culture:greasehearts

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Known for their love of life and their rashness, Greasehearts are always looking to push boundaries

What is the culture's common moral traits? How do they treat others who aren't in their immediate family?

Greasehearts have but one drive, and that is to keep going, even when they probably should have stopped. Whether its finding new horizons, or new means of doing so. They wear the fact they were the template for the other human cultures and direct descendants of space's first pioneers with pride, and strive to do their memories proud by continuing to seek the horizon. However, this quality tends to give them a hard-headed temperament, making them difficult to dissuade when they set their minds towards something. One way or the other, they'll do it - and it if it can't be done in their lifetime, they'll make a group to carry the idea forward.

In casual speech, Greasehearts incorporate profanities playfully wiht their peers. Even with a volume of insults flying between two people, they can still be friends - as its easy for them to recognise when a jab is not meant in jest. For strangers though, they cut it down or use minced oaths.

What's their aesthetic? What's the general impression left on the viewer? How do they go about doing this?

Greasehearts are renowned for playing tough or and cool. Ranging from cultivating a gritty and aloof appearance to remaining cool headed and slick. Men often wear hair in slick quiffs, mullets, perms, and long, while facial hair can range from clean shaven, to trimmed into shape, or a bushy beard. Women usually let their hair grow long, frizzy, curly, or so heavy you'd think it needs a neck brace to stay upright. Between both, tattoos and eye-catching jewellery is often worn - but jewellery is removed if they need to do some hard yakka. Two reasons: One, for practicality and safety; Two, so it doesn't get dirty.

Fashion

The way to be fashionable is to look cool. Hard-wearing materials such as denim, canvas, flannel, and leather are common materials, worn as jeans or jackets. In addition, their clothing incorporates alongside metal or shiny fabrics for accents and decoration. For accessories, Greasehearts always have a nice pair of shades on them, and often wear them indoors. Earrings and fingerless gloves are also common.

Piloting and racing suits are also considered proper good looking attire, covered with embroidered patterns and patches from spaceports all over the galaxy. Above all else in Greaseheart looks, colours must be bold. Pastels, tertiaries, and gentle shades are rare, but neon gradients are frequent, especially if they contrast.

Architecture & Aesthetics

There are two things above all else that matter to a Greaseheart's house: Their garage, and their workbench. Occupying the same space, many Greaseheart households are built around storing vehicles. Most of their houses are often built from prefabricated and artificial materials and steel, . Commercial properties are often graced with neon lights in their windows or on their exterior signs and billboards. This approach to their businesses gives them a distinctly gaudy vibe.

In less wealthy areas, Greasehearts are known to live out of the hulls of wrecked starships, building in and around them while reactivating the ship's systems to the best of their ability. Their urge to recycle technology makes them highly resourceful in this regard, even if more civilised folks turn their noses upwards at the results.

What is the culture's main draw? What do they like using?

Greaseheart made items are easy to spot: They have metallic paints or coatings, contrasting racing stripes, chequered patterns, or painted pin-up artworks when possible. Equipment omits unnecessary features, and operation is fairly straightforward. Handheld items are often heavy and hefty feeling, put power over subtlety, and are built to outlast and survive the competition. Its also likely for items to make noises for user feedback, even if they're meant to be quiet.

Tech Focus

What the society's main focus in technology is. It could be that they heavily invest in ballistic weaponry, argricultural growth in an underground plane, or magitek construction, and so on. Essentially, what they're interested in developing towards.
“If its moving and it shouldn't, repair tape. If it isn't moving and it should, solvent.”

In general, Greasehearts are drawn to finding new ways to go fast or do things faster: They enjoy using combustion engines where possible, but are not impartial to using antimatter or plasma. Their love of all things mechanical also extends into designing ballistic and energy small arms, and powered suits. In addition, Greasehearts are responsible for pushing aerospace and spaceflight research and development into new horizons.

In general, they enjoy coming up with practical solutions to problems, and are renowned for trying to improvise repairs wherever they come across. Even if they don't succeed, its a learning experience for next time.

Magic

Greaseheart spellcasters do not occupy any particular bracket above or below their peers, as its seen as another means of expression. So long as it gets the job done, people aren't too worried. Mages often focus on magic spells which assist with agility, movement, psychometry, and magitek. In elemental manipulation, Greasehearts often have affinity with fire, oil, smoke, thunder, and lightning.

Given the Greaseheart hard-on for noise, thunder, and technology, it isn't uncommon to see magical devices made by Greasehearts incorporate things like chainsaw engines to boost their spell's output; The evoked image being a wizened tradesman with a bushy beard, a belt full of tools, and carrying a stave with an engine on the head. The engine feeds a ball of fire he can manipulate or use as a spell focus.

