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Post by Meira on Jul 11, 2018 14:52:18 GMT -5
Humani Name • Humani Type • Human sub-culture Home World • Originally - Gol (destroyed) Currently - Nomadic Fleets, Junta Station (I-15) Mid Rim Influence • Widespread but small in numbers, roughly a planet or two’s worth of individuals. Minimal influence, mostly in galactic trade spheres. Ethos • Independence, Hard Work, Keeping One’s Word, Keeping the Humani traditions and passing them along to the next generation. Allies • The Nomadic Humani Nation is technically part of the Republic in good standing and with Senatorial Representation. However, due to the decentralized nature of their governance, most Humani see their relationship with the Republic as a matter of convenience rather than real loyalty. Enemies • Technically the Sith Empire, but it would not be entirely unheard of for some Humani to do business with them. Rivals • Other large trade guilds. Ecology Humani are baseline humans with typical height and weight ranges, as well as typical human lifespans. Almost all Humani tend toward the darker skin tones, with fair skin and lighter colored hair being rare traits or indications of outside bloodlines in the individual’s ancestry. Dark eyes are also the norm. Humani reflect a lower than normal rate of force sensitivity. Fewer individuals possess the ability to touch the force, and fewer still can do so at a level that would warrant Jedi attention. Because of this, Humani are a very rare sight among the Jedi. Of those Humani individuals capable of tapping into the force, the overwhelming majority are female. Culture The Humani culture revolves around family, spirituality and superstition. As a nomadic people, the family ship serves as home, workplace, and school. Children are raised and taught to help in the family business, which is usually trade of some sort. At around the age of 7-8, a family might elect to send the child away on what known as the anys ombra, or shadow years. This time, occurring in many short intervals of week to months, might be spent with more distant relatives, teaching the child further independence and also allowing them to learn from other adults than their own parents. The children will frequently return to their own family ships for periods of time before venturing out again. Formal schooling is not something considered necessary among the Humani and, in fact, most Humani are only capable of basic reading and writing skills. This is not to say, however, that they are unintelligent. Humani are known for their cunning and cleverness as well as their adaptability and innovation. They often possess a wide knowledge of skills, making them jacks of all trades, even if they are masters of none. Above all qualities, however, the Humani value independence and self reliance the highest. An ancient Humani saying "Hold your own, know your name, and go your own way." is the cornerstone of what all Humani are taught as they age. This phrase reflects the core values of independence, heritage, and enterprise that all Humani seek to emulate. Hard workers, most Humani deal in trade. A widely believed stereotype is that Humani are sneaky, untrustworthy business partners. This is not true if one makes any sort of attempt to understand these people. Among the Humani, one's word is one's honor. Therefore, the Humani are very careful what they promise and how these promises are worded. To outsiders this might seem like crafty half truths and sometimes flat out lies. To the Humani, it is merely attempting to be precise. One is held to the full extent of their word, but not beyond it. Any unspoken expectations are not required to be met. Another common practice among the Humani is fortune telling. Compared to other humans, the Humani have considerably low levels of Force sensitivity, with only a rare few individuals possessing enough to be considered for Jedi training. They do, however, have their own Force tradition of sorts... seeing into the future. These people, almost always women, are known as Vidents or Seers. While some are true seers, there have been those known to fake the talent, adding to the Humani reputation of being sneaky and untrustworthy. The culture tends to be divided between males and females. Men tend to see to the running of the ships and trade while women are heads of the families and cultural practices. Traditionally, the Humani prefer to wed within their own clans, but there is no law against marriage between clans. Marriage outside of the Humani culture is not unheard of, but is by no means normal. The further from baseline human the potential spouse, the more likely such a match would be to cause a considerable stir. Humani view weddings as an opportunity to show off their hospitality and good fortune. They often take place on the House Flagship of the groom's family and can attract huge numbers of attendees. There was once an unsavory tradition of "bride theft" known as robatori. This occurred in the ancient seafaring times on Gol when women would be stolen away from their families to become brides to others. In modern times, the practice is more akin to eloping. Some young couples do this as a means to expedite what can become a lengthy engagement and wedding planning phase, while others might do it to avoid conflict with rival families. In any case, the new jovial nature of a robatori generally is considered a humorous and happy affair. Being independent by nature, the Humani rarely try to regulate themselves on a mass level. But on the occasion when such things must be done, a council is convened consisting of the captains of each House Flagship. This council is headed by the four elected clan leaders, known as Regidors. Each Regidor is elected by the House Captains of their Clan. The Vidents, however, have their own council known as the Aquelarre, a group of the six eldest Vident women. Their counsel is always taken seriously, though seldom voiced. Each Humani House has a House Flagship that is considered the hub of that House's business and culture. These flagships are often heavy freighters and are constantly visited by the various, smaller family ships that belong to that house. The only permanently stationary Humani settlement is called Junta Station. This "space station" began when the four clan ships were reunited after the lost years. The ships were permanently joined to create Junta Station. In the years since, the station has been upgraded, added to, and tinkered with. It is now a tangled mass of chaotic and mismatched ships and modules. To an Humani traveler, it is the most beautiful thing in the galaxy. At