Bolian/Society

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Bolians

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This page details information about Bolian society.

Cultural Diversity

Each of Bolarus' three continents has a distinct culture, as does the Bolian undersea community. Outright hostility between cultures has been rare since Bolarus joined the Federation, but each culture is prone to stereotyping the others, and Bolians do often engage in gentle mockery of each other's cultures.

Bol'ki

The flattest landmass, Bol'ki has the most population sprawl, and the largest inland community. The pace of life is slower on Bol'ki, and other Bolians consider Bol'ki to be somewhat uncultured. Bol'ki is also home to most of the planet's surviving land animals, and Bol'ki have a strong conservationist streak. Bol'ki do not use surnames, using their hometown or neighborhood when clarification is needed.

Rasara

The most urbanized continent, Rasara is famed for its architecture, including towering skyscrapers, and the planet's greatest centers of learning, including the Bolian Academy of Applied Sciences — considered second only to the Vulcan Science Academy in rigor, many Bolians who train to enter Starfleet do so at the BAAS instead of entering Starfleet Academy on Earth.

Rasara consider themselves the most urbane and intellectual of Bolians, and have the most interest in (and contact with) offworld cultures. Most of Bolarus' small human population lives on Rasara. Other Bolari consider Rasarans arrogant, and see them as fetishizing alien culture at the expense of their own.

Rabinua

While Rabinua is a sizeable landmass, much of it is empty rock, and the continent's largest city is spread out across an archipeligo, with massive bridges connecting the islands. The continent is a melange of different cultures, with Rabinua see as vibran and Rasarans see as needlessly chaotic. Rabinua has countless festivals for various subcultures and subgroups, and other Bolari see Rabinua as constantly partying when they should be working; Rabinua see the others as killjoys.

Riverfolk

To varying degrees, each continent has inland settlements, originally built up around mining operations, who are (often derisively) called Riverfolk, as they don't have direct access to the all-important ocean. As a result, other Bolians see them as spiritually bereft, and essentially as uncultured hicks (the Bol'ki riverfolk doubly so). But Riverfolk proudly see themselves as doing difficult, necessary work, and other Bolians as frivolous beachgoers.

Undersea

As most of Bolarus is covered by ocean, so too are the planet's bountiful mineral resources. Modern Bolians have built massive domes of crystalsteel (reinforced with parsteel and forcefields in the post-warp era), first to house mining operations, and then to house fairly significant populations. These populations are largely composed of Bolari from the nearest continent, and are therefore culturally similar, but undersea dwellers have begun to develop their own traditions. Most undersea Bolians see themselves as being closer to the ocean, Bolarus' spiritual home; surface-dwellers see them as being in the ocean, but not of it, separated from being able to swim or breathe the sea air by a meter of steel.

Holidays

The biggest traditional holidays are the Moon Festival, which happens when all four moons are full in the same night, and the Night Festival, which happens when none of the moons are visible and the stars are at their brightest. Rasaran celebrations invariably involve elaborate fireworks displays; Bol'ki festivals are centered around dance. At the Night Festival, Bol'ki dance on the seaside, covered in paint derived from a bio-luminescent plant plentiful on the continent, which they then wash off in the ocean, leaving a glow in the water that lasts until morning. (Bolian lighting is also derived from that plant; they find electric lights harsh and garish, particularly when used outdoors)

Personal holidays are also very important to Bolians. A newborn's Ocean Day, when they swim for the first time, is considered the true beginning of a Bolian's life, and the days and weeks before simply part of the birthing process. Bolians also have a coming-of-age ceremony at roughly 15 Earth years, (the Bolian name translates more or less directly to quinceañera, so Bolians who live among humans simply call it that) at which point they're considered an adult.

The quinceañera is when Bolians start shaving their heads; Rasara children keep their hair until adulthood, and elders let it grow, signifying that their life of diligence and hard work is coming to a rest. Bol'ki shave their children's heads; part of their coming-of-age ceremony includes the newly-minted adult shaving their own head for the first time. Most Bol'ki continue to shave their heads until the end of their life as a point of pride. Rabinua is, predictably, a hodgepodge of traditions, and the rare Bolari who don't shave their heads are largely restricted to a few communities on that continent.

Body Language

Bolians often unconsciously rub the ridges on their heads — the top of the head when lost in thought, the back of the head when frustrated, and the nose when puzzled. Running a finger along one's cheek is the Bolian equivalent of a human eyeroll. And Bolians offer a handshake with palms down, fingers slightly curved.

