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satuguro · 1 year

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ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚ THUS ALWAYS TO TYRANTS

[ ACT I : EYES OF THE TIGER. ]

jacaerys velaryon x reader

#CONTAINS— not canon au, lady of a house! reader, flawed reader, later enemies to lovers, gore, blood, death, sexual content (later on in the series, after a time skip)

#AUTHORSNOTE— there will be some aspects of the original story that i changed. i added a new house that i created, and a lot of it has characteristics from greek and south east asian culture. reader has golden eyes purely for the plot, but remember, everything else is you. if you don’t like that i did any of these things, don’t read!

ACT I, ACT II, ACT III, ACT IV

there is very little known of house arslan.

jacaerys had only ever heard of them from stories and history books. they were the leaders of an entire group of islands, the islands of iona, in the summer sea, away from the mainland and further away from any war or politics. they were as careless about court politics as the north was, often keeping to themselves and only appearing when needed.

the first time jacaerys had ever seen someone from house arslan was when his family went to one of his grandfather’s events.

they didn’t brag, nor did they speak much about their home. they listened and observed to how some of the nobles bragged of their riches, spoke freely of their war strategies, and spoke so highly of themselves. jacaerys saw it, how they chose their words carefully and responded in such a way that left them satisfied, but made their house seem like a mystery.

it was as if they had played the game like that for all their years of reign. what was heard of them were usually rumors; whispers of strategic minds, their hidden animalistic ways, or the plague-ridden jungle of their island. but one rumor very few people have proven to be fact, were their tigers.

history books said that before the arslans, they were untamable. they ruled the jungle, and rightfully so— they were huge, fanged creatures with around 300 pounds of pure muscle. they were powerful, with the ability to rip their enemies to shreds, and the iona islands were infested with them.

he had noticed you then as he stood to the side of a snack table. you were surrounded by nobles in your gold and white clothing, standing next to your solemn father. his cane, adorned with a deep jade tiger head on the top, was gripped tightly by his left hand as he watched the other nobles around him. his hair was tied back into a low knot, and around his neck was a golden necklace of thorns.

the entire arslan house was known for their striking gold eyes, similar to that of a cat’s. and as jacaerys stared at the arslans, observing them similarly to how they were observing others, his eyes met golden ones.

you were observing him for much longer than he had been observing your family. you had mentally taken a note of him and his family upon your arrival to king's landing; the heir, princess rhaenyra, prince daemon, prince jacaerys, and his brother, prince lucerys. their names echoed in your head, mixed in with the other names; queen alicent, king viserys, lord otto hightower, prince aegon, and prince aemond.

"you are staring, brother," lucerys stated, hiding his smile behind a tart.

“she is staring too, luke,” jacaerys muttered, tearing his eyes away from the lady to send his brother a glare. “much longer than i have, actually.”

lucerys shrugged, his eyes moving to the different nobles gathered in the great hall. “i doubt that admitting it makes it any better.”

“the point is,” jacaerys huffed, fixing his clothing quickly, “she was looking first.”

their small bicker had left them distracted to your approach. you had excused yourself from your father and his conversation with princess rhaenyra and had quietly made your way to the snack table, where the two princes stood. you were trying your best to keep yourself from laughing, instead choosing to act casual.

you stood next to jacaerys, acting as though you hadn’t just snuck up to the princes. “although,” you mindlessly reached for a grape and carelessly interrupting their conversation, “i was more subtle in my staring.” you glanced at the princes, a witty smile gracing your face before you popped the grape into your mouth.

“i don’t believe you were,” jacaerys responded, raising a brow as he watched you move to stand in front of him and his brother.

“you can believe whatever you want to believe, my prince,” you clutched your hands in front of you, that witty smile of yours never once faltering, “but i am correct.”

a small snort was quickly covered by a cough. you turned your attention to lucerys, your eyes softening at the boyish charm he exuded as he tried (and failed) to hide his laughter behind his food. “it is a pleasure to finally meet you, prince lucerys.”

he reminded you of your older brother.

“luke is fine, lady arslan.”

“then feel free to call me y/n. ‘lady’ makes me feel old.” you turned your attention to the older prince, “you as well, prince jacaerys.”

“call me jace, please.” jacaerys sat up straight, holding a hand out towards you. “may i have a dance with you, lady arslan?”

you raised a brow at both his forwardness and his use of your title, “i told you, do not call me ‘lady’, my prince.”

“i will only stop if you refer to me only as jace.”

you narrowed your eyes at him, a small gesture of a challenge, before you placed your hand in his. softly, he closed his hand around your’s and led you into the dance.

“how do you like king’s landing so far, lady y/n?” jacaerys questioned, moving around you as you danced the celebration dance.

“it’s beautiful,” jacaerys lifted you up by the waist before placing you down again, “i have not been able to explore, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.” you moved around him yet again, a small smile on your face as you noticed he, like you, refused to find a different partner after that dance section. “may i ask you something, my prince?”

“jace.”

“how wonderful,” you held onto him as he lifted you once again. and yet again, you both refused to find another partner. “you know your own name.”

jacaerys rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself, “you’re a sarcastic one, aren’t you?”

“i never noticed.” you moved around him again, similarly to how a predator would move around an opponent. “as i was saying, my prince, why were you staring so intently at me and my family?”

your forwardness left jacaerys suddenly at a loss for words; the fact that he had been caught staring — intently, based on your words — was frankly, embarrassing. but he saw that ghost of a smirk on your lips as you looked at him with striking eyes. he saw the teasing glint in your irises that confirmed his assumption— you were teasing him.

he could feel his face heat up at your words, your hands reaching up to cheer a loud ‘hey!’ with the others. “you jest, lady y/n.”

“am not,” you grinned, the festivities’ contagious happiness influencing you much more than you would admit, “i’m just curious, that is all. you were so focused, ‘m just wondering what could have captivated you so much.”

your hands met in the middle, skin against skin, and you both moved in a slow circle; this time, connected. you could feel how warm he was, how his hand was larger than yours and littered with new callouses. yet, despite the callousness of his fingertips, his palm remained smooth.

he could feel the cold rings that adorned your fingers. the ring in the middle was stamped with your house’s tiger sigil, and the others were simple abstract bands. the gold was pressed against his skin, warming up at his touch, and jacaerys was captivated by it. he stared at your hands, his staring habit shining through once again before you spoke.

“you have not answered my question, my prince,” you murmured, curious eyes lingering on his face as you switched hands for the dance. yet again, skin touched skin. you swallowed thickly, a cheshire-like smile creeping onto your face, “your staring problem.. it’s showing.”

jacaerys coughed, face burning red as he mumbled, “no it is not, lady y/n.”

unbeknownst to the both of you, otto and alicent hightower sat at the front of the great hall, observing the prince blush like a school girl at your teasing. though, alicent didn’t pay much attention to you, for she was too preoccupied with the sense of pride bubbling in her chest at the success of the simple festivities. she had planned it all, for her dear husband was too sick to, and she succeeded. it was, well, festive; people were laughing and joking around, nobles were socializing, kids ran between the legs of their parents, and there was good food and music.

she invited everyone and brought everyone together. no one else did that but her.

but alicent felt her father’s presence next to her, watching her every move like a hawk, and she knew he had something to say about everything. for him, there was always something to say.

“do you not think that that sight is not even the least bit unusual?” otto asked behind his cup of wine, eyes focused on you and the young velaryon, both too drunk on the celebration to notice his stares.

“is there something unusual about it?” alicent questioned, keeping her voice as composed as ever. she sipped her wine, shaking her head to herself. “nobles have been wanting to dance with lady arslan since the dancing began.” she watched on as you and jacaerys raised your hands together, yelling out a ‘hey!’ that made you throw your head back in laughter. from the side, aemond stood almost broodingly, watching his nephew continue to dance with you. “i even overheard my boys talk about it,” alicent remarked, “aemond wanted to ask her to dance.”

otto raised a brow at that, all-too-thoughtful eyes looking down into his wine as he began to think. “house arslan is powerful, alicent. dislocated from the mainland, but powerful all the same.” he swirled his cup, gazing into the twirling red, “those tigers of theirs.. if princess rhaenyra was planning to wed them—”

“we do not know if that has been planned.”

“let us put it this way then,” otto gazed ahead of him, looking into the ending dance, “lady arslan and prince jacaerys have ended their dance together. they have left the celebration together,” his eyes lingered on the space where you and jacaerys last danced, now left empty while everyone cheered around it, “with no chaperone.”

the halls of the red keep, though normally busy with maids and guards, was quiet. echoes of the celebratory music and talking from the great hall was all that was left to ripple down the corridors. but that sound was soon accompanied by the sound of rushed footsteps.

you were almost breathless as you held your skirts up above your feet, running down the hall after jacaerys. the soles of your feet ached from the uncomfortable shoes you wore, but you were much too stubborn to let some prince beat you in a race he didn’t know he was a part of.

you slowed down to a walk as you saw him stop, your chest heaving as you made quick work of removing your tight shoes. “if i had not given you a head start, then you wouldn’t have been ahead of me.”

ignoring your comment, jacaerys tilted his head, watching you curse as you removed one shoe. “what are you doing, lady y/n?”

“these shoes,” you grumbled, reluctantly allowing the soles of your feet to touch the cold stone beneath them, “are the reason why i could not dance for much longer, and the reason why i could not run as fast as you.”

“maybe i’m better than you at both.”

“you’re funny, my prince.” you huffed as you stood back up, holding your shoes in your hands. “how long will it take for people to notice that we’ve gone?” you asked, looking at the prince.

it was a hasty decision, really. during the dance, you had made a comment about not truly getting a tour of the red keep due to your arrival the night prior, and jacaerys — ever the gentleman — asked you if you wanted one. he would be your guide through the castle, but you both had to be hasty with your stroll. it was a mutual decision; a rather irresponsible one due to your titles, but a mutual decision nonetheless.

truthfully, you didn’t think that he would be so willing to leave the festivities; much less offer to leave with you, alone.

“if we stand here and converse, i suppose not long,” jacaerys quipped, holding his hands out towards your shoes in your hands. “may i?”

“prince jacaerys wants to carry my shoes,” you stated, as though in disbelief at the thought of any prince wanting to hold another’s shoes. still, you placed your shoes in his hands, and he fixed them under one arm.

“a wonderful and correct inference, lady y/n.”

“oh, just get on with the tour.” you walked quickly ahead of him, forcing him to quicken his stride alongside you. a comfortable silence befell the both of you, the muffled sounds of the party left long behind you.

you decided that the red keep was much more serious than your home. it stood tall and proud, practically untouched and unscarred. your home in iona was nothing of the sort; your people embraced nature, and so nature became its focus. stones were accompanied by vines and vines by its flowers and thorns. the mainland, in a way, was blind to the beauty of unkempt nature.

“i assume that you haven’t seen the streets of king’s landing yet, huh?” jacaerys questioned, turning to look at you. the gold of your clips, which were shaped as thorns, on your hair glistened under the light of the torches. he had heard that only the house of arslan wore thorns as a sign of their nobility on their islands. the motif adorned your arm bands and your rings; it was beautiful, he had concluded.

“regretfully, no,” you gazed at some of the tapestries you passed, “my father is rather cautious when we are on the mainland. unfamiliar territory.”

“the streets can be fairly dangerous, lady y/n,” jacaerys hummed, “but it can be beautiful. you just have to look at it from a certain angle.”

“a certain angle,” you echoed, “what angle is that, my prince?”

“patience, lady y/n.” jacaerys grinned a boyish grin, “i’m not done getting to know you yet.”

you snorted at his poor attempt at flirting (though that was a rather strong assumption to make), nudging the prince with your shoulder as you walked. how odd was it, that you were nudging prince jacaerys — the future heir to the throne — as though he was merely a boy of ten and six years? while that last part was true, it was still an unusual idea for you to comprehend; you were walking with the prince, alone, barefoot, as he held your shoes.

“don’t do that—“ jacaerys laughed, fixing your shoes under his arm, “i thought that it was a fairly good delivery.”

“oh, quite definitely. you will have women falling at your feet in no time, my prince.” you moved to situate yourself in front of him, walking backwards down the corridor. “for a tour, there are not too many historic comments being made. nor has there been any significant landmarks.”

“that is because this isn’t a tour, lady y/n.” jacaerys swiftly moved to walk next to you yet again, forcing you to turn yourself forward. ahead of you stood a rather large door, one he opened ever so slightly. with an outstretched hand, he motioned for you to enter first. “lady y/n,” he commented, making you roll your eyes and place your hand in his yet again.

the breeze outside had some strength to it, but its temperature was moderate as you stood out on the balcony alongside jacaerys. it was completely dark except for the two torches next to the door, but the lack of light was truly worth it for the view you had.

below you, the streets of king’s landing was lit up with its street lights. even at night it was bustling with markets, entertainment, music, and people, all glowing under the lights that decorated the streets. the lines of light that went down the streets seemed to stretch on for miles, the lines getting smaller as they did, but still as bright as ever. you could see the houses and their windows, some of them open to let the breeze in. lines of the city went on for miles and almost surrounded the red keep.

“this was the angle i was speaking of,” jacaerys said, leaning against the railing as he stared at the city alongside you. your shoulders were touching with how close the two of you were, and there was a certain amount of warmth that came with it that left comfort in his heart. he looked at you, thankful that you were too enamored in the city to notice how he was staring yet again.

“it’s breathtaking,” you murmured, too focused on the lights to come up with a witty remark. you turned to him to find him staring at you already, his face unreadable. “when did you think of bringing me here?”

“you said that you have not seen the streets of king’s landing because your father was cautious,” jacaerys shrugged, tearing his eyes away from you to look at the star filled sky, “i believe that this is the best solution; a safe yet beautiful way to see king’s landing at night.”

you couldn’t help the genuine smile that appeared on your face at his words. the fact that he had thought of such a way to let you see the city was a gesture you honestly wouldn’t just let go as if it was nothing. “you’re a good man, my prince.”

“you would think that after i bring you here, you would at least call me jace,” jacaerys said, a laugh escaping him as you rolled your eyes and nudged him yet again. “c’mon, lady y/n, just call me jace.”

