Longevity
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So Haleza Grise
- Posts: 128
- Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:08 am
Longevity
How long-lived are the people on your conworld? What effects does this have on their society?
Re: Longevity
The Ajjaman year is only about 2/3rds that of Earth, so while most “humans” live to about the same age as they would on Earth the actual time measurement is greater. A standard human, for example, finishes up with puberty by the age of 30, and can expect to live a further 50 local years in a pre-industrial society (assuming they survive childbirth). This defines most groups of humans across the world.
There are, naturally, a few exceptions to this.
The average Salvian, Ambaliran, or Hercuan, from three different civilizations that have discovered purification of water, live to an average of 130 local years. Their lives are closer to that of modern humans--with the addendum that there’s more time for people to work on the spells/alchemy/technology that keep them alive and well. These three civilizations, therefore, are considered the most advanced in the world, and they themselves recognizing this fact has led to a pre-war arms race of sorts, paranoia without sufficient cause and the beginnings of racism among the parties. (It probably doesn’t help that they all look rather different from one another.)
The Kwehnu, who return as zombies, count their lifespans as being from birth to complete decay--and as their lifespans as zombies are exactly equal to their lifespans as humans, this led to some of them reaching the ripe old age of 160 local years before the introduction of modern medicine (which prevented a fair few from dying). Zombies can’t speak--not in the kingdom of Anosha, in any case--but they can help out their families, becoming something of an extra work-force around the farm, or being used in flower wars. Child zombies are occasionally an issue, culturally, but the tendency is to try and abandon anyone in the forest who hasn’t reached puberty yet, limbs mangled so that they can’t come home again. (It’s said this prevents further heartbreak to the grieving parents. Anthropologists are indecisive about this claim.)
It is the various tribes of the Byakya on the High Plateau, however, who have the longest known lifespans--up to 500 local years, about 312.5 Earth years, thanks to their Gift. The Byakya, also called the Eternals, have the longest existing civilization on record, going back nearly 9,000 local years (about 5,500 Terran years) in story and song. Couples have few children, perhaps one every “natural” generation; this is helped by a stretched-out menstrual cycle. Aging, too, is slowed, quadrupling the time of normal human development and decay. Living on the highest plateau in the world, at an average of 4,000m above sea level, they are some of the fittest people in the world. For this reason, many have been hunted by the alchemists of Hercua, in the hopes of trapping and bottling their essence, although this is now supposed to be illegal under the Guandunian Churches.
Nobody knows how long the Lost live.
There are, naturally, a few exceptions to this.
The average Salvian, Ambaliran, or Hercuan, from three different civilizations that have discovered purification of water, live to an average of 130 local years. Their lives are closer to that of modern humans--with the addendum that there’s more time for people to work on the spells/alchemy/technology that keep them alive and well. These three civilizations, therefore, are considered the most advanced in the world, and they themselves recognizing this fact has led to a pre-war arms race of sorts, paranoia without sufficient cause and the beginnings of racism among the parties. (It probably doesn’t help that they all look rather different from one another.)
The Kwehnu, who return as zombies, count their lifespans as being from birth to complete decay--and as their lifespans as zombies are exactly equal to their lifespans as humans, this led to some of them reaching the ripe old age of 160 local years before the introduction of modern medicine (which prevented a fair few from dying). Zombies can’t speak--not in the kingdom of Anosha, in any case--but they can help out their families, becoming something of an extra work-force around the farm, or being used in flower wars. Child zombies are occasionally an issue, culturally, but the tendency is to try and abandon anyone in the forest who hasn’t reached puberty yet, limbs mangled so that they can’t come home again. (It’s said this prevents further heartbreak to the grieving parents. Anthropologists are indecisive about this claim.)
It is the various tribes of the Byakya on the High Plateau, however, who have the longest known lifespans--up to 500 local years, about 312.5 Earth years, thanks to their Gift. The Byakya, also called the Eternals, have the longest existing civilization on record, going back nearly 9,000 local years (about 5,500 Terran years) in story and song. Couples have few children, perhaps one every “natural” generation; this is helped by a stretched-out menstrual cycle. Aging, too, is slowed, quadrupling the time of normal human development and decay. Living on the highest plateau in the world, at an average of 4,000m above sea level, they are some of the fittest people in the world. For this reason, many have been hunted by the alchemists of Hercua, in the hopes of trapping and bottling their essence, although this is now supposed to be illegal under the Guandunian Churches.
Nobody knows how long the Lost live.
My name means either "person who trumpets minor points of learning" or "maker of words." That fact that it means the latter in Sindarin is a demonstration of the former. Beware.
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Re: Longevity
Safir live for approximately 450 Daian years. A year on Daia is equivalent to 1.25 Terran years, so that's 562½ Terran years.
Hâlian the Protogen
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Hyolobrika
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Re: Longevity
That reminds me of the third instar of the life cycle of the Ariekei in Embassytown by China Miéville.pedant wrote: The Kwehnu, who return as zombies, count their lifespans as being from birth to complete decay--and as their lifespans as zombies are exactly equal to their lifespans as humans, this led to some of them reaching the ripe old age of 160 local years before the introduction of modern medicine (which prevented a fair few from dying). Zombies can’t speak--not in the kingdom of Anosha, in any case--but they can help out their families, becoming something of an extra work-force around the farm, or being used in flower wars. Child zombies are occasionally an issue, culturally, but the tendency is to try and abandon anyone in the forest who hasn’t reached puberty yet, limbs mangled so that they can’t come home again. (It’s said this prevents further heartbreak to the grieving parents. Anthropologists are indecisive about this claim.)
After a certain age they die and part of their bodies used to become a sort of mobile food source that instintively (by a vestigial remnant of the brain) follows Ariekei in the second instar. In the time the book is set in though, actually using that food source for what it evolved for is seen as barbaric so they don't do it anymore.
The book contains lots of other cool stuff but is also slightly disturbing.
My name is meant to be pronounced [çɔˈlɔːbrɪkʌ], but you can pronounce it any way you like.
The initial palatal fricative can be replaced by [hj] and the final vowel by [a] (I think that's the right IPA symbol).
---
Fiat verba, fiat grammatica, fiat lingua!
The initial palatal fricative can be replaced by [hj] and the final vowel by [a] (I think that's the right IPA symbol).
---
Fiat verba, fiat grammatica, fiat lingua!
Re: Longevity
It really does sound disturbing...I assure you this was definitely not what I had in mind.Hyolobrika wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2019 6:24 am That reminds me of the third instar of the life cycle of the Ariekei in Embassytown by China Miéville.
After a certain age they die and part of their bodies used to become a sort of mobile food source that instintively (by a vestigial remnant of the brain) follows Ariekei in the second instar. In the time the book is set in though, actually using that food source for what it evolved for is seen as barbaric so they don't do it anymore.
The book contains lots of other cool stuff but is also slightly disturbing.
Who are the Safir again?
My name means either "person who trumpets minor points of learning" or "maker of words." That fact that it means the latter in Sindarin is a demonstration of the former. Beware.
Spell Merchant | Patreon
Spell Merchant | Patreon
Re: Longevity
The safir are a species of four-armed, blue-blooded and -skinned, matriarchal, psionic elvenoids from my main, soft sf, conworld, the Safir Alliance.
Hâlian the Protogen
Re: Longevity
...fun!
My name means either "person who trumpets minor points of learning" or "maker of words." That fact that it means the latter in Sindarin is a demonstration of the former. Beware.
Spell Merchant | Patreon
Spell Merchant | Patreon