Abraxa, the People of Shimestire

Abraxa, or abrax for singular nouns and adjectives, get their name from the demon lord who once ruled over their country, Abraxas, Demon Lord of Magic, Forbidden Knowledge, and Secrets. The mark of Abraxas appears upon the flesh of all newborn abraxa, a reminder of their former demonic enslavement. They are also known for their golden skin tones, chestnut hair, and light blue eyes. It is a stereotype that all abraxa are rude and strange. They have simply translated their tragic history into dark comedy and satire, which has become engrained into the very culture of their home in Shimestire.

Naming Traditions

Family names

Prefixes: Beau-, Bel-, Ber, Bou-, Char-, Chev-, Cou-, Den-, Du-, Fau-, Gag-, Gau-, Gar-, Lach-, Le-, Perr-, Sau-, Tra-
Suffixes: -son, -man, -erse, -ers, -eau, -ault, -quet, -and, -age, -elle, -von, -mont
Examples: Beauman, Gagevault, Fauxmage, Lachsevon

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Abrax (Common)

Shared customary codes and values

A friendly greeting is a smile, a wave, and a comment concerning what someone is doing at that moment in brutal honesty in a commonly poor attempt at humor.
When someone is behaving poorly, i.e. blithering drunk in the streets, performing a strange act, breaking the law, or similar negative behavior, the witness feels obligated to loudly accuse the offender with a harsh and snarky rhetoric of being a complete idiot or they would use a ruder and more apt form of name-calling. They then demand that the accused party should adjust their behavior or leave the area before some form of punishment arrives. Whether it is the calling of guards, an expulsion from the location, or an act of self-defense, the punishment is dependent on the severity of that poor behavior.

Average technological level

Late Renaissance Era technology - gunpowder, printing press, galleons, etc.

Common Etiquette rules

Personal space is highly respected and is rather large. One's personal space is a little more than an arm's length away from them. If it is absolutely necessary to infiltrate one's personal space, an "excuse me" or an apology is appropriate.
Even in formal situations, abraxa prefer the use of first names. Titles such as Mr. or Mrs. is off-putting and can make abraxa a little uncomfortable.
Punctuality is not well-regarded for abraxa, who prefer to arrive within half an hour of the declared time, whether it is early or late.
Straightforwardness and honesty is paramount to the abrax culture. For the abraxa, they only have one another in a land where the earth itself is out to get them. Dishonest folk may become subject to the full extent of an abrax's fury, which usually involves a fit of yelling and a harshly verbal dissection of what was done wrong.
There are no real taboo topics for abraxa. In fact, they may begin talking about something personal with someone they had just met if it had been bothering them enough, and then make fun of themselves.

Common Dress code

Knee-high leather boots with buckles and loose trousers tucked into the boots. Belts and harnesses to keep one's posture in check. Beige or white cloth shirts and colorful cloth jackets with short coat tails. Men tend to wear hats and jewelry while women tend to wear complimenting makeup.

Common Taboos

• Adultery could lead to a life-altering beating or death

• Touching or interacting with Abalyte crystals without permission from the Drongo Parliament and even then, it is still frowned upon due to the danger they pose

• The use of weaponry in public, unless absolutely necessary, could cause others to fear for their lives or worse, they also enter the fight on the victim's side

• Seduction beyond the norms of courtship could lead to public shame and mockery

• Any attempt to access one's private property without invitation is considered incredibly rude and may cause the victim to commit atrocious acts in self-defense

• Egregious optimism could result in teasing

• Do not boast about your own accomplishments, you will be judged based on your witnessed actions

• If impressed, abraxa will not show it, and they are difficult to impress in general

• Do not be a "topdog", underdogs tend to be defended and supported at every opportunity

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

A beautiful abrax woman is a voluptuous and tanned woman who enjoys adventure in the outdoors and casual smoking or drinking. She must have curls, a high forehead, and she must appear golden bronze in the light of the sun. Bright light blue eyes and good health are common beauty aspects for the average abrax woman.
A handsome abrax man is young, charitable, and goofy with muscled bronze arms and legs. An abrax man does not need to be incredibly muscular, in fact, too much muscle could be grotesque. They need to appear chiseled, as if a sculptor formed their bodies, with a little bit of fat. A man must have plenty of facial hair, and body hair on their arms and legs especially. They must also not be blemished.

Gender Ideals

Men and women are considered equal, but with different responsibilities. Both parties are expected to be loud and obnoxious in a satirical manner outside of their responsibilities. When working or behaving seriously, both parties can be incredibly focused with a dry humor and sharp wit. Men end up being responsible for the majority of expeditions outside of Whisrik, military work, and other tasks which involve mortal danger. Women end up being responsible for the majority of housekeeping, running businesses, and other tasks involving the maintenance of the community. Other genders fill out these roles as they feel necessary and there is little blowback for these decisions. This is because in a place like Shimestire, where beastfolk, half-races, and magical anomalies walk freely, it is easy to simply accept whoever someone is. However, this is not the case in other places of the world.

Courtship Ideals

Abraxa are expected to make themselves presentable and to make others aware that they are seeking a partner. Abrax women may possess intricately designed fans representative of the type of lover they are interested in. For example, if a woman is sitting in the park either with friends, family, or alone and she makes eye contact with an interesting partner, then she will unfurl her fan and fan herself, while likely giggling. The fan may show a depiction of a twisting fire-breathing dragon, which tells the interesting party that this woman is interested and she desires a fiery love and she is not afraid of a challenge. Abrax men, on the other hand, may possess an intricate and flamboyant hat. The more colorful and noticeable the hat is, the higher status the man is. The man is also expected to behave in an appealingly funny, but not overbearing manner toward the interesting party. This shows that the man is unafraid to do what he must in order to achieve his ambitions and it's a surefire way to reveal whether the interesting party is also interested or not with sometimes extreme reactions.
Another, more introverted, method of courtship is through the use of a "lovespoon". Through this method, the pursuing partner must express their interests by carving a lovespoon. This could be a male or female. This lovespoon is made from wood with a distinct pattern representative of their love toward the recipient. For example, a spoon could have a pattern depicting a blossoming tree which represents love's growth and their desire for a rooted relationship. The type of wood and quality of the lovespoon is also important; the higher quality and more expensive the wood, the more "genuine" one's love is for the recipient. It also represents the pursuing partner's status and their capability of supporting a family.
If the interesting party accepts the either courtship, a date is arranged between the two families to bundle the new couple. The act of bundling is when both the pursuing partner and the pursued partner lie in the bed of the pursued partner with a wooden plank between the two so that they may get to know one another. The entire process is overseen by the two families, who get to know one another themselves by incessantly roasting the couple during this entirely ridiculous act, often within earshot of the couple. This helps break down any hesitant or uncomfortable thoughts and brings the new couple down to a common level. The couple are then tied to this wooden plank and left in the pursued partner's bed mostly alone; the family sits outside of the room and chat about the new couple. After an hour passes, the new couple is retrieved by their families and a verdict is made between the parents of the couple. If the pursuing partner is accepted, then an exchange of hugs and affection between the two families is made. If the pursuing partner is declined, then the pursuing partner and their family is chased out of the home of the pursued partner by the parents and any other guests or occupants of the household, creating a loud and obnoxious scene noticeable up and down the street upon which they live.

Major organizations

Shimestire

Related Organizations

• Shimestire