Culture on Xyon

"There is far more to Xyon than just insane gods and violent wars going on. Look beneath the suface, and no I'm not talking about the other realms, and you'll see a whole new light of this world worthy of praise."

- Jacqueline Rousseau

Culture on Xyon is vastly different from what one would experience on Earth. Mainly there are ten demi-gods who rule their realms with ruthless determination, and the fact that they will gladly throw their children to the flames of war to protect their lands. Since Xyon is home to dozens of races, there is no one diffent culture that dominates the entire world. However, there does exist a common ground upon which all of Xyon's inhabitants can agree on. This article will explain many of the differences one would encounter on the planet, and how they have shaped both the mindset and actions of its inhabitants. Also, it will explain the both the complex relationship between the Numen gods, and their children, the Novus.

War & Peace
The Novus percieve war as the natural order of the universe, and view peace as only a temporary solution to a long-time issue. Having spent nearly the last 16,000 years of their history killing one another, they view the only way to achieve permanent peace is by way of total war. The complete annihilation of their foes is the only way to ensuring any measure of tranquility, and it is this belief that has lead to perpetual fighting on their homeworld. The Numen know of this problem well; Achcauhtli having sucessfully engrained that belief into his Novus children, the Tlacati. During brief periods of peace, the Novus rebuild, regroup, and retrain, and prepare for the next interval of killing to begin, afterwhich they begin the cycle again, doing so for as long as their masters tell them too. Such has been the way of life since their creation, and unless the Numen get over themselves, no peace will be accomplished.

The idea that the Numen willingly throw the lives of the Novus away doesn't particularly strike any of the Novus as a bad thing. Like any set morals, their's were developed over ther history and dictated to them by their gods, the Numen. Since the Numen knew that they are too equal in strength and skill to fight one another, they sent their children out to fight for them. This is the sole reason the Numen do not fight each other, and why the wars the ravage Xyon are sure not to end, even if the Novus step past their belief in toal war, which was developed by the Numen to accomplish their own ends as forementioned. The Novus–as any intelligent species dealing with a superior force, know not to question their betters. Thus, few have any qualms about killing their enemies so long as it pleases their masters.

While this would normally strike a human as a terrible thing, one must remember that the Novus are not human, and most of their views of right and wrong are totally different than that of humanity's. Killing the young for instance would appall most human beings, and even the most destructive empires in their history had creeds that prevented them from attacking them unless the survival of their people demanded it. However, the most of the Novan races have no creed or conviction; the Vashti themselves, observing a strict interpretation of the Bible, will burn orphanages if it would please their creator. The Xai are notorious for their xanith populations going on city-wide raping sprees, and with even the victims finding little wrong with it (they themselves viewing the act as a minor infraction; no more than human hit with a ball by a child would).

Sickness & Death
Death is a concept to foreign to the Novus to understand. The thought of dying and never returning has never entered the minds of the Novus for one simply fact about them; they weren't made to die. Though they may die a physical death, their essence remains in a non-corporeal form. The Numen created a second universe known to the Novus as the Aedis. The Aedis can generally be considered home to the world of the afterlife, where the immaterial forms of the Novus reside until they recieve a physical body once again. That universe appears differently depending on the race of the individual that goes there. For the Vashti, it appears as Heaven, while for the Aesir, they see Valhalla. The Aedis is divided into multiple realms just Xyon, where each realm is overseen by the Numen that created it (Miyako Ishikawa oversees the realm housing the essences of the Izanagi, while Malakai Madora oversees the realm housing the essences of the Xai, and so on).

In regards to sickness, an illness of any kind is difficult to comprehend, for the Novus cannot get sick. Hospitals exist to handle wounds gained for fighting, accidents, or simple things beyond the control of the wounded. Thus, while the Novus do not experience illness first-hand, they do know of it from the stories of the Novus' war on Solaris, where plagues and viruses ravaged the world during the Great Solaris War. Since the Novus possess the perfect immune system, they cannot get sick even if they wanted to, though it should be noted that some more adventurous Novus, finding out what sickness feels like is an experience of a lifetime. Some will purposefully lower their immune system (for they have total control of their body), and expose themselves to bacteria and virus.

