Lore / Feet Republic - Feetic Culture

Separated from the rest of Meoirty, the people of Feet region developed their own unique traditions and values that still persist in modern lifestyle. Those people who arrived later, with the Age of Aspects, did not try to fight these customs, but, on the contrary, adopted them themselves.

The Feets believe wholeheartedly in the concept of reincarnation, granted by Meora to those who behaved good in life. Hence, they work hard to ensure that the quality of the world stay secure for future generations, in which they might be reborn. The Feets also believe that the Gift of Creation is not gained by chance, but is a reward given to those who have deserved it for their achievements in past lives, hereby, the Engifted are revered with worship, much more so than in the rest of Meority. This belief is becoming increasingly popular outside of Feetland, even supported by some high-ranking members of the Herquisition, but many still think that the Allmother loves us all equally, and when we are born as Engifted, it is not Her choice, but, like the personal talents and tastes, it is just a chance.

The most noticeable cultural difference is the attitude towards the Eternal Serpent. This is especially evident in the Feetic sense of life. While the rest of the Meority sees It as a threat to all that exists, speaking of It with dread and repugnance, the Feets see the Alleater as a mere pest upon life, a disease that can and WILL eventually be cured, thrown into oblivion and forgotten as if It had never existed, if not by us, then certainly by Meora Herself. And that is why they do not fear the Taint.

Like the rest of the Meority, the Feets venerate Meora as our Allmother – they kiss the ground they live on in gratitude and humility before Her, making it a universal gestures of service and obedience among themselves. However, they believe, or at least hope, that Meora was not alone in the cosmos, and eventually Her siblings will come to save Her, us, and all that exist from the Infinite Ingester. This is the Unknown Hope that is alluring to many people, because we are, after all, Her children – we wish only the best for our Allmother, and it is saddening to think that She has never met anyone equal.

This belief is heavily related to and has grown out of the so-called Horoscopic Astrology, which was developed specifically in the Feet region. The view of the night sky there is less obstructed by the Meorenell’s ring nor as affected by light pollution caused by the reflection of the suns. The Heavenly Zodiac is a traditional Feetic divination belief, named after the belt-shaped region of the sky visible from Feet Region above these rings, divided by eight clearly defined constellation. Astrology holds that one’s personality and talents are influenced and predetermined by the cosmic energies of the stars under which person is born. Many ancient Feets believed that the portion of Meorenell’s ring visible to them was a giant wall, on top of which live the Heavenly Deities, and the shadow of our planet, sliding across it every night, were the waves of evil spirits trying to mount it; and each month one of these deities stands guard on the wall, and sometimes watches us with its eyes, which were stars, and those newborns whom they witnessed were blessed by them. Such deities are named after the totem animals that were thought to be their corporeal messenger: Centipede, Caterpillar, Owolf, Toad, Bearver, Crab, Panther and Heron.

The Centipede – Lord of the Heaven, Terror of the Slothful; those born under the gaze of the Centipede are perfectionists, destined leaders who bring order to people, inclined to gather many followers to achieve common causes and unite in difficult times. The Caterpillar – Avatar of stability and serenity; those who are born witnessed by the Caterpillar are calm and unburdened by life’s problems, go with the flow of existence, and easily ignore or adapt to changes, they do not glum when they lose nor they cheer when they win – it is enough for them to have what they have. The Owolf is a festive spirit; those born under Its watch will befriend many and betray none, they are equally great at feasting and drinking with others, as they are at cooking and brewing for others. The Toad – Deity of wisdom without one eye; those who are born under the gaze of the Toad are intelligent and thoughtful in their decision, prone for sciences and yearn for new discoveries, but they are never satisfied with life, because one life is not enough to discover all the knowledge of the world. The Bearver – the Mother of all Beasts; those born witnessed by the Bearver are passionate lovers, they will raise many happy and fortunate children, and will help build many houses for their grandchildren, they are hardworking and tireless in everything they do, never able to sit and just rest in silence. The Crab is a warrior who lost six claws while defending other Deities from the Evil Gods during the first cosmic war; those who are born under Its watch are selfless and charitable, working hard for their fellow neighbors and trying to uphold the community they belong to, they are the first to protect others and if, necessary, are not afraid to sacrifice themselves for others, because then they will live forever in deeds that people will remember. The Panther – a shy hunter; those born under the gaze of Panther are solitary in life by choice, but are excellent at perfecting talents and skill in what they like, but most of all they love the undisturbed silence and peace for their own thoughts. The Heron – Cartographer of the Heavens, those who are born witnessed by the Heron are adventurous and energetic enthusiast who never stay in the same place more than once, experimenters and troublemakers who act before thinking, and then continue to act until the problem resolves itself.

Today, outside of the Feet Republic, the Heavenly Zodiac occasionally becomes popular in some places among some generations of some tribes for some time, but never remains truly admired for long, which is attributed to the limited view of the night sky of these regions.

And speaking of animals, a warning: Feets keep giant Centipedes and Millipede as pets. Yet, one thing that demeans them most in the eyes of people of other nations is not just the normality, but regularity of eating fish and other ocean creatures. While in most of Meority they are detested as food, the Feets use them in countless dishes, from simple breakfasts to celebratory banquets.

The Republic is the birthplace of aquarelle art and ballet; and in traditional Feetic theaters, actors don’t sing nor speak, but show emotions through dance and the movements of cloth; actors do not wear specific costumes for their characters, but dress in clothes of colors that represent the type of the characters or entities, expecting the audience to focus on the story and their actions: green is for key characters, red for family and love interest, yellow for friend and comrades, turquoise for mentors and superiors, orange for subordinates and followers; these colors are mixed with white for the Protagonists and dark brown for the Antagonists; blue for nature, purple for beasts and animals, pure white – the sacred intervention of Meora and the Aspects... pitch black for the Alleater and Its servants.

Feetic culture encourage the admission of guilt, and expects a Moral and Loyal person to show shame and humility when one is at fault, and to accept any public humiliation that may follow. It is how they maintain their streets clean and public spaces safe despite the fact that the Feet region is home to many aggressive tribes – they keep their aggression and conflicts to own spaces, “Boots for war, scuffs for home”, say the Feets. This include social gestures that are easy to understand: a person bows while standing, expressing regret for own actions – the lower you bow and close your face to the feet of those you apologizes to, the great your regret. A kowtow, (or lying belly up, among some tribes), is a sign of absolute remorse and submission; you do it not just in front of other people, but also in front of the Allmother; the recipient of such an apology can either offer her foot to be kissed as a gesture of mercy, or step on the penitent, denying the forgiveness. However, some are willing to be leashed and walked on all fours in public, or even wiped and spanked; committing to this act is a sign of absolute repentance, and the Feets have great respect for apologies that go this far.