Social Customs & Etiquette
CANON — How Alkin interact across class and region
The Two Eras
Year 600 — The Dying
Trust is scarce. Eyes stay down. People mind their own business because involvement gets you killed, conscripted, or worse. Citadel guards on every corner. Corrupt, underpaid, dangerous.
The culture is avoidance. Don't stand out. Don't ask questions. Don't remember faces.
Year 999+ — The Restoration
The fear has lifted. Warm greetings, open faces, genuine curiosity about strangers. The shadow of Lazerin is three centuries gone. People have forgotten what it felt like to be afraid of their neighbors.
Class Divides
| Class | Who | Manner |
|---|---|---|
| High / Citadel | Nobles, officials, sanctioned mages, wealthy merchants | Formal, precise, titles matter. Cold to outsiders. |
| Middle / Towns | Craftsmen, shopkeeps, innkeepers, skilled labor | Practical, transactional. Friendly if you're buying. |
| Low / Farmers | Rural folk, laborers, frontier settlers | Direct, suspicious of strangers, warm once trust is earned. |
| Outsiders / Island City | Veradyn, foreign traders, those beyond Citadel reach | Different rules entirely. More open, less hierarchy. |
The Tells
A Citadel-trained person moves differently. Posture straighter. Words more measured. They wait to be acknowledged rather than announcing themselves. Frontier folk find it cold, suspicious. "What's she hiding behind all that formality?"
A frontier local speaks first, speaks plain. Offers their name early. Directness is respect — dancing around the point is for liars and merchants.
Stranger Acknowledgment
On the Road
- Baseline: A nod. Brief eye contact. Keep walking.
- Friendly: "Clear path?" (meaning: any trouble ahead?)
- Suspicious: No eye contact. Hand near weapon. Wider berth.
- Threat: Full stop. Facing. Waiting to see who moves first.
Entering a Tavern (Year 600)
- Pause at the door. Let eyes adjust. Let the room see you.
- Go to the bar first if you're new. Establishes you're here for business, not trouble.
- Weapons visible but sheathed. Concealed weapons mean you're expecting to use them.
- Order something before sitting. Proves you're paying, not lurking.
"Just passing through" signals:
- Sits near the door or wall (easy exit)
- Keeps pack/gear close
- Eats quickly
- Doesn't make conversation
- Pays upfront
"I live here" signals:
- Sits in the middle or at a regular spot
- Gear stowed or left elsewhere
- Takes their time
- Knows names, uses them
- Tab running
Mage Marks & Social Reaction
The Marks
Mana use leaves visible marks on the body — patterns unique to each person, glowing in their mana color. The more you cast, the brighter they burn. Fade over ~60 days of no use. Reignite immediately when mana flows again.
| Mage Type | Mark Status | Social Read |
|---|---|---|
| Heretic | Hidden under clothes | Collar up, scarf, layers. Avoids eye contact. |
| Citadel Hunter | Displayed with badge | Fear. Everyone knows what it means. |
| Sanctioned soldier | Visible, uniformed | Authority. Don't make trouble. |
| Hidden practitioner | Faded or absent | Careful. Uses mana sparingly. Passes as normal. |
Year 600 Reactions
- Guard sees marks: Demands papers. No badge? Bribe or escalation.
- Civilian sees marks: Looks away. Not their business. Getting involved is dangerous.
- Other heretic sees marks: Recognition. Possible ally, possible threat. Careful circling.
Bribe rates: A few Crowns (week's lodging equivalent) buys a guard's sudden blindness. Guards don't get paid for captures — easier to take the money and forget.
Respect Markers
Age
Elders speak first. Younger people wait to be addressed in formal settings. Frontier's more relaxed — if you've got something to say, say it — but interrupting someone with grey hair is still rude.
Danger
Someone visibly armed and marked gets space. You don't crowd a person who could kill you. Not deference exactly — self-preservation that looks like respect.
Titles
Citadel uses them: "Hunter Veyra." "Guard-Captain." "Councilor." Dropping titles is either intimacy or insult.
Frontier ignores them: First names, nicknames, descriptions. "The healer." "Helga's girl." "That lightning bastard."
Gestures & Body Language
Common Gestures
| Gesture | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Chin lift | Acknowledgment. "I see you." |
| Palm shown briefly | No threat. Greeting between strangers. |
| Two fingers to chest | Respect. Thanks. "I owe you." |
| Turning shoulder | Dismissal. "We're done." |
| Slow blink | Trust signal. "I'm not watching you for threat." |
Warning Signs
| Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Weight shifts back | Ready to move. Fight or flight. |
| Hand drops below table | Reaching for weapon. Threat imminent. |
| Stops blinking | Locked on. About to act. |
| Voice goes flat | Emotion suppressed. Dangerous. |
Regional Variations
Eastern Frontier (Ashfeld, villages)
- First names only
- Offer food/drink to guests before business
- Direct questions are fine
- Prolonged eye contact is challenge
- "What brings you?" is standard opening
Gale Haven (Port)
- Money talks first
- Everyone's in a hurry
- Don't waste time on pleasantries
- Reputation matters more than titles
- "What do you need?" cuts straight to it
The Citadel
- Titles required in formal settings
- Wait to be acknowledged
- Opinions offered carefully
- Hierarchy visible in seating, standing positions
- Silence is safer than speech
Veradyn (Island City)
- More open, less suspicious
- Touch is acceptable (hand on arm, shoulder)
- Guests honored, fed before questioned
- Nature school influence — respect for life extends to manners
- "What do you carry?" (meaning: what news, what stories)
Kael's Social Position
He knows the codes. He grew up somewhere, learned the basics. But years on the run have eroded the habits.
He enters rooms like a threat, not a guest. Sits with his back to walls. Doesn't offer his name. Forgets to show his palm. Makes eye contact too long or not at all.
People read him as dangerous, guarded, not-from-here. Which works. He'd rather be avoided than approached.
When he does follow the codes — orders a drink, nods to the barkeep, keeps his voice down — it's deliberate effort. Performing normal. It costs him energy.
Veyra's Social Position
Trained in Citadel formality. Every gesture precise. Every word chosen.
To frontier folk, she reads as cold, official, dangerous. The badge confirms it. The blue marks seal it. People don't talk to Hunters. They answer Hunters.
But beneath the training — she grew up somewhere too. Moments when the mask slips, the formal drops, she sounds almost normal. Those moments surprise people. And her.
"In the Dying, keeping your head down was survival. Keeping it up was invitation."