Editing Empire of the Petal Throne (section)

==Customs and Culture==
As noted, Tékumel is seeped in customs and culture. So much so, players have to acclimate to the setting's alien morality and sensibilities! Besides all the diacritic-heavy foreign words in play, this is what makes Tékumel so difficult to run. The setting is old-fashion with many things, like the rigid caste system, arranged marriages, slavery, women lacking rights (unless they become “aridani”), and so on. But at the same time, it is strangely progressive for something invented in the early 1940s.

===Outlook===
High morality is based on being Lawful-Neutral. So much so that the old [[Conan the Barbarian|Conan]] trope of "rescuing" a damsel-in-distress from becoming human sacrifice to a nasty blood-god is wholly rejected in Tsolyáni society, as people do not question the gods — good or bad — and it is considered a high honor to be so "chosen." Likewise, it would be highly offensive for someone to think less of someone who faithfully follows any of the gods — good or bad — or the temple they serve. In the polytheistic world of Tékumel, the only thing not tolerated is intolerance.

Due to the way the gods and the dead make their presence known, no one question their existence. You would be a fool to think otherwise! People live and die with their noses to the grindstone, enduring life's hardships, knowing that eternal paradise awaits them (if they survive the hellish trek to paradise). Due to this, you will not find philosophers on Tékumel.

Social stratification is seen as the way of life. Clans are separated by class: Slaves & the Clanless, Plebeians, Trade Clans and Nobility. Climbing up the social ladder is frowned upon, and going down it is disgraceful. A lesser casually socializing with a superior is impertinent. A superior casually socializing with a lesser is suspicious.

As noted above, people take all statements, even in jest, very seriously. That is not to say that they are joyless and uptight, but properly maintaining stoicism and reputation is seen as matter of life-or-death.

===Politics===
Civilization is highly bureaucratic and super conservative. If one were to wake up from a century of hibernation, things will have changed so little that the only real difference will be that all your kin are long dead.

When it comes to religion, bureaucracy, legal matters, asking for directions and so on, there is the expectation of bribery, or "incidentals." Crime and punishment is usually handled by heavy fines levied against the offender's clan. A clan can punish its own members by expulsion or even enslavement, if only to recover some of the cost of legal fines.

While the imperial government has supreme authority over everyone, as everything and everyone belongs to the Emperor, the government seldom affects the day-to-day affairs of people's lives. In truth, the Clans work as micro-nations and mega-corporations with regards to their own members and the other clans they have dealings with. On the other hand, family ties are put aside for the sake of the Empire or the demands of a temple.

===Family===
Their are no "Nuclear Families" on Tékumel, instead, people follow [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois_kinship Iroquois kinship] where many of your aunts and uncles are treated as your "Mothers" and "Fathers", with their kids being "brothers" and "sisters", made even more complicated by the fact that polygamy and same-sex marriage are common. This may sound confusing, but the defused relationship over mothers and fathers brings a child into a very loving enviroment as everyone is raising the child. People live in large communal clan houses, with kin houses found all across the five kingdoms. Each clan maintains a specific trade or specialty and jealousy guard their trade secrets. No one uses inns, as travelers usually stay in the clan house of kin or at the clan house of someone a traveler considers a "close friend." To be without a clan is to be seen as the worst scum on earth.

First marriages are arranged by clan leaders as a means of barter between clans. “Good Clan Girls” are expected to become wives, and a clan girl declaring herself as “aridani” (an independent woman) can throw the system out of wack. A wife has no rights, property or inheritance, but at the same time, she is immune to all legal prosecution and responsibilities. Men and aridani are also free to marry whom ever they want.

===Entertainment===
There are a number of houses that specializes in one form of entertainment or another, and most clans have members with a talent towards it. Thespians, singers, poets, musicians, dancers, and the like are common throughout the world.

===Sexuality===
People are not embarrassed by sex and nudity, seeing them as normal things. In fact, clothing are more costumes one wears outside to show what clan someone is, along with one's faith, occupation, social and occupational status and political affiliation — like looking at someone's back bumper — than a means of modesty. Adultery is not a big issue as sexual jealousy is frowned upon, and premarital sex is seen as normal. Clan girls typically grow plants that work as a contraceptive when chewed. The clans foster such a strong family support group that having children out of wedlock is not a big deal, and is fairly common.

===Afterthought===
This is just scratching the surface of the setting! Not all of this applies to all the kingdoms and outlying people. Baker was born to be an anthropologist and it shows!

Due to Baker's desire to keep western values and "white savior" fiction out of his setting (as these were common themes that played out in pulp-era of sci-fi and fantasy), he established that anyone with physical features [[SJW|that are anything but dark are seen as a bad omen, to be put down at birth by decree of the gods]]! So basically the setting is racist against white people, but for "[[MYFAROG|in-universe religious reasons]]".