Al'terra (Relationships)

## Relationships, Family, and Sexuality

**Childbirth** Upon pregnancy, the woman is barred from going to the Dance (which is tested via a reader at the door). The father usually is out of the picture, known or not. The pregnancy lasts 7 months, shorter than a typical human. There are no forms of abortion available, except possibly within the Pride, but there are many forms of birth control (all with various side affects which include lasting nausea, numbness, memory lose). It is generally believed very little meat and no forms of drugs/alcohol (mainly non applicable). The birth is generally just an event, the same almost as a business meeting. The child is born in privacy between midwife and mother in a comfortable room, and then generally given over to the childcare people. Children that are half Al'terrian are marked and not allowed to blend more than that. Sometimes they are marked for sterilization later. Children are generally wanted, seen as a definite need for the nation to grow and sustain itself, but in a detached manner. Like a commodity. Gender is unimportant since gender divides are nonexistent in culture. By default, the child is sent to a middle class child care facility. In the case of siblings, they are separated and sent to different places. Some find and recognise each other, others don't and it is not considered important in either way. Health is of little concern: if the child lives, he lives. A severe physical deformity (like a third arm) might warrant a death cull, which is agreed upon by midwife and mother. After birth, the mother takes two days to recover before returning to home and work, in which time she rests (mainly without child). Before she leaves, she must give the child a last name. It may be her own, the father’s, or just a random one. No first name is given. Sometimes the child’s board is read to the mother, if she so desires, but that is rare. If the mother dies or is in danger of dying, the life of the mother takes precedent since she is considered the person of the situation (the child is not a citizen, not useful yet, so although has potential, is not currently contributing). A child who does not cry at birth, in previous times, considered special since its soul was brand new (first-born), and it was an entirely new creation. This isn’t regarding so highly anymore and is considered weak superstition.

Children are born in groups of between 1-4, can be all identical or not, and are not usually placed in the same facility, though siblings sometimes meet each other, but treat each other like friends more than siblings.

**Childhood** At the beginning of their life, children are taken care of by nanny types, usually but not completely female care (most using this as their childhood job), being cared for and fed until they are old enough to walk on their own feet and leave the nursery. These nurses and nannies are functionally the parents of these small children. Government funding pays for this and the care is universal for Privileged and common children alike. Pride children get the same style of treatment but better quality, with higher expectations. When they can walk, they spend their days playing in the facility, sleeping together as a group, generally enjoying life. At some point they are named either by an older child, a care taker, rarely a parent, or another child met in play (from another facility). The exception is with Pride children, who are given a dignified name by a worker at the care place. When they have a decent amount of reason and can wander around, they go outside and play games of their own, with meal times and curfew. They are under this care until the age of 5 where they are distributed to different schools in the area. The education is the same everywhere but sometimes it is necessary to split certain groups. The choice is mostly random. Children are distinct from adults since they lack any sort of neck protection. Children are expected to study and make something of themselves, to be curious and pursue a subject. Pride children are expected to excel into the Pride life. In normal society, children are raised to read fluently, do math, learn basic applied skills, and foster a curiosity in something that interests them. This is done in a sort of boarding school type atmosphere, no parents, just instruction and free time. Teachers play a role as mentors and guides and disciplinaries but are not parenting figures. Curiosity is an encouraged trait, and questions are usually answered, with mostly politically correct answers (throwing out religion, reinforcing the way society is made). A perfect child would take curiosity in a subject and take up a very desirable career: historian, librarian, reader, memory keep, scholar and then be promoted through Privileged to the Pride level. A failed child takes up a low job, such as farming, or common work requiring no skill such as mining. Childhood ends officially at age 15 but is culturally ended at age 10. Childhood games include ‘Hound and Hawk’ (like Marco Polo).

Children who are seen as not being able to contribute to society, either by choice or not, are quietly killed - this is a known fact, done rarely and usually at birth, but is a constant threat to children.