“okay, jace,” you grinned at him, failing to notice the blush on his face, “you are quite persuasive. you’ll make a good king some day.”

after your brother disappeared, you had learned to trust your gut instinct.

you had a horrible habit of thinking too much into things that it clouded your judgement. your older brother, magnus, always noticed when you’d ‘drift away’ from conversation whenever something hooked your mind.

he’d always nudge you softly, saying a small, “keep yourself grounded, sister,” that always brought you back.

his disappearance had left you to deal with those moments on your own. even after three years and being the age of six and ten, you still couldn’t find it in yourself to do it at times. but all those criticizing thoughts always began with that tugging feeling in your gut.

that was what you felt now, as you and jacaerys made your way back to the festivities. because in the distance, a silhouette of a tall and lanky man came into view before you both could continue down the hallway. there it was— the tugging feeling in your stomach that signaled that something was not right. hesitantly, you took your shoes from jacaerys, interrupting his talk about his dragon.

“lord hightower,” jacaerys stated, the rest of his words dying in his throat as he looked up at the hand of the king. he, too, felt that pit in his stomach, for while you knew nothing much of the man, jacaerys knew enough of him to not trust him.

“prince jacaerys, lady arslan,” otto’s stern eyes flashed your way, looking down briefly at the shoes you held, before returning to the prince, “how nice it is to find the both of you,” he clasped his hands together, towering over the both of you, “i am sure that you are missed in the celebration.” his tone was sharp, implying something else entirely as he stood in front of you.

“we were just making our way back, lord hightower,” you responded, cursing yourself for the slight waver in your voice. “it was a pleasure to see you.” ever so quickly, you moved past the man, jacaerys following closely behind you. goosebumps ran up and down your arms at the feeling of eyes behind your back, and as you turned your head to look, you saw lord otto hightower’s eyes burn holes into you.

the walk to the entrance of the great hall was quiet, the both of you basking in the relief that came with avoiding a possible consequence. you stopped to the side of the entrance, leaning down to fix your shoes back on before you stood back up. you fixed your hair the best you could (the wind from the balcony had done a number on you, you were sure of it), turning to the prince. “how do i look?”

jacaerys looked at you then, standing under a torchlight, and felt his mouth run dry. the good bands that decorated your arms shone bright under the flames, and he could see the dusting of crushed seashells on your skin that left it glittering. your golden eyes shone bright as they stared at him, waiting for his answer. “good,” he murmured, and that was (thankfully) enough for you.

“good.” you nodded your head, peeking into the great hall before turning to him, “are you ready, jace?”

“as long as you are, y/n.”

you both slipped into the great hall, easily blending in with the crowd as you made your way to where your father stood. he was in front of princess rhaenyra and prince daemon, both of whom were sitting in their respective seats at the front of the great hall. you moved to stand next to your father, your presence making him turn his head towards you and raise a brow.

“princess rhaenyra, prince daemon,” you bowed your head slightly, as your curtsied, “it is a pleasure to finally meet you both.”

jacaerys slipped into his seat next to his mother, ignoring the look daemon gave him as he quickly fixed his hair and clothes. he reached for his cup, feigning exhaustion from dancing.

rhaenyra looked at you, your hair (while honestly, still well pinned back) slightly messy, and the entrance of her eldest son with messier hair. a small smile graced the heir’s face, and she made a mental note to gently tease her son about it later. “it’s wonderful to meet you, lady arslan. i hope you enjoyed the dances as much as my son has.”

your face reddened at the comment, but you nodded in response, “indeed.”

“y/n, i was inviting princess rhaenyra and her family to stay in iona for some time,” lord aegeus commented, and you raised your brows at that.

after your brother’s disappearance, very little visitors had visited iona. there were the occasional diplomats and traders, but no one with as much importance as the heir and her family. your father had become a shadow of himself after he lost your mother upon your birth, and after magnus was gone, he threw himself into focusing only on his people and you. to hear that he was offering to house the heir was, frankly, completely unlike him.

“it would be wonderful to finally see iona’s islands,” princess rhaenyra said, “i have always wanted to go there as a child. it’s always seemed so beautiful.”

“iona will surely welcome you,” lord aegeus responded, a shadow of a smile on his lips. “how does visiting in two weeks time sound? if it is allowed in your schedule, princess.”

you felt that feeling again as they continued to talk; the feeling of eyes burning into your skull. you looked down the right of the table in front of you, gazing past the throne and to the hightowers. both of them were listening to everything princess rhaenyra and lord aegeus was saying.

ACT II, ACT III, ACT IV

#AUTHORSNOTE— surprise, i write for house of the dragon now. sorry if i get anything wrong in regards to the titles, greetings, etc! i'll start a tag list if people are interested in this. feel free to send me asks about this series!

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rinusuarez · 1 year

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I really enjoyed working on this one¡ It came up smoothly and accurately. I spent more hours than average thought but I feel it paid off. Malayan Tiger This is the last population of this subspecies (The mainland Asian one). It's a medium size tiger that is critically endangered. They used to be abundant in Singapore in 1830 when the country was basically a dense jungle. However, the expansion of plantations along the island made attacks on humans by tigers quite common, so tiger hunting became a sport. Tiger attacks were reported almost daily in the late 1840s, and local authorities organized bounties decreasing the tiger population significantly. The last tiger was shot in 1932. Today, some books estimate their numbers as less than 400 while others are less optimistic and estimate less than 150. __________________________________________ Credits: Felids and Hyenas of the World: Wildcats, Panthers, Lynx, Pumas, Ocelots, Caracals, and Relatives. Dr. José R. Castelló Malayan Tiger ___________________________________________ Store Instagram Thank you guys for your support. If you like the content please like and follow. Reblogged is also very welcome. One new animal every week. The digital sticker album is almost finished and the setup of my Patreon is in the process too. I'll keep you updated on those ones. Cheers! y Adiós!

#Malyan Tiger #tiger #tigre #animal illustration #scientific illustration #illo #digital illustration #big cats #illustration wildlife #wildlife #cute animals drawing #conservation #infographic #inphographic #natural illustration #extinct animals #recently extinct #science side of tumblr

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zedecksiew · 8 months

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Three Clerks

Last week I tweaked my back. It hurt. A lot. As I recovered, I found that sketching with pen and pencil was less strenuous than writing on keyboard. So that's what I did.

Sketched characters from an adventure I am currently writing for Colin Le Sueur's We Deal In Lead. It began as a homage to Wisit Sasanatieng's tomyamgong western Fa Thalai Chon / Tears Of The Black Tiger.

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SHIN SUL SHAP, SHRINE CLERK 4 Grit 10 STR 10 DEX 10 HRT Switch (d4)

Face hidden by a broad-brimmed bonnet and veil. Patrols the lines of pilgrims; like a schoolmarm she thwacks anybody chit-chatting. Piety should be silent!

A waif snatches a lead token from her pouch, and bolts. A chase ensues. He begs your help. If Sul Shap finds him, she will sell him to captive takers.

Sul Shap is a clerk at the Shrine To The Headless Sun: a bare plaza; a marble pavilion; a golden man, with an ever-burning flame where his head should be.

The Headless Sun is patron saint of the Admiralty, whose laws now govern both Ocean and Sea. He was its founder. The kings of old captured and beheaded him. He overthrew them anyway.

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References for Sul Shap were basically Buddhist nun robes (mainly for the volume of fabric), plus an European bonnet.

Initially I'd imagined a conventional broad-brim hat---ie: her veil would be a cylinder around her whole head. But as I sketched I thought the bonnet made a more interesting shape? Also its rear was an opportunity to create a crest / halo of sun-rays. Religious iconography!

Alms bowl, because giving is a virtue. But the Headless Sun values ego-death, not asceticism---so colourful beads and gold amulets and pouches full of lead tokens (money).

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RIS SHAY NAM, RECORDS CLERK 2 Grit 10 STR 10 DEX 10 HRT Swung typewriter (d4)

In a wheelbarrow, pulled by a servitor, typewriter balanced on her belly, pockets filled with banana fritters. Greasy fingerprints on any document she works on.

Shay Nam thinks herself a moral soul. Will side with abolitionists and revolutionaries, with justice—until her own skin is at risk.

Shay Nam works at the Hibiscus Court. Princess Khur San, distancing herself from the old order, surrendered this palace to bureaucrats.

Clerks have filled its once-airy halls with shelves. By sympathetic sorcery, all contracts in the province manifest copies here. Rumour has it that this magic works both ways.

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This was my first sketch. In pain and bored I just started drawing.

No references, and it shows? Skirt and stockings and boots because these were the easiest for me to do. In my mind Shay Nam was an archetypal overweight NEET. Here she looks to be a sassy layabout. I like her better, now!

Also: a servitor is an empty body. Created when you ritually touch a shrine-stone to the Headless Sun---your soul is obliterated. What is left behind is mindless, hence the harness and reins.

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KHAN YUL MIN, COURT CLERK 4 Grit 1 DEF 10 STR 10 DEX 10 HRT Sabre (d8)

A university grad and former marine. But his townhouse sits below Rose Hill, on Merchant’s Row, beneath the old families' notice.

Yul Min means to change this. He has his eye on the Widow Gon. He will hire ruffians to waylay her palanquin—then swoop in, to rescue her. Elaborate theatre.

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Yul Min, like all these characters, live on the Sea of Sorrows, whose waters are literally the souls of the dead.

Roses always bleach within sight of it; to retain their colour they must be shipped in glass, then kept in arboreta—never once sharing air with the Sea.

Those who can afford red-rose gardens tend them on the south end of the city, where streets begin to climb Mount Go, in compounds walled like fortresses.

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Drew Yul Min last night. Had tabs open for "Thai traditional clothing" & "military uniforms 18th century" & "krabi" & "Vajiralongkorn".

Given my inspiration, I think the referencing of Mainland Southeast Asian material culture is appropriate. Maybe a little to obvious, though? Ie: the visual forms haven't been composted well, into new and more imaginative shapes ...

Still: very pleased with the proportions and details.

I liked how the hamsa-esque icon of the Headless Sun developed over the course of these sketches. I would not have discovered it, otherwise; it's one of those details, too small for words.

Drawing is an intrinsic part of the writing process, I guess!

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#writing #art #illustration #sea of sorrows #ttrpgs #characters #clerks #process notes #we deal in lead #fantasies #adventures #settings

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shopcat · 7 months

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question from a fellow animal lover: why do you tag canada lynx, eurasian lynx but not bengal tiger, siberian tiger?

honestly i don't even know if i actively thought about it HAHA i just tag/ID based on like feeling but i guess bc there's 4 different, distinct species of lynx but there's only one species of tiger with various groups of subspecies and it's like 10 times more complicated/location based (and there's actually a bit of taxonomic drama surrounding tigers specifically lol) while they still all belong to the same species (panthera tigris). if that makes sense?

so while the sunda island tiger and sumatran tiger are two different populations they all belong to the panthera tigris sondaica subspecies, and panthera tigris is their species. likewise the bengal, siberian, malayan, south china and indochinese tigers are all populations of panthera tigris tigris. they all look pretty similar and it's a bit harder to identify what's what for me from image alone with no other indication of their size/location (though the mainland asian tiger is definitely more populous, and most tigers you see pretty much are p. t. tigris).

and going off of that, the four lynx species all look pretty recognisably different!!

it also just gets into redundancy which i try to avoid as much as possible to make my tagging system clear :3 i p much will only ID the genus and species and if the subspecies is obvious/important i'll try

#asks #i love how canada lynxes are kind of ugly #i also don't like tagging for genus only so while it would be GOOD to have all the lynxes in one cat idk i just don't like doing it #lol literally cat #🐯#felid

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saintmeghanmarkle · 8 months

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Princess Sickness aka Princess Syndrome -- It's a real Thing! Meghan we got your number. by u/tzippora

Princess Sickness aka Princess Syndrome -- It's a real Thing! Meghan, we got your number. https://ift.tt/WuQxUak complex" redirects here. in Canada, see Princess Point Complex.Not to be confused with Cinderella complex.Princess sickness, alternatively known as princess complex, princess syndrome or princess disease (Vietnamese: bệnh công chúa; Chinese: 公主病; pinyin: gōng zh�� bìng; Cantonese Yale: gūng jyú behng; Korean: 공주병; Revised Romanization: gong ju byeong), is a neologism used colloquially in East and Southeast Asia to describe a condition of narcissism and materialism in women, or "princess" behaviour.[1][2] Conversely but less commonly, men with a similar outlook may be described as having "prince" sickness.[3] It is speculated that the term originated with the rise of the Four Asian Tigers across Asia, in which rapid economic growth may have contributed to a corresponding rise in consumerist or materialistic attitudes and upper classes investing heavily in their children, who might subsequently become accustomed to material wealth and domestic help.[3][4] CausesIn Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, low birth rates have meant that families often have only children that are the sole focus of their parents' energies.[5] In Mainland China, the resultant phenomenon, often attributed to the former one-child policy, is known as the 'Little Emperor Syndrome'. A combination of helicopter parenting and presence of domestic workers, allowing middle-class parents to work, can contribute to their children being spoilt.[6] A widening income gap in Hong Kong, along with concerns over democracy and social inequality, also reflects the perceived attitudes of the 'elite' classes.[7][8] See "Gynocentrism as a Narcissistic Pathology" https://ift.tt/PuKDBqO post link: https://ift.tt/6z8UcjB author: tzippora submitted: August 20, 2023 at 11:41AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

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therecz · 1 year

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Travel Destination: Places that will give you major travel goals

Traveling to exotic places rejuvenates your soul. It is one of the best gifts that you can treat yourself with. In this blog, we will be taking a look at some of the best travel destinations that you can visit. These places will definitely give you major travel goals. Read on to learn more about the best travel destinations recommended by the Recz app.

Best Travel Destination in the World

1. Bali, Indonesia

Bali is one of the best tourist places that you can and should visit. Every year thousands of tourists flock to this travel destination. Bali has everything that you can find in a tourist destination. It has beaches, it has volcanos, and it has exotic animals. In Bali, you can find tigers and Komodo dragons. Orangutans of Bali are also quite popular among the tourists. If you are wondering which travel destination to visit this year for a vacation, we suggest that you should go to Bali, Indonesia. Bali also has great food. You can treat your taste buds with the amazing food of this country.

