Difference between revisions of "Culture of the Khanid Kingdom"

Revision as of 02:23, 30 December 2013

The Kingdom still upholds many of the tradition of Amarr society, but has also wholeheartedly embraced the customs of others, mainly the Caldari. Many visitors to the Kingdom feel like it is a surreal mix of the Amarr and Caldari empires.^[1]

Court Culture

The current court culture is largely shaped by the events of the past. As Dakos rebelled against the Khanid Kingdom, had he lead the young kingdom in it’s first civil war. His rebellion ended with his assassination by agents of Khanid II. This was not the last time that Khanid’s own family acted against him. Khanid has always managed to smother all rebellion attempts, each time tightening the leash on those who might try for the throne. Today all women and children belonging to the family spend their time in the royal palace on Khanid Prime. Although they live in luxury and comfort they’re still hostages, kept to keep their husbands and fathers in line. As for the men, they must spend at least a quarter of each year in the royal palace on Khanid Prime, and there are strict restrictions as to what arms they can own or bear.^[2]

Khaldari Culture

Many Caldari’s swing from the ideals of a meritocratic society to a realpolitical approach. A Caldari character said in a famous Khanid novel ones:

"The State is meritocracy were aptitude and expertise, to be more precisely the results of the aptitude screening and hardworking decide how far you come. I dont believe in this social form of natural selection. As I’m weak, I have only one ability: Cunning. [...] I belive in panoply of greed, cynicism, and unapologetic self-serving corporate power plays. I don’t want be behind the better man, I want to be above him. I have just one skill: Cunning, and I have only faith in my own cunning. It drives me, nothing else. [...] In the State a special talent or unique set of abilities is not considered meritorious. It is not believed that individual uniqueness grants a citizen any sort of entitlement that allows them to ascend above the masses by default. Which sounds nice as long it isn’t you. I want entitlement, for me and for my offsprings. You can hate the Khanid holders, but they understand that you don’t work for a better corporation, state or greater good; you work for a better tomorrow for you and your family. Unlike Yanou Lautere, I admire Holders who bite, despite their qualification, upwards for a better tomorrow; and downwards not to have a worse tomorrow. I want that my kids have the best seat possible and not the seat that they deserve. If you want to opposite: Congratulations! For your selfless effort towards a greater good, for a better society. And I will thank you, as I most likely will benefit from it. The Caldari would call me scum, the Khanid with mendacious respect: Khaldari. [...] The Kingdom is man made manifest of the will to power, that is why it is perfect. [...] This will to power describes a main driving force in humans: Achievement, ambition, the striving to reach the highest possible position in life. Volition liberates, that is the deeper ture behind those doctrines of choices, freedom and meritocracy. For the will to power you need just one trade, not hundred or thousand, not even those of your profession; just one. And my trade is cunning."

Caldari Enclaves

Although the Caldari Enclaves expatriate population constitute a small minority, they shape more than hundred years the cities and enrich the economic and cultural life of the Kingdom. Some Caldaris living in the Kingdom, were ones sent by their employers — megacorporations — to the Kingdom for few years or in form of short-term working contracts; but decided to stay in the cities. There are mainly well-paid specialists, scientists and managers and their families. There are also regular young Caldari to study in one of the universities. Some have worked their way up in the corporate ladder; and are now in the distribution^[3], mining^[4], R&D^[5] and security^[6] department of some major Khanid companies. Those are currently only Civire and Deteis, as they are by far the largest part of Caldari immigrants. How spectacular some careers may seen, most of them are offsprings of the well-paid, well-educated managers.

Immigrants/Disassociateds

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum

They've essentially blended Amarr and Caldari culture to such an extent that common traits such as loyalty and militancy are taken to an extreme, while some of the more conflicting aspects like adherence to traditional religious doctrine are less important.

The more I think on it, realpolitik is a great way to define the Khanid. Those loyal to Khanid II (which admittedly won't be everyone of Khanid descent) will do what is necessary to serve the cause, traditions be damned.

Technology Level

The Khanid Kingdom embraces technology, including cloning, much more willingly than the Amarr Empire. Even if most Amarr traditions and customs still exist within the kingdom, they’ve been modified so that Dark Amarr society is much more dynamic and robust than that of the Amarr Empire.^[2]

The Khanids are also leading (not counting possible Jove work in this field) the science around mind-control/memory-change. The Kingdom has good scientists and labs for this kind of technology, more precisely the removing of special memories, while keeping others.^[7]

Transcranial Microcontrollers

In YC 106 the Ishukone Corporation signed a trade deal for Transcranial Microcontrollers with representatives from the Khanid Kingdom.^[8]

The technology was originally developed by the School of Applied Knowledge with funds from several humanitarian organizations to help catatonics regain consciousness and resume their lives, though in a limited capacity. The microcontroller, which can be used both in humans and machines, proved to be a great success and the Ishukone corporation stepped in and bought the rights to the chip.^[9] This small chips have made it possible to literally inhabit someone else’s experiences and/or programmed experiences. Which is allowing a memory-based virtual reality.^[10] Many humanitarian organizations have claimed the microchips will be used on slaves to suppress their thoughts and will, effectively 'de-humanizing' them. These claims have reached such a popular appeal, being constantly fed by the media, that the Gallente Federation and the Minmatar Republic have also joined in denouncing the deal as being inhumane.

The Khanid Kingdom has from the start vigorously defended their actions and now, in an attempt to strengthen their side of the story, it has decided to reveal further information into what the Transcranial Microcontrollers will be used for. The Kingdom, or Dark Amarr as it is better known as, has always been a strange mismatch of old Amarrian traditions coupled with brand new theories in technology and economics, creating a society that may seem decidedly schizophrenic to the untrained eye. As in the Amarr Empire, slavery has always played a large role in the economical and social life of the Kingdom. Yet in recent years the Dark Amarrians have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of economical benefits provided by slavery in a modern world. The cost for raring, supervising and guarding slaves is only marginally lower than the productivity of the slave, especially when one bears in mind that the productivity is already hampered by the slaves being resentful, inexperienced and, frequently, unhealthy.

The Transcranial Microcontrollers will change all that. Following the age-old mantra that a 'happy worker is a good worker', slaves implanted with the chip will feel happy and content, with no rebellious or ill feelings towards their supervisors. The Transcranial Microcontroller can be programmed in such a way as to create an illusionary existence for the implantee, making him believe he lives quite an ordinary life, with a family, home and freedom. Every night, the mind is re-programmed anew, effectively allowing the slave to constantly re-live the same day, though without him realizing this.

Early studies by economists indicate that the productivity of slaves with the implant is up to 120% greater than of other slaves. Furthermore, tests by medical doctors and psychologists show that slaves with the implant have significantly reduced stress levels and psychological disorders compared to other slaves, and even to 'ordinary' people. Dark Amarr officials do not deny that they were mainly driven by economical factors in making this step, but any suggestions that they are treating their slaves badly they counter by asking: People can rave all they want about free will, but do they really want to take a slave from the happy life he now leads and throw him back into the squalor and misery of his old existence just to prove they're right on some utopian altruistic level that has no basis in reality? ^[11]

See Also

• Factions and Coalitions
• Khanid II
• Khanid Kingdom
• Chronicle: Amarr Succession
• Chronicle: Khanid Kingdom
• Khanid Family

References