Under Below Ground
The division of labor, social structure, architecture, and lifestyle of the people here heavily reflect upon ants in nature. In fact, everything about them is like ants, except they are people.
The Colony Structure
The people live in a Colony. This Colony is isolated from any others, having been built long ago in a hazardous location. Like ants, it is created from massive networks of tunnels. Unlike ants though, the construction also includes actual houses and other small buildings.
The Colony is divided into three Tiers.
There is the Dome, the highest point, which is where the royalty live in their palace. The Palace itself is a massive, elaborate castle-like structure that hangs from the ceiling. It is accessible only by special elevators.
The Second Tier is divided into subsections. High District is for military only. Though Military personnel may mingle with the Workers, the High District itself consists of the training camps, parade grounds, barracks, and armories.There are sections of tunnels for Workers called Middle District. These areas include mostly houses, shops, and some factories.
Third Tier is where the where the majority of Workers do their jobs. It holds factories, mines, farms, and other such areas of industry.
There are two other parts of the Colony that no one speaks of. The first is called Fear-Reign. It takes a month to get there, and it is very up high, higher than the tallest reaches of the Colony. It is accessed by unused, closed off tunnels that are guarded always by the Military. The second unspoken location is known as the Whorl. This is where the Dredgers work. It is an abominable place. Any who wander down there will face severe punishments. It is extremely dangerous, the environment is harsh and toxic. The only ones allowed down there besides Dredgers are military personnel assigned there to guard and patrol, and the Queen, though she never goes there.
The Colony is divided into three Tiers.
There is the Dome, the highest point, which is where the royalty live in their palace. The Palace itself is a massive, elaborate castle-like structure that hangs from the ceiling. It is accessible only by special elevators.
The Second Tier is divided into subsections. High District is for military only. Though Military personnel may mingle with the Workers, the High District itself consists of the training camps, parade grounds, barracks, and armories.There are sections of tunnels for Workers called Middle District. These areas include mostly houses, shops, and some factories.
Third Tier is where the where the majority of Workers do their jobs. It holds factories, mines, farms, and other such areas of industry.
There are two other parts of the Colony that no one speaks of. The first is called Fear-Reign. It takes a month to get there, and it is very up high, higher than the tallest reaches of the Colony. It is accessed by unused, closed off tunnels that are guarded always by the Military. The second unspoken location is known as the Whorl. This is where the Dredgers work. It is an abominable place. Any who wander down there will face severe punishments. It is extremely dangerous, the environment is harsh and toxic. The only ones allowed down there besides Dredgers are military personnel assigned there to guard and patrol, and the Queen, though she never goes there.
The People
The people are humans in looks, sizes, shapes, diversity, etc. The differences though, is that they are very much like ants in more than their lifestyle. Here are the following differences noted in these people compared to normal humans:
These are the currently accepted likenesses to ants. Future ones may be added.
- can carry up to 20 times their own weight. equivalent to a man lifting a car and carrying it to another state without breaking a sweat
- some may possess poisonous stings (retractable from fingers) or venomous bites
- can perform controlled glides while free-falling
- some have wings
- they are tougher and can handle more injuries
These are the currently accepted likenesses to ants. Future ones may be added.
Culture
Names
First names vary between things like Aiden to odd ones like Everym. Names that are common to our language such as Sam, Patrick, Mary, Charles, etc rarely if never exist.
There are surnames, but no one really uses them unless introducing themselves to strangers of differing rank. Surnames are passed down from the mother rather than the father. People mostly refer to themselves as a 'son of' or 'daughter of'. These words are also replaced with herr- (pronounced like "hair") and herra- (pronounced like hair-uh). Herr- and Herra- were used long, long ago and are traditionally used today, especially if the people introducing themselves are of different ranking.
EXAMPLE of a full name:
Madelliar herra-Nanora Arrenstrong
Madelliar is the first name. "herra-Nanora" means she is the daughter of Nanora. Arrenstrong is the family surname. So when she is introducing herself fully (as this example is the Queen, she would use it all the time), she introduces herself as "Queen Madelliar herra-Nanora Arrenstrong".
