Alstroemeria (Al-stroh-mer-ee-a)

General

-How do ordinary people feel about foreigners? Non-humans? How ready are they to accept different ideas? How cosmopolitan are they?

Foreigners are generally accepted. As Unda, the main island is highly trade based, and the Alstroemerian isles as a whole are a tourist magnet, foreigners are very commonplace in the isles. As tourism is such a prime industry in the isles, tourists are treated warmly—but are often chattered and gossiped about in private settings. Traders are often more welcomed than tourists, and have better chances of connecting with the Alstroemerian people. Undans are known to be notorious traders and smugglers; while drugs, gambling, and the sex industry are generally outlawed in the outer isles, Unda abides by no laws and indulges in these illicit pursuits in full force. As such, it is known to be a refuge for outlaws, and those who wish to indulge in said illicit activities. (Basically, Unda is fantasy Vegas).
Most tourists generally arrive to experience the tropical paradise that is Alstroemeria, but there are still a great number who come to enjoy the freedom of Unda’s east side.
Unda is a very cosmopolitan city, but the outer isles are generally home to the indigenous population of Alstroemeria. Few foreigners actually live in the outer isles-mostly due to the ruling noble families of Alstroemeria’s outer isles and their strict laws regarding property ownership.


-How much social mobility is there? Is it easy or hard for a person born a peasant to advance to the middle class, or a middle class person to the upper class or nobility? How much resistance would there be? Would such a person ever be accepted socially?

Unda is a bustling city comprised of many sectors. The island is roughly circular in shape, and so is divided into rings. There is great economic disparity—Unda is home to some of the wealthiest merchants in the world, but it also has an obscene amount of homeless individuals. They are mostly confined to the east side of Unda, and are reviled by the wealthier population.
There is very little social mobility. The upper classes tend to mingle with themselves, exploiting the working class, and outright ignoring the most impoverished.
In the outer isles, there is less rampant poverty, mainly due to the watchful, dutiful governing of the nobility—and, notably the smaller population combined with the greater tourist appeal.

-What items or foods or materials are luxuries — chocolate, coffee, silk, spices, flush toilets? Why?

Wood, stone, spices, grains, sweets, and meats other than fish are all considered luxuries. Jewelry is a sign of status, but is also worn by nearly everyone in the isles. More on that later. Everything must be imported, so things that are harder to import are luxuries available only to the richest.

-What do people generally look like? Would a blonde (redhead, brunette) stand out in a crowd? Someone 5′ 10″ tall? Do non-humans stand out in a crowd, or are there enough of them around that they’re considered ordinary?

Unda is a very diverse city; however, it has a strong indigenous population, as do the outer isles.
Indigenous Alstroemerians are humans; some have trace amounts of elven blood due to their long ago colonization. They are a dainty, delicate people, with androgynous or slightly effeminate features. Their eyes are narrow and slightly slanted or upturned at the outer corners, and are typically a deep brown in hue. Their thick, curly hair tends to be black in hue; their skin tends to be startlingly pale, despite the isles' location at the equator. They do not tend to grow much taller than 5’9; most indigenous Alstroemerian women are around five feet in height.
Non-humans are extraordinarily common in Unda.

-What are accepted norms of personal hygiene? Do most people bathe regularly, or is bathing considered a health hazard?
Bathing is a common practice across the isles; in Unda, there are public bathhouses for all to use. Bathing in Arethusa’s springs is strictly forbidden.

-How is garbage and other waste material disposed of?
Garbage is shipped to the small island of Nugae every month. It has a ruling family but no population to speak of. It is the only one of the islands without a patron deity, and so, being wholly unsacred, is used to dispose of trash.

-What is furniture like — big and blocky, delicate, simple, elaborately carved, painted? What is it mostly made of — cloth, wood, stone? Are certain things (like chairs with arms) reserved for high-status individuals?
Alstroemerian furniture is delicate, and tends to be made out of imported wood. Buildings in Unda are concrete and brightly colored; buildings in the outer isles are wooden, stilted, and simple. As everything must be imported, high-quality furniture is uncommon. Cloth is used for cushions to adorn almost everything. Paper lanterns are hung from the streets in festival times. Futons are used in the place of beds in all residences save for those of the most wealthy, due to limited space.

-What are the plumbing and sanitary systems like? Who builds and maintains them? How reliable are they, and who do you call when the drains back up? How do they differ from city to farm?

Plumbing and sanitation are quite good in Unda’s west side and upper rings, as they are high-income, tourist-heavy areas. Plumbing is also good in the east side, but sanitation is less so due to the high density of population and the slums in the Profit and Port rings. In the outer isles, the plumbing is less than stellar, but the sanitation is even better due to the demands of tourism.

