Ferrans

Ferran

Information
Homeworld	Singulon
Habitats	Singulonian deserts
Unique Traits	easily augmented, long-lived, possesses metal shells, highly varied appearance.
Writer(s)	Matrix/Jeremiah

"Our work is a lot like the desert, look as hard as you want, go on till the effort grinds your bones to dust, but the work will never end. Take solace in this, for as long as there is work, we will strive against it, together." — Unknown Ferran Worker

Ferrans are a highly mutable, vaguely crustacean-like species dwelling within the deserts of Singulon. Individual Ferrans are born with humanoid bodies, though the use of metallic, artificial shells called “Frames” has become so ingrained in society that a Frame is more identifiable as a Ferran than the being inside. Ferran society is incredibly hierarchical, with collections of rich, landed families known as Kins owning vast swaths of territory and ruling over them in the form of familial-corporatocracy. Material wealth is the primary determiner of one’s place in society, with the rich capable of affording customized Frames capable of imparting a humanoid appearance or allowing one to look akin to another species, while the poor are relegated to using hand-me-down Frames that dehumanize the wearer. Many of these low-grade Frames lack anything recognizable as facial features, functioning more as a mask than a face. The nature of Ferran culture and biology has given rise to a utilitarian worldview among the lower classes, with their highly modifiable shells allowing them to build bodies for the jobs they are required to do by their corporate rulers. In contrast, the rich have the luxury to focus on aesthetics, often favoring form over function and indulging in luxuries like cloth and imported organic substances. The oppressive rule of the Kin system has led to working-class Ferrans often being forced to find connections with those around them. It’s not uncommon for every member of a family to be entirely unrelated by blood, the bonds they formed through hardship being more relevant than any blood relation. This attitude is influenced by Ferran belief in the inherent spirits of inanimate objects, including the golems present in almost every facet of Ferran life. Whether it be automata or one’s own body, everything is a tool in Ferran society, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of respect.

Core Worldview

The general outlook on life for the working class is typically one of contented resignation. They have some comforts and they have the people around them, for many this is all they need. Most Ferrans understand how poor the conditions they live in are, but are also intimately aware of the fact that centuries of uprisings, conflicts, and wanton violence have led to their conditions improving dramatically. Most Ferrans do not wish to risk the safety of themselves or the people they care for in an attempt to rebel unless conditions become unbearable despite the fact that mutilation and death is a regular fact of life. Most Ferrans are content to live, work, and die alongside the people they love with no realistic hope of upward mobility beyond leaving the planet. For those with no one to miss and no hope, leaving Singulon is a tempting option.

The rich have a predictably much better social outlook, with plenty of upward mobility through off-world trading and the ability to migrate at will.  

Physiology and Design

Ferrans have an intriguing body structure, even though they maintain the usual bipedal, humanoid structure. Though their body plan is familiar, the culture of heavy body modification and distortion of self makes them unrecognizable and often robotic looking.

Though underneath they are still quite normal and more comparable to an average human, the use of what they call Frames makes them unique and individually interesting. These frames are almost required for Ferrans to exist, as being seen without one is almost comparable to being naked in public.

Frames are almost entirely made of metal, though the social rank of the individual determines how rare the metal and also if any gemstones are incorporated into the design. Frames cover the body head to toe to protect from the harsh sun and other dangers of the Ferran’s home planet, but also serve as individual expression from person to person.

Frames can also be upgrades with cybernetics, and often are modified extensively. Extra limbs, integrated tools and weapons, interesting and expensive designs, and strange modifications are often included on higher end frames, leading to large culture of body mods and distortion of the form.

Social Structures and Hierarchy

Overview

In a place like the sprawling deserts of Singulon, and amongst a people as mutable as the Ferrans, your birth has very little to do with your actual station in the society you live in. Wealth, primarily material, is the end-all be-all for social capital; even the numerous “noble” families that have intertwined themselves with every aspect of Ferran life understand that the only reason they hold the power that they do is that they hold the key to the life and death of everyone under their yoke. If it wasn’t for the control they hold over the oasis, the fungi farms, the mines, and the salt deposits that litter the realm, they would be nothing but Ferrans with fancy frames and the hatred of an entire society bearing down on them. The Great Kins are the 10 greatest familial collectives on the planet; these 10 hold access to every resource needed to support large-scale Ferran society and guard it jealously from both the machinations of their rivals as well as the desperate masses vying for a chance to grasp at a better life.

Resources are power, more than martial power or familial connections. Those who have food and water to spare will naturally find that they have sway over people. This fundamental truth is the bedrock upon which the Great Kins (often called the Grand Ten) have built their power. Each kin began as a loose connection of families or neighbors who banded together to protect shared resources such as food or water. This security allowed them to build up an abundance of these goods, which in turn naturally attracted those willing to provide their services for food, water, and/or shelter. Desperate families would often turn to vassalising themselves to larger collectives, providing more bodies in exchange for security and protection. Over time, families joined and melted together, combining their individual hold on resources till singular groups held sway over every watering hole, farm, and mine for leagues. Eventually, the growth would stop, either due to a lack of anywhere to expand, challenges from rivals, or simple pragmatism; eventually, the Grand Ten were the ones that stood supreme.