Marriage and Family
Every citizen of the Colony is required to be checked yearly by a Doctor. During these yearly checks, one of the main tests includes testing for genetic strength, mostly in females. Females who are approved to 'pass on their genes' are labeled as Gamergates. The choosing of Gamergates is done with a mix of science and superstition, so they may be Gamergates one year but not the next and so on. Hence the yearly testing.
Marriage is not considered sacred by any stretch of the imagination. It merely refers to the bonding of a man and woman that will result in future workers and soldiers for the colony. Wether it was for love or not is out of the question. Marriages are simply performed by a male going to a Lawkeeper Office and asking for a marriage license. The female does not even have to be made aware that this is happening until after the license is obtained. Of course, families may obtain a license to reserve their daughter for someone else. Arranged marriages are very common. Surprise marriages are not. Only females qualified as Gamergates may be eligible for marriage.
Females can have a lot of children in their lifetime. The highest common average is sixty. The lowest common average is twenty.
Assignments
When the children are born, they are kept in the Nursery to be cared for and raised. When they are the age of one, they are assigned to their future career. If their career is the same as a parent, they may be allowed to live with their parent when they are released from the nursery to begin training (around age seven). But otherwise, they will be assigned to live with someone who is in their career. Children spend the majority of their time in the training camps and seldom see anything of their families.
The Sciences
Technology remains at a standstill. It has no need to advance and therefore does not. Scientists work to maintain and continue creating what has already been established. Weapons are medieval of nature, though there are some lightsabers weilded by higher rankins, and electrocution is used for torture.
Law
The law recognizes all common laws of man. A few laws below indicate changes compared to ours:
The Arts
There is not a lot when it comes to arts. The Colonies mostly do writings on folk legends, superstitions, rituals, basic society functions, and historical documents. There are some poetry tomes and very few fiction pieces.
Cuisine
The staple diet involves meat, fungi, and fruit. There are a wide variety of all three, which allows for very delicious meals. A lot of spices also grow on the farms, adding to the variety.
Sports
Sports similar to basketball and lacrosse are played regularly. Foot racing is the most common as it is the easiest to organize. A less common sport is similar to soccer. Other sports are non-existent. Swimming is a rare sport.
Symbols
This Colony's insignia is a black, upside down fleur-de-lis on a crimson background. The military, however, applies its own insignia of a black, four pronged cross (each prong of the cross shaped like a trident) on a red background. The Royalty often wears the black and crimson colors during formal occasions. Rubies and onyxes are implemented into jewelry where an insignia won't fit or will not be fashionable.
Holidays and Celebrations
There are quite a few holidays celebrated by the Colony. Most are to recognize achievements, victories, the birth of Royalty, or special calendar events, such as equinoxes and solstices.
First names vary between things like Aiden to odd ones like Everym. Names that are common to our language such as Sam, Patrick, Mary, Charles, etc rarely if never exist.
There are surnames, but no one really uses them unless introducing themselves to strangers of differing rank. Surnames are passed down from the mother rather than the father. People mostly refer to themselves as a 'son of' or 'daughter of'. These words are also replaced with herr- (pronounced like "hair") and herra- (pronounced like hair-uh). Herr- and Herra- were used long, long ago and are traditionally used today, especially if the people introducing themselves are of different ranking.
EXAMPLE of a full name:
Madelliar herra-Nanora Arrenstrong
Madelliar is the first name. "herra-Nanora" means she is the daughter of Nanora. Arrenstrong is the family surname. So when she is introducing herself fully (as this example is the Queen, she would use it all the time), she introduces herself as "Queen Madelliar herra-Nanora Arrenstrong".
Marriage and Family
Every citizen of the Colony is required to be checked yearly by a Doctor. During these yearly checks, one of the main tests includes testing for genetic strength, mostly in females. Females who are approved to 'pass on their genes' are labeled as Gamergates. The choosing of Gamergates is done with a mix of science and superstition, so they may be Gamergates one year but not the next and so on. Hence the yearly testing.
Marriage is not considered sacred by any stretch of the imagination. It merely refers to the bonding of a man and woman that will result in future workers and soldiers for the colony. Wether it was for love or not is out of the question. Marriages are simply performed by a male going to a Lawkeeper Office and asking for a marriage license. The female does not even have to be made aware that this is happening until after the license is obtained. Of course, families may obtain a license to reserve their daughter for someone else. Arranged marriages are very common. Surprise marriages are not. Only females qualified as Gamergates may be eligible for marriage.
