Esper Culture

From SCross

( In-game viewable version: '+wiki Esper Court 1' )

Introduction

The Esper Court is perhaps the smallest ‘true’ nation in the entire world. A haven for almost anything both friendly to Gaia and the Spirit Court, and uncomfortable within the world of mortals, the Esper Court’s homeland within the Esper Forest has been viewed by most of the outside world as a strange, incomprehensible and forbidding place for as long as can be remembered. The citizens of the Court’s view and love of their homeland is entirely the opposite however, and the sense of self and purpose shared by most there is comparable to, if not greater than that of the larger nations of the world, especially with the more recent events of their long history forcing them to become even closer and more reliant on one another.

Other Esper Enclaves

Of all the enclaves of Espers scattered about Gaia the Esper Forest is quite probably the largest by far. However, there are innumerable other places all over the planet where the faerie live, either openly or in hiding, and usually there are a great many similarities between their cultures and that of the Esper Forest; though they are mostly ( but not always, sometimes following on a voluntary basis ) independent from the rule of the forest's monarch, and the smaller habitations tend more towards anarchic society than proper government. It is also rare for these enclaves to interact with one another and there are no known treaties or agreements between them, though it is not unheard of for one enclave to answer another's appeal for help, or simply to receive foreign faerie visitors.

Religion and Beliefs

The exact faith of the Esper nation is somewhat lacking in definition, and rather than being a proper ‘religion’ is more of a common set of beliefs mostly shared by those who call themselves members of the court.

The most well known among these beliefs is the infamous ‘Mortal – Esper Pact’, an agreement signed by both mortals and Espers after a terrible war during the new world’s early history. This pact declares, in its simplest form, that no Mortal may ever command an Esper, or any Esper command a Mortal. Thus, in theory, the two parties should leave each other alone, considering the only thing the Esper people seem to want is for the mortal civilisation to keep its pollution out of their rather small home territory. The pact has in many ways been the guide to the court for as long as many can remember, and the root of its rather isolationist policies. As the Esper race originated from the forest and at the time were nearly all involved in the war, despite their now being scattered all about Gaia, it is exceptionally rare to find any faerie enclave that does at the absolute least know of it.

In recent times, with the disappearance of the 'Grand Summoner', the Great Pact ( a higher agreement forged between the High Spirits and Humanity and on which the Mortal - Esper Pact hinged ) failed. As such, the spiritually binding nature of the Mortal - Esper Pact is now null, and technically, all are quite free to ignore it. All the same, however, longer standing fae cultures such as the court of the Esper Forest have built their civilisations on the Mortal - Esper Pact, laid them out as a way of life, or used them as a foundation for government and law. As such, remarkably few of the various fae enclaves have ceased to follow the Mortal - Esper Pact, besides perhaps adjusting certain aspects of it to suit their needs. Notably, the court of the Esper Forest itself has barely shifted its position concerning the Mortal - Esper Pact, following and enforcing it within their borders and among their people as always, even if it is no longer magically maintained.

Other beliefs include the belief in Gaia as an independent deity and obeisance to her will for better or for worse, and subservience to the Spirit Court whom the Esper Court supposedly serves. Both of these have resulted, after almost a thousand years, in a further belief that the home forest is also of great significance, and the Esper Courts guard and tend it with all the jealousy of a parent.

Spiritual Leaders

Again, as the Espers do not have a proper, structured religion as do most mortal cultures, they also have no ecclesiastical structure, or clergy. However no religion, no matter how disorganised, can be completely without people who stand at its fore, and so the Espers do have their priests. Not always Espers themselves, but always the closest thing possible to an expert in the traditions and culture of their people, the priests, priestesses, shamans and druids of the fae courts are generally seen as figures of lore and skill in all things that are 'of the fae'; from rituals, to dealing with spirits, to simple herbalism and folk-lore.

Some of these people even possess the knowledge and capability to perform marriage, perhaps having at one time been a part of the church, stumbled up on it in their own learnings, learned from Barbarian style marriages, or any number of other sources. As such, while many fae may choose to marry under a priest of the All Father, especially those marrying Imperial citizens, the nature of marriage performed within Esper culture can vary wildly according to the preferences of the prospective spouses, and the learnings of the person actually marrying them.