Landed Families

Every family in a kin seeks to push the Kin towards one unified goal: expansion. Before readily available access to interstellar travel, this expansion was primarily limited to internal systems and affairs, Kins pooling their collective resources and distributing them evenly amongst themselves before dividing up the smallest possible portion for the little folks. A Kin would seek to increase stores of water, cultivate more elaborate fungi farms, and expand mining operations. Now that the markets of the stars have been opened to them, they are no longer content with simple agricultural exploits.

Mining operations ship out metric tons of rare metals by the shipload, while industrial farms grow enough food for small city-states. Water is just as closely guarded as ever, but now that Kins have the ability to receive water off-realm, they have innovated in ways they previously could not all for the sake of making a profit. This money goes to purchasing goods and services, primarily in importing flora and fauna from other realms as well as improving the tools used by the workers. The increased efficiency of the workers naturally increases production, which leads to increased profits. The lion's share of these profits will go to the families, ensuring their leisure and solidifying their control over their resources. Whatever is left goes to streamlining their business operations, better tools, research and development, roads within their territories, and diplomatic gifts with other Kins. Little if any will ever end up in the hands of individual ferrans, especially those within the lower class, after all, each Kin takes care of all of the material needs of all those within their territories. 

Despite them sharing the name of a familial structure and fashioning themselves as noble, the internal structure of most Kins resembles neither any loving family nor any form of landed aristocracy. Each Kin is led by a council of the heads of the most prominent families; these individuals are usually called directors. These councils (often called a Board of Directors) determine fiscal policy, price changes, and future legislation for the overall Kin. Roughly equivalent to a board of directors, these councils will often be the determiner for which families control what parts of the Kin’s overall territory. Competition over hot spots can be fierce, and though outright violence between members is discouraged, emotions can flare, egos can be bruised, and families with centuries of allied history can become enemies in a single exchange. Territory given to a kin is often a signifier of prestige, with less prominent families holding no land at all. Families without land aren’t necessarily kicked out of a Kin to join the teeming masses below, but are often required to have their children join the loss prevention officers.

Directors

Directors typically act as the overall leader of a family, but it is not uncommon for a Director to be nothing more than a figurehead for other parts of a family. They are the ones getting the most public attention and, as such, are often beautiful (by Ferran standards) individuals with a natural charisma. Multiple individuals are often groomed for this role in a given generation, with the most suitable being ultimately chosen for the role. Directors are often treated with the same level of reverence as celebrities; many even have legions of adoring fans that follow their every move, leading to them being heavily guarded.  For families where the Director is the brains, the role is chosen amongst the most cunning and business-minded individuals. Families looking for a figurehead will instead choose someone likeable, but still otherwise loyal to the ones actually in charge. The average day-to-day of a Director consists primarily of relaxation, broken up by the occasional interview or photoshoot

Regional Managers

Kins are further categorized into divisions based on which specific families hold sway over a region. These divisions are nominally headed by that Family’s director, but day-to-day administrative duties are handled by Regional Managers. Individuals tasked with managing these vast enterprises are typically either well-trusted members of the family by the director or next in line for the position. When a certain mine isn’t meeting expected quotas, when a road needs to be repaired, or when a local rebellion needs to be put down, a Regional Manager will typically be the one expected to be up to bat. Despite Directors holding all of the power on paper, in many Kins, the ones truly calling the shots are the Regional Managers of an individual family. A regional Manager’s primary duty is to ensure that each settlement or enterprise they control is operating at peak efficiency, as well as solidifying the family’s hold on the region. These are also the ones responsible for playing the game of politics, arranging marriages, forming alliances, and hampering political enemies at every possible turn. It is often the case that this job is given to multiple individuals who divide the work amongst themselves to ease the burden, leading to one family having multiple regional managers. The role is chosen from amongst talented individuals from a family’s most competent (or well-connected) Managers. While Directors are the face of the company, these are the individuals cutting off food rations to whole communities, sending off death squads to hunt down union organizers, and ensuring that the logistics of every part are where they should be, but when a more direct hand is needed. This calls for a different approach. The average day-to-day of a Regional manager primarily consists of monitoring the status of individual enterprises through Local Managers, balancing the family’s checks, and arranging political meetings involving other families.

Non-landed Families

Local Managers

Local Managers, Branch Managers, or simply Managers are the designation for individuals tasked with the running of individual settlements, towns, or enterprises. They function in a similar role to a mayor, determining what counts as law, setting standards of work, and actually ensuring the enforcement of orders from the higher-ups. It is their job to ensure the smooth running of individual operations, as well as to notice things that regional managers might miss. For example, if a local mine falls behind on its quota, a Regional Manager might assume it might have something to do with the coincidentally high injury and death rate at that particular mine, but a Local Manager has the perspective to understand that this deficiency is actually due to the workers taking too much time to mourn the dead. This is the position most prominent families will have filled by any halfway competent member of their own familial line. This is also the highest position a member of a non-landed family can reasonably hope to hold without some form of great deed or political miracle. The average day-to-day of a Local manager typically consists of either paperwork involving the individual workload of their enterprise or supervising the enterprise itself to ensure everything is running smoothly. Supervising can often include inspiring loyalty, punishing dissenters or slackers, as well as making an example out of people.

