Urum Midnum

Urum Midnum has a long, controversial history tainted by their past war crimes, but they have entered a renaissance period after spending generations in the shadows. Recently promoted to the rank of ruling urum due to their impressive military and renewed economy, they continue to gain political ground in the modern era.

Family Structure
Urum Midnum was initially a confederation of several tribes located on the eastern hemisphere of the homeworld, and modern society continues to reflect these tribal origins.

While many urums place emphasis on the nuclear family, the Midnum focus on the extended family - the "band." Children do not branch off on their own after reaching adulthood. Several generations live together under one roof and share resources. A typical household would include one pair of grandparents, all of their children, and any grandchildren. Larger family estates may be able to house additional relatives.

As Urum Midnum is matriarchal - with most social power given to women - the head of the household is the eldest female. When she becomes impaired by age, she transfers her power to her eldest (or most capable) daughter. The family matriach has the final say in all domestic matters.

Bands keep in touch with their other relatives, often living in the same region, and come together once per year to take part in large family gatherings.

Dwellings
Individual homes are quite rare and are associated with people who have been cut off from their relatives. Stemming from their ancient use of longhouses, the Midnum live on family estates large enough to accomodate all members of their band. Each adult and their spouse are granted a private bedroom on the complex. Children often have shared accomodations. Midnum estates also include a communal dining hall, a reception area for guests, and a central garden.

If possible, an estate is renovated and expanded if the band's size increases beyond the norm. The largest Midnum estates - often on newly settled planets with open land - can be the size of a small town. The oldest estates on the homeworld can be traced back to the fall of nations, some of which have been vacated and turned into museums.

Like most things in Midnum culture, estate architecture is simple and efficient. Furniture remains sensible and great emphasis is placed on creating a feeling of openness. The only "extravagent" element of a family estate would include the gardens, which are painstakingly maintained and stylized. As it does not involve luxury goods or material goods, gardening is considered artistic and tranquil.

Government
Bands are also considered civilian political units. Ten regional bands assemble to form an electorate group. The group then selects a representative. This is seldom done with traditional voting, but rather with debate and consensus with significant input from family elders. Representatives are usually established, well-respected adults. Representatives then assemble in a planetary parliament. Politicians then decide who their own leaders will be, with the process widening in scale until a single urum leader is chosen. While the people of Urum Midnum do not vote, corrupt leaders are often ousted from power in brutal ways, which serves as a warning against tyranny.

Famous military leaders hold tremendous respect, and most upper tier politicians were career soldiers before their move to civilian government.

Economy
The Midnum are extreme communists who believe in sharing all available resources - a system that is fueled entirely by their obsessive work ethic and disdain for luxury goods. The Midnum praise themselves as being "simple people," who care little for gadgets or overly-elaborate material goods. Most estates lack modern media devices, and it's a common joke that the Midnum are only interested in having a roof over their heads and a cot to sleep on.

Food is produced and distributed locally - there are few complex shipping methods to send foreign edibles to the far side of a planet. If a food item does not grow in your region, you will not be eating it. Midnum bands do not settle in inhospitable regions for this reason, and they are quick to relocate if environmental damage alters the sustainability of the area. It is considered an insult not to share your food with hungry guests.

Youths are tasked with menial labor - considered a humbling experience - and adults are given more prestigious tasks. Education is free and passed down from skilled elders. Individuals who do not work are considered a blemish on society and are insulted by their peers until they can make themselves useful.

The Midnum have an official currency, but it is only used for foreign trade. Citizens seldom exchange money between themselves.

Health and Medical Services
While several urums have single-payer healthcare services available for all their citizens, the Midnum take things one step further. In a strong effort to prevent poor health, all Midnum citizens are required to have regular medical exams at their local clinic. This culture of preventative medicine, combined with the Midnum belief in frequent physical conditioning, has given them the healthiest general population in the hierarchy. Because of this, the Midnum's total healthcare expenses are signficantly lower than other urums.

Rite of Passage
Conscription has been in place since the dawn of the urum, and an individual is only considered a "legal adult" if they've spent their designated time in the military. Military training begins in childhood with extensive physical conditioning, firearm training, and courses in military tactics. A young Midnum that has yet to enter the proper military is often considered better trained than most foreign soldiers that have graduated from bootcamp.

Midnum Honor
Honor is the fuel that keeps Midnum society running in the absence of monetary motivation. Someone's word is considered more valuable than gold. Building up an honorable reputation begins in childhood. Children are meant to provide assistance to elders, speak in a respectful and honest manner, and devote themselves to education. Teenagers see increased responsibility throughout their household and are expected to take on entry-level jobs to help society. Adults are to carry themselves with dignity, show restraint, help those in need, obey superiors, and follow through with any promises they make.

Delinquency, laziness, manipulation, abrasive behavior, and selfishness are all considered shameful. Individuals who damage their reputation are shunned by society, as they are no longer considered trustworthy. They are only re-integrated after making efforts to atone for their previous actions.

