Iromakuanhe Culture

Iromakuanhe culture is a unique and varied melting pot of unique adaptations and ancient traditions to environment, creating a rich foundation upon which their society is built. Traditionalist nomad groups on both land and in the skies, as well as small communities and isolated enclaves serve as the wellsprings that feed into a melting pot of rapidly changing metropolitan culture. Modernist thinking encourages change in society as long as traditions are preserved and the roots of their culture are not forgotten.

As a whole, the Iromakuanhe people are tolerant and open minded, but as newcomers to the galactic scene, may find themselves constantly alternating between naive curiosity and uncertain caution in their dealings. Their culture of enlightenment and understanding however, encourages them to rise over petty stereotypes and bad first impressions, and in general, will almost always attempt to seek some kind of clarity on any given race or culture. While refreshing, this may be a nuisance to individuals who are genuinely as they appear at a first glance, or have their own biases against foreigners.

See: Recent Iromakuanhe History

Life in the inner worlds of the Iromakuanhe Astral Commonwealth has been relatively peaceful, under the spiritually unified mosaic of the The Dreamer Vigil and the strong, but caring rule of the Commonwealth government. Outer system colonies have, however, been plagued by a series of civil conflicts requiring the intervention of the Astral Vanguard, and bandit activity on the fringes has been on the rise as 2nd Space Age technologies become increasing commonplace. The current era is prosperous, but suffering from a stagnation which has prompted many to seek new lives out in the stars.

See: Iromakuanhe History

For more information, see Iromakuanhe Government.

Many Iroma believe that keeping a watchful eye over the political movements in their government is their sworn duty as citizens of the Astral Commonwealth, a trait that is unusual among the other cultures of local space. While some peoples have standardized obedience without question, indifference or even the lack of a political system, the Iroma believe in questioning all forms of government and rule, and renewing the upper echelons of governance if they fail to do their duties to the people, a trait that is effectively a poison pill for any would-be conquerors. What passes for patriotism is in fact a sense of duty to their culture and faith, and seeing the government as the most effective tool to protect them that has been conceived thus far.

While in other states the people are afraid of government, in Iromakuanhe society, it is the government that is afraid of the people.

For more information, see Entertainment.

While often favoring ascetic and introspective values, Iromakuanhe culture is far from spartan. They are encouraged to enjoy life for all it has to offer, though not without some degree of moderation, and explore the world. Literature, drama, music, physical activities and even electronic entertainment media such as televised video and computer games are the staples of their society, and it is never hard for a person to find their niche.

For more information, see The Dreamer Vigil.

Religion is a central aspect to an Iromakuanhe's life, but each is allowed to pursue it in some individualized manner. Some prefer to view it as a source of strength and model for living in their struggle for self-improvement, while others believe it to be a source of inspiration for great works of art. The less conventional, but still highly accepted view among many Ivuori is the usage of religion as the starting point for deep philosophical explorations into the idea of the self and others. The Eyr Ranr people, on the other hand, see it as a way of interpreting life as something that should be taken lightly, and with some degree of hope towards the future. Many others adhere to the orthodox teachings more astringently, and believe in a rigid, but highly selfless code of ethics presented in some renditions of the holy texts.

In short, Iromakuanhe religion is united, but diverse on a scale that allows any person to find their place in it.

For more information, see Technology.

Iromakuanhe culture has seen the rise of technology and the rapid changes in the cultural medium in previous eras. Industrial automation has changed the working landscape for the working person, and allowed the dissemination of cheap industrial goods into all areas of population. Advances in network technology have rendered even the most isolated settlements able to connect to the wider world, or even partially obsoleted the need to ever leave a networked environment. The transhumanist ideologies that came with the rise of bioenhancement, gene therapy and advanced artificial lifeforms have most past the initial point of polarizing a traditional and spiritual people and moved into the domain of the norm.

Iromakuanhe culture boasts the greatest cultural diversity despite relative isolation to the nations outside of their borders, to the point where there are dozens of recognized distinct cultural entities and over 2370 regional dialects within the Commonwealth. Most citizens can trace back their lineage to one of four traditional bloodlines, or associate their origins with the metropolitan culture of their upbringing. Cultural appropriation is not considered taboo, and many Iromakuanhe do not even assert that they are of any given ethnic group, instead simply stating the one that is most familiar to them.

