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=== Races | Culture ===

====== EXOHUMAN CULTURE IN THE GAMMA AGE ======

The culture of the [[the_humans|ExoHumans]] on planet [[the_planet_voi_700_d|VOI 700 D]] in the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]] is defined by scarcity, communal systems, and the restrictions of the [[peace_treaty|Peace Treaty]] with the [[alliance_of_native_tribes|Alliance of Native Tribes]]. Despite carrying the heritage of Earth’s knowledge and traditions, resource limitations force a life of improvisation and frontier resilience. Citizens live in a paradox where advanced systems like the [[gaia_system|GAIA]] AI coexist with rudimentary practices such as animal-powered transport.  

This tension between progress and austerity shapes every aspect of ExoHuman cultural expression.  

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===== Media and Information Culture =====
After the crash of the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]] in the [[beta_age|Beta Age]], the planet-wide Web never existed on [[the_planet_voi_700_d|VOI 700 D]]. Instead, settlers relied on the [[shortwave_radio_network_of_the_exohumans|Shortwave Radio Network]], couriered [[shellac_records|Shellac Records]], and tightly rationed [[gaia_system|GAIA]] updates. By the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]], chronic energy scarcity and central planning shifted public communication even further toward paper: printing and curation were consolidated under federal oversight, making media simultaneously indispensable and politically contested.


**The Federal Encyclopedia**  
Commissioned in 2634 under [[georgia_hawking|Supreme Councilor Aisha Patel]], the [[federal_encyclopedia|Federal Encyclopedia]] consolidates human history, sciences, and social systems into a paper-based reference. Written by GAIA and overseen by the [[federal_news_agency|Federal News Agency]], it became the Confederation’s cornerstone knowledge source. Critics, especially [[individualists|Individualists]], denounce it as biased toward Communard ideology.  

**The Federal Library System**  
Established between 2634 and 2635, the [[federal_library|Federal Library System]] ensures equitable access to curated books chosen from the [[federal_longlist|Federal Longlist]]. GAIA selects these works under parameters set by the [[federal_council|Federal Council]]. Libraries also act as cultural centers, hosting readings and workshops. The [[federal_library_of_hope|Federal Library of Hope]]’s destruction in 2636 underscored the libraries’ political symbolism.  

**Newspapers: Gazette vs. Firetown Post**  
Two weekly newspapers dominate discourse:  
  * The [[the_weekly_gazette|Weekly Gazette]], printed by the Federal News Agency, serves as the official public press of the Confederation. Distributed in [[federal_news_lounges|Federal News Lounges]], libraries, and hostels, it embodies Communard civic culture but is accused of partiality.  
  * The [[firetown_post|Firetown Post]], founded by the Individualist Party in 2634, counters the Gazette’s narratives. Labeled “party information,” it operates outside Federal regulation, with rumors tying its printing to the [[jane_bold_gang|Jane Mendoza Gang]] and its financing to the black market.  

**Federal News Lounges (FNLs)**  
Because private distribution is considered wasteful, the Gazette is read communally in FNLs — small mycelium-built pavilions located in the [[habitual_belt|Habitual Belt]]. They provide tables, seats, and copies for collective reading. Firetown has no FNLs; its citizens rely on subscriptions or workplaces.  

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===== Literature and Books =====
Paper scarcity makes books precious.  

**Federal Longlist**  
All titles in libraries come from the [[federal_longlist|Federal Longlist]], selected annually by GAIA. Earth classics dominate, alongside reference works like the [[federal_encyclopedia|Federal Encyclopedia]] and GAIA-authored textbooks. Contemporary fiction is rare, with only a handful of part-time authors.  

**Private Collections**  
Personal libraries are prohibited under [[communardism|Communardism]], but hidden Beta Age volumes survive in secret. Discovery can lead to confiscation and penalties.  

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===== Art and Cultural Expression =====
All public art is designed by GAIA and executed by craftsmen under the [[federal_confederation|Federal Confederation]], ensuring alignment with communal values and preventing wasteful celebrity culture. Statues, murals, and performances emphasize collective resilience and sustainability.  

