Culture

Locals here heavily value "doers" and so many here create primarily functional arts: blankets, baskets, pictography tiles, and so on.  There is abundant natural clay, along with permanent settlements, and so brick and pottery is common. Due to the large river there are many river creatures in the area and a favorite food here is fish. The culture results in many desiring to find a problem and "solve it", with many tool inventors finding ways to work with the land and build creative new solutions. This can get out of hand with the young ones, who don't always value the traditional ways in which the elderly here tell them to temper their greed. Certainly after they invent the next amazing whosamawatsit they will all see that we are just making things *more efficient*.

 

Dialect

Not much of a strong accent due to the constant moving buzz that comes with being in a place like Luna Valley. A lot of words are borrowed from the Beyonders, making their way into local slang and confusing folks that aren't from around there.


Religion

Luna Valley is a less religious part of the land, due in part to the blended cultures, but also because it can be more disconnected from natures cycles in the ever plentiful valley. That said, one would never take a mushroom without telling the land thank you for its blessings, even though at this point its as normal as saying "bless you" after a sneeze.

Like many cultures which rely on a key water source funerals are held by boat crafts sent out to sea. Creatures are wrapped in a clean mushroom cloth and adorned with their favorite teas, flowers, and other things from life. The River goddess is believed to carry you down Luna and into the mysts, a place "in between" which cannot be accessed by the living.

The River creatures worship the Fable Falls that create Luna River, saying the mysts protect them just as the mysts which surround the island itself protect them from those beyond with nefarious intents. In this way those on the river see their job in part as stewards and priests of the river whom they worship. They are quick to correct those they perceive as not showing the river her respect. They say their prayers to the Mysts, and believe that a thick fog on the land is a sign of her blessings (and thus naturally a reason to take off work for the day).


Art

Art here is heavily influenced by the city, colorful and bright with distinct geometric patterns throughout. Creatures that live here tend to value symmetry and practicality to their designs. Clutter is generally frowned upon and so grand ornate designs are seen as rather eccentric. As one of the few places with permanent residences, some going back many generations in one family, the homes found here tend to be very self expressive from the many years of careful cultivation. Simple braids made from old vines pulled from the river shores are used as accents, and river baskets that once carried trade goods but sprung a leak are reused as plant pots where many grow delightful herbs and flowers not from the valley for year round enjoyment.

Subcultures


Holidays

Like all of the land Luna Valley celebrates the 4 major turns of the season. They don't tend to have any minor holidays like many of the other areas, but many who live here relocated and brought those holidays with them, so they celebrate in their own way at home or with others who practice the same additional holidays. Holidays here are HUGE, with each day celebrating the turn of the season often having the burrows and nests adorned with natural seasonal decor, and community feasts held outside where people share their personal food and teas with others freely. Some of the more competitive individuals go all out and try to create new and artistic food presentations for these to wow their neighbors, even planning for just one holiday for a whole year to pull this off.

Those who are religious or spiritual, and many who just culturally feel its a little whimsical, will make these foods from the blessed objects of that given holiday (more on this in the major holidays section). Traditionally in Luna valley a blessing is baked (or steeped) into the dishes you prepare and thought to bring good (or bad...) luck to those who partake in your food. This is mostly taken as a silly thought, but its not abnormal to blame a bit of bad luck on your neighbors cooking in a playful jab. Those who are trying to impress the parents of a lover would always be sure to say that the parents food was to blame for all their recent success.


Common Activities and Interests

Luna valley is a bit more fast paced than most of the land, with people who really enjoy exploring, river tubing, and creating community events to celebrate holidays or simple play some games together that keeps people out and about. It is not uncommon here for people to create hobby groups that meet just to do a shared activity like painting, trivia nights, or creating tea blends together. The blend of cultures and creatures through the area means most people have friends of all types, and the shared hobbies help them to build the closer bonds that are more common for the less populated areas.

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