Aristasian Customs and Manners Aristasian Customs and Manners Until recently, learning about Aristasian customs and etiquette has been a thing that happened only in "real life". In Elektraspace it was not necessary. With the advent of Virtualia, that has changed. Aristasians, both established and new, are meeting in virtual environments and visitors are encountering Aristasia and being received as guests at the Virtual Embassy and in other Elektra-venues.
The time has come, therefore, to explain a little about Aristasian customs and etiquette so that the newcomer need not feel confused.
The first thing we should like to say is — don't worry! We are used to newcomers. We do not expect you to be au fait with Aristasian ways from the start. If you do not remember this page at all, that is fine. You will learn as you go along. This is just here as a resource you may wish to consult to make things clearer and perhaps explain a little of the background.
Aristasia is a whole world, not a single nation, so customs vary in different parts of the Empire. The ways you will encounter are the ways of the far West. There is a degree of Estrenne influence because of the involvement of the Novarian Navy and diplomatic service in the founding and administration of Virtual Aristasia, and in any case a certain degree of West-Estrenne conduct is inherent in the more formal Quirinelle manner.
However you may be relieved to learn that on the whole, the manner of Quirinelle prevails, which is generally the least strict and formal of any in the Empire. Our level is a little above that of Quirridip Espresso-bar society! — But still relatively relaxed by Aristasian standards.
Respect is the keynote of much Aristasian conduct. It is considered proper to treat each person with the highest respect she might be entitled to. This means you will give each person her title. Usually this will be Miss. In some cases it will be a military rank or other distinction. Teachers at all levels are addressed as ma'am, as are grown-ups by children and anyone of distinctly superior station to oneself. There are other titles, but you will probably not encounter these at first.
When addressing a person as Miss, you may use either Miss [Surname] or Miss [First name]. The first is more formal. It should be used when you first meet someone. As in Telluria (at least until recently), moving onto first-name terms is a sign of developing intimacy. To use a first name with a stranger can cause genuine puzzlement ("Does this person think she knows me? — Oh gosh, I hope I haven't completely forgotten her!")
In Quirinelle,and especially in the atmosphere of Virtualia (where welcoming new people and forging a community are central to the whole project) this first level of intimacy often develops quite quickly — once people feel they know one another. However, although you use the first name, do not drop the "Miss". To address someone by first name alone is in Aristasia a thing that happens between family members, sweethearts, childhood friends and (sometimes) very close adult friends. First names alone are also used in schools (especially among blondes) and by superiors to their very distinct inferiors — to children, by mistresses to maids, teachers to pupils etc. Though at University level a lecturer will address her undergraduates as Miss [Surname]. If the teaching relationship is close, she may move on to Miss [First name], but the pupil will not return this. She will at all times address her teacher as Miss [Surname] or ma'am. A spiritual teacher, or close personal guide may sometimes be addressed as "Raya". This is also used as a courtesy title for some other persons and for titled ladies. Priestesses and ministers of many ranks and denominations are addressed as "Matri". These will probably not arise immediately. Do not worry about it — just call people what other people call them.
Someone has suggested as a guideline that in Aristasia one would not use the first name alone (without Miss) to anyone whom one would not call "darling". In Tellurian terms this may be a reasonable guide, but in Aristasia terms like "darling" and "sweetie" may be fairly frequently used, especially by blondes. It is quite possible to say "darling" to someone one would never dream of addressing by first name alone.
Which brings us to another important point. Affection is very abundant in Aristasia. If the higher degree of formality suggests coldness or distance to you, you must put that idea aside entirely. In Iron-Age Telluria, with its unbalanced-Vikhelic nature, rivalry and competition are common bases for relations with others. In Aristasia, love and appreciation of other girls is very deep. Seeing someone dressed beautifully pleases us. It may also inspire us to do better ourselves, but our first thought is: "How lovely; and how nice of her to make our world prettier". Affection is really quite overflowing in Aristasia, and there are many kinds of friendships and relationships. The idea of one jealously-guarded relationship, surrounded by (and sometimes causing) rivalry and wariness everywhere else, is very alien to Aristasia. Aristasia is regarded as a family with the Empress as the mother of all (sometimes termed the Little Mother of the World — because God is the Great Mother).
Love between Aristasians at all levels is one of the fundamentals, and showing respect is, in Aristasia, a way of showing affection. Of course one shows respect even to those for whom one may not feel affection, but for a good Aristasian, affection is almost universal. A thing the newcomer needs to understand, though, is that an Aristasian may often show someone more formal respect because she loves her, rather than less.
"Rayati" is the universal greeting in Aristasia. It means "Hail to the Sun (in you)". It is a greeting addressed to the Divine Essence, or Solar Heart in each person. It is used to begin and end a meeting or encounter, like both "hello" and "goodbye" (though hello and goodbye are sometimes used as well). To a traditional Aristasian, a meeting with a friend, or friends constitutes a special state, almost a very informal ritual (just as eating a meal at a table, or visiting a person's house is a ritual). The word Rayati is the opening and closing word of that ritual. Any words said after the closing "Rayati" are regarded as a sort of postscript. Occasionally in the West, and in very informal company, the greeting is omitted (this is regarded by traditional people as a sign of Westrenne decadence), but if it is given by either party, failure to respond with "Rayati" is an immense gaffe and could even be seen as an insult.