Loss Prevention Officers

Loss Prevention Officers serve as a Kin’s military and law enforcement arm. The individuals fight against the forces of other Kins, the occasional wild animal attacks, and keep workers in line. Typically armed with the best equipment a Kin can either craft, afford, or trade for, these soldiers loyally serve their Kin on the front lines. They’re assigned to individual missions based on need, with many being consistently stationed at certain enterprises to act as law enforcement, while others are a part of a task force assigned to particular missions such as hunting down enemies of the Kin. They function in loose squads, with members of different families assigned to one squad to promote teamwork and allow bonds of loyalty to form amongst the lower families. These ranks are often filled out by members of a Kin’s less prestigious families, members from the prestigious families who aren’t skilled enough to be local managers, and the very rare working-class Ferran who has shown a great degree of loyalty to a Kin. This is also the rank held by any mages belonging to a Kin, regardless of combat capacity.

Working class

Clerks

Clerks are a classification of individuals who function within the greater hierarchy of a Kin, but aren’t explicitly a part of it. This role falls to working-class Ferrans who have been elevated to a position they otherwise would not have been able to reach, such as functioning as an assistant to or a worker directly under a Local or Regional manager. Many Clerks are delegated tasks that their superior deems to be too demeaning to take on themselves. Such as paperwork, basic cleaning, writing their own speeches, or balancing the checkbooks of an enterprise. For an individual enterprise, the one responsible for ensuring things run smoothly is the clerk; any Local Manager worth their salt has a team of clerks working around the clock to ensure quotas are met, while Loss Prevention Officers often keep a clerk on payroll to function as their eyes and ears on the ground, as well as conducting investigations in their stead. Despite functioning within the overall Kin hierarchy and being a recognized role that plays a huge part in administrative functioning, clerks aren’t granted any of the privileges that would normally be afforded to a Kin member by default, with their best bet being the generosity of their boss keeping them safe and secure.

Working Class

  The Working Class is the catch-all term for the vast majority of Ferrans. These are the Ferrans who have to work to live and live to work. These individuals may choose under which Kin they will spend the rest of their life working under, and that is about all they will ever be able to choose when it comes to the work they do. The Kin’s determine everything for the Working Class, where they work, when they work, what they will do, how much food and water they will get, what frames they will have, and how often those frames will be repaired. The Kin’s also own the vast majority of everything a Working Class Ferran will ever see, including all of the food they eat, the water they drink, and the frames they live in. Should a Working Class Ferran ever wish to break free from the control of Kins, there is but one recourse available to them.

Nomads

Nomad is a catch-all term for all communities that live outside the influence of the Kins. Many of these people aren’t actually nomadic; the term is simply being a pejorative term used by Kins. Most of these communities rely on small or hidden sources of water or fungi for food, and many of these caches are sourced from abandoned Kin enterprises. Many Nomads also make a living before raiding Kin enterprises and convoys for resources.

Religion and Spirituality

The deserts of Singulon are a hotbed of legends and stories. Tales of sentient dunes of shifting sands that swallow settlements whole. Whispers of legendary beasts that stalk under the scorching skies with power beyond mortal comprehension. Rumors abound of mystical creatures that appear as mirages in the day to lure those who aren’t cautious to become lost amongst the sands. The nature of magic and, by extension, golems on Singulon means that, despite many Ferrans not viewing it as a more traditional religion, animism is the primary basis for belief for most of the population.

Magic

Magic in Ferran society is primarily concentrated in the hands of the Kins; they are the ones with resources, time, and freedom to learn how to use magic further than the most basic of levels. Magic is often reduced to little more than a tool. Kin mages use magic to smooth over roads, calm local dust storms, or for small-scale destruction, while Working Class mages are able to do little more than make everyday life more convenient, such as small lights, keeping food warm, or manipulating sand for cleaning. To the everyday person, magic is either something that other people do in faraway places to make their lives easier or something your neighbor does to reheat the lunch you packed from home. The exception to this rule is Golems. The primary vector for magic for most mages is the near-infinite sands of the desert and the precious metals and crystals they hold.

Spirituality

Due to the nature of the work many Ferrans are required to do, Golem are an everyday facet of life. Used as beasts of burden, guards, and as fodder in battle, these automata are as common of a sight as Ferrans in many areas and, as such, have shaped the way people view the world around them. While the vast majority of golems do not possess any form of sentience, they possess enough signifiers for life that many Ferrans themselves lack. They are often made with eyes, mouths, and with the ability to emote to a degree. Most Ferrans believe that golems, while not necessarily sentient, still possess souls, and as such should be treated with respect. It’s a social taboo to treat golems as simple tools amongst Working Class Ferrans, while treating them as members of the community is the norm. They are often given names, uniquely decorated or marked to differentiate them from others, and if a Golem has been around long enough, it might be treated as family by locals. There are many tales of Golems outlasting multiple cycles of workers, often given the title of Aunt or Uncle. There is a pervasive belief that a well-treated golem will work harder and more efficiently, while if a golem is treated poorly enough, its spirit will cause it to act outside of its intended programming and allow it to attack the ones who mistreated it.

