#askroshava

[loominggaia]

Is it possible to for a baby Rashava to be born with purple skin. ???

It's totally possible! Most often it's related to an intersexed condition.

A roshava with such a condition may be slightly more blue or slightly more red, but there is a definite purplish hue to them which is unlike binary-sexed roshava.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[loominggaia]

Do other peoples besides centaurs use special or unique furniture that humans don't?

Yes! A lot of this depends on region too. For instance, in some regions people use chairs, and in others they prefer to sit on cushions or just the ground. In some regions people use eating utensils, and in others they use their hands to eat. So the following isn't true globally, just in some places.

With that said...

All heavyweight species require heavyweight-rated furniture. Stuff like tables, chairs, bed frames, and so on are made of tougher materials to withstand the extra weight of these species. Of course these furniture pieces are much larger too.

Chairs made for ogres have a gap for their tails to poke through. More often, these chairs don't have a back at all, so they're more like stools.

Dishes and utensils are bigger and burlier to accommodate heavyweight species. These things have to survive the heavyweights' great strength and crushing jaws. Normal forks and spoons just bend like paperclips, and normal glass dishes break too easily. Heavyweights typically use dishes made of wood, metal, or stone.

Trolls have massive hands, so there are a variety of troll-specific objects like tools and dishes with fatter handles.

Heavyweights' objects in general are bigger. For example, a watering can meant for middleweight species might hold one or two gallons of water. But heavyweights are strong enough to hold much more, so their watering can would seem ridiculously large to a human.

Ogres and trolls don't typically use mattresses, and if they do, they're just hay or animal pelts spread on the floor. This is because their skin is so rough that they tear through fabrics quickly. If an ogre lays on your couch, I'm sorry to say your upholstery is not long for this world...

Minotaur dwellings have tall, keyhole-shaped doorways to accommodate large horns. (Fauns also have doors like this, but smaller)

Gnomes repurpose objects meant for larger species all the time. A spool of thread, for instance, might make a nice end table for a gnome. A child's dollhouse can even be converted into a real house in some cases!

Many gnomes find this tacky and don't wish to use hand-me-down trash from other species. Instead, they make their own furniture out of natural materials around them. They braid fur and hair of larger creatures into ropes or weave it into tapestries. Since they're so small, gnomes are capable of extremely fine detail work. No one makes finer jewelry or dollhouse furniture than they do. "Crafted by gnomes" is an attractive selling point for some objects.

Chairs meant for roshava have four arm rests instead of two.

Sirenes don't really use furniture underwater, but they do use it on the shore, and of course it must be made out of waterproof materials. You won't see sirenes sitting on cotton upholstery, which holds water and gets moldy. Instead, they prefer cushions and fabrics woven from water-repellent fibers like grasses and seaweed. This goes for cecaelia as well.

You'll never find stairs in a gorgon house because this species doesn't have legs. For the record, gorgons can climb stairs, but it's awkward and not exactly safe for them. Instead, they prefer smooth ramps and elevators. Wheelchair-accessible infrastructure doubles as gorgon-accessible!

Of course, all furniture meant for dworfs is shorter than it is for other species.

That's all I can think of at the moment!

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[loominggaia]

question regarding koeshan:

since only unbroken are allowed into its high class, and roshava are presumably predisposed to having twins no matter their status, does that mean that their nobility is "chosen" rather than running on lineage? so, for example, could two commoner/poor/whatever split roshava parents have one unbroken child? if so, what does that mean for these roshava? and the other way around (unbroken parents have twins)?

Good question! There is significantly less nepotism going on in Koeshan compared to the rest of the world.

Notice I said "less nepotism", not "no nepotism"...because ultimately, there will always be a council of unbroken roshava calling the shots, picking and choosing from the pool of Koeshan's other unbroken. Of course they're going to pick their unbroken friends and relatives first. But yes, this pool is smaller than what most cultures are pulling from.

If two low-class split-souled roshava give birth to an unbroken child, then their status is only slightly elevated, and only due to the child's status. Ultimately that child will always hold higher status than its parents for the rest of its life. This child will likely be given opportunities to go to special schools and whatnot, but the parents still don't get to join the government council or whatever.

When high-status unbroken parents give birth to split-souls (which happens more often than not), then those split-souled children simply take a lower place in society than their parents. They don't get to go to the special school or follow their parents into high-status careers. If they have an unbroken sibling, however, that sibling will get to take advantage of these things. It's a really unfair system.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[loominggaia]

Sorry if this question sounds inappropriate Could Roshava women having duel breast come not just from them having double pectorals, but also due to their habit of having twins? Cause it’s actually the norm for mammals to have twice as many mammaries they have babies, having spares incase some are defective or they have extra babies. Like how dogs normally have 4 puppies per litter so they have 8 teats.