• The sedentary Curdatl are jovial, steady and even handed, descended from the remaining colonists that survived the catastrophe that placed them in the Iruotl System. Their tenacity and good-willed approach to life has made them reliable farmers, soldiers and great builders of society and edifices that stand monument to it.
• The nomadic Eyr Ranr are a free spirited, focused and dynamic people that roam the aerospace of the Iromakuanhe Astral Commonwealth, having in them the blood of the old colonial pilots and starship operators. The casual demeanor with which they fearlessly pursue their goals and dreams make them remarkable traders, pilots and mercenaries.
• The sedentary Ivuori are intelligent, creative and always astute isolationists, descended from the artisans, artists and scientists that wished to be able to pursue the perfection of their skills in the privacy of secluded enclaves. Their tireless dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and cool demeanor have earned them reputations as advisers, scientists and philosophers.
• The nomadic Sund Wakir are a survivalist people that while passionate and fierce fighters, possess extensive educations and deep seeded regards for life and personal honor. Possessing bodies honed by incredibly harsh conditions, finely tuned intellects and unbreakable will, they are soldiers ideal for the front lines, loyal bodyguards and masters of survival.

• At the heart of the commonwealth is high Maekardanii culture, an elaborate mosaic that combines all the most desirable and undesirable elements of Iromakuanhe culture. The metropolitain citizens of Maekardan lead fast-paced, but balanced lives, accelerated by the dynamic and ever changing political environment of the capital world and the wealth of its cities.
• Hlaraians are contented and leisurely, thanks to the lack of environmental dangers on their paradisaical world and the influx of wealth year-round from tourism and a demand for the high class processed good produced on the planet. On Hlarai, everything except business, weddings and funerals can be attended or finished to later, as as long as it's done better than it would of in haste.
• The Mazerinii lifestyle is one created by the harsh conditions that surround the sprawling arcology cities that dot the world's permafrosted landscape. The city dwelling people of Mazerin are insular and cold, but have high developed senses of family and community and display uncanny charity to travelers and the needy.
• The Cohronl epitomize the exploratory and daring elements of Iromakuanhe culture, living in massive space colonies in orbital above the inner words, and all across the Iruotl System. While less of an actual culture and more of a pastiche of elements from the various peoples who decided to make lives for themselves in space, the government nevertheless recognizes Cohronl frontiersmen as being a unique ethnic group.

As a culture that strives for the improvement of the self, sports offer the Iromakuanhe an ideal pathway to this, but training the body and mind through trials of skill and endurance. Iroma society largely acknowledges any pursuit of physical prowess as a sport, includes an array of unusual and exotic activities as mainstream sporting events, which are often broadcasted through public and private networks. For many sports, Solanii Helmets are used.

The following are simply popular and well-known athletic activities for the current living generations of Iromakuanhe.

Traditional

• Gualmyan Riding
• Wyrm Riding
• Sky Sailing, a sport where one rides the highest winds on a GravElectric windsurfing board. Considered one of the national passtimes of the commonwealth and is especially practiced by Eyr Ranr sky herders and the young.
• Sky Boarding, similar to Sky Sailing, but practiced at lower altitudes with smaller GravElectric surfboards. Generally considered easier to learn, but far more versatile for competitions in speed and aerial acrobatics.
• Jeibuhu, a game that involves kicking a heavily weighted shuttlecock against a wall or in a group. Considered to be a gentleman or ascetic's passtime.

Martial

• Gualmyan Jousting, with repulsion lances which can knock an opponent off their mount without an actual impact. A favorite of the Sund Wakir.
• Wyrm Jousting, using repulsion harpoon guns and long repulsion lances. The users must fly in continuous circles and can freely reverse their flightpaths to catch the opponent off-guard. Generally practiced with a safety field to prevent death from falling.
• Rohybuawq, a game where two Iromakuanhe place a fragile synthetic sphere between their horns and must strike the opponent's sphere without having their own smashed. In the case of a draw, both users must retry. Can be practiced with a great variety of practice weapons.
• Repulsion Dueling, a game where both users are give repulsion gauntlets and must displace the other from the edge a platform in a low gravity environment. Fighters knocked into the air may attempt to land back on the platform to recover. Generally only practiced on orbital or lunar colonies.
• Repulsion Brawling, a game played in a spherical zero gravity enclosure where the surfaces are all covered in repulsion emitters, and the users are wearing repulsion suits. It is a game of endurance, where both users must continuously tackle each other into the walls until one submits or loses consciousness.
• Martial Arts, the martial traditions of the Iromakuanhe have taken a backseat to the new age of faith, philosophy and the new technologies of the Commonwealth, but many more traditional people still practice the various martial arts of their Saali ancestors. Among these is the Desert Wind voulge and short sword style of the Sund Wakir and the Hundredfold Palm open-handed technique of the isolationist Ivuori.

