A/N: Oh, culture was a real barrel of laughs to write. Interested in feedback on this, as I'm not sure it all holds together.

The Cerberus Files: Historical Analysis of Citadel and Terminus Space

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT HANDSHAKE ACCEPTED

Insightful Jack, focused Richard, and elegant Rachel,

Pel's insights into the physiology of the turian was a delightful distraction. I was sadly occupied discussing cultural views with a Palavanus social scientist and philosopher and could not simply leave such an august figure on shore notice.

Turian culture is hard to typify or summarize. It is complex, yet hardly changing - multifaceted, but reflecting only the same images in minor variation and intensity. Rather than attempt to shoehorn these concepts into a more human framework, I have attempted to merely ... observe and draw insight from this interplay.

Hopefully it will be useful.

Cerberus Thought for the Day: Aliens fear humanity, and any open hand they extend in our direction is merely distraction from the knife they have in the other hand.

Turian Cultural Basics – Clans vs. Families

I will admit to a certain level of bias when it comes to my views on the turian variance in their cultural constructs. My fellow asari congregate along the lines imposed by bonds – small groups merging with larger ones, city-states acting as the largest cells in a whole-racial organism. Salarian and human groupings are based on biology and the requirements of reproduction. Even the complex rules and rites of krogan inter-reactions and clans follow certain rules, like the winds drive the tides.

Turian clans and families baffle me.

From what I have been able to discover, a 'clan' has changed it's meaning a great deal over the many years of turian history. What would traditionally be called a 'clan' in ancient times was an actual grouping of hunting turians, usually closely related by blood. Clans would be split into a number of somewhat homogenous tribes, engaging in raids or arranged swaps to prevent inbreeding. Eventually these clans began binding themselves more tightly to a core identity.

At some point in the chaos that was the Burning, when smaller clans refused to aid larger ones, the meaning underwent some level of disharmony, and remains so to this day.

In modern parlance, a clan is a formal grouping of like-minded individuals, who embody and exemplify the ancient honor concepts of certain famous clan leaders. For example, a member of the Vasin clan would base his or her personal honor metrics and expectations from a Primarch on how Primarch Vasin acted some six thousand years ago. Clans are rarely measured in blood relationships – although they certainly have some incidental breeding occurring.

Clans are the closest thing one can come to finding political parties in turian culture, on reflection. They strive to emulate the positive aspects of ancient, powerful figures and by doing so, both pay them homage and ensure their teachings and views are not lost in the modern era. Most (but not all) Clans are lead by a Primarch, or at least a Circle of Autarchs, but some instead have a council of chieftains that only selects one of their kind to stand as Primarch during the Primarchial Selections.

A Family, on the other hand, is more akin to the ancient clans – related individuals who are banded together under a single Chieftain. Rarely are they entirely unified around concepts or teachings, rather sticking together out family bonds. Families are comprised of between ten and several thousand loosely related family groups who all utilize the same last name and can trace a blood relationship back to the Family founder. Most Families are the well known of turian society – Arterius, Vakarian, Talid, Mekhuri, and so forth.

There are similarities and differences between a Family and the asari Thirty, grace be unto their houses, or the human Noble Families. For one, they are not hierarchical structures – all Family members assemble once a decade to confer Family leadership on the member with the highest rank in the meritocracy of the Hierarchy, but as Family leader the turian in question does little but act as an Autarch. Second, they do not consider themselves 'noble', exactly. To look down on other turians would be bizarre to the turian mindset, but they also do not see themselves as special. Rather, they hold themselves to very high and rigid standards of duty, honor, and sacrifice, to set a proud example for the turian people. Finally and most tellingly, the Families do not hold any special place in government.

Barely fifteen percent of the Primarchs or Autarchs of the Hierarchy Chamber of Will hail from a Family, and no Family member has ascended to the ranks of the High Primacy in centuries.

Both Clans and Families are basic building blocks of the turian cultural menage. An area or colony with more Families than Clans tends to be more loyal, more traditionalist , more willing to accept hardship and political dissent from the High Primarch. Clan-dominated areas are more rebellious when times are bad, yet blindly loyal when they approve of the actions of the High Primarch.

With over five hundred thousand Clans and two hundred thousand Families, keeping track of this morass would drive even a salarian into the sea. Luckily, both the Clans and the Hierarchy publish 'talon-mark listings' of Clans and Families, along with facial markings, colors, and mottoes.

Turian Cultural Basics – Facial Marks, Color Meanings, and Dicta

As you surely know, turians identify their allegiance to whatever subculture – Clan, Family, Cluster, Colony – they partake in by way of facial markings. These markings are either paint applied weekly or etched paint patterns forced into the structure of the plating on their faces.