Absolutely! While World Athenaeum researchers can never prove *why* Gaia designed different peoples the way She did, they can find evidence to support their theories, and this is a very good one.

This was also addressed in this article, but female roshava can breastfeed with both sets of breasts. Since their chance of birthing twins is over 90%, I think extra milk production would be very beneficial to them.

As for male roshava having double pectorals, well, in nature males are technically a "mutation" of females. So they have an extra set of pecs and arms for the same reason male humans have nipples, I guess.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[loominggaia]

Saytr’s sound like they would be pretty fun, but sirenes sound petty and brutal. For round 4 let’s go a more humanoid direction. How would one seduce a dworf, elf, roshava or goblin? And just because why not let’s through cecaelia into the mix as well.

Since this is going to be long, I'll put the answer behind a cut.

DWORF

Female: Female dworfs gravitate towards males who demonstrate good practical skills. These are skills which are useful in everyday life, like chopping wood, mining, construction, and so on. It doesn't really matter what he does, he just has to be good at it. Nothing gets a female dworf all hot and bothered like a man wearing a toolbelt, and the more of those tools he can wield like a pro, the better.

Male: The way to a male dworf's heart is through his stomach. Sure, you can buy him dinner at a fancy restaurant, but he'll really fall hard for you if you cook the meal yourself. If you're trying to woo a male dworf, find out what his favorite food is, take some cooking classes, and surprise him with a feast. It'll mean a lot more to him than anything money can buy.

ELF

Female: Both sexes of elf can cast magical spells, but female elves are hard-wired to scrutinize spellcasting ability harder than males. Back in ancient times, male elves used to duel eachother with hazard spells to win the affection of a female. Today, females still appreciate a flashy display of arcane ability more than anything. If you want to woo an elfenne but you can't wield magic, maybe some sleight of hand and clever tricks of the eye will impress her too.

Male: Male elves have a bit of a "thing" for hands. They seek females with nimble, dexterous fingers, and what she does with them doesn't matter too much, as long as she demonstrates skill. Knitting, piano playing, typing, drawing, jewelry-making and machine assembly are all good ways to impress a male elf. They spend a lot of time staring at hands, so make sure yours are doing something productive!

ROSHAVA

Female: If you want to get a female roshava's attention, sitting still won't get you anywhere. They're naturally attracted to athleticism, particularly males who are acrobatic and flexible. Take some yoga and gymnastics classes before asking one of these ladies on a date, because she won't give you the time of day if you're a couch potato. If you can twist your heels over your head, she'll fall head over heels for you.

Male: Male roshava are a little more visual than their female counterparts. They do appreciate athletic women, but whether or not you can actually do a handstand doesn't matter as much to them. As long as you look like you can, you'll get their attention. Toned, well-defined muscles get their hearts racing. You can make a big impression by getting a tan and oiling up your skin before your date.

GOBLIN

Female: Everyone knows that goblins never forget anything they learn. However, that doesn't mean they'll always use that knowledge productively. Female goblins seek intellectual males who collect lots of knowledge and then put it to good use. For example, one who learns a lot about disease and uses that knowledge to become a doctor, or one who learns about history and becomes a historian. Female goblins love hearing males talk about subjects they're passionate about. However, nothing turns them off faster than a male who blathers on about a subject he clearly doesn't understand. If you want to win a female goblin's affection, you gotta know your stuff!

Male: Goblins have notoriously bad eyesight, but their exceptional hearing makes up for it. Male goblins are especially tuned in to voices, and they pay special attention to how people speak. They can tell a lot about a person by the subtle tones of their voice, their accent, intonations, and so on. Women who speak in a clear, eloquent, and intelligent manner are sure to get their attention. Male goblins don't want to listen to someone with a lazy drawl, who slurs their words and sounds uneducated. But if you have a pleasant speaking voice and better yet, something thoughtful to talk about, they'll happily listen to you all day long.

CECAELIA

Female: Female cecaelia have a reputation for being "the pickiest women on Gaia" when it comes to choosing a mate. But they can't really be blamed--as there are ten male cecaelia for every one of them. They also lay eggs just once every 50 years! With odds like that, these ladies can't afford to settle for just anyone. If you want to impress them, you've got to have the whole package and nothing less: sharp intellect, strong muscles, popularity, wealth, good looks, a wide variety of skills, and most of all, a good moral character. Basically, you have to be a better catch than all the guys around you. And given how rare female cecaelia are, there's going to be a lot of competition.

