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Journeywoman's Journeys, A Fantasy Age of Exploration Worldbuilding Quest (Updated Daily)

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[X] [Exiled Dissidents] - Harakai ("The people of spirit and flesh" in original tongue)
-Fictive, with some kind of adoption into a family.
-Neolocality
-Quisarchy (Family led by an individual who "gives up" their gender identity in order to deal with legal and property issues without bias)

I don't have a cool story for this but I like the idea that the Harakai/Exiled Dissidents never had the inclination towards male or female leadership of a family, or of inheritance in that sense, and instead practice pretty free-wheeling, Roman-style adoption where an impartial, essentially agender leader of the family adopts whoever is needed to perpetuate the family and give it the skills and resources it needs to survive.
 
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[x] [Religious Thinkers] Kal Ymi (The Anointed)
- Fictive
- Ambilocal (ish)
- Matriarchal/Patriarchal (varies per household, dependent on Ymi)

The people known as the Kal Ymi (Cal-Mi), the Anointed, organize themselves into households based on patron "saints", or Ymi, nigh-deified ancestors. New additions to the Ymi are common; it is not uncommon for the funerals of certain prominent Kal Mi to become founding rituals for new households devoted to the deceased. At birth, a child is assigned a Ymi, in accordance with a secret formula based on celestial omens, and then given over to a family-group devoted to their specific "saint"; these households are organized under the principle of seniority, with the oldest individual matching the gender of the Ymi maintaining family authority. Couples, after marriage, devoted themselves in a special ceremony to a specific Ymi household; this is usually, but not necessarily, a birth-house of the married.
 
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Sorry for the double-post, but I'm having a lot of fun with these.

[x] [Founded by Arcane Warriors] Silef (the Royal Guard)
- Ambilineal
- Ambilocal
- Magocrachy

The Silef, (lit. "The Royal Guard"), form large family groups with strict hierarchies determined by magical skill. The head of household (who may be of any gender) can be challenged by any other member of the family for leadership of their clan through a formalized magical duel. The clan leader themselves draws lineage from the last deceased head of household; All other members of the family either identify as "elders" or "children". The former, who abdicate their ability to challenge, draw lineage from the last deceased leader. "Children", those who maintain the right to challenge, draw descent from the extant head (Silef parents may technically be the "children" of their own offspring). Another system of dueling exists for marriage, with heads of household fighting over which clan the newlyweds join.

Win a magic fight, become your own dad!

Edit: votes.

[X] [Exiled Dissidents] - Harakai ("The people of spirit and flesh" in original tongue)
[X] [Ruthless Merchants] Amravolk (The People With Integrity)
[X] [Resilient Farmers] - Orisatl ("The People" in original tongue)
[x] [Religious Thinkers] Kal Ymi (The Anointed)
 
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[X] [Exiled Dissidents] - Harakai ("The people of spirit and flesh" in original tongue)
-Fictive, with some kind of adoption into a family.
-Neolocality
-Quisarchy (Family led by an individual who "gives up" their gender identity in order to deal with legal and property issues without bias)

I like this one

and here's a pitch
[X] [Ruthless Merchants] Amravolk (The People With Integrity)
-Ambilineal
-Aurumlocal (The family moves in with the wealthier relatives)
-Kelptomatriarchal (the wealthiest, most connected mothers rule)

EDIT:
in universe logic for the aurumlocal is that it's the generous and right thing to do! (and also a careful balancing act of draining the wealth of other families while maintaining their own) In effect, the Shiniest Grandma's Rule.
In death, their bodies are cremated and their bones gilded and posed in their homes for a year and a day before being disassembled and the bones distributed among her children as religious keepsakes and tokens of luck
 
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clockworkchaos said:
-Maxmatriarchy (Family lead by largest female)
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What do you mean by largest?
Tallest? Widest? Muscliest? ...Mammary-est?

Between a basketball player, a sumo wrestler, and a heavily pregnant woman, which leads the family?
AKuz said:
The second is basically 'what happens to the new couple after marriage', examples include:
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What if they practiced polyamorous marriage?
e.g. a triamorous married ...trouple? ...whatever a 3 person married couple is called, with any gender combination (MMM, MMF, MFF, FFF).

Or what if they don't get married at all?
Marriage is a human cultural trait.
Most of the listed peoples are distinctly non-human; feline humanoids(?), centauroids, orc-like humanoids, part-spirit/part-jinn humanoids(?).
With the exception of the Ruthless Merchants, being homo-sapiens-sapiens-like.
 
[X] [Exiled Dissidents] Qarin ("Companions", from ancient saying "We Who Are Companions of Spirits")
-Fictive
-Neolocality
-Quisarchy (Family led by an individual who "gives up" their gender identity in order to deal with legal and property issues without bias)

Qarin came from the Arabic-Islamic concept of Qareen, the "constant companion" djinn. The meaning in the setting is in reverse for our djinn-hybrid people.