-How do people cope with various disasters — fire, floods, tornadoes or hurricanes, blizzards, plague, etc.? How common are such disasters?
Hurricanes are common. Luckily, they do not hit Unda often, and usually only affect the outer isles of Flos and Acinos, which are the largest of the islands and also the only two with active volcanoes. There are mountains on the larger isles, and community shelters upon them for times of great, dangerous storms.
Fires are uncommon, as the climate is generally very humid. There is a lot of rain across all of the isles. However, when fires do occur, the community generally bands together to extinguish it. Coping with disasters is one thing that does bring most citizens together.
Flooding is common in the outer isles; houses tend to be stilted. Unda, however, is not prone to floods, and has no such protections.
Plague is uncommon in the outer isles, but runs rampant in Unda due to the high density population and influx of so many foreigners. While it is kept under wraps and control in the west side and the wealthier rings, in the east side of Unda, where the density of the population is higher, particularly as far as the impoverished go, the plague is a serious problem. No east Undan has lived without losing loved ones to disease. Hundreds, if not thousands, perish yearly from the plague.

-How early do people get up in the morning in the city? Country? Are clocks common, or do people tell time by the sun or by listening for church bells?
People in Unda are usually up before dawn; in the outer isles, people get up around eight or so. Clocks are very common, and tend to be quite accurate.

Fashion and Dress

-What do people wear? How expensive is it? Can the material be produced locally, or must some or all of it be imported?

Short cotton slips in various international cuts are worn by men and women alike. Pants are uncommon among those who actually live in the isles. Most dresses tend to fall above the knee for men and below the knee for women. Sleeves are a status symbol; long, more flowing sleeves are used to denote high wealth. All material must be imported, but it is almost always rewoven to suit the climate. Clothing tends to be fairly expensive, yet elegant. The neckline is always cut at a diagonal to expose the chest.
Jewelry is extraordinarily common, and is worn by even the poorest of citizens.

-Are weapons a standard part of dress for any/all segments of society?
No. Weapons are very out of place in most of Alstroemeria. While they are fairly common in Unda, they are almost always concealed and usually denote an unsavory character.

-Are certain clothes customary for certain occupations — e.g., military uniforms, judges robes/wigs, sports teams uniforms, etc.? How much variation is allowed — could a scholar wear a day-glow green robe as long as the cut is right, or would that be too much? Is it color or style that is most important?

Style is the most important thing in denoting status. Long sleeves are a sign of elegance, refinement, and wealth.

-Are the dyes for certain colors — purple, indigo, etc. — rare, making cloth of that color more expensive and/or reserved for nobility or other high-status people?

Honey, in Alstroemeria? All dyes are reserved for the wealthy. The poor can suck it.

-Are there sumptuary laws, defining who can wear what? What are the penalties? Who decides when changes are needed? How often are they adjusted?

Le poor may not wear le long sleeves. Le poor may not wear ombre. If they do, le poor shall be le beaten!!

-Are there fashions/fads in things besides clothes — styles of carriages, furniture, etc.?

Yes. Among the decadent wealthy, fads are extremely common.

-How many changes of clothes can a normal person afford? A noble person? A peasant?

Most people can only afford one or two changes of clothing. Nobility have dozens of outfits.

-What materials are appropriate to the climate? What materials must be imported, and are therefore for expensive upper-class clothes only?

Silks and cotton are quite frequently used. Everything must be imported; cloth is dismantled and rewoven to be thinner to meet demand and to make clothing cooler due to the warm, tropical climate. An ombre fabric pattern is a staple among the wealthy.

-What types of decorations and accessories are common? What colors and combinations of colors are thought to look well or to clash? Do opinions on this vary from race to race?
In Alstroemeria, the production and export of jewlery is one of the main industries-besides entertainment/tourism. As such, jewelry is extremely important there. Every family has jewelry, not just nobility. Nobility obviously have crazy fancy jewelry of all sorts, but normal families all have some pieces that they pass down from generation to generation. From sea glass and silver to exquisite gems and gold, jewelry is a staple of Alstroemerian culture in all its forms.

Alstroemeria imports most of its raw materials, such as food, fabric, gemstones, and precious metals. Most of the industry as far as income goes is entertainment driven-think gambling, tourist traps, festivals, traditions exploited and bastardized for profit (like dancing)-but the people of Alstroemeria are also known to be quality craftsmen and very cunning traders.

-What physical types and characteristics are currently fashionable — tan vs. pale skin, the “consumptive look” vs. robust good health, fat vs. thin, blonde vs. brunette, muscles vs. “dead poet”, etc.?

It is very fashionable to be curvy and plump. It is a sign of good health, and of being well-fed, which are especially important in Unda, which is very much ruled by plague and food disparity. Darker eyes are seen as beautiful, as are muscles. Scars are seen as hideous.

