/who/ Lore - Viti Edition
- /who/ Lore - Viti Edition
- Introduction
- /who/ as a Nation
- Authority Figures
- Events and Ceremonies
- Libraries, Temples, and the Archival Salvage Efforts (to be added)
- Concerning Hoomans
- State of the Military
- The Pink Angel (needs fleshed out)
- Meanwhile, in Tower!/who/... (status uncertain)
- Miscellaneous /who/ Lore
Introduction
When the Nameless One departed from the greater pantheon, the Hoomans consulted their seers, the Morbs. When the Morbs saw that She would not reincarnate like others have in the past, parliament was in agreement: the Owl Republic cannot continue, and its well-fortified cities must not be used by schizos or any who would use them as bases of operation to attack the civilized peoples of the world. Thus, any and all metropolitan centers not ceded to neighboring nations were destroyed, leaving nothing but ruins, ashes, and the stench of burning tar.
The devastation, along with the decision of much of the populace to remain behind in the tower dimension, has diminished /who/ in size and especially population; with no major cities, /who/ is very sparsely populated and susceptible to raids.
In spite of this, /who/ carries on. Though no new tidings will come from the Nameless One, Morbs and other oral retellers perform reenactments of Her exploits to keep Her in the hearts of Hoomans. There may no longer be great walls to support the population centers against those who would besiege them or the manpower for a standing army, but the gun culture of the people is alive and well, and nearly all able-bodied adults are ready to spring into action in the event of a schizo raid. And even if the prospects of being a major player in the world stage are null, many a Hooman are content nowadays in having their own communities through it all.
Ultimately, /who/ is a humbled nation. One that is a shadow of its former self, yet not one that seeks to regain its former greatness. Instead, its people care more about carrying forward the Nameless One's legacy to the next generation and ensuring She is not forgotten.
/who/ as a Nation
Governmental Structure
/who/ could be best considered a loose confederation of city-states united by the principle of Owl Love, though it would be disingenuous to call any of the towns or villages "cities".
Unlike many other nations, /who/ has no capital city. With no central governing body to set any hard rules, a sense of autonomy has been developed between the towns. This has led to them becoming more distinct from each other. These distinctions are usually small (such as general cuisine or what "mooming" entails), but on some occasions they have escalated to the degree that they affect how the locations are governed. Typically a town or village is governed by an elected mayor, but it's not unheard of for an established town to have a marquis or a council of elders that citizens "age into" govern instead.
Laws Passed in the Days of a New Start (to be added) (may or may not change the name of this to "The Code of Hoomurabi")
Inventions
Despite what one may assume from a chuuba whose domain was civilization, the Nameless One's influence on the technology of /who/ did not manifest in architecture or transportation. Though the Owl Republic's developments in the former and ambitions in the latter were noteworthy, there was nothing more inherently magical about them than normal. In fact, Hoomans did (and still do) consider it a point of pride that their structures were crafted with as little magical influence as feasible beyond courtesies like lighting (and even this was neglected or ignored on occasion, owing to Hoomans' naturally good eyesight in dim light).
Rather, the main technological innovations in the Owl Republic lied in communication. The Hoomans learned that imbuing the Nameless One's influence into objects amplified their ability to conduct sound by better maintaining vibrations that passed through them. This was eventually used to make wires that could send messages from city to city across the republic, though the only messages that could be sent for some time were comprised of clicks and pauses. Although the Hoomans sought to be able to actually speak through these wires, their inability forced them to make do with what they had. This was what led to the Owl Republic codifying a system where specific combinations of clicks, short pauses, and long pauses denoted specific letters and punctuation, allowing for near-instantaneous communication over long distances. This code, as well as the installation of a network of "telecom stations" across the Republic and utility poles connecting them via wire over these large distances, are believed to have greatly contributed to the nation's cohesion and functionality even in times of strife or drought.
As things are, a foreigner visiting /who/ would be in for a bit of a shock technology-wise. Many of the common amenities provided by magic such as artificial lighting are absent, yet one could walk into a tavern and see a piano seamlessly continuing its melody even when the Hooman "playing it" walks away. Two Hoomans could be seen engaging in a conversation that cuts off in lieu of them both playing with an odd clicking device while they're eating, only for the both of them to continue talking at a different point from where they left off. The magic may be gone, but the world goes on, and the inventions of the past (even if not used for their initial purpose) can still be used to carry its people forward.
