Silvalli/Silvalli Culture

## Government

### Government System

The Silvalli are largely tribal, with no formal government or leadership. Tribes are typically just extended families and are viewed as such in Silvalli culture, to the point that mating within your own tribe is viewed as incestuous.

#### Leader Gender Differences

The Silvalli have no traditional gender roles, and men and women have equal influence.

#### How are Leaders Chosen

While they have no formal leadership, a Silvalli tribe will often have one elder Silvalli that is commonly sought out for guidance, and though it is not an official position of leadership the counsel given by the elder is highly respected and almost invariably followed.

#### How Unified is the Nation

Ordinarily, the Silvalli have no central government, but they are highly cooperative and conflicts between different tribes are almost unheard of. In times of extreme danger the tribes will gather, and representatives from each tribe will vote on an overall leader for the duration of the threat.

### Justice

#### Who Enforces Law

Crime is almost nonexistent in Silvalli culture, given their peaceful and generous nature. When everyone cares for another and ensures everyone is provided for, the bulk of crime is eliminated. However, in the event of a truly criminal Silvalli (one who hurts for the sake of it/to derive pleasure) the law is enforced by the citizens.

#### Who Dedicates Punishment

Typically the matter of punishment comes to a vote among the citizens of the tribe, often under the guidance of the elder.

#### Common Punishments

Typically in all but the most extreme cases, the offending Silvalli is sent to live and work in the house of the tribe elder (under strict supervision/guard) as a form of rehabilitation for a period of time determined by the severity of their crime. Repeat offenders are banished from the forest, with harsh penalties for returning.

## Economics

*An economy is the system used to distribute resources to the population.*

### Economic System

Typically, whatever the Silvalli cannot gather for themselves they trade or barter for with outsiders. Within tribes everybody shares skills and resources and everyone is provided for, similar to a commune.

### Settlement Self-sufficiency

Silvalli settlements are largely self sufficient, only occasionally sending away for “luxury” items, typically metalwork from settlements on the edge of the forest that are subject to more outsider influence.

### Currency System

Most Silvalli have no real concept of wealth, so they have no formal currency, instead exchanging goods and services. However, they do have a weakness for gemstones, which stems from their appreciation of beauty and also the fact that there are not many opportunities to see gems in a forest, particularly since most Silvalli do not mine.

### Trade and Transportation

#### Who Do They Trade With

Typically, trade and bartering is done mostly within a tribe, with everybody pooling skills and resources. “Outsider” goods such as metal and animal products can be procured from “border tribes” that live on the edge of the forest and have more interaction with humans and the like.

#### Most Common Transportation

Silvalli almost invariably travel by foot, since vehicles are hard to maneuver in the dense forest, and usually only the border tribes keep animals.

### Agriculture

#### Common Food Sources

Most Silvalli subsist on a combination of foraging in the forest and the growing of root vegetables/mushrooms in small gardens in their subterranean homes, but the border tribes on the edge of the forest have been known to grow crops and keep animals for dairy products (though they still do not eat meat/eggs).

## Culture

#### How Tolerant are people

Typically, Silvalli adhere to cultural conventions, but there is no real penalty for differing from cultural norms. However, the culture at large is so pervasive that most Silvalli that differ from convention find that they feel like outsiders within their tribes, and go out to live among the other races. These Silvalli are not shunned or stigmatized in any way and are welcome to return to the tribe if they wish.

#### Which Class or Caste is Most Admired

The Silvalli love beauty, so the most admired Silvalli are the ones with some kind of artistic skill, be it woodcarving, drawing, or music.

#### Which is the Lowest Class

Because of the way their society and economy is structured, the Silvalli don’t really have a class system. However, they tend to be wary of warriors and those skilled in the arts of war, so soldiers would be the closest parallel to a “lower class” they have. Silvalli understand the necessity of having able fighters, but violence still makes them largely uncomfortable, and in some cases more close-minded Silvalli may even view warriors as brutish and lesser than other Silvalli. Because of this stigma, it is not uncommon for more warlike Silvalli to break away and form their own tribes.

### Entertainment and Arts

#### Literacy Level

Despite their seemingly primitive lifestyle, Silvalli are actually highly sophisticated, and almost every Silvalli is literate.

#### Largest Art Forms

By far the largest art form would be wood carving, followed by music, then poetry (Note: when I get a little more time I plan to come up with a specific poem format/structure that is popular amongst Silvalli, possibly similar to haiku).

#### Most Common Entertainment

The largest social events in Silvalli culture are the Midsummer and Midwinter festivals (I or somebody else can come up with more creative names for these), huge celebrations spanning several days, with often tens of thousands of Silvalli present. They also enjoy personal entertainment and games (I also want to come up with a traditional Silvalli board game at some point).

### Clothing

#### Common Materials

The most common clothing material for Silvalli would be bark cloth.

#### Nudity in Public

Technically allowed, but would be considered strange.

### Gender Roles and Sexuality

#### Attitude towards Sex

* *Restricted to marriage*
* *Sex is separate from marriage*
* *There are accepted outlets for lust besides marriage (brothels, medics trained to help with release, ect.)*
* *Freely indulged*
* *Restricted only to certain classes*

#### Attitude on Birth Outside Marriage

* *Forbidden by law*
* *Comes with ridicule*
* *Tolerated*
* *Birth has nothing to do with marriage*
* *No one gets married anyway*

### Religion

#### What do people Worship

* *God*
* *The gods*
* *Spirit animals*
* *Ancestors*
* *Nothing*
* *Names of the deities*

#### How is worship conducted/what do believers do

* *Worship services*
* *Sacrifice*
* *Prophecy*
* *Healing*
* *Festivals*
* *Life transition ceremonies (birth, marriage,death, ect.)*
* *Discussion*
* *Prayer*
* *Ritual cleaning*
* *Spiritual training (training the body and mind, martial arts, meditation, ect.)*
* *Education*
* *Evangelism*
* *Surrendering some or all worldly possessions*

#### How Are Worshippers Organized

* *Temples, shines, personal idols or symbols*
* *Mixed gender leaders, only priests, or only priestesses, or one in authority over the other*
* *Strong central authority over the religion, each church is its own authority*
* *Worship is personal, there is no organization*
* *Sacred texts, liturgical songs, special chants or prayers*
* *Holidays or worship activities at times or days*

## Warfare

### Military

* *Professional standing army*
* *Powerful people organizations each have their own army*
* *The citizens form the army in times of war*
* *There is no army*

### Most Common Weapons

* *Sword*
* *Bow and arrow*
* *Spears or pikes*
* *Guns*
* *Hand to hand*