Brachyur Culture

Way of Life for the People of the Sea Floor

Beneath the cerulean waves of the world, one may be lucky enough to find a bustling city, the water-dwelling races of the world calling coral formations and their buildings a monolithic city. Stones, coral, shells, and all manner of things stack and meld to build towers and halls that are just as regal as those found on the surface. It is in these places that the Brachyur make their homes, living on the sea floor where few others ever go.
Moreso than many other races, the Brachyur believe heavily in history and tradition, gathering and storing the histories of other races beyond their own as well as magical traditions that have been lost throughout time. The depth at which they live provides some safety from prying eyes and those that wish to cause harm to the knowledge that these people hold.
Their reverence for knowledge guides all that these people do, from gathering and preserving history to aiding those that are unable to aid themselves. The Brachyur find themselves a people of morality and humility, living a life that serves others while attempting to harm as little as possible. That being said, these people are a secretive one, choosing to remain on the ocean floor instead of adventuring out of their homes.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

The culture of the Brachyur can be seen as relatively simple as these people follow their divine task and little else. They are humble folk, choosing to live simply and with little waste, although many of their temples and archives are extravagant. A conscious decision is always made to honor the history they have discovered as they are nothing more than servants to their divine task.
Brachyur do not necessarily believe in a unified kingdom as their homelands are scattered throughout the oceans of the world. Oftentimes, they live in small scattered settlements but create means to travel between the cities and communicate with the rest of their people.

Beliefs

All races in Isekai have a set of beliefs that they consider their law. Brachyur see their law as a divine task they have been given and one that they must always strive to fulfill.

1. Knowledge is power, our shells are thick and our backs are strong not to inflict our will upon others but to endure the weight of the ocean above us.
2. Aid is difficult to come by in a world of dark waters, if we can render it then we shall regardless of friend or foe.
3. War is not to be taken lightly, there are few reasons for which we shall strike another down but the destruction of all we stand watch over will always be answered with the claw so that they may know better hereafter.
4. We are to be humble, we do not soar through the waters nor through the air but we walk upon the sand like any other and find ourselves at the lowest point of all things not with resentment but with understanding.

These beliefs drive the Brachyur and their way of life as they scour the oceans for lost histories and those that may require aid. Very few Brachyur harbor different beliefs as these are ingrained throughout their lifetime.

Family

Family is an odd construct for the Brachyur as they rarely pay attention to lineage or familial ties. As these people come from eggs, they bear little attachment to their parents or any other part of their lineage. These people instead choose to make small groups of two or three that they might cohabitate with or they may choose to live entirely alone.
These people thrive as individuals, creating their own identities through what they do with their lives instead of any relations they may have. Each of the Brachyur has their own duties in life that they wish to fulfill within the divine duties that were set before them.

Property & Ownership

Brachyur, as a culture, own very little property, often viewing buildings and resources as communal property. Each individual may have items that have great value to them, such as trinkets or their shell, but other items are created by the group, for the group.

Taboos & Insults

Taboos do not really exist in Brachyur culture as this is a social construct that they do not really understand or believe in. These people are known for simple lives and sharing shells, a life where there is only room for fulfilling their duties.
The greatest insult to a Brachyur is to desecrate their sacred sites or places of knowledge.

Brachyur Culinary Arts

Most undersea cultures do not practice the culinary arts as heavily as those on the surface, but food is a necessity that they must dabble in. The Brachyur choose to make simple foods using ingredients easily obtainable on the sea floor with techniques that are not hindered too much by flowing water.

Algae Bubbles

Algae Bubbles are by far one of the Brachyur's most interesting food creations as it utilizes algae-based gelatin to encase flavored water or other liquids. These are often considered a candy that can be carried within one's shell for a sweet treat or a bit of sustenance during long travel. While a specialty of the Brachyur, many other undersea cultures have mimicked the creation with varying degrees of success.

Shrimp Rolls

Much like crustaceans, Brachyur absolutely love shrimp and a large portion of their diet is made up of different shrimp dishes. Shrimp Rolls are the simplest to make and require little more than seaweed, shrimp, and any other ingredients that one chooses. These rolls are often steamed over the thermal vents that are prominent on the sea floor.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Simplicity is at the center of Brachyur culture and that often translates to areas such as clothing and how they live their lives. History and tradition are important, allowing little to change over the centuries as well. These people are highly set in their ways but they believe that these simplistic ideals are what make them better stewards of the duties they were given.