As mentioned in the psychology section, only a few Primarchs and highly political types choose to forgo these markings, along with outcasts. The marks announce one's allegiance and in many cases, beliefs to the world – to walk without one is seen as a mark of someone ashamed or hiding their true selves. Given the turian focus on responsibility and accountability, such is rarely viewed in a positive light.

There are important differences in painted marks and etched ones. Painted marks are obviously not permanent, but require reapplication on a fairly constant basis to remain fresh. A turian who paints his facial marks is seen as still determining his place in the world, and as such most painted marks appear on younger turians, those who have yet to settled into a firm understanding of themselves. Painted marks on older turians are usually a sign that at some point they underwent a core shift in how they thought or affiliated themselves – which is rare.

Most Clan facial markings are done with heavy organic paint that has a tendency to shine in direct light. Family markings, on the other hand, are deeply etched and often are matte in texture. Marks can incorporate turian script, or the ancient glyphs associated with the Valluvian priests.

As an aside, has humanity never experimented with facial markings? I find it curious that asari, turians, krogan and drell place so much value on them when humans and salarians do not.

There are meanings attached to the colors, as well. Black is for valor, while green is the color of Palaven's oceans, often used to represent restlessness or travel. Purple is the mark of sacrifice, while white marks indicate duty. Blue is a color most often identified with loyalty and dependability, while yellow indicates passion. Orange indicates intellectual pursuit. Gray is ferocity.

Red is rarely used. It indicates betrayal at the hands of another. A turian who has a feud or grievance with another clan or family will mimic that group's marks highlighted in red. Pure red marks are only worn by very bitter outcasts who feel betrayed by the entire Hierarchy, such as the exiled General Vuthur or the Broker's assassin-aide, Tetrimus Rakora.

The more intense or brighter a color, the more the value is emotionally held, the darker implies it is a matter of practicality. Bright blue means loyalty by emotional ties of friendship, while dark blue would mean loyalty based on mutual need or past experience.

Colors can be combined. The core color is the basic value, while the outline augments it. A turian with marks of blue outlined in white declares himself loyal to his unit or place of service, the reverse would indicate he owes a duty to whatever or whoever he is assigned to or affiliated with. The two are not conflated. To the above example, a turian bodyguard for a Primarch with blue marks outlined in white is saying "My duty is to protect this person, but I am also personally loyal to his goals." The reverse is saying instead "My loyalty and beliefs are with this person. It is because of that loyalty that I am willing to die for him."

When you have multiple colors and layers, top layers indicate the most important values.

Placement matters. Marks on the cheeks below the eye indicate a primary focus, while shapes along the jaw indicate secondary focus. Marks on the top and middle of the head indicate a primarily philosophical stance, marks on the fringe a stance based on experience, and marks in the middle of the face indicate long-held beliefs.

Shapes also play a role. Straight lines indicate a devotion to ideals. Blocky geometric shapes indicate an attachment to logic, reason, and fact. Circles and ovals indicate flexibility in thought and action. Whorls and curved lines indicate devotion to traditions. If the majority of marks are vertical, they state the turian is devoted to ascending the meritocracy based on his talent, while horizontal marks indicate a preference to their duty and ascending based on feats of valor.

The facial marks of the Palavanus Family, for example, are heavy thick ovals of bright yellow trimmed in dark green on each cheek, and a single narrow stripe of black turian script that bisects the face, spelling out the words 'Will is the weapon'. This is translated as 'a hard focus on intelligence and intellectual pursuits, with a sense of restlessness. They ascend the meritocracy through valor and the belief in their own willpower.'

The Vakarian Family, on the other hand, relies only on dark blue marks, curving lines under the cheeks dropping to straight lines on the mandibles. Their message is more blunt 'Loyalty to the ideals and traditions of the people.'

The complex mess of swirls,lines, and shapes on the face of Turian Councilor Sparatus is all done in hard, bright white, indicating 'Flexibility, Belief, Thoughts, and Emotions all in Duty to the State.'

Most colonies, Families and Clans also have a short phrase or saying known as their Dictum. These are often, to non-turians, very difficult to associate or grasp, bordering on the status of non-sequitur. For example, the Dicta of the Disfan Clan is literally 'Honor is blood'. Other dicta are quite long and on occasion demonstrate the very dry turian wit. The dicta of the Arterius Family, for example, is 'The Spirits are on the side with the heaviest battalions.'

Being able to interpret and grasp the meaning behind facial markings and colors is critical in the turian mindset of communication. As summed up by one of their philosophical types, 'True turians can speak with a glance, when warriors see the soul upon the gaze.'

