Culture of Authorania

The culture of Authorania is a unique blend of many Elf cultures that existed in the Mortal World. Authorania's cultural influence on the Mortal World is one of the most significant, with many smaller countries and villages deriving their culture from Authorania.

Religious culture
Within Authorania, a majority of the population practices the Testamentary Religion, while a minority practice the Hebruus Religion. Due to the similarities in the two religions, they are able to live simultaneously, even though all of the festivals, prayers and date system are based on the Testamentary Religion.

Prayers
Every morning at sunrise, Authoranians will perform a prayer, by kneeling while facing the rising sun. This prayer is dedicated to Sontulus, the God of the Sun, and the prayer basically thanks Sontulus for his journey across the sky. When the sun sets, another prayer is performed, again facing the sun, however the prayer wishes Sontulus good will in his journey through the Nether Realm. These two prayers are the only prayers performed daily.

Different gods require worship on different days, usually on Brightshine and Yellowsun. Testamentarians usually worship only one god but they do not ignore the other gods. When its the day to pray to the god one worships, a Testamentarian will go to their church and set aside about an hour for worship. Since there are various gods and goddesses, worshipers could be out for the morning at various times and days.

Since the Testamentary Religion is so ingrained into Authoranian culture, most citizens know the worship routine of their neighbors or coworkers, thus, worship times are rarely inconvenient for citizens who do not worship on others worship days.

Religious land boundries
Authorania's Capital City is considered the Testamentarian's Holy Land. This is due to the founding of the Testamentary Religion occurring within Capital City, which at the time was the original location of Authorania. Many Testamentary churches are located within Capital City, including the Temple of Authorena.

Capital City is surrounded by a wall that is both physically and metaphorically present. Where parts of the wall do exist, there are gates where citizens can enter or exit the city-state. One cannot pass through these gates without conducting a small prayer. Since reciting a prayer every time someone passes through the gates would end up causing traffic, the prayer is symbolized with a hand gesture. This gesture is performed by slightly bowing the head, closing the eyes, then placing the right flat hand perpendicular to the face, with the index finger and middle finger touching the middle of the brow, above the nose. This only has to be performed when passing through the gates and Authoranians perform their prayer naturally.

To cross into Capital City without performing the gesture is considered extremely taboo and Authoranians believe it brings bad luck. If someone crosses into Capital City without performing the gesture, it is very likely they will be confronted.

Religious acceptance
Authorania only has two religions that are practiced by almost the entire population: the Testamentary Religion and the Hebruus Religion. This is due, in most part, to Authorania's history of systematically oppressing religious groups. This systematic oppression still occurs to this day, however, violent religious discrimination has lessened in recent years.

When the Testamentary Religion became the dominant religion in Authorania, the Hebruus Religion and old Morthanian Religion began to suffer due in part to discrimination. Much of this discrimination involved singling out citizens who did not practice the Testamentary Religion and the barring of Hebruus and Morthanian churches from being constructed. This discrimination was partially the reason for the complete fall of the Morthanian Religion. This discrimination did not last long, as Authoranians began to accept the minority of Hebruus worshippers in the nation. Today, the Hebruus Religion is the only other officially recognized religion in Authorania besides the Testamentary Religion.

When it comes to other religions and atheism, Authoranians are much less accepting. For much of Authorania's history, violent discrimination against other religions, specifically atheists, was common. Much of this occurred during Authorania's Dark Era, where many citizens blamed the bad times on the gods displeasure of having other religions in Authorania. After the Dark Era ended, the violence against these groups began to subside, as more foreigners began to move into Authorania. However, systematic oppression, specifically in the allowance of funds and temple construction, was still common.

Today, there are no temples or churches in Authorania that are dedicated to other religions other than the Testamentary Religion and the Hebruus Religion. Even the Hebruus Religion has very few churches and temples, although this is attributed to the low number of worshippers in the nation. Many citizens who practice other religions will hold communion in private homes.

Marriage and marriage rituals
Marriage can only occur between a man and a woman within the Testamentary religion. A marriage is often arranged by the families of the man and woman, usually to unite families. It is common for a couple to be of the same class and it is very rare for an upper class citizen to marry a lower class citizen.

The woman's family will often request the marriage of their daughter to a man of a different family by offering a dowry. For poorer citizens, this dowry could be as simple as a gold ring but for richer families it could be a small fortune.

