Psillacrid

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Though the psillacrids can read and write the merrow language, this is only out of need to stay connected to their heritage, as psillacrids mainly communicate through telepathy, and most languages are available to them, as long as they spend an hour reading the mind of one who speaks a certain language.

Culture and cultural heritage

Given their philosophy of mind over matter, and of the importance of community, psillacrid society is devoted solely to the mind and the community, with libraries, universities, and record halls being plentiful, as well as counselors guilds and shops devoted to maintaining ones relationships. In fact psillacrids culture is it's own strange form of communism, where society, and sharing your secrets and troubles with a trusted friend is stressed, rather than sharing goods and services. But as a community grows into a city, psillacrids will break off the city into smaller communities, for some sub-groups or even whole families wish to keep their own cultural identity from blending in with others, thus a psillacrid city is more like separate tribes clustered together in one zone.

Shared customary codes and values

When it comes to the mind, psillacrids have a strict code of conduct concerning immoral use of the telepathy, such as an non consensual breach of one's private thoughts (see taboos below). These codes of conduct are called "The Rites of the Mind," and the punishment for breaking these rules is severe, such as memory erasure, and complete identity reprogramming.

Common Etiquette rules

It is common etiquette for a psillacrid to greet someone with a wave of the hand or a bow if it's a passing acquaintance, but for friends, coworkers, or those in government, the greeting process is more involved. Both parties touch their foreheads together, and open up their minds to each other, but unlike more casual forms of telepathy, both parties take a minute to dive deep into each others mind, as it is considered taboo to keep secrets from friends or colleagues--the punishment for guarding one's mind from an inquiring government official can vary.

Common Dress code

Psillacrids are the only ethnicity of merrow--save for those that have made a life on the surface--that wears clothing. And like everything else about them they try to be a flashy as possible, making their clothing out of sea-weed or other aquatic plants--or the hide of various aquatic life--and embroidering them with gems or gold.

Art & Architecture

Whether it be coral or stone, psillacrids have even made an art of architecture, sculpting the coral or stone into an intricate, layered spire, and carving designs based off of historical or mythological events. But it is their actual body of art that other cultures seek, for the psillacrids have developed "mind art," which art based on a persons mental landscape, and thus speaks to them on a deep level, offering deep clarity, or in the most extreme, cognitive dissonance, as some people don't like what the art says about them.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Before two psillacrids are married, a marriage counselor speaks with the couple to determine how fruitful their marriage will be. But if the couple still wants to get married despite how unfavorable the counselor views it, then other counselors convene to offer advice on why the marriage might not work, and what areas could be improved upon to make it work. But God still takes precedence over anything else, and whether viewed favorably or not, the couple will go to a temple of Halgon and pray before the fertility god for a fruitful marriage.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

After the baby is born, the mother and the child are locked in a room together, so as to nurture the child's psychic abilities, and to from a unique mental bond between mother and child. After an hour the father is locked in the room too, and it is said that mother, father, and child now form a deeper understanding of one another, though the child's understanding of his parents will not blossom till he reaches the age of one or two.

Coming of Age Rites

Continuing from the birthing rite, once a psillacrid has reached a certain age, the child and his parents are locked in a room again, though this time it is to prove the child's psychic prowess, by demonstrating he can break the mental connection with their parents. If the connection can't be broken then the child stays with his parents for another year, but if successful, he leaves the home, and pursues his own path in life.

Funerary and Memorial customs

When a loved one dies, a celebration is held in their honor, dedicated to their achievements, and who they were as a person. Towards the end a ceremony is held where the deceased is wrapped in a special kelp, the sap of which dissolves the body, before being released to the surface, as if to show the surface world what a great person Nosirend has lost.

Common Taboos

Though it is considered taboo to keep secrets from one another, their is still a boundary that can't be cross, as a person might have certain embarrassments or failures they wish to hide, or they might have other reasons for keeping a secret. In fact, it is considered more heinous to breach a persons mind for their secrets without consent, and the punishment can be quite severe (see customary codes above).

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Beauty isn't as valuable as brain power in merrow societies, but psillacrid's are different, in that they do all they can to be the most eye catching, such as by painting their scales in exotic colors or patterns, or carving intricate patterns on their fangs. One article of clothing that feeds into this is jewelry made from psi-crystals, which constantly moves and glows in response to the latent psychic energy a psillacrid gives off; some of these pieces--like earrings and necklaces--have pieces that will detach from the main body and fly around the wearer. This kind of jewelry is popular amongst astronomers and astrologists, who like to have their jewelry fly around their heads like planetary bodies as a fancy way of denoting their station.

Gender Ideals

in psillacrid society men and women are viewed as equals, again owing to the fact that it's the power of the mind that they value, though the sexes are still relegated to certain roles. Men, for instance, are viewed as both hunter and gatherer, tending to crops and hunting aquatic game, while women tend to take on roles in parliament, and even take on the role as arbiter between two warring clans. The one role both sexes can fulfill is that of a marriage counselor, though this is because it has a religious context, as Halgon--the sea god of fertility--is seen as a marriage counselor, and could be both man and woman. These gender roles are held in the loosest sense however, as it is very easy for a man or woman to fulfill a role as long as they prove to have the skills to do so.

Courtship Ideals

Given their flashy nature, psillacrid's tend to favor those of their species that have a near mastery of their psychic abilities, and can use it in creative ways. For instance, if the psillacrid in question were a renowned artist, then the potential suitor could win their favor by creating several works of art at once with their mind; or, if the psillacird were the daughter/son of a famous architect, the suitor would have to win the parents approval by using their abilities to create a structure of equally fine craftsmanship.

Relationship Ideals

Though gender roles are fluid, women still tend to be the ones that tend to the children, but the husband takes on the work of taking care of the home, as well as provide for his family.

Encompassed species

• Merrow

Related Locations

• Coroidall