Cultural Attitudes
The most defining personality traits are pride, honor, and courage. Imperials tend to be very proud of their abilities, be they martial or otherwise, and in the work they do. Likewise, they are proud to be part of the empire, and those who are raised as Imperials tend to have an almost reflexive dislike of values that stand opposed to their own, even if it's a minor thing. As a result, there is a belief among the Imperials that their conquests are justified if it brings a "lesser" culture into true civilization by way of making the conquered peoples into Imperials. By extension of this, however, Imperials generally have an extreme dislike of those who engage in colonialism, as subjugating people to just extract wealth and resources for them is considered dishonorable and cruel. Also, despite their pride, Imperials tend to dislike vanity, as they view self-absorbed boasting as crass and indicative of a lack of security in ones accomplishment. As a result, vanity is often referred to as "false pride" within the Empire.
Honor and courage, the other two primary traits of the empire, go hand in hand. Imperials tend to see themselves as the betters to almost everyone that isn't an Imperial, and their sense of honor demands they act the part, not by vain shows of superiority, but by refusing to engage in what they see as lesser behavior. It is considered dishonorable, vile, and counterproductive to loot a conquered village or town, as those people are now Imperial citizens. Likewise, it goes against Imperial honor to engage in needless cruelty to prisoners or to take advantage of those weaker than you. Likewise, cowardice is considered the worst action one can engage in, as Imperial culture views it strictly as endangering others merely to save oneself. Consequently, pacifism is strictly viewed as cowardice in the Empire and is considered a sign of both physical and moral weakness. They do not, however, look down on those who don't seek a fight, merely those who refuse one that comes to them.
As a result of this, military service is prized in the empire, and it's rare for Imperials to not serve in the Imperial Army for at least two arcs. Not everyone has the fortitude for constant danger however, and these people are allowed to leave to work in farms or trades with no shame, as their two arcs of service show at least a willingness to risk ones life to protect others and expand the empire. However, barring a physical illness that prevents it, people who entirely refuse military service are looked at a little oddly, especially if they otherwise show themselves to be courageous and honorable.
In regards to foreigners, Imperials have an odd outlook. There is a noted tendency to look at foreign cultures as inferior, but this does not translate to foreigners who come to visit The Eternal Empire. Instead, Imperials are wont to try and convince any visiting foreigners to live within the empire permanently and become Imperial citizens. Imperials look upon this as a chance to convince people of the righteousness of the empire and add to its ranks without bloodshed. Any foreigner who joins the empire, whether as a citizen or a part of the Imperial Army, is instantly considered part of the empire and treated as a fellow citizen.
Finally, there's the matter of slavery. Slavery exists in a weird state in The Eternal Empire, as it is considered dishonorable to mistreat a slave, and indeed, there is the rising question of whether or not is dishonorable to even keep a slave. As a result, most slaves in the empire are decently fed and treated, with little of the tortures that are so common in other places. However, there is a sort of confusion regarding what to do with slaves, and they are often put to manual labor just to keep them busy. Combined with other traits of Imperial character, and it's a common sight to see a slaves working a field of grain right alongside their master, who refuses to not work his farm on account of it being his farm. As a result, Imperial slaves are often just as confused about their place in things as their masters.
Relationships, Marriage, and Divorce
Before one can discuss marriage and divorce in the empire, one must discuss physical relationships, as they have a strong impact on marriage and family in Imperial culture. Put bluntly, Imperials place no emotional importance on the act of sex whatsoever. It is considered a purely physical act, and jealousy over physical intimacy is considered weird and barbaric by Imperials. As a result of this, there is no cultural bias against sharing ones physical or even romantic partners, as restricting love is looked on as needlessly selfish. The result is that Imperial culture is largely polygamist, with families being centered around large clans. Incestual relationships, however, are strongly frowned upon and it is considered extremely deviant to marry within ones own clan.
As a result of the lack of restriction on physical intimacy, Imperial clans tend to be massive and even immediate family groups tend to be large, as the polygamist nature of relationships leads to several adults in a single family and a noticeably large number of children. A natural consequence of this is that family lines are largely maternally derived, with the child taking their birth mothers surname. That said, children rarely have trouble referring to all the adults in their family as their parents, and usually one has to specify when asking for a child's birth mother. Usually, if a child is reluctant to refer to one of their family adults as a parent, it is a sign of a very troubled relationship and the other adults will generally look into the matter, as privacy within family groups is non-existent.
Marriage and divorce within the Empire is generally an informal affair, with the family only needing to register themselves as a family with the local notary in order to make it official. Ceremonies are rare and are generally made up on the spot, though there have been the occasional odd tradition that survived from before The Eternal Empire conquered an area. These generally become less common as the arcs pass, however. Divorce is along the same lines, merely requiring a registration with the local notary. Acrimonious divorces are sometimes taken to the courts, though this is usually taken as a sign of serious, quite possibly criminal, trouble.