Extreme

• Quodr Racing
• Liftcycle Racing
• Tower Diving, a game of massive city-oriented acrobatics using only skill and an extremely low-energy GE lift belt. Often performed by 'troupes' of acrobatic urban youths.
• Orbit Racing, a game typically played by young, very rich Iroma that involves starting from low orbit in a cheap spacecraft. From there, the competitors race each other to the ground with only the aid of gravity - parts of the ship are frequently removed by whatever means possible, and prajna tanks are waiting on the ground. The racers themselves must hire cleanup crews to avoid being fined for the debris left in the atmosphere, another pricey enterprise.

Team

• Fieldball, a contact sport played in a field of tall grasses, where the players wear little protection and advance by push and drive rather than tackle. For safety reasons, all players have their horns sheathed in safety material, and must wear shatterproof goggles. The main tactics of the game are to retreat the ball as needed and exploit the weaknesses of the opposing team as they shift their defenses to compensate for aggressive advances.

With the proliferation of faster-than-light communications and the spread of the Commonwealth-spanning OGNEIR.net, the distribution and exchange of all types of media is an intuitive and fluid process to all but the most secluded and backwards Iromakuanhe. Music, video and the written word and all other media types are distributed exclusively through the network, through payment in the form of subscriptions or purchases from one of many incorporated media networks. Free content provided by independent studios and private users is covered by government funding, allowing a compromise between the interests of corporations and the people.

During the initial years of the OGNEIR network, many media networks with investments in television and the sale of music and video on solid-state mediums went bankrupt as they could not remain competitive against the efficient digital distribution system that had been adopted by their more progressive peers. Subsequently, nearly seven hundred years of copyrighted material was either taken up by corporations with more fluid approaches to digital rights management, or became 'lost media' and was placed under the public domain because it became impossible to enforce their licenses.

Illegal file sharing remains an issue, but the equipment to access the networks were such files are available are contraband and difficult to purchase for the average citizen. With media that is nearly free to view, and relatively cheap to purchase 'personal rights' to, it is easier to simply pay for a subscription for the average person. The revenue lost by networks is covered by a limited form of 'piracy insurance' offered by the government, and reduced through law enforcement's occasional cracking down on 'overly productive' illegal file sharing servers.

The following are simply popular and well-known media and pop-culture for the current living generations of Iromakuanhe.

Music

• Fried Runyaens, a five-man band with a distinctly 'alternative rock' sound that once catered to the brainy twentysomethings of the last generation. Considered a paradigm of songwriting, instrumentation and music video direction by critics and old fans, the new generation of listeners is either put off by their extremely mainstream nature, or feverishly devoted.
• From Bistan, is an experimental one-man band created by programmer and architect Svitri Kalbyan, using a trio of specially designed drone NI connected to his consciousness which generate modulated electronic sounds, accompanied by his playing of the classic Maekardan sitar and operatic vocals.
• Linear Paradise, is a group which can be most easily defined as 'new new wave' or 'dark wave', combining symphonic synthesized sound and punchy bass strings. Their lyrics tend to focus on the ephemeral qualities of utopia and the concepts of freedom through substance abuse, love and growing up.
• MiSHARA, is an extremely prolific popstar active in the current soul, pop and electronica scenes. Known for the custom body modifications that adorn her face and horns, as well as exotic stage and light designs which she creates herself.
• The Brass Sandrats, are a Temple Euphorian troupe known for their lively and upbeat style which combines the wispy sounds of the desert with jazzy brass and heavy Sund Wakir throat-singing vocals.
• The Dream, Saravni, are a 'bio-punk' group which performs exclusively through their bio-modified vocals, creating punchy and frenetic song that has a slightly disturbing, but deep dream-like allure.

Film

• 2nd: AR 794, is a war drama popularizing the events of the 2nd Outer System Conflict and the socio-political impact of the humanoid combat platform 'VANDR', released around the time of the 3rd Outer System Conflict. Considered to be one of the greatest critical and box-office successes in recent history, and generated renewed interest in the 1st and 2nd Conflicts.
• Eternal, is the story of a two star-crossed lovers during a fictional 4th Outer System Conflict in the year AR 997, between a brash young rebel and an Astral Vanguard Frame Runner. Notable for keeping the genders of both main characters ambiguous for the entire first half of the film, and being something of a sleeper hit that gained immense popularity when the director moved on to write for the 'Spiral Kingdom Stories' franchise.
• Distance and Yesterday, is the magnum opus of the director of Eternal, telling the heartfelt tragedy between a Hlaraian gondola maiden and a ghostly ice miner from Mazerin, who could only meet on a certain day of every year. Explored and made allusion the concepts of devotion, distance and separation, as well as the distance between the physical and mental ages of lovers that had become increasingly common in society at the time. The surprisingly happy twist ending is common knowledge to many movie aficionados.