2. Kerry, Ireland

Kerry is a county situated in Ireland. It is a popular travel destination. The climate of Kerry is quite pleasant. The North Atlantic Current passes through this region. This results in milder temperatures in the area. Due to this, subtropical plants flourish in this region. Due to the mountain area of Kerry, it receives the highest rainfall in Ireland. This place is known for traditional Irish music, songs, and dance. This is due to the fact that Kerry is situated at the extremity of Ireland. Kerry has lakes and mountains and over 1000 km of the Atlantic coastline. This makes Kerry quite a scenic place and a top travel destination.

3. Marrakesh Morocco

Marrakesh is a city situated in Morocco. This city is the fourth largest city in Morocco. Berber languages and Arabic is spoken in Marrakesh. It is situated west of Atlas mountains. According to portals, this exotic place has been inhabited by Berber farmers since the Neolithic period. Marrakesh is one of the most traveled destinations in Morocco. Jemaa el-Fnaa, Bab Agnaou, El Badi Palace, Bahia Palace, and Kutubiyya Mosque are some of the best tourist places in Marrakesh that you can visit while in Morocco. The word Marrakesh comes from the Berber language, where it means ‘the land of God.’ Ever since the independence of Morocco, Marrakesh has become a famous tourist destination.

4. The Maldives

Maldives is a tropical nation situated southwest of Sri Lanka and India. It is situated about 750 km from the Asian mainland. The beaches of Maldives are some of the most visited beaches in the world. It is a very famous tourist destination. The Maldivian archipelago is also quite famous and the most visited travel destination in the world. Tourism began in the Maldives around the 1970s. This tourist destination consists of over 1000 coral islands. Maldives enjoys a tropical monsoon climate. The temperature of this island country is often hot and humid. The beaches of Maldives are some of the best beaches in the world and are quite common tourist destinations. There are over 1000 fish species around the Maldives. The marine life around the Maldives is quite rich. Maldives is one of the cleanest countries in the world.

5. Paris, France

It is situated in France. Paris is also one of the most visited travel destinations in the world. It is also the capital of France. This tourist destination is known for being the world’s major center for finance, diplomacy, commerce, and fashion. In the 19th century, this place gained the epithet ‘the City of Light.’ Paris is also known for its food. Some of the most popular travel destinations include the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, Arc de Triomphe, Palais Garnier, and the Louvre. During the time after the First World War, many writers and artists moved to Paris. This included Earnest Hemingway, James Joyce, Henry Miller, Salvador Dali, and others.

6. Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is one of the most traveled tourist destinations in the world. It is the capital of South Africa. There are several places in Cape Town that you can visit while in South Africa. Table Mountain, Cape Point, Groot Constantia, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, V&A Waterfront, and others. The Table Mountain of Cape Town is a World Heritage Site. This mountain supports unique flora and fauna. The Cape Town Natural Reserve is a beautiful place with hills and rocky coastline. Every year, thousands of tourist flock to this beautiful town.

7. Kasol, India

Kasol is among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It is a hamlet situated in the Kullu district, which is a part of Himachal Pradesh This place is situated in Parvati Valley and is on the bank of the Parvati River. Kasol has beautiful weather throughout the year. It witnesses heavy snowfall from December to February. The climate of this place is categorized as humid subtropical. The food in Kasol is delicious and quite popular.

These are some of the tourist destinations recommended by the Recz app. Stay tuned for more information on the best travel destinations in the world. The Recz app has suggestions and recommendations for everything ranging from travel destinations to movies.

#reczapp #recz #travel destinations #travel destination

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ringdelete08 · 2 years

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Passports And Visas

Business disputes between U.S. residents and Chinese enterprise partners can sometimes result in bodily confrontation or kidnapping. Go straight to the police should you feel threatened or relocate to a public place. Find information ondual nationality,prevention of worldwide child abductionandcustoms regulationson our web sites. Failure to register with the police inside 24 hours of arrival within the country could result in fines and deportation. You can register with resort workers or the local police station. The metropolitan area contains the municipalities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Chamblee, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, Duluth, Norcross, Tucker, Decatur, Mableton, Conyers, and others. Atlanta has turn out to be a diverse and worldwide city that features a rising Asian inhabitants, including about 50,000 Chinese, the majority of whom come from Mainland China. This number additionally includes 7,000 worldwide students from China learning at faculties and universities around the state. China and Chinese culture also remain a subject of curiosity for Atlanta students and several excessive faculties, faculties, and universities within the space offer Mandarin language programs. Everyone who arrives in China to work is required to undergo a fairly complete and time-consuming medical check, which is supposed to low cost infectious illnesses like HIV and drug use. All up, you’ll endure half a dozen tests in a specific hospital/medical centre in your teaching metropolis and your employer, or your appointed liaison officer, will make the appointment and accompany you. China visa options are numerous and include these specifically for tourists, college students and even members of the family wishing to visit their ESL-teaching loved-ones. It is highly beneficial applicant print the Application Guide and reference it while finishing the visa software. If applicant is staying in a lodge, they want to submit a copy of a confirmed hotel reservation. Applications MUST be printed single-sided and signed in blue or black ink only. Please follow direction in Visa Application Guide to avoid delays.. For applicants who've previously held Chinese visas, the Embassy and consulate places of work often request copies of earlier visas. However, unique invitation and/or private interview may be requested at visa officer's discretion. When checking in for a world flight to China, the airline will confirm that you've the appropriate visa in your passport. When you arrive in Beijing, Shanghai or any other Chinese airport, immigration will evaluate yourpassport and visa. Information Of The Overseas Service Posts Of The Division Of State A tiger economic system is a nickname given to a quantity of booming economies in Southeast Asia. Investopedia requires writers to make use of major sources to assist their work. These include white papers, authorities information, unique reporting, and interviews with industry specialists. We also reference unique analysis from other reputable publishers the place appropriate. You can be taught extra concerning the requirements we observe in producing correct, unbiased content in oureditorial policy. Authorities have used the law to attempt to remove all forms of political opposition. They disqualified pro-democracy candidates from running in elections and eliminated elected lawmakers for publicly opposing China’s control over Hong Kong. Police have arrested a minimum of a hundred and seventy individuals underneath the legislation, many of them prominent pro-democracy activists, former lawmakers, and journalists. Thousands extra folks have been arrested for participating within the 2019 protests. The document to be submitted for non-immigrant visa software is contingent upon necessities and appropriateness of purposes said in the application kind. Secondary sanctions usually are not a desirable technique of bringing about multilateral help for sanctions. Instituting sanctions in opposition to those who don't adjust to the sanctions at problem is an admission of a diplomatic failure to steer. Discover For Online Chinese Language Visa Applications With E If you aren't a US citizen, please seek the advice of your house nation's native consular office for youngster passport particulars. CIBTvisas can't assure that a visa will be issued by the embassy or consulate you might have submitted your paperwork to. While it does not happen incessantly, any embassy or consulate can resolve to not problem a visa at any time. IR1 visas, then again, are given to beneficiaries who've been married for greater than 2 years when their green card is permitted. In this case, the IR1 holder doesn’t need to remove situations , and could have 10 years before they need to renew their everlasting resident card. All other air travelers in search of entry to the United States should reveal full vaccination against COVID-19. Food and Drug Administration (Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna) and the World Health Organization . You can learn China Visa Renewal and Extension to get extra helpful information. The variety of entries on a visa indicates the instances you could enter mainland China during its validity. The visa becomes void if it goes past the date of ENTER BEFORE even if there are some ENTRIES left. New Utility System For China Visa + Covid19 Entry Restrictions & Quarantine Rules 200810 If any mistakes are found, they must contact the Chinese Visa Application Service Facility immediately. The Chinese Visa Application Service Facility will attempt its best to assist them with modification or re-issuance of the visa. 1.5 “Chinese Visa Application Service Facility” refers to the institution that provides handling services relating to functions for Chinese visas in accordance with the working procedures set by the Embassies and Consulates. Submit your software in individual to the visa workplace of the Embassy at appointment time with the finished COVA kind, the Confirmation web page, your passport and other necessary documentation. 台胞證申請 If you spent some part of the duration of a 90-day-stay on a multiple entry e-visa inside 180 days as of your first entry date and the remainder expired after one hundred eighty days elapsed as of the first entry date, it's potential to reapply for an e-visa. The important thing to remember is that you can stay in Turkey as much as 90 days each 180 days ranging from the first entry date. If you overstay your visa, you may be asked to pay fines, be deported, or banned future travel to Turkey for a particular time frame. The eVisa is the quickest and fastest travel permit to acquire for Zanzibar and can be utilized by Chinese vacationers to explore the island as properly as Tanzania for as a lot as 30 days. Simply fill out the form online, addContent a replica of the related documents and pay the applying charge. Fortunately, this doesn’t imply that Chinese travelers must go queue at the Tanzanian embassy and fill out lengthy paperwork. In addition, as of April 1, 2016, you must have an e-passport to make use of the VWP. An e-Passport is an enhanced secure passport with an embedded electronic chip. You can readily determine an e-Passport, as a result of it has a singular worldwide image on the quilt. Citizens from eligible countries can enter Malaysia for intervals of as much as 30 days. Notice On Visa Facilitation For Applicants Fully Vaccinated China The new policy rewards those countries which might be already using Chinese photographs, corresponding to Indonesia, Chile and Turkey. For international locations already weighing the Chinese photographs, the visa policy could provide one extra reason to go forward with them. But it’s unclear how a lot it will additional Beijing’s “vaccine diplomacy,” an effort to enhance China’s world standing by dispatching vaccines to countries who may otherwise have to wait longer, since government vaccine decisions that seem too political may contribute to vaccine hesitancy. A third dose is being made obtainable to healthcare employees and other people over the age of fifty amid issues over the spread of the highly transmissible Delta pressure. The roundabout association with TSMC and Foxconn successfully ends a monthslong geopolitical impasse over whether or not Taiwan might purchase vaccines immediately from BioNTech. China’s health authorities are sticking with their strict playbook to include and get rid of outbreaks of COVID-19. China's numerous visa-free transit policies have additionally been suspended, together with visa-free transit for cruise ship passengers and tour teams from ASEAN international locations. Port visas are suspended, as is entry for those holding APEC Business Travel Cards. As a results of the ongoing pandemic, China nonetheless has a selection of coronavirus-related journey restrictions in place. These restrictions change incessantly and can range relying in your country of origin in addition to your vacation spot province within China. Top 60 Most Asked Questions Throughout A Schengen Visa Interview Present your Scholarship Award Letter to the German embassy to certify they cowl the required sum. If your scholarship grants you lower than 861 € per thirty days, you can present proof of the missing sum on a blocked bank account. Did you realize that in some countries the German missions overseas cooperate with a personal service supplier, specifically VFS Global. Check the net site of the German illustration near you to search out out, whether that is an choice for you and whether you want to take that choice. The visa requirements remain the identical, even when your utility gets processed by this service supplier. It is important to get the best paperwork to the right place. Focus talks somewhat bit in regards to the freedom of motion, regulation uniformity and collaboration between Schengen countries. Additionally, point out traveller areas of your curiosity discovered in the Schengen Area (i.e. Eifel Towel, German castles, Amsterdam) and why you chose the particular country for your go to. Give an answer that's totally in compliance along with your journey itinerary – point out your time of departure and your return. Remember that your visa shall be issued relying on the time you propose to remain within the Schengen Area. It’s worth trawling via the Department of Home Affair’s website to make sure you embody each little doc and detail necessary for a successful visa software. Take the time to go over your application with a fine-tooth comb and ensure you appropriate any errors or fill in any missing data in your application. Second, the work visa software requirement reduces the motivation for an applicant who intends to come back to China to work to hide his or her true function when applying for a tourist or business visa application. Those purposes are then, presumably, more more likely to have a sound basis. I heard rumors that the model new M visa will not be a multiple entry visa anymore. If the M visa continues to be out there as a 6 months visa with 30 days each stay then it's not a lot of a change to the way it was practically handled in most Chinese consulates in the West. Other circumstances cause the visa-issuing agency or exit-entry administration to imagine it might be inappropriate to concern the visa, residence certificate, or stay certificate. Stay certificates and “short-term” visas shall be issued for a most keep of 180 days. The statement from China’s Ministry of Education comes amid increasing tensions between the U.S. and China over the difficulty of upper training and in the context of a broader commerce warfare. The Means To Apply For A China Visa The US Dept of State is no longer accepting documents for authentication from the public. All documents should be mailed in and might be returned through UPS or USPS. Due to Covid associated processing delays on the US Passport Office, third get together processing services usually are not permitted to assist with passport processing right now. To see how we're making certain the health and security of our customers and staff, click on here. As a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong presents a 30-day visa on arrival for US residents. First time candidates who were born in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau must submit a photocopy of their earlier passport. Yes, the Chinese authorities may require proof of yellow fever vaccination from travelers arriving from international locations with a danger of yellow fever transmission. If you've traveled to or via a region with yellow fever within the last 12 months, you should still be requried to show proof of vaccination. Anxious is a word I typically describe myself when I’m planning a trip to China, and I say that in every sense of the word. Anxious, as in nervous, because I’m aware of the long standing rigidity between China and the Philippines. I’m at all times jittery once I apply for a visa or face their Immigration officers. But I attempt to brush it off because I’m additionally very anxious to go to China — anxious, as in keen. Types Of Nonimmigrant Momentary Visas You will want to provide lots of private data. This information includes travel historical past, employment historical past, information about your loved ones members, and more. TheOffice of Biometric Identity Management's , previously US-VISIT, use of biometrics helps to make journey simple, simple and handy for reliable visitors, but virtually unimaginable for these who wish to do hurt or violate U.S. laws. If you’re engaged to a U.S. citizen and plan to marry and live in the united states, your fiancé can petition for aK-1 visa for you. The K-1 visa lets you journey to the United States to marry your fiancé within 90 days of arriving. Many of our purchasers are Minnesota-based businesses wishing to bring staff to the United States for short-term work assignments. Immigrant visas, also referred to as green cards, are for many who live and work permanently within the United States. Non-immigrant visas give short-term permission for someone to come back to the U.S. for a restricted time and particular function. There are several kinds of non-immigrant visas that allow international nationals to stay or work in the U.S. The J-1 visa is issued to participants of work-and study-based trade customer programs. All interested applicants from the Dutch Caribbean ought to apply at U.S. The sponsoring group within the United States is primarily answerable for your program. If you have any complaint about your employer, you should contact your sponsor earlier than you contact anybody else to request help.

