Life on Voltumnus
From ElanVital
This page exists to give a basic rundown of the differences between Life on Voltumnus and the world you're used to - Earth (probably America!) in the 2010s. There's a lot more information in the links contained on this page, if you want to examine the topics presented below in-depth.
Contents |
Overview
A terrible war two decades in the past, Titanian society looks somewhat reminiscent of the 1960s - a conservative adult generation forged by suffering, death and total dedication to victory now facing the rise of a younger generation that does not even remember war. In the 18 years since the Peace of 693, Titanian society has privatized, expanded and slid from utilitarianism into luxury; the changes that lie on the horizon now may be even greater...
Recent History explains the events since 680 AT in a little more detail.
Biology
Humans on Voltumnus are still Homo sapiens, but genetic modification has had its benefits. The average Voltumunan human is stronger and smarter than the average of today. The average age of death from natural causes is 120, and the rest of the human lifespan has been similarily extended; women hit menopause around 60, and can often bear children with no extra risk of birth defects or complications up to the age of 50.
Most children in Titania are screened for genetic defects pre-birth and a good many are able to be corrected in the womb. Cancer is curable if caught early enough, and new body parts can be grown from individuals' stem cells to replace the old.
For more information on the full range of possibilities, check out Genetic Modification and Science and Technology.
Society
Voltumnan society is more caste-based than most players will expect, especially in Titania itself. Nobility are considered as being objectively superior individuals in some way, though not everyone buys into the propaganda.
Most aspects of society differ widely based on location. Titania is driven by the frenzied political world of the nobility, where fashion trends change every six months and finding the Next Big Thing is many socialites' dream. In this rarefied world, money and status are everything, and woe to those who have neither.
Fort Solomon, on the other hand, is far more egalitarian. Those few nobles who live there tend to be extremely wealthy eccentrics who simply enjoy the tropical weather. Society is free-wheeling, and it's the captains of ships and officers in the Navy who are often given the most deference.
Charon too is more egalitarian through sheer poverty. The frontier city is dominated by soldiers and their families, possessing even fewer nobles than Fort Solomon. The society is strongly influenced by the Sessuyan camp nearby, making it the most tolerant of Titania's major settlements.
Education
All of the settlements have the same school system: all students enroll in the same type of school 1-14, then attend different schools from the ages of 14-18 depending on their future career paths. High academic achievers are prepared for university careers, while those with a professional talent may well focus less on broader learning and more on job preparation.
The University of Titania, Voltumnus's one source for higher education, offers four main types of degree: professional degrees in various fields such as journalism and accounting, bachelor's degrees as introductory study in an academic field, master's degrees for highly demanding academic work and doctorates for research-based academic programs.
Family Life
Starting a family is an important priority on Voltumnus, encouraged strongly by social convention. Any two consenting adults can be married, regardless of gender; polygamy is not legal. Titania has a robust fostering/adoption system to handle unwanted children, and it is common for homosexual couples to adopt (though methods exist similar to today for those of means to have children of their own). Abortion is legal and generally accepted, but some groups hate it and decry it as evil, similar to today.
Law and Government
Titania's government is a lot less directly informed by the wishes and will of the people. The High Council holds basically complete power of the government; it consists of only an Amera (chief executive elected by vote of all adult citizens from nobles of Luten rank or higher), the two Haptas that lead House Stocklin and House Petakova, a Representative of the People elected by all citizens, and the Field Marshal of the Titania Militia.
The High Council votes on all legislation that is submitted, with policies drafted by the Lutens and Essens who run the government's various Bureaus. They also set general policy for the city by preparing a yearly budget.
Science and Technology
Technology on Titania is noticeably more advanced than today's, but centuries of war have caused some progress to be lost - in some areas, Titania is behind the Terran Empire that settled it.
Modern-day technology such as projectile weaponry and cars exists side by side with laser guns and hovercars. In many cases it's a question of what's suited to the situation - projectile weapons are great for individuals who may be out in the wild, away from easy maintenance, and hovercars are far better than normal wheeled vehicles on the rough terrain of the frontier.
Datapads, small personal electronics that combine all the functions of a cell phone with a full-fledged computer, are ubiqituous. Many public places such as libraries have monitor banks and keyboards to plug datapads into for serious work, rather than separate computers of their own. Desktop computers are so incredibly powerful that they tend to be reserved for extremely processor-intensive supercomputing tasks.
Everyday Life
So what's everyday life like in...
Titania
Your average adult citizen of Titania lives in a comfortable house with one bedroom and one bathroom per resident. They work 45 or so hours a week at a career that required only a professional degree from the University or no degree at all. They're not rich, but they have all they need to get by day-to-day unless they try to keep up with the nobles' games of oneupmanship. They probably have 2 or 3 children, one car, and no family pet, though if they do have a pet cats and dogs remain the most common.
Fort Solomon
Your average adult citizen of Fort Solomon lives in a noticeably smaller house or apartment than a Titanian, and may well share a bathroom. They work 40 hours a week or so at a job that requires no degree and is likely oriented towards the sea - sailing, fishing, etc. They could definitely stand to have more money, and may live paycheck to paycheck. They have 1 or 2 children, probably rely on public transportation, and don't keep a pet.
Charon
Your average adult citizen of Charon lives in a house somewhere between the sizes common to Fort Solomon and Titania, but who cares how big it is because they're covered in dust. They work 50 hours a week or so, and likely in some capacity related to the Militia. Their paycheck is adequate, helped out by the fact they are likely younger than the average residents in the other cities and thus without families to support. They are likely to keep a large dog or other such tough pet for company.