Clothing & Textiles

Because of the nature of Brachyur physiology, they rarely wear clothing of any type because their shells cover a large majority of their body. Simple cloth strips or loincloths may be worn when they are meeting those of other races, but for the most part, the Brachyur ignore conventional clothing for simplicity's sake.

Shells

Shells, while not considered clothing, are an extremely important part of the life of a Brachyur. The Crabfolk and Clawfolk will molt throughout their lives, their shells changing color with age, but the Anomukin must find their shells. As the Anomukin grow, they will often trade shells with others in a custom known as Shell Passing.

Decorative Textiles

As the Brachyur invest little in clothing, they instead put that time into creating decorative textiles that mark historical buildings and temples in their cities. Oftentimes these textiles are created using dyes acquired from surface traders. Still, the Brachyur invest large amounts of time into banners and tapestries that can withstand the ocean current to decorate important buildings.

Structure & History

With their simple lifestyle, everything is based on history and has a strict structure. The Brachyur believe heavily in their role as stewards and will often take that to the extreme as seen in their role during the Eldritch War. Things such as their important buildings and their shells are not to be trifled with as these things are a great source of pride for these people.

Sea Floor Archives

Tasked with the collection of lost histories on the sea floor, archives are a prominent part of Brachyur society. Many buildings found within their cities are grand archives dressed in colorful tapestries to mark them as important to the sea dwellers. These places and their contents are of such importance that the Anomukin were known to hide the most precious tomes in their shells during the Eldritch War.

Shell Passing

Shell Passing is an honored tradition for the Anomukin. While not all Brachyur participate in this custom, it is seen as extremely important as throughout history, the Anomukin have hidden many things in their shells away from those who wished to cause harm. These people having properly fitting shells is necessary for their growth and the culture's safety.

Encompassed species

• Brachyur

Related Items

• Algae Bubbles

Languages spoken

• Brachyan

Significant Holidays

Day of Caspian

Significant Cultural Aspects

Shell Passing

Birth Rites & Traditions

Brachyur Birth Rites

Culinary Arts

Brachyur Culinary Arts

Languages

Brachyur rarely speak more than their own language as they rarely leave the sea floor but some of their more knowledgeable Scholars may learn some of the various seafloor languages to assist in trading or other communications.

Brachyan

Brachyan is the language that all Brachyur use for communication as it is a language that can be spoken well underwater. Those that leave their sea floor homelands to travel often forget the language as it is hard to vocalize without water present and is not a language that can be easily practiced outside of the Brachyur homeland.

Other Undersea Languages

Some Brachyur may learn Obsidic or Merrian so that they may communicate with other races that call the oceans home, but this is an honor that is often left to the Scholars of the Brachyur. In many cases, it is the Anomukin that learn these other languages.

Naming Traditions

Naming traditions do not really exist amongst the Brachyur as the younglings often name themselves soon after they have hatched or their name is given to them by a trusted member of a city.

Name Generator Coming Soon!

Relations with Other Races

Brachyur have good relations with their neighboring water species the Merfolk and the Obsidea, though the Phorcydes often see them as lesser people, they stand with open friendship to them as well and acknowledge all peaceful water dwellers as under the favor of Caspian.
This race has had dealings with many surface dwellers and species from the Káto of which they find rivalries and kinship alike though none as strange of a relationship as with the Drow whom they both admire and shun due to their cultural adherence to the crusade of the darkness. They also have a dislike of Drich who they know to be brutes and raiders of the underwater world, though the Brachyur wish to avoid conflict they often find themselves entering into staunch opposition of the fierce species. When the Brachyur roam out of the waters they often find themselves in coastal areas or Káto where they find a kinship among the Mycidis who also boast a peaceful society with a love of tradition and history.

Religious Observance

The Pantheons of Isekai are of extreme importance to all races and cultures, no matter their differences or difficulties. Each culture worships one of the gods as this belief is what allows them to be judged fairly upon their deaths. Those that hail from the Animal Kingdom also have great belief in an Animal Lord, one of their kind that was blessed by the god they follow.
As ones of the sea, the Brachyur follow the teachings of Caspian, the god of the sea. Their Animal Lord is known as Drin, the great Archivist.