While this experience is considered "thrilling", they will remain sick for only a few minutes to an hour at most. The action is against the laws of the Numen, who state that going against the natural laws they set are wrong. Most are given the chance to allow them to sympathize with humans who must deal with such problem, these typically being the Novus who are selected to represent their people on Earth. However, unlike sickness that the Novus can understand to a limited degree, permanent death will always remain beyond the Novus and their creators. This has been a source of trouble between the Novus and humanity; whereas one must meet that fate, the other has no idea what it is, an jealous from humans has led to fighting.

Gender & Sexuality
The Novus have differing opinions in regards to gender and sexuality. This is mainly do to a variety reasons, such as the their cultural viewpoints, means of reproduction, and the overall mood of their leader in general. The Novus vary greatly culturally, and permit certain things to take place under their watch should no definate answer come from their Numen ruler. Normally, the Numen leave this decision to the Novus, generally keeping the first-generation Novus under their strict guidance. An example of this is with the Aesir. While men and women have emmense respect for one another, and have held each other with high regard, homosexual tendencies are vilified and unsupported by their people. This is in stark constrast with the Hellenes, who while the men keep women in their homes and rarely let them out, with clear disregard for their feelings and abilities, both sexes have no issue with homosexuality, a way of life that was supported by their predecessors in Ancient Greece.

The factor regarding means of reproduction is most evident with the Xai, where such behavior was the result of their Numen's own actions. Malakai Madora intentionally made the men of Xai a rare breed so he could "personally attend to expanding his civilization". When the First Xyon War broke out in 642 AE, he found himself short-handed on men for his armies, and to quickly expand his forces, he created a new sex for the Xai. The "xanith" as they are known, were an odd blend of male and female; female in face and form, but male reproductively. Makalai took women from the Xai population, and gave them male reproductive organs to substitute the tiny male population. They were regarded as men by the rest of the Xai, and they still are today. This led to a number of issues shortly thereafter, but they today make up the second largest group of Xai.

Finally, the mood of the ruling Numen will ultimately decide how the Novus will handle such issues. Dominique Verdoux was raised a highly staunch Catholic, and even when on Earth, she took her beliefs of sex, marriage, and gender further than her contemporaries. She would demand that women who took the lead in their marriage "get back in their place", which ended in brawls most of the time, and she would attack homosexuals in the open, giving her family a bad name with the community. Dominique's views did not change once she became a Numen. The Vashti she created shared the same views as herself. Catholism was the sole religion of the Vashti, and their interpretation of sex and gender were very clear. They believe a woman is to remain second to the male in the house, and that gays and lesbians are damned to go to Hell (one of the regions in the Aedis, and a territory in the realm of Gehenna on Xyon.

Family & Friendships
The Novus have a radically different view of family and friendship from humanity. The Novus view their family as a direct link to the Numen who created them, given that they are the genetic desendants of their masters. The belief that family is sacred was thus dervied from that, and so important is that relationship to some Novus, that the Ixians forbidded the marrying of one outside of the family, and built up a culture of interbreeding. Though it came with the cost of many Novus, led by more conversative-thinking Numen, to view them backwater fishers, more akin to the rather negative image of the rural population of the Southern United States. Despite this, the Numen gave declared the family to be "the first ring of unity" amoungst the Novan race, followed by marriage and friendship.

As for marriage, the Novus believe it to be a sacred bond that must not be broken or belittled. For many humans, marriage is viewed as a short-term relationship, while some believe it to be "outdated" all together. Naturally, this view have enraged the Novus. Marriage is viewed as the second ring of unity, second for the fact that even if one is not married, he or she will always have their family. Infidelity, however rare it may be amoung the Novan civilization, is not looked upon kindly by any of the Novus races. To betray one's spouse is tantamount to treason, heresy, and blasphemy. The act of infidelity is a one-way trip to the inescapable realm of Infernum, where those who commit the ultimate sins against the Numen are sent.

