House Eridanus Culture

Children of their Imperial Duties and their luscious tropical home-world of Tiber, the Eridanii have rich traditions that span near a thousand years. While some things such as faith are private matters within Eridanii society; other facets of life within House Eridanus space are highly structured and followed by all members no matter their status or wealth bracket.

Much of the traditions of House Eridanus are centralized around their worldview of debt. Eridanii marriage, funeral traditions, vassal contracts, and even sport are all influenced by the practical financial concerns of the penny-wise house.

## Marriage Customs

### **The Marriage Ceremony & The Joining**

While members of House Eridanus conduct their marriages through the High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox, a vital part of the ceremony is The Joining. A complex secular practice of uniting two familes accounts for the financial well-being of the two.

*More Details can be found on The Joining*
## Faith

In general, the politics of House Eridanus are not driven by matters of faith or the spiritual needs of the people, and instead are focused more on worldly matters of what people are owed and what they owe.

Politically the High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox has always been seen as a reliable ally in making sure debts are paid and taxes collected, and any member of the Upper Echelon has always been expected to return this support by being seen as active members of the High Church.

Privately, however, the culture and policy in House Eridanus is and has always been to treat religious practice as a personal matter between an individual and their priest. While this does not necessarily mean House Eridanus will expend any efforts to protect persons who find themselves in the crosshairs of High Church doctrinal enforcers, unless there are additional reasons for the House to get involved, it does mean House Eridanus generally considers the presence of religious non-conformists in the empire to be none of its concern. As long as one is a proper tax-paying citizen, one has little to fear from organized House Eridanus policy.

In fact, where there are established religious minorities, Eridanus (unofficial) policy has generally been to, where possible, appoint Eridanii and/or local members of said minority to fill those tax collecting positions in direct contact with community members. Because data, compiled from many studies and thousands of spreadsheets, has shown that having a ‘friendly’ face represent the House to such communities improves collections compliance by 16.48%.

### High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox

Though most Eridanii keep their faith private, except for the expected and appropriate displays of High Church piety, imperial history has seen several members of the house officially elevated to the exemplar status of Arhat.

#### Arhat Benbow

One of the most prominent Eridanii figures under the reign of Emperor Diomikato, Arhat Benbow is celebrated for continuing the work of Empress Juliana and seeing that her teachings were undergone in a spirit befitting Eridanii culture. Whilst Eridanus would not meet the heights of power it had under Juliana's reign, Benbow helped ensure that they remained dutiful and guided along the paths of Diligence and Temperance.

#### Arhat Pitt III

An Eridanii born on Imperial Prime he rose to prominence immediately after The Scream, Pitt was a leader among the Eridanii on Prime when they lost their connection to their ancestral home of Tiber. He is credited for ensuring that the taxation policies did not fall into complete disarray in the absence of so many Eridanii. He continued his work even after Tiber was again connected to the wider Empire and helped to spread the Imperial taxation system onto planets as they were rediscovered. There is some contention as to his achievements from the most conservative elements on Tiber who contest the greatness of some of his achievements.

### Repentant Faith

Traditionally, House Eridanus has had little organised interactions with members of the Repentant Faith and their representatives. For the late Church of Humanity, Repentant, the general neutrality of the house in practical matters concerning ownership and taxation, especially concerning land and property on the Repentant church’s homeworld of Cabina, had been too important to put at risk. As such, the Church of Humanity, Repentant generally discouraged Repentant sects from organizing within House Eridanus if such overt movements would raise any eyebrows with house leadership.

Privately, Eridanii who have gravitated towards Repentance have made ample use of the House’s practicality on religious matters to create a space for their personal religious experiences and practices. To any higher ranking Eridanii who become Repentant, this has often meant continuing to practice the High Church faith in public even while attending private Repentant gatherings or conversing with their own Repentant pastors.

