Throughout their history the chelti have had a struggle to survive, as such modern chelti culture is tough, flexible and designed to create strong family ties.
Originating from the jungle regions of their home planet, the chelti first started evolving from primitive nomads when groups began migrating to South to the colder dusk and dawn plains where food was easier to come by but life no less dangerous in many respects. The chelti as a species were never on top of the food chain, even today sections of their home planet are untouched by their feet.
After a catastrophic resource rush throughout their solar system they were visited by alien refugees from heavy fighting, upon crash landing they began trying to take over the planet, believing the chelti to be easy to handle. After a series of short battles in the area of the crash site a peace was brokered and the aliens began trading with the chelti for supplies. Part of this trading is their FTL drives, which are currently used in nearly all chelti interstellar transport.
Ever hungry for resources, the chelti spread, subtly influenced by their alien guests, across the galaxy trying to feed their starved economy.
Chelti is used as a plural and as the species name, an individual is called a chel regardless of gender. To specify a gender one uses ch'e for females and el'i to distinguish a male. Each language consists of three dialects, each more complicated than the next.
See also: terminology
Chelti are a clan-based society with strong ties to home and family, mortality rates are high with an average lifespan of 13 years, and 20 years of natural life. Chelti often live in large houses with their families, with resources shared. Often with little standardised education, technology is often left to the technocrat classes.
Mating is often (but not always) competitive in nature, with multiple suitors arising to the challenge. Family lineage is through the mother, although having a well studded father can certainly give a chel some ego points.
Due to the close empathetic links chelti share, it takes a certain amount of gumption to take another beings life. Being a member of the military is by definition being half-insane in their minds, hence they are often given a wide berth and officers are heavily indoctrinated.
The far ancient chelti ancestors originally used a series of guttural howling sounds to signal each other on the hunt, these basic sounds were similar to dog barks and used for basic signals about their prey. Eventually these ancient chelti created a bewildering array of signals to indicate positions, situation and direction.
From these confusing mixtures of sounds emerged the current system of language used in all chelti dialects. Chelti language and writing is divided into almost three different languages called “chants” , so-called from the sing song nature of speech, at least to their ears. Translating to non-chelti can be difficult, as their empath is hard-wired against extending to other species, a safety feature from some of the voracious predators on their world and a natural defence against most psychic attack.
The most base form of chelti languages, it’s often difficult to decipher even by themselves. Consisting mostly of sounds and hieroglyphs rather than actual words, Low Chant often implies meaning without stating it, hence it's sometimes popular as poetry just don't expect it to rhyme. When reading low chant many chelti prefer to vocalise it, resulting in a series of bark-like sounds that sometimes make such writing easier to understand. Chelti graffiti is often written in this.
The everyday speech and writing of all dialects, it is by far the most used and is probably the easiest to understand. Common chant is written with function in mind and its sentences are often uncluttered and short although most words flow together naturally. This is usually the easiest form to translate into other languages. Even different dialects can achieve some understanding from this level of language.
A highly cultured and structured chant, this is the language of the rich and educated. Its words are designed to flow together seamlessly as though the speaker were singing. Writing in this style takes time and a lot of practice, it is usually reserved for honoured guests or as a way of showing extreme respect. There are historical instances of military leaders using it to boost morale.
Different dialects have formed with the different regions of their planet, most formed of a common precursor allowing many chelti to overcome language barriers.
Writing evolved from writing directions in the sand and on the trees, these primitive directions and pictures eventually morphed into warning signs and finally a basic alphabet. Chelti writing really took off en mass once the scattered tribes began migrating into the more fertile subarctic regions where messages would be left on trees and such at first and then signs to warn passers-by of particular dangers in the area. More mundane uses for the phenomenon included jokes, directions to water and caches of food and, most importantly, to leave insults for a neighbouring tribe. These taunting competitions were known to last for years until entire sections of land were dotted with hundreds of witty come-backs and name-calling.