#china visa

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tinyclovers · 6 years

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MALAYAN TIGER can only be found in Malaysia and Thailand’s southern tip. Dense tropical forests and areas close to rivers is where they most like to inhabit. Only about 250-340 of them left in the wild, they are considered critically endangered. Their strips are thinner compared to those of other tiger and are great camouflagers.

Keeping the populations of wild boars under control is just one of the reasons they are valuable to humans. They also like to eat deer, cattle and goats. Like other subspecies of tiger, their hunting style is stealthy and quick to kill. They can run up to 96km/h! Their coats are pretty but let’s leave it on them and not as hunting trophies =(

For more about these cool cats and see ways you can help: Adopt a tiger :3

>TO BUY THIS PART OF 2019 CALENDAR CLICK HERE<

For more from this series >click here<

#endangered species calendar #endangered species #malayan tiger #critically endangered #mainland asian tiger #pantera tigris jacksoni

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wikipediapictures · 5 months

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White tiger

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revenge-of-the-shit · 3 years

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Writing Chinese characters set within Western worlds

If you don’t want to read it on tumblr, go check this out on medium or go follow me on instagram at @annessarose_writes!

Alright. You know what. I’ve seen plenty of stereotypes in fiction (and in social media) that are so incredibly pervasive I’ve seen many Chinese people within the western world internalize it themselves. So here’s a rough guide on writing Chinese characters in an English-speaking Western setting, written by me, a Chinese Canadian woman.

If you’re here to say something racist fuck off. Otherwise, welcome! This is not a comprehensive guide by any means. This is merely a brief overview based on my own experiences. My experience (as someone in North America) will differ from someone living in, say, Europe or South America. I’m not representative of every Chinese person because everyone’s experience is unique. So here were are.

1. Our names

Chinese names are usually written as follows: [family name] [name]. Let’s take a Canadian historical figure as an example: 黃寬先. In Chinese, it’s pronounced “Wong Foon Sien.” On Canadian documents — which are written [First name] [Last name], he’d be called “Foon Sien Wong.” He went by “Foon Sien” for most of his life. That’s his full “first name.” Nobody would call him Foon because that’s just half of his name (unless given permission). It’d be like meeting a stranger called Alex and calling them “Al” right off the bat. Sure, they could go by Al, but you don’t know that.

For those of us living in the Western world, some of us have both a Chinese name and an English name. In these cases, our Chinese name becomes our middle name in English (e.g. a character could be called John Heen-Gwong Lee).

For some people who immigrated to the Western world but were born in China, their legal name would be their Chinese name. Some choose to keep that name. Some choose an English name as their “preferred” name but keep their Chinese name on legal documents. It varies.

2. Parents & Stereotypes

There’s two stereotypes which are so pervasive I see it being used over and over in jokes even within Chinese (and, to a larger extent, asian) communities:

The [abusive] tiger mom and the meek/absent dad

Both parents are unreasonably strict/abusive and they suck

I have yet to see any fiction stories with Chinese parents where they’re depicted as kind/loving/supportive/understanding (if you have recommendations — please do send them my way). Not all Chinese parents are tiger parents. Chinese parents — like all parents — are human. Good god. YES, they’re human! YES, they have flaws! YES, they are influenced by the culture they grew up in!

That isn’t to say there aren’t parents like those tropes. There are. I know this because I grew up in a predominantly Chinese community where I had many a friend’s parent who was like this. Parents who compare their kids to the best kid in class. Parents who force kids into private lessons and competitions that the kid despises because the parents think it’s for the best. Parents who have literally called their kid a disappointment because they didn’t get 100%.

But please, also consider: there’s parents who support their child’s goals and who listen. Not all parents force their kid into the stereotypical trifecta of lawyer/doctor/engineer — I know of a good number who support their child in choosing the path they want. There’s parents who make mistakes and learn and try their best to support their child. So please, for the love of god, if you write a Chinese character, don’t reduce their parents to stereotypes.

3. Language & Learning

When I first read The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, I was so excited to see a Chinese Canadian character in Frank Zhang. Finally, there was someone like me. Finally, there was representation in well-known western media.

While I do appreciate that RR added in Frank Zhang, it’s pretty obvious that he didn’t really know how to write a Chinese Canadian character. One of the most glaring examples: in The Son of Neptune, Frank reveals he can’t really read Chinese. In like, the next book (I think — it’s been a while since I read it), Frank is suddenly able to read Chinese because he “learned” it in two week’s time.

Nope. Nuh-uh. Learning Chinese is a pain, let me tell you. There’s thousands of different characters and it is something you need to devote a lot of time to learning (especially if you’re progressed past the best childhood years for learning a language). So if you’re writing about a Chinese character living in the western world, here’s what you need to know:

A character who was born and raised in the western world does not necessarily know how to read/write in Chinese.

If they were raised by their own family, the character would very likely know how to speak their own dialect. They’d be able to understand the language used in movies/TV and they sound like a native speaker, but they may not know how to use language outside of certain contexts (the term for this is heritage speaker).

They probably went to Chinese school. They probably hated it. Chinese school is usually universally hated and does not teach you jack shit other than a hatred for the place and a vague memory of learning how to read the language without actually retaining knowledge of what you learned.

Most of my friends who know how to read/write in Chinese learned from tutors, parents, or were born in China.

There’s two main types of written Chinese: Traditional (used by Cantonese speakers) and Simplified (used by Mandarin speakers).

There are MANY other dialects (which I don’t know much about). The most common ones are Mandarin (usually spoken by people from the mainland), then Cantonese (usually spoken by people from Hong Kong).

4. Fitting into the community

Usually, the story is one of two things: they’re the only Asian kid in the entire school, or they grew up in a predominantly East Asian community. Things to consider for both of these when you’re writing:

Growing up the only Asian kid

They’re “that Asian kid.” They’re different. They walk into a class and feel weird and out of place.

They bring food from home (usually ethnic cuisine) to school. Other classmates stare at it, make fun of it, demand what that strange food is.

“Where are you from?” “Here.” “No, like, where are you really from?”

“Your name is funny.”

People literally never getting the character’s name right.

And that horrible, horrible feeling: wishing that they were white so they could avoid all of this.

Growing up in a predominantly East Asian community

It’s not uncommon for Chinese cuisine to mix with other east Asian cuisines. For special occasions (or just for a casual night out), your character could very well go out to get some sushi, or go for some KBBQ, or get some Vietnamese noodles.

Screaming “AIYAA” at/with their friends unironically if they’re annoyed (I’ve done this a lot with Cantonese friends. Less so with Mandarin friends).

Slipping into Chinese for like, two words, during a mostly-English conversation to talk about food or some other topic that can’t be adequately conveyed in English.

Reading books by white authors and learning about white history and growing up thinking white names, white books, and white history is the norm and standard even though the community is surrounded by East Asian people.

When the character leaves this community, there’s a brief culture shock when they realize how sheltered they’ve been.

Things in common for both of these:

The character has grown up on ethnic cuisine. Yes, Chinese people do eat rice with many of our meals. Yes, boba (bubble) tea is extremely popular. No, rice isn’t the only thing we eat. No, not all Chinese people love boba (though as a Chinese person I admit this sounds sacrilegious to say…)

The character likely grew up watching film/TVthat originates from East Asia. It’s not uncommon to watch Studio Ghibli films. It’s not uncommon to watch Japanese or Korean shows with canto/mando dub (examples: Ultraman, Kamen Rider). If you want to see a classic Chinese film from Hong Kong that’s fucking hilarious, watch Kung Fu Hustle.

The character has felt or been told that they’re “too westernized to be Chinese, but too Chinese to fit into the western world.” They’re torn between the two.

5. General portrayal

It’s quite simple, really. We’re human. We’re regular people. We have regular hobbies like all people do. We’re good at some subjects and bad at others. We have likes and dislikes like all people do. So here’s a list of stereotypes you can avoid.

STEREOTYPES TO AVOID BECAUSE WE’RE REGULAR HUMANS AND WE DON’T FIT INTO A SINGLE COOKIE CUTTER SHAPE, DAMMIT.

The character is a maths whiz and perfect at all things STEM.

The character is a straight-A+ gifted/IB/AP student.

The character is the next coming of Mozart and is amazing at piano/violin.

The character’s free time is spent only studying.

The character is insanely good at martial arts.

The character is either meek and submissive or an explosive, dangerous force.

I’m not going to mention the other stereotypes. You know, those ones. The really obvious ones that make fun of and demonize (sometimes through multiple untruths) how we look and how we live our lives. You should know.

Of course, there are people who fit into one or more of these. That’s not the point. The point is: molding all Chinese characters to these stereotypes (which white media tends to do) is harmful and reductionist. We’re more than stereotypes.

—

6. Conclusion

We need more diversity in portrayal of Chinese characters. Reducing us into one-dimensional caricatures has done nothing but harm us — look at what’s happening now. This guide is by no means comprehensive, but I hope it has helped you by providing a quick overview.

If you want to accurately portray Chinese characters, do your research. Read Chinese fiction. Watch Chinese films/TV. Initiate a conversation with the community. Portray us accurately. Quit turning us into caricatures.

#non sw #writing #writing reference #reference #writing bipoc characters #Chinese representation #asian representation #asian characters #chinese characters #stop asian hate #chinese diaspora #chinese american #chinese canadian #writing guide #abuse tw #racism tw #long post #annessarose writes

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legend-collection · 3 years

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Werecat

African legends describe werelions, werepanthers or wereleopards. In the case of leopards, this is often because the creature is really a leopard deity masquerading as a human. When these gods mate with humans, offspring can be produced, and these children sometimes grow up to be shapeshifters; those who don't transform may instead have other powers. In reference to werecats who turn into lions, the ability is often associated with royalty. Such a being may have been a king or queen in a former life.

In Africa, there are folk tales that speak of the "Nunda," or the "Mngwa," a big cat of immense size that stalks villages at night. Many of these tales say it is more ferocious than a Lion and more agile than a Leopard. The Nunda are believed by some to be a variation of therianthrope that, by day, is a human, but by night becomes the werecat.

Mainland Asian werecats usually become tigers.

In India, the weretiger is often a dangerous sorcerer, portrayed as a menace to livestock, who might at any time turn to man-eating. These tales travelled through the rest of India and into Persia through travellers who encountered the royal Bengal tigers of India and then further west.

Chinese legends often describe weretigers as the victims of either a hereditary curse or a vindictive ghost. Alternatively, the ghosts of people who had been killed by tigers could become a malevolent supernatural being known as Chang, devoting all their energy to making sure that tigers killed more humans. Some of these ghosts were responsible for transforming ordinary humans into man-eating weretigers.

In Japanese folklore there are creatures called bakeneko that are similar to kitsune and bake-danuki.

In Thailand a tiger that eats many humans may become a weretiger. There are also other types of weretigers, such as sorcerers with great powers who can change their form to become animals.

In both Indonesia and Malaysia there is another kind of weretiger, known as Harimau jadian. In Malaysia, Bajangs have been described as vampiric or demonic werecats. In the central area of the Indonesian island of Java the power of transformation is regarded as due to inheritance, to the use of spells, to fasting and willpower, to the use of charms, etc. Save when it is hungry or has just cause for revenge it is not hostile to man; in fact, it is said to take its animal form only at night and to guard the plantations from wild pigs. Variants of this belief assert that the shapeshifter does not recognize his friends unless they call him by name, or that he goes out as a mendicant and transforms himself to take vengeance on those who refuse him alms. Somewhat similar is the belief of the Khonds; for them the tiger is friendly, and he reserves his wrath for their enemies. A man is said to take the form of a tiger in order to wreak a just vengeance.

#Werecat #Africa #Asia

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lonelinessisadisease · 3 years

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Palm oil is the most widely traded vegetable oil across the globe. Eighty-five percent (85%) of it comes from industrial plantations in three (3) countries: Malaysia, Papa New Guinea, and Indonesia.

Industrial plantations are massively scaled harvesting and growth operations.

Indonesia has some of the most diverse rainforests in the world. Much of this land is Critical Habitat for creatures such as the Sumatran elephant, Sumatran tiger, and other endangered species. This means that it is imperative to keep the land as-is for these animals to survive.

Unfortunately, these industrial plantations require mass deforestation, destroying critical land for these creatures. Additionally, deforestation causes eighty percent (80%) of Indonesia's CO2 emissions.

How? Well, when the native plants are destroyed, the Carbon Dioxide that the plants (as well as the surrounding soil, which is disturbed in the process) have absorbed is released into the air. This only furthers our present climate change crisis.

Some speculated that the palm oil trees could prove as habitat grounds for native animals such as the Sumatran tiger or elephant, but this has proved wrong for a number of reasons.

Sumatran Tigers

Wikipedia Page

Take the Sumatran tiger. There are less than four hundred (400) estimated remaining in the wild, with two-to-three hundred alive in captivity. They are the only remaining species of tiger in the Sunda Islands (Indonesian archipelago). What makes them even more special is that they are genetically isolated from all living mainland tigers.

Let me explain. In the Sunda Islands, there were originally three groups of tigers: Sumatran, Bali, and Javan. Thanks to preserved DNA in museams, we have been able to classify these tigers to the same subspecies: Panthera tigris sondaica. A DNA anaylsis (mitochondrial) indicated that these tigers likely migrated to the Sunda Islands during the last glaical period eleven-to-twelve thousand (11,000-12,000) years ago, and were then isolated after the islands were separated due to rising sea levels.

Unfortunately, the Bali tiger was hunted to extinction in the ninteen-fifties (1950s), with the Javan tiger following close behind in the nineteen-seventies (1970s). The Sumatran tigers are all that remain of Panthera tigris sondaica.

This is important because all subspecies of mainland tigers share a close DNA connection with each other. This is not the case for Panthera tigris sondaica, and the Sumatran tiger has shown that it is evolutionarily distinct. Thus, it is even more important to keep this subspecies of tiger remaining.