**Amateur Contributions**  
Amateurs still contribute within approved boundaries:  
  * **Jean Jacque Courtier (Writer):** Author of *[[like_leafs_from_a_tree|Like Leaves From a Tree]]*, a multi-generational novel of survival on the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]].  
  * **Sandra Yamamoto (Musician):** Composer of *[[endless_days|Endless Days]]*, a folk anthem of Habitual Belt settlers.  

These works endure because they reflect communal experiences, not individual stardom.  

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===== Sports, Exercise, and Games =====
**Exercise Culture**  
Physical activity is state-regulated: running, yoga, and gymnastics are encouraged to maintain workforce productivity. High-risk or resource-intensive sports are banned.  

**Board and Dice Games**  
Games thrive as low-resource pastimes:  
  * *[[frostpunkt|Frostpunkt]]* — a dice game born in Firetown’s mines.  
  * *[[twenty_one|Twenty One]]* — a variant of Blackjack common in saloons.  
  * *[[zugzwang|Zugzwang]]* — a strategic board game in Federal Libraries.  

**Shadow District Gambling**  
Despite bans, Firetown’s “Shadow District” hosts hidden casinos with high-stakes gambling, where rations and smuggled goods are wagered.  

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===== Rituals and Life Cycles =====
**Weddings**  
Mass ceremonies are held quarterly at the [[federal_administrative_service|Federal Administrative Service Building]] in [[new_kourou|New Kourou]]. Couples pledge loyalty to the Confederation and the two-child policy, exchange wooden rings, and inscribe their names on the “Wall of Names.” Personal celebrations are limited to modest family gatherings.  

**Birth and Registration**  
Births are scheduled at the [[medical_station|Medical Station of New Kourou]] or handled by General Practitioners in emergencies. Every newborn is registered by GAIA, added to the “Wall of Names,” and linked permanently to communal records.  

**Funerals**  
Death rites vary by region but are centrally recorded. In the [[asari|Asari Region]], bodies are composted in Federal Funeral Homes; in the [[ralar_region|Ralar Region]], cremation in volcanic fire is practiced. Names of the deceased move from the Wall of Names to a memorial wall for one year before erasure, marking the end of public identity.  

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===== Legacy of the Great War =====
The [[great_war|Great War]] remains a cultural shadow. Families preserve secret oral stories, but public commemorations are banned. State-controlled memorials describe the conflict as a “necessary transition” rather than a tragedy. This erasure fuels quiet dissent and nostalgia, especially among veterans and their descendants.  

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===== Criticism and Opposition =====
The [[individualists|Individualist Party]] accuses the Communards of cultural censorship disguised as curation. Their claims include:  
  * GAIA filters out dissent under the pretext of “unity.”  
  * Pro-Individualist perspectives are systematically excluded.  
  * Official art, books, and newspapers serve as “shadow propaganda.”  

To resist, Individualists smuggle alternative texts, illegal records, and unauthorized histories, undermining the monopoly on cultural production.  

---

===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====
ExoHuman cultural life provides fertile ground for campaigns:  

  * **The Forbidden Book:** PCs find a manuscript contradicting official history. Do they spread it or hide it?  
  * **Smuggling Words:** PCs escort a rebel writer publishing an underground newsletter.  
  * **The Lost Ballad:** A folk song with hidden anti-Communard messages spreads unrest.  
  * **Casino Heist:** PCs infiltrate Firetown’s Shadow District to recover stolen Beta Age artifacts.  

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===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * [[federal_confederation|Federal Confederation]]  
  * [[gaia_system|GAIA]]  
  * [[communardism|Communardism]]  
  * [[communards|Communard Party]]  
  * [[individualists|Individualist Party]]  
  * [[federal_library|Federal Library System]]  
  * [[federal_longlist|Federal Longlist]]  
  * [[federal_encyclopedia|Federal Encyclopedia]]  
  * [[the_weekly_gazette|Weekly Gazette]]  
  * [[firetown_post|Firetown Post]]  
  * [[federal_news_lounges|Federal News Lounges]]  
  * [[the_funeral_rituals_of_dark_side_residents|ExoHuman Funeral Rites in the Gamma Age]]  
  * [[the_alpha_age|Alpha Age]], [[beta_age|Beta Age]], [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]]