Females can have a lot of children in their lifetime. The highest common average is sixty. The lowest common average is twenty.
Assignments
When the children are born, they are kept in the Nursery to be cared for and raised. When they are the age of one, they are assigned to their future career. If their career is the same as a parent, they may be allowed to live with their parent when they are released from the nursery to begin training (around age seven). But otherwise, they will be assigned to live with someone who is in their career. Children spend the majority of their time in the training camps and seldom see anything of their families.
The Sciences
Technology remains at a standstill. It has no need to advance and therefore does not. Scientists work to maintain and continue creating what has already been established. Weapons are medieval of nature, though there are some lightsabers weilded by higher rankins, and electrocution is used for torture.
Law
The law recognizes all common laws of man. A few laws below indicate changes compared to ours:
- Rape, incest, and other sexually immoral acts, kidnapping, and murder are punishable by death.
- There are no rules regarding driving as there are no vehicles here.
- One can carry weapons freely. Fighting is allowed (if both parties are consenting). Assaulting someone is not. Dueling, even to death, is allowed, but a Lawkeeper must be present.
- Crimes of passion are determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Criminals or ordinary citizens deemed insane are subject to special imprisonment, experimentation, and execution for the safety and benefit of the colony.
- A male may marry a female without her consent. The Queen may marry any male without their consent.
- Polygamy is allowed. (I don't approve of polygamy in real, but since they are based off of ants, I will allow it)
The Arts
There is not a lot when it comes to arts. The Colonies mostly do writings on folk legends, superstitions, rituals, basic society functions, and historical documents. There are some poetry tomes and very few fiction pieces.
Cuisine
The staple diet involves meat, fungi, and fruit. There are a wide variety of all three, which allows for very delicious meals. A lot of spices also grow on the farms, adding to the variety.
Sports
Sports similar to basketball and lacrosse are played regularly. Foot racing is the most common as it is the easiest to organize. A less common sport is similar to soccer. Other sports are non-existent. Swimming is a rare sport.
Symbols
This Colony's insignia is a black, upside down fleur-de-lis on a crimson background. The military, however, applies its own insignia of a black, four pronged cross (each prong of the cross shaped like a trident) on a red background. The Royalty often wears the black and crimson colors during formal occasions. Rubies and onyxes are implemented into jewelry where an insignia won't fit or will not be fashionable.
Holidays and Celebrations
There are quite a few holidays celebrated by the Colony. Most are to recognize achievements, victories, the birth of Royalty, or special calendar events, such as equinoxes and solstices.
Royalty
The Queen
The Queen is the supreme ruler of the colony. What she says goes. She is advised by her Councilors, and they may make the petty decisions (such as settling certain disputes or checking on tax payments) but the Queen's decisions are final and the law.
The Queen may take on anyone to be her mate. Appeals may be sent to her if the male feels he is not adequate to be her husband, but these are usually ignored. "It's nice to let the people think they have some power over their lives," as one Queen once said. The Queen can also control everyone else's' marriages, though she hardly ever if never does this.
The Queen ultimately chooses which of her daughters will assume the throne, but she may also decide to give the position of Queen to anyone else. The only rule a Queen may never change is that a female must rule. THIS IS NEVER DISPUTED.
A Princess or even a commoner may decide to challenge the Queen for the throne. The challenger must be female. The challenger must also challenge the Queen publicly. Any assassination attempts or any announcements of challenge done in quiet places or secret are unrecognized as actual challenges for the throne. Challenges are usually made by the Princesses. The Princesses themselves may also challenge the Heir to the Throne. The winner will obviously assume the throne or heir position, so long as they successfully and fairly killed their opponent. If they 'defeat' their opponent but do not kill them, it does not count and they will be discharged from the palace with no further punishments (except perhaps distrust from everyone around them). If the challenger is defeated, they are publicly tortured and humiliated, then they are sent to the worst possible areas for a lifetime of horrid work, or even banishment to the Whorl. If the challenger is killed, their body is put on display for the public as a warning.
In short: if you are going in, go in with your everything.
The Lords
The Lord is the husband of the Queen. Some Queens may have multiple Lords. There are no Kings. The Queen is the highest rank to attain. Anyone may be chosen to be a Lord. At this title, the Lords serve the Queen. They guard her more closely than the bodyguards and are taken into her confidence more than her Councilors. Essentially, they are the closest to the Queen next to the Princesses.