Notable Wildlife
https://rentry.org/strait-of-scotos-specbio
Additional Notes on Local Wildlife
V-tail Orca
The nation with the most interest in researching the V-tail Orca is also the one that has the most stringent limitations on research and contact with them. /who/'s port towns highly value and revere the V-tail Orca and have consequently passed local laws preventing Hoomans from performing autopsies on orca carcasses that wash up on the shore (deemed "desecration of a corpse") or handling living beached orcas in any way that does not return them to open waters (deemed "abduction"). Crews are also not allowed to initiate contact with a pod or lone V-tail Orca, leaving them with no hope of direct contact unless approached by whomever they are observing.
Toehound (to be added)
Pale-faced Pufferfish (currently empty)
Owlbear (to be added)
Pegasus (status uncertain)
Authority Figures
Ave
One thing that remains constant across all towns and cities of /who/ is an Ave. Each location has only one Ave, and it is annually elected by all adult Hoomans of that town or village typically mid-year. The one who is recognized as town Ave is hailed with a cry of "AVE!" upon departure from or arrival at any civilized part of /who/, and is entrusted with an identifying trinket of some kind. This is always either a form of headwear such as a helmet with a large red crest or something that can be comfortably held in a raised hand, like an ornamental knife.
Some places (typically those at or near the coast) refer to an Ave as a Skol instead, deriving the title from a command yelled in the Hooman "navy" as opposed to one borrowed from what was the nation's army. This difference is functionally cosmetic, as a Skol has the same responsibilities as an Ave.
An Ave's main purpose is to speak on behalf of a town to the people of another. If there's a dispute of some kind between two towns, both towns are expected to send their Aves to attempt negotiation and mitigate any potential conflict. If a village is in distress, the Ave is sent out to ask neighboring locales for assistance.
The Ave is also entrusted to speak on behalf of local developments at the Hoosmoot and vote for or against issues raised at the event, as befits the needs and desires of his or her home.
Morb
The later days of the Owl Republic saw the nation in gradual decline. Though there were little if any nationwide problems with marriage rates or fertility, the native population was in a period of stasis rather than growth. Technological innovation as a whole stagnated. The Nameless One's influence upon the land and its people had been diminishing resulting in poor crop yields, and Her people slowly abandoned the temples built in reverence of Her.
In place of the temples rose the Morbs, enigmatic Hooman women who claimed to receive portents directly from the Nameless One Herself. Though first branded as heterodox or even heretical depending on the specific city's temple, the Morbs were greatly favored by the general population and over time became the ones the Hoomans consulted for tidings from the Nameless One.
There was some dispute in Parliament over whether to recognize Morbs as legitimate, but with the broad support of the people as a whole they were eventually accepted by the government. There were few clergy members to protest this, and most of them saw the writing on the wall and acquiesced much of their religious authority after Morb legalization and became scribes and lorekeepers, documenting the women's tales. They would also still make the "It's time!" declaration, though it would be referring to what the Morbs had to say most of the time.
Nowadays, Morbs are oral retellers who perform retellings and reenactments of the Nameless One's words and deeds on a regular basis at the local C-tubes.
Events and Ceremonies
Hoosmoot
C-tube Performances
A renovation commonly made in the later years of the Republic was the creation of amphitheaters in which the Morb(s) of a given town or city could speak of the Nameless One's words and exploits. These were typically built extending from the local temple, allowing it to be used as a backdrop. The format was never formally standardized, but the high yet narrow multi-tiered semicircle seating arrangements around the stage led to the public colloquially calling them "C-tubes". Here the Morbs would reveal their tidings before enthusiastic crowds, however rare or common that may be.
These performances continue to this day, albeit in ways that differed from the days of the Republic. Though they are no longer live or recent tidings of the Nameless One, these retellings keep Her spirit go on in those who view them, in a way, and the fact that none were live tidings meant that the Morbs and scribes could hand-pick which tales to retell to better suit the local mood. They were performed with greater regularity, becoming a common and consistent occurrence, and even non-Morb Hoomans became able to participate to aid in a performance. And perhaps most importantly, they remind the Hoomans why they're still around and help build community between each other, and most make it a point to attend on a regular basis.
