Living on the edge
Many, many other species view Devomas as pests, especially those that have a technology that relies on the use of energy. Some openly reject them, some prefer to ignore them and others go out of their way to hunt them. And, while it is possible for bonds to form despite everyone's differences, the fact of the matter is that a Devoma could steal the energy needed to propel a ship or keep a computer on and little can stop them until it's too late.
Because of the wariness Devoma have encountered wherever they go, they have developed an certain pride as a species. This pride manifests through a tendency to look down on anyone that is not a Devoma, especially those that do rely on the use of energy to survive. Parallel to that, they are encouraged to pursue freedom of choice, expression and love - themes that are apparent in a lot of demovian artistic creations and traditions. Because of how they feed and how they are treated in other communities, Devoma have a general distrust of authority and prefer to live in packs, among themselves. They will gravitate towards careers such as space pirates, smugglers, hustlers, and criminals, but also explorers, ship navigators, mercenaries, pest control teams, outpost guards, and many other professions that require resilience, space traveling and street-smarts. |
Packs and Respect
Packs, in a Devoma's mind, is the social unit that comes right after family. Its size can vary but it will generally be large enough to house one to five different families.
Each pack follows their own leader who is, more often than not, either the most skilled or the most experienced Devoma among them. The leader's authority rely on respect rather than one based on shows of strength, especially in areas where there is a higher density of demovian population. A Demova that disagrees with how a pack is lead can leave, as transfers between packs are frequent and carries no particular stigma (generally speaking). |
Storytelling Traditions
A central theme in Devoma culture, if there is any, is that all Devoma share a common origin despite their many, many differences. Devoma know that story from their parents, even if, sometimes, it's been so deformed that it sounds all like extravagant legends about giant demon-gods that hate them for carrying the light of the promised people. (Owners are encouraged to read the history page and have fun with deforming the events as much as they please.)
For creatures that live in the distant future, surrounded by mind-blowing technology, Devomas can be superstitious being, following traditions of good luck and fortune telling. This is only encouraged by the fact that Devoma children are refused in most schools (thanks, Sellies...) and learn most of what they know from observation or from their equally unscholarised native pack. Some of those superstitions are utter nonsense or straight up discriminatory against other species. Some others contain a bit of ancestral knowledge. For example, it is said that a twinkling star is a sign that it wants a pack to leave; a star that is being drained by a Void Dragon, one of the most inherently dangerous creatures in the galaxy, will tend to emit a light that varies in intensity. Devomas know a lot of things about space traveling (and the universe as a whole) but will not describe it in scientifically accurate terms. For a lot of them, stars are alive and one should learn to read their "moods", hyperspace winds have higher or lower "souls of dead travelers" in them and should be treated with respect. This makes them prudent, highly sought after navigators in spite of the prejudice surrounding them and their mental capabilities. |
Language and gender
Devomas no longer share a common language, although there are several demovian "dialects" and a handful of words that is universally understood because they describe experiences that are unique to Demovas. (See: lexicon.) Because they are creatures that live in the vacuum of space, demovian dialects are first and foremost types of sign language; oral and written equivalents of those dialects are subordinate to them and draw their material (sound register, alphabet, etc) from other languages.
Other, vocal languages that are commonly used by Demovas might be Wurthaneese or Selbirian, the latter being one of the most commonly spoken language across the galaxy. A Demova might use the eletrical-impulse-based language of Uhers but it is very rare, and they will never speak a word of Xoov. (Xoovs speak in binairy radio frequencies, similar to a very, very fast-paced Morse code.) It is sometimes hard to define a Devoma's gender with English words - or with any words other than their own, for that matter. But when presented with a language that do have gendered grammar, they will pick a gender they feel suits them best and will even use the equivalents of the terms man, woman, girl, boy, etc., to describe themselves. It is understood that when we, as English-speaking humans, refer to a Devoma as he, she, they, or any other pronoun that they happen to go by, that those would be the pronouns they would pick for themselves if they spoke English. |