The main interaction of House Eridanus leadership with organized Repentance has been through the presence of the Repentant sect of the Divinity of the Sky Whales on Tiber. The only truly widespread and uniquely Tiberian Repentant sect. Though House leadership has never been pleased with incidents where the sect came into conflict with zealous High Church members, which tend to happen sporadically, the sect has always been able to count on a large amount of cultural sympathy from Eridanii and the population of Tiber at large. After all, even if the majority would not go to the lengths of worship that members of the Divinity of the Sky Whales do, no one on Tiber would deny that the Sky Whales are divine gifts and as holy as such an animal could possibly be.

With the absorption of A.C.R.E. into the house and the expansion of House Eridanus control to Demnoph and Yakiyah, the house’s relationship to Repentant sects has expanded considerably. As opposed to the relatively minor Divinity of the Sky Whales sect, House Eridanus now oversees governance of Repentant sects with populations in the hundreds of millions, spread across major sects such as the Devotees of the Good Work or the Clockworkers’ Faith.

By and large, House Eridanus’ existing policies of pragmatism and efficiency have fit well into the new decentralized power structure, divided among governmental bodies such as those of the Actii Mercantil or the Ordo Fiducalem.

While many sects have suffered some backlash from the Repentant’s participation in the S.T.O. conflict and subsequent purge of radical elements as part of the larger takeover of Demnoph and Yakiyah, overall the goal of House Eridanus has been to restore the efficient and peaceful working relationship that the House and A.C.R.E. maintained, prior to the conflict, with the more moderate majority of the now church-less religious minorities.

## Entertainment

House Eridanus has a reputation among the other noble houses for being ‘sticks in the mud’ ‘dull’ or ‘boring’. Much of this is due to their strict adherence to the rules of bureaucracy and putting business before all many other matters. Furthermore, their role as tax collectors for the Empire has left the House far from the most popular. However, when it comes to entertaining themselves Eridanii are prone to excitement and extravagance not seen throughout much of the rest of their culture.

### **Sports**

For sport, many nobles will often choose hunting, riding, sailing, rowing, or even driving as their typical recreation. Several Sports unique to Tiber are also practiced by the Eridanii.

#### **COGA (Count Operating Gravitational Apparatus)**

COGA is a complex combination of the ancient Terran games of Cricket, Golf, and Lawn Darts. A typical match can last over a fortnight in length while also being run through a system of simultaneous flowcharts and brackets which often cause a pause in gameplay to allow for the completion of entirely separate COGA ball games to finish. Recreational versions of the game often end by just running the systems based on the first few days of play instead of allowing the game to play out in full. Crowd attendance to these games is often quite large and mainly consist of Eridanii families lunching and meeting with friends and contacts while the nobles in charge of the teams meet on the field to discuss the game in length with small bouts of actual gameplay.

#### **Psiball**

Few Eridanii watch the galactic game of Psiball, let alone play. In order to save face, House Eridanus hired two Aquilian minor league teams to play for them under the name *The Tiber Titans* and *The Tyrian Warlocks*.

### **Gambling**

Eridanii are notorious gamblers and much of their entertainment culture revolves around the bets and wagers. Everything from sports, including races of animals and vehicular varieties to the House sport of choice, COGA ball, to music franchises and movie plots all have highly regulated and extremely complex system of betting. Massive luxury cruise ships sail both the cosmos and the seas of Eridanii worlds many of which are devoted largely if not solely to the vice of gambling with games of skill, chance, and luck from throughout the sector being offered. Families have lost and gained fortunes on the whims and overconfident bets of less wise members. This has led to a minor form of indentureship within the house with penniless noble families working off debts and bets for other more powerful families.

## **The Ritual of the Eternal Spring**

There is only one way for commoners to enter the ranks of the Eridanii nobility: having had one of your grandparents embrace the adage *“the river carves the rock.”* To be noble is a birthright, one has to be of noble blood and it is not a present given. However, there is a way for the descendants of a commoner to be born noble. Through the Ritual of Eternal Spring, commoners with the right connections, prestige, and wealth can receive the title of Discount or Discountess. This title is not a mark of nobility nor extraordinary ability, but a legal status that allows commoners to marry an Eridanii noble. Joining one’s family to that of a noble is the first step to nobility, yet the children of this union are not deemed noble under the eyes of House Eridanus. The progeny inherit the Discount(ess) title as a Second Generation Discount(ess), and are allowed to train at noble schools but core noble privileges such as direct land ownership, duel-rights, and full legal status in the courts are not given to them. Only with the following generation, children of a Second Generation Discount(ess) and a noble Eridanii, are deemed noble-by-blood in the eyes of Eridanus and The Empire.