around the age of 12 or 13, children go through the apprentice stage of their lives. Preferably done at a Junta, the children are sent to live with distant relatives or friends of their families in order to gain more independence and skill within their chosen paths of life. This stage lasts until around 17-18, when the child is then considered an adult and expected to strike out on their own and build their own futures. The Humani view their allegiance as being to family, then their 'House' which could be viewed as a community, then their clan, then the Republic, though their allegiance to the Republic is very loose. The Humani are steeped in spiritual beliefs that have roots in Force tradition. The Humani view life as a current, what they call Flux. This current is made up of energy that flows through all things (the force). They believe that those with the power to control the Flux (force sensitives) have "timo" or a rudder, essentially allowing them to steer themselves within the flow. The Humani sense of good and evil stems from a belief that neither existed before sentient life. The Humani believe that Flux created sentient species in order to benefit all life and all sentient species once had timo according to Humani lore. But control of such power drove some jealous and made many greedy. These sentients brought darkness to the Flux. Others tried to stand against them, but the conflict was against what the Flux had intended and so the Flux sent a great purge through the sentient creatures of the galaxy, leaving the majority without timo. Many perished. Those that had brought darkness were denied the light they had shunned during their lifetime and lingered as evil spirits. They stumble through their darkness, seeking to pull others in with them. Those that stood against the dark ones became one with the Flux and found eternal bliss. Their influence comes more subtle, through the Flux and guides all beings on a better path. All beings are subject to the influence of these ancient beings, but those that have timo are even more open to this influence. The Humani believe that the Jedi are an Order that seeks the connection to the ancient defenders, or santi, and that Dark Jedi have fallen under the influence of the dark spirits, or dimoni. For those without timo, it is all one can do to endeavor to not obstruct the Flux, but to move with it in harmony. The Humani are generally a superstitious people who believe in luck, called sort and that there are many things in the world that can bring either bona sort (good luck) or mala sort (bad luck). The Humani believe that a talented vident (seer) can imbue a talisman with good luck. These talismans can be many different things, but the favorite type of talisman is either some kind of cup, bowl, or crystal. These items are believed to be able to hold more bona sort than other items. The color red is considered lucky because it symbolizes blood, which represents heritage and flux. Certain animals are either good or bad luck. For example, a mynock is a bad omen because they suck energy from ships and could possibly suck flux from living beings. Vornskrs are perhaps the most unlucky of creatures since they hunt those with timo. Consequently, all canine animals are also considered mala sort. Pittins (essentially cats), on the other hand, are considered great luck because they are great pest eliminators and are believed to be able to keep restless spirits at bay. They are an extremely common pet among the Humani. Duinuogwuin (Space Dragons), are revered among the Humani. A Duinuogwuin plays a critical role in Humani legend as the being that helped the wayward clans find each other again. Because of this, dragon symbols are found throughout Humani artwork. The numbers 4 and 12 are bona sort because they represent the 4 clans and 12 houses of each clan. the number 48 could be used to represent the Humani as a whole. Phrases like "Bona Sort" (good luck) and "Tornar segura" (return safely), followed by a person's name, are common farewells. "Benvigut" (welcome) followed by a person's name is a common greeting. These phrases are important because it is considered unlucky to enter or leave a home/ship without being greeted or said goodbye to. This belief comes from the idea that a greeting and farewell opens the metaphorical door for only the one being addressed. Without identifying who is coming or going restless spirits might be able to sneak into a home and bring mala sort with them. A restless spirit is not necessarily a dimoni. The Humani believe that how one dies can determine their afterlife. The favored way to die would be peacefully and surrounded by those one loves. This is because it is a common Humani belief that when one dies, their life force dissipates into the Flux through the nearest conductors, or living beings. If one dies peacefully (say from old age), their life force would benefit those around them as they pass, bringing bona sort. It is considered an honor to hold someone's hand as they die. On the other hand, should someone die unexpectedly, violently, or in other words not at peace with their passing, their life force would be seen as bringing mala sort to those around them. This lack of peace would also prevent one's spirit from fully diffusing into the Flux, leaving them as a lost spirit. While these spirits are often considered angry and unlucky, they are not shrouded in darkness like the dimoni and are not nearly as malevolent. History It is believed that the people known as the Humani are descendants of humans from sleeper ships that were sent out ages in the forgotten past. Their culture developed uniquely and separate from the rest of the galaxy for millennia before they were discovered by galactic explorers around 10,000 years ago. Judging from the verbal histories kept by the, then primitive, Humani, they arrived on Gol from the sky in time forgotten with gifts from the ancestors to help them survive the nearly landless planet. When the Humani were discovered by the republic, they lived mainly on water vessels that dated back to pre-republic times. These ships had been repaired, retrofitted, then repaired again countless times. The technology that had once worked on the vessels no longer served, and the people used primitive sails, oars, and celestial navigation. The Humani were quickly integrated into modern technology. They possessed a surprising knack for adapting, though were quite stubborn about not joining the Republic. Though the Humani were grateful and open with the rest of the galaxy, they preferred to keep to themselves. When a particularly nutrient rich algae was discovered