House Serpens Culture

*Back to House Serpens.*

This page covers the House Serpens specific cultural details. For cultural quirks specific to the planet of Hroa please go to ***Hroa Culture.***

 General Culture of the House

The culture of House Serpens is highly meritocratic and heavily favours Psychics, with almost every major position in House Serpens being held by a Psychic. The culture is primarily concerned with training psychics and progressing research in M.E.S. and medicine. Society is led by the Oracular Council, and the reality that some of House Serpens can experience visions of the future affects a sort of mysterious wisdom and realism in the cultural norms.

Psychic Nobles have the best treatments of everything. Non-psychic nobles usually fill in lower ranked positions where psychic powers are not needed. I.e. no M.E.S.-less Auditors or Oracles, but maybe a M.E.S.-less Sophist Jr. or Ministra. Psychic population is kept up through the adoption of talented psychic commoners into the house that are trained at the Academy. This results in great renown if a noble family are psionic throughout several generation without adopting.

An established stereotype of Serpens is that it seems like they never sleep, which only adds to their mystique. When asked about it, they’d just be like “I mean, if you could see what’s coming you wouldn’t be able to sleep either.”

## Societal Beliefs

Serpens society is described as more realistic than idealistic. The knowledge gained through scrying and divination pushes the people of House Serpens to encounter visions of the future for which they may or may not be prepared.

This has given a sort of cold reality to those of House Serpens, leading them to believe that time spent living is time that is best spent as the strong, the intelligent, the one who finds the way to enjoy life most.

Obviously this is not a rule for every person living on Hroa and under the house title Serpens, but a sense of realist wisdom and acceptance runs through the core of society. Some have described this as “sad” or “morose,” but the obvious zest with which many in House Serpens savour the delicacies of the sector speaks clearly to combat any sense of depression at the core of their culture.

## Showing Affection

Within the house a small reflection of the value of the mind is shown between those who are emotionally close. When a Serpens touches foreheads with a partner, platonic or otherwise, it is a sign of great intimacy and trust between the parties involved. It is something that is rarely known outside of the house as having a deeper meaning, and as such it may be common to see off of Hroa, but it is considered far too intimate to do in front of someone who knows the true meaning. To many Serpens, this gesture is far more intimate than a kiss.

A similar but more casual version of this gesture also exists: a small tap to the temple with one or two fingers. Among Serpens, this is the equivalent to a kiss on the cheek. Like the touching of foreheads, it is as common among platonic partners as romantic.

 Oraclotorium

Every official Serpens facility and ship contains at least one oraclotorium. The Oraclotorium is most commonly a single room populated by large, comfortable, high quality chairs, bean bags etc. with voice recording equipment and data pads at arms reach. They are usually lit in soft greens and blues.

Some facilities and ships have multiple rooms in the Oraclotorium to ensure the privacy of the users. The primary functions of the Oraclotorium is to provide a comfortable environment for scrying, divination and meditation, though some also utilise the room’s comforts to nap or read in peace.

 House Serpens in PRISM Media

“The Missions of Noir Blackbird” is the colloquial term for the book series that involves the fictional entity of Scryer Serpens Noir Blackbird, a MES servant of the Empire and House Serpens. They seem to have struck a chord amongst the general populous, who like the idea of a charming, sexy noble willing to get down and dirty for the good of the Empire, protecting it from entities and problems that threaten the safety of the Empire’s citizens. There is also a gratuitous amount of violent and sex scenes that occur with Noir, whose MES talents allow for them to survive such trials and tribulations.

 Wedding Practices

*For main article, see **House** **Serpens** **Wedding Practices***

House Serpens has three wedding ceremonies, crafted for different purposes. These are the Nona, Decima, and Morta ceremonies.

 Funeral Practices

Funeral practises developed by the prestigious House Lyra, as detailed below.

House Serpens has always been known for their mastery of precognition, medicine, and teaching and home to the powerful psychic Academy. House Serpens is worthy of honour and prestige, as are their dead. Due to the close friendship between House Serpens and House Lyra, the traditions between the two houses have been merged to create a tradition that respects both cultures.