Sumatran tigers make little use of cultivated forests (palm, acacia, etc.). They avoid humans at all costs, and spaces humans have used or manipulated are unlikely to prove as habitat for these tigers. When possible, they prefer higher elevations with less annual rainfall, and they tend to stick far from the forest’s edge. They prefer dense understory cover and steep slopes. Again, they rarely use human-touched areas or places with high human interactions.

Interestingly, the Sumatran tiger has a different skull size and striping pattern than both the Bengal and Javan tiger. No reason for saying this, I just thought it was neat.

Sumatran Elephant

The Sumatran elephant is one of the three recognized Asian elephant subspecies, with only around two-thousand and six-hundred (2,600) estimated remaining. They, like the Sumatran tiger, are critically endangered. Their population declined by eighty percent (80%) within the last three (3) generations.

In terms of habitat loss, all elephants have lost over sixty-nine percent (69%) of habitat grounds within the last twenty-five (25) years. I sincerely hope this is as distressing to you as it is to me.

Among habitat loss, degradation, and poaching, another large threat to their survival, as well as the Sumatran tiger’s, is habitat fragmentation. This is where a piece of habitat is split into smaller fragments, oftentimes due to human behavior and land conversion. The habitat is then frequently too small for sustaniable populations to survive in, and it becomes near-useless. This, unfortunately, is a frequent killer of many species.

Sumatran elephants, when they can, prefer dense natureal forests in river and mountain valleys at an elevation below six-hundred and sixty feet (660 ft). Then, during the night, they move to forests and forage near human settlements. They frequently prefer lower elevations with gentle slopes.

Unfortunately for the Sumatran elephant, their preferred habitat is also where our preferred habitat. Thus, there is much competition for land between us, and these elephants are often left stuggling.

(Source: me, personal notes, handwritten, 2021

Fact-checked: internet, lots of sites)

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tipsycad147 · 2 years

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Chinese New Year

By shirleytwofeathers

According to historical documents, on the day when Shun, who was one of ancient China’s mythological emperors, came to the throne more than 4000 years ago, he led his ministers to worship heaven and earth. From then on, that day was regarded as the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. This is the basic origin of Chinese New Year.

The new year is by far the most important festival of the Chinese lunar calendar. A long time ago, the emperor determined the start of the New Year. Today, celebrations are based on Emperor Han Wu Di’s almanac. It uses the first day of the first month of the Lunar Year as the start of Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year always occurs in January or February on the second new moon after the winter solstice, though on occasion it has been the third new moon.

The holiday is a time of renewal, with debts cleared, new clothes bought, shops and homes decorated, and families gathered for a reunion dinner. Enjoying extravagant foods with family and friends is arguably the cornerstone of the occasion, along with receiving the ubiquitous red envelopes full of cash (called lai see in Cantonese, or hongbao in Mandarin).

Chinese New Year is marked by fireworks, traditional lion dances, gift giving, and special foods. This is one of the most important holidays. It is observed all over the world. Similar celebrations occur in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival. The “Spring Festival” in modern Mainland China, is China’s most important traditional festival, this public holiday starts on the Chinese New Year, and lasts for 7 days.

About The Chinese Calendar

The Chinese Calendar is a based on the cycles of the moon. The start of the New Year begins anywhere from late January to mid-February. A complete lunar cycle takes 60 years. It is composed of five cycles that are 12 years each. Each 12-year segment is named after an animal.

According to legend, Buddha called all the animals to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came and as a reward to them, he named the years after them in the order they arrive (the order is listed below). It is believed the animal ruling of the year you are born effects your personality and “it is the animal that hides in your heart”.

The Chinese calendar uses the stem-branch system. The branches are the 12 years. There are ten stems that are used in the counting system. The stems are metal, water, wood, fire and soil; each having a yin and a yang side. There are a lot more intricacies in the system, but you should also know that the elements correlate to colors. Metal=white or golden, water=black, wood=green, fire=red, and soil=brown.

When you put all of this together you end up with the following:

2007 is the Year of the Red Pig

2008 is the Year of the Brown Rat

2009 is the Year of the Brown Ox

2010 is the Year of the White or Golden Tiger

2011 is the Year of the White or Golden Rabbit

2012 is the Year of the Black Dragon

2013 is the Year of the Black Snake

2014 is the Year of the Green Horse

2015 is the Year of the Green Sheep

2016 is the Year of the Red Monkey

2017 is the Year of the Red Rooster

2018 is the Year of the Brown Dog

2019 is the Year of the Brown Pig

2020 is the Year of the White Rat

Which Chinese zodiac animal are you?

According to the Asian astrology, your year of birth – and the animal this represents – determines a lot about your personality traits. Find the year you were born, and you can figure out which animal in the Chinese Zodiac is yours. The animal changes at the beginning of the Chinese New Year, and traditionally these animals were used to date the years.

Remember, Chinese New Year is a movable celebration, dictated by the lunar cycle, which can fall anytime between January 21 and February 20. So, if you were born during that time, you may need to do some research to figure out which animal applies to you.

Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948

Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949

Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950

Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951

Dragon: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952

Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953

Horse: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954

Goat: 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955

Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956

Rooster: 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957

Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958

Pig: 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959

Traditions

Traditions observed during the New Year stem from legends and practices from ancient times. Legend tells of a village, thousands of years ago, that was ravaged by Nian, an evil monster, one winter’s night. The following year the monster returned and again ravaged the village. Before it could happen a third time, the villagers devised a plan to scare the monster away.

The colour red protects against evil. Red banners were hung everywhere. Firecrackers were set off, and people banged on drums and gongs creating loud noises to scare the beast away. The plan worked. The celebration lasted several days during which people visited with each other, exchanged gifts, danced, and ate tasty food. Today, celebrations last two weeks.

The red posters with poetic verses on it were initially a type of amulet, but now it simply means good fortune and joy. Various Chinese New Year symbols express different meanings. For example, an image of a fish symbolizes “having more than one needs every year”. A firecracker symbolizes “good luck in the coming year”. The festival lanterns symbolize “pursuing the bright and the beautiful.”

Preparing for the New Year

Spring cleaning is started about a month prior to the new year and must be completed before the celebrations begin. All the negativity and bad luck from the previous year must be swept out of the house.

Many people clean their homes to welcome the Spring Festival. They put up the red posters with poetic verses on it to their doors, Chinese New Year pictures on their walls, and decorate their homes with red lanterns. It is also a time to reunite with relatives so many people visit their families at this time of the year.

People also get haircuts and purchase new clothing. It symbolizes a fresh start. Flowers and decorations are purchased. Decorations include a New year picture (Chinese colored woodblock print), Chinese knots, and paper-cuttings, and couplets.

Flowers have special meanings and the flower market stocks up on:

Plum blossom for luck

Kumquats for prosperity

Narcissus for prosperity

Sunflowers to have a good year

Eggplant to heal sickness

Chom mon planta for tranquility

Offerings are made to the Kitchen God about a week before the New Year.

On The Eve of The Spring Festival

The Annual Reunion Dinner, Nian Ye Fan, is held on the eve of the festival. This is an important part of the celebration. Families come together and eat together. The food is symbolic. Many dishes have ingredients that sound the same as good tidings. In northern China, dumplings are served at midnight, they symbolize wealth.

In the evening of the Spring Festival Eve, many people set off fireworks and firecrackers, hoping to cast away any bad luck and bring forth good luck. Children often receive “luck” money. Many people wear new clothes and send Chinese New Year greetings to each other. Various activities such as beating drums and striking gongs, as well as dragon and lion dances, are all part of the Spring Festival festivities.

The dragon dance is a highlight in the celebrations. A team of dances mimic the movements of the dragon river spirit. Dragons bring good luck.

Lions are considered good omens. The lion dance repels demons. Each lion has two dancers, one to maneuver the head, the other to guide the back. Business owners offer the lions a head of lettuce and oranges or tangerines. The offerings hope to insure a successful year in business. Lettuce translates into “growing wealth” and tangerines and oranges sound like “gold” and “wealth” in Chinese. The lions eat the oranges, then spew them up and out into the hordes of people who eagerly tried to catch the them. After eating the lettuce, they spit out it out in a thousand pieces.

During the New Year

Red packets called Lai See Hong Bao (or Hongbao) with money tucked inside are given out as a symbol of good luck. The amount is an even number as odd numbers are regarded as unlucky.

Bright red lanterns are hung.

Brooms and cleaning material are put away. No cleaning takes place during the holiday so no good luck is swept out of the home.

During the New Year celebrations people do not fight and avoid being mean to each other, as this would bring a bad, unlucky year.

Bright colors and red are worn.

Everyone celebrates their birthday this day and they turn one year older.

Traditional red oval shaped lanterns are hung.

The end of the New Year is celebrated with the Lantern Festival.

Top Ten Taboos for The Chinese New Year

The Spring Festival is a time of celebration. It’s to welcome the new year with a smile and let the fortune and happiness continue on. At the same time, the Spring Festival involves somber ceremonies to wish for a good harvest. Strict rules and restrictions go without saying.

To help you with that, here are the top 10 taboos during the Chinese New Year. Follow these and fortune will smile on you.

1. Do not say negative words

All words with negative connotations are forbidden! These include: death, sick, empty, pain, ghost, poor, break, kill and more. The reason behind this should be obvious. You wouldn’t want to jinx yourself or bring those misfortunes onto you and your loved ones.

2. Do not break ceramics or glass

Breaking things will break your connection to prosperity and fortune. If a plate or bowl is dropped, immediately wrap it with red paper while murmuring auspicious phrases. Some would say 岁岁平安 (suì suì píng ān). This asks for peace and security every year. 岁 (suì) is also a homophone of 碎, which means “broken” or “shattered.” After the New Year, throw the wrapped up shards into a lake or river.

3. Do not clean or sweep

Before the Spring Festival, there is a day of cleaning. That is to sweep away the bad luck. But during the actual celebration, it becomes a taboo. Cleaning or throwing out garbage may sweep away good luck instead.

If you must, make sure to start at the outer edge of a room and sweep inwards. Bag up any garbage and throw it away after the 5th day. Similarly, you shouldn’t take a shower on Chinese New Year’s Day.

4. Do not use scissors, knives or other sharp objects

There are 2 reasons behind this rule. Scissors and needles shouldn’t be used. In olden times, this was to give women a well-deserved break.

Sharp objects in general will cut your stream of wealth and success. This is why 99% of hair salons are closed during the holidays. Hair cutting is taboo and forbidden until Lunar February 2, when all festivities are over.

5. Do not visit the wife’s family

Traditionally, multiple generations live together. The bride moves into the groom’s home after marriage. And, of course, she will celebrate Chinese New Year with her in-laws.

Returning to her parents on New Year’s Day means that there are marriage problems and may also bring bad luck to the entire family. The couple should visit the wife’s family on the 2nd day. They’d bring their children, as well as a modest gift (because it’s the thought that counts).

6. Do not demand debt repayment

This custom is a show of understanding. It allows everyone a chance to celebrate without worry. If you knock on someone’s door, demanding repayment, you’ll bring bad luck to both parties. However, it’s fair game after the 5th day. Borrowing money is also taboo. You could end up having to borrow the entire year.

7. Avoid fighting and crying

Unless there is a special circumstance, try not to cry. But if a child cries, do not reprimand them. All issues should be solved peacefully. In the past, neighbors would come over to play peacemaker for any arguments that occurred. This is all to ensure a smooth path in the new year.

8. Avoid taking medicine

Try not to take medicine during the Spring Festival to avoid being sick the entire year. Of course, if you are chronically ill or contract a sudden serious disease, immediate health should still come first. Related taboos include the following ~ Don’t visit the doctor, Don’t perform/undergo surgery, Don’t get shots

9. Do not give New Year blessings to someone still in bed

You are supposed to give New Year blessings (拜年—bài nián). But let the recipient get up from bed first. Otherwise, they’ll be bed-ridden for the entire year. You also shouldn’t tell someone to wake up. You don’t want them to be rushed around and bossed around for the year. Take advantage of this and sleep in!

10. Chinese gift-giving taboos

It was mentioned above that you should bring gifts when paying visits. It’s the thought that counts, but some gifts are forbidden.

Clocks are the worst gifts. The word for clock is a homophone (sounds like) “the funeral ritual”. Also, clocks and watches are items that show that time is running out.

Items associated with funerals – handkerchiefs, towels, chrysanthemums, items colored white and black.

Sharp objects that symbolize cutting a tie (i.e. scissors and knives).

Items that symbolize that you want to walk away from a relationship (examples: shoes and sandals)

Mirrors

Homonyms for unpleasant topics (examples:green hats because “wear a green hat” sounds like “cuckold”, “handkerchief” sounds like “goodbye”, “pear” sounds like “separate”, and “umbrella” sounds like “disperse”).

Some regions have their own local taboos too. For example, in Mandarin, “apple” (苹果) is pronounced píng guǒ. But in Shanghainese, it is bing1 gu, which sounds like “passed away from sickness.”

These don’t just apply to the Spring Festival, so keep it in the back of your mind!

For the Spring Festival, these rules may seem excessive. Especially when you add in the cultural norms, customs and manners. But like a parent would say, they are all for your own good. Formed over thousands of years, these taboos embody the beliefs, wishes and worries of the Chinese people.

Foods For The New Year

Dishes may vary slightly according to regional and family customs. Dumplings (gau ji) are more commonly served in the north of China, while Hong Kong families often go for a dim sum meal.

Food symbolism goes back centuries in China, and is taken very seriously on special occasions such as Lunar New Year. All food items have their symbolic meanings which, for Hongkongers, are often derived from their Cantonese homonyms. For instance, the Cantonese word for lettuce – sang choi – sounds very similar to the phrase which means “growing wealth”. Of course, nothing considered “unlucky” is allowed near the dining table.

By carefully choosing the menu in this way, families will supposedly be able to increase their luck and manifest their wishes for the coming year, whether those be earning more money or having more children.

Red meat is not served and one is careful not to serve or eat from a chipped or cracked plate. Fish is eaten to ensure long life and good fortune. Red dates bring the hope for prosperity, melon seeds for proliferation, and lotus seeds means the family will prosper through time. Oranges and tangerines symbolize wealth and good fortune. Nian gao, the New Year’s Cake is always served. It is believed that the higher the cake rises the better the year will be. When company stops by a “prosperity tray” is served. The tray has eight sides (another symbol of prosperity) and is filled with goodies like red dates, melon seeds, cookies, and New Year Cakes.