Diet

-Is sanitation good enough for untreated water to be safe to drink? If not, what do people drink instead?

Water from communal wells may be safely consumed, as the sanitation is not particularly poor, but in Unda, it is absolutely forbidden to drink from Arethusa’s springs.

-What things, while edible, are never eaten (what’s not kosher)? Why? Are some common human foods poisonous to dwarves or elves (or vice versa)?

There is nothing that is considered taboo in the Alstroemerian diet, as food disparity is so profound in the isles.

-How many meals are considered normal in a day? When are they served? Which are substantial and which are smaller? Are certain foods (e.g., eggs and bacon) reserved mainly for a particular meal?

For the rich, five meals a day are expected: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea, Supper, and Dinner. For the middle class, three is typical. The poor are lucky if they eat once daily. There’s really no specifics as to what is eaten for different meals. Dinner, for the rich and middle class, is the largest meal.

-What dishes or seasonings would be considered typical of this area? What wines or beers?

Seafood of all sorts is common fare across all of the isles. Ceviche is a staple, as it is one of the few foods that can be prepared regularly between shipments of food from elsewhere. The tropical sea is lush with fish and mollusks of all sorts. Soups made from various sea creatures are common as well; noodles are sometimes added by richer folk. Rice, corn, and flour are imported, as they keep somewhat well across the long sea voyages. However, foods based upon them are typically reserved for the elite, as they are in high demand and low supply. Beans are in higher supply, and are thus a staple, although imported.
Fruits are very popular in the isles. Mangoes, papayas, lilikoi, and pineapples all grow especially well in the rich volcanic soil.
Tea is extremely common in the isles.
Although rich in trade, due to its remote location, few other styles of cuisine are found in the isles.

-What foods are considered peasant food? What foods are staples, commonly eaten every day? What foods are rare? What foods are normally eaten cooked/raw?

Ceviche is considered peasant food. Fish is a staple, as are tortillas and beans. Rice, breads, coffee, chocolate, and heavily spiced foods are very rare, but are popular among the wealthy. Sushi is typically reserved for the elite. Fish is usually eaten raw.

-What is the food like? What herbs and spices are readily available, and what must be imported? How common/expensive are imported foods and spices?

Save for some fruit and most fish, everything is imported. The food, for the wealthy, is very much based in sushi, noodles, and rich flavors and spices. It tends to be very spicy. For the poor, food revolves around fish, which features primarily around tacos, ceviche, and soup. It tends to be milder in flavor.

-What spices and herbs are produced locally, and which are rare and expensive? Which are most commonly used? Do people tend to like highly spiced food or not?

Highly spiced food is a delicacy; peppers and spices of all sorts are adored by the rich. However, there is a bit of a monopoly over the food industry, and therefore there is minimal access to such spices for the majority of the lower-class population.

-Are there times when people are expected to fast (e.g., before solstice, after the birth of a child, during Lent or Ramadan, after the death of a ruler, etc.)?

No.

Education

-What sort of education is available, and where? Are there schoolhouses in every town, or do ordinary people have to travel if they want to be educated? Are there universities? Private tutors?

At least an elementary level education is passed on to all upper class children, but the manner in which it is passed on depends on one’s specific wealth. The rich, of course, hire tutors and scholars to teach their children, and often send them off to universities across the globe once they reach the age of sixteen. The working class sends their children to group schools, which are covered by a fee. Once the children reach the age of sixteen, and their primary education is complete, they are either sent into apprenticeships or begin working. The poor must teach themselves.

-What is the level of literacy in the general population? Is literacy considered a useful/necessary skill for nobility, or something only scribes/clerks/wimps/bourgeoisie need? How common are books? How are they produced?
As a result of the education disparity, very few of the impoverished class are literate. This limits social mobility. About twenty-five percent of the population of Unda is illiterate and impoverished. Books are uncommon, and are reserved for the rich.

Customs

-Does the weather or climate contribute any habits or customs, such as the mid-afternoon siesta in hot countries?

Customarily, clothing is cut short and somewhat loose as a result of the climate. Dresses/slips are typical because of the great heat. There is a rich festival culture in Unda—Arethusa’s festival is held for a week at the summer solstice; festivals to the other islands’ patron gods are held on holy days scattered throughout the year.
A prominent festival, held during the spring equinox, is known for being a celebration of fertility and new life. It is celebrated through dancing and elaborate dress. As a result of the need for specific elaborate dresses and jewelry for the festival, it is typically only celebrated in full by the rich. However, the older generations in the isles see this as a very important yearly ceremony. It is known as the Vita Festival, named for the goddess of Acinos, who is a fertility goddess.

-What is considered a normal family unit? How extended is an extended family? How important are family connections and responsibilities?

