Customs of Pekal

BURIAL

A custom that varies from region to region across Tellene, Pekal's own burial practices are perhaps the most traditional. With its strong agricultural roots, corpses are buried in wooden boxes typically near fields or orchards. Cemeteries are constructed as a place of remembrance, but rarely are there physical bodies buried beneath the headstones and markers. The exception to this is the wealthy class. Powerful merchant families and nobility have never actually participated in the custom, instead building private grave sites on their ancestral homes. Along with cemeteries for foreigners, Pekalese Law allows a person to be buried-or cremated-according to his home nation's customs, these places mark the most common sites for the undead to rise.

DUELING

Dueling in Pekal, like most cultural institutions there, is a holdover from the time when Kalamar controlled the principality. With independence, Pekal attempted to separate itself from the Vast Empire more than just politically. With this in mind, Prince Kafen outlawed duels to the death in Pekal soon after he saw crowned. However, dueling was too valuable a tool for the settling of disagreements, especially between members of the landed and ruling classes. Therefore, presently in the principality, the noble and landed and ruling classes alone practice. Lesser citizens of the principality are discouraged from under-taking duels, as there are no formal guidelines for the practice. However, any of the upper-class families know-and teach their children-the unwritten rules of dueling in Pekal. In essence, dueling is a sort of "shadow justice and honor system" reserved solely for the elite and those who travel in the elite circles. Duelist who specialize as proxies for those hardy nobles can earn a good living plying their trade in Pekal and other nation that were or still are dominated by Kalamar.

Rules:

• • An aggrieved party can challenge the insulting party to a duel. The challenger can name the rules of the duel, particularly the location, the weapon used, and terms of victory. No duel in Pekal can be to the death.

  • The challenged party has 24 hours to accept the challenge or find a suitable proxy to stand in for them.

  • If the challenged party employs a proxy, the challenge can also name a proxy.

  • If the challenged party refuses to accept, or turned over to the system of justice, depending on the situation. In matters of honor, this means the insulting party must apologize and promise to speak no more ill of the aggrieved party. In judicial matters, the matter is referred to the justice system.

  • The winner of the duel is legally justified in the matter in the eyes of the Pekalese authority.

  • The loser of the duel agrees to respect the wishes of the winner.

  • Both side must agree on an impartial judge to referee the duel and settle duel-related disputes.

  • Breaking the rules of the duel equate to losing the duel.

  • Duels mostly take place in secret locations with none but the parties and the referee watching. This is to keep the lesser citizens from knowing that dueling does still take place.

  • If participant in a duel is killed, the murderer is most likely punished with just a fine. However id a large crowd, especially of non-noble citizens witnesses a duel, the murderer is prosecuted for his crime to the full extent of the law.

GREETING STRANGERS

Pekal, even in a time of possible war, is still kind-hearted at its core. Although many residents are wary of strangers from the south, the principality shares similar bloodlines to other Kalamarians from the vast Empire. A typically Pekalese greeting is both hands raised at shoulder level, a smile and a cheery greeting. Not returning a gesture is considered rude and possibly hostile. Travelers know to keep a watchful eye on anyone not willing to "exchange hands."

KEEPING TIME

Time in Bet Rogala is kept according to the bells mounted at the top of the various watchtowers stationed about the city. There are two sets of twelve bells each day. If someone refers to "the Ninth Bell in the morning" its is 9am. "Fifth Bell in the afternoon/evening" refers to 5pm. This sometimes makes timekeeping tricky. If it's approximately 9:45 and someone says, "meet me in two bells," you only have 1 hour and 15 minutes to make it to the meeting place. The same statement made at 9:05 means you have nearly two hours to arrive, but the same number of bells passes.

Time keeping itself originates from the Temple of the Raiser (a tradition established in Bet Rogala's early years when the Farmer's Marker was a major city event). At the top of each hour, the Order of Time (shrine to the Fate Scribe) rings its bells. Each tower that hears them rings their, and the process continues across the city (thus the time in the southwest portion of the city is generally a little later than the northeast.

There are a few exceptions to this custom. At noon and midnight, all the temples in the Temples District ring their bells simultaneously. The midnight Bells are the last bells until 5 the next morning (the average time that farmer awake). Although the first bell in the morning is at five o'clock, it's still referred to as the Fifth Bell in the morning.

MARK OF SLAVERY

When a person is sold into slavery, both ankles are tattooed with chain-links. Although pants or boots may easily cover this, any person refusing to real his or ankles to the authorities is considered to be an escaped slave and arrested pending further investigation. Other than this one physical mutilation, slavers aren't treated too poorly in the Principality of Pekal. The practice itself has fallen out of favor with most citizenry as Elven sensibilities begin to influence the human population to act in more humane manner. A slave is still property, though. This means that setting a slave free without the mater's permission is theft of property. Similarly a master may treat his slave in any manner he or she sees fit, as it's a matter or property and not civility.

When a person is set free or purchases his or her freedom, he's given documents stating their free and these papers are dyed a light red. Although it has a more official title, most laymen simply call them "walking papers." Former slaves are required by law to present walking papers to any potential employers and authorities may demand to inspect walking papers at any time. Slave rarely go any without their papers, going so far as to sleep with them under their pillows. In more corrupt nations, authorities have been know to burn these walking papers in efforts to frame former slaves of Pekal for some particular crime. This is especially true in the southern Brandobian Kingdoms where Elves are involved. A former Elf slave, however so rare in the region, must flee Eldor and Pel Brolenon in fear of racial persecution. They do not last long on the streets as former slaves. No such cases are know to have occurred in the Principality of Pekal.

