Allanaki Culture

[Dahomey]

After reading a thread about Tuluki culture, I came to wondering about Allanaki culture, and realized something. Allanak has no culture! If you strip everything about Allanak, and have just its people in the desert, things will probably not look so different. WHY? Or maybe I'm missing a whole page in the documentation or something...?

[MeTekillot]

you are missing things

[Marauder Moe]

Allanak is the default Zalanthas, so it seems to be lacking culture because many other cultures (most notably Tuluk) are defined in contrast to Allanak.

Allanak has a culture of power and influence through brutality and intimidation. 

Corruption is common, regular, and expected.  Bribes are often solicited and received openly.

Artwork tends towards geometric patterns and/or macabre.  (And historic murals depicting Allanaki conquests.)

Music tends to be ballads of martial prowess or crude and bawdy drinking songs.

[Erythil]

I note Allanak's fancy teahouse, social club (atrium), gardens (albeit not open to the public) and very elaborate noble and templar quarters.

It's not so much that Allanak has no culture so much as that Allanaki high culture is sequestered from the rank-and-file.

Whereas in Tuluk anybody can walk up and ring Tenneshi's bronze wind chimes.

[Potaje]

Don't forget the Uber Tor Academy.

The orgies thrown in some of the more premier Noble houses.

Seedy sub culture of the Rinth.

[Saellyn]

Don't forget the Uber Tor Academy.

The orgies thrown in some of the more premier Noble houses.

Seedy sub culture of the Rinth.

Tor? More like snore

Kidding.

But the Rinth isn't "really" considered a part of Nak, everyone likes to think of it as that ugly brother they just kind of got stuck with. It's a lot like its own city. Really.

[Reiloth]

The 'rinth is more like a malignant, inoperable tumor.

[Potaje]

The 'rinth is more like a malignant, inoperable tumor.

Tumor culture!

[Cutthroat]

Where else in Zalanthas are you going to find a copper bell specifically made for calling people to the Arena, typically to watch people get slaughtered? Only in Allanak.

[Barzalene]

I love Nakki Culture.

And it is harder for define what that is, but it's omnipresent and it's got clear edges.

It's a backwater city in a backwater land, with illusions of grandeur and it takes itself way too seriously. It's every place where the haves and the have nots are separated by ignorance and brutal law.
It's a neighborhood in Brooklyn, where if you're not connected you move quietly and mind your own business. But you feel safe from the outside world.
It's a city in the third world where you keep your politics in your pocket and don't give them a reason to shoot you. Where you may hate the law but you love the land.
It's the thousands of places in the world where you fight amongst yourselves until the strangers come, then you stand shoulder to shoulder with your enemy and turn on him, because there is only Us and Them.

[Voular]

Just some random and personal thoughts on Allanak..

Allanak is a citystate based out of fear, respect, and simple brute power.

Basically it's an ancient fortress that has grown into a massive city state. The Templarate operate with the keyword fear - fear of retribution, but also fear of failure. A Templar is always pressured from his peers and superiors to deliver. If they don't, they get axed. The Highborn also fight a similar struggle, as they're ranked amongst themselves in tiers and have to vye and scheme to keep their positions. Not to mention that many of the houses has to pander to the masses, in various ways, or else they might lose their position. They also earn their keep, the Senate and Templarate isn't going to grant stipends to houses that are totally useless for the city.

So, you ask yourself - what is it that makes Allanak so.. Allanak? It is its history. It has a long bloody history of strife and struggle. Ask any NPC, PC or player - there hasn't been any time in Allanak that has been "fine and dandy" or even remotely calm. They believe in the adage that peace is a time to prepare for war. And Allanak has always had reason to fight for survival.. like gith, volcanoes, elementals, mantis, Tuluki-scum, so forth.

You also have the VAST contrasts in Allanak. While Tuluk emphasizes that the Nobles try to form a closer connection with the commoners there, in Allanak the nobility are a different species all together. They are "Highborn", so separated from the lowblood that could be insulted by a single stare from one. It is fun to imagine that a place that holds a seedy part of town as the Gaj or the 'rinth also harbours marble-covered lounges with sprouting fountains and prime nobility pimped out in silk and jewels.

