Culture in Autochthonia - WIP

Like any other civilization, the Autochthonians possess a cultural baggage that they are proud to carry, they have a strange and some even would say, strange mix of ancient traditions and modern perspectives, making them a contrast that many called "neo-barbarian" or "techno-primitive". In here, it will describe in the best of manners, what the Autochthonians do in their daily lives.

[center][b]Family[/b][/center]

Autochthonians are very fond of the protection that family offers, but they do not give much importance in its structure - for an Autochthonian, family is a matter of love and care, not blood - with no single "standard" family form, but generally tending to the extensive side (families with less then 20 members is rare) all living collectively in a "Kremlin" (armored household).

Children are raised together, having no distinction between cousins, sisters or brothers. But because children are fragile compared to their parents, they are fiercely protected - it is not uncommon Dvar children being very scared of the world, having consciousness of their frailty, and always keeping close to one or both parents or a designated responsible adult. 

[center][b]Romance and Love[/b][/center]

Autochthonians see love and romance as a common and natural aspect of life, having no prejudices, except the so called "5 Taboos", a set of prohibitions considered not only physiological and psychologically dangerous, but also immoral: Homophobia, Necrophilia, Paedophilia, Zoophilia and Rape. 

The Autochthonians does not have shame to express their romantic affection in public, with kissing and hugging a common action amongst the people. They see societies who impose prohibitions of such actions as "cowardly and weak, afraid of express their best natures for the sake of imaginary shame".

Autochthonians do not have marriages with long rituals and see no significance in such actions: they believe that, if a couple is ready for a permanent union, they simply move to a common Kremlin and thats it. They must only own each others loyalty and commitiment for themselves, having no need to exhibit for others like somekind of a show.

[center][b]Holidays[/b][/center]

Autochthonians enjoy holidays like any other nation or culture, but their have a set of them not focused in religious affairs or even focused in political notions, but ones focused in ideals and its people like a collective whole, based on the cycles of the Sun, with each holiday lasting 21 days each (ten days before the soltice/equinox, the solstice/equinox day, and ten days after)

- Sol Invictus: made in the Summer, it is a time of passion, of lust, of rage, of movement, of conflict and exuberant joy. Great open musical shows, carnival-like marches, one-night stands, massive use of psychotropic drugs, and aggressive combat sports are the norm, with the solstice day being a complete revelry where no law of decency holds sway, with music, love and fighting going everywhere.

- Sol Descendis: made in Autumn, it is a time of mysteries, of preparation, of surprises, of change, of gathering and of study. This time, people prepare conserved and/or pickled vegetables, time-resilient foods like Granite cakes (a type of bread made of nuts and grains that do not spoil for years at a time, and is highly nutritious) and brew alcoholic beverages for the summer. It is also a time where books are bought and read with greater frequency, horror stories are told at night, and studies for the overall scientific development are made. In the equinox, there is "Ghost Night", where people dress in costumes representing monsters and other spooky creatures, children collect candy in exchange of causing no harm (if not, harmless but annoying pranks will happen), and the "Great Ghost Dance" is made. 

- Sol Nihilus: made in Winter, it is a time of contemplation, of comfort, of loss, of reflection, of introspection and of remembrance. This time, people stay at home close to their loved ones, or meditate alone about their own perpectives in life. The dead are buried, and/or cemeteries are visited, and in the solstice, there is the tradition of "fire-gazing", where a fire is ignited, and for a time people gather around it, watching it burn.

- Sol Ascendis: made in Spring, it is a time of hope, of renovation, of true love, of commitment, of promisse and of innocence. This time, love oaths are sworn, young children gain gifts, promisses for the year are made, newborns are named, and art are exposed. In the equinox, there is the "New Year", where families gather and a great feast is made.

[center][b]Martial Arts[/b][/center]

Autochthonians possess a martial art system like any nation, it is just one that throws away all philosophical platitudes to achieve one single purpose: survival.

This style is called "Panzer Boxing", and its principles are based in the notion that, if there is a means to defeat an adversary, use it, and damn the consequences, for in the battlefield, the adversary will have no qualms nor show any mercy; your survival and victory is the most important, not the manner you achieve them.

It is a style whose main weapons are a set of armored gauntlets, greaves and sabatons, permitting a balance between flexible action and protection, while permitting the use of a weapon that can never be lost (it is fixed in your body) or taken (only by cutting the limbs).

It is divided in ten levels of proficiency, and has two paths of approach: one is the "Way of the Locomotive", focused on strength and linear action, and the "Way of the Jet-Engine", where speed and obliquous attacks are more applied.