The Princesses
These are the daughters of the Queen. One of them is chosen as the Heir of the Throne and will assume this position when the Queen either steps down or dies. The Heiress is not always a Princess. On rare occasions, the Heir may be of non-Royalty and chosen by the Queen or someone who challenged the Heir and won. The Princesses who are not chosen as Heir may move on to other high positions, take up professions, or even go away to form colonies of their own.
The Princes
The Princes are chosen male children of the Queen to remain and be raised in the Castle. (most male children are dispensed among the soldiers and workers). The ones that are chosen are then tailored and trained to take on higher ranks and positions in the Colony (such as General, Bodyguard, etc). They are also dispensable, as in, they can be married off to Queens and Princesses of other colonies in order to forge alliances.
The Queen is the supreme ruler of the colony. What she says goes. She is advised by her Councilors, and they may make the petty decisions (such as settling certain disputes or checking on tax payments) but the Queen's decisions are final and the law.
The Queen may take on anyone to be her mate. Appeals may be sent to her if the male feels he is not adequate to be her husband, but these are usually ignored. "It's nice to let the people think they have some power over their lives," as one Queen once said. The Queen can also control everyone else's' marriages, though she hardly ever if never does this.
The Queen ultimately chooses which of her daughters will assume the throne, but she may also decide to give the position of Queen to anyone else. The only rule a Queen may never change is that a female must rule. THIS IS NEVER DISPUTED.
A Princess or even a commoner may decide to challenge the Queen for the throne. The challenger must be female. The challenger must also challenge the Queen publicly. Any assassination attempts or any announcements of challenge done in quiet places or secret are unrecognized as actual challenges for the throne. Challenges are usually made by the Princesses. The Princesses themselves may also challenge the Heir to the Throne. The winner will obviously assume the throne or heir position, so long as they successfully and fairly killed their opponent. If they 'defeat' their opponent but do not kill them, it does not count and they will be discharged from the palace with no further punishments (except perhaps distrust from everyone around them). If the challenger is defeated, they are publicly tortured and humiliated, then they are sent to the worst possible areas for a lifetime of horrid work, or even banishment to the Whorl. If the challenger is killed, their body is put on display for the public as a warning.
In short: if you are going in, go in with your everything.
The Lords
The Lord is the husband of the Queen. Some Queens may have multiple Lords. There are no Kings. The Queen is the highest rank to attain. Anyone may be chosen to be a Lord. At this title, the Lords serve the Queen. They guard her more closely than the bodyguards and are taken into her confidence more than her Councilors. Essentially, they are the closest to the Queen next to the Princesses.
The Princesses
These are the daughters of the Queen. One of them is chosen as the Heir of the Throne and will assume this position when the Queen either steps down or dies. The Heiress is not always a Princess. On rare occasions, the Heir may be of non-Royalty and chosen by the Queen or someone who challenged the Heir and won. The Princesses who are not chosen as Heir may move on to other high positions, take up professions, or even go away to form colonies of their own.
The Princes
The Princes are chosen male children of the Queen to remain and be raised in the Castle. (most male children are dispensed among the soldiers and workers). The ones that are chosen are then tailored and trained to take on higher ranks and positions in the Colony (such as General, Bodyguard, etc). They are also dispensable, as in, they can be married off to Queens and Princesses of other colonies in order to forge alliances.
Rankings
Note: an asterisk (*) means the position is taken
ROYALTY
MILITARY
Pseudo-Military
WORKER
Any occupation your character desires, though Niitari will let you know if such an occupation is not available in this world (such as Fashion Model) The following occupations are world-specific
DREDGER
(1)
Dredgers have no specific job. They are assigned as needed.
ROYALTY
- Queen*
- Lord - the lord is a husband (or husbands) to the Queen. They do not rule, but they hold high status and are the Queen's most trusted advisors.
- Prince - Princes are often married off to become Lords in other colonies or will go on to serve in the Military or the Royalty Service when they are deemed old enough. Some may become Councilors.