After an individual dies within House Serpens, they live on through a small token created by both their loved ones and the attending Lyran Neshmet. Engraved with the inscriptions of those loved ones, it is feeling made physical. By memorializing the impact that the individual wrought during their life, they are safely shepherded to the After. Sometimes the token is psychically bound with the thoughts of the deceased truly allowing them to make their mark on the Here, in order to live on in the After.

After this token is completed the individual is passed to the Neshmet of House Lyra trained to shepherd the dead to the After, who perform the rites of death sacred to House Lyra. The bodies are then interned in a mausoleum, guarded by the Neshmet who usher all to the After.

## Fashion

There is a stark divide among other people of the Empire when it comes to their perception of Serpens fashion: those who have visited Hroa, and those who have not. When travelling out into the sector, Serpens nobility typically dress in subdued, modest styles in a palette of colours that tends not to stray far from those favoured by House government; golds, greens, blues, and blacks. As far as most outsiders are aware, this is always true. Those who have been to the Serpens homeworld, however, have seen the aspect of Hroan fashion that is shown only there.

At home, the people of Serpens see fashion as a form of self-expression. Styles are varied and very personal with clothing coming in a wide variety of cuts and a broad spectrum of colours. Outfits are chosen not just to reflect one’s personal taste, but their state of mind; some even change clothes throughout the day as their mood evolves. The modesty typically displayed elsewhere is also completely optional, and some clothing seen on Hroa would be considered fairly risque on other worlds.

It is considered a symbol of status to have all clothing made to order by artisans, with some of the more affluent Serpens families having designers on permanent retainer to create new wardrobe as it’s needed. There is even a tradition on Hroa of having a “ clothier’s quarters” on noble estates; a place where the designer will live for a period of no less than a month, observing their clients to understand their tastes and style.

The Trilliant Ring’s Facet on Hroa is one of it’s most profitable locations as the unique blend of technology and design Trilliant is known for is a perfect fit for this idiosyncrasy of Serpens. There is a constant demand for new advancements in fashion, especially as it pertains to clothing that is able to change while being worn, allowing for one’s look to keep pace with one’s mood. Naturally, Trill designers are in high demand among those that can afford them.

Pressure masks are a common sight, so much so that some people choose to use them as fashion accessories. Since people come from all over Acheron Rho to train at the Academy, it is not uncommon to see people in their own House fashion, though many adopt the local style. Walking through the buildings and subways of Hroa’s cities will give a view full of people in a multitude of outfits.

Some people, especially nobles, choose to wear serpent inspired jewellery and other accessories. These are often subtle, worn more for the sake of the wearer than for an observer.

At noble gatherings, official events, and meetings of the Fates, members of House Serpens will don their traditional attire. This ranges from simple robes with scale like designs, to fully embellished garments inlaid with shimmering metal scales.

**Birthday Suits**

At birth, a precognitive will present a newborn with a tailored, adult suit/dress to be presented to them on their 18th birthday. It will be tailored to their exact measurements, as well as their clothing preferences. This is their “Birthday Suit”. It is normally used for formal events such as weddings, state dinners, etc. The term is borrowed from an old archive file, however much of the context data has been lost to data corruption.

## Leaving the House

There is a saying as old as the Empire, “knowledge is power,” Few understand the truth of this as well as the members of House Serpens. While intelligence gathering is standard practice in all Houses, Serpens lives and breathes secrets and with that dedication to hidden knowledge comes a challenge: How could these secrets be protected when a highly-placed noble wishes to leave? How can Serpens protect itself without curtailing the freedoms of its members by not allowing them to leave? Their answer to this question has come to be known as the Haze.

The Haze is a psionic procedure administered by a specially trained telepath under the supervision of a Practitioner which is administered to any important member of House Serpens who chooses to leave the House. The Haze affects memory in a very specific, targeted way, allowing the subject to recall nearly all of their life and career within the House while suppressing sensitive details. For example, a Ministra diplomat might remember having lunch with a visiting dignitary, but not remember who that dignitary was or what they spoke about; or a member of the Fang might remember leaving Hroa for a mission but not where they went or what they did there.