Turian Cultural Basics – Colonies vs. Clusters, and Palaven

Atop the morass of already confusing interactions between clans and families, there is also the reality of the political structure of the Turian Hierarchy.

I have spent some time attempting to find a logical thread or at least a theme to this madness, but it is as untamed and random as grains of sand upon the crashing surf of a storm surge. What little I have managed to figure out, I present below, but with a caution:

As with the salarian, do not associate human values with these concepts. I use the words of humanity to describe them, but the filter is warped, like old leaded glass through which sunlight shines through only dimly. These are at best echos of whatever sparks in the turian soul, the strange conflict of duty and loyalty with violence and rebellion.

The turian seeks to follow orders, but cannot bring himself to support those he knows as unworthy. He strives for order, conformity, and balance, but he finds those in the rough embrace of war, not peace as asari or humans would. They pick their leaders based on the overriding sense of what those around them see as proper.

This has resulted in a culture which is in perfectly harmonious lockstep – with those closest to it. A dozen different variations on the same theme, but where any deviation is seen as cause for chastisement and correction.

The homeworld, Palaven, is divided into five rough districts – the crudest and most direct translations would be Gloried North, Lost South, Broken West, Burned East, and Spire. The North was the hold-fast of the older, stronger Tyvu Clans that once dominated the land. The Lost South was the area where the ancient Orvu fled, over the sea. The Broken West would be the shattered plains and ruins of the ancient First Palavanus Imperatorium, while the Burned East the center of the Second. The Spire is where Palaven City stands today.

These five locales each processed and looked at the world in slightly different ways, and this continued beyond to the spread of the Hierarchy to the stars. In many ways, the layout of what became the Clusters could be tied in a way to the ancient holdings of clan and tribe upon Palaven itself.

In short, various clans combined power and influence (under the guiding hand of the Hierarchy) to encourage settlement in the colonies, which combined to form clusters. I will not belabor the actual structure here – that is a concept best left to the government piece. From a cultural standpoint, however, the clusters and colonies are vital to grasping the turian mindset.

They see everything as built from smaller to larger. Honor itself is built on the wisdom to see one's own mistakes, the responsibility to admit to them, and the bravery to either improve one's weakness or remove your life from the tribe so it can be stronger. Likewise, the cultural differences between the tribes on Palaven have mutated into strikingly dysfunctional relationships in space.

Naturally, the older areas of Palaven spawned more developed, richer cultures. The clusters that were developed from such focus more on traditional views, on Families, on hard work and the value of turian unity and will. I hesitate to call them less militant, but they are certainly less aggressive. These clusters are the ones closest to Palaven, and are the least exposed to alien influences. The did not suffer the wounds of the Unification War, or the Troubles. And yet these are the most open to alien influence, the most willing to interact and learn.

The outer clusters are that in name only, mostly administrative districts given to groups and clumps of colonies. These are newer, rougher worlds – some badly terraformed, others simply rough and tumble to live upon. Border worlds, exposed to violence, pirates, aliens and hardship, their weaker connection to the core of turians society means an oddly muted sense of culture. Music and art are more rare, the people more insular, more stubborn. There is a large amount of Clan activity, with few Families. There is a sense of energy, but it is restless and bitter. Aliens feel unwelcome.

I see you with puzzled eyes, lovely Jack. You fail to see why this is 'cultural'. What one must take away from this is that the Hierarchy's very culture is split along physical, sharp lines – not of just history, but of prominence, exposure. Humans, when exposed to new cultures, assimilate them, as do asari. Turians, shaken from their core, become more xenophobic and unlikely to adapt.

I sense again the ghostly hand of the Palavanus in this. I find it altogether too convenient that the vulnerable, poorer border areas react with suspicion and increased militancy to outsiders, rejecting their influence, while the calmer, more carefully watched interior feels more free to mingle. That is , by all my reckoning, the opposite of what we should see.

Turian Cultural Basics – Ancestor Worship and the Spirits

The core of turian religion is based not on gods, but on a pantheistic believe in 'spirits'.

The spirits are, if I grasp the concepts correctly, not supernatural beings, but rather beings that are beyond the ability of mortals to grasp or see. A turian mathematician once described them as 'beings of infinite possibility in dimensional spaces we cannot perceive.' This is an extremely curious and bizarre belief, with no clear historical pointers as to how it evolved, save fragments from the Valluvian Temple that suggest it started with them. Given the assorted strangeness that seems part and parcel of that Temple's practices, one has to wonder what exactly gave them the idea of spirits in the first place.