Finally, friendship is considered the third and final ring of unity. It is place third because family and marriage are two of the most important bonds in any civilization that the Novus or the Numen know of, including their own. Friendship, however, is always constant and always optional. One may choose not to have friends, while another may choose to gain them. Nothing is certain, but it is always another bonds forged between two or more people, thus why it is so important. Friendships on Xyon are remarkably closer than those for a human. Unlike a "friend with benefits" on Earth, a Novan may choose to, with his or her spouse's approval, to accept a long-time friend into their house as a concubine as a form of graditude for their long friendship. Many houses have been formed under such arrangements.

Morality
Morality varies greatly to the Novus, whom adopt the views of their Numen. All however, view their morals above all others, and more importantly, their views of morality as somewhat bizzare by human standards. In regards to crime, one would of course have to gain an understanding of what the concept of right and wrong mean first to the Numen, and then its effect on their Novus. While Marcus sees nothing wrong with punching a woman, Karishma views it as unacceptable, and thus that effects the way the Sudari and Santara treat the women of their races. Rape is considered acceptable by the Xai and Sudari (and hence the cronic rapes that plague both race), while the act is punishable by death by the Vashti (this the reason they possess the fewest rapists on Xyon). This to has much to do with the ideals of the Numen who created them.

However, there are some forms of morality agreed upon by all Numen and Novus. Abortion is considered an abomidable crime regardless of the reason as to why. Kordanian mothers who frequently give birth to children who are the product of a rape have themselves stated that the idea of having an abortion has never crossed their minds. This coming from a race of criminals is a prime example of their strong disgust of killing the unborn. So far, this is the only known moral that all races agree upon, and the only one they will defend on behalf of their fellow Novus. The views of homosexuality is another issue that has numerous views that are difficult to determine. The Xai hate gay male relationships, but condone female ones, as do the Ixians, who do not view them as sexual (since Ixian women are simply frisky and need to get the desires out of their system).

It should be noted that the Novans' views of nudity aren't as strict as humanity's. Men are generally more reserved in showing their skin (though the same cannot be said of the Kordanians or Izanagi), and women are more than happy to go naked, more as a way of showing off than anything else. The double standard does not exist in its full entirety on Xyon. For instance, a woman is existed to hold a door open for a man just as much as he would for her. A man would be expected to cook, clean, and care for the children as much as a mother would too. In speaking of war losses, the commonly heard phrase "women and children" on Earth is not heard on Xyon, where "men, women, and children" is used. "Women and children first" has never been uttered on the planet, and the treatment of women is similar, while more or less the same depending on race, to that of men.

In short, to class the overall views of morality for the entire Novan race is impossible, since there are numerous exceptions, opinions, objections, and desires within a single race itself. The Vashti have a black and white of morality, while the Xai have an entire spectrum to go through (perfect example being something is only wrong when some else does it, i.e. imposing one's views upon another). Regardless, the Numen ultimately decide what is wrong, and what is right. If Dominique one day decided that gays and lesbians were to be allowed to prosper (and the Vashti weren't made to be born gay), then the Vashti would accept and house them one a whim. If Malakai said that rape was wrong, the countless hundreds of thousands of rapings in the Ascendacy would disappear without a trace. Such is the way of Xyon.

Origin of Xyon
The Novus know well the origins of Xyon, the process of its creation known by every Novan on it, for they possess the memories of it from the Numen who made them. The planet's creation was well-documented as well during the time of Novus to share with others off-world. The eight realms beneath the surface were also created during their time as the Numen needed them. Additionally, each of the realms was created with many Novan witnesses, as the events were widely known before they took place, both as a demostration of the Numen's power, and their way of explaining what each realm was for to an audience. The second realm of Xyon known as Avalon was created in 2,478 AE to house the second-generation of the Novus, noteworthy of which were the Iconians, who are desendant of all the Novus races. As the planet's population grew, so to did the need certain amminities.

For instance, food was becoming scarce as the wars on the surface destroyed crops and sources of fresh water. Thus, Avalon was created not only with the aim of moving the fighting away from Nova and relieving the population growth, but also to provide food for the inhabitants of the over-realm. As the realms expand coreward, they became more purpose-designed than simply diversified as with Avalon. Aurora was created to provide entertainment for the Novus as they watched the empires there destroy each other, never ceasing to develop ways to keep the over-realms interested in conflict. Hyperion was created to prevent the Kordanians from moving up to the surface, and to provide the over-realms with fresh water from the realm-wide tundras.