Magicyte, Death, And Beyond

When an Esper dies, they are transformed wholly into a magical stone that is known by mortals as 'Magicyte'. The Esper Court has different names, and although some do opt to use the Imperial term, others call this stone their 'body', 'corpse', and sometimes even 'soul', as it is all that will ever remain of an Esper after their death. Espers do not reincarnate as mortals do, and many believe that either their soul is locked away within their Magicyte, or that it simply disappears, ceases to exist. Magicyte can take on many forms, often dictated by its home atwa, but most usually takes on the shape of an irregular crystal, varying in size, and coloured after a hue that was close to its owner in life.

Magicyte contains all of the powers that its formative Esper possessed. Anyone holding an Esper's Magicyte may thus harness this magical capability, either allowing them to use the powers held within the stone directly, or through some other means. Understandably however, the Esper Court views the employment of Magicyte to any end, except under very special circumstances, to be an act of sacrilege, very much akin to necromancy. In recent years this view has been validated by the Holy Church of the All Father, and so Magicyte's use is now deemed heresy under its law - a decision that has found the Church much favour in fae eyes, though perhaps left Emperor Elliot none too pleased to be banned from expanding the ranks of his Magitech Knight generals. One can expect swift retribution should they be found using Magicyte ( or even carrying it, should they not immediately render it unto a representative of the Court ).

Until recently, the Esper Court's usual practice was to bury the Magicyte of its passed Espers in a special place within the Forest, a graveyard. Their hope in doing this was that, though it may take millennia, perhaps someday through being buried close to Gaia the souls might slip free of the Magicyte and permeate back into the lifestream to reincarnate. Thanks to the recent violations committed by Emperor Elliot during his attempted genocide however, the graveyard has been cleared. Many outside the Forest with cause to consider such things have rumoured it was destroyed in some ceremony rather than risk any more being stolen and desecrated in such unholy rites as were practised upon the ancient pieces stolen by the Emperor. Whether this is true, or if the Magicyte has simply been buried elsewhere or moved to somewhere safe for the time being the Espers refuse to let on - indeed, few below the Court's highest ranks even know themselves.

Traditions and Laws

The traditions of the court, although often without name or structure, are one of the most central aspects of the culture. In fact, tradition is one of the most important things to the governing of the Esper Court and the lives of its people. Rather than a set of laws, rulings and legislature, the forest more often than not runs upon the many traditions, precedents and stories firmly ingrained upon its people. Who is to be respected and obeyed, welcomed or shunned, hidden from or fought against, punished or rewarded, and so on. It is exceptionally rare for such rules to ever be changed in relation to more than a single person and their actions.

Government

The Esper King or Queen's word is law. However, this does not mean they rule alone, and often a Monarch will convene a council. At these councils, they will raise for discussion any subject that may require address, and although only Commoners ( and occasionally the more highly regarded Retainers ) and above may express their opinions, often mortals be they Retainers or visitors will be invited to spectate. Such 'open' councils will normally convene within one of the Esper Forest's many clearings; however should a council meet to discuss a more sensitive subject not for mortal ears, then it will do so within the confines of the Esper Castle's Courthall. Even the Retainers may not bear witness to these secretive meetings, and sometimes a Commoner may also be blocked from entry - though not without reason.

Mortal - Faerie Relations

In addition to the Mortal - Esper Pact, the Esper Court has, as one of its few actual sets of laws an agreement with the surrounding Imperial cities to govern their relations with one another. Most specifically of all is the addition to the Pact that, although no Esper may command mortal or vice-versa, should one commit a crime on the lands of the other they will be tried under the other's laws. So, for instance, if a citizen of the Esper Forest were to act in a way that Imperial law would construe as a crime inside an Empire controlled city, and concrete evidence of such could be provided, they would be denied the sanctuary and protection of the court, its lands, and its Wardens until such a time as they have stood in an Imperial trial and accepted the punishment meted out to them, even if their actions would not have been criminal whilst inside Esper borders.