Libraries, Temples, and the Archival Salvage Efforts (to be added)
Concerning Hoomans
https://rentry.org/concerning-hoomans-wip
State of the Military
Nowadays, /who/'s military is a great deal more... modest when compared to what it was in the Owl Republic. There are no substantial fortifications or siege engines, as there is insufficient manpower to support siege warfare. Likewise, the sharp decrease in population from both a significant portion electing to remain in the Tower dimension and much of the urbanites who returned perishing with the cities they put to the torch means there is no standing army in any locale. In its place is a volunteer militia system.
Hooman military doctrine in the third age of /who/ could best be described as "aggressively reactive." Every able-bodied Hooman is taught from a young age to operate and maintain firearms, and the notion that beneath every cloak lies a loaded and cocked gun is actively cultivated by the populace.
In the event of a Schizo raid, the most common response strategy is to contact the militia. Adult Hoomans do so by generally causing a commotion while simultaneously distracting the Schizos and keeping them occupied (often opening fire), while any Hooties present act as criers, running to contact the local militia directly. It's by no means a clean strategy and no raid is repelled without casualties, but common consensus within /who/ is that it gets the job done with an acceptable number of casualties.
Regardless of whatever any Hooman may tell you, /who/ never had a formal navy. Yes, the Republic had ships both armed with cannons and able to house several dozen passengers, but they were never in a situation where they could comprise a fleet. Most of the time these vessels were used as transportation to other nations.
The current whereabouts of these ships is unknown. General consensus is that most of them were scuttled when Avisporte and other port cities devastated themselves, and those that were absent were commandeered by foreigners who operated the harbors where they were docked during the Nameless One's apothnitosis.
The inconclusive nature of the ships' fate has led to speculation that there are a few still around, anchored in the Strait of Scotos yet frequently visited by sailors for some supposed nefarious purpose. Though many in-land Hoomans believe this, there is no proof of it being the case. The fact that these rumors gained traction after the publication of the horror-mystery book "Disappearances of Docksbeek" is not lost on the coastal communities, much to their consternation.
The Pink Angel (needs fleshed out)
Though Hoomans are allowed to talk about the Pink Angel, there are limitations on what can be said. She cannot be held to any standard of divinity in the same manner as a chuuba.
Regardless, there are those who perform rites in the belief that doing so will allow her to attain apotheosis. Many of these also attempt to equate the Pink Angel with the Nameless One, a topic that while not outright forbidden is very touchy with the general Hooman populace. Correlation and comparison are acceptable but framing the two as the same entity is highly discouraged.
There is also a group which holds the belief that there is a third entity who was a goddess before Hoomans settled the area and that she will return in the Nameless One's absence. People who adhere to this are mainly by the seaside and often hold the beliefs stated earlier.
As militia and law enforcement groups are on a local basis, so too are crackdowns on this behavior. This has led to more variety in how various towns regard the Pink Angel as a divine entity. Some places have an enforced zero-tolerance policy towards the above groups, while it is more embedded in others. There is suspicion that adherents to these beliefs have positions of authority in some villages, though lack of centralized military or law enforcement prevents any significant investigation into or action against these rumors.
Meanwhile, in Tower!/who/... (status uncertain)
Miscellaneous /who/ Lore
Historic Events and Developments
https://rentry.org/who-history-notes
The Hooman Calendar
The Hooman calendar is split into three ages, intended to mirror the development of their nation. The ages are as follows: E.S. referring to the times of Early Settlement, O.R. denoting the Owl Republic, and N.S. being the current days of a New Start.
One curious aspect of this system is that E.S. progresses backward. To give an example: The first Hoomans settled in what would become the port city of Avisporte in E.S. 152, but the first recorded maritime contact between an Avisporte ship and a V-tail Orca took place in E.S. 36.
There is also no year 0 in any of the three ages. It goes directly from E.S. 1 to O.R. 1. There was some deliberation of whether to make the final year of O.R. also the zeroth year of N.S., but it was ultimately decided against to reduce possible confusion in bookkeeping.
Lastly, although the Hooman calendar uses the same system as a whole with most/all other Holo nations, one point where it differs is when each year begins in a given age. The end of E.S. and beginning of O.R. are with the signing of the Proclamation of Unification, generally seen as the beginning of the Owl Republic as a unified nation-state. N.S. 1 began with The Nameless One's apothnitosis. This resulted in O.R. starting in late summer and N.S. beginning mid-spring.