Paba
culture of the Western Vein
demonym: Paban
The Paban people live surrounded by the Paban mountains and are ruled by the Veinlord of the Paban Àskan. Their capital city is Sepo, the coldest city in the world. Due to their relatively remote position in the North surrounded by mountains, the Paban people rely on themselves for most things. They participate in the trading economies of the Raron Kingdom and with their Kaloran Vein neighbors, but they are self-sufficient and value the simple pleasures of fishing and growing their own food. While the original Pabans were all Sela, over the years some Rarites have joined them and are now integrated into their communities.Naming Traditions
Unisex names
All Paban names are unisex.
Family names
Pabans take on three names over the course of their life. Each family has a set of childhood names that they bestow upon newly-hatched infants, usually basic description words. Fat babies may be called Uve or Gheh̨u for their size; talkative babies, Kezexi or Ngofexi; finicky babies, Khophove or Ⱨanga; and so on. When a child grows up and their more distinctive personality starts to develop, the child is then allowed to pick their own name from a large list of traditional Paban names, with the childhood name functioning more like a nickname that is only used by older relatives.
Other names
The additional name that is acquired over time is the lover's name, or the name given by a romantic or sexual partner. It is expected for a Paban to have different lover's names if they take on more than one lover, which is rare, but former lover's names are also a secret. While very uncommon, it is possible for someone to have been named the same thing by two lovers. This is especially rare given that the names are not beholden to the same list as Paban first names, but because it is discouraged for a partner to reveal that this has been another name given to them, as the lover's name is a gift to the recipient and a sign of dedication, it is not considered worth bringing up with a partner.
There is the story of the Kehongo, a Paban from ancient history who kept receiving the same name from each of their lovers. While this is a story that encourages people to pick unique names based on sounds and meanings that matter to them to give to their lovers, rather than have someone end up like Kehongo, doomed to have the same love over and over again, with the same tragic end.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Paban people speak languages in the Patado language family. Because of the resonant quality of Sela noses and the honking sounds they like to make, the Patado language has many consonants with a uvular or epiglottal point of articulation. This can make the language very difficult for new or non-Sela speakers, and Forward Patado is a simplified version of the language that makes it easier for Rarites to communicate when encountering monolingual speakers.
Shared customary codes and values
Similar to their Kaloran relatives, Paba people value openness, enjoying "simple pleasures", loyalty, and fealty. Unlike the Kaloran people, Paban people often value spirituality and wisdom as well, placing high honors amongst their religious elite and involving religion
Common Etiquette rules
In daily life, greeting others whenever they're seen is expected, even strangers. In crowds, nods are usually acceptable whenever two people make eye or foot contact, but waves with one hand are more common in spaces where someone isn't completely surrounded by people.
When Pabans return home from outings, it is expected for them to greet every member of the household by touching their toes together before continuing on one's day.
Common Dress code
Pabans don't wear shoes, unlike their Kaloran counterparts. They occasionally will wear socks or other coverings for religious purposes, but not for everyday wear.
Foods & Cuisine
Salt! Pabans love salt! They cure almost all of their fish, meats, and vegetables. The cold climate is usually enough of a preservative during the coldest months of the year to make salt curing almost unnecessary, but that does not turn Pabans away from their salty dishes. Fish can also be cured with sugar or honey, but this is much rarer and is a treat for special occasions, often for children.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Paban people appreciate largeness with beauty: height, weight, stature, even volume. If someone can take up space effortlessly, especially without having to do much to the people around them, they are considered very beautiful indeed. Sela can often reach very large sizes with round girths, thick necks and appendages, and broad frames. While Rarites are often round, it is rare for them to be plump, so height and tail thickness are considered better signifiers of beauty for Rarites than girth alone.
Gender Ideals
Paban culture only has two genders, but they are fluid and ephemeral and related only to special religious holidays, which do occur quite often. They have no association with reproductive role.
Kharu (plural kharuna) Pabans are involved in the musical and artistic components of religious ceremonies, where the physical and spoken components are performed by the fidana (singular fida).
Some Pabans prefer to play the same gendered role across their life, but many mix and match depending on the ceremony and their own preferences. When encountering cultures with different gender systems than theirs, Pabans will often identify as complex or unisex genders, such as the Raron khuuvaa (bigender) and gaa (agender), but that isn't universal.
Courtship Ideals
Pabans spend a great deal of time with their families, and it is often older family members that set up initial partners for their children. These are often short-lived partnerships, but they're encouraged in order to help a person determine what they like in a relationship. Many relationships do not even develop enough to give each other lover's names, but are good for social outings and religious celebrations that require partners.
A single Paban looking for a relationship will often advertise themselves in local areas, writing up small biographies of themselves and contact information (like place of residence or the name of their family) in hopes of finding similar or like-minded partners. People will review these biographies and act on them themselves or share them with their family members or friends who might be interested. These advertisements are common on docks and on the outside of city walls. Family members might try to take a peek at any of their relatives who are seen wandering around the city looking at the various ads.
Once Paban people agree to meet, dates often include swims, mountain climbing, and cooking for each other and their families. Children are often spoiled with sugar-cured fish meals in order to win their good graces.
Relationship Ideals
Pabans encourage tight-knit partnered couples. These couples play important roles in religious dances and ceremonies. The genders of the roles vary and there is no particular requirement for couples to play the same or opposite gender roles.
Many Pabans will celebrate the 10th, 20th, and 50th year anniversaries with large parties. Making it to a 50 year union is a great achievement.
Related Organizations
Languages spoken