A further addendum to the Pact is that of the Retainer. A mortal or Esper may voluntarily exempt themselves from the protection of the Pact and, with the permission of the second party, declare themselves a Retainer of the other. The rank of Retainer is, socially, equal to that of a slave and under the law of the nation those they serve belong to, and thus they become the responsibility of their 'Master' ( who may be either a single person or group, such as a noble house or even a nation ). However as they are not ( as is an Imperial slave ) spiritual sinners one is ill-advised to treat them as such, and it is far better recommended to treat the Retainer as a normal servant. Also, as the position is voluntary the Retainer or Master may at any time abandon their agreement, restoring the Retainer to the protection of the Pact and resuming their previous rank and positions under the laws of their original side ( or at least the nearest possible equivalent ). Should this make them liable to punishment in some way by the laws of their home side of the Pact, then so be it. Retainers are far more common within the Esper Court, but it is not unknown for faerie to become Retainer to mortal. Usually, when a Mortal becomes a Retainer of the faerie, their 'Master' is considered to be the Esper Court itself ( see 'Retainer' in the rank list below ), but the Master can still be instead a single person or group within the Court.

With the collapse of the Great Pact, enforcement of these rules has become extremely difficult outside fae-governed lands, and many fae beings have left the courts to live among mortals, some even taking up positions of power. Even a few, younger enclaves have waived their restrictions on the positions mortals may hold. Most traditionalists and those in the enclaves still following the spirit of the Mortal - Esper Pact frown on these actions, but can do little besides watch and advise now that higher powers will not, generally, intervene.

Though frowned upon by the Pact ( as it denies worship of either side towards the other ), there are also a few rare traditions around that speak of giving offerings or petitioning the fae in the hope of receiving blessings of some form. Due to the controversial nature of such things, though they are not outlawed, the reception an offering or request will receive usually varies quite widely. Some, if tasteful and appropriate, may catch the attention of a benevolent Esper with power to give such a blessing ( perhaps a fertility aligned Esper giving some small boon to the offerer's crops ), though equally often they may simply be ignored or, where necessary, an ambassador dispatched to correct any misunderstandings and return them with polite refusal. Again, with the Great Pact's collapse, such practices have begun to slowly grow more popular.

Events

There are also few important dates within the forest calendar. Instead, almost any event of significance to Gaia, the Esper Court, or the Esper Forest no matter how small warrants some measure of celebration and, as the forest’s bounty is more than its residents have ever required, supplies for such are rarely a factor to be considered. The people of the court are not self indulgent however, something evident in the fact that few even have a terribly large number of personal effects let alone a dwelling of their own, and so although celebration may be random and relatively often, it is not without appropriate restraint. The only festival which is met by the forest with definite regularity is the Spring Festival, the celebration of new life after the wintertime. Again however the nature of this festival is often rarely set, and the habit of the court instead simply becomes one of general jubilation, liberality and celebration over this time. There is however, one more date that is marked with a huge degree of regularity. Every thousand years, the Espers and several members of the spirit court meet in the forest, where the Espers pay obeisance and have a small celebration, usually involving dancing, to reaffirm their fealty to the higher Spirit Court. This ceremony was last performed during the year 1013 AH.

In almost every Esper or fae being's life, there is a point at which they reach a kind of spiritual 'maturity'; a time when they achieve the highest point of affinity for their domain ( usually interpreted, system wise, as being the moment at which all of a character's Esper domain specials reach their maximum ranks ). Usually this maturity, when noticed, is given some small measure of celebration, rather like a particularly special birthday of sorts - though the 'mature' Esper usually does not change very noticeably. Also, curiously, it is often the case that Half-Espers reach this point of maturity a little earlier than full Espers, though the reason for this small irony remains for the most part unknown. Though another kind of spiritual maturity can be considered to have come about when an Esper discovers the focus points of their domain, this time is normally regarded with far more sombre respect and congratulation, rather than celebration of any kind.

Truenames

The concept of the 'Truename', is for the Esper Court an infamous one. Many of its members are bound by the magical law that those who properly invoke their truename, the name that refers to their very being, are able to demand a single wish that, under most circumstances, must be fulfilled. Due to this, any attempt to acquire the truename of a member of the court can result in serious repercussions, as can the having knowledge of a truename in the first place. To actually attempt to make use of such a name upon a member of the court has no law against it, but the traditional hatred of the idea among the court members could easily lead to the death of the user very soon after invocation, especially if the wish demanded is used for ill or harms the one commanded.