This general respect for Golem furthermore extends to everyday objects in Ferran's life. Frames are often given names or personalized markings by all those who have owned them. The longest lasting of these objects is often a tapestry of the hands they have been through, carvings designate previous owners, while trinkets within their interior shed light on just how well love each was. There is a commonly held belief that if a Ferran dies within their frame, a part of their soul will fuse with the soul of the frame, granting it a part of their personality.

Architecture,Technology, and Science

Architecture

The harsh desert environment of Singulon means that unless one has the resources for constant maintenance, the most economical place to build a home is beneath the earth, where the sand gives way to stone, and one is protected from the winds, sun, and sand. Most homes, poor or rich, are built underneath the earth, often built directly into the walls of the cave or carved from it, though many high-end homes have small sections built above ground as a way of showing off one’s wealth. Only the very richest homes are entirely above ground, most being entirely climate-controlled with robust air conditioning systems. The U.F.S.P. is also built primarily above ground to allow easy access for spaceborne travelers.

Science

The sciences are an incredibly important aspect of Ferran society; a great deal of importance on both the local and Kin level is placed upon having a proper understanding of the world. Kin's funnel immense resources into research projects on the latest cutting-edge frames, more efficient tools, power production, augmentation, and bioengineering. These research projects allow Kins to boost production and get ahead of competitors, reduce costs for food and water, and allow the production of more powerful machines. Chief amongst these pursuits are the various Bioengineering labs that have revolutionized the Ferran population. The naturally long gestation and time to maturity of Ferrans mean that constant growth at the rate needed by the Kins is simply not plausible without massive overarching changes to how they rule their subjects. A solution was found through vat growing new Ferrans by taking the genetic material of two random, non-related Ferrans and using that to grow a whole new Ferran in artificial wombs. Once of a sufficient age, these Ferrans are dropped into enterprises. The culture around community and child rearing means that the child will certainly be taken care of, and the regularity of death as well as separation means that few question where this mysterious amnesic child came from. Kins have found a way to game the system of Working Class culture for their own benefit, using this system, and as such have gone to great lengths to both hide the exact nature of the technology from the public, as well as do their best to perfect it. Bioengineering Fungal life for their farms is a close second in priorities.

Following closely behind bioengineering in raw importance to the Ferran economy is the medical sciences, specifically augmentation. Augmentations are incredibly pervasive throughout every part of Ferran society, whether it be artificial limbs lost in heavy machinery accidents or enhancements built directly into a Ferran’s frame. Augmentation helps an already productive workforce reach record-breaking profits every single year. The key part of research on this front tear is reducing prices as low as they will go.

Technology

Work Equipment

While little care is given for user safety when it comes to work equipment, the very nature of Ferran technology means that it is incredibly ergonomic. By Ferran's standards, most technology looks almost person-like, able to be pressed against the body and find the natural curves and grooves of the vast majority of frames. Work equipment can often feel like an extension of the body.

Weaponry

Ferran Weapons are often heavy-hitting and slow-firing. Built to break through the heavy armor of L.P.O.s and golems. Ferran prefers long-range weaponry over getting in close, with most of their weapons having an effective range more similar to battle rifles of other species. Ferrans prefer to avoid explosive and incendiary weaponry whenever possible, as explosives can cause cave-ins and fires can eat up breathable air.

Traditional Clothing and Fashion

Clothing, as well as fashion for Ferrans, is inherently tied to class. One's means dictate the clothes they have access to, the accessories they have the physical capacity to wear, and even the appearances they are capable of having.

Frames

While it might be easy to assume that frames are treated as an extension of the body in terms of clothing, the reality is that a frame is more seen as a layer of clothing in and of itself. The design or purpose of a frame dictates how “well dressed” someone may be perceived to be if they wore nothing but that frame. This sentiment typically follows the trend that the more humanoid a frame makes someone look, the more it will be expected that they wear extra clothing, however that clothing does not have to be as covering or loose.

Frames built for hard labor or work that requires protection from hazardous environments are perceived as an outfit in and of themselves. The types of frames often take the appearance of suits of armored or hazmat suits, thick plating covering bulky limbs, with visors and mask grills taking the place of eyes and a mouth. These frames directly inhibit the wearer's ability to consume food and drink, as they either need specialized equipment to eat without compromising the frame’s integrity or need to be partially taken off when the wearer is not at work. Even when a frame of this particular quality is partially removed, only wearing the frame is still seen as more appropriately dressed than someone who is fully covered with a more humanoid frame. Having said all of this, it’s still common to pair worker frames with a loose-fitting cloak known as a sanguard to help protect the surface from damage by the sun or sand erosion. Agricultural, manufacturing, and mining models are the basis for the vast majority of frames, but it is not unusual to see entirely custom-made frames, especially

Frames By Jobs

Miner frames are typically built oversized, with large, bulky bodies complete with miner’s equipment and strength augments built in. The more advanced models have high-powered bores or drills, night vision visors, and function as a closed system in low-oxygen environments. These kinds of frames are often decorated with the names of owners carved on the left shoulder, as heavy-duty tools are often grafted onto the hands for the sake of work.

Agricultural frames are typically built far slimmer and lighter, able to weave and move through the vast patches of mycelium common to the fungus farms with significant ease. These models are often equipped with a Swiss Army Knife of tools built into the hips to allow prompt trimming, shaping, and excavation of fungus buds when needed. All are equipped to be sealed and function with oxygen tanks to avoid exposure to fungal spores. These models are often decorated with initials carved into the hilt or handle of the tools.

