Cultural Overview of Gandahrah

During the First and most of the Second Ages, Gandahrahn culture was rather similar to oldEarth America . Primarily male-dominated, though women did have legal and political rights, there was still more of a tie between religion and government, partly by virtue of the fact that the gods regularly enjoyed taking part in events of Gandahrahn history (or, in Isami’s case, inferfering with an excuse to make sure things turned out alright), and history was not considered particularly controversial. Still, the history of the people and their impact on the world unfolded much like oldEarth humanity’s, especially after their Industrial Revolution. This long-running part of their history ended with the conclusion of World War Three, after which, many races realized what harm they were doing to their world, and sought change.

Toward the end of the Second Age, the technologies that caused more destruction than benefit were laid to rest and abandoned, while the technologies that remained were improved upon and augmented with magic. Gandahrahns became considerably more environmentally-aware, and many countries reverted to a semi-medieval way of life, combining the knowledge of their past victories and mistakes with the more natural hunter-gatherer way of living. Also, as the men acknowledged their mistakes and shortcomings in running things, it was decided that women would try, with such great success that society switched over to a matriarchal system. While men, women and those of both genders all have equal rights, there is a slight bias in favor of those more feminine where matters of office, religion or inheritance are concerned.

While Gandahrahns are known for their kindness, optimism, patience and generosity, they live with a practical, very pragmatic approach to life and all that comes with it, and would gladly compare themselves to animals in their ways of thinking. It’s considered extremely bad taste, if not outright dangerous, to take more than one needs or can use, and reciprocation is the basis for their trade arrangements and even their language development. Thus, while they only hunt what food they need, some are infamous for their hoarding and packrat tendency to collect knickknacks like incense, gems and silks, as well as various other manufactured items. Any of their behavior, for the most part, is understandable when viewed under the pretense of survival.

A universal mark of the Gandahrahn mindset ties into the much-treasured idea of free will. While there are hereditary monarchs and rulers of the various kingdoms, they are in power because the people choose them. If there is any dissention among the general populace, the ruling family would step down and offer the dissenters a chance to rule, and if those people proved unpopular, either the ruling family would be put back in power, or a new ruler is chosen. Likewise, there has been little use for the idea of social classes, as occupations are equal opportunity, so there are no restrictions on either, for example, a samurai is from a farming family or is a close kin of a ruler.