**Young Adulthood** Young adulthood, still considered childhood officially, is the period between age 10 and 15 ending of their 16th birthday. Following the mandatory 5 years of school, as chosen by their board, children acquire a ‘childhood job’ that is not paid, but hopefully helps their job of choice. For instance, a herbalist may go work for a herb gardener as well as study part time to perfect the art. The choosing of a career has partly to do with interest, partly need, partly the board of a child. Those with more prominent cat markings (or just a lot more than usual) may not get jobs. Many of the child hood jobs are not about the interest of the child, but about serving the needs of the Privileged. They are semi independent, perhaps living in designated residence where they are given shelter and food but don’t see much of the providers. Full adulthood is still the goal, but not many rights come with the passing of age 10. They are not yet considered contributing to society and burdens, since they don’t make money, pay taxes, or truly contribute, so most practises are withheld.  Young adults must work for or under the guidance or apprenticeship of an adult. This childhood job doesn’t necessarily dictate what they will do as their adult job, such as working for the Privileged as is common, but traditionally was a good indication. In the Pride, children are sent into deeper studies. Young adults are not allowed at Dances and no one would pair with them outside. They are raised to not be pairs, so pairing happens outside the cultural restrictions. Young adulthood is spent single, at least publically. Rebelling teenagers, generally those involved in crime or refuse to work or caught in a sexual act (rare), are sent to do a very low job and public job for the Privileged for their entire childhood and are marked with a leather ankle cord to show it. They are shunned and looked down upon. They may be released at adulthood, depending on behaviour and severity of rebellion. The last year of adulthood, young adults are educated in the manner of the rights, responsibilities, privileges, and expectations of their adult life.

**Adulthood** Adulthood starts at 16 (the physical equivalent of 19 or 20), on the last day of the year at Graduation. Several things are very distinct about this. On this day, and for several days after, the new adult may try out for the Pride. This includes a reading of their board, some questioning, an interview, and they may be let in if worthy. Regardless of whether they get in or not, and most do not if they choose to try, they now must register legally as adults with correct 3 or 4 syllable official names(or they can’t go anywhere or do anything), wear a neck covering, gain a paying job (which may extend from their childhood one), own and run their own place, and buy major things. They may also pair, go to the Dance, the females will go into heat (typically on their birthday and quarters after that). Adulthood is seen as nothing more than an age passing to other adults and a milestone to the newly made adults. Generally speaking, full adulthood is truly recognized as opening a dwelling and having a paying job. In the Pride, at adulthood, they are apprenticed for three to five years under a master who teachers and perfects their art. The apprentices then must abstain from the Dance and live under their master’s roof, but upon completing their training, they have near full freedom. Pride adults then can join groups, though they are admitted to some beforehand. Generally it’s acceptable to wait three years before taking on an apprentice or young adult, class regardless. In past times, it would be acceptable to take a religious stance by adulthood, but that isn’t the case in current times. Adults are allowed near complete sexual freedom within the usual rules of the Dance - it is highly encouraged though never been ruled against different nations sleeping with each other. They may dance with anyone they choose, take or not take the drugs and get pregnant as they please. If they choose to pair, they are allowed complete sexual freedom with that partner (heterosexual). Outside the sexual bounds results in shunning or removal from Pride. Adult rebellion is completely unacceptable in the Pride, and such individuals are cast out and punished severely. It’s easier in the common circles and easiest in the Privileged where they are the law enforcement. A successful adult has a good job, influence, some sort of power, and is knowledgeable.

**Old Age** Culture appreciates old age, since it generally includes wisdom, which is the goal of the nation. The elderly become teachers, great librarians, treated with the highest respect by anyone younger and served as part of tasking by the very youngest.Old age is about the age of fifty, since life span is about sixty five or so. More authority is given and it is unlikely they will be found at a dance since males lose their energy and females do not go into heat. People want the respect and wisdom of all age, not necessarily the looks (although it is not nearly as prominent with them as with humans). Old age is not well defined by any sort of ritual or government transaction, but the Privileged are rarely old.  The elderly die usually of a failed heart, in reasonably decent health. There is no retirement, but they pass off their business to a younger apprentice or partner of some kind, sometimes earlier, and act as an advisor. Most elderly have had at least one child work as a childhood job, some which continue and are taught properly. There are rarely any Jin-Ti elders, for they die before they hit old age (or they are very good). Taxes are not paid by the elderly and they are no more likely to pair than before, though grief of a partner has been known to cause death. Rebellious elderly who don’t conform to the ‘wise old one’ model are treated with disgust and not cared for, sometimes left to work low paying jobs just to survive. The elderly generally don’t get sick before they die for any period of time, but just feel weaker and there heart stops (a matter of three days or slightly less).