[center][b]Music[/b][/center]

The Autochthonians enjoy music that stirs deep emotions, from unbridled joy to crushing sadness to relentless wrath to yearning lust. while many rhythms had developed throughout History, some styles are deeply appreciated.

[b]- Philarmonic Music:[/b] this style that combines choir and symphonic music is greatly appreciated not only by the older generation or the most intellectualized individuals, but by the young generations as well - the first as an appreciation of culture and art, the young for in many cases, many of their first contact of such style came by video-games (the games [i]Shadow Spirits[/i] and [i]Bloodgiven[/i] made entire legions of young people see their first philarmonic show thanks for the captivating soundtrack)

[b]- Choir:[/b] this tradition comes from the ancient times, where the obtainment and maintenance of a musical instrument was practicaly impossible by a common man, and so, to animate parties and later to give gravitas to a Promethean Philosophy gathering, choirs were developed. These groups of singers can variate in number, from less then 5 to more then a hundred members, being all-male, all-female, or mixed, and possess a very rich tone, capable of (some say) sing a song with the richness of an orchestra.

[b]- Heavy Metal:[/b] this recent style took the nation like fire, with Autochthonian music critic Vladmir Decaton saying [i]"For long it was said that wrath and glory could not be expressed in song. Today, we were proved wrong"[/i]. Taking inspiration in the Philarmonic Music, Choir traditions, and combining them with new electric instruments and drum sets, this style had proven to not only express anger and rebellion, but also serve as a new method of storytelling, and as an uncommon method of comedy and satire of not only everything and everyone, but their own selves as well - there is the stereotype that metal fans are "too serious", while in the end they are just goofy and the facade are just this: a facade. Their musicians, also called "steel bards", are capable of gathering multitudes to see shows where a foreign onlooker once described as "a hellish mix of a satanic ritual amidst a medieval battlefield where the soldiers digladiate wearing biker gang clothes while drinking inhuman quantities of alcohol and consuming highly debilitating quantities of drugs while having a mind-shattering orgy, and everybody there consider this [i]fun[/i]"

[b]- Alcove Music:[/b] this style come from the ancient nobility status of having a small music team to play for them while they courted their lovers. It is a style marked for their sensuality, intimacy and softness, made to be heard with their significant other in a more intimate enviroment.

[center][b]Architecture[/b][/center]

The Autochthonian style of architecture is called [i]Zheleznaya Krepost[/i] or "Iron Fortress" in Dvaric, a style that enphasizes two things above everything else: practical design featuring easy of construction, maintenance and use; and long term resilience in case of military atttack; the Autochthonian cities - called [i]"Grads"[/i] ("Citadels", in Dvaric) - resemble gigantic military fortifications in the form of massive towers, with each house (a "Kremlin" or "Shelter" in Dvaric) inside capable of not only keeping a family in comfort, but also serving as a veritable fortification capable of withstanding heavy bombardment and AABC attacks (Arcane-Atomic-Biological-alChemical). Also, inside a Kremlin is kept its industry, educational centers, libraries, hospitals, and all the other necessities to keep a city working and its population comfortable.

The Kremlins are built not only on the surface, but underground, to not only ease the mining necessities of the Autochthonian industry, but also avoid the reckless urban expansion common in other nations - it is in fact a matter of national security for all Kremlins to be built not only resource-efficiently, but also taking in context defense and ease of upkeeping in case of warfare. 

[center][b]Language[/b][/center]

The official language of Autochthonia is called [i]Dvaric[/i], originated from the main people of Autochthonia, the Dvar.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wttQziP.png[/img][/center]

[center][b]Entertainment[/b][/center]

The Autocthonians enjoy a series of entertaining activities during their free time, and their passionate natures makes their fun seen by other races as... "excessive" or "extreme".

A few activities that exists are:

[b]Bars and Clubs:[/b] the Autocthonians enjoy a broad array of public and private places where they can enjoy their friends comradery, search for romance and release steam after a day of work. Some resemble the common bars where an individual or group of friends go to drink themselves blind and maybe cause a fight or three, with the main drinks of the nation, "steel water" (a 65% alcohol distillate made of ---) and "iron beer" (a high-level alcohol content fermented drink) are consumed.
The clubs are meant to attend a special activity or cater for a certain public: there are clubs of dance, clubs of music, clubs of literature, clubs of gaming, and so on, with certain clubs being recognized as rivals, and such rivalry in certain cases spans the nation.

[b]Martial Arts:[/b] the Dvar are a species where physical combat is also a form of expression of art and even intention, formulated on the saying "Voices can lie, but the body always tell the truth". In this manner, martial arts tournaments are a common aspect of life, with the greatest tournament being the "Vysshiy Kulak" (Supreme Fist), where fighters battle one another in a year-long tournament that ends in Sol Invictus.