EV Versus Real Life
From Elan Vital Wiki
As somebody who exists on Earth in the year 2009, you the player have been formed as a person by the world around you. Society instills different values, habits and ways of life into all of us, often without us even realizing. A lot of these fundamental truths we take for granted in today's real life society don't apply in Elan Vital, however, as Titania is a very different city from any you've ever seen.
This page exists to provide a brief primer to the differences, both biological and ideological, so that you can take the theme fully into account when deciding on your character's beliefs and nature. Consider this a quick introduction to Elan Vital's world!
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Overview
Titania is a seven-hundred-year-old settlement on the planet of Voltumnus, at the far end of the Milky Way Galaxy. It was colonized by a ship from the Terran Empire, the Starfall, bringing animal/plant DNA, a vast array of resources, and a small army of settlers to find a new world. Their fifty-year journey ended on a planet that seemed beautiful and pristine, but proved to be exceptionally dangerous. Strange animals with inexplicable powers stalked Voltumnus's woods, able to do things describable by no other term than magic, and seemingly unendingly hostile.
The colony, though buffeted by continual and repeated attacks, managed to not only survive but grow. The two factions that arrived on the ship, the noble Houses of Stocklin and Petakova, formed settlements on either side of the Whiterush River and called their loosely united city Titania. As the centuries progressed, Petakova focused on agriculture and livestock, whereas Stocklin focused on hard science. This divide was exacerbated when humans began to manifest the same magical powers as the beasts- powers that interacted negatively with electronics.
As the centuries passed, Petakova became the home of these magicians (called Celestians), and Stocklin the home of technology. The two halves of the city evolved a division of labor, existing in a somewhat tense cooperation while banding together to fight the beasts outside. Though the attacks were inventive and brutal, the human population continued to grow and thrive.
In the 709 AT, humanity faced the crumbling of an unprecedented 16-year peace, during which the city had grown softer and more relaxed. The mysteries of their eternal war, the Celestians' powers and their entire world became more and more apparent, highlighted by the beasts' uncanny intelligence and multiple archaeological finds.
There would not be enough time to uncover the answers in peace, however. In early 710, a massive army of multiple beasts struck the city, killing the vast majority of its entire population in the Winter Massacre. The survivors huddled together in the Starfall, and are only just beginning to eke out a new world. How society and culture will be changed by these happenings is yet to be seen...
For more information on the history of Titania, see Timeline and History of Titania.
Biology
Human Lifespan
To start with, the average life span of a citizen of Titania has hovered around 70 in the previous decades. However, that includes all of the individuals who died very young fighting the beasts. The average age of death from old age is actually closer to 120, due to genetic modifications and improvements done across the entire range of humanity in the age of the Terran Empire; the longest-lived Titanian citizen of all time died at the age of 144. People age more slowly, as this would suggest, and are typically a bit stronger, smarter, faster and hardier than today's humanity. For more data on the genetic modifications done to humanity in both the past and present, see Genetic Modification.
Flora and Fauna
Voltumnus is a mix of both Voltumnus-native and Earth-native animals, brought over in the Starfall. Several well-known animals such as squirrels and horses had their DNA corrupted during transit, and so do not exist on Voltumnus. However, you can typically assume most livestock and common animals of Earth do exist in Titania, side by side with many native species. For more data on Voltumnus-native species, see the Bestiary category. For more data on the overall animal life in Titania, see Animals.
Society
Values
Above all, Titania is a civilization that values practicality. This almost ruthless mindset is a result of the near-annihilation the Titanians faced at the hands of the beasts multiple times throughout their history. The need to remain solvent as a society triumphs most concerns of individual rights and happiness, and duty is a concept with strong meaning to Titanians. This manifests most obviously in a social pressure to be an acceptable parent, either by your own reproduction or by raising fostered children, and to pursue a career that is helpful to the society. Individuals who do not do these things may well find themselves shunned- and feel guilt themselves, having internalized the norms of the society. For more information, see Society.
Post-Massacre this tendency has only increased. Individuals who do not contribute by working in the rebuilding of the city will likely find themselves denied rations.
Religion
Though there are individuals who practice various Earth religions, they have in general dropped off considerably from the levels we see today. A Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Jew on EV would be mostly tolerated, though perhaps met with quizzical surprise or even ignorance about their beliefs. Some individuals may be hostile, but they would likely be in a small minority.
By far the most popular religion in Titania is Lunism, the belief that Voltumnus's moon Pomona harbors a goddess who bestows the power of Celestianism on her chosen ones. This religion has its basis in the poorly understood link between Celestian power and the moon, as well as centuries of mysterious visions related to the White Lady, as the Lunists call their goddess. For more information, see Religion.
Sexuality
Sexuality is not seen as a tremendously big deal and gay marriage is legal; however, Titania subscribes to the idea that the purpose of a married unit is the raising of children. Typically, stable homosexual partners adopt, being seen as good candidates for accepting children from individuals deemed unfit to parent by the state, as they have no children of their own to get in the way. However, if the couple has enough money to afford artificial insemination or surrogate procedures, this is considered an acceptable alternative to adoption. Couples who neither adopt nor have children, heterosexual or homosexual, are often shunned and considered lax in their duties. Birth control is looked down upon, expensive though available, and abortion is an actual crime unless necessary to save the woman's life; women who find themselves pregnant with unwanted children are strongly urged to bring the child to term, then sign them over to Titania's robust fosturing system. For more information, see Family Life.