Eventually these signs started to have set meanings and generally one chel could move through another area with only a slight difference in translation. Slowly the different types of scripts became apparent as the three writing styles of High, Common and Low script we know today formed within these dialects. As time wore on languages slowly advanced and diverged, however the most basic of the chants, Low, has usually remained a constant throughout their time.
A widespread language originating from the Northern edge of the Cold Sands and found in many regions in the Northern Hemisphere. It's widely spoken as a trade language in many other areas and is known for being largely simple to learn for chelti speakers.
A Northern dialect that's popular with many of the more remote tribes deep in the Northern Reaches, usually only those that venture North frequently learn it, and even then most of the traders are fluent in other languages. It's known for its very guttural sound, even with common and high chants.
A southerner dialect, fairly typical of the region and a good starter to learn before tackling some of the more complex dialects in the Southern Frostcliffs. Its short and simple sounds are excellent for frozen lips. Many sounds in this dialect are unpronounceable for a human, especially in freezing conditions.
The chelti number system is based on elements of three, six, twelve and twenty four. Originating from the knuckles in their fingers, with each finger having three. This has the effect of a human indicating for two and chelti interpreting it as six.
A Score is roughly twenty units of something and used for variable counting, such as two score, half score, or one score and five.
Names have generally settled to be largely universal affairs between factions, as thousands of years of conquering and losing territory have shaped the way names are created. Each chel is given for names at birth, three of them already decided beforehand.
The names are set as such: Individual Mother Father Clan
The first and only one chosen by the parents or clan is the individual name, this name is what friends and family will usually use to call a chel. These names are often the most region specific, and some families choose special meanings for their names, while others use words and traditional names from long dead languages that no longer hold any meaning.
The Mothers name is used to signify a chel's lineage within the clan, titles are passed through the mother in chelti society instead of the father. This name is more for internal clan inheritance than actual naming.
The Fathers name is usually either the fathers individual or clan name, and is used to show which litter a chell came from within the family. This is another clan management thing, rarely used in public.
The last name is the clan name signifying, of course, the clan the individual belongs in. This is usually the only name that can be legitimately changed as chelti can be adopted into new clans, although this occurrence is somewhat rare. Most names are usually made up of very short, strong sounds. Chelti mouths have difficulty with some consonants, such as “S” sounding like “ursh” without much practice.
Chelti are famous for their ritual scarring, and scars are part of what makes a chel. Scars signify status, experience, and power. Chelti tend to take very good care of them, occasionally “refreshing” them to make sure they're clear.
The clan scar is pretty self-explanatory, each clan has its own pattern and shape. Most of these scars are a geometric pattern commonly seen on the shoulder blade or one side of the lower back. Females sometimes have them under the chin, while some males have them on the thigh.
Because scars are usually rewarded through ceremony it is very difficult for a chel to fake their scars to make themselves look more capable then they are within their own communities. Con-artists have been known to fake scars, but due to the nature of such marks this makes them rather easy to track down after the fact without constantly hiding them. A chel caught with fake scars is often scorned or severely admonished, occasionally being combatively ignored by everyone else for months. Con-artists caught with such after the fact are liable to find themselves flayed alive of the offending marks.
Members of the military also have a triangular symbol with two dots towards the wrist on scratched upon their right hands. Their position within the military is engraved on the same forearm, however this only indicates the type of unit, such as direct combat, supply, or voidsman. For combat units rank is painted in dull colours on forearm armour. The right forearm itself is likely to also have a set of long scars made ceremonially, these are a mark of experience and done when becoming part of a new unit. Although prestigious, it's often seen as unlucky to have too many.
Due to the empathic nature of their limited empathy joining a profession whose jobs includes killing other chelti is seen as somewhat psychopathic, resulting in most military personal being deeply feared and respected. In times of peace the military acts almost like its own clan, its deeply conditioned soldiers able to do what most chelti cannot without psychological harm unless in self-defence. Military service often endows benefits to the soldiers clan, and some recruits are given at near-birth. When these chel return to their clan for retirement they often bore honourable scars from their time in combat and are often much respected by their clan and other chel.
Most of those who manage to make it to retirement age spend the rest of their short lives practicing a new trade, some of the best swords have been forged at the furnace by former warriors.