A marriage is first proposed to the woman by a man (typically her lover) placing a daisy above the left ear while reciting: "As the Gods as our witness, will thy accept our unification in marriage for eternity and beyond?". If the woman accepts, she will keep the daisy and wear it until it wilts. Once the daisy has wilted away, the marriage ceremony will begin shortly after. The wilted daisy symbolizes the Gods approval of the marriage with the messenger being Festina, Goddess of Decay. It is believed that Festina was given this duty because she still resides in the Mortal World and her presence can be known to Mortals, although this is not proven.

Marriage is overseen my Authorena, thus a Priest of Authorena must be present at the ceremony. Authoranian marriages are a very festive event, with music, plays, colors and decorative dressings being common. Weddings in Authoranian culture are very significant, thus it is not uncommon for many guests to join in the festivities.

If a couple is very wealthy, they will often put on extravagant parades and performances that could encompass an entire city-state. Royal weddings often take place throughout the entire kingdom.

The bride would be dressed in a floral gown, that is full of many colors. The bride also wears red lipstick but it is not uncommon for her to wear full makeup. She will also be dressed in many jewels, although this is often worn by wealthy brides.

The groom would be dressed in a colorful gown, often matching the "theme" of the bride's gown. The groom's outfit would be a lot more plain than the brides, although it is common for the groom to wear jewelry.

When the ceremony kicks off, the bride and groom would sit in front of the Priest. In front of the bride and groom would be an open scroll with the wedding vows from the Testament written on it. Next to the scroll on the left would be a small plate of burning incense and on the right of the scroll would be a small bowl of red paint. The Priest would have a Testament with him, which he would read the wedding vows from. As the Priest reads the wedding vows, the bride and groom would have their right hand raised with their heads tilted down and eyes closed (the guests would be kneeling with their hands clasped together, heads down and eyes closed). Every time the Priests ends a passage, the bride and groom would touch the scroll with their right hand and say "Hallum" (a prayer word used for accepting vows). After the Priest says the final passage and the bride and groom say their last "Hallum", the prayer is over and the guests return to their seats while the bride and groom remain where they are. Then, both the bride and groom dip their right thumbs into the red paint located next to the scroll and at the same time they press their paint covered thumbs to the scroll. This officially ratifies their marriage and the scroll is rolled up and given to the groom (the scroll will be kept for the rest of the bride and grooms lives).

After this ceremony ends, the festivities begin. These festivities often include songs and dances, plays and feasts. These festivities often last hours into the night. At this time, the dowry that was promised to the male's family would be given and in exchange the male's family will give their new daughter's family gifts.

After the festivities are over, the wedding is over and the final part of the ceremony commences. This tradition is to give the bride a child, which is the first time the couple would be able to do this because they are married.

Family unit
An average Authoranian family unit that lives within a household consists of children, a mother and a father and grandparents. In Authoranian society, family units are very important, although their structure is more relaxed than other societies.

Traditionally, sons will live with their parents until they marry, then they will move in with their wife's family. Daughters never leave the family home and will live with their parents in the home they grew up in until their death.

In recent generations, a cultural movement named the Personal Independence Movement has seen young men and women move away from the traditional family structure and move toward an independent family structure. These new family structures consist of a married couple, their children and elderly grandparents. The grandparents will move in with either their son or daughter when they can no longer support themselves in later life.

Divorce
Due to Authorania's hyper-religious culture, divorce is difficult to get although not impossible. The process of divorce can take years and if the marriage was between Testamentarians, it has to go through a religious review.

In the Testamentary Religion, divorce is mentioned to be frowned upon by the gods, however, it is not exactly a sin. Modern religious officials have interpreted this to mean that divorce should be a last case scenario and the current divorce laws reflect this.

When a couple wants to divorce, if they're Testamentarians, they file their divorce through their local priest. If the priest approves it, he will pass it up to the city-state's Plurian. If the Plurian approves it, he will pass it onto the High Priests who will either approve or deny the divorce. If the High Priests approve it, they will pass it onto the city-state's government and if approved it will go to the Authoranian government for final filing. If the couple belongs to the Hebruus Religion, the process is basically the same but through the Hebruus hierarchy. If the couple are not either of these religions, the filing goes straight to the government.