There are 'good' spirits, that intercede in mortal affairs for the betterment of the individual turian, and 'evil' spirits that cause strive and difficulty, to test the moral fiber and toughness of the people as a whole. The motivation of the spirits varies based on which one of several 'spirit-houses' one ascribes to. The Pava House says spirits act out of love, both the good and evil serving to make the turian people better collectively. The Nehga House says that the good spirits are acting out of benevolence, and the evil spirits are basically acting to weaken the turians, to remind them all they must stand together or they will die. Finally, and frankly the most disturbing, is the Vetnah House, which says the good spirits and evil spirits are merely fragmented representations of greater beings, and their actions little more than random noise in the chaos.

At some point, the belief that a properly lead life, full of honor, valor, discipline and skill, and ended by selfless sacrifice, would enable turians to join the spirits, arose and became part of the religious mix. This has become more prevalent in modern times, with a large piece of the turian sense of duty focusing on ensuring one's final sacrifice is worthy and not forced.

Turian shrines are overseen by half-mystic half-philosopher types known as spirit hunters. These are, aside from actual outcasts, the only turians who take no roles or part in the meritocracy or the military. Few in number, they support themselves through hunting or small jobs for other turians, pausing to pray and seek guidance from the spirits three times a day. The shrines themselves are beautiful, clean shelves of black marble cut into areas of nature and lined with tiny carvings of turian dead associated with the shrine who have joined the ranks of the spirits.

Turians will pray to the ancestors before making major decisions, when expecting children, when preparing for battle, and when troubled by tragedy or dishonor. The various Houses act in this manner only in the fashion in which they dispense the 'advice' given by the spirits. The gentle Paya house tends to focus on happier events – bondings, births, ascent up the meritocracy. The neutral and philosophical Nehga house focuses on events of choice – hard decisions, lifestyle changes. And the nihilistic and anarchic Vetnah House is consulted on dire times – deaths, military preparation, and when sorrow overtakes reason.

Off of Palaven, the shrines are rarely open to non-turians, and most are actually cleverly hidden away from casual view in the back of turian-specific businesses such as fringe-tailor shops, plating-barbers, and the like. Only one shrine, the Blade Edge Shrine of Valor Unbroken in the House of Vetnah, is open to aliens. Humans are welcome, as the shrine was dedicated after turian survivors of the clash between the First Turian Fleet and your Solguard were deeply impressed by their valor. This shrine is on the Citadel in the turian Park of Honor – it is a fascinating display, one I would think even dear Richard would grudgingly approve of.

Upon reflection, perhaps not, given the message of the day.

Turian Social Queues and Movements

Turians have a number of physical stances that are used to display certain values, reactions or beliefs. This is rather unusual, as while it is hardly strange for races to display emotions in this fashion, no others display, for example, honorable regret.

The most common stance taken is feet apart, with the right fist over the primary heart and the head slightly bowed, mandibles loose. Aliens often mistake this for a turian honor salute. But the primary turian hand is the left hand, and an honor salute has the feet together, the head elevated. This stance is instead used to display submissive support with an undertone of disapproval.

Turians make eye contact to display agreement, and avert it when they disagree. The display of teeth is similar to humans, usually an indication of pleasure, but to tighten the mandibles without displaying them is to suggest you are preparing to bite – aggression, obviously.

Turians who feel an action is dishonorable will often square their shoulders and turn their heads to the right, while actions taken that are less than valorous but required will leave them slumped, heads bowed.

Turian compassion and honoring the submissive is done by crossing both hands over the chest, gripping the 'collar' of the turian shoulder framework tightly. A turian should not bow, unless to aliens – a turian dipping forward at the waist is offering his spine and neck to be assaulted, a sign of abject failure and a plea to be executed.

A turian who has been honored will often place one hand over his shoulder, either his left (to indicate his belief that he was worthy) or his right (to indicate his gratitude but worry that he is not ready).

I could catalog more, but I believe you should grasp the concept now. Turian impetus to communicate these feelings and responses is very deeply embedded. Such actions can change the flow of otherwise staid and on the surface boring talks into very complex directions, and in many cases there are possibly other, more subtle hints of behavior that I am missing due to their unique turian nature.

The Meritocracy and Citizenship Tiers

This is covered in more detail in the government, but I wish to touch on the cultural aspects of the meritocracy.

Turians are immensely proud of their achievements, and many small rituals and markings tend to adorn them as they ascend the ranks. Most of the take the form of honor sashes – small rolls of cloth, draped around the neck in the hollow of the chest and shoulders, marked with not only achievement but the chop-signatures of those who recommended his or her ascension. A turian with a long, heavy honor sash filled with prominent names speaks of one who is very competent, and often sought for advice.

