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Clan Homeworld sub-cultures and origin traits

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Alan Grant:
(Disclaimer, mostly talking pre-WoR here)

So far I've mostly seen Clan individuals almost solely characterized by which Clan they belong to. I rarely see anything that might differentiate them by native world.

But the Clan Homeworlds are quite diverse. I can definitely see some individuals of any caste who have spent a lot of time on a specific world being influenced by it. In turn I can easily imagine there being some sub-cultures of the lower castes.

I'd love to brainstorm this a bit.

Some examples and possibilities, Sub-cultures/cultural traits:

Arcadia: The capital city of Rivera stands as neutral ground for the Clans. A favorite of merchants and spacers. It's business-like yet laid back characteristics make it an easy place to get a decent meal and interact with members of other Clans more freely than found in most other places. As Rivera is a melting pot of cultural influences, it also showcases some strange choices in food and art and ideas that represent inspiration pulled from multiple Clans.

Possible Trait Ideas: Some secondary languages? Negotiation?


Babylon: Away from the major industrial centers, life on Babylon is centered around the desert. Desert cultures predominate here, which pulled liberally from several Spheroid desert cultures in the early days of settlement. The Clans, fearful of dark caste hiding in the vast deserts and mountains, tightly control water resources and advanced technology that they allowed out of their sight. As a result those laborers who raise talasi or mine distant deposits tend to dress in appropriate desert clothing, make do with fairly limited technology and water supplies. Life for these individuals is hard, and violence is not uncommon in emergencies when water resources have run out for some ranchers or work groups. Although the Clans never admit it, their own policies contribute to this tough survival mindset away from the urban and industrial centers. However, they are reluctant to change them, and instead simply focus on prosecuting violent offenders of the law after such crimes have been committed.

Possible Trait ideas: Desert culture? Desert survival skills?


Dagda

Those who have lived and worked in Dagda's underwater operations have developed their own mindset about many things. Water survival, swimming are all prized skills. Individuals who have spent a lot of time on the freefloating fishing platforms or working below the waves have retained many cultural aspects that might remind an off-worlder of sailing cultures from ancient Terra. Rituals like burials at sea, tall sea stories and tales of surviving storms and disasters dominate. Those that spent time in or on the oceans tend to be a tough lot, compared to the landlubbers who live in Borodino or Graz on land. They also tend to be a no-nonsense people that have little time for Clan propaganda or cloud-headed administrators.

Possible Trait ideas: Swimming, water survival? Toughness? Stubborn?


Homer

Nowhere is the Cloisters' power and influence so visible and obvious on the landscape than in the communities and cities of Homer. Centers of worship of all types crowd city skylines. Even those who are not members of a Cloister are likely to have neighbors and team members who are. An array of religious holidays and festivals appear here that are difficult to find anywhere else in the Clan Homeworlds. Due to these influences, people raised on Homer tend to be more spiritually-minded and curious than the more xenophobic-minded peoples of many other Clan Homeworlds. In addition to that, the complex belief systems has also led to more complex communication. On most other cultures, members of the Clans tend to communicate in a very honest, straightforward and efficient fashion that has become Clan standard english. On Homer, the influence of religious texts has muddied communication. It is not uncommon for idioms and expressions of Terran religious origin to slip into daily conversation. Or for individuals to blend words from different languages in with the Clan style english.

Possible Trait ideas: Knowledge of different languages, cultures and belief systems? Patience?
 

Marshall

Within the Marshall system, the gas giant Xian has a moon, Diamondstar. with an atmosphere, scrub flora and a great deal of mineral wealth. The people who live and work on Diamondstar often feel like they are living on a far flung outpost of the Clans. The people living on Diamondstar admire their view of the gas giant in the sky, and images and videos of Diamondstar sunsets are incredibly popular on other Clan worlds. Life on Diamondstar is tough however. Most operations are centered around mineral extracting, shipping cargo loads back to Marshall. While most of the necessities of life have to be imported. As a result the workers of Diamondstar are unusually independent minded for a Clan people. Since assistance or supplies may be delayed hours or days for any reason, the workers of Diamondstar have often had to improvise solutions to problems based on what is available to them. This has led to a tough scrounging mentality and people who are more likely to take the initiative than the other castes of other Clans. As a result, the Clans often view these people as potentially dangerous for their tendency to prize problem-solving over Clan tradition and proper ways of doing things. Yet it is also seen as a ripe recruiting ground for other distant mining or exploration missions that require a more independent mindset than the average Clan laborer or technician possesses.

Possible Trait ideas: Tends to take the initiative, scroungers?


There are a few ideas. Pulling from the planetary descriptions in the book Warriors of Kerensky, though I absolutely took liberties with each, particularly Babylon. Thoughts? Others?

JAMES_PRYDE:
Ironhold

Full Falcon ownership

Forestry, Falconry, Camping Survivalism, Woodworking

Alan Grant:

--- Quote from: JAMES_PRYDE on 06 March 2024, 07:53:17 ---Ironhold

Full Falcon ownership

Forestry, Falconry, Camping Survivalism, Woodworking

--- End quote ---

Where are you getting forestry, woodworking and camping survivalism from? Is that based on something from a canon source? Just curious.

I should have noted in my original post also. I'm trying to keep this in the Clan Chatterweb, rather than it being perceived as a fan article and potentially moved by a moderator. So trying to root it in canon material and discussion/speculation that's like 1 step removed from canon sources and material. But stays on this side of the line. I think the way we do that is by continuing to frame it as a discussion based on canon sources.

The intent is mostly just fun speculative discussion on the topic.

cmerwin:
I love this thread! Alan, I'm assuming you are using the traits from A Time of War and Companion?

Strana Mechty (Katyusha City):

It's a big city, all the clans are there, and I imagine it is a jumble of bureaucracy, and a population well over a million people, which means there will be cracks. I imagine that your average Clanner growing up there knows how to navigate the various systems, has more social connections, and better access to things. Similarly, I also imagine there is crime, organized and not, and connections with the Dark Caste, The Society, etc. The old Mechwarrior's Guide to the Clans gives some rules on finding things on the black market.

Traits: Connections, Equipped, Reputation, possibly Dark Secret and Implant (I'm thinking easier access to EI implant).

It would be interesting to re-think the Property trait from a Clan perspective. Even in the (modern) military, with assigned housing, not all property is the same. Are you assigned barracks? A one/two/three bedroom apartment? A home? Close to the Hall of Khans? Does the Ebon Keshik (or Katyusha, or any special unit) live differently?

Other planets -
I've got a couple ideas for Barcella, Circe, and Marshall but I'll have to post them later.

Thanks for starting this!

Alan Grant:

--- Quote from: cmerwin on 06 March 2024, 10:31:22 ---I love this thread! Alan, I'm assuming you are using the traits from A Time of War and Companion?

Thanks for starting this!

--- End quote ---

I hadn't gotten quite that 'official' with it yet. It's more 'out loud' brainstorming of possible trait concepts. I know some of the ideas I put down do happen to actually coincide with actual traits from the books, but others are more speculative thoughts that I haven't aligned with actual game traits. But you and others are welcome to take this down more game codified paths, sure.

Your welcome! I think this could be fun to explore. I like the potential to flesh out lower caste characters with some local cultural flair. But also potentially freeborn warriors with Clan Homeworld histories/backgrounds as well.

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