As the creation of realms continued, the Novus were given every piece of evidence that the Numen did indeed create Xyon, leaving not a single doubt that they were some imposters. The records of planet's creation are prevalent across its lands, and all have easy access to the infomation. This too goes for the humans given the rare chance to visit, and see for themselves that the planets was not the result of some universal incident. This was done primarily by the Numen to prove to the humans they planned on returning to see that they were indeed gods in their own right. Also, it was to give the Arcan clear evidence that the Numen were their pawns no longer. Xyon's creation thus served more than just a single purpose, and has fulfilled that obligation perfectly.

Origin of the Novus
Some "intellectual" humans have put forth the statement that the Novus, after their contact with Earth, were not created by the Numen, but instead evolved from some lifeform on Xyon. For the Novus, this annoys them to no end, and has been a constant source of outright outrage which has at times led to them demanding that the Numen destroy the "intellectuals". When presented with evidence, human scientists sought out to find a "scientific" explanation to their existance, trying to reason that the Novus evolved at an "unnatural faster pace than other species". Both claims were refuted by the Numen, who's creation of the Novus repeatedly defeated each new "theory" presented by the humans.

Regardless of what the scientists of Earth had to say, the Novus have concrete evidence of their origins; they were there. With the exception of the Xai, every race of Novus had a witness to their creation. The first four Novus species with created within the first months of 337 AE, with the Xai, then the Izanagi, and later the Vashti, as witnesses of each other's creation by the Numen. This was further backed by the fact that many of the first Novus made by their master are still alive, and could attest to their creation. Thus, for the Novus, the origin of their civilization has never been an issue for debate, since there was no debate about it. However, one could not tell that to humanity.

With only humanity arguing against it, demanding proof and later calling them lies, myths, and superstitions, the Novans' tolerance for their lessers have been strained time and time again. The Novus repeatedly expressed their disgust with the accusations, and have viewed them as source for war against Earth. These aggressive stances have only been quelled by the cool-headedness of Malakai and Sadaka, whom have been able to understand why humanity wishes to deny the truth of the Novans' origins. If the Novus were created by something, then that too might mean that they in turn were created by something, and answering to a higher power when humanity has been going through a phase of "self-determination", would damage too many careers.

Divinity of the Numen
The divinity of the Numen on Xyon has never been questioned. The Novus can see, hear, and even touch them; though as with any person they'd have to be in the same room with them to feel them. The Numen are the politicial and spiritual leaders of Xyon and the Novus, there is no doubt that the Numen are gods. Their history and their creation of the Novus is well documented by the Arcan, and the Solarians can back up any evidence that the Numen existed long before the Novus. The Numen possess the power to twist he laws of physics as they wish, create entire civilizations at a whim, and as was the case with Xyon, construct entire planets as their see fit. No one can doubt their power or intentions. For those few reasons, many, many others, the Novus willingly follow their parents even word, and as has been shown in the past they will follow even if it means their temporary death.

To a human observor, the Novus would be consider blind followers with no free will of their own. However, this is not the case as one may soon discover. The Novus are free to do as they please so long as they obey the laws and guidence of their creators, and do all things with the intention of proving their power and might. They follow the Numen both because they were created to do so, and deviance from that is unthinkable, and because they owe them that. The Numen didn't have to create Xyon, they didn't have to create the Numen, and now, they don't have to let them live. Everything they do, they do because they wanted too. Despite the fact that the Numen plunged Xyon into endless conflict, they do harbor love toward their creations, and have even agreed to certain time periods together where there will be no fighting.

Regardless, the Novus have 15,000 years of recorded history where the Numen have displayed their power, for none to doubt them. The individual powers of the Numen are grandiose, and make it very clear their power transends time and space, but their collective power was what brought Xyon into existence to begin with, and the Novus along with it. It is considered high crime to suggest the Numen were anything lesser than they were (even though they were), and it is punishable by permanent banishment from both the Ulteria (where Xyon resides), and the Aedis (where the essence of the Novus go after their physical death). They are sent to a realm with other banished Novus, and reside there forever, only allowed back into the physical realm once the Numen fell they desire that chance.