[X] [Ruthless Merchants] Nahanne (People of the Rivers)
-Matrilineal
-Matrilocal
-Matriarchal

This is the example option presented by AKUz mixed with the lineage & post-marriage household systems of the mercantile Minang people in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Edit: also voting for Graf & clock's proposals

[x] [Religious Thinkers] Kal Ymi (The Anointed)
- Fictive
- Ambilocal (ish)
- Matriarchal/Patriarchal (varies per household, dependent on Ymi)

[x] [Founded by Arcane Warriors] Silef (the Royal Guard)
- Ambilineal
- Ambilocal
- Magocrachy

[X] [Resilient Farmers] - Orisatl ("The People" in original tongue)
-Fictive
-Matrilocal
-Maxmatriarchy (Family lead by largest female)
 
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[X] [Resilient Farmers] - Orisatl ("The People" in original tongue)
-Fictive
-Matrilocal
-Maxmatriarchy (Family lead by largest female)

[X] [Ruthless Merchants] Amravolk (The People With Integrity)
-Ambilineal
-Aurumlocal (The family moves in with the wealthier relatives)
-Kelptomatriarchal (the wealthiest, most connected mothers rule)

[X] [Exiled Dissidents] Aztifiyi (lit. "half-meat")
- Fictive
- Progenilocality (One married individual joins the other family, the couple's children join the family that 'gave up' a member)
- Demo-Animarchy (Family led by a shaman or spiritual representative, chosen by vote at the funeral of the previous shaman)

[X] [Arcane Warriors] Keseloi
- Matrilineal
- Parvilocal (Married groups join the smaller family)
- Gerontarchy (Family led by the eldest living member)
 
Tatbee said:
What do you mean by largest?
Tallest? Widest? Muscliest? ...Mammary-est?

Between a basketball player, a sumo wrestler, and a heavily pregnant woman, which leads the family?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

That is a reallllllly fun question. Because there is no consensus. And family splits have happened over it. A combo of tallest/muscliest is the usual one, but it varies and when you get one tall and one muscled.... well that is when problems arise. (Tho pregnant is more 'temporary' and would probably not be considered even among ones looking at weight)
 
Tatbee said:
What do you mean by largest?
Tallest? Widest? Muscliest? ...Mammary-est?

Between a basketball player, a sumo wrestler, and a heavily pregnant woman, which leads the family?

What if they practiced polyamorous marriage?
e.g. a triamorous married ...trouple? ...whatever a 3 person married couple is called, with any gender combination (MMM, MMF, MFF, FFF).

Or what if they don't get married at all?
Marriage is a human cultural trait.
Most of the listed peoples are distinctly non-human; feline humanoids(?), centauroids, orc-like humanoids, part-spirit/part-jinn humanoids(?).
With the exception of the Ruthless Merchants, being homo-sapiens-sapiens-like.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

That's what the extra hundred and some words are for >: V

Most of what I'm talking about is introducing these concepts how they're used in contemporary homo Sapiens sapiens terms. Feel free to do jazz on them when you write something in
 
I suggested that biggest could be measured by how much food they have to feed their people. Abundance gives legitimacy to their control over the family. Fits in with them being farmers and such. Also because people need a lot to eat to grow big and strong, etc.
 
I like how it plays with the usual stereotype of "oh the largest Orc Barbian is chieftain because he can beat everyone else up"
 
[X] [Exiled Dissidents] Aztifiyi (lit. "half-meat")
[X] [Exiled Dissidents] - Harakai ("The people of spirit and flesh" in original tongue)
 
[X] Ruthless Merchants Dharja (People of Salt)
-Fictive
-Neolocal
-Clan Chief

The Dharja, or People of Salt, for the salt flats of their homeland. They organize themselves around several polyamorous networks in relationship to a caravan or ocean going vessel under the authority of a clan chief or captain. The clan chief has final authority over property and legal rights and is chosen by acclaim. Every year many of the clans return to their homeland for a great moot where they socialize and form new networks. These networks split off of their parent clan and they receive their own ship or caravan as a gift.

I was thinking they have a pseudo-military slash business hierarchy led by a clan chief who captains their ship or leads the cavavan and under that is a bunch of messy polyamorous networks.
 
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Cassiemouse said:
I suggested that biggest could be measured by how much food they have to feed their people. Abundance gives legitimacy to their control over the family. Fits in with them being farmers and such. Also because people need a lot to eat to grow big and strong, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

If they are super food focused you could also have them engage in all kinds of fun gift economy shenanigans, like rival families or towns trying to flex on each other by throwing ruinously expensive feasts to prove that they've got *so much* food that they can afford to give a ton away.
 
