Musings on the Astorans Vol. 2

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Musings on the Astorans

Vol. 2

 

Issued and averred by

Prince

Gareth of the Petra and of Astor

An Explanation

 

Ramblings

 

My quest to understand my family has continued. While I know a great deal about the family and their culture, proper understanding continues to evade me. Thus I simply present the following findings.

 

The False Frey

 

The Intangible to the Tangible

 

A snake in the grass, one who stands against learning, to oppose progress, to oppose all which is held dear. To become the False Frey is a sin of sins, something one ought to be shunned for falling into. Yet becoming a False Frey is something which one may come back from  proving one’s self.  There are many ways in which one may become such, most prominent is the sin of presumption and arrogance. With the cultural value of pursuit of knowledge, to act as though you know everything, that you are unable to learn more from others around you.

 

The Casting off

 

To cast off the False Frey one must undergo an ordeal, one specifically tailored to exactly how one has fallen into such, to show growth of character and tangible ability to resist such temptation of sin which was fallen for in the past. If one falls for the most common of presumption and arrogance, then one is to be forced to learn from scratch a new subject, one which will clash with their already known skill sets so that they must seek out others to learn from and work away the arrogance which has been built up.

 

The Seat of Power

 

The Hall

 

A new site to Fir’steinn the hall is to be a central location for large events should there be any as well as a place to speak and tell stories to pass on knowledge. A central formal site of meeting is rarely used for Astorans, rather preferring impromptu sites and lessons. Yet one is not likely to be turned down as they still have uses for such as would anyone with formal responsibilities.

 

The Salt Throne

 

Found as a large slab of salt by the Astoran branch’s founder, Frey of Astor, in the year 1990 Imperial across the continent. It was hauled back to Fir’steinn by Pyngul of Astor using connections of his own in the year 2007. The efforts by various hired artisans to chisel out the shape of a throne from the multimeter large slab of salt led to the 2008 salt market crash within Ladyr where the price of salt became non-existent for a short period of time.

 

Titles of Power Themselves

 

The greater Astoran collective as a people operates as one large clan, an aette in their own words. It is despite this though that various splinter groups have taken up titles, meaningful or not. For the Astoran people it matters not if the member who holds the title earned is male or female, such is not worth denoting to them. As with how there is no past or future tense because the present is what ought to be focused upon for their people so too does a similar logic prevail. To focus more on the obtuse details of male or female with a title for them is ridiculous, the only measure by which they shall be titled is their earning of such and with such earning they will be known as the title, no distinctions needed or change in terminology between the individuals. Yet, male and female terms for positions of equal rank do exist within the language of the Astorans, why? Put simply it is a matter of respect for the people, that for their own cultural customs to be respected and the lack of differentiation between the changing of male and female terminology they must in turn respect the titles by which people are owed themselves.

 

Old and New

 

Astoran Food/Cuisine

 

Astoran food traditionally has been made up largely of salted meat, root vegetables, small berries, and more items able to be found in harsh climates. The salted meats are primarily fish, salted for long term preservation. What would have traditionally been salmon has since been replaced by bass in the summer months and catfish with walleye during the winter months in accordance with what is available within the Petra and the first noble head of house’s obsession with the Petran Trout. Root vegetables too are had for their ability to persist in the cold, with radishes and onions making up a large part. The berries used by Astorans are particular and unique to their homeland of the frozen wastes indicating that such was brought with them. Known as Rev’trar’steinn, they are a red berry which has a sour taste which betrays the fact that eating too many in a short amount of time will easily cause one to grow violently ill. Yet, these food practices and traditions are not purely static. With the Astorans currently within the Petras having been away from their homeland for an extended time has come changes, notably one of these being the delicacy of the demon fish. While not an actual demon itself the demon fish’s temperament is what has gained it the nickname and made it a rare treat enjoyed due to the difficulty of procuring and preparing one. Further, since the taking over of the house by Jun of Astor, the current Baron of Aette Astor, they have sought to introduce new flavors into the diet of the Astorans of Fir’steinn in accordance to their Li-Ren roots. Things culturally imported include steamed buns, tea blended with alcohol, soup containing noodles, and spice in general.

 

Astoran Music

 

Astoran music is not a thing of genre or of a definable type. It is instead treated as an expression of the individual in some form or fashion. The first noble head of the house as an example used music in order to express his interpretation of people upon meeting them. This was an expression of his thoughts put in a way in which he could not do early on upon meeting people within the Petra as the common language was not his native tongue. The current heir of Aette Astor, Lian also has taken up song as part of their craft, using such to tell and enhance their stories, seeking to spread joy through such.

Still struggling for understanding my S.O.,

Prince Gareth Lucius of the Petra and of Astor, Count of Theral and Baron-Consort of Fir’Steinn, Castellan of Fir’steinn, Brigadier of the Bagworms