Male: Cecaelia are unique creatures in that they don't experience sexual attraction. Since they breed without contact, they have no need for feelings like lust. However, romance and companionship are still important to them, and male cecaelia seek a partner who will fulfill their lives. Above all else, they value a kind and pleasant personality. Looks don't matter much to them, they just want someone they can proudly call "family". Naturally, male cecaelia gravitate towards the most fertile females of their own species--that is, the ones who lay the most eggs. However, they also seem to sense when females of other species are fertile as well. If you already have children from a previous relationship, don't despair! That only makes them more interested in you. Cecaelia like being surrounded by massive families, and that "family" doesn't necessarily have to be the same species as them, so long as all are loved and cared for.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[loominggaia]

Why do roshava have 4 arms?

Researchers at the World Athenaeum have wondered this for a very long time, and they still haven't reached a hard conclusion.

All they have are theories, and the most accepted theory is that early roshava lived in a region with extremely steep terrain, so their extra set of arms helped them scale the canyons around them.

Ancient roshava were known to hunt by rappelling down cliff faces using one set of arms, while shooting a bow with the other. They could hunt very effectively this way and access prey that other peoples couldn't. This really helped them thrive as a species.

Their extra arms were also helpful in combat situations. Orcs may be extinct now, but in their heyday they had a lot of interaction with early roshava. Orcs were one of the few peoples in that region who were bigger and stronger than roshava, so that extra pair of arms really came in handy (pun intended) when the roshava had to defend themselves from them.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[loominggaia]

Roshava culture sounds really cool, I especially like the detail of their city being undecorated, while the citizens decorate themselves with beautiful tattoos and the like, as well as how much they like sports. Is there any other traditions in their culture that you haven’t talked about yet, like perhaps their art, music, or their relationship with the nymphs?

Thanks! There are heavy elements of vanity and status in their native culture. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how far it's taken.

Art: body modification is one of the most prominent and respected art forms in Koesh culture. This includes painting, tattooing, piercing, stretching, scarring, implants, and so on. I would say painting is most common. Almost all local celebrations incorporate body-painting in some way. Upon death, the roshava with the most highly-modified bodies may be indefinitely preserved in Koesh's most famous museum, where their beauty can be admired forever.

Music: The traditional music of Koesh shares many similarities with traditional Matuzan music in general, due to the materials and instruments that are popular in that region. Woodwinds, sitar, and animal skin drums are pretty much a given. But what's unique about Koesh music is the stressed importance of voice. Because Koesh is located in steep canyons where sound echoes, the native roshava have taken advantage of this to amplify their voices. There are specific spots in the canyons with incredible acoustics, and these spots are reserved specifically for concerts. In ancient times, the Koesh believed their echoes were the voices of their ancestors calling back to them. To this day, they honor their dead once a year by singing to the canyons.

Nymphs: Koesh is home to many types of nymph, but mainly oreads, limniads, faunae, and maenads. The Koesh coexist peacefully with them for the most part. Their civilization respects the Nymph Pact overall, though certain individuals may be less respectful, so it does have its fair share of litterbugs and poachers just like anywhere. Whenever there is conflict between nymphs and the Koesh, it's almost always because of these individuals, not the local policies themselves.

[loominggaia]

Given how Roshava skin color is based on their gender, does this effect their trans or non-binary cultures in any way?

Great question, I didn’t even consider this! I imagine it might make passing as the opposite sex quite a bit more difficult, but then again, changing skin color can be a relatively inexpensive procedure in Matuzu Kingdom. It can be performed chemically or magically.

This is a bit of tangent but I’ll mention it anyway:

For example, Ivy used an illusion spell to permanently change Lilian’s hair color from white to black in “Ghoul Beneath the Guise”. Illusion spells are a lot easier to perform than transmutation spells, and since it is only an illusion, Lilian’s hair is not actually black. It only appears that way to the untrained eye. But if you were to look at her through a mirror, her reflection would show her true white hair color.

Changing one’s skin color using illusion magic is pretty inexpensive. But illusion specialists and transmutation specialists are nowhere near the same class as far as magical ability goes. Transmutation actually changes the physical properties of something, it doesn’t just cast a facade over it. It’s an extremely difficult and risky school of magic to master. Likewise, these mages charge a lot of money for their services.

So if you were a poor transgender roshava who wanted to pass better, you might save up for a chemical or illusion treatment for your skin. But if you have the money, you can just throw it at a transmutation procedure and change your whole body while you’re at it. That way a mirror couldn’t even reveal your “true” form, because what you have become IS now your true form. Hope that makes sense!