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Entering the tunnels, there is a smooth line in the rocks where the rotating tube attaches to the non-rotating tunnel. From this vantage point, one can observe the rotation of the tube, which takes about two minutes to make one revolution. The inside of these tunnels is described as being like a breezy, weightless cave. The air is filled with echolocating bats and swiftlets. It is not known if they breed in the tunnels or simply migrate through from one tube to the next, experiencing an eternal day or night and taking advantage of windblown insects on the way. Their droppings are mostly cleared by the winds, but the walls are coated with bioluminescent, filamentous fungi, which trap and feed on what they can. | Entering the tunnels, there is a smooth line in the rocks where the rotating tube attaches to the non-rotating tunnel. From this vantage point, one can observe the rotation of the tube, which takes about two minutes to make one revolution. The inside of these tunnels is described as being like a breezy, weightless cave. The air is filled with echolocating bats and swiftlets. It is not known if they breed in the tunnels or simply migrate through from one tube to the next, experiencing an eternal day or night and taking advantage of windblown insects on the way. Their droppings are mostly cleared by the winds, but the walls are coated with bioluminescent, filamentous fungi, which trap and feed on what they can. | ||
==== Navigation within a tunnel | ==== Navigation within a tunnel ==== | ||
[[File:Qu_Tube_Matrix.png|700px|thumb|right|Fig. 3. External lateral view of the ''vuqu'' matrix; artist's impression.]]When heading straight ahead to a consecutive tube, the path is generally short, only a few hundred metres long and fairly easy to navigate owing to the tell-tale breeze and thick layers of bioluminescent fungus on the walls giving off a dim blue-green glow. Travelling to a parallel tube is much more difficult. To get there, one must find the 'node' half way between the consecutive tubes. Six additional tunnels radiate away from a node. The closest parallel hubs are around seven kilometres away. In these long tunnels, there is less wind, less fungus and thus less light. Knowing which path to take to get to a particular tube is also challenging, as the rotation of the tubes shifts the apparent orientation of the six tunnels radiating away from the node, making it very difficult to know which tunnel leads where. Furthermore, after many kilometres of awkward weightless travel, a tunnel may turn out to blocked and be a dead end. | [[File:Qu_Tube_Matrix.png|700px|thumb|right|Fig. 3. External lateral view of the ''vuqu'' matrix; artist's impression.]]When heading straight ahead to a consecutive tube, the path is generally short, only a few hundred metres long and fairly easy to navigate owing to the tell-tale breeze and thick layers of bioluminescent fungus on the walls giving off a dim blue-green glow. Travelling to a parallel tube is much more difficult. To get there, one must find the 'node' half way between the consecutive tubes. Six additional tunnels radiate away from a node. The closest parallel hubs are around seven kilometres away. In these long tunnels, there is less wind, less fungus and thus less light. Knowing which path to take to get to a particular tube is also challenging, as the rotation of the tubes shifts the apparent orientation of the six tunnels radiating away from the node, making it very difficult to know which tunnel leads where. Furthermore, after many kilometres of awkward weightless travel, a tunnel may turn out to blocked and be a dead end. | ||
=== The tube matrix === | |||
Although the tubes have never been seen from the outside, the knowledge of the structure of the tunnels leads to the conclusion that the tubes are arranged in a vast matrix of both parallel and consecutive tubes as illustrated in the figure 3. at right. The number of parallel tubes in any one parallelum is not known, nor is the number of consecutive parallela, and many Goqu believe that this matrix is infinite in all directions. | Although the tubes have never been seen from the outside, the knowledge of the structure of the tunnels leads to the conclusion that the tubes are arranged in a vast matrix of both parallel and consecutive tubes as illustrated in the figure 3. at right. The number of parallel tubes in any one parallelum is not known, nor is the number of consecutive parallela, and many Goqu believe that this matrix is infinite in all directions. | ||