Holidays
1st - 3rd of Cylus, The Year's Dawn: A holiday timed with the start of the year, The Year's Dawn is a privately held celebration for each Imperial household. While traditions vary from family to family, the Year's Dawn always serves the same purpose: to celebrate the birth of a new year and to bring it into the world on a cheerful note. The most common tradition is to share ones hopes and plans for the year, so that one can begin to work towards their goals. The Year's Dawn is a paired celebration with The Passing.
15th - 17th of Cylus, The Feast of the Empress: One of the most well known celebrations in the empire, largely because it started as an act of benevolence by the Empress that was almost immediately embraced as a yearly holiday by the empire. Commerating a time when Raskalarn opened the castle's storerooms to the populace during a particularly harsh Cylus, the Feast of the Empress is held in the middle of Cylus. Every major Imperial educational and military installation opens its storerooms for three days, holding a grand feast that every citizen of the Empire may partake of without cost. In addition to being a time of general gathering and merriment, it also eases the worries of the populace in regards to keeping themselves fed throughout the rough Cylus nights.
28th - 30th of Cylus, The Preparation: The final celebration of the winter seasons, The Preparation marks when farmers prepare to return to work, when soldiers prepare for the years coming conflicts, when schools prepare for resumption of classes, and in general, the empire as a whole marks the resumption of normal life. As these trials mark an end to the long night of Cylus, the Preparation is also a celebration of the imminent of the return of light to Idalos. As a result, the Preparation is generally a busy holiday as people get ready, but is touched with an air of joy as people emerge from the solitude of Cylus, especially in more hostile regions.
20th - 25th of Ashan, The March: The first festival of Ashan is one that is likely seen as strange to many outside perspectives, but it is one that is born of the emphasis that Imperial culture places on military service. The March is when the soldiers of the Imperial Army are rotated to new posts, whether to join a new campaign or just to give the soldiers a more varied experience of the Eternal Empire. The March is basically an empire spanning parade, with crowds gathering to both welcome the incoming soldiers and to see the outbound soldiers off. Because of this and the sheer size of the empire, the March doesn't happen at the same time all throughout the empire, instead spanning a range of 15 days, with each gathering happening when the soldiers depart or arrive.
73rd of Ashan, The Blooming: Taking place just as Ashan is fully in swing throughout most of The Eternal Empire, the Blooming is a celebration of new life as flowers bloom and, less poetically, most animals go into their breeding season. The Blooming is largely a farmer and ranchers festival, as these things are of great importance to those who work so closely with plants and animals. As such, it is mostly celebrated with dancing, music, and good food. The celebration is also particularly important in the Sacred Forest, and it is common for those who become pregnant around the time of the celebration to ask Maguon for a boon, though Maguon doesn't always grant these.
110th of Ashan, Egg Day: A festival that started largely as a way to entertain children and turned into an empire wide party, Egg Day is two part celebration. The first is the egg hunt, where children roam over a designated area, usually an open field, part of a safe forest, or a particularly large and spacious house, to find eggs that the adults of the area had hidden the night before. The second part of the festival is a large, egg based feast. Owing to Imperial culinary habits, the egg dishes on offer are often very simple, scrambled eggs or omelets, but there are a lot of them and they're almost always well prepared. These egg feasts are often quite cheerful, as families gather to talk and strengthen their relationships. Many a lifelong friendship has been formed on Egg Day because of this.
15th of Ymiden, The Dip: Something that is largely seen as a children's holiday, The Dip marks the point of Ymiden where most waters within The Eternal Empire get warm enough to swim in. As such, most children are inclined to make use of the warm waters and take the day off from their lessons, apprenticeships, or training and go for a swim. While this is largely a day of fun for children, adults in the empire have grown to see it as a day of rest, giving them a break from teaching while the kids have their fun.
42nd of Ymiden, The Founding: According to the histories, the 42nd of Ymiden, Arc 001, that Raskalarn and Karem first took charge of the tribes that would become the first citizens of The Eternal Empire. While the empire didn't receive its name yet, this is considered to be the moment The Eternal Empire was founded. As is only natural, this is a day of celebration within the empire and is marked by music, dancing, and shows of martial skills. No blood is deliberately drawn during these latter demonstrations, though accidents do happen, as these are merely demonstrations of ability, not fully fledged battles.
73rd of Ymiden, Shade Building: An architect and artists holiday, Shade Building is a response to the upcoming heat of Saun and the Imperial tendency to be nosy about the security of those around them. As a result, many architects and artists, the latter coming from the empire's tradition of fortifications as an art form, build small shelters in open areas in cities or along the side of the road. These shelters are not long term buildings, but they almost always last through Saun and will help travellers or the homeless get out from under the blistering sun for a time. Most of these structures are made of wood or stone to keep them from overheating the way metal does.
