NationStates Jolt Archive

Notes on Aidionian society are as follows.

1: Religion.
Aidionians have a firm, though not fanatical belief in a solid system of gods and goddesses, as can be expected of a primitive society such as this. The amount of Aidionian dieties is almost inumerable, as the people have gods and goddesses for everything from cleaning clothes to the mating rituals of the local wildlife. The chief pair of dieties in their pantheon are Azrras, Lord of the forest, and his mate, the goddess Visas, mistress of the earth. The day to day applications of this faith guide the Aidionians decisions in the hunt, rituals, and even the search for a mate. The earthly intermediaries between the gods and the people are the tribal elders, a council of such men and women decides everything major to happen to the tribe, from choosing their successors, to organizing the all important search for the villages next suitable location.

2: Gender roles in everyday Aidionian life.
Being a primitive people, the Aidionians have yet to develop a concrete moral code, and as such would be considered very liberal in regards to male/female roles in society. Females in the various Aidionian tribes have as much power in relationships as the males, and are as likely to seek a new mate as the men. Aidionians join for convience, although said pairing of convience can often last a lifetime(or according to their belief system, far into the next life). Relationships involving up to 10 individuals are common, often being used to gain power in the tribe. Which leads to another section of these notes, the holding of:

3: Power in Aidionian society.
Power in Aidionian society is usually gained through a family group or through the formation of a strategic relationship. Though the ultimate executive power in the tribe is held by the elders(and the shaman, in an advisory role). Respect plays an important role in the tribes everyday existence, though it is less often observed in the pursuit of a mate. In family life, the mother/father figures exert the most authority, with the fathers/mothers extended relatives often providing advice. The children fight amongst themselves and sometimes form little alliances within their playgroups, trying to gain the upper hand in the daily struggle for food. All this forms into something much like a mini-tribe within itself.

4: The use of supernatural means of manipulating the environment in the Aidionian tribes, and throughout the Aidionian people as a whole.

The use of what most would call magic is widespread throughout the Aidionian tribes, serving basic needs such as aiding accuracy with the bow, which is proven to increase the average success of a hunt. The 'magic' is also the basis of the shaman's powers, helping him to guide the spritual lives of the tribesfolk. It is also used in such basic tasks as catching fish, defense against the more agressive denizens of the forest, and and blinding demons, which were, until now, unencountered. A major secondary use of their power is the elders divination rituals, (accompanied by the shaman) which guide the everyday lives of the people.

5: Methods of aqquiring sustenance in daily Aidionian life.
The primary method of obtaining food in an Aidionian tribe is the hunt, carried out by the vast majority of adult tribesmembers, whether male or female. Other methods are the limited amount of fishing, conducted in the streams and small rivers adjacent to the local village. The recent addition of minute scale farming of insects and other small animals is another source of nutrition, although it has be supplemented with other efforts, such as the harvesting of tree bark and sap, to be considered a significant part of the tribes diet. Cannibalism is not frowned on, although it is the absolute last resort for sustenance, when all other methods fail for a significant amount of time, enough to render the villagers in a state of semi-starvation.

OOC: These are my various notes on Aidion society, and will be updated as related thread(s) progress.

6: Warfare, and related situations in Aidionian tribal life.
Although fundamentally opposed to fighting within any given tribe, skirmishes between the tribes, and sometimes fullblown warr does occur, though the latter is decidedly uncommon. The hunters in a tribe are also the soldiers, as the Aidionians have yet to develop a solid military caste, and as such, they are woefully ineffective in anything beyond small scale battles. Larger battles will almost certainly end in disaster for all concerned, barring the intervention of the tribes shaman, who is regarded as a last resort, as the tribe cannot afford to lose such a valuable member of their society in battle.


7: Parenting in the tribe, and associated rituals.
Though the immediate needs of the children are obviously met by the birth mother, The majority of the actual childraising is left to the elder adults of the family group. Said adults are responsible for teaching the children how to act in society, to observe the ancient traditions, and the basics of the hunt, such as how to skin an animal, and the proper method for the disposal of the remains. The true power over the childrens future remains with the birth parents(see #3), however, as the 'caretakers' are regarded as the low part of society, unable to earn proper respect for themselves.