One's rank in the Meritocracy can be equated, I suppose, to human citizenship tiers in how the holders of such interact with others. As with your own people, the highest along the path of the meritocracy often have little to no contact with those near the bottom, and tend to hold them in something of a mix of distaste, faint pity, and disregard. The difference being that a turian of the highest orders of merit would still take a low-merit turian into his house and feed him if he were homeless and hungry.

I need not elaborate on what a Class V citizen would likely do to a Class I beggar on his properties.

There are many subtle gradations in tone and deference between turians of widely differing ranks in the tiers of citizenship. The highest tier below Autarch, that of Praetor, is often treated with more deference than a wealthy turian, or a member of a powerful Family, or even a chieftain. A Praetor must literally achieve the highest ranks possible of the meritocracy without resorting to politics or taking a position as a chieftain or Autarch – Pel suggests the closest fit in human military society would be a senior warrant officer.

Praetors have a surprisingly complex gradation system. The most famous, the Praetor Supremalis, I believe Pel will discuss in more detail later on. But there are lesser ranks as well. For non-combat positions where a scientist, doctor, or other typically low-meritocracy type has engaged in an act of supreme bravery, sacrifice and/or risk of death, there is a position known as Praetor Emeritus. While this does not convey the full rights and fear a 'real' Praetor has, Praetor Emeritus are quite possibly even more respected by the average turian for their bravery when they did not even have the training to match such.

The Palavanus (as always) defy this scheme, and rarely move towards being Praetors. Those who do follow the process are considered somewhat... eccentric, at best. They are titled as Praetor Exactal, and from what I gather the trials required to move to full Praetor are even more demanding and likely to be lethal than what Praetors do, which is already an alpha-male ritual of excessive savagery.

Social Structure, Names, and Status

The best word to describe the social structure of the turians would be 'complicated'. It is almost an easier task to state what it is not.

At the very simplest, social structure is based on the intersection between the status of the individual, and the standing of the groups the individual is associated with, adjusted by one's standing in the meritocracy as opposed to their potential. Wealth, physical attractiveness, and even race are not much influence in modern times.

For the broad purposes of categorization, since I know you wish my observations to contain data of use to Cerberus and not merely my delighted interest in learning about the culture of another, turians can be broken into five bands.

The lowest would be the broken – those turians unconnected to any structure in the Hierarchy save that of the citizenship tiering, and who have little chance due to the nature of their lives to ascend it. Merchants of a non-military nature, lower-wealth citizens working in the fields of the arts, music, farming, history, and pretty much anyone that doesn't play an active role in the military machine or operates beyond it falls into this group. Consider this your lower-class.

The broken rarely if ever join Clans, almost never organize into Families, and tend to take on informal last names set off by the usage of separators. For example, a merchant specializing in alien art would consider himself in the ranks of the broken, and would refer to himself only by a first name and perhaps his world of birth, such as Cavsis of Palaven, or Fennis of Tyroth.

Directly above the broken would be the fringe, those citizens whose daily lives rotate around the support of the military without actual service. Scientists, most merchants who deal in weapons, armor, or the like, civilians working normal jobs, and high-wealth types involved in non-military events. This group tends to identify by cluster and their local Autarchs, and is usually absorbed in merely climbing the ranks of the meritocracy and living fairly calm lives. These people will use their cluster identifier instead of a last name, for example: a junior scientist might call himself Mintus M'Thalas, where the M prefix is the turian contraction for cluster.

Above that would be the claws, which are the junior military ranks and lifer military types, as well as scientists working directly with the military and moderate wealth types in mainline industries and jobs. Many are involved in Clans or Families, and focus on the leadership of chieftains or their Primarch. Consider this your 'middle-class', I suppose. Most of these will be the Family name or the Clan name, such as Vonnel Digeris.

The highest tier of the meritocracy, known as the fangs, is occupied mostly by military officers, military suppliers, life-long veterans, always is in a Clan or Family. Usually a mix of low and moderate wealth types, a few higher-wealth figures will also be included, so strip away the human equalization of money to prominence when you consider this the 'upper class'. Names are the same as with the claws, although usually with an honorific of 'cera' for males and 'cina' for females, such as Cera Saren Arterius.

Finally, the Autarchs and Primarchs occupy the highest level of status, the eyes, in turian parlance. They are addressed as 'Primarch' or 'Autarch' usually only by their first name. A few powerful political types, such as the Citadel Councilor and ambassador, would be included. At this level of power and influence, the meritocracy is an afterthought, but most remain proud of their place atop it and seek to aid others in climbing it's ranks.