Society

The people of Thembria appear to be blue-furred, fair-skinned boars. Male Thembrians have two tusks protruding from either side of their mouth while females typically have none at all. All Thembrians speak and understand English perfectly, though most speak with a Thembrian accent passed down through the generations, derived originally from the Thembrians' now-extinct native tongue.

Traditional Thembrian society is divided into two groups, the peasantry and the aristocracy. Separation of the upper and lower classes has existed in Thembria since the nation's inception, growing only greater with the increased influence of the state upon Thembrian society. There seems to be no middle class in Thembria save for those in the lesser ranks of the Thembrian military (which serves as a social system unto itself).

The peasant class in Thembria comprises the great majority of the country's population. It encompasses farmers, factory workers, and ordinary laborers, many of whom live on moderate wages — some enterprising commoners own small businesses. Thanks to Thembria's faulty economy, few peasants can ever hope of climbing above their current lifestyle unless they are willing to join the Thembrian military as a means of advancing their status in the government's eyes. As much as some peasants might be willing to leave the country, they are rarely able to do so as the Thembrian government imposes limits on emigration. Resigned to their situation long ago, most Thembrian citizens are more or less content with their lot in life.

	Left to right: An official aide, the Thembrian High Marshall, and the High Marshall's wife.

The aristocracy of Thembria includes the wealthiest and most prestigious members of Thembrian society, such as government officials, industry representatives and managers, and members of the Glorious People's military. Ordinarily Thembrian military officers occupy a position somewhere between the upper and lower classes, but distinguished officers may gain enough clout to advance to a lofty government position. Lazy and high-minded, the members of Thembria's upper class lead relatively easy lives compared to the commoners. Their main concerns are often self-serving in nature, especially when it comes to protecting their high positions of power from more unscrupulous colleagues.

Thembrians are a hardy, industrious people. Life in the frozen country of Thembria has made Thembrians well-accustomed to hardship. They possess unusual ways of thinking as well as a bland sense of humor and a dull, rather peculiar outlook on life (prevalent among the commoners). No matter what their social standing, however, all Thembrians proudly revere the "Motherland" — Thembrians' term of endearment for their home country — and can be determined fighters when their patriotism is stirred.

A Thembrian guard whiles away the hours by whittling.

Tradition is extremely important to the Thembrian way of life. Much of the backwardness of Thembria's culture stems from a natural reluctantance to accept new ideas and put to rest old ones. Many of the country's government officials are content to dwell upon their past achievements rather than plan changes for the future. With this Thembrian mindset comes a certain wistfulness for the past as well as a zeal for the restoration of their Motherland's former glory.

Pragmatic people, Thembrians disdain most modern conveniences and luxuries as signs of cultural decadence. Consequently, utilitarianism and solidity characterize Thembrian art, architecture, and design. While somewhat impersonal, Thembrian designs are strong and authoritarian, built to endure. (Functionality is a whole other issue.) Much of the credit belongs to the Thembrian work force, the largest of any country in the world. If given a choice, most Thembrians prefer to do without modern amenities, considering them capitalistic extravagences. The peasants, of course, have little choice either way.

Even before the Great War, Thembrian society, under the dictate of the Thembrian government, placed high value on loyalty to the state above personal freedom or expression. Creativity and imagination — literally outlawed in Thembrian society — have been replaced by a lethargic atmosphere which permeates all areas of life in Thembria. Self-motivation and ambition are equally rare among Thembrians unless they belong to the military, where such ideals serve more as self-preservation tactics than character traits.

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