Townsfolks
Reputation
How they think of themselves
The Townsfolk see themselves as fundamentally civilised. They are the relatives of pioneers who fought against the chaos of nature to create a safe place for them and their children. They see themselves as continuing that fight against heathens by ensuring they are educated and proper in everything they do.How others think of them
Others see the Townsfolk as being extremely full of themselves. They have an air of superiority and look down on everyone who doesn't behave the way they think they should. The Nomads believe they are somewhat stunted in their thinking, close-minded and pompous.Civilised People
Townsfolk don't refer to themselves as such. They think of themselves simply as "people" and everyone else is in some way "other" and therefore requires a label. They are a people who are constantly progressing and protect themselves against the Forces.Culture
Behaviours
Untouchable
Physical contact between two people over the age of 8 years old who are not involved openly in a romantic relationship (i.e. married or engaged) is taboo. By the age of 8, a person is expected to be able to carry themselves as they should. Physical contact, even shaking hands, is seen as a sign of being led astray by The Forces, and a corrupting influence.Greetings
Formal greetings are generally a bow or a curtsey between people who have not met before, accompanied by a "How do you do?" or a "Pleasure to meet you". An informal greeting may be as simple as a nod of the head, and is usually a "Hello", "Good to see you" or a "Good day". Those who are married or engaged may greet each other with a handshake.Judgement
As part of the teachings of The Protector, it is down to each person to ensure they keep everyone else up to the standards expected of them. As a result, they are quite judgemental and take a degree of pleasure in it. They judge a lot on appearances, and it is immediately obvious to them if someone doesn't fit in or does not belong.Beliefs
Men are more trustworthy
As women are far more likely to succumb to the temptations of The Forces, due to their weak and unpredictable bodies, their stories are often fanciful and may be delusions or manipulations. A man's word is unquestionable unless he is proven to be under the influence of The Forces, is a heathen, or contradicts a Cleric.Climb up the social ladder
Townsfolk society is structured to benefit some more than others for a reason. Without this social ladder, with success at the top and failure at the bottom, why would anyone be incentivised to exceed expectations of their role to climb it? Climbing the ladder is a fundamental part of Townsfolk culture.Everyone has to play their role
The world only works the way that it does if everyone plays their part in the battle against The Forces. This means that their society has a strict hierarchy and every person is expected to meet or exceed expectations. This includes their gender roles, age roles and class roles as well as their professions. Going against any of these roles is the best way to be shunned from "polite" society.Be better than your neighbours
The job of any Townsfolk is to ensure that they and those around them are behaving as they are expected to, but ideally better. Pointing out someone else's flaws is something to be thanked for. Therefore the best way to ensure that it is you and not someone else pointing out flaws, is to be better than those around you. The concept of being friendly to a neighbour is a foreign one.Naming Traditions
As with their society, Townsfolk have a strict naming structure, and what a person is called is based as much on the person being named as on the person saying the name. Let's start with the person being named. The most important part of their name is their surname, which is passed down the father's line, unless their mother was unwed when they were born, at which point it is possible they will have their mother's surname. However, it is far more likely that they will be gifted to the Church and will be given a surname by the Cleric. First names follow strict gender rules, based on the birth gender of the child, and no deviation is allowed from this. Generally speaking, female names have a softer last syllable to denote the fragility of femininity, whereas male names have a harder last syllable representing the strength and courage of men. First names are considered intimate and familiar. A first name is generally only used when someone is married to or related to the person in question. If neither of these is the case, it is considered extremely condescending. It is not commonly used in public for this reason. Then there are the titles. These precede the name and denote age, class and in some cases marriage status. Children, depending on gender, are mostly known as Miss (female) or Master (male). The exception here is for the gentry, but we'll come to that later. For a man, their name changes from Master to Mr (pronounced mister) at the age of 14. For a woman, their name does not change from Miss to Mrs (pronounced miss-ess) until they are married. If a man becomes a Cleric, his title changes to Rev (pronounced revered). The gentry may be, depending on status in ascending order, Sir (male) and Lady (female), Lord and Lady, Baron and Baroness, or Duke and Duchess.Title
- Master
- Mr
- Rev
- Sir
Male
- Stephen
- Arthur
- Clarence
- Edward
Female
- Alice
- Dorothy
- Eileen
- Rose
Surnames
- Tamsworth
- Fisher
- Bampton
- Norbury
Heritage
Rituals
Townsfolk would never refer to anything that they do as a 'ritual' as it sounds barbaric and like something a heathen might do. However, a large amount of their structured lives are built on rituals, some small and some larger.
Comments