**Death** Society treats death as not so much of a sadness but as a ‘next’ - in the long run. The dead are burnt the morning after their death and anyone close to them (work partner, pair, or friend) reads the rites and shares memories of them. Death is just the next phase, since reincarnation is a wide belief. Pride think it’s to another world, but the rest believe its into another body that doesn’t contain memories. Death is not an ending, but a next step. However, it is a source of grief and sadness because the personality and knowledge of the person is gone. Suicide is not looked well upon because either thwarted the plans of the gods, took your life into your hands, or could have done more. People who reach the pinnacle of their life sometimes commit suicide. Murder is nearly unheard of and completely despised. Community members gather to respect the death at morning, to share words, and then the body is either buried on their side and curled up. Religious prayers are sometimes done over the body as well as a dance. If the government isn’t notified of the death, a census occurs every two years and confirms who is alive and who is not. People view death as a necessary process but don’t necessarily like it, except for perhaps moving on. A failed death is that of someone who achieved nothing in life, wherever a successful death as one that achieved something even by the act of death itself.

Most common cause of death in the modern era is disease, widely studied but always more and more complex than seems to be easy to sort.

There is an expression in English about not walking over 'hollow gruond' while in Al'terra, because the body is often (not always) burnt, they speak about 'ashen ground' they don't walk over.

**Single Life** Singleness is viewed as the forward way of thinking, the way modern people live or should live once they reach adulthood. It is perfectly acceptable to have no sort of partner in any aspect of life, and it is mainly strived for in the Pride especially. Mainly remaining single is chosen just as choosing a form of partner is a choice. Certain forms of work expect singleness but do not necessarily require it. The ideas of widow and widower are non-existent since even in pairs, both are still thought of as individuals. It would be considered the same as if a good friend died. Common people in remote areas, especially those with families, view involuntary singleness with pity, with the higher classes deem it as acceptable and almost expected. The most common reason is for self-progression or betterment, and complete independence. Singleness is not the only way because some people think the use of other people is also a method of self-betterment. It is the most common way to live, since it is considered the most human, and therefore good. Once a year in late spring, a day is set aside for all singles to go to the Dance. Singles are not loners or live in solitude, they still friends just don’t link anyone to them as family per se. They only close pairing connection they might have is in the Pride they have master/mentor figures. Depending on class, pairs are either looked upon as an ‘alternative’ and thus equal ground, or lower than. Singles generally don’t interact with families since that is too much of a stretch. Generally singles are regarding above pairs or families (from Pride perspective) in all classes. Although limited to the Dance, singles may do as they please. Anything outside the Dance is considered to be paired. Society and individuals in general are all heterosexual and the idea of homosexuality is very foreign, seen only in Galeez and rarely at that. Singleness is popular because of a book written two thousand years ago that said individuals influence their own movements on the chess board, and it was believed after that that neither other people nor religion were truly needed to succeed in life. Purists of this thought would down right abuse non-singles and especially religious families. Since paired life is freely chosen, a same-sex pair (which becomes a very close sibling bond, not a homosexual pairing), a red of some kind is worn on the left arm (either a strip of fabric, sometimes a red metal bracelet). If the pairing is heterosexual (a true pairing), then often is a tattoo on the left (or non-dominant) wrist or arm in red.

