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Introducing...
While Earth's current inhabitants and their representatives
throughout the galaxy often consider themselves
the only "true" humans, in some ways they have evolved
from their origins as much as Jenquai or Progen.
Wealth is the driving force behind Terran culture.
Those who don't have wealth are trying to accumulate
it, and those who have it are trying to get more.
Four major corporations are inextricably tied to
all Terran dealings, and numerous minor corporations
are involved as well.
Society
Major families, or "houses," control each of the
corporations and play a large part in Terran society
as well. The two major houses are House MacGregor,
which operates InfinitiCorp., and House Naverre,
which operates the Good Earth Trading Company (GetCo).
Other major houses are Obata and Orsini. The major
houses all have their own security forces and space
fleets, and in the case of MacGregor and Naverre,
colonies as well. |
Materialistic to the bone
The Terran tendency toward accumulation of wealth has
also produced a culture that is extremely materialistic,
with ever-present displays of ostentation and extravagance.
Terrans judge each other by how much they have, how well
they can show it off, and who they know.
Social functions, trends, fads, and gossip all play a
large part in Terran life. While all these factors are
to a large degree influenced by the corporate presence
and marketing, Terrans also pride themselves on their
unpredictability. Many a fad has progressed from a simple
extravagance into a planet-wide obsession that would baffle
a Progen or Jenquai with its insensibility.
Terrans view Progen and Jenquai as unpleasant mutants,
but their predilection toward wealth usually overrides
any xenophobic concerns. After all, Jenquai and Progen
money still spends just as well as Terran money. Though
they typically see Progen and Jenquai as unclean annoyances,
Terrans are still more tolerant of racial differences.
This is probably due to the fact that Terrans themselves
are highly diverse, with myriad combinations of physical
appearance, spiritual affiliation, and genetic background.
High-Tech Living
The Terran fascination with gadgets and machinery has
led to many advances beyond even those of the Jenquai.
Terrans are particularly adept at making things that go
fast, and that can be made cheaply and in large quantities.
It was InfinitiCorp, after all, that introduced the first
faster-than-light hyperdrive. And of course, the Terran
agricultural industry has a virtual monopoly across the
system, as food grown on Earth simply tastes better than
that grown anywhere else.
Religion is common in Terran society, and in addition
to the more traditional religions, newer faiths have sprung
up as space travel flourishes. Many groups that were considered
cults 200 years ago are now widely accepted religions.
With 25 billion people on more than a dozen populated
planets, Terrans are much more widespread than the other
races. However, due to its materialistic nature, the Terran
society has a staggering gap between the "haves" and "have-nots."
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