10th-11th of Saun, The Mourning: Though no Immortal has ever given a concrete date, it is believed by Imperial scholars that the destruction of Idalos during the Immortal War took place during Saun. This belief is held due to Faldrun's pride and malice, his role in starting the Immortal War, and his connection with Saun. The Mourning is held to remember the world that was lost due to the blindness of the Immortal War, and is held during the exact middle of the arc. The Mourning is a two day fast for all who aren't medically incapable of doing so, and unless attacked, no battle is done on the days of The Mourning.
25th of Saun, Take A Break Day: One of the very holidays officially mandated by The Empress, Take A Break Day is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: A day on which everyone in the empire is to take a break. Raskalarn, recognizing the imperial tendency towards stubbornness and how dangerous it could be to overwork oneself during Saun, officially declared Take A Break Day as an imperial mandated holiday, during which no citizen of the empire is to do business unless it is vitally important to save lives.
37th of Saun, Patience Day: A holiday held towards the end of Saun, Patience Day is meant to celebrate the coming end of the hottest time of the arc, as people look forward to the return of night and its cooler temperatures that Vhalar symbolizes. Patience Day celebrations tend to be quiet, as people are usually worn from the endless days of Saun, but there usually a good offering of foodstuffs to be had. This is generally ambitious culinarians attempt to make cooling foods to see the empire through the final few days of Saun.
29th of Vhalar, Concert Night: Music in the Eternal Empire is almost exclusively performed by groups of 3-5 people, and while there aren't too many art festivals in the Eternal Empire, this one will always stand out. Concert Night began as an informal affair started by several of these groups, playing together on the same night every year, both to draw a larger audience than usual, and to get together. The practice quickly spread across the Empire, with everyone using the same night as a show of musical solidarity, and it was eventually made an official holiday by the Empress, serving as a night of music and relaxation.
63th of Vhalar, The Wolf's Hunt: The only holiday dedicated to Karem rather than Raskalarn, The Wolf's Hunt is, as one might guess from the name, a hunter's holiday and almost exclusively celebrated by hunters. Hunters, especially those in service to Karem herself, know that they survive off the wild, and this is holiday is observed as a recognition between mortal and animal hunters. Any game killed during The Wolf's Hunt is not to be used by mortals except at great need, but rather left for the predators and scavengers of the wild, a free source of food for them. Conversely, those who find themselves hungry will often find food left for them during The Wolf's Hunt, though no mortal has ever admitted to having provided the food.
111th of Vhalar, Harvest Day: While harvesting all the crops can take a while, especially on larger farms, Harvest Day is generally when the harvest ends and is the day before the food buyers come to pick up their purchases, or make them if they're late on the draw. This final day of the harvest period is always marked by a big gathering around fresh food and drink, especially the latter is this is also around the time most new batches of beer or other liquors are finished and ready for consumption.
7th of Zi'da, Opening the Barns: It's hard for the homeless, or those who spend their lives on the road, to survive in Zi'da. As a result, many in the empire open their barns for these poor itinerents to sleep in during Zi'da and Cylus. The act was officially deemed a holiday by the Empress, largely out of appreciation for her people's kindness. Raskalarn also ordered the same thing done with Imperial Army barns, though many in the empire actually prefer the civilian hospitality, citing the official edict of the military hospitality as taking a bit of the homey edge off the tradition.
40th of Zi'da, Family Night: As Zi'da really gets underway, many trades and jobs, especially those that are done out of doors, experience a slow down or even cessation of activity due to the colder weather. As a result, this unofficial holiday came about as a result of many such trades hitting the slowest part of the year at this time. Families, a large part of Imperial life if only due to their size, take this time to gather together without the need to go to work the following trial hanging over their heads. Especially among young families, there's also something of a joke that this colder weather and slower work is partly the reason for the large of Imperial families, owing to the need to both keep occupied and stay warm. The moniker of Family Night thus has a different meaning to young families.
91st - 93rd of Zi'da, The Passing: A holiday timed with the end of the year, The Passing is a privately held celebration, with traditions that vary from family to family. However, The Passing shares a purpose across the empire: celebrating the passing of another year and mourning those who failed to see the year through. As such, The Passing varies heavily from celebratory to melancholic depending on the emotional state of each family and the losses they endured that year.
Demographics
The Eternal Empire cares little about race, and views it as uncouth to judge people based on which Immortal created them. In terms of numbers, Ithecal and humans make up the largest groups of the Imperial citizenry, with almost every other race being about equal. The exception is the Ellune, who are only present in the Winter Reach due to their troubles with warmer weather.