OOC: This is as far as I can detail the Aidionian society for the moment, as I have temporarily run out of ideas, and i'd rather not have to tiptoe around the 'sexuality in the tribes' bit. I'm open to suggestions for possible additions to these notes, as I'm sure some of you can come up with much better ideas than I.

OOC: Interesting. I like it! I haven't seen much cultural stuff here before.

So, lets see...

*cough* *cough*

IC: The Serpentian Geographic Society is always interested in encountering new peoples, and will probably want to send a horde of anthropologists to study everything in Aidiona. Among the many questions they will ask will probably be:

Have the Aidionians encountered any other groups of people outside of their own culture? If so, how did the contact go?

What language(s) are spoken in Aidiona? How do your pronounce 'Aidiona'? Why is it so hard for me to spell?

How large is a typical tribe, and what type of dwellings do they reside in?

Are the tribes independent, or is there a larger political structure encompassing them?

What kind of insects are farmed, exactly?

A. Bad. Very bad. Seeing as how *one* of the invaders is currently scorching the forest. see: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=8744108#post8744108

B. Some competely alien language? if you want, i could come up with a proper, structured language in a few days. Correct pronounciation is Eye-dee-own-ea. And that would be your own fault, heh.

C. The largest tribes can be well over 2000 people in size, though the one closest to the fight in the linked thread has just over 1000 people. Mostly just disposable dwellings built into the trees themselves.

D. There is no doubt that the Aidionians are a single people, in that they all share the same colour of skin, the same daily life, and identical beliefs, but they are spread out over a very large part of the planet, and as such do not have the time nor energy required to construct a unified nation. Also, given their current tech level, it would be impossible for them to write anything down, effectively stopping large scale governence.

E. Bugs. Insects. Nasty little things that foreigners would would probably find distasteful. Am too lazy to detail every last insect on the planet, after all.

8: Aidionian tribal dwellings, their construction, and the establishment of a village.

Surpringly, very little of the Aidionians structures are actually made of timber. Instead, they are carved into/built around the trees themselves, including vines, moss, and other local materials in their construction. There are many rituals conducted by the village shaman to aid the people in the building of their homes, and one such ritual is intended to
summon Visas, mistress of the earth to ensure the foundation tree is strong, and well-rooted. The almost complete spread of trees on Aidion, their home, makes sure that there are no shortage of building sites for a future village, though a few basic requirements have to be met before any actual construction can begin. Such requirements are being relatively near to a source of fresh water, such as a river, or even a series of streams. Another is there being sufficient game in the area to warrant hunting, and the final, and most important requirement is the quality of the trees in the area, for no village can surive in an area infested with rotwood.

9. Various statistics relating to Aidion, it's people, and their culture.

Percentage of the planet covered in dense, and semi-dense forest: 82%: Aidion has very few large bodies of water, save for the odd lake. Most water is concentrated in rivers and streams that run the length of that particular part of the forest. Spending the vast majority of their time in said forest, the tribesfolk have developed a somewhat mystical connection with the land and at least 20% of young children are reportedly able to 'communicate' with nearby trees.Percentage of the Aidionian people as a whole practicing the standard faith: 95%. Those that don't are either outcasts, or simply live outside of a tribe voluntarily.The percentage of elderly people in Aidionian tribes in general is increasing rapidly, as the shamans magically assisted healing, coupled with new herbal remedies, is helping to elevate the age expectancy across the board, despite the peoples otherwise primitive living conditions. In spite of their seemingly backward state, the majority of tribes are well washed, as this ties in with several ancient customs and, as they are often close to a source of running water it can only help the situation.

OOC: Pretty much all detailing I could write has been done, so, unless someone comes up with a magically new idea, this is the rather incoherent end for these societal notes.