Romulan Culture
To better understand the Rihannsu culture of today one must look at the Vulcan culture of the
past history). The Vulcans of the past were an extremely warlike and
emotional people. It was the only teachings of Surak that brought about the logical Vulcans
culture of today. It was a student of Surak's, S'task, that lead a group of people out into the
stars to create a new way of life. Based on the fundamentals of ancient Vulcan society,
Rihannsu culture is a liberal admixture of old Vulcan traits and ideas evolved during the
Journey.
There is an old Rihannsu proverb that sums up the culture rather well: "Certain it is and
sure: love burns, ale burns, fire burns, politics burns. But cold were life without them."
Rihannsu enjoy all aspects of life to the fullest, revelling in their experiences. Even
seemingly unpleasant experiences, like death, and war, are cherished for their intensity.
RULES OF ETIQUETTE
Cautious at best, xenophobic at worst, the Rihannsu people have a right to paranoia born of their violent history. The experience with the Orion pirates on ancient Vulcan burned a lesson into their minds forever: never trust an alien. In the mind of a Rihannsu, only a Rihannsu person is worthy of respect and civility, all others are discounted.
At the center of the Rihannsu code of behavior is the importance of "mnhei'sahe". It is a measurement of inner strength and a status symbol in the culture. Mnhei'sahe, or "the Ruling Passion", centers around a strong appreciation of honor, duty, courtesy and strength. In all interactions between Rihannsu, it is imperative that all parties leave afterward feeling that their honor, their status, their "face", is intact. To do otherwise would be to deny the mnhei'sahe of the offended party. If the offending party feels he can apologize without HIMSELF losing face, he does so. Otherwise, a duel may be in order. Or, if the disgraced party is beyond recall, those present may simply kill him, in order to preserve the memory of his honor and prevent further disgrace. Above all, mnhei'sahe is sensitive to the context of the situation. It is not a hard set rule, in is an unspoken consensus which guides the actions of all Rihannsu.
Rihannsu honor their word, when it is given to another Rihanha -- to break with one's word means dishonor, a fate worse than death. Politeness, respect, and quiet dignity are always required if mnhei'sahe is to be satisfied.
Rihannsu honor power as much as they honor loyalty. The goal of each Rihanha is power -- if not for self or House, then always for the Empire. Rihannsu are always loyal to the Empire itself, not to any one person. For the Rihannsu, power can not be defined in the Terran terms of monetary wealth, it is the power of mnhei'sahe, and it defines the structure within Rihannsu society.
Mnhei'sahe is not a vague or academic term. Wars, executions and deaths of entire Households can be required to satisfy mnhei'sahe. If mnhei'sahe is always intact within the Empire, the Rihannsu believe that they can never lose.
SOCIETY
Respect is the basis of Rihannsu society -- to be disrespectful is to show a lack of mnhei'sahe. Showing respect to elders and superiors is a must in day-to-day Rihannsu life.
Every Rihannsu knows by the bearing and actions of another what rank and social status that person has. Non-verbal cues, reputation, military rank, and past experience all dictate the respect owed to each individual Rihannsu.
To an extent, Rihannsu social status and the rank of military personnel operate in parallel. Because the Rihannsu are a militarily oriented society, geared to the protection and promotion of the Empire, military service and accompanying rank are very important indicators of social status.
The person with highest status in the Empire is the "Fvillha", or chief Praetor, the Speaker of the Praetorate and the highest authority within in the Empire. Others peoples statuses are ordered according to rank and civilian status in a long chain until ending with the lowest status, that of a prisoner. Prisoners are considered even lower than slaves -- a prisoner is considered to be without honor and is almost less than Rihannsu.
| MILITARY |
CIVILIAN |
| Federation |
Rihannsu |
Federation |
Rihannsu |
| Cadet |
Equatorium |
Citizen |
Hfehan |
| Ensign |
Erein |
Student |
Erredn |
| Lieutenant JG |
erei'Arrain |
Developer |
Ne'Ustlha |
| Lieutenant |
Arrain |
Merchant |
Ustlha |
| Lt. Commander |
khre'Arrain |
Professional |
El'Ustlha |
| Commander |
erei'Riov |
Jn. Executive |
Ne'Ihlrah |
| Captain |
Riov |
Executive |
Ihlrah |
| Fleet Captain |
galae'Riov |
Vice President |
Ne'Praetelh |
| Commodore |
Enarrain |
President |
Praetelh |
| Rear Admiral |
khre'Riov |
Landowner |
Praetor |
| Admiral |
Enriov |
Civilian Admin |
Ne'Deihu |
| Fleet Admiral |
khre'Enriov |
Civilian Coord |
Deihu |
| Director |
Fvillha |
Head Praetor |
Fvillha |
| OTHER |
|---|
| Ambassador |
El'Llaudh |
| Chief Ambassador |
Hru'Llaudh |
| Advisor |
Auethnen |
| Chief Advisor |
Hru'Auethnen |
The Rihannsu social structure is actually MUCH more complicated than what is presented above:
there are structures within structures within structures, to the point where it is rare for any
two Rihannsu to have the EXACT same social standing. Finally, although prestige and social
standing are often related to rank, but social status should NOT be confused for military
chain-of-command! Ranks effect social structure, not vice versa.
