Bolian/Society: Difference between revisions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.