MARRIAGE

The distinction of a human as "Kalamaran" or "Fhokki" can be misleading at times, but also reveals a telling fact of Pekalese traditions. Defining someone as Kalamaran is generally a result of those features that are most prominent in the person. Hair. height and eye color may be within Kalamaran tradition, but shin complexion may a bit more bronze and hair might be curly. Obviously the person's bloodline is not pure. Most citizens in Pekal are not. However, a person is still referred to by whichever bloodline is most predominant.

This isn't always the case. In smaller villages and wandering tribes, It's still socially unacceptable to marry outside of one's race. When a person is referred to a "Kalamaran or a "Fhokki" in a thorp or barbarian tribe it is a safe bet to say that that person is pure-blooded. The consequences of mixing bloodlines may be as subtle as family discord to a public as banishment from the village. Such traditions are shunned in the more metropolitan areas, but are a way of life in the more rural area of Pekal.

MERCHANT'S NATIVE LANGUAGE

Merchants in Pekal accept the custom of native languages. If a merchant speak to a customer in that customer's native language, it is expected that the price will be increased for the service. If the customer speaks the language of the merchant first, it is expected that the price will be lowered. Although there are not ant specific rules on the increasing or discounting, generally the price will vary about 10% . Any egregious abuse of this concept is not tolerated and the local merchant guild will often judge if this practice it properly adhered to by both parties.

NIGHTFALL

The streets of most cities and towns empty after sunset. City guardmen, restless adventurers and the lesser element of a city may continue on, using the lamps that dot the different city streets, but the common citizen turns in to spend time with his or her family. This time is spent reading, telling stories or reciting favorite passages of poetry. Move devout families also own a number of religious canons and spend hours evangelizing the rest of the household.

Along with these practices, there is also a customary ward against evil that most households recite at each entrance-way once the entire family has moved inside. The prayer to the Holy Mother grew of ancient folklore.

During dark times the Home Foundation would send a small group of clerics to bless the doorways of the faithful. The prayer to the Holy Mother is still recited by countless matrons across Tellene. Supposedly the ward refuses entry to unsavory monsters.

"Blessed Mother, protect this house of the faithful so that we may continue to live in your gracious love"

RACES IN SOCIETY

All the civilized races are welcome in Pekal. It is conscious effort on part of the principality to be welcoming to all those who would choose to move there. An increase in population reaffirms the nation's claim to independence. Some races are more accepted than others, thought. Hobgoblins and Half-Hobgoblins, although accepted, are still treated with reserve or open suspicion. The race's fanatic devotion to honor is what allows them to remain welcome in the principality. They're frequently used as mercenaries and in the end, other residents of Pekal are aware that the Hobgoblin and Sil-karg are maintaining the stability of the nation.

Because of the grudging acceptance, Half-Orcs actually receive less hostility than they may in other areas. They are seen a step above Hobgoblins. This is odd considering Orcs aren't considered civilized. Because of this, thought, Half-Orcs that live in a civilized area are considered to have embraced their human side, whereas Half-Hobgoblins still cling to their goblinoid heritage.

SPOKEN LANGUAGE

Merchant Tongue is prevalent throughout cities such as Bet Rogala, Baneta and Koreta. However, if a person is multi-lingual, it is considered rude to speak in Merchant Tongue without first offering to speak in the language of the region they are in or the other persons native language if known. Similarly if the speaker does not know the other person's language, but that person knows the speaker's, its equally rude to continue the conversation in Merchant Tongue without first attempting the native language of the speaker. The main exception to this is when speaking in a group of people that do not all share a common language other than Merchant's Tongue.

THE HONORABLE

Although all nobility are Honorable, not all Honorable are nobility. The term "Honorable" is something akin to "Sir" in relation to knighthood. It's a title bestowed on military leaders, knights, important political figures and nobility alike. The crown can also award it for service to the principality. Such an award is indiscriminate of social class, although it has never been given to a common laborer. And although the title of Honorable certainly raise a citizen's social status, it is used in various fashions. Upper class hardly ever use it, except in the most formal greetings or recitations of lineage.

Military officers and constabulary members typically combine the title with their own rank or position. Any knightly order, though use the term Honorable in its pure form. A person is never referred to as "Sir or "Sir Knight" but always as 'the Honorable' Similarly, to avoid confusion with a person that is considered to be honorable, as custom is common among Hobgoblin mercenaries and those that work with them, the title is capitalized when written and is often preceded by the the word "the" in speech to distinguish between the two.

WOMEN IN SOCIETY

Although the Elven influence on Pekal has lead to many of its more liberal mentalities, its acceptance of women in stereotypically male roles is a direct result of the Queendom of Tharggy. The Fhokki nation is ruled almost entirely by women and is a close support of Pekal's independence, offering military support and training. The influx of female Fhokki warriors quickly dispersed any notion that women are an inferior gender. Women are now permitted in all capacities of the workplace, as laborers, soldiers and even gentry. Wills and titles may now be passed to women and they may then assign such properties themselves on their own deaths. Although this practice is accepted, the change itself is slow in coming and the Old Guard of Pekalese society still scoffs at household that requires its women to work to be successful.