Townships

Whenever Bolians are married, the family extends, resulting in an even larger township. As a result of this, Bolarus IX is home to megalopoli, which are in effect cities with millions of inhabitants. The largest such megalopolis is Hosppat, home to 22.67 million Bolians, while the capital city (by virtue of being the biggest township when the Bolian Central Council chamber was erected) was Lommat, with a population of 17.65 million.

Due to the limited amount of land available, some townships have been built in aquatic domes beneath the surface of Bolarus IX's world ocean. These cities are protected by reinforced tritanium as well as forcefield technology, with multiple failsafes in case of power failure. Such domes must contend with oceanic "weather" patterns in the form of tides and deep-sea currents, and therefore weather-prediction systems are integrated into control centres throughout these domes. Giant tidal engines use the undersea currents to produce energy, and also help to regulate the impact of the tides upon the domes themselves.

The wet seasons on Bolarus often result in flash flooding, and therefore the location of the land-based townships relies on sturdy, rock-based locations that cannot be washed away due to floodwater.

Childcare and Healthcare

Caregivers are held in very high regard in Bolian society, as they are providing the ultimate service to the largest team on the planet - the entire Bolian people. The medical system is funded entirely by the Bolian Central Council due to its importance to the Bolian people, although this deals strictly with the business of ailments and physical and psychological medicine. Care for the elderly does not form a part of the medical system, as it is the very nature of Bolian families to care for those who are too infirm to look after themselves. Moreover, it is considered a great honour to be able to do so. Ailments are increasingly rare on Bolarus IX, as research has been conducted into genetically engineering food sources. This coupled with replicated foods and research into the Bolian diet has led to Bolians having an excellent immune system.

Child care is undertaken by families from birth. It is not left to the parents to raise the children as the entire family will voluntarily pitch in to cover the various duties required to raise an infant. Elementary and secondary schools do not exist on Bolarus IX, as families take responsibility for educating children to understand Bolian principles from an early age as well as for covering their basic educational needs up to university level. Lessons are taught by word of mouth, as well as by example where possible.

The Double-Effect Principle

Bolian society supports a strong medical philosophy to support euthanasia that has been in existence for hundreds of years. The "Double-Effect" principle, as it is known, refers to an "action that has the principal effect of relieving suffering and may be ethically justified even though the same action has the secondary effect of causing death." The principle refers to assisted suicide rather than the termination of a patient's life through the wishes of their family, and must be requested by the person involved. The origins of this principle lie in the Bolians' intolerance of seeing their family members suffer: if there is nothing they can do to absolve the suffering through curing the cause, the Double-Effect principle can be invoked.

Marriage and Sexuality

Bolari practice group marriage, with between three and seven partners. Nearly all Bolari are bisexual, and a marriage among only one gender is rare. An odd number of co-spouses is seen as more harmonious, as the group is less likely to pair off and cause a rift within the marriage. Before marriage, Bolians maintain several romantic relationships at once, ranging from casual flings to serious relationships that lead to marriage. Bolians generally marry in their late 20s or early 30s, to partners within a few years of their own age. A group will marry all at once; it's rare for a Bolari to join an existing marriage or exit from one. Marriage is seen more as a cornerstone of the all-important family than an enduring romantic relationship; if a romantic spark dwindles between a Bolian and one or more of their spouses, it's not uncommon (or even discouraged) for someone to seek companionship outside of marriage. Bolians are seafaring people, and had no expectation that one spouse should spend any lonely nights waiting for their co-spouses to return from a long journey. "Any port in a storm" is a human phrase, but very much in line with Bolian philosophy.

Because pregnancy is rare, with an average Bolian giving birth roughly three times in a lifetime, all children are welcomed unquestioningly into their mother's family, whether conceived before, during, or outside of marriage. Young mothers have the support of their extended family, and having a child early in adulthood is considered extremely fortuitous, as some Bolians don't have children until well into middle age, if at all. New mothers approaching old age rest assured that older siblings and other extended family will take care of their child after they and their co-spouses are gone. No one's ever really alone on Bolarus, and one of the biggest challenges to most Bolari entering Starfleet or living offworld is the isolation that comes from not having extended family nearby, and the difficulty their corrosive biology causes in forming romantic relationships with alien species.