Psionics

Greaseheart Psions are uncommon, but highly valued for their instinctual understanding of complex mechanics and the mathematics involved. Greaseheart psions who specialise in mechanics and engineering are often nicknamed blackfingers, and often find gainful employment in mechanics and machinists across the galaxy. However, their changed perspective on how they view the world makes interacting with them difficult, and talking to them about subjects beyond how things work or what interests them often bores them.

Do they farm? What do they farm? How do they farm?

Horticulture

“I don't understand. I improved the water flow, got more nutrients, and addressed that nitrogen deficiency… ugh, stupid plant.”

Greasehearts make poor gardeners with their preference for artificial environments, but they understand the principles and benefits of technologies like hydroponic irrigation and drainage. They do see the value of having some greenery in their homes - there are at least a few potted plants spotted here and there. Gardens will be set up to water themselves with timed sprinklers, and occasionally even trim themselves.

To a lot of onlookers, what they see in Greaseheart gardening is an understanding of all the technology necessary for making effective and productive gardening, but not having the intuition or fixation to make a garden grow strong and healthy. Exceptions are present however, as Greasehearts do not shy away from getting their hands dirty when sufficiently roused to a cause. Farmers are willing to go the whole hog with sprawling hydroponics solutions for growing food and materials.

Fauna

“Who's a good boy?”

There's nothing quite like having a canine companion to a Greaseheart. They have a love for dogs of medium-sized breeds and upwards, and are fiercely protective of their friends, even if they are perfectly capable of handling themselves in a fight. The roles of a dog in a Greaseheart household swivel between companionship, guard duty, emotional support, and walkies.

It isn't uncommon to see at least one or two dogs present on a construction site managed by Greasehearts, sitting in the back of a ute and watching the workers do their things.

Cooking

What are common cooking traditions? What is a likely flavour profile?

Practically an aptonym, Greaseheart cooking specialises in frying things up. Their most common staple dish is a hamburger, fries, and a sugary drink - all the food groups contained between two lightly toasted buns, with some chips and soda to wash it down. In addition, they flock towards cooking savoury baked goods, such as pies, pizza, jaffles1), sausage rolls, pasties, or scrolls/rolls. For sweets, they love their varieties of soft drinks, chocolate, doughnuts, and ice cream.

This makes the typical diet appear quite unhealthy, but it rarely seems to have ill signs given the amount of physical activity most Greasehearts ply themselves toward. Of course, people who stay sedentary will have the worst aspects of the diet catch up to them in time.

“Engines roar, bones break, glory's forever, and chicks dig scars. All the while, the great wheel keeps on turnin'.”

There are a small number of Gods in Greaseheart culture, the most famous of them being the Velocian, Lady of Acceleration, a Goddess of travel, achieving ludicrous speeds, and the patron of mechanics and machinists throughout the galaxy. It isn't uncommon to see her likeliness on the wall of a reputable mechanic's shop in the form of an elaborate mural, or the cut out centrefold of a racy magazine portraying a model in her image.

Alongside the Lady of Acceleration is the Din, God of Noise and Light, patron of musicians and revheads alike. They are also called the 'get out of the way' god, as an abundance of noise and light is usually a signal to run. Din takes the form of a headless man with a ball of blindingly bright light where his head should be. He is often depicted carrying or standing alongside musical instruments, revving engines, firearms, or other noisy items.

In addition, mechanical troubles are usually blamed on Gremlins, mischievous little imp-like creatures responsible for messing up projects by moving tools around and damaging mechanical parts at inopportune moments. Greasehearts who don't pay the superstitions any mind usually attribute gremlins to a lack of rigorous maintenance and carelessness on the mechanic's part.

Core Tenets

One of the major ideas of Greaseheart religion and beliefs is The Great Wheel. It is treated as a heavenly locale where their gods and cryptids reside, occasionally coming down. It is taught that no matter what happens in a Greaseheart's life and their lot, the wheel will keep on spinning, and so too should the person. This belief instils and canonises the typical hard-headedness of a Greaseheart on a mission.

Ceremony

Are there any sort of rituals the culture goes through to celebrate the advancement of one through life and religion?
What are common traditions the culture holds? Is it annual, or based on some celestial alignment, or based on weather conditions, and so on.

Birth and Death

How do they celebrate birth? Do they mourn the dead? Etc.

1)
Australian word for Toasted Sandwich. See here for more.
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