Manufacturing Frames are among the most diverse and, by necessity, often the most diverse. One could have 30 Manufacturing frames in a room and not have two look exactly the same. A manufacturing frame is, at base, the most standard that exists, undercorated or reinforced metal paired with unremarkable visors, which means that hot off the press, these frames are little more than a metal shell, and these are the frames that give the best idea of the body plan to the being underneath. Individual Ferrans will augment their frames to best suit the jobs they have, adding extra limbs, more delicate digits, and sometimes even magnification equipment. These Frames will see the most changes in their lifetime and will see the most customization from a wearer, everything from bows and flora designs to spikes.

Nomads typically don any frame they can get their hands on, mixing and matching pieces from different frames, often giving them striking appearances by Ferran standards.

Ferrans who manage to make it off Singulon often find themselves very quickly having unique frames commissioned to fit their personal taste and body shape.

Rich Ferrans have the greatest freedom when it comes to frame customization. Shape, size, limb number, and anything else one could hope to change can be altered if one has the resources to afford it. Though the sky is the limit, the typical fashion amongst the rich is to make themselves as humanoid as possible, often going so far as to imitate other species in appearance with a great degree of accuracy. It’s extremely common for rich Ferrans to decorate their frames with precious metals or gemstones, with the most common trend being decorating the top layer with a precious metal like gold to function as a base before adding additional ornamentation. Alternatively, many of these Ferrans opt for heads that resemble more organic species, with bodies that are clearly frames; these frames can be hidden by clothing.

Clothing

Working Class and Nomads

Ferran clothing manufacturing is based on the resources abundant in the environment. This led to the primary material used for textile manufacturing being wire mesh. Ferran craftsmanship has evolved out of necessity, with textile workers capable of creating mesh so fine that it’s capable of blocking out even the smallest grains of sand, and the material might appear as cloth to the untrained eye. It is typically loose-fitting, though many Kin’s encourage clothing that is more form-fitting not only amongst their members but with Clerks or Loss Prevention Officers from the lower classes.

The Keystone garments of the Working Class Ferran’s everywhere are the sanguard. A testament to the tenacity of the Ferran people, this garment, like most parts of Ferran life, is made with an explicit purpose in mind. In this case, it’s to protect the wearer and their frame from environmental wear and tear. The sanguard is made with a fine wire mesh, typically made reflective to prevent the wearer from getting too hot and so fine that sand can’t get in. It covers the wearer's head to toe like a cloak with a veil, typically covering the face. Though many working-class Ferrans opt for a solid face covering with eyeholes built in. Though the garment is meant for braving the surface of the Singulon deserts or to endure the winds that come from the numerous cave entrances into the subterranean tunnels in which the vast majority of Ferrans dwell, it’s traditional amongst Working Class communities that even those who don’t need to endure the elements wear a sanguard when moving from place to place. Sanguards, by their very nature, make individuals look the same, giving people the same appearance and silhouette. Wearers counteract this by decorating their personal sanguards with identifying symbols, names, or unique trinkets that allow one to be recognized from afar. Sanguards are perhaps one of the few things the average person is sure to own for themselves and not through being lent one by a Kin.

Due to the varied and often dangerous nature of Nomad living, sanguards are almost a requirement in everyday life. Many Nomad groups, even those who aren’t actually nomads in the traditional sense, may still find themselves being forced to brave the deserts for food or water on occasion. Much like Working Class communities, these people still decorate their sanguards, though in smaller communities, many simply do not.

Where Working Class and Nomad sensibilities on clothing differ is in the change of expected clothing as one’s frame improves. In Working Class communities, as long as one is wearing the full frame, the lowest quality frames are often seen as outfits in and of themselves, and though they are typically paired with a sanguard, it’s not a social expectation. As frames improve in quality and by extension become more humanoid, the sanguard is seen as necessary to wear even when inside, though it’s more than acceptable for one to remove the hood/viel when indoors. Past the level of basic humanoid facial features, moving onto things like functional mouths and humanoid body plans is when clothing becomes tighter fitting, going from cloaks to robes that drap over the form rather than completely covering, more similar to what a non-Ferran might recognize as clothes.

Upper Class Ferrans

Loss Prevention Officers are the only position an upper-class Ferran might hold that has any form of expectation of dress beyond wearing the crests associated with the Kin and family the individual belongs to. L.P.O.s are expected to wear standardized equipment and frames built for combat. High-ranking members of the L.P.O. are capable of getting weapons, armor, and frames custom-made for their personal use, though the exact specification design of standard gear is up to the sensibilities of a given Kin. L.P.O.s are still allowed the typical freedom afforded to rich families when in their leisure attire.

When it comes to the fashion of rich Ferrans, the sky is the limit. Rare metals, gemstones, or even organic fibers all become available for clothing if one has the money to shell out. At this level, non-Ferrans will find garments like traditional suits and dresses, as non-Ferran fashion is very popular among the rich. Fashion trends are heavily influenced by a Kin’s trade partners. By the standards of most other species, even the most well-to-do Ferrans tend to be years or decades behind on trends due to their longevity, but their capacity to shift their bodies grants them the capacity to be trendsetters in body modification communities. 