[[File:Qu_tube_access.png|250px|thumb|right|Fig. 4. Access to tube to the west of nodes in the tunnel network, a hypothetical map designed by an artist.]]Figure 4. shows a hypothetical map of access points to | [[File:Qu_tube_access.png|250px|thumb|right|Fig. 4. Access to tube to the west of nodes in the tunnel network, a hypothetical map designed by an artist.]]Figure 4. shows a hypothetical map of access points to tubes to the west of the tunnel network within a particular interstice. Black lines represent known tunnels. Yellow dots represent nodes with access to their western tube. Red represents nodes with no access a tube to their west. While it is logically possible that there may be gaps in the matrix of tubes, there is no way that the absence of a tube could be proven and many instances where a gap was presumed have later been found to contain a tube to which no one knew the way before. Many tubes are inaccessible from one end but accessible from another. For example, the tube behind a red node on the map in figure 4. may be accessible from the other end and a similar map drawn for the interstice at its other end could have an entirely different layout. Some tubes may have an unscalable wall (''makio'') at one end. In others, climbing the ''makio'' is possible, but there is no apparent opening into the network of tunnels. The tunnels themselves are blocked in many places. In some cases, the only way to travel from one tube to one of its immediate parallel neighbours may be to travel through several consecutive tubes before shifting to a parallel tube and travelling all the way back through consecutive tubes. The Goqu summarise parallel tubes of this nature as ''ei mie kuaqa'', 'close yet far' and new routes and new tubes are occasionally discovered, making it clear to all within Qu that their world is much larger than what they know of it. | ||
== Weather and climate == | == Weather and climate == | ||
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| [[File:Qu_blended_female.png|300px|thumb|Blended composite of four young Goqu women]] || [[File:Qu_blended_male.png|300px|thumb|centre|Blended composite of four young Goqu men]] | | [[File:Qu_blended_female.png|300px|thumb|Blended composite of four young Goqu women]] || [[File:Qu_blended_male.png|300px|thumb|centre|Blended composite of four young Goqu men]] | ||
|} | |} | ||
== Goqu Society == | |||
[[File:Qu_Ranks.png|500px|thumb|The six codified ranks of Goqu society]] Goqu society is heavily stratified with six codified ranks. | |||
:: The state: | |||
* 1. '''''Taqu''''' the emperor | |||
* 2. '''''taza''''' senators | |||
* 3. '''''balu''''' imperial guard | |||
:: The free: | |||
* 4. '''''muja''''' initiated men | |||
* 5. '''''kali''''' free women, children, unitiated men | |||
:: Possessions: | |||
* 6. '''''tuva''''' slaves, pets | |||
From ''muja'' and above, these ranks are implicational. All ''balu'' are muja, all ''taza'' are ''balu'' and so on. Generally, however, the word are not used in a nested way, with ''balu'', for example, generally referring to ''balu'' who are not also taza. For the sake of clarity, "[rank] and above" will be used here where necessary. | |||
Goqu society is extremely sexist, with ranks above ''kali'' being open only to men. Only ''muja'' and above are legally allowed to own anything (whether inanimate objects, pets or slaves) meaning that women and children cannot actually be regarded as the owners of anything. A great many activities are also proscribed for certain ranks. | |||
The ranks are important for the concept of ''le ilutia'' [lé i̯lùt͡sá] 'speechcrime', which further complicates things for newcomers. Using the wrong pronominal forms with someone of a higher rank can have consequences, and in extreme cases, such as insubordination towards the emperor, can even result in 'le xagu' [lé ʃàŋú] – execution by being pushed face down in mud. | |||
When two people of differing rank meet, by default, the higher ranked is dominant to the lower ranked and this will be marked in their speech with the choice of [[Iliaqu#Accessibility|accessible and inaccessible]] pronominal forms. The higher is referred to in the inaccessible (I = ''nu'', you = ''vu'') whereas the lower ranked is referred to in the accessible (I = ''na'', you = ''ua''). This can change, such as when a friendship develops between ranks, but the change is always brought about by the higher ranked individual and may be revoked at any time. Non-adherence to these rules is speech crime and may be punished, with a couple of exceptions. | |||
