Difference between revisions of "WS:Felines Culture"
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| − | + | Feline culture has very little in the way of clerics. Occasionally someone will become acknowledged as a little closer to, or favoured by the ancestor's, and of course as some individuals get older, they practically become walking ancestors, but there is not formal priesthood. | |
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| + | Some older individuals become teachers of cubs, and this can involve educating the young in the ways of Feline culture, mores and religion. They could even be considered teachers of the spirituality of the true people. There is no magic associated with such a role however. | ||
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| + | While some speak of being imbued with the strength or the knowledge of the ancestors, there is no commonly known or accepted body of research or dogma or magic related to this. | ||
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===Healers=== | ===Healers=== | ||
Revision as of 21:03, 5 January 2006
Contents
Feline Culture
Religion
Feline religion is a combination of ancestor worship, honour - both of and from the family and the individual and survival of the strongest. The Elven equivalent is Avatar Justice (not a manifestation).
Every child of a noble family is expected to be capable of naming their family back into the distant past, back to the creation of the family and beyond, back to the creation of the race, or the creation of the universe. These recitations can go on for hours, depending upon the glory the family line has accrued over the years. If each ancestor has accrued great honour and glory, and thus has a much longer name, the recitation may take more than a day.
Society
Felines live in a matriarchal and martial society that is very strongly divided along class and race lines.
When first presented to court, whether provincial or Imperial, the individual is expected to recite her entire family line. She is also expected to ignore the signs of boredom from probably everyone in the room, except for the harpies, who will listen closely, hopeful for a mistake. A mistake is hardly fatal, but will mark the individual for some years.
Basic Feline society is like a cross between the Rift War world of Terawan (Kelawan?) and Kzin.
The Supernatural
Mages
Any Feline mage will only study magic to do with war. At least, this is the honourable, and oft claimed thing to do. Unfortunately, the Empire has not expanded or indulged in war in some time.
Of course, nature being as it will, occasionally a mage will attempt to learn or create such things that aid him and only him. Such selfish actions will impact upon the individual honour. Family and individual actions upon such a discovery will determine people's perception of the family.
Hedge Mages
Of course, there are also those individuals who are able to call upon the power of magic less formally, with less training and with less oversight. If discovered, they will be offered a place under a master mage as an apprentice, which placement will probably cancel out the loss of honour suffered as a result of not using their capabilities, as they usually do not do, for the good of the Empire in its more martial capabilities.
Clerics
Feline culture has very little in the way of clerics. Occasionally someone will become acknowledged as a little closer to, or favoured by the ancestor's, and of course as some individuals get older, they practically become walking ancestors, but there is not formal priesthood.
Some older individuals become teachers of cubs, and this can involve educating the young in the ways of Feline culture, mores and religion. They could even be considered teachers of the spirituality of the true people. There is no magic associated with such a role however.
While some speak of being imbued with the strength or the knowledge of the ancestors, there is no commonly known or accepted body of research or dogma or magic related to this.
Healers
Felines never use magic to heal wounds, though they can use magic to cure disease, as magic leaves no scars. Scars are considered honourable.
Felines Outside Kartar
The Feline individual most likely encountered outside the country, at least on the Western Shores is a Cheetah scout.
Roles
Other Races/Classes
Lioness soldier. Lion warrior/bodyguard/consort. Tigress warrior/ruler. Tiger warrior/assassin. Cheetah scout/messenger. Panther scout/assassin.
Oral Tradition
Felines have an oral tradition of recording great heroes.
Written History
Names
A Felines is born with no name, and must earn one. The longer the name, the more honour accrued by this person over his or her lifetime. Any Felines encountered on the Western Shores will most likely have a single word, one syllable name, the person a lesser individual striving to earn a greater name or unable to refuse a request from a superior.
Felines with no name are refered to by their duties.
Survival of the Fittest
Until recently, a cub who was not of great health and strength would be unlikely to survive the trip out of the birthing chamber. Further, a cub born with another of exceptional promise would occasionally die so as not to 'confuse the ancestors'. All the promise and resources of the family would be bestowed upon the single child.
In recent years, the quietly acknowledged increasing infertility of the Banbutsunoreichou, especially of the Torareichou, have changed this practice a little. It has always been the practice for a dame, or soon-to-be dame to have a single attendant, a trained midwife. This attendant, always an elderly dame would have been responsible for the deciding and enacting the cubs' fate, usually ruling very harshly. Obviously, they must be a trusted member of the household and are usually consulted on a range of other issues. These attendants are now much more likely determine a cub will survive than they used to. There is an increasing amount of room for cubs who are less physically and martially inclined, although one with an obvious deformity will still likely not survive.
