Everyday Life

Timeline 17-3-496

Languages:

Draconic: The language historically used by dragons, it is still commonly used in the modern day.

Syllabic: The language historically used by humans, it is still commonly used in the modern day.

Ancient Pantalan: The language used across Pantala before the appearance of HiveWings on the continent, it was supplanted by Draconic and is now nearly a dead language.

In nations with more diverse populations of both dragons and humans, most individuals living there are capable of speaking both Draconic and Syllabic.

Slang:

The following are various original slang terms commonly used in this timeline, though it is possible that some of these could be similar to or the same as ones written by Tui.

“not a tip” – Derived from the dated measuring system of talons and tips, it is equivalent to “not an inch”.

“colder than Knarl”, “go to Knarl” – Derived from the frozen underworld of SkyWing myth, replacement for “hotter than Hell” and other such phrases.

“knarly” – Also derived from the SkyWing underworld, is used to describe things that are exceedingly difficult, dangerous, and/or destructive.

“moons-blasted…” – Another “moons” phrase akin to “dang it”.

“son of a salamander” – Phrase spoken when disappointed.

“flying on a thin current” – Walking on a tight rope, being at risk of failure or at the end of one’s superior’s patience.

Holidays:

Winter Solstice: The winter solstice is a very important day in IceWing culture, as it is believed to be the day that the world was created, and the day that it will be destroyed. On this day it is believed that the Great Ice Dragon/Spirit would deliver the IceWings into an afterlife of eternal paradise. Both the winter and summer solstices also appeared to be important in ancient Azalean culture, though those traditions have been long lost.

Summer Solstice: The summer solstice is a holiday historically celebrated in Sonora and Aero. In Sonoro, the day is celebrated as a means of keeping everyone's minds off of the unbearable heat, while in Aero the holiday has a much more spiritual nature. The holiday has become heavily commercialized in Possibility, much to the ire of those more devoted to the traditional roots of it. Although, there are others who welcome the more generalized commercial version of the holiday, as it is much more accessible to those of other cultures.

The Scorching (Feb 14): The day that Leberin destroyed two Pantalan dragon cities with nuclear warheads developed by JSI. There are no celebrations on this day, instead it is a day of mourning and remembrance for those lost in the Great War, and particularly those lost in the destruction of Bao and Cicada.

Union Day (Feb 23): Union Day is the day that the Great War ended, and the peace treaty that formed the Talons of Peace was signed. It is celebrated across both Pyrrhia and Pantala, though is most prominent in Possibility, where massive fireworks displays are held alongside a special game of Airball for the occasion.

Popular Sports, Hobbies, and Media:

Airball: A tennis-like sport where two dragons hit a ball back and forth with a paddle while flying, the goal being to keep it in the air while also aiming to strike it against the wall behind one’s opponent. A similar game exists in the greater multiverse, utilizing anti-gravity technology.

Beatwave: A game with elements of Geometry Dash, Just Shapes and Beats, and Kaizo Mario rom hacks. It has developed a dedicated competitive scene and is notorious for its incredibly difficult user-generated levels.

Mechania: A block-based sandbox game similar to Minecraft, but with a more robust and in-depth combat system similar to that of Terraria and an incredibly deep automation system like those in many popular Minecraft tech mod packs. It is fairly popular, though the game’s many complex systems can be alienating to some.

Twice Dead: An old zombie movie from the 50s with terrible effects. It has become a cult classic over time.

Currency:

Scales: The currency used by Pantala, which is roughly equivalent in value to Japanese yen.

Gaels: The currency historically used by Leberin, and adopted by Sonora, Possibility, Reed, Nocturn, and Azalea. Gaels function similarly to US dollars, and partial gaels are referred to as 0.01 gales, etc. Gaels are paper bills, while partial gaels are coins. They are a fairly strong currency, though a recent downturn in the Leberin housing market has devalued them slightly below scales and shells.

Shells: Galapago and The Free Aero Republic use small metal rings called shells as currency, so named because Galapago once used actual shells as currency long ago. Recent archeological discoveries hint at Azalea once using actual shells as currency long ago as well, and that they may have been brought over from Galapago. The Free Aero Republic adopted Galapago's currency after allying with them, as they lacked a currency of their own. Shells are sometimes worn on a string around one's neck.

Other: The Ice Kingdom still uses gold and silver for trade, despite other nations moving towards fiat money. Aero does not use currency, as everything is owned by the monarchy and distributed at their command. The Northfront Republic has no known currency.

Measurement System:

Dragons used to measure things in Talons and Tips, which are similar to the imperial system of feet and inches, although all nations but The Ice Kingdom have since adopted the more recent human measurement system of metrics, which is identical to its real-world counterpart (to help make readers' lives easier).