by researchers who'd come to study Gol, there was a rush to market the product for survival kits and nutrient capsules. Gol was nearly overrun by corporations, but the stubborn Humani held them at bay, refusing to allow offworld companies to come in and upset their way of life. As time passed and other discoveries on other planet drew the corporations elsewhere, Gol soon slipped into the background, all but forgotten by the galaxy. For the Humani, this was a blessing. Gol was soon nothing but a backwater world, good for little more than a quick stop on the way to more important locations. Not long before the Great Hyperspace War began, Gol received a request from the Republic to create a ship yards surrounding the planet. Because it was an out of the way location, secluded from the rest of the galaxy, Gol was a prime place to create ships without unwanted attention. For the first time in Humani history, an offworld project had been approved, but only under the condition that the shipyards was maintained by at least 50% Humani workers. The Gol shipyards created large super ships, mostly luxury cruisers, and brought a tidal wave of revenue to the planet. The Humani enjoyed an era of prosperity never known before. But this era was short lived. As the Great Hyperspace War began and raged on, there was no call for civilian class megaships. Gol was too far away from the Republic core to be protected and transformed into a military shipyards. And then, Naga Sadow brought his Sith Meditation Sphere to the once again forgotten home of the Humani. Naga Sadow's sith meditation virtually cut off all communications between the Humani and the rest of the galaxy. With that severing of connection came fear. Many began to lose hope. It was only a matter of time before their insignificant home was wiped away, gone and forgotten for good. In panic, a plan was hatched. This plan, quickly thought out and barely viable was to finish construction on five ships that were near completion in the shipyards, load them with as many people and supplies as possible, and escape the system before they were destroyed. These ships were named Vela (candle), Obra (labor), Visio (vision), Fe (faith), and Cor (heart). While workers rushed to complete the ships, those on planet exhausted all resources in collecting supplies to take for the journey. All of these plans couldn't have come at a better time. Unknown to the Humani, a devastating battle would soon take place near their home planet's star. The effects of this battle would be unimaginable. When the battle came, a panic overtook the Humani. This was the day they feared. The battle, though in space, would come to their defenseless planet, and they would be destroyed. Thousands upon thousands of families poured into transports that would take them from the surface to the ships, just barely completed in time, that waited in the orbiting yards. Communications were monitored as the Humani tried to listen in on the battle not far away. Static-laden transmissions were intercepted that spelled out disaster for the Humani, the battle was over, but Primus Goluud, their star was about to implode. With no time to hesitate, lest their entire culture perish, the five megaships jumped to hyperspace. Even if there had been time to plug in coordinates, the nav computers on the ships were blank. Star maps had never been delivered from the Republic. Moments after the ships made their fateful jumps, Primus Goluud would be destroyed. Moments after that, those who had not made it onto a transport, and those still aboard the transports that had been en route to the yards, were also destroyed. Only a small fraction the the Humani survived in the ships. Each one was now lost in deep space. Though outfitted to hold large numbers of travelers, the ships were not meant to be long term homes, but rather more like mobile hotels for those looking for a luxury vacation. For the Humani, their ten year sojourn through the vast uncharted regions of space was far from a vacation. Many would die on each of the lost ships, far from known space or even each other. Distress signals were sent out. None were ever answered. As the years passed, the Humani were overcome with sorrow of the unlikelihood of being discovered. Then, near the end of their tenth year lost, a Duinuogwuin appeared near one of the ships. With the help of this wise and mysterious being, that ship was led back to known space. But without a hyperdrive, the journey cost them another five years. Once back in known space, an amazing event occurred. Four of the lost ships -Vela, Obra, Visio, and Fe- hadn't only found civilization again, they'd found each other. Later on, leaders from each ship would recount that they'd been guided by a Duinuogwuin. These beings would become revered among the Humani from then on. However the fifth ship, Cor, never returned. The coordinates of the point in space at which the Humani were reunited and the day were also recorded. That day, every five years, at that point in space would from then on become the meeting point for all Humani to gather for what would come to be known as the "Junta". The Humani escape ships were then soon discovered by Republic patrols. Efforts were made to reintegrate the Humani into habitable worlds. But life as refugees was not something the Humani wanted. For generations they'd spent their lives on water-bound vessels, and then years wandering space in ships. Their feet felt wrong on solid ground. Instead, the Humani petitioned the Republic with a special request. The four ships, now being repaired and fitted with proper hyperdrive nav computers, were all that the Humani had left of their home. Their request was that the Republic acknowledge the loose governments that had formed during the Humani's wandering years as legitimate. After much debate in the senate, it was finally decided that the Nomadic Humani Nation would be recognized in the Republic as a sovereign nation with representation in the senate. As time passed, the four original ships became obsolete as actual space faring vessels, and so the Humani moved to smaller ships, still able to hold many families, and also individual family ships. The four origianl ships were permanently joined together at the location of the "Junta", forming the beginnings of what would come to be known as Junta Station. Over the years, this station would be added to and would grow exponentially. While not able to hold the entire population of the Humani all at once, Junta Station provides a location for the Humani to gather, trade, and celebrate. Legacy Clause • The Humani are open for use even if I go inactive. |