Here the origins of some traditional Chinese festival foods and their often quirky symbolic meanings.

Lettuce for the lion dance

No traditional Lunar New Year celebration is complete without the famous lion dance, which is thought to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. Performers wearing the traditional lion costume normally dance through the streets to the sound of gongs and drums. When the lion briefly stops at houses and businesses along the way, it will “eat” lettuce that is hung up outside the doors, since the humble vegetable symbolizes “growing fortune”. Inside the head of the lettuce will often be a red envelope, further emphasizing its significance.

Dried oysters and ‘hair vegetable’ stir-fry

This unusual but lucky dish is named ho see fat choy in Cantonese, which sounds a lot like the words meaning “flourishing business”. For an extra dose of luck, ho see (oyster) on its own sounds similar to the Cantonese for “good things” or “good business”, while fat choy (hair vegetable) sounds similar to “prosperity”, as in the traditional Lunar New Year greeting kung hei fat choi. What’s more, the expensive “hair vegetable”, which looks like strands of black hair, is actually a type of fungus. But that doesn’t put off Cantonese restaurants from serving the auspicious dish at Lunar New Year.

Egg noodles, or yi mein

This classic dish of stir-fried egg noodles is often served at formal dinners during Lunar New Year and other festivals, as it symbolises longevity. The chef must not cut the noodle strands to preserve their length. For this reason, yi mein is often eaten at birthday celebrations too – kind of like the Chinese equivalent of a candle-lit birthday cake.

Glutinous rice cake, or neen go

The Cantonese term for this traditional sticky treat sounds the same as the literal words “year high”, which symbolize the promise of a better year to come. Families may eat this for several reasons: wanting to have a higher income, higher social status or even more children. Rice cake can be cooked in a variety of ways, and can be sweet or savory. Historical records date the yearly custom to at least 1,000 years ago, in the days of the Liao dynasty (AD907-1125). If there’s one thing that is unmissable from every family’s Lunar New Year feast in all parts of China and Hong Kong, it must be this dish.

‘Basin food’, or poon choi

Originating from the walled villages of the New Territories, this traditional celebratory dish soon spread throughout Hong Kong and later China. Legend has it that the early settlers in the New Territories would pool together their most prized ingredients – meat and seafood – in a big wooden washbasin and cook them to be served to the whole village. The communal dish required huge efforts of co-ordination and manpower to cook, so it quickly became associated with celebrations and religious rituals. Each village had its own secret poon choi recipe consisting of various ingredients layered in a particular order in the pot, but the dish is now found in most Cantonese restaurants on special occasions.

Lotus root soup, or leen gnau tong

The fleshy, tuber-like roots of the lotus flower have been a staple of Chinese cooking for millennia, and traditionally symbolise “abundance”, since the Cantonese term sounds like “having [money] year after year”. The ingredient is also prized for its supposed “cooling” effect on the body, according to traditional Chinese medicine. Lotus root soup, or alternatively stir-fried lotus root, is commonly eaten at Lunar New Year for these reasons.

Dim sum

Another Cantonese food tradition that is now common in the West is dim sum. The phrase literally means “a light touch of the heart” or “a little bit of heart”. This reflects the care and attention put into each bite-sized dish that is shared between the table, such as har gau (shrimp dumplings), various types of filled buns, and cheung fun (rice noodle rolls). Like a Chinese take on brunch, dim sum is often served at lengthy afternoon yum cha sessions in tea houses. But Hongkongers often go for an even more lavish version of this meal around Lunar New Year.

Auspicious Greetings

The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as auspicious words or phrases. New Year couplets printed in gold letters on bright red paper is another way of expressing auspicious new year wishes. The most common auspicious greetings and sayings consist of four characters, such as the following:

金玉滿堂 Jīnyùmǎntáng – “May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall”

大展鴻圖 Dàzhǎnhóngtú – “May you realize your ambitions”

迎春接福 Yíngchúnjiēfú – “Greet the New Year and encounter happiness”

萬事如意 Wànshìrúyì – “May all your wishes be fulfilled”

吉慶有餘 Jíqìngyǒuyú – “May your happiness be without limit”

竹報平安 Zhúbàopíng’ān – “May you hear [in a letter] that all is well”

一本萬利 Yīběnwànlì – “May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits”

福壽雙全 Fúshòushuāngquán – “May your happiness and longevity be complete”

招財進寶 Zhāocáijìnbǎo – “When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow”

These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of yusheng particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Children and their parents can also pray in the temple, in hopes of getting good blessings for the new year to come.

Sources:

Web Holidays

Chinese New Year

Wikipedia

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/pagancalendar/category/january-holidays/

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sandu-zidian · 3 years

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Hello! I doubt many people are gonna read this, but I decided to finally post on here about my Star Wars planet! I wanted to create a planet that was based off of Asian culture, specifically, Chinese culture. Star Wars does a lot of things right, but I don’t think diversity in world-building is one of them. I’m not an expert and I’m pulling off of my own experiences as much as I am research. I posted about it on Insta a while ago, but lowkey Tumblr is much more suited for very, very long posts. So, get ready for a lot, and I mean a lot of info under the line!

General Info:

Area: Mid-Rim

Size: mid-size

Population: 2 billion

Geography: One large continent surrounded by water, with croppings of islands on the coasts. Mountainous in the northern and western regions of the mainland, with plains spread across the rest.

Climate: temperate, slightly humid. But northern mountain ranges get very cold.

Capital: Zhongjing, resided in the middle of the continent, next to a large river that cuts through the city from north to south. Is surrounded by plains (though you can see the northern mountains on a good day)

Geography:

Northern Mountains:

The northern mountains of Nassora’s large continent spans the whole northern side. Climate is quite cold, spending much of the year around and below zero degrees. Original settlers in this area stuck to the mountain base and the ocean.

The main interest of this area is the fishing and lumber industry. Large forests span the surrounding areas and mountains. As sea villages, fishing was also the main source of food, making it an obvious trading item. With the abundance of wood, making homes and boats was easy. Hunters also venture into the forests, killing elk and bears for meat and fur. Traditional clothing of this area is layered with dense fur and thick hide.

Flora: large pine trees, grass and wildflowers during the short summer season. May see some winter fruit, but not much.

Fauna: large bears (white and brown fur), elks, hares, owls, small rodents, white tiger (found between the Western and Northern mountains)

Western Mountains:

The western mountains are hot and humid, similar to a jungle climate. A river, the XiJiang (西江), flows through the mountains, hugging the base, flowing from north to south. With large areas of marshy land, Nassorans found a specific type of grain that thrives in this climate: rice. Many Nassorans in the western area planted rice and used water buffalos to help work the fields. Other plants bore fruit, which grow in flatter areas in groves. The subtropical climate of this area also makes it a perfect place to grow spices. Salt mines are also abundant within the mountains. Food in this area consists of spicy food to help combat the heat. Another common plant found is bamboo, which is useful for making paper.

A large river runs parallel to the mountain, separating the cities close to the mountain from the mainland. Bridges will be built later, but this forced villages and cities to be pushed closer to the mountain, where hot weather gets trapped between the mountains and the river. This causes a large layer of fog to fall over many cities.

Flora: rice, fruit, large trees with vines, spices, bamboo

Fauna: monkeys, large birds, cranes, water buffalos, monkeys, tiger

Plains:

The large plains spread from the center of the continent to the south and east. By far the largest area on the continent, the climate here is mild and temperate compared to the west. But humidity and heat increase as you travel further south. Two rivers occupy the plains: Gui He (龟河), the winding river that branches out, one headed for the Capital and one headed into the plains, and Yu He (玉河), which is further north. Small lakes also crop up in this area, making for good sources of water outside the river.

Because of the flat area, early Nassorans in this region were nomadic, using domesticated horses to herd cattle. Eventually, they settled down as they discovered farming. Nassorans grew vegetables, fruit, and grain. Other plants grown are cotton and indigo down in the southern plains. Hills pop up every so often in the mostly flat area, and small pockets of woods can be found closer to the east. Outside of farming areas, tall grass spans the area, and gives a very idyllic landscape. Pockets of sugar cane can also be found near the lakes in this region.

Flora: fruit trees, grain, cotton, smaller trees, tall grass, sugar cane

Fauna: horses, cattle, chickens, small birds, rodent animals

History:

Pre-Space Travel:

Nassorans were groups of nomadic settlers spread across the continent. Plain residers herded cattle on domesticated horses, and used the large areas of flat land to build farms, harvesting grain and eventually cotton. Were the first to settle into villages. Groups living in the northern mountains moved around a lot more, eventually moving south as the colder climate became harder to reside. Some stay in the north near the ocean. Groups living in the western mountain ranges found a wet, temperate climate, perfect for growing rice and spices.

After a couple hundred years, trade was established between these three areas, and eventually, a governing body formed to connect the trade routes and eventually, the people. A man named Huangwei (皇位) crusaded across the continent, uniting the people under one flag, and established a monarchy under his family. Later, he is coveted as the ‘messiah’ of the Nassorans, for his reign brought prosperity to the land. They say he opened the Spirit World and connected it to the Mortal World.

After almost 1000 years, a group of space travelers found Nassora. Intrigued by the majority-water planet, this group of sentients descended onto Nassora. The Nassorans, fascinated yet terrified, welcomed these foreigners. Many wondered if they were immortals. But after seeing a couple die of disease, the rumor died quickly. With the introduction of intricate technology, Nassorans quickly adapted to the new opening of the planet to space.

Post-Space Travel:

After the introduction of space travel, many changes quickly opened up.

Rapid advancement in technology: as foreigners came, Nassorans quickly picked up new theories and inventions which were disseminated across the continent. Fishing, which was very important in the north, became much easier. Agriculture became much more efficient. With the new influx of information, more and more Nassorans began to develop mathematical and scientific skills to do their own research. Many even went off-world to learn from other planets. Over time, the imperial capital of Nassora, Zhongjing (中京) will develop into the technological center of Nassora, surrounded by agriculture.

Increased trade: With new planets discovering Nassora, trade between them increased significantly. To keep up with this, Nassora had to quickly adapt their agricultural industry to keep up with demand. Farms grew, more workers were needed. Eventually, Nassora found itself as an impressive agricultural planet.

Dissemination of Nassoran religion and clothing: Nassorans were one of the first Jedi. With many of their people supposedly “Blessed” with these powerful gifts, Force-Sensitives were incredibly dear to Nassorans. When rumors of a new religious group surrounding FS began to pop up, many were interested to meet others similar to them. With them, they brought ancient religious texts (as many FS were monks living in HuangDi’s temple, thanking him for their gifts) and their style of clothing. While the Jedi today are very different to Nassorans in regards to religion, the foundation of the Jedi philosophy was Nassoran, and their clothing is still reminiscent of traditional Nassoran clothing.

Increased planetary involvement: Nassora’s relationships with other planets led to the increasing need for Nassora’s involvement with other planets in order to ensure they benefit. However, this also went vice versa. Other planets began to encroach into Nassoran life, as one of the few large agricultural planets in the region. Superior weapons and power meant Nassora could do little without invoking outright physical conflict, or even war.

Increased diversity and conflict: with the influx of new species onto the planet, many Nassorans were wary. But most people were curious and excited for such a development. However, with their lack of intellectual prowess and seemingly strange lifestyle, many off-worlders were condescending and outright discriminatory, holding their superior technology as a sign of their superiority over the Nassorans. They treated the Nassorans as lesser, and this led to many conflicts between individuals, and eventually the governments.

As tensions between Nassora and other nearby planets rose from the treatment of Nassoran people and political tensions, a woman called Meng Xiao Gen began to plan a revolt. After a year of planning, the group Shadow Hand, which was made of a large number of Nassorans, launched a continent wide attack against the off-worlders, essentially driving them off the planet. The government, while not involved in the planning, did little to stop it. With no connection to the group, other planetary governments could do nothing against them without seeming the aggravator.

After this event, Nassora closed its borders to all off-worlders that were not traders. Even then, traders were confined to a few cities, unable to leave their assigned room/house. Nassorans were allowed to leave, but could not bring back a foreigner. Most Nassorans at this point didn’t want to leave, and were content to be almost isolated. Unless for trade or family reasons, no Off-Worlders were allowed onto the planet. The Jedi, who were closely tied to Nassoran’s religious temples, were also driven off. Most FS from this time on are taught within the temples or by private tutors, if their family was wealthy enough.

After a couple of centuries of isolation, Nassorans became even more wary of off-worlders. The amount of animosity towards anyone that did not look or dress or talk like Nassorans were at an all time high. As the Republic’s power grew and Nassora’s prowess waned, the government found it was high time to reconnect with the greater galaxy in hopes of rekindling planetary relations. Now much more technologically advanced, the worry was less about being seen as lesser, and more about Nassoran people’s ire and xenophobia.

Era of the Republic:

Nassora officially joined the Republic 245 BBY, one of the most recent additions to the Republic. In a couple of years, the planet opened its borders, to the wariness of the people. Slowly, entering and leaving the planet began to increase, as more came for job opportunities and tourism, for the elusive agricultural planet was a mere shadow to many. In the Senate, Nassora has one Senator, dominated by the wealthy and noble Yan family, who are very closely tied to planetary politics as well.

Nassora’s political stance was to keep the Republic as far from their planetary politics as possible. They disliked laws that forced Nassora to be more involved than it already was. They were also at odds with the banking clan, as they tried to integrate themselves into the galactic banking system, only to find themselves blocked at seemingly all avenues. From a galactic view, Nassora was still a developing planet, despite their technological advancements from limited connections to the rest of the galaxy.

When Nassora first opened up and the first off-worlder tourists came passing through, misunderstandings plus the tense climate around letting off-worlder into Nassora led to some violent first couple of months. Off-worlders and Nassorans alike were attacked, and protests began against letting off-worlders into their shops and their towns. Many Nassorans announced their fear of history repeating itself. Slogans like “Never Again” and “Leave us Be” became popularly used. Eventually, the government was forced to step in to quell the protests. After five months of tension, politicians like the Yan family pleaded for the people to be understanding, showing their support of opening borders by publicly mingling with off-worlders. Protests stopped, but tension lasted for another year or two.