Class Structure
Pre-710, Titania had a rigid, legally-defined class structure, divided into commoners and nobles. Nobility was a five-tier institution, the ranks in order being: Essen, Luten, Manda, Hapta, Amera. An individual was either born noble, by being the child of a noble of rank Luten or above, or elected into the ranks of nobility during their lifespan. This election usually was based on magical power in Petakova, scientific aptitude in Stocklin, and general intelligence and/or capability in both. Nobles had certain rights that commoners do not; they can vote for the Ameras, the leaders of Petakova and Stocklin, and serve on juries in trials. They also could demand respect from commoners, as their rank is a sign of merit. For more information, see Society.
Post-710, Petakova and Stocklin have combined into a single entity, House Titania. Due to scarcity of trained personnel, the rank of Manda is gone, and there are only two Hapta seats. The same methods of gaining nobility currently apply, but the criteria for House Titania is pure intelligence/capability in any relevant field rather than scientific aptitude or magical power. The line between nobles and commoners has weakened somewhat, as many nobles no longer have last names that single them out and all citizens may vote for the Amera.
Fine Arts
The Fine Arts- music, painting, acting and the like- are considered low-brow and inappropriate pursuits as careers due to their lack of concrete contribution to the survival of Titania. This attitude is perhaps slightly less entrenched in Petakova, but in both sides of the city, such occupations are only acceptable in society's eyes as hobbies. Individuals who insist on pursuing them as a way of life are often marginalized. Writing is somewhat of an exception, due to the fact that most writers in Titania also do practical work- and the technology-less Petakovans have to have *something* to entertain themselves. However, it's still far from a glamorous career. For more information, see Society.
Law
Civil Rights
Civil rights are far from a priority in the Titanian society. Many of the freedoms we take for granted are not at all expressly given to the Titanian populace; there is no right to assembly or to free speech, for example, though the government will only crack down on things it deems considerably dangerous. Individuals cannot be imprisoned indefinitely without trials.
Government
Pre-710, the two halves of Titania, Petakova and Stocklin, were each ruled over by an Amera. The Ameras were elected by majority vote of every noble member of their appropriate House. The Ameras had more powers than are granted to the President of the US, though they did not command the Titania Militia; that was the job of the General most of the time, and he officially reported to the High Council. Laws were passed for each half of the city by the five-man team of the four Haptas and the Amera, combining the legislative and executive branches. The Judiciary Department did occasionally review these laws; however, the principles laid down in Titania's constitution reserve *more* power to the state than the state tries to seize for itself these days, government having relaxed from its basically totalitarian hold of the colony's early years.
Post-710, the Unity Government Act was written to develop a more streamlined system. A single Amera rules the whole city, with the aid of two Haptas, and is now the official final authority for the Militia. The High Council is mostly a body of advisors empowered to vote on specific issues, rather than an entirely separate system unrelated to the Amera. More checks and balances guard the power of the government officials in the Act, but there are fewer officials and fewer layers of complexity.
War
Titania's attitude towards combat is far more pragmatic than today's society. A large percentage of the populace knows how to fight, either with handguns (in Stocklin) or various melee weapons (in Petakova). Over 5% of the colony's population is in the Militia, which is always recruiting more individuals, although the continual war that has besieged the colony since landing has been in a state of peace since 693 AT only recently beginning to ebb. However, there is plenty of recognition of war's dangers. Soldiers are given regular psychiatric evaluations and treatment, as well as thorough medical care.
Post-710, all individuals are being urged to develop combative skills, as the line between civilian and soldier is even more finely drawn than before the Massacre.
Crime
Titanian's laws about crime are considerably strict. Crimes against other individuals result in fines, and- if violent- jail time; crimes against property result in fines and community service; crimes against society may result in all three. Violent crime is punished particularly severely, as are any crimes that could imbalance the society. However, death is a rarely given punishment due to the desire to keep population numbers up; only the most severe of crimes merit lethal injection or exile from Titania, a death sentence in and of itself. Sterilization is also sometimes used, for individuals who have been deemed too dangerous to pass on their genes. For more information, see Titanian Laws.
Day-to-Day Life
Medical Care
All medical care is paid for by the government in Titania. Individuals need only show up at a hospital to be treated, whatever their illness. However, anyone who shows up at a Stocklin hospital for inpatient care and blood drawing will have their DNA sampled and put on record, and injuries such as gunshot wounds will have the Titania Militia alerted immediately. Long-term treatment, disease and poisoning are often handled in Petakova, as the biomancers can deal with such things more efficaciously than Stocklin's medicine; trauma, surgery and other technology-reliant procedures are handled in Stocklin.
Fatality rates are markedly higher in Petakova due to the lack of instant communication to summon ambulances.
Technology
There is an incredible divide between the two halves of the city in terms of technology, as Petakova has nothing electrical within its walls. This results in a curious blend of steam technology, gas-burning stoves, ice boxes with actual ice and animal power to keep the city running, as well as imported products from Stocklin and clever civil engineering. Stocklin, however, has futuristic technology that has outpaced our own today. The distance is not extreme, however, due to much of the Empire's advanced technology being lost in the early war-fraught years of the colony. For more information on Stocklin's technology, see Science and Technology.
Post-710, magic and technology are finally living side by side in the Arcology.
