[attr="class","enc_line"] | Bedoa, Egypt, Judea | [attr="class","enc_line"] |
Kingdoms
— Bedoa
— Egypt
— Judea
Social Ethos
— Private Life
— Prejudice and Discrimination
— Sexual Interaction
— Alcohol and Opiates
Appearance and Fashion
— Clothing
— Jewellery
— Footwear
— Hygiene
— Concepts of Beauty
— Beauty and the Divine
In the Homestead
— Currency and Trade
— Cuisine
— Materials and Resources
Class Hierarchy
— The Ruling Classes
— The Senate
— The Court
Betrothal and Marriage
— Marriage and Class
— Arranging Betrothals
— The Wedding Ceremony
— Married Life
— Divorce and Widowhood
— Death and Inheritance
Army Structure
— Becoming Noble
— Ranks and Roles
— Nobility vs. Meritocracy
— Politics and Judiciary
Military Life
— Responsibilities and Duties
— Annual Leave
— Families and Children
Equipment and Weaponry
— Armour
— Weapons
Africa is a dichotomy of a realm. While one of its feet strives firmly forwards in the here and now with an ethos of achievement and meritocracy and individualistic importance, their other - dictating their ways of life - is firmly planted in the past. In Africa, there is a sense of timelessness. That the focus is on today, as it is now and how that will always be a culture's focus and how it will always be the same as it was a hundred years before and a hundred years from now. This simultaneously creates an ethos where personal development - the achievement of the moment - is both of monumental importance but also entirely insignificant. There is no great weight or pressure of legacies or ambitions for future generations. The future will happen as it happens and the past is what it is. Now, is the moment of life.
As such, the ambitions and values of the here and now are strong in the people of Africa. Instead of focusing on long term plans for future bloodlines, they fight and scheme for changes to the status quo as of the moment. Their calls to arms and action are often entirely self-motivated be they Egyptian - wanting more land and power, Bedoan - determined to protect their people and archaic way of life or Judean (who hold no militia at all in an effort to maintain a non-threatening presence and therefore peace for their people). Rarely will a member of an African realm stick their neck out for those of others if they feel the plight is doomed to fail - no matter the morals or honour of the cause itself. Africans are practical and see a greater benefit in living today with a corrupt system than dying for a better future.
In general, Africans do not hold with class disparity. They are, more often than not, a meritocratic people in all three Realms and believe in personal abilities and achievements - not to the position of birth. Their gender discrimination, however, is stronger than in other realms and women are considered inferior to their men; the property of their fathers before being given to their husbands. They are also a far less tolerant people of ways of life that stray from the "norm" and are entirely non-accepting of sexualities outside of heterosexual or in strange personal practices that could identify mental disease.
Africa is located at the most southern point of the Aeipathy world, the realm only stretching across the northern part of the African continent. The entire area is hot and dry with Egypt comprising mostly of sand-dunes and Bedoa of the Sahara desert. Most homes are made of white rock or beige mud-brick, reflecting the sunlight and offering a golden glow over the kingdoms. The lands of Africa hold a colour palette that is predominantly black, white and gold.
The African people are a suspicious and close-knit breed. The kingdoms interact with one another on a shallow, trade-based level but do not necessarily trust each other, nor make personal connections. Only provinces and areas along the borders are particularly interested or accepting in the mixing of kingdom races. As far as those outside of Africa know, there is great suspicion and ignorant dislike for the white faces of the northern territories or the Asian invaders from the east. The people of Africa are ambitious, devoutly loyal to their own kind, diverse in their kingdom-based ethos' and proud of their heritage without being shackled to it.
Due to the African way of life being limited in its hospitality, foreigners often treat Africans with the same level of suspicion and distrust, perpetuating friction between the African realm and others. Generally, the African kingdoms are seen to be rich, powerful, skilled builders and horsemen and (in Egypt's case) incredibly hedonistic. They are famed for their crafts and pottery, as well as their exotic perfumes and women.