Sexuality
Most Authoranians choose to lead a life of chastity before marriage, however, it is not uncommon for young men and women to engage in sexual activities before marriage. This is not taboo or sinful in the eyes of the Gods, however, what is sinful is producing children before marriage or having relationships with individuals under the age of 16. Once an individual is married, they will have to stop their sexual relationships, although nonsexual affairs are common.

Due to the stipulation of not producing children, some Authoranians engage in homosexual relationships before they are married.

Homosexuality
Within Authoranian culture, homosexuality is not considered taboo and is not considered sinful in the eyes of the Gods. The only thing that makes homosexuality taboo and sinful is if it interferes in a male or female's abilities to make children. Some young men and women to engage in homosexual relationships before they are married but after marriage these relationships will no longer be sexual.

Sexual homosexual relationships are uncommon in Authorania while nonsexual homosexual relationships are common. Although sexual homosexual relationships are not considered sinful, most Authoranians pride themselves on chastity and instead engage in nonsexual dating with men or women.

Festivals
Authoranian festivals often follow the Testamentary Religion, celebrating the Gods and Goddesses.

Alfansia
The Alfansia Festival occurs on the 13th of Redleaf and it celebrates the banishment of the Nether Gods Cathorin and Tsantiliotacholie by the Super God Alfansa at the end of the Divine War.

The celebration begins with a ceremony at the foot of a large wooden statue of Alfansa, which was built for the festival. The statue is covered with Alpaca wool, which has been donated by Alpaca herders throughout the year. After a prayer is conducted, people line up to pray to the Super God and give him gifts, which are laid all around and over the statue. Gifts often given are small trinkets made of wood and flowers.

After everyone had given their gift to the statue, the statue is carried by Monks all throughout the city-state, with the crowd lining the streets. Often more flowers are thrown onto the statue by the crowd.

The route ends at a large piece of empty land where the statue is put onto the ground. Once the crowd gathers around the statue, it is set ablaze, gifts and all.

After the fire has subsided, everyone goes home and enjoys a massive feast. On Alfansia, citizens are banned from eating meat for the day. This is because Alfansa is an Alpaca and eating meat on his worship day is considered very distasteful. The feast concludes the festival.

Authorenis
The Authorenis Festival is Authorania's most extravagant festival, celebrating the All-Goddess Authorena. The festival lasts for 5 days, starting on the 15th of Harem.

On the first day, citizens gather in front of the Temple of Authorena in Capital-City, where prayers are conducted. After two pigs are sacrificed, citizens will adorn the temple with flowers and gifts.

After this part of the festival is over, everyone migrates to the Theadinus Deusmaximinium to watch plays and musical performances. This will last until the end of the day and everyone will go home after.

On the second day of Authorenis, celebrations are held locally, thus citizens don't have to travel back to Capital-City. On this day, a large statue made of colorful paper and lit on the inside with candles is paraded around the city-states, starting at Capital City and ending at Sovenshire. This is an all day event, so citizens who live in farther city-states such as Sovenshire will engage in a feast before the statue arrives while citizens who live near the start of the route will engage in a feast after the statue passes through.

On the third day of Authorenis, citizens will throw big house parties and exchange gifts. These parties often last into the fourth day, where the streets are lined with drunk citizens.

On the fifth and final day, a prayer is led at each city-state's churches at sunset, this prayer marks the official end of Authorenis.

Names
Authoranians have a first name and a family name and sometimes a middle name.

An Authoranian's family name is often either an old Morthanian family name or a more modern Authoranian family name. To Authoranians, Morthanian family names represent an older lineage while Authoranian family names represent a newer lineage. Family names pass down from the male of the family.

An example of a Morthanian family name is Ol'lriek, the apostrophe, often placed after the first two or three letters in the name, is a telltale sign of the name being of Morthanian origin.

An example of an Authoranian family name is Torrus.

Authoranian first names can vary from old fashioned Morthanian names to newer names. Authoranians often match their first names and family names to be of the same origin, with ones having a Morthanian family name also having a Morthanian first name or someone with an Authoranian family name having an Authoranian first name.

Some Authoranians possess a middle name. Middle names are the wives maiden name, since the family name is passed down from the father, sometimes the mother's family name is passed down through their child's middle name. This often occurs when the wife belongs to an important or influential family but this also can occur if a family's lineage is facing extinction due to not having a male to pass down the name. Middle names are uncommon in Authorania.

