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This is Themyscaira

Culture

Amazons come from a watery planet very like Earth. Home is known as Themyscaira, a composite word in ancient Amazonian meaning “we are all one.” As the most intelligent species on the planet, we rose to prominence through the control of resources through a combination of agriculture and fertility control. The discovery and promulgation of deep-meditation Geomancy fertility control gave Amazons a competitive edge over all the other species. The culture of togetherness and collective action is fundamental among Amazonians and collective decision making and action are privileged over hierarchical control. As such young people learn to disagree in a manner that keeps exchanges civil from a young age. Where disagreements occur it is the height of taboo to give personal offence and the taking of such is rare. Even among exceptional and unique organisations that truly need hierarchical control such as the military, formalised ways of conflict control such as non-lethal sword duels (lethal duels are an ancient and unseemly pastime long outlawed planet-wide) or games of chance for less serious matters accepted methods. Themyscairans have known about the greater Galaxy and have perfected space travel over many hundreds of years. Their contact with other intelligent life forms has been fairly common.

Five Things

Personhood

Amazons refer to each other as women or woman in the singular. All people are women and all women are people. She or they are the accepted pronouns and are considered interchangeable although there sometimes is a preference among us. In writing it is sometimes the practice, especially in writing polite letters or emails to capitalise Her, She or They or as a Woman if they are current or previous mothers.

Duelling

(TBA, some research on IC duelling rules needed) Everyone knows or is at least somewhat familiar with the basic rules and etiquette of sword duels. Duels are a relatively rare way of settling in-divisible social disagreements, that fall short of needing to go to a formal legal judiciary system.

Small Talk and Greetings

Clasping each other’s elbows is the accepted friendly way to greet friend’ Amazons love to set puzzles or recite riddles (or indeed design riddles) for each other and riddling as a way to express a desire for conversation is a common ‘small talk’ opener. Other small talk subjects include the weather, family/children and work/study.

Marriage

Amazons are not a monogamous culture and polyamorous family structures are common throughout the planet.

Family Planning

Amazons are able to become fertile or become infertile through the applied use of a faith-based ideological meditation technique. It has been observed that those who do not believe in the efficacy of Geomantic faith-based physic are unable to either up or down regulate their fertility. Geomancy is the planet-wide religion that promulgates and helps to ‘manage’ fertility, balancing population regionally and globally according to resources. After the population control issues of the last but most recent age Themyscaira has promoted a planet-wide adherence to a permission-based family planning system. The political and practical power of the Geomantic Council is second only the planet-wide government

Northern versus Southern

The climate of Themyscaira is more extreme than that of Earth and as a result the only populated regions on the planet are a small semi-circular ring of habitable climate in the North and a similar semicircular area in the south. Due to modern technology — travel and communications — the discernible ‘difference’ in culture is really rather minimal but certain old habits remain. Northerners tend to be more restrained in their mode of dress, speech, music, dance and thought, preferring simple or minimalist clothing. Southerners are more expressive and colourful, preferring decorated and embellished clothing and headwear.

Religion

Geomancy

The state and planetary faith is in the magnetic fields that permeate the land and the sea. Amazons believe in the spiritual significance and quasi-benevolent sentience of these waves. It has been observed that these waves, their ‘frequency’ and their ‘directionality’ can be controlled and channelled through faith-based means and produce real results through faith-based healing. The magnetic field is known by its ancient Themyscairan name Oort. The Oort is not all-powerful but holds a special meaning and significance to Amazons, and annual celebrations marking Oorts effect on the weather and the seasons are observed.

Science

The study and perfection of the scientific arts — physics, engineering, chemistry, architecture, electronics, biology and ecology are respected endeavours and command prestige in society that is not matched by either Faith-arts (Geomancy) or Arts(music).