Games

• Arm Fugue: Online, is a highly popular science-fantasy massively multiplayer online roleplaying action-adventure/simulator game¹⁾, set in the fictional world of Ixo. Players are generally allowed to do as they please by questing for wealth and power, explore the massive digital world or setting up their own private empires. Combat maybe be done one real-time battlefields with up to thousands of players at once, or in duels, combining foot infantry, cannoneers, spellcasters and large mechanical suits of armor known as Arm Fugues. The game servers may occasionally peak in the low hundred of millions at once.
• Saiph Break, a series of an addictive competitive puzzle games where the player guides a stream of crystalline shapes for a variety or purposes. Some of these include assembling towers, soldiers made of crystal and sculpture in certain shapes. Although considered a 'casual game', the gaming scene at the upper skill levels is extremely competitive, to the point of having master players endorsed by corporations as long as they maintain their records.
• Commonwealth, a space-action game in which players take on the role of a pilot from, as the name suggests, the Astral Commonwealth itself. However, in the game the Commonwealth has spread much further, with various colonies and space stations far throughout the galaxy. The creators of the game, , have devised several fictional, fantastical races to populate the galaxy, and players are able to interact, combat, and trade with them to their heart's content. Though players are able to disembark from their ships and walk around on the thousands of planets and moons present in the game, they are not as expansive as the world of Arm Fugue, and as such the game has a smaller player base.

Television

• AND, also known as Astral News Distribution is the primary news outlet in the Commonwealth, which offers professional and unbiased reports of the news. Although it strictly believes in journalistic integrity, AND has been known to delay the publication of some information when pressured by the government, leading to some conflicts in its administration.
• CFN is the premier sports channel in the Commonwealth. It provides citizens with a database of scores, games both live and playback, and the option for running commentary from various sources - users can even upload their own commentary to their favorite games. A roster of players for most popular teams is also available, with running statistics updates for all of them.
• The People's Prajna, known usually just as PP, is a pirate television station based off of OGNEIRWILD.net It claims to provide news that other stations like AND are unable to show due to governmental censorship, but the amount of spin is nearly the same, just in the opposite direction. PP promotes anarchy and distrust of the government, and is distributed across a wide area to avoid being implicated in a single spot.
• Nanetre is a children's network. It airs educational programming such as Numbers with Kaerl and Stewards' Songs and animated shows for youngsters like Dreamtime. During the evening hours, programs for teens are frequently shown, a few of the most popular being Frame Runners and Hellevator. Locks are available to be set by parents so their youngest can't watch the more violent evening repertoire.
• Vanguard is the channel for anything and everything Astral Vanguard-related. It provides (non-secret) specs for equipment, reenactments of key battles, long lingering shots of various frames accompanied by sensuous narration, and updates on deaths in service. The channel is partially administrated by the government, and includes a small amount of propaganda, particularly regarding controversial military actions.

OGNEIR.net

• OGNEIRLIFE is the largest online forum in the Commonwealth, and most Iromakuanhe have been there at some point in their lives, if they aren't regulars. The registration system is complex and allows for each user to have a number of different handles, each tied to one main identification number. Subforums exist for every topic imaginable, including music, film, and relationship problems (with subsubforums for nearly every romantic pairing). OGNEIRLIFE also serves those who wish to roleplay, with options for several fantastic settings and pre-existing worlds from other popular games. It can be found on OGNEIRCIVIL.net, and as such there are many OGNEIR cafes that are packed day and night with users.
• KD Online provides a way for all citizens to procure goods easily and quickly, with a catch - it uses a bidding system. Only items that have been posted for sale are available as well, though this is not usually a problem since varied and sundry people use the site. Payment is handled through an in-site interface that directly accesses a user's card; all packages are sent via normal mail.
• Audience is a site that offers, for very little money, nearly every imaginable song and music video recorded in the Commonwealth. Musicians are able to upload their own songs, and after a review process they receive heftily-garnished royalties for every song of theirs sold on Audience. Promotions are regularly run, especially when a new album by a popular artist is released, that give large discounts on existing artist catalogues. For a larger fee, Audience offers prajna tank users the experience of actually being at their favorite musician's concert. Lately, there have been a few recordings surfacing on the service that sound very different from anything played by the Iromakuanhe.

It could be said that Iromakuanhe technology exists in its current form due to the influence of the Makuori progenitor race, and that all subsequent developments follow the basic pattern inherited from them. Like their adoptive forbears, the Iromakuanhe developed a powerful grasp of the life sciences and biotechnology.