Occupations

The average Ferran will work a variety of jobs over the course of their life as Local Managers reassign them as they see fit. It is expected that workers be at least passingly competent in the work they might be made to do, and if this isn’t the case, it’s expected that they will attempt to learn from more experienced workers. By far the most common job for the vast majority of Ferrans is as a member of the innumerable factory complexes that dot the planet's surface. Singulon is a manufacturing hub, with the sphere’s immense material wealth being put to work manufacturing both parts and finished products for trading. The lines include assembling electronics, metalworking, and manufacturing of weapons or ordnance. Next most common among these prospects are miners, individuals charged with expanding the subterranean caverns the Ferrans call home, as well as prospecting for and mining the many precious metals the desert has to offer. Miners are often seen both as individuals tasked with gathering resources and as construction workers, as these are often the people tasked with carving out of the rough shape the Ferran homes will take. The third most common are agricultural workers, those tasked with tending to the vast fungi gardens that make up the vast majority of the Ferran diet. These individuals are seen as an incredibly important aspect of Ferran life. There are less common but still important jobs that the lower class can hold. Typically, if when E.D.U. camps a person shows aptitude for other forms of work, they will be trained to become specialists. The most common of these alternative positions includes working in the service industry, as servants for the Kins, or as employees in the many resorts the Kin’s construct for off-world travelers. This is closely followed by scientists of all kinds, then teachers for both the Working Class Ferrans as well as the rich. Most rich Ferrans will go into one of the many positions that are touched on in the Social Structure section. Nomads don’t typically have jobs in the traditional sense; most live lives entirely focused on survival rather than producing things for some form of greater economy. They farm, forage for water, and craft what is needed by the community to survive. There are many Nomad communities that function as mercenaries or bandits, raiding enterprises or caravans for resources, some even go so far as to kidnap members of a kin to ransom them off.

The rare Ferran who can make it off-world can find themselves in any number of jobs, most already have plenty of experience with technology, as well as having plenty of time spent doing hard labour. Considering Ferran's life span,  most of ample time to learn new trades or skills, though most will find themselves in similar positions to the ones they held prior to leaving, taking on these jobs with gusto.

Starships and Space Travel

Space travel

Ferran's space travel has been heavily inspired by trade partners, with their ships being the models by which an Individual Kin has built up their fleets. Individual ships are often bought from other space faring species and refitted to be more comfortable to Ferran life. Most Ferran ships are typically have smaller internal shorter internal hallways and more open space to allow the easier traversal of large amounts of Ferran workers as well as the erection of haphazard work stations. The crew quarters of these ships are often designed to be able to pack as many people as possible, while additional space is devoted to individual quarters for V.I.P.s or officials on board.

Travel is easily accessible to the upper echelon of Ferran society, with many Directors or Manager having their own personal forms of space transport as well as personal crews to operate the machines. The largest Ferran space port is the U.S.F.P. the bottleneck by which all interstellar trade enters or leaves the deserts of Singulon.

Cultural/Social Quirks and Daily Life

Conflict and conflict resolution.

Like with any species, there are times when individual Ferrans come into conflict with each other. Unlike with other species, however, a Ferran’s metallic shell means that if two Ferrans come to blows, unless there is a concerted effort to cause harm, it's unlikely for either party to come out particularly injured, however should either’s shell get damaged due to the fight, it could be considered destruction of Kin property. Destruction of Kin property is a punishable offense in most Kins, with a punishment typically including a reduction in rations for a length of time determined by the cost of the damage. When violence may mean being starved of food or water, cooler heads typically prevail, and so most Ferrans prefer to handle most conflicts non-violently whenever possible. The few issues that typically call for violence in Working Class Ferran culture are typically the kinds of crimes that most other species would also consider especially heinous, and as such, the common community response is to wait until an opportunity presents itself, pry the offending individual out of their frame, and throw them into the desert to perish. Most punishments by a Kin against a low-class Ferran will be as simple as reducing food and water rations, though if the perceived crime is great enough, it’s not uncommon for the offender to simply disappear, never to be seen again. While conflicts between members of a family are relatively rare, they are often settled with formal duels till satisfaction. Inter-family intra-Kin conflicts between individuals can often be settled with duels till satisfaction or first blood, though it’s not uncommon for conflicts to be mediated through the board of directors. Inter-family intra-kin conflicts are rather rare on the scale of whole families, and should such conflicts occur, Kin resources will be allocated to smoothing over the tension. Inter-Kin conflicts will almost always involve the entire kin, regardless of whether the conflict was initiated with a handful of parties. Conflict over resources, trade rights, trade routes, or even just perceived slights is typically a bloody affair that, if left unchecked, can spiral out into full-scale war. Because no Kin wishes to risk such a thing, battle has become a very formalized affair, with both sides agreeing on a given location and time for battle, establishing rules of engagement, and even formalizing a start and end date for the conflict. L.P.O.s from both sides of a conflict will arrive at a predetermined location fully equipped with armor, weapons, an army of battle golems, and personal supplies. From there, both sides will set about utterly destroying the other. Death is not uncommon from such conflicts, though discouraged, as prisoners can be ransomed to their families; the winner of such conflicts typically gets whatever was being fought over.