This also presents itself with a special sort of power-system in Allanak. The higher social tiers exploit the lower ones in games against each other, for power or what have you. While the lower social tiers exploit the opportunities given for simple survival and meaning. The dynamic is master and servant, it is feudal like in essence - and not camaraderie or the image of it as it can be up north. You also remember that there are a lot of slaves, and plenty of the people who find work eventually swear life oaths.

Nobility is an interesting thing to discuss. I always found that nobility should view itself as a better sort of people in all. They were handpicked by the Highlord at the founding of Allanak. They are clearly blessed by Him! And thus it should be that commoners, real Allanakis born and breed, shouldn't really question the validity of such claims. And should probably act to enforce them, as it is what they have been trained and told to believe by the Houses all their life. I suspect a great deal of why the houses have remained in "power" so long is not just brute force, but also the conviction from its servants and the common population that they actually SHOULD be in power.

So, simply look at the flavour docs. Allanak's fashion is described as high-collared and skin-covering. Who usually breaks these norms? It's the common folks, and they do it for effect. How are they described when fighting? All out, no defenses just chopping shit up with bone swordz.

So they're a society that has strict social interactions, a very advanced caste system, a social code, but with a savage history and a ruthless way to run everyday life.

Allanak is an effective city, with very little time for wishy-washy thinking. An Allanaki likes a quick meeting with their favourite whore in an alley, then a good show in the arena, and then will probably don a cap and go work five weeks in an obsidian mine without complaining. They would be prone to violence in solving conflicts, they would be prone to straight actions, and they would easily know when to fold themselves (literally) in respect of others that are stronger, more powerful or simply born of a better stock.

Allanak is awesome because it seems simple and stripped down, when it is in fact as complicated as anything else.

[Samoa]

The 'rinth is more like a malignant, inoperable tumor.

Tumor culture!

Eet's naht a tumuh!

[lordcooper]

I love Nakki Culture.

And it is harder for define what that is, but it's omnipresent and it's got clear edges.

It's a backwater city in a backwater land, with illusions of grandeur and it takes itself way too seriously. It's every place where the haves and the have nots are separated by ignorance and brutal law.
It's a neighborhood in Brooklyn, where if you're not connected you move quietly and mind your own business. But you feel safe from the outside world.
It's a city in the third world where you keep your politics in your pocket and don't give them a reason to shoot you. Where you may hate the law but you love the land.
It's the thousands of places in the world where you fight amongst yourselves until the strangers come, then you stand shoulder to shoulder with your enemy and turn on him, because there is only Us and Them.

It's Ireland?

[boog]

I love Nakki Culture.

And it is harder for define what that is, but it's omnipresent and it's got clear edges.

It's a backwater city in a backwater land, with illusions of grandeur and it takes itself way too seriously. It's every place where the haves and the have nots are separated by ignorance and brutal law.
It's a neighborhood in Brooklyn, where if you're not connected you move quietly and mind your own business. But you feel safe from the outside world.
It's a city in the third world where you keep your politics in your pocket and don't give them a reason to shoot you. Where you may hate the law but you love the land.
It's the thousands of places in the world where you fight amongst yourselves until the strangers come, then you stand shoulder to shoulder with your enemy and turn on him, because there is only Us and Them.

It's Ireland?

There are lots of drunken brawls...

[jstorrie]

It's not Ireland - it's Draj.

All hail Tectuktitlay!

[Jingo]

It's not Ireland - it's Draj.

All hail Tectuktitlay!

Yell something back the Announcer?

[jstorrie]

You call those monsters? I've fought stronger slaves!

[Nyr]

What I find to be the most intrinsic part of Allanaki culture, in two sentences:

Corruption walks through the front door, whips out its corruption license, and doesn't even try to pretend it's not corruption.  Even with it being more blatant, people bend over backwards to be involved in it--it is a language of life and politics that is as oft-used as sirihish.

[Barzalene]

Everyone who plays in Nak needs to read City of Thieves. Not because we do it wrong, but because we do it right and you'll see how, while the culture feels foreign to modern America is really less than a century and  little more than an ocean away.

[lordcooper]

City of Thieves.

That's the book I wanted to buy and couldn't remember the name of!

[Cind]

The seats in the Arena stands weren't painted red. Oh, no. Now go sit on them.

[Nao]

City of Thieves.

That's the book I wanted to buy and couldn't remember the name of!

I have that lying around. Guess I should take a look at it.