A normal family unit consists of three generations—grandparents, parents, and children. No one is ever far from extended family; family gatherings are very commonplace, and extraordinarily important even among the poorest of people. Family connections and responsibilities are crucial.

-What are the rites of passage in this culture? Are they formalized rituals, such as being dubbed a knight, or are they informal? Are they different for men and women? For nobility and peasants?

Children are considered adults at the age of sixteen, when they have completed their schooling. There is little fanfare around graduation, no matter one’s class. However, lavish sixteenth birthday balls are a huge fad among the wealthy, and are often used as an opportunity to announce arranged marriages-which are very common among the elite in the isles.

-What customs surround a birth and the introduction of a new child to the family? Is the mother sequestered for some period? Is the child? Is there a formal presentation of the new child to parents, grandparents, overlord, priest? Is a feast and celebration declared, or does everyone keep a low profile to keep from attracting demons or bad luck? Who is normally present for births? Is it strictly a matter for women, or are men involved, or is the only woman present the expectant mother?

No matter one’s class, it is traditional to bring a laboring mother to holy sites so that the child is born under the watchful gaze of each isle’s patron god/goddess. It is a celebratory event, but men are forbidden from attending. After the child is born, they are brought home and presented to the family, and there is much food to celebrate.
Extramarital copulation is frowned upon, especially among the wealthy; bastard children are drowned upon birth. Family dynamics are crucial in Alstroemeria, and nothing should sully them. Abandoning children is taboo; if someone is found guilty of killing or abandoning their child, they are often lynched.
However, in Unda, the taboo of extramarital or premarital fornication is a little more lax due to the prevalence of the sex industry. Still, the more well-to-do people and the older generations abhor even so much as the thought of such illicit activities.

-Who raises the children? At what age do they begin to be educated or trained? By whom? Are they considered mini-adults? Do they dress differently from adults? If so, when do they change to adult dress?

Children are adored in Alstroemerian society; they are cared for in multi-generational households by everyone in the family. Children are seen as a blessing. However, adoption is completely and utterly taboo. It is seen as entirely disgusting and abhorrent to take in a child that is not related to one by blood.
Children begin their education at age six, and stop at age sixteen, unless they hail from wealth, in which case they would continue to university.
They dress mainly in loincloths and skirts, and are free to roam-save for in Unda, where many families restrict their children from visiting the East side. At age eight, they begin to wear adult clothing.

-What customs surround death and burial? Is there a special class of people (doctors, priests, funeral directors, untouchables) who deal with dead bodies? What things must be done and why (burn hair to free spirit, burn body to prevent necromancy, coins on eyes for ferryman, etc.)? Are the dead feared, revered, or ignored?
In all of the isles, bodies are cremated. The ashes are then scattered at holy, godly sites, to make sacred the remains of the dead and to encourage them to move on to the afterlife.

Geography

Fifteen islands comprise Alstroemeria, all of varying size. The smallest isle, Unda, is home to one of the world's most densely populated cities, and a well known den of smugglers, thieves, and conmen.

Natural Resources

There are very little natural resources to be spoken of in Alstroemeria; what little food is produces is kept within the isles. The main exports are luxury goods and jewelry; tourism, again, is the primary industry in Alstromeria.

History

From the years 3398 to 5745, Alstroemeria’s already unstable monarchy was overthrown by the elves of Salix. The indigenous people were subjugated for over two thousand years, yet maintained a clear sense of cultural identity—but this all changed in the year 5740, when a coup was staged against the ruling elves. The coup succeeded, and the Alstroemerian people declared their independence.
However, rather than sending a military invasion to assert dominance over the isles, Salix decided to grant the isles independence, as due to its remote location on the globe, the cost of maintaining control over the Alstroemerian isles was quite steep; Salix decided to amicably release their colonies and focus their military efforts on protecting themselves from the warring dragon nations of Canna and Termenor.
As a result of this peaceful disbanding of the colonies, Alstroemeria and Salix maintained good relations, establishing favorable negotiations of all sorts that have lasted since. The nations have only grown closer with time; Alstroeria’s closest ally is Salix The signature, delicate style of jewelry is taken directly from Salix’s culture, yet the customs surrounding it, as well as its general cultural importance, are products of the isles. The same goes for the style of dress-the cut and style are imported from Salix, but the delicate textiles of imported silks are rewoven in a distinctly Alstroemerian way.
In 5746, the noble families of Alstroemeria were declared. There is one family for each of the fifteen isles, save for Unda; the former religious leaders of each island’s population were elevated to the status of nobility due to their contributions to the “rebellion” and dedication to the population for centuries.
The ruling families formed a council to govern the isles, establishing Unda as the nation’s capital, and thus devoid of a personal ruling family. This contributes to the government’s lack of control over the island city.

Type

Archipelago

Included Locations

• Unda