Childhood

Ferrans can typically live for 250-300 years and aren’t considered to be adults till around the age of 50. Ferran children stay with their parents till around the age of 30, where they will be taken from their communities and given a more formal education in Kin's educational institutions. For the nearly 50 percent of the population that are vatborn, they are gestated till they are around the age of 12, dropped off in a Working Class community under the cover of night, then picked back up at 25 by the Kin. Children are expected to learn through watching and, very occasionally, very carefully, doing under adult supervision, but it’s mostly expected for children to have fun, learn about the world around them, and enjoy what time they have left before they reach adulthood. The childhood of rich Ferrans is entirely different from that of their poor counterparts. Most are raised by nannies their entire lives as opposed to parents, though many spend their lives in the care of other families as a ward. These children serve to improve interfamilial relationships.

Education

From the age of 30 till the age of 50, Ferrans are placed into education institutions more colloquially known as E.D.U. camps. In these camps, children are educated in the basics of reading, writing, mathematics, history, and the very basics of art.  The most important part of this education is courses on future occupations, which a Ferran may hold. This will be the first expirence with work most children will have, and will give students all the knowledge they need on the operation, maintenance, and safety around working equipment. Ferran education is streamlined to produce the most effective workers they can, and as such, Ferrans have a very high literacy rate. Rich Ferrans receives a fully complete curriculum, on art, history, mathematics, science, and the classics. They receive this education until such a time as their guardians believe they are competent enough to be useful to the family. Most Nomads become Nomads in adulthood, as it’s considered immoral to birth children into the Nomad lifestyle. The few Nomad children are taught by their community basic academic skills, but are primarily taught how to survive

Occupations

Working Class

The average Ferran will work a variety of jobs over the course of their life as Local Managers reassign them as they see fit. It is expected that workers be at least passingly competent in the work they might be made to do, and if this isn’t the case, it’s expected that they will attempt to learn from more experienced workers. By far the most common job for the vast majority of Ferrans is as a member of the innumerable factory complexes that dot the planet's surface. Singulon is a manufacturing hub, with the sphere’s immense material wealth being put to work manufacturing both parts and finished products for trading. The lines include assembling electronics, metalworking, and manufacturing of weapons or ordnance. Next most common among these prospects are miners, individuals charged with expanding the subterranean caverns the Ferrans call home, as well as prospecting for and mining the many precious metals the desert has to offer. Miners are often seen both as individuals tasked with gathering resources and as construction workers, as these are often the people tasked with carving out of the rough shape the Ferran homes will take. The third most common are agricultural workers, those tasked with tending to the vast fungi gardens that make up the vast majority of the Ferran diet. These individuals are seen as an incredibly important aspect of Ferran life. There are less common but still important jobs that the lower class can hold. Typically, if when E.D.U. camps a person shows aptitude for other forms of work, they will be trained to become specialists. The most common of these alternative positions includes working in the service industry, as servants for the Kins, or as employees in the many resorts the Kin’s construct for off-world travelers. This is closely followed by scientists of all kinds, then teachers for both the Working Class Ferrans as well as the rich.

Upper class

Most rich Ferrans will go into one of the many positions that are touched on in the Social Structure section. Nomads don’t typically have jobs in the traditional sense; most live lives entirely focused on survival rather than producing things for some form of greater economy. They farm, forage for water, and craft what is needed by the community to survive. There are many Nomad communities that function as mercenaries or bandits, raiding enterprises or caravans for resources, some even go so far as to kidnap members of a kin to ransom them off. The rare Ferran who can make it off-world can find themselves in any number of jobs, most already have plenty of experience with technology, as well as having plenty of time spent doing hard labour. Considering Ferran's life span,  most of ample time to learn new trades or skills, though most will find themselves in similar positions to the ones they held prior to leaving, taking on these jobs with gusto.

Daily life

Poor Ferrans typically have one pattern for required work. The by far most common method of measuring work is for Local Managers to require all individuals to reach a specific quota of work per day in order to receive food and water rations. Once that quota has been reached, workers are free to do with their time as they please. This is the preferred method for the vast majority of Kins. Depending on the individual’s workload, the local manager, and the required output for a given enterprise, this can take anywhere from 4-12 hours of continuous work. Once the work is finished, most workers opt to eat, rest, or engage in recreational activities such as reading the few books a community might have, tinkering with discarded materials, or simply chatting with other workers. Most Ferrans work every day with the exception of the few days following a meeting of the Board of Directors, as, depending on the results, the community may have to be moved entirely. With what little free time the average Ferran might have, they could choose to engage in what recreation a Kin might allow them; alternatively, they could choose to work past their allotted quota, allowing them to start on the next day’s quota and potentially even getting their rations early. This could theoretically allow a worker to simply not have to work on some days if they so choose, though most will still get at least a little work done. Loss Prevention Officers typically work in shifts, spending 8 hours a day on duty and spending the rest in recreation or relaxation. They are, however, expected to always be ready for duty should the need arise with the exception of holidays, including an individual’s birthday, weddings, funerals, Board of Directors meetings, and any negotiated days of paid leave. All positions higher than L.P.O. can choose when and for how long they work on any given day, as long as quotas are met. Many Managers at all levels spend most of a given fiscal year doing zero work and indulging in themselves or their hobbies.  