Usually, an Esper's truename is the name they are given at birth. This has lead to some theorising that the name is in fact connected to an Esper's soul, and in turn, that all beings have such a name, however it is only faerie, with their peculiarly 'single burn' souls, that acquire this name at birth, and all others' truenames are lost in the mists of time along with the nature of their first ever incarnation. One way or another, the fact that most of the time an Esper's truename is the name they are given at their birth has lead to a good many traditions designed to protect them from their truename simply being given out every time they introduce themselves. The most common two practices in this case are either one: to give an Esper at birth a strange and esoteric name, and then a more normal name by which they will be referred to throughout life; or two: for an Esper to introduce themselves with the name of their domain, thus protecting their identity.

Curiously however, perhaps thanks to their belief that the truename is somehow special and important to an Esper, few fae ever allow themselves or their children to simply forget their truename and be done with its threat once and for all.

Roles

Among those who are members of the court, one position is open to almost all no matter what their actual rank may be. This is the rank of Warden, the traditional protectors of the Esper Forest and its inhabitants above all else. The Wardens are a strange group, having very little structure within themselves and instead generally operating alone besides direct orders from the monarchy, with the authority to meet out all but the most extreme sentences upon those who would bring harm without need of trial or permission.

One of the most important, if not the most important, roles in the forest is that of Treasurer. Whilst in most groups the position of treasurer is a rather boring one concerned with book keeping and accounting, the Esper treasurer is one of the most enigmatic courtiers and their duties are far more significant. In addition to the rather simple tasks involved in keeping the Esper Court's finances and inventory, the Treasurer is also the holder of the key to the Esper Vault, the otherworldly storehouse of all the hidden knowledge and treasures of the Esper people - and a good many other things, wonderful, dangerous and incomprehensible, at that. As the Vault seems to exist within a world all its own, or perhaps, like the Castle, within a closed bubble of the Spirit Realm, it cannot be accessed by any other means than the gateway created by the Treasurer's key. The holder of this position rarely changes, and often the new Treasurer will be chosen and instructed ( for a very long time ) by the old. The title is currently held by the Esper Ice, whose predecessor passed so long ago they have been all but forgotten. Only the Treasurer holds the authority to access the vaults, and very good reason must be given for them to even consider allowing anyone access, even if the requester is the present Monarch - and then almost always only with the Treasurer's supervision.

Places

Within the faerie lands, there are many places that are considered to be 'special', for one reason or another, for instance the Mana Tree or the Lake. Such places, normally, are simply remembered under the traditions, however there are a few that are of such importance that they have pertaining to them some of the few laws of the Esper Court, usually regarding who may and may not enter. The punishments for infringement however, remain under traditional jurisdiction.

Deep Forest - Sometimes known to residents as 'The Deep', it is the deepest, most verdant part of the Esper Forest; its centre. Under the law, only the Nobility and above may move about this place freely. However, as long as they remember the privilege being given them and pay proper respect, then Commoners and well regarded Retainers may also enter. This is a rule extended to visitors, but only when escorted by Warden, Noble, or better. To all residents of the forest, the Deep is a sacred place, not just as the central point of the forest's life, but also for its closeness to Gaia.

Esper Castle - The Espers' sanctuary, and the residence of the Monarch and their family. The law states only Commoners and above may even know the location of the Castle's hidden entrance, let alone be given entry, and again though the Nobles will be allowed entry, only the residents and the castle's few spirit 'staff' may move freely within its walls. Commoners, generally, will also be allowed to enter the Castle, but rarely will they be allowed past its lowest floor. The punishment to anyone for revealing the location of the Castle Gate, traditionally, is severe indeed, and only once during a time of great calamity have the lower orders ever been invited inside. Generally to alert those who have no knowledge of the Castle to its existence is frowned upon also, a stance which has lead to the place developing an almost legendary status, a rumour, among mortals and those Retainers besides the very few who have ever actually seen.