HeWhoAdds said:
If they are super food focused you could also have them engage in all kinds of fun gift economy shenanigans, like rival families or towns trying to flex on each other by throwing ruinously expensive feasts to prove that they've got *so much* food that they can afford to give a ton away.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Combo with the found family and you can see throwing those feast to attract new members to your family/clan/autonomous collective. Throwing unasked for feasts is like, kinda a war declaration "hey you are trying to steal my people!" The matriarch controls the kitchen, and she who controls the kitchen, controls the feast. Their word for "Chieftain" is derived from "Chef".
 
time, cit-

hmmm

[vote not closed]

due to the complexity, I'm going to let this one ride for another day

religion post coming
 
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Naming the Divine
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    • Naming the Divine​

    While family is an important aspect of day to day life, just as important to many is faith and creed, with inhabitants of the Exile's City tending to follow the path of…

    [ ] The Atheist

    Perhaps a surprising viewpoint in a world where divine actors very much seem to exist, however the Atheists of this city don't deny the reality of so-called "Gods", but reject their divinity and any impulse to send them worship.

    Instead so-called "Studious" Atheists believe that the beings others call gods are simply another part of the world, more powerful and knowledgeable than mortals perhaps, but equal in majesty and morality. They see nothing wrong in studying spirits and "divine" beings or in treating with them on equal terms, (often delighting in doing so) but Studious Atheists draw the line at worshipping and obeying them.

    This transactional nature of their spirituality with all kinds of beings, and their tendency to study every kind of creature with everything from dispassion to affection has often seen this branch of Atheists slandered as "Demonologists" (Much to the annoyance of actual Demon worshippers)

    [ ] The Spiritualist

    To the followers of this worldview, every object, being, and impulse in the world has a spirit associated with it. In daily life, one must give thanks to the world as one acts on it, and Spiritualists are well known for thanking animals they eat and fields they harvest.

    Though Spiritualist shamans are most often found conducting rituals to supplicate with more powerful natural forces like rivers or seasons, these "Channelers" are best known for bargaining with the "Coloured" spirits that govern the range of mortal emotions.

    Channelers teach that as the spirits most closely bound with thinking beings and most susceptible to mortal will, "Colours" are potentially the strongest, and most dangerous, of all the spirits.

    Not limited to simply speaking with independent spirits, by bargaining their own emotions and those of their congregation, a sufficiently disciplined and trained Channeler can wield the power of nature itself

    [ ] The Mother

    Known in many tongues as some variation on "Seles" or "Celas", and often considered one of the most important divine beings in any pantheon, and known in the Confederation of Cities most often as "The Mother", she is the Goddess of death and tranquility.

    Her adherents in the city teach that she rarely deigns to interfere in mortal affairs, as all souls find their way to her eventually, whereupon she will grant them succor and hear the story of their life.

    Seles' realm is said to be the afterlife, a place of stillness and rest, where the dead are purged of "heaviness" before being reborn. Her white robe clad priests and priestesses oversee funerals and are often found tending to the sick, impoverished, and distressed, and are known for being virtually immune to sickness, poison, and disease until they too are called back to The Mother's loving embrace.


    [ ] The Patroness

    A henotheistic faith, in ancient times the River Goddess Imhar Zarel made a pact with the "Hungry Ones": in exchange for their worship and lifeforce she would seek to protect and enrich them alone and no other people.

    Often derided as "Blood drinkers" and "Cannibals" by the ignorant who misunderstand the ritualized blood offerings, those who follow Imhar Zarel keep to a strict regime of riverine purification and ritual hygiene tied to the moon (Often framed as another aspect of Imhar Zarel or her divine lover) and are known for being orthoprax rather than orthodox in matters of religion.

    Thriving in their travels across the world and drawing in more adherents, the Hungry Ones have built a hierarchy of "Divine Sisters" and "Divine Mothers" to oversea new lands, however this faith's temporal center still lies on the massive river delta and flood plains in which it was born.

    I intend to run this vote similarly to the one where we selected the founding people of the University City. In this case the highest scoring vote will have a floor of 33% followers, and the remaining votes will be converted to percentages and added to that 33% to reach a full 100%.

    Please write in with votes of 150 words, and remember that further details may be added to fill out what is established here, and also bear in mind that winning descriptions will apply ONLY to the faith or creed as practiced in the Exile's City and nearby areas. These faiths may vary wildly in practice and belief in other times and places.
     
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    • (Voting is open, and you can keep voting on the last vote too, I'll count everything by hand if I have to)
     
    [x] The Spiritualist

    I am interested in seeing how Spiritualists also work alongside the demanding nature of the educational Islands.
     
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