Careers and Domestic Duties
As one of the few matriarchal urums in the hierarchy, the women of Urum Midnum have been in a position of power since the dawn of their written history. The primitive Midnum were constantly at war with rival tribes and nations, which resulted in the constant deployment of fit males. Tribal matriarchs were tasked with running the community and all households. While things have become considerably more egalitarian over time, females still maintain dominance in society.

Every Midnum estate -- and the extended family that lives within -- is governed by the family matriarch. She has the ultimate say in almost all family affairs. Above this, the majority of all Midnum political leaders are female. Women are expected to be highly educated, physically fit, and courageous in the face of any hardship. They are often given numerous responsibilities, requiring an ability to multitask and prioritize assignments.

Civilian career choices reflect these expectations. Midnum females are often business managers, organizers, negotiators, project leaders, law officials, and medical professionals. At home, women who are not in leadership positions often assist their family estate by performing more 'traditional' duties such as cleaning, cooking, child-rearing, and managing finances.

Midnum males are traditionally employed in the military, construction, or any other career that requires raw physical strength. In domestic roles, the men were traditionally tasked with defending the estate from danger and providing assistance to the matriarch -- which may range from labor-intensive chores to performing household repairs.

Modern life is not so strict. Men and women are free to pursue whichever careers they feel best suited to, though certain stigmas and prejudices may still linger in more traditional regions.

Romance and Marriage
In a reversal of most other societies, the men -- not the women -- are the ones who are sexually objectified.

Women are typically expected to ask men on dates, as choosing a romantic partner is meant to be their decision. In turn, men are expected to demonstrate certain forms of chivalry -- pulling out chairs, opening doors, and so forth. Marriage is a simple union in Urum Midnum. The couple signs a license and selects which family estate they will live on. A reception and feast may be thrown once the couple arrives at their estate, but large wedding ceremonies are not common.

Same-sex romance has also been a traditional part of Midnum culture. Those who had a preference for the same sex were always allowed to marry their partners. If children were desired, then one or both spouses would temporarily take a heterosexual lover after making a formal reproductive agreement. Alternatively, it was common -- if not fashionable -- for conventional married couples to retain same-sex lovers throughout the duration of the marriage.

Military Gender Roles
Midnum soldiers were exclusively male during the era of melee combat. After the invention of firearms, the military was restructured to accommodate female soldiers. The genders have traditionally been segregated. This was done to allow each gender to develop their own fighting styles and traditions, rather than have females try to fit into male culture and learn combat techniques developed for male body types.

The males are generally regarded as the "offensive army." They are tasked with breaking through enemy lines, eliminating the greatest threats, and increasing Midnum territory. They are known for their heavy-hitting fighting style and aggressive tactics. New recruits are treated as useless until they prove themselves in combat, thereby earning respect. Violent and daring initiation rites are still maintained by most male units. Male soldiers use a fighting style called Shuna, which translates to stone-hand. It is a hard contact style that focuses on powerful strikes and brutal grappling.

Female soldiers are the "defensive army." They maintain a line of defense behind the male soldiers, pushing forward with them, which prevents the enemy from launching successful counter-attacks. They are responsible for protecting and governing newly-acquired territory, as female soldiers have greater success at communicating peacefully with conquered peoples. They are more likely to gradually wear down enemies with precision strikes rather than launch direct assaults. New soldiers are coached by veterans until they've gained equal experience. Female soldiers use a fighting style called Subari, which translates to body-bend. It focuses on energy redirection and using an opponent's strength against them.

The modern military is not as strict, allowing both genders to migrate to whichever fighting style they have a natural affinity for.

Disposition
The Midnum are thought to be icy and distant to strangers. They are used to spending their time around close companions and feel anxious around new people. They may appear overly-serious and intimidating. Once you befriend a Midnum, however, their attitude turns around. They are generous, caring, and quick to laugh. They will jump into almost any situation to save you from danger. So long as you keep your word and pay them the proper respect, a Midnum will be your friend for life.

The Midnum are known for speaking only when they have something to say, even in familiar company, so they have a reputation for using short, crisp sentences. This may result in awkward communication with people from more sociable urums. They seldom lie due to their honor system, but they may not be willing to reveal the "whole truth."

Outsiders may see the Midnum as being strict and demanding. Both claims are true due to the nature of the Midnum honor system, but they see these things as positive.

Spirituality
The Midnum created a unique pantheon of primitive deities during their early history. They retained this polytheistic belief system long after other cultures had embraced monotheism or more all-encompassing philosophies. Even today, Midnum estates and larger cities may be decorated with statues of their ancient deities -- symbols of culture as much as they are of traditional beliefs.

While many people still celebrate ancient customs and recite traditional myths, few Midnum still believe in the old gods. Modern citizens, valuing the simple beauty of life itself, tend to be divided between atheism, pantheism, and panentheism. The more spiritually-inclined Midnum believe that everything -- from people to rocks -- have a unique spirit that is woven into a greater whole.

Views on the afterlife involve the soul transcending to properly become one with the universe.