The Ritual of Eternal Spring is jokingly referred to as a ceremony that takes an eternity to end. Although it does not last forever, the commoners who engage in the ritual, have to wait two generations for their grandchildren to be *possibly* born as nobles. The ceremony itself, which happens once a year is relatively straightforward: commoners who are to receive the title of Discount or Discountess are baptized in the amethyst waters at the mouth of the Tiber River in front of an audience of Eridanii Nobles. These Nobles are sponsors of the Discount who are willing to vouch for their devotion and qualities. Many Discounts and Discountesses believe the ritual as a religious moment in their lives and is a step to ascend one’s family closer to the divine forces of the cosmos. Others see it as the start of a new beginning for their family, and a solid long term investment.

## Debt and Punishment

In a society based on wealth and property as symbols and extensions of power, such as that of House Eridanus, debt and poverty are among the biggest of taboos for a person to find themselves in. At the same time, however, it is a smirch upon the face of all of House Eridanus for others to see impoverishment within their territory. To this end poverty in its normal form is incredibly rare within House Eridanus, particular upon their home of Tiber. On Tiber, and within all locations owned or controlled by the House, the high tax rate covers massive civil works projects, universal healthcare, and the subsidization of goods and services necessary for survival. While this appears to be an enlightened and forward-thinking utopia of society it is in secret a somewhat darker and more insidious fate for the less fortunate living within House Eridanus territories.

Due to their reliance on House Eridanus for everything from housing to medicine, education to policing and defence the lower society on Tiber have become wards of the state and of the nobility of the Eridanii. Many people in the lower classes live decent lives working in a variety of businesses and trades. If a lower class person should happen to fall into debt, however, they are locked into a position of indentureship that can be nearly inescapable. This commonly happens from a failed business venture or an addiction to the unofficial Eridanii pastime of gambling.

Those that fall into debt with a noble of House Eridanus fall into the position of *debitrix*, becoming near slaves to the family to whom the debt is owed, called the *danista*. They retain this position until they are able to pay off the debts they owe. However, many who fall into this level of indentureship become forever trapped in this position with mounting compounding interest and increasing penalties ensuring those in debt remain trapped there. With the strict inheritance laws within Eridanii society this often leads to generations upon generations attempting to work off the debts and fines of their ancestors.

While under this indentured status the freedoms of these unfortunate souls are limited. While they maintain access to many of the benefits offered by Eridanii systems they are beholden to the actions and whims of their *danista*. Whatever job they are assigned to do they have little choice but to comply. Those that default further or refuse to comply with their *danista* are legally imprisoned. *debitrix* can attempt to fight this imprisonment in Eridanii courts; though success rates are depressingly low.

Furthermore, should the *debitrix* fail at trial the costs of the lawyers, courts, judges, and other functionaries are then totalled and applied to the *debitrix* already accumulated payments on top of further fines and penalties for wasting the time of the court, a well-known occurrence that further discourages *debitrix* from either disobeying their *danista* or taking such cases to trial. Faced with imprisonment or attempting to work off their debt, many chose the latter. Their work ranges from mind-numbing repetitive drone work to highly dangerous duties maintaining the trade-fleets and stations of the Eridanii aristocracy these debtrix live comparatively pleasant lives within the Eridanii system.