Nassora, being a largely agricultural system, was sought after for trade opportunities. However, the government was still cautious of trusting new planets that wanted to trade with them. After opening their borders, their textile industry boomed. The quality of their cloth from well grown cotton and the mix of technology meant that many wealthy elites craved new quality clothing. However, the importance of clothing in Nassoran culture made it very hard for anyone to get their hands on it. Many wealthy planets tried very hard to make pleasing deals for it. Nassora won’t be so easily persuaded however, and is a constant battle.

After opening up, the Jedi Order began to resurface in Nassora. Many came on pilgrimages, to see where the foundations of the Jedi religion came from. Some came to seek out new initiates, only to be rebuffed most of the time. There are a handful of times when the Jedi came with a diplomat in order to settle trade disputes. Overall, the Jedi, while open to Nassora, found that the people were just as wary of them as they were everybody else. With each new generation of Nassorans, the xenophobic nature began to dispel as young children became used to seeing off-worlders.

In the years leading up to the Clone Wars, the Nassoran government saw an increasing number of cases of corruption within the Republic. One such instance was the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY. Nassorans were horrified at the encroachment of the Trade Federation into Naboo, and the Republic’s lack of help. Nassorans applauded Nabooians’ strength, as they fought off the invaders themselves. Increasing instances of such encroachment and no help from the Republic led to increasing bitterness and hatred to the Republic. In 22 BBY, Senator Yan Ruwei pulled Nassora out of the Republic alongside the CIS, though became an independent system rather than join. The Nassoran people were tired of such galactic politics, and were glad to begin looking inwards once more.

Era of the Empire:

In 19 BBY, the Republic dies, and the Empire rises. With a direct connection to the Jedi, the Empire seeked to control what information about the now dead religious group was known. But Nassora was not under Republic or Imperial jurisdiction. So, after establishing power over the Senate and current Republic planets, the Empire began its crusade over independent systems. Planets such as Mandalore and Lasan were under heavy attack, and Nassora made its way onto that list. In 17 BBY, the Empire began it’s invasion. The Invasion of Nassora lasted 2 years, ending when the capital was taken. Much of Nassora’s beautiful plains and farms were razed in the fighting. In the next years, as the Empire established firm control, Nassorans got to rebuilding.

Under Imperial control, the Empire usurped the monarchy, placing a governor and Moff to keep the government under their control. The former senator was brought back, under a very tight leash. In order to try and destroy everything tied to the Jedi, the Empire also began razing Shenist Temples. Many monks and locals tried to protect them, but were unsuccessful. After the slaughter of a group of Huangdi Blessed children, receiving Blessed tattoos became forbidden. Their five large festivals also ceased, leaving a generation of Nassorans uneducated to a large part of their heritage and culture.

Nassorans became increasingly angry and bitter under Imperial rule. Rebellion ranged from small inconveniences towards Imperial troops and officers to outright fighting. A small rebel cell began growing in the years after Invasion. But because of their small size, they were limited in scope of their attacks. Many Nassorans were also against hurting their own planet and people more, for fear that the Spirits would become angrier than they already were. Despite the struggles, the rebel cell stayed strong against Imperial power. Some Nassorans chose to join the larger Rebellion at hand or travelled to Lothal or Mandalore. Others chose to help both the local rebel cell and larger alliance by providing supplies and local help whenever they could. The government also began preparing for war, and attacked after the Liberation of Lothal.

War lasted for years. When the Emperor died, Imperial forces began falling apart. In a couple of months, Nassora finally drove off the last Imperials from their planet. In celebration, the people immediately began rebuilding their temples, and started giving facial tattoos to the children who were never given the honor. Many of these children were now adults, age 18, who were born right before and during the Invasion of Nassora. Senator Talira returned from her place in the Alliance to help restore Nassora to its former glory. Eventually, she’ll become the PM. Nassora will not join the New Republic. However, they will have fairly good relations with the governing body, who leave them to their own devices for the most part.

Culture

Language:

Nassora’s standard language is called Nassu, using the common written language and plain dialect. All three regions, before unifying, had their own dialect. Trade made it so that all three dialects had similar grammar usage. Close trading connections also forced writing to be standardized very early on, even though dialect stayed mutually unintelligible.

The foundation of the language is from a set of pictograms, which associate a pictorial with a morpheme. Ideograms are characters in which the pictorial describes abstract ideas. The most common form of logograms in the language is the radical-phonetic compounds, in which the first part of the character indicates meaning and the latter half indicates pronunciation. This latter half allowed Nassu to grow it’s vocabulary significantly. The rebus-principle is also incredibly important to the development of Nassu. (i’m not a linguist, especially not one for a barely explored set of languages). Despite Nassu being used by all citizens, as it is the standard, usage of dialect is still very prominent between locals. The further you get from the capital and the plains, the more you will hear dialect being spoken.

After the first opening of Nassora, basic became a common language as well, and continued to have minor influence even during its isolation given the need to keep up governmental and trade relations. Basic became even more common after joining the Republic, as more off-worlders began entering the system and even staying, though Nassu is still much more common, enough that many off-worlders learn the language to ease their stay.

Nassorans take much pride in their culinary diversity. The different regions have different food staples that dominate their eating habits. However, some habits are common across the whole planet. Food is a sign of love and work ethics. Every family will always meet for at least one meal, usually lunch or dinner. This communal eating habit fosters both familial and friendly connections. During large celebrations and festivals, communities will come together for large potlucks where communal food reserves are redistributed among the community. During the four large festivals, the Royal family will redistribute part of the government surplus as a sign of goodwill and generosity. This will pass from hand to hand: Emperor to Princes to Ministries to communities to families. Because of this tradition of communal eating, lots of effort goes into preparing meals that sometimes take the whole family to do so. It is a time of bonding and a time of rigorous work, and therefore exemplifies many of the values Nassorans believe in.

Cuisine:

Cuisine varies by region. In the North, seafoods are staples in their diet. It is common to find lots of stews and sometimes rice noodles, which did not appear in northern cuisine until after trade was established with the rest of the planet. Root vegetables are also quite common. In the West, the humid climate fosters heavy use of spice as a way to alleviate heat in the body. Grains are especially prominent with rice, beans, and seeds playing a major part in the food’s taste and texture. In the South, abundance of large open fields means the growth of vegetables and other plants. Meats are also prominent, as some semblance of semi-nomadic life still features in cuisine. Bread is a particularly unique feature of Southern style food, as grains are mulled into flour. Congee also features heavily with the abundance of grains.

Art/Architecture:

Art features heavily in Nassoran society, marking temples and prominent government buildings. Basic understanding of Nassoran art is very simple: artists and musicians focus heavily on nature, emphasizing peace, harmony, and balance. Ink paintings are a common focus, as the unpredictability of the medium allows the artist to focus less on replicating what they see and replicate what they feel. Religious artwork is much more detailed, focused on depicting deities and spirits in grandiose ways. Statues and sculptures of spiritual figures dominate temples.

Ethnic instruments used by Nassorans are always handmade. Luthiers focus on the intricate beauty of each instrument as creators of balance and harmony. Oftentimes, luthiers focus on spiritual understandings of balance to help create the best instruments possible. While other instruments and musical styles have entered Nassoran culture, traditional instruments, acting as spiritual items in many ways, are not to be tampered with.

Old architecture in Nassora is heavily reliant on timberwork. Wooden posts and beams are used to hold up roofs, with walls separating rooms. Architectural features are the emphasis on symmetry, use of open enclosed spaces (courtyards), and horizontal emphasis (spread horizontally vs growth vertically). Unlike more Western houses, Nassoran homes feature large compounds. Buildings facing the door are the most important, with the side buildings being less important, and buildings facing away from the large doors as the least important. Guardian statues are also common, and can range from the Shangshen to personal spirits. Most buildings feature tile roofs, though the yellow tiles are reserved for Imperial buildings built for the Emperor. Imperial buildings also feature many roof details that signify the Emperor’s spiritual and political legitimacy. Religious temples follow similar features, with side buildings set as living quarters and the shrines for deities and spirits in the center of the building. Offerings are often scattered around the floor, and mats are set in place for prayers and meditation.

Race/Ethnicity:

Nassorans are a near-human species. Most are unsure where the Nassorans came from, as they evolved so similarly to humans, and yet had no connection to them during most of their development.

Despite the common understanding of biological differences between the millions of species in the galaxy, Nassorans group all of them as off-worlders/foreigners, guaididui (怪敌对). The first off-worlders were hostile in their confrontations, and Nassorans, with inferior technology, were unfortunately treated quite unfairly. In response, Nassorans developed a deep distrust of foreigners that carried into their isolationist period. When they opened themselves up and joined the Republic, Nassorans were quite upset about this. They believed that doing so would be asking for off-worlders to exploit them again. Fortunately, that was not the case. In the 200 years after opening up, increase of tourism and flow of people in and out of Nassora meant that the understanding of other species changed rapidly, especially by young Nassorans who travelled and studied in other planets during this time period. By the time the Clone Wars hit, Nassoran’s xenophobia had already broken down significantly. Nassora was often sympathetic to the CIS and independent worlds, respecting the strive for independence and control over what happens to the people of these planets. Leaving the Republic was a sign of returning to the planet’s people versus the whims of other planets.

When the Empire took over Nassora, interrelations with other species in the rebel alliance pushed Nassora to break down their racial understanding even further. Friendships and relationships formed out of working side-by-side. During this period, Nassoran’s marriage norm also began shifting as interspecies relationships became more common. Families began accepting species into Nassoran culture rather than just coexisting with them in separate bubbles.

Economy:

An agricultural based system with a budding technology system, Nassora is a very good place for investors to get involved with new tech businesses. However, most of Nassora’s trade is taken up by food supplies from grain to fruit to vegetables and non-perishables. Nassora became a hotspot for relief supplies during the Clone Wars for both sides, especially for CIS planets.

Although Nassora has large farms run by some corporations, Nassora’s deep connection with nature through their religion means lots of regulations are set in place to check corporations. Because of this, Nassora relies more on horticulture and family farming surplus. Alongside these regulations, horticulture is still very prominent in smaller communities, who sell their surplus to companies or the government to sustain themselves. It is not uncommon to see large farms next to small horticulture fields.

The largest industry in Nassora by far is textiles. With large areas of plains and very good climate, it is very easy to grow cotton to make string and cloth, alongside the abundance of indigo and dyes in the region. Much of the textile production is family-based and oftentimes the family also work as tailors and have close relations with cotton farmers. There are some textile factories, but stringent regulations means it is much harder to profit lucratively. Production of Nassora’s high quality cloth means that selling it to other planets is very lucrative. In most places, only the wealthy can afford the high price Nassoran cloth is set at.

The intersection of textiles and technology has led to many interesting experiments. Researchers have been able to successfully blend cloth and technology together to create clothing strong enough to protect the wearer from immediate harm of a knife or one blaster shot, though this type of clothing can’t withstand extreme force. The creation of cloth that can create shields have also been in the works. Most prototypes feature the cloth as a set of fans that when put together, can activate a small shield to protect the user. However, such technology is kept very tight-lipped, especially around off-worlders.

Government and Politics:

In the early ages, Nassora was a monarchy/empire. The Emperor held most of the power, distributed among the princes. Some power was allocated to the Court and Ministries, but all worked under and took orders from the Emperor.

Royal Family- it was common, even encouraged, for the Emperor to take on concubines on top of his Empress. The inner palace, run by the Empress, housed all the concubines and consorts (higher level concubines) and ran the inner workings of the Palace.

Princes that were of age would have palaces in the Capital, though most resided outside, taking on roles of governors of far reaching territories. Only the Crown Prince would reside in the Capital, taking over smaller responsibilities in Court. The good use of having princes take on governmental roles was to minimize any political fights for the throne, though even this didn’t stop tumultuous political periods between princes fighting for the throne.

The heir of the throne is not decided by birth. Instead, it is based on the merits of the prince, and the will of the Emperor. Whoever the Emperor thought would be the best fit for the throne would thereby be the Crown Prince. This style of lineage allowed for infighting to be much more common, as ambitious princes fight for the Emperor’s favor, pushing to be the best. During these early years, princes, like the feudal age, held small armies to help protect their area of governing.

Court and Ministry- the court is made of Ministers who commence everyday to debate over new laws and judicial cases. The Ministers involved in Court are usually high ranking in their respective Ministries with seniority. The process for gaining a Minister position is extensive. Candidates are highly educated, and usually come from wealthy families. After extensive background checks on their political affiliations and any criminal offenses, they then take an entrance test. If they pass the entrance test, they then meet for interviews. Finally, a candidate is chosen. The court will usually debate laws and regulations that pass either from the Emperor, Ministries, or a Minister. On some days, large cases that need the court to preside over will take place, though these are few and far between.

The Ministries are organizations that work under the Emperor. They have specific tasks and goals to fulfill. Examples are: Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Religion, etc. They will often work independently or conversely with each other. These Ministries regulate whatever it is the Emperor has tasked them with. Ministry of Justice will deal with criminals; Ministry of trade with domestic and interplanetary trade, Ministry of Religion coordinating with monks and shamans. (they’re basically agencies)

Other groups-

The Royal Guard is the group of elite soldiers that protect the Palace and Emperor. They work within the bounds of the Palace grounds, though will often work with Capital Patrol and even other areas if they are called upon. The leader is often a Commander or General.

The Capital Patrols are controlled by a General. They police within the Capital boundaries and are supposed to be neutral in any political fights. They serve the Emperor and the people. Over time, the Capital Patrols and Royal Guard will consolidate under the Ministry of Defense.

After the Revolt of Shadow Hand, the leader Meng Xiao Gen, takes on the role of Prime Minister, a new government official created in order for the government to reconcile and appease the people, showing that they are hearing their cries and will make changes. Under her rule, Nassora flourishes.

Over time, the position of Prime Minister and the courts and Ministries began gaining power, and the Emperor’s control waned. After a very turbulent time where two princes fought for the throne as their father died, the Prime Minister at the time instigated massive restructuring of Nassora’s government. The courts became a legislative body, and the Prime Minister gained immense power. Elections were set into place, and a constitution was written. This is known as the Great Restruction. The day the constitution was ratified became a planetary holiday.