Other times the military is used for brutal crack-downs. Some units are specialised for keeping civilian populations in line. Units such as the dreaded Volcano Brigade seek out even those who show a hint of intelligence in their eyes. Disappearances, threats and beatings are common tools of these units.
Historically chelti warriors were created to defend defend the interests of their people, but as soldiering went from occasional civic duty, to profession, to even a way of life for some, the common non-violent citizens needed a way to control these ego driven maniacs. Systems of honor were developed, and recruits indoctrinated in these. This honour system is not uncommon to this day, however; the chelti honor system rarely includes a knight in shining armor.
Most of a child's early education is based within their House, especially in larger houses. This mostly includes recognising dangerous animals, some survival skills and sometimes a small education in a field of knowledge that the particular house is rather entrenched in, such as blacksmithing or farming an such. As chelti grow a little older they may be home schooled by a family member or private tutor with their fellow housemates, or may be sent to learning centres that often act like boarding schools. This goes on until the child reaches adulthood at five standard years and can then choose to continue studying or start working in the community, although adult chelti are never turned down from seeking knowledge.
Training is usually on the job, some professions are regulated by guild bodies that maintain competency within specialised jobs such as pilots and engineers.
Because there are no prominent superficial differences between male and female chelti there have been very little issues in gender equality, indeed the balance tends to subtly tip to and fro throughout generations.
Females are generally slightly dominant in most houses, as they tend to outlive the more wild males. Because clan privilege is passed down through the mother, female chelti are often encouraged to take quieter avenues of work to help safeguard the clans continuity.
Males are generally allowed to roam the world for a few years before returning to the clan all the wiser from their experience, and hopefully a few exploits or two to help them attract courtship offers. Strong, well-placed sires can be valuable leverage for the next generation.
Marriage as a concept doesn't exist within chelti society, the rate of fatalities within chelti history made lifetime partnerships risky at best. Instead males tend to act as studs between clans, competing for courtship rights. Chelti females sometimes keep a group of available partners in their contacts for less ceremonial activities or when courtship rites are impractical. However, this lack of sanctioned marriage does not stop two chelti from loving each other.
The closest ceremony a human could relate to marriage would be the starting of a new splinter clan, in which two lovers forge their own house and hierarchy. Traditionally this involves a minor clan war where the male has to “steal” the female from her current clan. Rather than be a battle to the death this is often a highly communal affair with very little injury, most of which being accidents.
Methods of choosing bed partners include, but are not limited to:
Extremely competitive, the male must prove his strength and ability, often against a pool of other rivals. Sometimes direct conflict is used to determine a winner, other times more subtle ways must be used to woo the target. These affairs are usually impersonal, with the housing clan not looking to add a new son to its house.
Some clans don't have the money or power to be picky over studs, instead they use the prospect of offspring as a bargaining chip to males. Offering a litter in exchange for adequate compensation in funds or other means of payment. This is not a popular way of business, and many look down on it. For the down on his luck stud however, it might make a tempting offer.
Casual sex, a female chooses a male to accompany her (or occasionally vice-versa) to bed, the rest is history. Some males will woo a female with less than gentlemanly motives simply for mating opportunities, although such elopement will usually lead to lasting animosity from the rest of the lady's clan.
Homosexuality is far from taboo in their species, as there are very few external differences between males and females. Casual homosexual sex is not uncommon, simply for fun or to break the tension.
Naturally dress differs from region to region, however most commonly the preferred casual dress consists of a loose type of cloth shirt and billowy shorts tied at the first knee. Further South this dress is only seen within the warmer areas of houses, outside chelti are forced to wear warmer clothing. In the most extreme weathers chelti will be forced to use an almost air-lock system to help keep heat in.
Hunters and other more combative careers are usually visible by their harness and specially designed padding at certain joints even when completely unarmed. These chel tend to have a small buffer zone in most crowds as their reputation precedes them.