Social Quirks

Working Class

Because of the ubiquitous nature of the sanguard, it’s traditional for a Ferran who enters a room or a conversation to either identify themselves if they do not know the individuals present, or to wait to be identified if they do. If the individual in question is not verbally identified by a member of the present party, then they are permitted to remove the hood of their sangaurd and identify themselves if they so choose.  If an individual does not wish to be spoken to, it is traditional to say the phrase “This frame is empty,” either when identified or when identifying themselves.  The appropriate response to this is to say “Then I speak to the wind,” and to leave the individual alone. Due to the construction style of many Ferran homes, it is typically easy to get into someone else's home. While it is common practice to come in without being invited, one may not sit down, eat, or remove their sanguard until they are formally acknowledged as a guest by the owner of the home. When waiting for a host, unless the host is a stranger, it is considered polite to wait for them inside their home, standing by the front door, as waiting outside is seen as something done for those whom you do not know well. If one is expecting guests but suspects they will not be home in time to greet them, it’s traditional to leave out small amounts of food and drink with a note formally acknowledging a guest. Offering food is seen as a less formal acknowledgment of a guest, and bringing food is seen as a request to be acknowledged as a guest

Upper Class

Guest Rites are relatively shared between the upper and lower classes, though requesting to be a guest is seen as groveling.

Cuisine

Food

The basis of Ferran nutrition and, by extension, cooking, is a colossal system of subterranean fungus farms that populate countless caves and tunnels. These fungi come in innumerable varieties, but most Kins typically cultivate a handful for mass production. Years of selective breeding have given rise to truly unique strains, many of which are capable of entirely mimicking the taste and texture of different foods, including meat. The Kin under which one serves typically determines the kind of rations they will receive. The most common ways of cooking rations are either roasting them, frying them in a skillet, or cooking them in a stew. Most Ferrans have experience cooking for themselves, and as such, the variation in Ferran cooking can vary wildly depending on where one is. There are a rare few breeds of mushrooms capable of imparting a sweet flavor, though they are rather rare for the average Ferran due to how difficult they are to grow, which makes it a rare treat.

Drink

Numerous strains of Singulonian mushrooms are capable of being brewed into alcohols or teas. Most of these alcohols are comparable to a kind of beer; most are on the weaker side and typically used to impart flavour rather than get drunk, though with enough time, one is theoretically capable of producing high-alcohol content drinks from these weaker varieties of mushrooms. In contrast, most teas carry a powerful flavor, with sweet tea being preferred, but bitter teas being significantly more common. The primary recreational drink for most Ferrans is called Gymnopilus, which is a tea made from mushrooms containing Psilocybin and, as such, is mildly psychoactive.

Notable Locations

United Ferran Space Port

The United Ferran Space Port is the one neutral point in Ferran territory. It is the primary space port on the planet, and as such, the vast majority of Kin trade goes through it. Functionally, it serves as both a space port and a gargantuan resort for offworld tourism. Many Kins invite business partners to stay at the port on their dime for the sake of improving relations or business dealings.

The Inverted Oasis

The Inverted Oasis is the alleged location of the largest group of Nomads on Singulon. The exact location of this place is unknown, but stories claim that it’s a massive cave filled with water and naturally growing fungus. If stories are to be believed, the Nomads in this place have the numbers to rival any one of the Great Kins on the battlefield.

The Starfall Crater

The location of an ancient comet landing. Miles upon Miles of desert sand have been turned into glass from its impact. It is a favorite location for formal battles between Kins.

Interactions With Other Species

Lower Class

Though there is a general awareness that other species do exist, the vast majority of Ferrans will never see a member of another species, and as such, most don’t particularly think about them. The typical reaction to seeing a member of another species is one of general interest, followed typically by shock as the Ferran realises that the person they are witnessing is both 1) a member of a different species and not just a well-styled Ferran and 2) shock at the fact that this individual is walking around in what their equivalent of indecent attire would be. For many Ferrans, the idea of others not wearing frames is one that they may understand, but will still surprise them. Though after spending enough time in non-Ferran communities, most Ferrans will begin to style themselves after the dominant species, forging themselves ears, more humanoid eyes, and sometimes even functional mouths in order to blend in more easily. Though most will go through this process, assimilation typically isn’t the end goal; it is merely a desire to adopt “local fashions.” Most Ferrans don’t typically have thoughts on the governments of other species unless they actively live off-world. Though individuals working in clerk positions can often get vague impressions based on information they might come across.

Kins

Kins and, by extension, the many rich families of Ferran society, typically have a neutral or positive view of other species. The most positive opinions are typically held for the Gelum, their sphereic neighbours, as well as the Aurelians, one of their most frequent trade partners. More specific opinions are held on a case-by-case basis within Kins, as differing trade agreements mean that some Kins hardly interact with some species, while other species make up the bulk of their business. Some Kins have a working business relationship with certain Canari clans, loaning out workers to assist with terraforming efforts, though this relationship is kept out of the public eye due to Canari views on nature.

Inspiration Images

Example of exterior entrance to cave system.

Concept Art

Gilded prototype art.