Monarchs are addressed by their first names while their family names represent the monarchy. For example, King Xarnas was officially named King Xarnas of the Litrius Monarchy, his wife was Queen Millary of the Litrius Monarchy and his son was Prince Xarnas II of the Litrius Monarchy.

Etiquette and courtesies
Authoranian culture is filled with etiquette and courtesies rules.

Language
The basic usage of etiquette in Authorania is in speech. The Authoranian Language can be spoken in different ways based on who the speaker is talking to. In Authorania, this is strictly followed and it is rare for an individual to speak in the wrong way to someone. In the Authoranian language, there are three variations that a speaker can speak, formally, informal-formally and informally.

Formal speaking is reserved for individuals who are of a higher status or who are respected. A student will speak formally to their teacher or a worker will speak formally to their boss. Formal speaking is also reserved for individuals who the speaker has never met. Formal speech's grammar is strictly spoken in an SVO (Subject, Verb, Object) order. Formal speech also uses full words and uses the most words to describe things.

Informal-formal speech is reserved for friends and family and this speech is more lazy. Fewer words are used in Informal-formal sentences and the grammar structure can switch based on how the speaker wants to say their sentences. Speaking in this way to anyone other than friends or family is considered very rude.

Informal speech is reserved for close friends. It can be spoken around family but it is generally considered wrong to speak informally to family members. Informal speech uses the least amount of words in order to convey a sentence and uses the most slang. Informal speech is considered to be spoken by the "uneducated" and if spoken to anyone other than close friends and family, leads others to believe the speaker is uneducated and rude.

Greetings
Another important etiquette in Authoranian culture is the use of greetings.

The greeting used for ones of higher status or more respect is the "courteous bow". The courteous bow is the action where an individual places their right hand on their heart, dips their head and hunches over, before returning back to their standing position. After or while performing the courteous bow, the individual will say "hallum" which is a prayer word that can mean "hello" when greeting. The courteous bow is also used during serious situations to express sympathy or seriousness. For example, at a funeral, the attendees will often perform the courteous bow to the parents and/or widow to convey their sympathy and sadness.

Greetings between friends and family can vary from an embrace to a wave. An individual may say "heh" meaning "hey" or begin speaking while they are greeting. If friends greet each other formally, it is considered a joke or a mockery.

Improper etiquette
There are a few actions that are considered improper etiquette in Authoranian society.

Not greeting others is considered improper etiquette. This applies to individuals who intend to meet and not random strangers. However, if an individual doesn't greet the individual or individuals they are talking to, even close friends, it is considered rude.

The use of the right hand to carry things is considered improper etiquette. This is because Authoranians use their right hands to greet others. This etiquette is primarily judged on circumstance. If someone is carrying something that requires both hands and they meet someone they intend to greet, they will bow their head and say "hallum", this is considered proper. However, if someone is carrying something with one hand and it is the right hand, it is considered odd to others and rude to someone who expects to be greeted, even if the individual bows their head and says "hallum".

For more wealthy individuals, eating with hands is considered improper etiquette. It is considered unclean and often associates an individual to poverty. For normal citizens, this etiquette usually doesn't matter.

Treatment of foreigners
In Authorania culture, foreigners, called "Haminen" are treated differently than Authoranian citizens. Authoranians generally regard foreigners as "others", who speak weird languages and worship weird gods. The image of foreigners depends on where they come from, although all foreigners are generally regarded as outsiders and others. Nations/tribes who are in a close alliance with Authorania or are close to Authorania culturally are seen and treated as more equal, although they are not treated the same as fellow Authoranians. For example, citizens of Antillia, who are related to Authorania's ancestors, speak a similar language and have a similar culture, are seen as cousins to the average Authoranian, although they will still be regarded as a haminen.

A majority of foreigners come from nations/tribes that either have loose or no alliance with Authorania and their cultures are different. A notable nation which Authoranians consider citizens to be an "other" are citizens of the Azerath Nations. Not only are the language and cultures of the two superpowers vastly different but the Azerath Nations is primarily inhabited by Humans. The Authoranian word for Human is Haminus, which is where the word haminen comes from. Due to the Azerath Nations and Authorania's unique relationship, citizens of the Azerath Nations are not regarded as "outsiders" or shunned, however, they are still treated as outsiders.

Authoranians treat citizens of enemy nations/tribes with most disrespect and are generally shunned.