Nobles of both House Eridanus and other noble houses are not exempt from a similar fate should they fall into debt with members of the house. Their fate, while not as terrible as those of the working classes, is nonetheless one of servitude to their *danista* and a mark of shame upon their honour and their family. Many of these noble *debitrix* are able, in time, to work off their debt and for the most part, do not cause any issue. However, nobles from outside House Eridanus who fall into the status of *debitrix* can serve as efficient bargaining tools for the nobles of House Eridanus who hold the position of *danista* over them and the diplomats and ambassadors of House Eridanus as a whole. These nobles held as *debitrix* can be used as effective bargaining tools and are commonly used as such. This has led to disputes and bloodshed when members of the more warlike factions have sent mercenaries, spies, and criminals to free their family members from Tiber and other Eridanii locations. In certain instances, if the *danista* from House Eridanus is unable to acquire the noble *debitrix* that can often lead to sanctions being placed upon the noble family in question, often delivered through official channels of the diplomat to that house. These sanctions and restrictions can include but are not limited to: refusal to load trade goods aboard any Eridanii trade ships, no access to Eridanii resources, increase of tax rates to the full family and not the individual in question, and even banning and ‘red’-listing of the individual from entering Eridanii space.

## Death and The Red Ledger

House Eridanus does not deal in sentiment. They believe in the measurable value of money, goods, and lives. This stance extends beyond life into the deaths of members of the House of Rivers, as exemplified by their Grave Auctions and the Red Ledger. When a member of House Eridanus dies, a great reckoning often occurs. While some are able to prepare, many are not, and their affairs, debts, and assets must be sorted. Lyran Neshmets handle the physical body of the deceased as the debts of the late Eridanii are settled. Only after an Eridanii is in the black may their body be returned and rest in peace.

See: The Red Ledger for more details

## Common Colloquialisms

House Eridanus is known for its antiquated dialect and has developed a number of sayings and colloquialisms that house members use to convey certain feelings, acknowledgments, and warnings. Here follows but a brief selection of the many sayings of the Eridanii:

#### ***"In the Black "***

This is the motto of House Eridanus and hints at both the typical aim of the members of the house, to be always in the black, but also to the houses underlying, though rarely recognized, sense of humor and love of wordplay.

#### ***"And so it flows!"***

Used as an exclamation of agreement or a toast.

#### ***"The river carves the rock"***

A common saying both as words of caution but also of advice, this saying belays Eridanii belief that the long, patient game is far more profitable and beneficial than brash, immediate action.

The subject of a Church of Humanity, Repentant sermon "Flowing Waters."

#### ***"Money talks, Eridanus doesn’t"***

A rarely used phrase but one that is taken to heart by the families of House Eridanus. In politics the Eridanii are quiet and contemplative, speaking only when they deem it necessary to offer advice or arrange a contract or transaction.

#### ***"Theft is taxable"***

A common and appropriate retort to the Vagrant rally cry of "Taxation is theft."

#### ***"Anything is taxable"***

A phrase meaning something similar to "there’s always a silver lining."

#### ***"Seek stability"***

A common goal and the ideal that all of House Eridanus strive to attain. Trade and taxation are harder to obtain and control during times of strife and turmoil; thus, to Eridanii peace and stability means wealth and prosperity.

#### ***"Current carry you"***

A less formal farewell used largely between members of the House.

#### ***"Drowning in Red"***

A threat of both financial ruin and of physical violence (typically in conjunction with a throat-slitting or otherwise threatening gesture). The use of red in accounting as a signifier of debts makes the decorating a home or office or wearing red, (particularly scarlet and other reds used in inks) a social faux pas. Exemptions from this social norm are given to Eridanii who marry nobles of House Reticulum or House Aquila.

#### ***"Nothing is certain except debt and taxes"***

A reminder of the importance of House Eridanus to the foundations of the empire. Rarely used around members of House Lyra, especially Neshmets.

#### ***"Eridanus. Now. Forever."***

An ominous phrase which records show[citation needed] was appropriated by the A.C.R.E. Corporation until late 3200 when rights to its use and alteration was seized during the Imperial audit. It now servers as a reminder of the historical weight of the monetary house.

#### ***"Eridanus 3301"***

A subversive jab a the propaganda of the various noble houses actively presenting their bid to the Imperial throne for 3201, Eridanus 3301 also serves as another manifestation of resolute and enduring nature of the house.

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