Cultural Information
Illithiri culture is complex. As an expantionist empire, Illithar has gained many enemies. Though most of them have since been defeated, the Holy Empire has become fairly xenophbic and arrogant. They don't like non-Illithiri.
Values:To the Illithiri, the prime virtues a person can have are loyalty, self-control (which ties into their beliefs about freedom) and
koritzha which literally translates as 'audacity' in much the same way
chutzpah does in yiddish.
Loyalty is incredibly important and covers every aspect of an Illithiri's life: loyalty to country, loyalty to family, loyalty to one's lover(s), loyalty to the Empire (Emperor) and loyalty to oneself. It is important to note that the Illithiri are polyamorous/polygamist so long as a) all parties are aware and b) all parties are
involved, meaning that a poly-family should all be together. A person should not have one lover here and another there, they should all be lovers together, in all senses of the word. If a man marries a woman and then marries another woman, the Illithiri would expect the two women to marry
each other if the family is to be complete. With loyalty being so important, adultery is also considered one of the worst crimes, among the worst betrayals. The social stigma attached to an adulterer is so great that many kill themselves when found out.
Self-control,
illa'heir, is tied up in the Illithiri concept of 'freedom',
illa'hiar. Translated directly,
illa'hiar means 'self-rule' (illa=self, hiar=rule). It means the ability to set aside one's own needs and desires, to be able to ignore all distractions, to pursue one's goals, but with it comes the stipulation that anyone unable to maintain this 'freedom' or unable to control themselves doesn't deserve to have it. How they reconcile this belief with their intense hatred of slavery is difficult to explain.
Koritzha, audacity, means gall, brazen nerve, effrontery, incredible 'guts,' presumption plus arrogance such as no other word and no other language can do justice to. It also carries conotations of single-mindedness and ruthlessness.
Koritzha means that one will ignore even the morality of one's actions in order to win. The concept is of mixed value to the Illithiri; several of the most famous Illithiri embodied this concept. Mathais the Dragon led the slave revolt that freed his people but he started a cult of personality, terrorized the religious community into compliance, slaughtered women and children and was a sexual deviant. Imoen, the first Empress, did much of the same and more; she put entire cities to the torch and began a thirty year long war of aggression. However, thanks to their actions, the Empire is free and independent and able to continue that independance.
Despite the high value place on self-control, it should be noted that Illithar is very sexually liberated. Unlike in many nations where virginity is prized, in Illithar virginity denotes a lack of experiance and childishness. Sexual exploration, such as homosexuality, multiple partners, etc is encouraged. The very concept of "saving oneself for marriage" would be ridiculed not only as foolish but as immoral. After all, sexual pleasure is an important part of marriage and what kind of person would refuse to learn how to best please their partner or wait until their wedding night to learn whether or not they are compatible?
Clothing:Illithir clothing is very different from Western styles.
For women, skirts are very rare and dresses are only worn on formal occasions. Both genders wear the same type of pants; tight around the waist and thighes but baggy near the calves and tucked into boots. Shirts tend to be tight to accentuate the muscles but coats (ooc: 17th and 18th cent. Europe) and vests are very common. Increasingly, western style suits are worn or else combine with other clothing.
It should be noted that public nudity is frowned upon in Illithar, not because it is thought to be damaging to children or any silly sense of moral decency, but mostly because nudity, the naked human body, is considered sacred and should only be shared with one's sexual partner(s). Also, its thought to be rude to walk down the street, naked and fat. No one wants to see that.
Nobility:There are two forms of nobility in Illithar:
The nai'verik (lit. translated as from descent) is a hereditary form of nobility. These people are the descendents of heroic figures from Illithar's founding and have the right to posses a fourth name. For example, during the Shii'cho wars (a series of wars waged against Illithar by the Shii'cho, a collection of city-states that had enslaved the Illithiri people until the Illithiri rose in rebellion against them and finally freed themselves. For decades afterward, the Shii'cho waged war to recapture/exterminate their former slaves), a war leader named Sarvov rose to prominence and even though heavily outnumbered was able to defeat the Shii'cho army and save Illithar from early destruction. He was raised to nobility and all his descendents now bear his name and are refered to as "High Lords" New lines of High Lords have been added in the centuries since Illithar was founded, though it is rare and requires some great accomplishment.
There is also an 'earned' nobility. This includes the "vo", which was once a kind of knighthood and now comes with an officer's commission in the military. Basicly you add a 'vo to the end of your name. Ex. Kali'vo, Sarvov'vo, Mathias'vo, Karli'vo.
Other than that, nobility can be earned through the grace of the Emperor (or the Imperial Council). You can apply for nobility and became what's called a "Lord of the Land" (a remnant of feudalism) or you can be recognized by the Emperor and become a "True Lord". The difference is only in how the ennoblement process starts, but it has a major effect on a noble's place in Illithiri society. True Lords whose accomplishments are so great that they are granted the right to found a new noble line are called Lords of Lords (Lord of Lords) or Great Lords. These Lords' descendents are then members of the nai'verik and are High Lords.
The rank of nobility ranks as follows: True Lords, High Lords, Lords of the Land, and vo officers.
Each has its own set of privileges and rewards. High Lords, True Lords and Lords of the Land have special privileges, such as voting in the Noble's Assembly (the second house of the Grand Assembly, the other house is the Senate) and have immunity if charged with varying crimes. In addition, a jury to convict nobles can only be made up of nobles. However, if a noble is convicted of a crime, the punishment will be much more severe than it would be for an ordinary citizen. Many crimes that would send a citizen to life in prison would lead to a noble's execution.
Vo officers have these privileges to a lesser extent, but can only be tried for crimes in a military court.
There is little doubt among historian's that the Throne's control over the nobility and the ennoblement process are one of the factors in maintaining Imperial control over such a large and fractious land.