Industry among the Iromakuanhe has perhaps seen the most drastic changed from the wider advances in biomechanics, robotics and NI. Industrial automation has displaced much of the working class from traditional labor jobs, and placed the majority of employment in low-repetition work areas such as the service industry, a sector that has been left untouched primarily because the Iromakuanhe have a psychological preference for attendants of the same species.

Because industrial goods and advanced space-age materials have become low-cost, many Iroma have taken to artisanal production of high-quality, custom goods to satisfy the needs of populace with a love for traditional goods. Even the Maekardanii, living in cities of golden composite and glass are able to appreciate the intrinsic value of goods produced by 'human hands'. Coupled with the effects of an educated populace that is assured economic stability but does not have the assurances of lifelong employment (with the possible exceptions of the military and the research staff of megacorps) many Iromakuanhe take to crafting themselves, developing a means express their ideas and mark their character on embroidered cloth, carved wood and dyed silks. A person wears homemade clothing as an expression of status and culture.

From an economic perspective, this has led to a market where the the average person, with unlimited wants and limited means, can often purchase a bulk of goods every few months without long-term consequences. Food and industrially produced components such as machinery, electronics or even weapons are low-cost and easily procured in major cities.

Network technologies have had a largely beneficial impact on Iromakuanhe culture and society, at the cost of causing a slim minority to fall into a more profound sort of isolation. The rise of the OGNEIR.net Commonwealth Communications Grid has uplifted many Iromakuanhe from isolation and allowed them to enter the wider world. Fringe communities in the deeper wastes of Maekardan, caravans prowling the tundra of Mazerin or gondoliers in the canal cities of Hlarai can all connect with relatives, family, friends and complete strangers as easily as setting up a small transmission beacon.

However, some people have largely abandonned their lives in the real world and remained in continuous exposure to the networked world. Cyber-Depression or 'Pod Sickness' is the illness of people who have the means to remain in constant immersion in the network and do so continuously. Although the many more modern Iromakuanhe see it as not being something unusual, traditional living people see it as a distortion of the ways people should live and the medical consequences of remaining in continuous exposure to Prajna can include muscular, systemic and neurological atrophy. On these people, the opinion is split as to whether they should be excised from online access or allowed to remain. Some among them see themselves as the next step in NI development, a true merging of the synthetic and natural intelligence archetypes as they become increasingly attached to their machines.

The transhuman dilemma is one that has existed since the very beginning of the Iromakuanhe's existence, as they themselves are not anything other than humans who have received extensive bio-modification and genetic alterations. But this dilemma is neither the most recent nor most pertinent to modern Iroma. The current issues are those of genetic therapy both before and after birth, as well as the usage of symbiotic organs and other biologically-derived artificial body systems. The average person does concern themselves with these issues, however. Most prefer regenerative therapy and would only apply for gene therapy to correct genetic damages that would otherwise inhibit treatment.

Outside of this neutral majority, are two more radical schools of thought. Symbionts see accidents and losses of limbs as a sign of the right times to exchange the broken pieces of their bodies for new, higher performing biological implants. Many undergo numerous enhancement treatments over the course of their lives, and always skirt dangerously close to the 'compatibility threshold' where the genetic damages to their weaponized bodies make them unable to sexually reproduce with their own species.

Purists believe that the body gifted from one's parents is the one they should keep, and should only be manipulated if a life is at risk. After crippling injuries, they often prefer regenerative treatment, and turn down gene therapy if damage from radiation or particles is inhibiting proper regrowth.

Both groups have significant followings in the military, perhaps more than any other sector of life, and both have secular and religious perspectives on the matter. All Iromakuanhe biotechnology is derived from those of their Makuori patrons/progenitors, thus, any attempt to join with it is a sacred union with the technology of their beloved patrons. Inversely, the Purists might argue that the body is sacred, as it is the first and only change that was given to their Saal ancestors by the Makuori. Fortunately, the confrontations between purists and symbionts are limited to small confrontations and the occasional flaunting of one's altered or unchanged body. The majority of people from both ideologies are simply content to make the choices about their own bodies as they see fit, and do not seek to impose.

Iromakuanhe Fashion is based on a mixture of what can be done by both hand and done by the technologies accessible to the Iromakuanhe. Much of the time, hand made good are preferred over mass-produced clothing, such as hand-emboroidered or dyed clothing. Despite this, some of the styles popular in Iromakuanhe fashion necessitate Molecular Furnace to manufacture or Somatic Tuning to achieve the desired appearance. Styles reflect the aesthetics of the Iromakuanhe in many ways unseen in their various other weapons, technologies, and crafts. The styles popular are Desert, Sky, Bio, Cyber, and Eclectic styles.