Technological progress is usually a hallmark of clan development, however academic study that fuels this drive is often provided by what the chelti term “Brain Tanks”. These almost collective hivemind constructs range from two to twenty individuals, if you could call them such, these brain tanks all seem to support each others thought process, allowing incredible depth of thought, study or philosophy. Brain tanks are usually recognisable because their members movements will all be in perfect sync, it actually takes effort of a brain tanks members not to march in step and formation together when moving.
Children of a member of these brain tanks have usually had at least one awkward situation where the “wrong body” would return home to care for them exactly like their actual parent would. This can lead to some odd situations, especially in the tight confines of research stations where these power houses of thought tend to reside. Faction funded brain tanks will usually go about training students in their field as well, although usually only one member of the tank is assigned this. Don't expect to always see the same face when these classes are in session.
Factional study is also where university level education takes place. The chelti's short lifespan means that only the scholarly find it worthwhile to study at this level. Professors often teach and use students in their research, overseen by a factional adviser making sure that the students aren't being abused and that high education will continue with the faction in the next generation.
Being a largely under-resourced planet, most of Seloca's resources are now harvested from space. Mobile space refineries tearing apart and smelting asteroids and scooping gas giants. Most production for space is done in space as getting heavy materials into and out of atmosphere can still be a challenge with their level of technology.
Manufacturing does exist on the home world itself, and more resourced colonies usually follow its pattern. Factories are usually grouped into districts based around a high-output powerplant, usually a hydrogen reactor. Clan funded factories will cluster around the powerplant paying for usage to fuel their machines, large supply depots also litter these areas to store raw materials and finished product. It's not uncommon for larger cities to have more than one of these districts. On some of the colonies the powerplant may actually be owned by the military using their own Void Force generators stripped straight off a retired vessel.
Chelti die out fairly quickly due to their short span of life, therefore the few who make it to old age are well treated by the other members of the house as they share their knowledge with the young children. The chelti have no formal healthcare as such, but if an individual has alienated the members of their clan to the point where they refuse duty of care than that bed has been made. Senility is very very rare, most die before it can take effect.
Chelti have always loved music throughout their history and despite their progression parts of it remain the same as it did when they roamed the deserts and jungles as nomads. Their instruments have traditionally included small drums and string instruments, although wind instruments and song are strong parts. Many of the tribal songs include stamping and clapping, but part of this could be considered more of a dance.
Most of their highly traditional instruments are small and designed to be carried easily without getting in the way, they include an instrument very similar to a harmonica. Others resemble jugs with holes in them, pipes and a primitive saxophone. Drums are usually very small as well, although in recent centuries there have been moves to larger drums with festivals.
There are a series of famous stories that are told as part of song, although this is usually done by one “narrator” singer while backup vocalists work in the background as well as musicians. Many songs will be accompanied by stamping feet or tools on the ground, or clapping if the floor is too hard, from the audience. In many songs it is the listeners that determine the tempo and in many cases perform traditional dance as part of the telling.
In many settlements some chelti take up drums during certain festivals, drumming a living beat to the celebrations. Larger cities are known for around the clock parties. These festival instruments have to be hauled up to the owners roof before being played and hopefully add to the enjoyment of others. Multiple players on different roofs usually agree to a set of rhythms, or have some way of communicating a change of song or lead player.
These players fill the streets with their beat, infusing the masses below with energy and joy as they celebrate together. Because of the chelti's unusual semi-telepathic abilities they are uncannily good at remaining in time, and good players have been known to drive a party to keep going for three standard days non-stop.
An inborn trait for nearly all Chelti, most youths will attempt all manner of stunts to prove themselves and most adults have scars to show their exploits. This is a contributing factor to the chelti’s low life expectancy. While not always dangerous, many of these stunts are done away from crowded areas as it's seen as dishonourable to endanger others for the sake of proving courage. So if an accident does occur it often takes time for help to arrive. While they may settle down somewhat as they get older most common chelti will usually never truly lose the urge to feel adrenaline pumping through their veins.
The chelti have a large variety of competitive sports, the most dangerous are similar to gladiatorial combat, as well as super fast magnetic racing. Although for the less inclined there are simple games that can be played anywhere.