Visitors

The only other well-known and recognisable traditions are those pertaining to who is generally welcome visiting the forest – with permission. Even those who would normally be welcome have a tendency to find themselves in danger should they enter too deep into the forest uninvited. However, with proper respect for the place they are visiting, both Rangers ( those mortals already in tune with the land in general, who live upon it without harm of any form ) and Summoners ( historically supporters of the forest and its residents as the favour of the Esper Court can sometimes amount to a halfway decent impression upon members of the higher Spirit Court ) often find a welcome within the fae lands. And, of course, members of other foreign Esper enclaves tend to be welcome also. Those not among these groups are generally well advised to be very polite when visiting the fae forest, announcing their wish to enter the Esper Court's dominion from just outside of the border and awaiting meeting with one of the Wardens or another of authority.

Hierarchy

The hierarchy within the court is one of the few things that is set in official law. The general expectation is that those of lower rank obey unquestioningly the orders of the Monarchy and Royalty, or anyone three or more ranks above themselves, and give general obedience except under the most unusual circumstances to those holding any rank higher than their own. These are the major ranks within the court, however each has a good few titles within, particularly at higher levels:

Monarchy

The traditional rulers of the Esper Court and Forest, only numbering up to two - a King and a Queen - no matter how many spouses the monarch may have. Their word is almost always law, however the holder of the position has a tendency to be determined by popular consent, as well as lineage. In other words, although as in a normal monarchy upon the death or abdication of the current ruler their first child is given the throne, should the new ruler for whatever reason prove themselves incapable, or the previous monarch has no immediate children of their own, then the most popular viable candidate for the throne tends to be placed there instead with the royal lineage continuing from their family line. Only an Esper may ever hold this position of course, although should the only child of the monarch be a Half-Esper then that child may be considered as a possible successor. Should the monarch for any reason lose the throne to another, then ( assuming they left the position in good grace ) they will normally take a place amongst the Higher Nobility.

Royalty

The family of the current Monarch, such as Princes and Princesses; the people to whom the throne will most probably default upon the end of the current rulers' reign.

Regency

Those who have been given the task by the Monarch of maintaining the status quo during times when the Monarch is unable to perform their duty, for whatever reason. The title of Regent is usually held by members of the royalty, but can in theory be given to any member of the Esper Court nobility.

Higher Nobility

The rank of Higher Noble is most often given to members of the nobility whose spiritual nature is particularly strong indeed. Some of the greatest Esper members of the forest have held this title. It is also given to members of the general nobility who for whatever reason have shown themselves in some way worthy.

Nobility

The position of Noble is the default title given to any pure Esper court member, in recognition of their spiritual nature. They are titled, and thus known as 'Lord' or 'Lady', however many choose not to be known so outside of official proceedings and, as opposed to in the mortal courts, few think the worse of them for it. In general, a Half-Esper who has managed to purify their spirituality to become a full Esper gains this position automatically. Only those who are of Esper nature may hold nobility, however.

Higher Commoners

A rank generally given as a mark of honour to those of Commoner position for outstanding service or loyalty to the court. It is in effect, an exceptionally minor honorary nobility, carrying little to no actual weight in any official sense. This is the highest rank that may be held by a Non-Esper.

Commoners

A rank given by default to all Half-Espers and minor spiritual beings, such as elementals, dryads and the like, who join the court. A retainer may be raised to this position to mark their long-time loyalty and/or the notability of their service to the court, however this is exceptionally rare, as it means the court is choosing to ignore tradition and the fact that the Retainer does not carry any spiritual nature of their own.

Retainers

The rank of Retainer’s closest comparison within normal hierarchy is that of ‘willing slave’. However, in reality they are much more akin to friends of the forest, purely mortal people without or with only negligible spiritual nature given the protection of the Esper Court in exchange for service, loyalty and friendship. They are expected to honour Commoner's requests, and give unquestioning obedience to the Nobility and above.

Perceptions

The perceptions of the court towards the outside world, and the perceptions of the outside world towards the court, often differ wildly from each other, both in positive and negative terms. The views of other cultures towards the Esper Court also often differ quite strongly, from the uncertainty of the Empire, to the faint respect of the Barbarian peoples.

To the Empire, the Esper Court is looked upon through a spectrum of respect, friendship, hatred and disdain. Many within the Empire remember the good wrought by those among the court and the blessings sometimes placed upon them by its members. Others in turn view their secretive and isolationist ways with mistrust, fearing them for their mystique whether their fear is warranted or not. And finally, many simply take the classically Imperial dislike of any culture or belief that differs from their own. How can any culture that doesn’t first before all else follow the teachings of the All Father possibly be a force for good in the world?

