smaller rely more on hunting animals over grown meat. Hunters that hunt for food or sport are usually equipped with a bow and/or sword or ranged weapon, and either gather the meat for their own consumption, or hand it to the public vendors for delivery to a wider degree of Viali, as a delicacy or otherwise.
Plants are primarily grown in ammoniponic (an analogue to hydroponic) or aeroponic systems, which allows for plants to be grown indoors and in a controlled environment. Most plants on Ryjira are stout and bioluminescent, which also act as a light source for structures if the plant is decorative.
Social structure:
Viali society is generally classless, but some subtle class references exist. Some Viali are hunters, others are researchers, and some others even still are explorers, and so on. Common fields a Viali can work under are: hunting, researching, exploration and documentation of new locations or planets, supply distributors, foreign exchange specialists, Inviolate defense soldier, and more. The three most common areas of work are: hunting, research, and exploration. Since the Viali are post-labor and post-scarcity, all work is done through volunteering, or AI. If a Viali just wants to live their life doing what they please, they can do so without consequence.
Government:
The Viali don’t have a defined central governing body, but rather they are split into clans. Clans are the largest category of Viali grouping, which consist of self-governing unions of Viali packs which work together to better the clan as a whole in some way or another, even if that means just going under one name. There does exist one higher rank than clans - the Viali Ecliptic - of which oversee the largest clan’s actions and make sure everyone is doing fine, but the Ecliptic isn’t seen as a central authority. The Ecliptic’s primary goal is to provide a central name for Viali government and the Viali as a whole to foreign bodies. The Crest, the highest officials in the Ecliptic, act as spokespeople and diplomats for foreign affairs in relation to the Viali, and hold no inherent power over Viali society that other governing bodies don’t already have.
Religion and Beliefs:
The Viali as a whole don’t follow any religion or organized belief, but they do feel being close to each other and being close to the planet is essential to their well-being and continued existence. They do not believe in a higher being necessarily, but they won’t rule out the possibility of reality being a simulation, or under the control of some higher order they are unaware of, due to there being no solid evidence to any of it so far, being unfalsifiable, as well as other theories. Their society is highly science-based, due to the Enchiridion’s presence and impact on them.
Foreign Affairs:
The Viali try to be as friendly as they can be to outside visiting species. Having a good reputation to them is a large part in also keeping them well defended. They don’t readily form alliances with other civilizations, as they prefer to remain on their own accord, but they will if they must. They are, to a degree, isolationists as a species, due to their paranoia of being attacked, or taken over.
Military:
Viali military affairs are all conducted through the Inviolate, their name for the military and the clan that does all military actions. Viali individuals can volunteer as Inviolate soldiers, and other military positions as required, and they keep Ryjira, and the Viali as a whole, safe. Military actions outside the Inviolate are rare, unless it is self-defense, or from a smaller clan’s military branch. The Inviolate act as a protectorate for the Viali, and most notably Ryjira and its main city, Stryatus. They have a chain of command that is highly organized and deployable, ready to send troops and armaments wherever and whenever they may be needed.
Traditions:
Viali tradition stems from their unity with each other, and their unity with Ryjira. They feel a connection between each other helps better establish themselves as individuals, and as a species. In their primitive times, the Viali slept together in one place to preserve warmth and stay together and unified. This tradition largely persists in that Viali packs all sleep in one large bedded area in the floor - the pack’s nest. They also traditionally have worn flowing, unrestrictive, open clothing - and they still do - just made from modern materials and using modern designs. They have never been a species to really hide themselves, as they see beauty in all things, and they have always been fond of their colorful selves, so in modern times, this tradition persists in the fact that nudity is seen everywhere more often than not; they have nothing to hide and see it as something that helps keep them all bound together more tightly.
Rituals:
Viali have day-to-day rituals, including a typical three-meals a day, nighttime hugs to their pack-mates before bed, individual and group-oriented feather preening and bathing, as well as affectionate rituals like a Viali giving flowers to one they love, showing affection through kissing, or a Viali giving another one of their large tail feathers as a gift of companionship. They also celebrate certain days as holidays, including the Day of Discovery, marking the day when they found the Enchiridion on Ris.
Economy:
The Viali don’t have a central currency when trading items. Instead, because of their society being post-scarcity, items are more-so shared between Viali versus traded. Inter-species trading is done with a combination of items and a special 3D printer-usable material. This printer material doubles as a currency and usable material to the Viali when conducting inter-species trade. The material itself, to them, has no material worth and is manufactured freely for use and production.
Kinship structure:
The Viali’s analogue to a family is their pack. Even then, they do things in their packs that are intimate and very close. All Viali in their packs bond closely with one another, and all individuals in a pack end up knowing all other individuals in the pack very well, on average. Inter-pack activities and affairs is relatively common. Two Viali coming together as a couple is a common sight, but it isn’t taboo for a Viali to be in close relations with more than one Viali at a time. It’s actually fairly rare for a Viali to only be in intimate relations with just one other Viali. These things are socially accepted due to the Viali’s ability to innately control pregnancy. All Viali have two parents, but the actions between children and parents are also loosely bound, similar to the bounds of a Viali and their pack members. It is very common for a whole pack to raise a Viali child hatched from its pack members. Parental/kin relations are loose between Viali, but that doesn’t diminish the affection they all have for one another.