Among Military personnel and on some formal occasions, the greeting is Rayati Raihiranya ("Hail to the Empress as an incarnation of the Sun"). This might also be said at, say, a school assembly where the mistress conducting would greet the assembly with it, and the girls would reply in unison.When a civilian is greeted by a member of the military with "Rayati Raihiranya" it is usual to give the civilian response "Rayati", but it is perfectly in order to reply "Rayati Raihiranya". Occasionally this is shortened to "Raya" among the military — normally only when addressing each other. It is rare for a civilian to use "Raya" as a salutation, even when so saluted. Other military salutations are "Chalwë" and "Ehr Chalwë". You will probably not hear these, but if you do, you may respond with "Rayati" (more usual) or "Chalwë". Incidentally, the implication of responding with "Rayati Raihiranya" or "Chalwë" rather than "Rayati" is one of a certain kind of comradeship. It is saying "we are all soldiers in the same Cause". It is more common among brunettes than blondes.
Another ending of an encounter (used after "Rayati") is "May She be with you". This tends to be used a) among more religious people and/or b) as an expression of additional affection. On leaving a house the hostess may say "May Dea go with you", to which the response is "And may She remain with you".
The Reverence is used a great deal in the East. In the West it is sometimes omitted, and in some company not used at all. It is not de rigeur in the West (except in schools and other institutions that require it, which many do). It is essentially a bow that accompanies the greeting "Rayati". It is made at some other times as well — for example when accepting an order from a superior, when it is a sign of the recognition and formal acceptance of the commission or prohibition; also when thanking or apologising. Although it is sometimes omitted in the West, the Bridgehead Authorities recommend the use of the Reverence by all Aristasians in Telluria.
The reverence can take various forms, but most usually it is done either with the hands at the sides or folded over the solar plexus, or with the hands placed before the chest in the position associated in Western Telluria with prayer. It may be only an inclination of the head or it may be a deeper bow. This has to do with degrees of respect. An inferior will reverence more deeply. An superior may reply with an inclination of the head, or in some cases not at all (it is rare for a mistress to reverence her class, though they will reverence her).
Here is another thing newcomers must beware of misunderstanding. While Aristasians will often actively seek out reasons for using respectful words or gestures (for example, a brunette may more deeply reverence a blonde as a blonde, even if she is somewhat her inferior), the absence of them does not imply disrespect or arrogance (unless it is a misplaced absence). A mistress could well reverence her pupils, since each of them has the Solar Heart within her; but part of her way of serving them is to be a "rock" for them and to represent a secure and immovable link in the Golden Chain. In a very minor sense, she is Dea to them, as a spiritual Ranya may be in a much greater sense. This is also why obedience is a very important virtue in Aristasia, for "obedience to elders is obedience to Dea" (elders here means "superiors" without necessarily a reference to age).
A still more respectful reverence is made by raising the hands (still in the Tellurian attitude of prayer) to the level of the forehead and bowing deeply. There are numerous other styles of reverence, but these are the ones most commonly encountered in the West. Also among Westrennes, some blondes may curtsey rather than reverence.
Military salutations are accompanied by a military salute, or by the military version of the reverence, which is performed by standing erect, as if at attention, bringing the heels sharply together and making a crisp bow from the waist.
Virtual note: At the time of writing, we have not animations either for the pressed-hands style of reverence or for the most usual form of Aristasian military salute (in which the right fingertips are touched to the left shoulder). However we have a simple bow with the hands at the sides — which is a fully acceptable style of reverence in Aristasia — and a Tellurian-style military salute.
In Aristasia-in-Telluria it is common for girls to have multiple personae. Readers of Children of the Void will recall that the book had twenty-one characters but only seven physical bodies . Some girls are even "ambis", having both blonde and brunette personae (this is not the norm, but it is not rare).
For some girls personae are not important. Some have no extra personae. Some have only, perhaps, a schoolgirl or a schoolmistress necessary for her school life. At this point persona shades of into Function — an important concept that we shall discuss shortly. Other girls have two or more very distinct persona, so that no one supposes she is talking to the same person when she knows the two of them — as, indeed, she is not. Some girls find this aspect of Aristasia alone a huge liberation, and wonder how they could ever have gone through life with only one personality! It would have been as if part of them were missing.
In Virtualia at present, it is usual to have only one Avatar and one persona. So in a sense it may be said that Virtualia, with all its flying and teleporting, is a little more staid than Physicalia! There is actually no reason why girls should not eventually have second personae (it may indeed be interesting to have personae that are not "tied" by a similar physical appearance), but at present this is not the case.