When a foreigner becomes a citizen of Authorania, their "haminen" status disappears and Authoranians regard them as one of their own. This is the case because foreigners who become Authoranian citizens speak Authoranian, dress in Authoranian attire, practice the Testamentary or Hebruus religions and are generally a part of Authorania's culture. Authoranians treat Authoranian citizens as one of their own no matter where they are born. This sentiment even extends to Authoranian citizens who are from enemy nations/tribes, it is very rare for an Authoranian citizen from an enemy nation/tribe to be treated as an outsider or be scrutinized over their ancestry.

Authoranians regard foreigners as such outsiders that the word haminen is also a derogatory insult when used against Authoranian citizens. Haminen when used as an insult does not mean "foreigner" but is instead used to describe someone who is a degenerate or someone who is not normal.

Racism
Authorania is unique, as foreigners can become naturalized through a citizenship process. Once a foreigner obtains citizenship, they are treated equally as an Authoranian citizen. However, systematic oppression in regards to race are present in Authorania and it is common for certain races to be looked down upon by the populous.

Racism is most abundant against humans in Authorania. Humans make up a majority of the urban poor and their minority status leads to unfair representation in the government. Racism against humans has been part of Authorania's culture since its founding. Due to the Great Slave Roundup, which decimated the Morthanian population, Authoranian elves have generally looked down upon humans. This racism was abundant prior to the Blood River War, where humans were barred from becoming Authoranian citizens and sometimes they were barred from entering the kingdom. Following the Blood River War, when a strong alliance formed with the Azerath Nations and former Azerath Nations citizens began to migrate into Authorania, this racism subsided, especially with the younger generation. However, humans were never treated equally with their elf neighbors. Over time, racism against humans began to rise once again, which caused many humans to leave Authorania and live in more tolerant nations. The human population has never been the size it was following the Blood River War.

Although humans are treated as equals when it comes to citizenship, humans are not treated fairly systematically. It is generally harder for a human to obtain jobs higher than lower class jobs (such as merchants or farmers). This has historically kept humans in the lower class, which has soured their image to the average Authoranian, who regards humans as lazy, disgusting, degenerate, unholy and reliant on begging for money. Humans have very little representation in the government, which makes it harder for them to gain government subsidies.

This unfair treatment does not just encompass humans but also includes Orcs and "lower elves" as well, although they are better off than humans.

Views on slavery
Authoranians despise slavery and have since their founding. Due to the fall of Morthania being attributed to slavery, slavery has been illegal in Authorania its entire history. Authoranians tend to look down on other nations/tribes that practice slavery, even if they're close allies. Authorania has also historically tried to push their allies into abolishing slavery, to some success.

This hatred for slavery has led to some unique controversy regarding war and prisoners. A majority of nations that allow slavery, will take soldiers and citizens of their defeated foe and sell them into slavery. This generates massive income and many of these nations rarely kill captured soldiers and citizens. Authorania practiced differently. Authoranian soldiers tended to save cooperative citizens and execute noncooperative citizens but it was also common for soldiers to slaughter entire villages or cities in order to send a message. This was common for Authoranian soldiers to carry out these slaughters until the mid Andurrillio Testament Era, when public view on these slaughters began to sour. Famous Blood River War Gernivian General Marius Paius Tullus was reprimanded for carrying out the slaughter civilians and soldiers, which many of his men thought was wrong and old fashioned. General Tullus was the last Authoranian General to order these executions without being sentenced a harsh punishment.

Calendar
Authoranians base their years after the release of Testaments, split into eras. Every time a new Testament is released, a new era begins and year is reset, bearing the name of the Testament. For example, the current year is 1250 MT, meaning the Meridiall Testament Era began 1250 years ago, because the Meridiall Testament was released 1250 years ago. If a new testament is released, it will always be released at the new year, so the era can begin on the new year.

The Authoranians follow the Jarus Calendar, which was a calendar first developed by the Morthanians, adopted by the Azerath Nations, and became standard in both the Azerath Nations and Authorania in order to better synch their dates to help with trade. Before the end of the Blood River War, when this standardization happened, the two calendars were basically the same, with only a couple of months being 1 or 2 days longer or shorter, also, the names of the months were different. Due to the basic similarity between the two calendar systems, the Authoranians decided to adopt the Azerath Nations' Jarus Calendar, due to the Jarus Calendar being more refined.