**Paired Life** Pairings are must always mutual. and uncommon, if officially (Damien never got around to this, Nicki didn't really consider this - 'we were just kids') While pairings are common and natural, an actual sort of 'marriage' is rare to unheard of. While people do live in a group situation where individuals dwellings are built together and so that meals and conversation can be shared, but still have private quarters. and pairs of people are very loose. Although it is more frequent they would interact with singles unless they intend to be a family (which is rare). It is expected that official pairs will remain sexually exclusive to each other, and live in the same quarters for the rest of their lives, which is why official pairing is very unusual since the popular mentality allows for almost complete sexual freedom within the Dance. Having a sphere of loose friends (such as they can change) is important for knowledge and prestigious. Females are only sexually available for 3-5 days once a season (4 times a year) once adults. Any other time there are great legal and social laws that prevent forceful sexual interaction - aka no rape. It's not in the culture, at all. This also means no paedophilia When not in heat, men and women can still engage in affection, flirtation, and some light sexual elements. However, both kinds are equipped to defend each other and it is VERY easy for a reader to settle disputes. During that 3-5day period, of Heat they can do whatever they want, of their own free choice. No one would even imagine rape. That has never been an issue in Al'terra. Males, on the other hand, are sexually available at any time and can attend the Dance at any time.  There are a variety of effective contraceptives with a side effects, so pregnancy isn’t really a surprise to anyone. Those who aren’t specifically partnered and perhaps want a little extra money, can select a client willing to pay money for the honour of dancing with them. Typically during this experience, the female will take a contraceptive, but not always. It’s a good way to make a lot of extra money, specifically if you keep your wits about you. These females, when they have the option of selling their services, are called ‘kittens’. This is the closest we can get to the idea of prostitution. There is no social stigma attached to this unless you are a very high-ranking official and you take on some low-born client. Very uncommon. The concept is never truly visited in the books. The opening line in Book 3 from the other point of you has Lakiya suggesting she can 'buy a kitten’ for the apprentice.You might now realize she isn’t offering him a small pet, but essentially a whore to take his mind off of Kite. There is not really a sense of adultry in general but it is expected you would be exlcuse to a partner.

There is no taboo on masturbation, and although pleasurable, no one is going to finsih outside of Heat (this is tied to Al'terrian Biology).

**Family Life**  First to have a family, there must be a heterosexual pairing (official or unofficial), then the parents must keep their children. Being part of a family is actually counter culture, and only would consist of two parents and children. Families are disapproved of by proper culture and are still quite rare, especially in cities. Technically no reasons exist for living in family, because it is highly disapproved of. No legal actions are taken, but families could be socially out cast especially in large cities. It is only found in the low end common people, and usually more so outside large cities. Traditionally, families haven’t existed for thousands of years. Typically, both parents do some work, one may stay home for early years. If it is known that the person is in a family, work is harder to come by (akin to hiring a criminal to work for you, so it’s iffy). There is no chance of getting a job within the Privileged (although you could acquire a family AFTER and hope no one minds). It is expected that the parents remain sexually exclusive, though that’s not a hard fast rule, but if they are a true pair, they are sexually exclusive.

**Naming Conventions** Names are a bit of an odd thing in Al’terra with a few general rules of thumb. The shorter the name, the lower class. The longer the name, or multiple names, higher class. Cyrus Valeshti’s actual name is Cyrus Victoria Elizeth Amelia Kristahl Valashti, which is about standard length for a Pride Queen as she also has a lot of titles. Kite Durand on the other hand is quite low down and so her name update to Cassidy Lakith is an improvement. At the time of birth, the mother of the child assigns them a last name, usually either her own or their father’s (if known) with no preference either way. Occasionally an unrelated last name is assigned. As for first names, a child garners their own first name sometime during their care place years: sometimes they name themself, sometimes they name each other, and sometimes staff will name them. This name they stick by until they come to adulthood – age 16 – where they can legally change their name to whatever they want. If perhaps they had an embarrassing name as a child, it can be rectified at this point. Certain names are considered more proper and are found more commonly in the Pride, and the lower names are based off of physical items or places. Naming systems are distinctly different in Galeez and Septavia but not altogether different from Nolvac