This last thought has given rise to many negative, often unfair perceptions of the court and its people, the most well known and untrue of which is the belief that the forest is a nest of decadence as many of them refuse to recognise the Holy Church of the All Father’s dictates upon relationships and marriage. But then again, who would recognise such declarations when their souls last for only one, exceptionally long span, rather than being bound together through infinite reincarnations? Of course, there are also those within the court who strongly support marriage for its deeper meanings, even at times the full teachings of the church, but few attempt to force their beliefs upon others.

The court’s perceptions of the outside world are often also rather strange. After all, it is hard for those who live happily and in harmony with Gaia to ever truly understand how any culture can bear to live in the squalor of cities such as Drominham and the Capitol City where such harm is wrought to her. As such, the people of the forest in turn look at the mortals with a mixture of pity, mistrust ( especially of late ), and on some occasions outright dislike.

Church

As far as the Esper Court’s stance towards the Holy Church of the All Father goes, few can really say for absolutely certain. Again, some believe, others disbelieve – but very few refute the fact that the Church holds power. Certainly, it’s very hard to do so when half of the forest’s population are possessed of an unreasonable fear of holy symbols, which burn them upon touch, are vulnerable to banishments by priests, and pained by the peel of church bells.

Curiously, while the Esper Court's general outlook on the Empire may have gone down a notch with Emperor Elliot's attacks, its opinion of the Church has improved a very little in turn. During the war, the Emperor used Magicyte stolen from the graveyard in the forest, processed, to create magically infused warriors to lead his armies - 'Magitech Knights'. With the Holy Church's ruling that the use of Magicyte was Necromancy after a campaign by the Espers and many of their mortal allies however, this technique was declared heresy. As such, Magicyte is now protected from desecration by Imperial law, just as are the body and soul of any mortal. As might be expected, the Espers were deeply gratified towards the Church by this act.

Technology

The Esper Court is close to Gaia, and defers to her will on most, if not all occasions. She is always answered quickly, readily, but perhaps not always happily, some obediences being painful to accept. To this end, as Gaia holds little tollerance for it, and even if the Empire has made it legal under careful scrutiny, the Esper Court still holds a very real dislike for technology. As with many things the Court and its denizens dislike however, it is not outright banned, but one would be quite silly indeed to bring a 'heretical' object within the confines of the Esper Forest without permission, and very good reason.

Atwas / Domains

Except in circumstances where a court member’s domain causes serious or continuous and costly damage, its negative aspects are treated, as far as is possible, with tolerance, sympathy and support by other members. This is due to the fact that many find it difficult to see beyond the blinkers imposed upon their perceptions by their atwa, or in fact even find themselves forced to act in certain ways or take certain beliefs by the very things they represent. Also, many Espers consider their domain to be something private and personal and, though equally many will be happy to tell others of their domain when asked, no-one should be surprised if an Esper reacts to being asked about their domain in much the same way as someone who was just asked the colour and type of their underwear.

Half-Espers

Those who are of Half-Esper nature have always been something of a difficult subject. After all, a Half-Esper by their very being endangers the Mortal - Esper Pact; not to mention is a creature born from the union of a human and one of those close to Gaia, a situation that must always be treated with care. As such, it is normally felt by both Espers and mortals that a Half-Esper may choose whether to fall under Esper, or Mortal law, but should not stray after their position is well determined. As for the perception of a Half-Esper's standing among other Espers, again there is a degree of uncertainty. In many ways, they should be a retainer, but in others they hold claim to nobility. Thus, the middle ground is taken, and Half-Esper's confused spirituality is treated as being equal to lesser spiritual beings - a Commoner. However, as in many ways a Half-Esper can spell trouble, they are in turn expected to remember what they owe the Court for taking them in, even if they are almost always treated with all the kindness and respect afforded to any other court member. Recently, some fae cultures have begun to disregard these ways, but the more traditional ones such as the court of the Esper Forest continue to enforce them as meticulously as ever.

Battle for the Forest - The Battle against Emperor Elliot's invasion ( RP log )