Dueling for entertainment, these arenas escalate from amateur first blood events all the way to professional to-the-death competition. Other arena types will also set gladiators against vicious animals, of which their home planet has plenty, and other nasty opponents. Death competitions are usually rare, most combat based around disabling and submitting. However the juiciest prizes are always in the most dangerous competitions, the chelti believing that greed is an even stronger motivator than fear.
A high speed sport where crashing is often fatal, these events draw wide crowds as events range from professional teams to independent rookies. These vehicles use portable magnetic tracks to float above the ground. Speeds can reach over 500 km/h and pilots are usually racing for cash prize. Ring range from pro machines down to hand-built jobs.
A communal game that can be started from something as simple as kicking a ball down a street. There are no set rules for this game, but often the game can carry on for many hours without stopping as the ball rolls down new avenues and players join and leave. All balls used for this are branded so they can be returned to the original owner.
A small but important part of chelti society, chelti take lavish care of their looks and particulars. Claws must be well-kept, skin must be firm and tough, teeth clean.
A strange practice, involves spitting high alcohol content liquid over the back and shoulders of another chel before sparking the liquid to light. This produces a relatively low temperature and fast burning flame that last only for a few seconds. This practice is believed to clear skin of impurities, help with excess hair growth and kill any parasites or other nasties that may have latched onto the skin.
Research shows that in grown chelti this actually leaves little to no actual burn damage to their tough hide.
Chelti in many regions enjoy warm baths, however some of the methods and cultural obligations surrounding these baths often means they're far from relaxing compared to the human equivalent. Many baths involve a pre-dip sparing match, and the massages that often go with these activities aren't designed to be relaxing. This activity is believed to promote wellbeing and healthy, tough skin.
Popular in the deep south, bathing rituals for these types of baths are based on extremes, with the bather being subjected to warmth, then extreme cold, a shot of hard liquor if preferred, and then another dip in the warm pools. This is usually repeated, in between time is often made for various grooming procedures for other bathers including Skolding. Note, any form of clothing is forbidden in these baths as the bather must continue to their own endurance.
A specialty to the high canopy of the Northern rainforests, these baths are made from rain run off then warmed by the strong and constant sun. The large leaf structure on some of the taller trees means that with some work they can often be formed into a crude cup to hold water. The water often becomes infused with the smell of the tree, meaning that some trees are preferred for this than others because of their greater smell.
This form of bathing is not without its own dangers though, because the baths need to reach direct sunlight they have to be high in the canopy, where a fall will be fatal and where predators can roam.
Highly desirable little creatures that evolved as grooming scavengers, cleaning and sorting out other creatures that has since been domesticated by chelti for personal use. The creatures are pretty much the only animal able to achieve a basic rapport with the chelti empathy, able to receive unconscious instructions in grooming their owners for food. This not the primary food source of such pets, as snacks are well-appreciated by the intelligent creatures.
Celebrated in the dark south during the deepest winter in major cities, the Winter Light festival last roughly 72 hours in standard time and is a big occasion as it's only held once every standard five years, on average a chel will only live to see two or three in their lifetime.
The parade is noted for the massive number of fireworks used through out the festivities, by tradition the sky is never allowed to be dark during the festival, so large numbers of fireworks are constantly fired into the air. The festivities start with parades and dances, before finally becoming one huge party of drinking, eating and good cheer while barely being able to hear anything but the boom of explosives.
It's not unknown for the army to lend out anti-aircraft cannons to unleash the massive number of pyrotechnics the festival demands, generally adding to the chaos of the festival. It often takes several days of resting after the fireworks stop before things return to normal.
A common scene on plains of the chelti homeworld in many towns and villages, the festival harkens back to tribal war drums but in modern times is simply used in annual celebration. Half musical, half near deafening noise and partying the festivities last roughly twelve hours before the community rests. Large drums are placed on top of residences and play constantly, drummers taking staggered shifts to prevent fatigue.
Like any culture, the chelti have a whole range of little nuances. Here's a few that are particularly important, or simply for your entertainment.