Farlian - Ethnicity

Farlians are people and sentient species descended from the not destroyed planet Farlia, who have now resettled on other planets and colonies including those in the Galactic Coalition.

Farlian culture is heavily influenced by a desire to keep alive their historical traditions from before their home planet was destroyed around one and a half centuries ago, as well the adaptations that have happened since the planet’s destruction and the diaspora of the surviving population.

Cultural elements from other planets and species, especially those in the Galactic coalition have also had a major effect on Farlian culture especially in areas where Farlians are the minority group. In places where Farlians have created majority Farlian settlements and colonies this outside influence is a little less prominent.

Major Farlian settlements include Tetoka Colony which is considered the capital of present Farlian culture and self-governance with their being part of the Galactic coalition as the capital of the Farlian Alliance, a group of Farlian majority colonies and settlements that have banded together to get coalition recognition.

Social structure

Kinship

Family is very important in Farlian culture, with family members often being the only thing they had left after the destruction of their home planet. This has led to family, familial respect, and ancestor worship all being key parts of Farlian culture with those who turn their backs on family being seen as untrustworthy and bad.

Extended family is also a big part of Farlian culture, with families being grouped into extended clan networks that often can trace their genealogy back to survivors of the destruction of the farlian home planet, with some able to trace back further. These clan networks allow members to have a safety net if things go wrong and a web of connections that they can call upon for favors. Marrying people of the same clan is extremely taboo and all clan members, regardless of distance, are seen as family members.

Genealogy and genetics are often discussed during courtship to make sure that the couple are not related or have to worry about passing on any severe genetic diseases. This is quite common for Farlian culture, even in more assimilated groups as it is seen as more of a medical necessity for them than a cultural practice.

Pregnancy & Infanthood

Pregnancy and Infancy are important milestones in Farlian culture, being especially important as a continuation of the family line and Farlian culture. It is common for children to be given a name similar -but not exactly- to those of deceased family members, giving the exact same name is considered inappropriate and causes misfortune. It is also common for new born children to be given an item that belonged to an older family member, typically a grandparent, as a sign of good fortune.

Architecture

Most historic, pre-Planet destruction, styles of Farlian architecture have been lost mostly when it comes to the layout of buildings and houses. Due to many Carolina’s having to build close together one room houses when starting to resettle most buildings are compact structures more likely to be built upwards than outwards.

Houses are typically laid out in a two story structure with the living, dining, and kitchen located on the bottom floor and the bedrooms located on the upper floor. In urban areas the bottom floor may also house a family business or restaurant. A front patio or courtyard may also be present. Modern buildings like apartments are also popular, with each floor being a different apartment and the bottom floor commonly being a business or storefront.

Roofs are often hipped or, in drier environments, mostly flat. Roofs are typically shingled with wood or ceramic tiles historically, modern materials are more common in the present day. Corbels and brackets are used both for structural purposes, with roofs often having an overhand that gives shelter and shade to balconies or sidewalks below, as well as decorative purposes often being carved and colorful.

Traditional Houses are typically built out of bricks, with wood often being used for the roof and corbels. Other modern materials are also used, especially for newer buildings made to be more permanent than the original refugee houses.

Fashion

For more info see: Farlian Traditional Fashion

Farlian fashion is influenced both by historic traditional fashion and a desire to continue those traditions as well as by adaptations made after the destruction of their homeworld as they adapted to their new situation and environment. 

The typical base layer is made up of a long sleeve shirt and a set of pants or a skirt, with the top and bottom typically being two different garments. Outer garments like robes or vests with open front closures, square necklines, and wide sleeves; other outer garments like a poncho like covering and more decorative aprons or waist skirts are also often worn especially for formal wear.

Traditional hairstyles typically involve having long hair tied into a high bun secured with a pin or tie. A crescent shaped hairstyle or headdress is often worn by married women for formal outfits.

Farming & Pastoralism

Very few plants and animals survived the destruction of Farlia, as such most of the crops and livestock raised by Farlian communities originate from other planets. Some plants and animals native to Farlia have survived, but many have been subject to genetic engineering to make the gene pool larger and cross-species breeding possible. Many species considered to have a Farlian origin, will also have some percentage of their genetics from non-farlian species like the Epran Kandu or Donorian Rin-Lin Grass as a result of genetic engineering to create more genetic variation and prevent inbreeding.

Large scale agriculture is done on many Farlian planets and settlements with grains, fruits, and vegetables being grown for their various food products. Large scale intensive farming using field and greenhouse farming are also common, especially on the larger more established Farlian colonies.

Animal ranches focused on raising livestock both from non-farlian origin as well as the few species that survived the destruction of the planet in small numbers, are used for meat and animal products like milk and fur.

Land livestock however is less popular than Aquaculture in Farlian communities, where fish and other aquatic creatures are raised for food, often in aquaponic setups with a variety of plants and animals involved. There are even a few different Farlian aquatic species that survived the destruction of the planet and are still farmed today, however many setups will also include animals and plants of non-farlian origin.

Food

Due to the extinction of many Farlian plants and animals as a result of the destruction of the Farlian planet, many historic foods and ingredients of Farlian cuisine have been lost or drastically changed from their original form. Many ingredients of non-farlian origins have also made their way into Farlian cuisine, with things like Iagus Grain or Giant Running Lizards eggs being used in some dishes.

The more traditional aspect of Farlian cuisine is how the food is prepared, cooked, and served as well as in traditional meal etiquette which involve family style dining with the eldest family members or most senior person present getting the first serving of each dish. 

Notable Dishes Include

Tetoka stew - a seafood stew where seafoods -mostly fish and mussels- are cooked in a mix of broth with vegetables and seaweed. It is typically a very savory dish and often the main dish of a meal. It originates from Tetoka colony -using many ingredients found on the planet- and has its roots in older cuisines from the Farlian homeplanet.

Spirituality

For more info see: Farlian Spirituality

Farlian Spirituality centers mostly around spirit worship -the most important being ancestry spirits- with many practices and rituals focused keeping said spirits placated, and ridding oneself of malevolent ones. There are also many traditions focused around the shrines of such spirits, both household and temple variations, and keeping the spirits worshiped there happy and showing them due respect.

Religious leaders are professionals who perform religious rituals associated with spirits and may also practice folk medicine, and are generally fonts of knowledge for Farlian traditions. There are both priest and shaman varieties of Farlian religious leaders, with the main difference being where they operate out off.