- Princess (4/8) now a limited position
- Bodyguard (2)
- Councilor
- Guard (1)
- Lady-in-Waiting
- Valet
MILITARY
- General
- Leftenant (1)
- Corporal
- Captain
- Sergeant
- Private
Pseudo-Military
- Lawkeeper - a police officer
- Patroller - a type of police officer, but they go throughout the tunnels on their routes
- Rescuer - skilled in emergency medical services and fighting fires
- Doctor - more of a medicine man, Doctors are skilled enough to perform surgeries and fix broken bones, but their skills are more in tune with field surgeons of World War 1. They also hold a lot of belief in superstitions and herbal remedies.
WORKER
Any occupation your character desires, though Niitari will let you know if such an occupation is not available in this world (such as Fashion Model) The following occupations are world-specific
- Nursemaids - (1) - Workers who tend the newborns.
- Miners - Workers who manage the mines
- Farmers - Wether they are livestock farmers or vegetation farmers, there are a lot of these.
DREDGER
(1)
Dredgers have no specific job. They are assigned as needed.
Enemies
The people of the Colonies have lots of enemies. The majority of them are non-sentient beings.
Other Colonies
The Colonies are competitive. As such, wars between Colonies are frequent. They may battle over territory and resources, or trivial things, such as they simply want to.
The sentient creatures that roam the underground, wrecking havoc on the people.
Goblins - Hunched, short and skinny humanoid creatures. They are slimy and very unattractive. They have large golden eyes with slitted pupils. They have black skin and wear armor made of the bones and flesh of those they killed. They attack and kill the unsuspecting before eating them.
Trolls - Sometimes considered sentient. Trolls are hulking creatures that look moderately human, only thicker, larger, chunkier, and with no noses, only two nostrils where a nose ought to be. They usually hang by themselves or in groups of up to three. They eat people, but are not that smart otherwise. They are capable of speaking.
Troglodytes - a race of nomadic, gray-skinned, humanoid lizards. They enjoy capturing people and letting them loose in swamps and pitch black tunnels to hunt them for sport. They can speak human, but prefer not to.
Monsties
Monsties (singular, Monsty or Monster, or plural Monsters) are subterranean creatures that are non-sentient.
Termites - Giant insects with mouths full of razor sharp teeth. They destroy crops, buildings, and slaughter masses. They come by the hundreds. The worst of the enemies because of their capabilities and their sheer amounts.
Vambats - Big, purple bats that drink blood. (they are roughly the size of dobermans)
Wargs - Wolf-like animals with big, blocky faces and bodies. (they are the size of lions). They can't see very well but have very good sense of smell.
Rancor - (exactly like the rancor of star wars). Not very intelligent but very deadly. They tear anything that moves and breathes to shreds with their massive jaws, razor sharp teeth, and elongated claws.
Other Colonies
The Colonies are competitive. As such, wars between Colonies are frequent. They may battle over territory and resources, or trivial things, such as they simply want to.
The sentient creatures that roam the underground, wrecking havoc on the people.
Goblins - Hunched, short and skinny humanoid creatures. They are slimy and very unattractive. They have large golden eyes with slitted pupils. They have black skin and wear armor made of the bones and flesh of those they killed. They attack and kill the unsuspecting before eating them.
Trolls - Sometimes considered sentient. Trolls are hulking creatures that look moderately human, only thicker, larger, chunkier, and with no noses, only two nostrils where a nose ought to be. They usually hang by themselves or in groups of up to three. They eat people, but are not that smart otherwise. They are capable of speaking.
Troglodytes - a race of nomadic, gray-skinned, humanoid lizards. They enjoy capturing people and letting them loose in swamps and pitch black tunnels to hunt them for sport. They can speak human, but prefer not to.
Monsties
Monsties (singular, Monsty or Monster, or plural Monsters) are subterranean creatures that are non-sentient.
Termites - Giant insects with mouths full of razor sharp teeth. They destroy crops, buildings, and slaughter masses. They come by the hundreds. The worst of the enemies because of their capabilities and their sheer amounts.
Vambats - Big, purple bats that drink blood. (they are roughly the size of dobermans)
Wargs - Wolf-like animals with big, blocky faces and bodies. (they are the size of lions). They can't see very well but have very good sense of smell.
Rancor - (exactly like the rancor of star wars). Not very intelligent but very deadly. They tear anything that moves and breathes to shreds with their massive jaws, razor sharp teeth, and elongated claws.