Culture in the Third Horizon

The Icons and nothing else are what keep the Horizon together, at least according to the old Firstcome proverbs, followed by culture and family. Yesef Megnolim, the famous agitator, summed it up well when he said “The Icons first, family second, and games for the people”. The different systems share some cultural references, but what counts as good or popular differs from system to system, or even from faction to faction. The blood operas are appreciated almost exclusively in the Zenithian Hegemony, while conservative factions such as the Order hold chant choirs in high regard.  

MUSIC AND SONG

The Cirra is a string instrument played all over the Horizon, its bright notes elevating baria ballads as well as Algolan round dance. Apart from the Sirra, the Horizon contains a myriad of instruments with local variations beyond counting, from wooden flutes on Mira and Algol to mechanical music machines on Dabaran. The nine-string Charou lyre is a legendary instrument mastered almost only by Ahlam’s courtesans, who can bestow both ecstasy and torment on the listener. There are two major styles of singing: the baria, melancholy and portentous, and the kabbah, which is more dance oriented and backed by computer organs. The kabbah is all the rage in the clubs in the Core of Coriolis and in the dars of Dabaran where popular musicians such as the Gouri Brothers, the Cirras of Dartarlides and Hala-hal perform it. The stars of the baria include Honna Ibrim, Aicha, and modern legend Sani Sowal. A more obscure song style is the prophet songs popular on and around Mira and Zalos – six bar stanzas about the words of the Icons, visions of the future or passages from the holy scriptures. A Zalosian version of the prophet songs are the chant choirs, although they often end in revels of flagellation. The blood operas of the Zenithian Hegemony are the complete opposite – extravagant compositions with huge orchestras, elevating Zenithian order and reason over the Icons.  

LITERATURE AND STORYTELLING

Storytelling is just as strong a tradition as singing in the Horizon. The champions of the craft are often the tarrab, people similar to traveling poets or bards. Literature is also popular and reading is considered a noble pursuit, a sign that one has time to spare. The privileged make sure to always keep books around their homes, and some even have special reading rooms, or balconies with special light reflecting fields around them. The very rich employ courtesans or readers to perform the stories for them. On Coriolis, the well-off often get together to “kawah read”, meaning that they listen to a storyteller while enjoying kawah, chai, dates, and sweet fruit. The most famous writer in the Horizon is without a doubt the secretive Mazelman, allegedly living somewhere in the Rimward Reach to research his next book. His earlier works The Siren’s Call, The Nightingale, and Stories From a Lost Age are must-reads among the upper classes. The so-called tag stories are very popular among the plebeians and the poor. They are short, adventurous stories, often about brave heroes and captains who defy evil factionaries, bureaucrats or the rich. The series about Captain Imsalima of the Lotus Leaf is a best seller, and comprises about twenty parts to date with many shadow writers working on the project.  

HOLO, PROXY AND PICTORIAL MEDIA

The technology used to spread news across the Horizon is also used by the entertainment industry. The Bulletin is a market leader here as well, through their Seven Stars studio, and people everywhere follow their popular holo dramas The Plantation Owner’s Daughter, Guesthouse Brahima, and the comedy show The Avant-Kuarde, centered on the mischief and escapades of the students living in the Mulukhad district. Other players also produce and market holo films – the Iconocrats on Sadaal and a few Algolan trade houses for example – but they are rarely up to Bulletin standards. The theater is very popular throughout the Horizon, from the street corner puppet shows on Algol to the acrobatic Miran theater. The proxy media has spread to the public thanks to the Syndicate’s illegal erotic proxy trips, but more and more proxy novellas are beginning to circulate. They are often of impressive quality, which hints at a big corp or faction sponsored production.  

HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

Most holidays in the Third Horizon are of a religious nature and celebrate the glory of the Icons in one way or another. Since the founding of Coriolis and the Church of the Icon’s Declaration of the Sacred Rites, the dominant Icon holidays have spread to almost the entire Horizon. Local traditions are still upheld of course, such as the Elephant festival on Algol and the Day of Flowers on Mira. The three big holidays in the Horizon are the Cyclade, the Founding, and the Pilgrimaria. The Cyclade takes place on the last day of the current year or cycle. Big parties are organized and resolutions for the future are made. Many choose to enter their life bonds on this day, or sign important trade agreements. To be born during the Cyclade is considered a sign of good fortune in life. The Founding is a day the faithful spend in prayer, praising friends and benefactors but also passing judgment on liars and traitors. Feuds between families, clans, or business competitors should be settled on this day. After sundown, processions carrying statues of the Judge and the Gambler parade through the cities, villages, and stations. The faithful end the day in quiet reflection. The Pilgrimaria is the proper day to start one’s pilgrimage. For those who have already completed theirs, or who are unable to travel, the day is devoted to remembering the dead. In recent years, the Algolan tradition to sculpt skulls out of fruit, sugar, or coloured clay has spread to the rest of the Horizon and what used to be a very solemn celebration is now more festive. Dancers with skulls painted on their bodies dance in the Core to the sounds and flashes of firecrackers. Big fireworks shows are common in planet-side cities.