Those that have undergone the procedure describe the sensation as the memories slipping away, like the lyrics of a song not heard in years, a phenomenon that, while frustrating, does not overly impede their new lives. By hiding the information even from the subject themselves, the Haze ensures that they can never, even accidentally, betray the knowledge they have gained in Serpens to its enemies.

While Serpens has developed a reputation for paranoia, the House’s commitment to the sanctity of the mind means that not every departing member is made to endure the Haze and it is never administered without warning and choice. When a person is about to ascend to an echelon of Serpens society where they will learn some of the deepest secrets of the House, they are made to sign an oath pledging their commitment to the protection of their new knowledge and affirming their consent to undergo the Haze if they should ever leave. This serves a dual purpose of ensuring that those who are chosen to rise in Serpens are truly committed to serving the Den.The most common signatories of this are members of the Fates, highly ranked Ministra (especially diplomats), members of the Fang who specialise in covert operations, senior Executors and Scryers who engage in intelligence gathering.

While the Haze is sophisticated and robust enough to serve its purpose, it can be reversed or suspended under certain circumstances. During the initial procedure each recipient of the Haze is also implanted with mnemonic trigger, usually the sight of a unique object accompanied by a sound, phrase, or telepathically transmitted thought. Once the trigger has occurred, the subjects memories are no longer inhibited so long s the person who instigated the trigger is present. This allows for the recovery of information unique to the subject as well as for uninhibited contact with any noble who may have left under the House’s direction for covert purposes. Under the rare circumstance where a subject returns to the House, the Haze can be entirely removed through the careful effort of any telepath trained in its installation.

It is suspected that a particularly powerful telepath could force their way deep enough into a subject’s mind to retrieve information beyond the Haze. However, this has never been confirmed to have occurred and the damage to the subject’s mind would likely be severe and irrevocable.

 Treatment of Criminal Offense and the “Purification of the Mind”

Although most judicial processes are handled by House Crux, House Serpens has a very peculiar legal system for internal affairs and common law on Hroa and its moons. Most minor offenders are sentenced to community service or service directly to the victim(s) of their crime, but in the case of major offenses or for those seen as irredeemable, punishment is far more severe.

However, as House Serpens considers its duty to uphold humanity’s best interest, execution and life-time imprisonment are illegal on Hroa. Multi-recidivists, murderers and other such extreme delinquents from the common folk of Hroa are subjected to a thorough mental purge, relieving them of their desire to commit crime or completely wiping out their personality when deemed necessary and are then reintroduced to society.

The purge, which is formally known as the Purification of the Mind, is always carried out by an Auditor under the supervision of a Practitioner with legal clearance from Caduceus and the Auditors Bureau to oversee the procedure, known as the Execution of Delinquency. Usual proceedings are as follows:

* The Offender is anesthetized
* The performing Auditor will implant the “Memories of Ordeal” of the criminal’s victims of the crime being punished (murder requires extreme precaution at both the extraction of memory from the fainting mind and at the implantation to avoid causing the offender's minds to “shut down”, killing them in the process). Usually the criminal will see this as a most nightmarish memory afterwards;
* Once the “Memories of Ordeal” are implanted, the inmate is left in their vegetative state for the period of time deemed necessary to cause rejection of the “Memories of Intent” from their sentience, at which point the “Erasing of Sins Past” is performed. This purge may go from erasure of the thought path leading to the forming of criminal intention to the complete annihilation of the personality if it is seen as required. The latter is reserved for exceptionally violent multi-recidivists, serial-killers, crime lords with several confirmed ordered hits and other such examples of scum and villainy;
* Finally, the newly “Purified Mind” is awoken with only the “Memories of Ordeal” left from the procedure, causing the criminal to believe they were the victim/s of their own crimes, although they will never be able to recall said crimes were theirs.

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