Quincunx
inactive
You've lived in Astrophel all your life, and your people have been living in it for years upon years. The caravans full of abundant, varied goods that arrive every few months imply that there is an elsewhere, but you don't know where they come from (and, unbeknownst to most, the trading companies don't know much more than you do). Due to the treacherous mountain conditions and a sense of closeness with the valley, nobody really leaves. If they do, they don't return.
Young people might go to school, but it's just as common to see them as apprentices in art, infrastructure, farming, or other duties. Only adults are allowed to work in the mines. Recreation includes the internet, computers, sports, art, and fiction, among other things. As for government, each district has its own elected council of leaders, as well as a set of inviolable basic human rights. The economy is capitalist, and one cloth bill of cycle (Astrophel's currency) is about equal to one US dollar, although some people barter. The districts on the eastern side of the river, where the mines are, have a higher concentration of poor households than those on the west. There's definite class stratification, especially now that electricity is so expensive.
People here value craftsmanship, beauty, hard work, and close relationships. A deep sense of closeness - to the land, to tagigite, to each other - is part of why people don't venture beyond Astrophel. The closeness to the tagigite is also causing a subtle sense of anxiety throughout the entire city, beyond what people would normally feel for a looming energy crisis.
The traditional aesthetic is modern and intricate, with an emphasis on flowers, animals, detailed prints, jewel and earth tones, and comfortable fabrics. It's not directly based on any single culture, but the architecture is Scandinavian-inspired.
As written on the character sheet, children are named after single-word nouns parents consider beautiful. This can result in names that are common or at least plausible to English-speakers on Earth, like "Rose", "Alder", and "Honey". It can also result in less-plausible names like "Ram", "Screen", and occasionally "Tagigite". Surnames are based off of occupations and characteristics of ancestors.
Young people might go to school, but it's just as common to see them as apprentices in art, infrastructure, farming, or other duties. Only adults are allowed to work in the mines. Recreation includes the internet, computers, sports, art, and fiction, among other things. As for government, each district has its own elected council of leaders, as well as a set of inviolable basic human rights. The economy is capitalist, and one cloth bill of cycle (Astrophel's currency) is about equal to one US dollar, although some people barter. The districts on the eastern side of the river, where the mines are, have a higher concentration of poor households than those on the west. There's definite class stratification, especially now that electricity is so expensive.
People here value craftsmanship, beauty, hard work, and close relationships. A deep sense of closeness - to the land, to tagigite, to each other - is part of why people don't venture beyond Astrophel. The closeness to the tagigite is also causing a subtle sense of anxiety throughout the entire city, beyond what people would normally feel for a looming energy crisis.
The traditional aesthetic is modern and intricate, with an emphasis on flowers, animals, detailed prints, jewel and earth tones, and comfortable fabrics. It's not directly based on any single culture, but the architecture is Scandinavian-inspired.
As written on the character sheet, children are named after single-word nouns parents consider beautiful. This can result in names that are common or at least plausible to English-speakers on Earth, like "Rose", "Alder", and "Honey". It can also result in less-plausible names like "Ram", "Screen", and occasionally "Tagigite". Surnames are based off of occupations and characteristics of ancestors.