Nevertheless, a somewhat related phenomenon is that of Function, and that needs to be understood in the light of the relatively formal nature of Aristasian society. When one performs a Function in Aristasia, whether as a mother, a teacher, a minister, a military officer or even a subordinate Function, such as a daughter, a pupil etc., one is manifesting an Archetype. This is an important point for the newcomer to understand, because the modern Tellurian West — especially since the cultural Eclipse of the 1960s, when an extreme individualism has attempted to expunge even the vestiges of true Function — is at the opposite extreme from this consciousness.
In Aristasia, each Function is ruled by one of the Janyati — a musician by Sai Thamë, for example, a military girl by Sai Vikhë, a nurse by Sai Sushuri. Actually, it is more complex than that. A teacher, for example, is ruled by Sai Mati insofar as she imparts knowledge, by Sai Thamë insofar as she imposes order, by Sai Sushuri insofar as she gives love to her pupils, by Sai Rhavë insofar as she corrects them. However we look first at the primary Janya for each Function, and, indeed, traditionally a maid would invoke the tutelary Janya of her Function (or of a particular aspect of her Function) before performing it. This is very often omitted in the modern Aristasian West (another example of cultural decline), but even when it is, the principle behind it is not forgotten.
In the light of this, it is perhaps easier to understand why Functions in Aristasia are regarded more seriously than "jobs" or ""roles" in the Pit. A girl performing a Function is usually addressed by the title of the Function and will be treated almost as a different person in and out of her Function. Teachers, for example, are accorded great respect in Aristasia, and while in the role of teacher, even those who know her more intimately at other times will regard the officiator of that role almost as a divine representative (which, on a certain level, she is). The idea of calling a teacher by her first name (with "Miss", of course) would be unthinkable, even in the case of a person who is regularly addressed so at other times.
The point here is that while the Pit regards the individual as paramount, in Aristasia, the Function is paramount. When a maid takes on the mantle, or "mask", of a higher Function, it is the Function, or Archetype, that is paramount. Aristasian pupils (like pupils everywhere) may not always be above criticising their teachers as individuals, but during the actual "ritual" of the lesson, the perception of the Archetype should be to the fore. This does not mean there is never a joke in class — sometimes there is — but it does help to explain why classroom disobedience is a) much rarer and b) regarded as what Pit-dwellers might consider to be a disproportionately serious offence.
We have taken the Function of teacher as an easily graspable example, but similar remarks might be applied to any Function,
Pit-dwellers distrust masks as devices to hide the face of the all-important Individual (which to them is the only reality). Aristasians revere them as the means of actualising a supra-individual Reality that is in no way false, but is, in a very important sense, closer to the Solar Heart that we greet many times daily with the word "Rayati".
We would suggest that the above paragraph sums up as succinctly as possible the underlying difference between Aristasian forms and manners, and those of the Pit. It is worth meditating upon.
To finish, we should just like to reiterate what we said at the beginning. While this may sound difficult and complicated, please do not worry. Aristasia-in-Virtualia is there to welcome newcomers. You do not need to know any of this.Many girls have come in before this page was written! You will learn simply and gradually as you go along.
We are simply waiting to welcome you.
Good luck to you in your magical adventure into the Motherland.
And Rayati!
Competition
Wonderful! This is a truly splendid exposition, and long overdue. I think it will make our ways much clearer to the many new girls currently coming to the Empire.
There is one minor point that I think should be explained further. You write:
In Iron-Age Telluria, with its unbalanced-Vikhelic nature, rivalry and competition are common bases for relations with others. In Aristasia, love and appreciation of other girls is very deep.
While this is certainly true, it could give the impression that Aristasian society is non-competitive in nature. This is not the case. In academic work, for example, or in the Vikhelic (martial) Arts, there is vigorous competition. Competition for badges, medals, ribbons, sashes and such things, awarded by schools and other institutions is probably stronger than in most Tellurian establishments, and such little honours, which might be consideterd "childlike" in Telluria, are given in many contexts to grown Aristasians (for the idea of "adulthood", especially for blondes, is not nearly so strong. We are all children of the Empress and of Dea). Competition for the favour of elders and even prefects is also often intense.
So in some ways competition is a big part of at least some aspects of Aristasian life. What is harder to convey is the much friendlier spirit of this competition. In the more traditional contexts, as soon as a contest of any kind is over, the loser(s) reverence the winners and the winner(s), as the current holders of a certain aspect of Divine favour, bless the loser(s). In Telluria this might be seen as insufferable arrogance, but in Aristasia it is actually pleasurable for both parties. The easy transition between dominant (or giving) roles and subordinate (or receiving) ones should be light and beautiful, like a dance, and each should be full of grace and pleasure.
Where bitterness enters into competition, this is seen as an aberration; a lapse of thamë. It is not, in either the superficial social sense or the deeper metaphysical sense good form. Good form consists of an elegant dance in which all roles are graceful and pleasurable; and in which there is always a childlike pleasure in victory, whether the victory be one's own or another's.
Lady Aquila