When Nassora joined the Republic, the government once again shifted, though significantly smaller this time. Nassora decided to only send one senator, who is chosen by the Prime Minister and Emperor. The role becomes insignificant after they leave, but makes a revival when the Empire takes over.

During Imperial reign, the Empire established a governor, which took the role of the Prime Minister. The current PM had little power, and left office after his term was over. No re-election was called, and the Imperial governor took over the Nassoran government. The senator role had little power, as it was seen as mostly a figurehead position. It was a lazy show of compromise, even though in the heart of the Empire, Coruscant, the senator has little power.

Nassorans, in general, are very nationalistic. They dislike any planetary intervention from outside such as the Republic and the Empire. Even as a member of the Republic, Nassora pushed for less Republic intervention into planetary affairs. Their ire for outside forces spreads to their interactions with other systems. Nassora is a staunch defender for independent planets and is willing to lend hands for groups that wish to take more control over the policies of their own planets.

Kinship and Family:

Nassorans follow a bilineal descent line and focus heavily on the extended family. In most cases, Nassoran families live either within the same roof, or in the near vicinity. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews are common figures in a person’s life, and Nassorans will find that their support system to be quite extensive within the family. Because Nassorans follow a bilineal, descent of both the mother and father pass through their children. Last names of the married couple are not exchanged for one or the other, and the child takes the last name of the parent who has the higher prestige or class status. Mixed children (where one parent is an offworlder) will always take the name of their Nassoran parent, although this fluctuates depending on where the family is settled and how closely tied they are to Nassoran culture.

The notion of ‘blood’ ancestry is not necessarily biological either. Oftentimes, close families are seen as part of the extended family. Family friends virtually adopt each other into their system of kinship. It is not uncommon for families to adopt a recent orphan of a family friend. In this instance, the distinction between the adopted and biological child are virtually nonexistent.

Within the nuclear family, wife and husband both hold significant roles in order to keep the household functioning. This more egalitarian system meant that gender roles, stereotypes, and ideology were much less pervasive in a person’s identity. Other identifiers like class status and Blessed status feature more prominently than a person’s gender.

As a system, kinship is one of the most important social groups one is a part of. In many ways, kinship dominates a person’s social life. Large family gatherings and dinners are common. Festivities and holidays together are mostly with family. While friends are an important part of a person’s life, family is by far the most dominant feature. Because of this, the family is often involved with marriage. Families spend much time nagging and helping members find proper partners to build a life with. For the most part, same-sex marriage was easily integrated, as the understanding of gender in Nassora is much more fluid and not a prominent identifier for the people.

What is most contested in the realm of kinship is the importance of children and marrying off-worlders. The large feature of family means that legacy and continuing the descent line is invaluable to the family. Passing down traditions and one’s gifts is part of the process of life. To not want children, adopted or through labor, seems impossible. Miscegenation (in this case, to off-worlders) is also harshly stigmatized. Nassora’s history with off-worlders created a common belief that off-worlders are untrustworthy and will abuse you. After opening up and joining the Republic, Nassora’s stigma and miscegenation continuously comes into conflict with changing ideals of the youth as mingling with off-worlders becomes more and more common. The era of the Empire forced Nassorans to face growing intersections with other species, forcing marriage norms to change alongside changing understandings of race.

Gender and Sexuality:

Nassoran understanding of both gender and sexuality are quite fluid, unlike the rigid binaries seen in many other planets. Bilineal descent and fluid division of labor meant that gender roles were not emphasized. In turn, understanding of gender has a lack of gender norms and therefore, lack of gender ideologies. It isn’t uncommon to see women and men owning land, depending on prestige (emphasis on age and Blessing). Because gender norms are lacking, the emergence of gender fluidity was accepted very easily. Unlike in other cultures, gender doesn’t play a significant role in a person’s status, nor does it play a significant role in someone’s identity. In Nassu, gender identifiers describe a person as either ‘female leaning’ (ten), ‘male leaning’ (tan), and ‘neutral leaning’ (zong). Because of the fluidity of gender, sexuality is also very fluid. Words identifying someone’s sexual preferences do not exist in Nassu, meaning that partners of any gender are acceptable.

Sexuality is also not defined in Nassoran culture. While it is understood that females have the reproductive system, adoption as another form of creating a family means that pregnancy is not emphasized as much. Polygamy and polyandry were common when horticulture was the dominant way of life (contained mostly in the Southern Plains), as sharing land among a community was more common. Marriages were the most common way to secure ties to land. To this day, communities still practice polyamory and the government recognizes it as a legitimate form of marriage.

Religion:

The religion that the vast majority of Nassorans follow is called 栓神教 (shuangshenjiao), or shenism in Basic. Nassoran’s religious beliefs are intrinsic and powerful, and play a significant role in how Nassorans connect with the world.

Nassora’s religious beliefs are very based around this fundamental idea: the universe is a dynamic cycle of energy between two imposing realms; the spirit world and the mortal world. The movement of energy/qi creates the dynamic flow of life and death from one realm to the other. Equilibrium between these two realms is ideal for prosperous lives and a healthy world.

Spirits and Immortals- A Look at the Mythology of Shenism

Shenism creationist story is similar to many other religions as a creation from chaos type. For eternity, the universe was filled with Chaos, a mere abyss. The four Shangshen, who lived within the Chaos, gained enough power to harness the Chaos into energy, forming it into the two realms that are vaguely denoted as the “sky” and the “earth”, though these descriptions are not necessarily accurate. The Mortal World, or the “earth”, and the Spirit World, or the “sky”, began a back and forth ebb and flow as the chaotic energy embeds itself into the foundations of both realms. Mythology predicts the eventual breakdown of qi back into chaos as balance is lost, before being harnessed again. This cyclical cycle of chaos and cosmos is unique to Shenism.

Shenism mythology uses Spirits (神) and Immortals (仙) as dieties. The jobs of the Spirits are to maintain proper flow of energy (qi) through the two realms. Immortals are former humans that gave up their mortality to help the Spirits work efficiently. While the two types of dieties seem very similar, Immortals differ from Spirits by controlling the complex weavings of qi within man-made society. Spirits focus on the natural world instead.

The story that follows the Creation story is of Huangwei (皇位), the first Immortal. At birth, Huangwei had immense powers to manipulate his surroundings. At age 24, he set on a quest of enlightenment and self-actualization. On his journey, he united all parts of the world, and at the end of his journey, ascended to immortality as he connected to the spirit worlds. He opened a large bridge between the Mortal and Spirit Worlds, bringing a time of peace and prosperity.

As an Immortal, Huangwei became Huangdi, and is one of the most important figures in Shenism mythology. Huangdi is the tie between the two realms and grants mortals supernatural powers that mirror his to help guide Spirits. Oftentimes, Blessed under Huangdi are often recruited as shamans, working as Spirit guides during festivals and important religious ceremonies.

The four main Spirits (Shangshen 上神) that guide the movement of energy are as follows:

Dragon Spirit (龙神): In power during the Spring, the Dragon harkens the beginning of the year with growth and a clean slate. Unlike dragons in other religions, the Nassoran Dragon is deeply tied to water and its vital part to the cycle of life. During its height of power, the Dragon blesses the land, starting the cycle of growth physically shown with the rising temperature and blooming flowers. The dormant energy of the turtle goes from ice to water. The Dragon’s temple is in the East, right next to the coast.

The Dragon also begins blessing children with strength and flexibility. Children blessed and confirmed by the Dragon’s largest temple are known to be very malleable to hard situations, and are often strong warriors.

Phoenix Spirit(凤凰神): The Phoenix follows the Dragon, moving into summer. Unlike the dragon, the Phoenix is represented by fire and energy. The Phoenix continues the flow of energy as crops begin growing. The energy must be in constant motion in order for the proper flow of light, dark, and rain to produce the best crops. The Phoenix’s temple is in the north, nestled in a small cropping of mountains to the west of the ___ River.

Blessed children of the Phoenix Spirit are known to be graceful and clever. They often take on more creative jobs. Blessed of the Phoenix Spirit are the most likely to be found in multiple realms of jobs, as their defining traits are malleable for many fields.

White Tiger Spirit (白老虎神): The White Tiger brings harvest season. During this time, the fiery energy begins to settle as the temperature cools. The energy flow goes into an ebb, as the White Tiger begins to regulate it after the Phoenix. During this time, families and groups come together to celebrate the good harvest, or pray for a better harvest the next year. Oftentimes, the White Tiger is seen as the ‘judgement spirit’, as a bad harvest signifies that the spirits are angry, and are punishing the mortals. The White Tiger Temple is in the west, deep in the Wang mountains (王山).

Children blessed by the White Tiger are known to be passionate and morally inclined. Most of these blessed children become public servants or work on bettering the lives of other people, though some who are more academically inclined go into research and university work.

Tortoise Spirit (乌龟神): The end of the harvest season brings winter. The Tortoise Spirit brings the energy to a dormant state, where it allows the world to settle down and recuperate. The winter season is a time of stillness and retreat. The Tortoise Spirit Temple resides in the southernmost tip of the continent

Children Blessed by the Tortoise Spirit are known to be level headed and determined. They can be stubborn at times, or be stalwart figureheads to help support people around them. Tortoise Blessed either enter very stable jobs or enter very fluid jobs, where they act as the center.

There are plenty of other spirits, but they all are minor compared to these four. These spirits are called xiaoshen (小神). Other spirits work with the Four shangshen during their height of power alongside Immortals. These spirits are also seen as animals, and have smaller shrines connected to the larger shangshen temples. Individual families may also have altars for these xiaoshen as personal spirits that watch over their household and family members. The concept of malevolent spirits does not exist within Shenism. Spirits have duties to push and pull the energy that binds the universe together. As a core understanding, balance must also mean that both good and bad exist. Spirits that bring famine and war, while bring bad events, must be treated with respect in order to keep the universe in balance. Mistreatment could lead to malformation of the spirit and may cause more harm than good.

Beliefs, Values, and Real Life Repercussions-

A core understanding of Nassoran religion is balance. There must be balance within all aspects of life: between duty and personal ambitions, family and individual desires, selfish and selfless. The best and most well-rounded people are those who can balance all aspects of their life and live within the middle. To Nassorans, unbalance in one aspect of life should be noted and rectified. Unfortunately, the first off-worlders were lacking in balance, and refused to change. To this day, Nassorans still look down on off-worlders as unbalanced and therefore lesser. Understanding of off-worlders shifted to be more complex over time, but the sentiment stands the test of time.

Daily prayer is not common in Shenism. Nassorans practice Shenism through their actions and thoughts. The Blessings of the Spirits are everywhere, and therefore everything should be cherished from the smallest ant to the most important of people and objects. However, it is common to see small altars within a familial compound for a family spirit that protects the family from harm. Nassorans will pray when life-changing events happen, such as marriage or birth, and during the Season Festivals.

The four Shangshen enter and exit the Mortal realm at the end of a season. For each changing of Spirit, Nassorans celebrate the work the previous spirit has done and hope for the next Spirit’s prosperity to begin. The names of each festival are as follows: Spring’s End (春尾节), Summer’s End (夏尾节), Autumn’s End (秋尾节), and Winter’s End (冬尾节). All four Temples will be open for prayers, and on sunset of Season’s End, the four temples will simultaneously ring their temple bells, opening their realm to the Spirits. In the Huangdi temple, disciples will begin the Ritual of Bridges in order to facilitate easy change of hands. It lasts from sunset to dusk, when the full moon appears.

Festivities start the week before the public Ritual, filled with food and family. If a family is unable to travel to the four large temples for prayer, they will usually congregate at a local temple or within their own homes. During the ritual, families meditate, hoping to connect with the spirits as they pass by.

Special delicacies are eaten specifically for certain festivals. Winter’s End: sticky rice, congee, warm chicken broth. Spring’s End: fruit deserts, rice balls, chicken’s feet. Summer’s End: sesame treats, spicy noodles, sugar hair. Autumn’s End: apple cider, cake pastry (aka moon cakes), bamboo wrapped rice.

A major part of Nassoran religion is the connection between mortal and spirits. Blessed children are Nassorans blessed by the Shangshen, lending them a unique connection to the world that shapes their personality. The Blessed are designated by their tattoos. While designs are up to families and the Blessed child, the color of the tattoos are fixed. Yellow for the Dragon. Red for the Phoenix. White for the White Tiger. Black for the Tortoise. The only other people with Blessed tattoos are those blessed by the Huangdi. These children have black and white tattoos, and are the only ones whose tattoos also show up on their bodies like the hands and feet, signifying their unique connection to the Qi.

Though Blessed face lots of opportunities, it can become limiting, as not all Blessed fit into these personality boxes organized by spirit. However, Blessed also have a unique position in society, where they are usually held to a higher standard and are thought of more highly in general, even though they only make up a small portion of the population (37%). This created a unique set of prestige within Nassoran culture. Status is often determined by whether or not one is Blessed, even if merits also play a significant role in gaining prestige as well.

Shenism plays a significant part in establishing the foundations of the Jedi Religion. Much of the basic principles of the Jedi such as the Force and Balance can be traced back to Shenism. Use of the Force has ties to Shenist Monks following Huangdi, who would use their deep connection to Qi (or the Force) for rituals. Even the lightsaber can be traced back to Nassoran weapons, though the significance of the lightsaber and kyber crystal are different. Although the Jedi Religion has changed significantly since Nassora isolated itself, the two religions are still deeply entwined together. Within the 200 years that Nassora was in Republic jurisdiction, Jedi re-established relations with Shenism, encouraging pilgrimages to Shenist temples for younglings as a way to educate them on the beginnings of Jedi religions. This tie with the Jedi meant that it wasn’t uncommon for Jedi consulars to oversee any diplomatic work between Nassora and other planets.

Unfortunately, when the Clone Wars began, relations between Shenists and Jedi began to fray as the Jedi became generals in a war. Shenists berated the group for turning their back on the spiritual, warning of their lack of balance within the qi/Force. Nassora’s secession from the Republic didn’t help the situation. By the time the Clone Wars was coming to an end, Nassorans lost much of their respect and trust of the Jedi.

If you have gotten to the very end, wow. Thank you for taking the time to read this very lengthy post!

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