HOUSES
At the root of Rihannsu political organization is the House system. Houses are family groups or clan-like organizations, with hereditary succession structures. Unlike feudal family organizations, however, Rihannsu Houses encompass a much broader spectrum of society. For example, servants of a House Lord are considered PART OF THE FAMILY, and adopt the House name and use it as their own. That is NOT to say that they are equal members, but they are included.
Each house that has its own rank and status accorded in Rihannsu society. Houses are considered either Great Houses or Lesser Houses. Great Houses have many family members that are high in the social standing of the Empire. The members of Great Houses have proven their service to the Empire in past honors and loyalty. Lesser Houses have not received the honor and glory, but serve an integral and vital role within the Empire. It is their quiet service that supports the Empire and brings greater glory to it. The status of House members reflects directly on the status of their House and vice versa.
Within each House, are various positions, as detailed in the following table:
| Position |
Function |
Position |
Function |
| hru'hfirh |
Head of the House |
eri'hfirh |
Heir of the House |
| Rianov |
Weaponsmaster |
Auethnen |
Adviser |
| Llaugh |
Representive |
|
|
| hru'diranov |
Grandfather |
hru'nanov |
Grandmother |
| Di'ranov |
Father |
Ri'nanov |
Mother |
| ira'dianvum |
Oldest Brother |
ia'rinam |
Oldest Sister |
| dianvm |
Brother |
rinam |
Sister |
| eria'rianv |
Cousin |
v'rian |
adoptet Cousin |
| v'dianvm |
adoptet Brother |
v'rinam |
adoptet Sister |
| v-Di'ranov |
adoptet Father |
v-Ri'nanov |
adoptet Mother |
| v-hru'diranov |
adoptet Grandfather |
v-hru'nanov |
adoptet Grandmother |
The most important person in a House is the hru'hfirh or Head of House. The hru'hfirh is responsible for the members of the House, maintaining the House's mnhei'sahe, and the day-to-day financial and social dealings of the House. The eri'hfirh, or Heir, assists the hru'hfirh. The status of the House and the responsibilities are decided by the hru'hfirh, but usually the importance of House members is as follows: hfu'hfirh, eri'hfirh, Auethnen, and then Llaugh and Rianov with equal rank. The other status and importance follows as listed above. As you can see is the chart above, there is the added complexity of adoption. An adopted member of the family has the same rank and receives the same respect as a blood member, but with the added responsibility of another House, perhaps. Adoptions are commonplace.
Another commonplace is a unique form of revenge, usually prompted by a mnhei'sahe in the case of the murder of a child, known as "hostage fostering". In this situation, a House steals the children of a rival House and rears them as their own. A family that has loses their child in this manner usually never sees them
again.
FAMILIES
A typical Rihannsu family is made up of a mother and a father, with as many children as the parents desire. Each family unit is within a House, and Houses can be huge. The family unit does not look to one parent as superior, both mother and father have equal status. Although boy children are favored, girl children do not have a social stigma. Divorce and separation are rare with Rihannsu families, because the bond between the husband and wife is so very deep. A typical Rihannsu family is very happy and devoted to each other, with the bond of love. Within the family unit the first lessons in mnhei'sahe will be taught, to ground a child in the basic morality of Rihannsu life. The family also includes every single blood member of the House. Each member of the House is responsible to see that all of the children are raised in the proper traditions of the House and that the lessons of mnhei'sahe are taught and learned.
FASHION
Most Rihannsu males wear pants or slacks that are cut close to the body, and either soft shoes or boots. At formal occasions a House uniform may be worn, unless they are in the military in which case standard issue uniforms would be worn. Robes are not uncommon casual wear.
Most Rihannsu woman wear the same styles as men, but do have a tendency towards more free-flowing garb. Dresses or robes are not uncommon. Females in military service wear the same uniforms that men do.
RECREATION
Most Rihannsu play games such as D'elo which is a game of stones and sticks that can be traced back to an ancient Vulcan. There are Arena games, where athletes (both men and women) show their prowess with various Rihannsu weapons and fighting techniques.
Artistic abilities show the softer side of the Rihannsu personality, balancing a fierce warrior ethic with the sensitivity of an artist. Sculpting, pottery, and carving are the most popular media -- Rihannsu prefer to work in 3 dimensional forms. In addition to the visual arts, there is writing, literature, poetry, drama and lhi, a game of wits and riddles.
Rihannsu relish nature and enjoy the beauty of it -- most are avid hikers.