:(1) People may be offered a pass known as a ''tiava''. | |||
:(2) ''Kali'' must not necessarily be subordinate in speech to ''muja'' although a reason must be given. | |||
:(3) The rules for ''tuva'' (slaves) require them to use inanimate forms when speaking to ''balu'' and above. | |||
=== ''Tiava'' === | |||
The ''taqu'' (emperor) may offer a pass to anyone he wishes. Typically, ''taqu'' offer this to their family, meaning that the emperor's daughter, for example, although only ''kali'', does not need to show subordination to higher ranks in speech. ''Tiava'' may be specified for a particular level. This may be expressed as follows: | |||
::{| cellpadding="2" | |||
|- | |||
| '''tiava''' || '''balu''' || '''eni''' | |||
|- | |||
| be.pass || be.guardist || DAT.1s.ICS | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="3" | ''I have a pass to the level of balu.'' | |||
|} | |||
A ''tiava balu'' entitles the bearer to be dominant to all ranks below ''balu'', equal with ''balu'' but subservient to ''taza'' and above. A ''tiava'' does not, however, bend the rules of what certain ranks are allowed or not allowed to do. For example, a ''tiava'' does not allow a woman to hunt. Bearers of ''tiava'' generally carry proof of this in the form of a band worn around the neck. | |||
=== ''Kali'' and ''muja'' === | |||
While ''kali'' are technically subordinate to ''muja'', unacquainted ''muja'' and ''kali'' typically start off using the inaccessible mode as unacquainted people do within their own rank. However, some ''muja'' may decide to lord it over a ''kali'' and insist on using the dominant mode, forcing the ''kali'' to use the subordinate mode. There is a way out of this. A ''kali'' may indicate their inaccessibility to their ''muja'' interlocutor by mentioning a ''muja'' (or above) to whom they are accessible. For married women, this is generally her husband. If a woman is not married, she may invoke a brother or a male friend. The invokee must be someone who is accessible to the ''kali'' and if she can somehow leave a hint that he is large or important, all the better. Children usually invoke their father or a ''house uncle''. If someone has no one to evoke or, in protest, refuses to evoke anyone known to them, the goddess ''Niniva'' and the god ''Uoqu'' are often invoked. This may be somewhat tongue in cheek. | |||
The ''muja'' almost always backs down upon this invocation and uses the inaccessible mode, but occasionally he may demand to have words in person with the person (or deity) who has been invoked. This can cause a lot of friction in the community. | |||
=== ''Tuva'' === | |||
''Tuva'' (slaves) are the legal property of a person and as ownership is only recognised for ''muja'' and above, this means all ''tuva'' are owned by men. Since it is not right to touch somebody else's property without asking, no one may touch a ''slave'' without the permission of his or her owner. Linguistically, however, slaves must use the subordinate mode but everyone knows not to actually touch someone else's slave. | |||
When speaking to a ''balu'' or above, the accessible nominals to refer to oneself are apparently not low enough for a ''tuva''. A slave must refer to him- or herself in the inanimate gender and to do this, the third person is used. In the beginning of the conversation, the specific indefinite form ''zu'' (NOM.3s.INAN.SPEC) is used, later switching to the definite ''xu'' (NOM.3s.INAN.DEF). Because this may be confused with the meanings "something" and "it", ''zu'' and ''xu'', when referring to slaves in the first and second person, are generally only used as articles (with a following verbal which hangs in a kind of underlying relative clause) rather than on their own as pronouns. There are a range of different verbal constructions used, with the ''tuva'' taking the lead from the ''balu''. Some examples are ''xu tuva'' ('the thing which is a slave'), ''xu tuvu'' ('the thing which is dirt'), ''xu buji'' ('the bug'), ''xu iti'' ('the thing which is small') ('the ugly thing'). | |||
The first and second person distinction can still be maintained with ''xu ila'' ('the thing which speaks' = 'I') and ''xu no ila'' ('the thing which is spoken to' = 'you'). | |||
A ''tiava kali'' may be bestowed upon a ''tuva'' by his or her owner if the owner is ''balu'' or above. This simply means that, linguistically, the ''tuva'' may behave as a ''kali''. This is fairly rare and generally only afforded to favoured slaves and concubines. | |||
== Food == | == Food == | ||