Foundation
The Midnum have been present in recorded history since at least 140 CC. During this time, they were a prominent matriarchal tribe located on the far edge of Eshduri's eastern continent -- a region dominated by rugged terrain and expansive deserts. The Andurran Republic attempted to conquer the eastern tribes for over one thousand years, but a Midnum-led confederacy successfully held the world's largest superpower at bay. Indeed, this period of resistance hardened the Midnum into the world's most efficient fighting force, creating several military precedents that would be followed in the years to come.

Andurra finally annexed the eastern tribes in 1942 CC, just twenty years before the invention of the jet engine. The Midnum and their allies suffered under Andurran leadership, specifically after the forced adoption of Andurran currency and customs. It inevitably forced the tribes into a state of almost irreparable poverty.

After the Fall of Nations, the Midnum Confederacy saw an opportunity for a new golden age with the advent of the urum system. They and the other remaining eastern tribes banded together and created "Urum Midnum." Their leading philosophies would center around communism, which was their classic economic model; militarism, as military service was a cornerstone of their society; and merit, which was the true currency of their people.

Modernization
Urum Midnum was one of the less influential founding urums -- with states such as Urum Kankal near the top of the new food chain. The Midnum remained neutral during the period of instability and saber-rattling that followed the advent of the urum system. They instead focused on building trade agreements with other urums in the hope of modernizing their infrastructure.

As the world's first communist urum, and as a people long-admired by global communist supporters, the Midnum saw a massive spike in population as immigrants flocked to their territory. This resulted in a minor culture clash -- as most of the world's communists had neither experienced nor desired strict military service. This resulted in the separation of the 'pure' Midnum from all new arrivals. Immigrants would be allowed to live peacefully within the urum, serving as dependent client states, but military service would only be available to the traditional Midnum. This was not meant to appear degrading. Instead, the original Midnum believed that it was their duty to protect their new civilian population.

Over the next several centuries, immigrants would eventually be naturally assimilated into traditional Midnum culture, erasing the line between the two populations. Midnum society showed a significant 'softening' during this period, suggesting that while immigrants ultimately adopted Midnum customs, they also had their own impact on the culture.

The military, while still a focus, became less of a fixation. Building up infrastructure and adopting modern technology became the main objectives of the urum.

Rise to Power
By the year 2500 CC, three centuries after the fall of nations, Urum Midnum had reached a position of great influence. Their economy, marked by practicality and frugality, had become a titan of efficiency -- not quite as powerful as the Kankal economy, yet infinitely more stable. The Midnum maintained the world's largest standing army. They possessed not only impressive new weapon technologies, but were continually innovating to make them more effective.

They were reclassified as a ruling urum -- an extremely influential state -- within the new hierarchy. They were riding high on a global wave of prosperity. Living conditions were improving throughout the world, the hierarchy had finally stabilized, and a permanent colony was established on the neighboring planet of Dimash. The Midnum had significant sway over the hierarchy parliament, though many urums did not appreciate their domineering nature.

When the existing leaders of the hierarchy, Urum Enkara, began to wane in power, they nominated the Midnum to take their place. This was met with harsh controversy by the rest of the hierarchy. In a close vote, the Midnum were named High Urum in the year 3050 CC.

Although their early years were difficult, Urum Midnum reached the height of their power -- they would never have the same influence over the hierarchy again.

The Midnum Genocide
A mere three years after their rise to High Urum, the world entered a period of political tension. Numerous urums -- including Urum Kankal and Urum Zani -- spoke out against the Midnum, calling them ineffective tyrants. If the Midnum did not willingly step down, they threatened, action would be taken.

Midnum intelligence agents claimed to have intercepted transmissions that spoke of armed rebellion. This validity of this claim has been disputed by historians, with early writers stressing that it was pure fabrication. Whatever the case, Midnum leaders decided to take preemptive action against what they felt was an immediate threat.

In the winter of 3053 CC, the Midnum launched a war campaign against their detractors -- launching ICBMs to destroy vital parts of their military infrastructure. The rest of the hierarchy responded in kind, universally coming together to oppose the Midnum. The war raged on for eight years. The Midnum initially held the advantage, but persistent war against the entire hierarchy steadily wore them down.

Driven to desperation, the leaders of Urum Midnum decided to bombard all major cities on the homeworld with nuclear weapons. This surprise attack put an immediate end to the war -- with the Midnum as the victors -- but plunged the homeworld into nuclear winter. The resulting period of hardship, coupled with the victims of the bombings, eradicated the majority of the human population.

Lords of a Ruined World
The Midnum were the only urum to retain some semblance of power in the years following the end of the war. They would effectively rule the entire homeworld for four centuries, treating all other urums as client states. Midnum leaders were of the opinion that this was the dawn of a truly unified age, and that they would be the ones to usher it in. This attitude infuriated the rest of humanity, and dissent grew as societies began to rebound from the genocide.

In 3429 CC, Urum Zani unified the rest of the hierarchy and launched a rebellion against the Midnum. Conflict was limited to hit-and-run operations due to the imbalance of power, but Kankal agents recovered cutting-edge weapons technology from undground Kankal fortresses left intact after the genocide. This gave rebel factions a sharper edge. Additional support came in the form of Midnum traitors -- those who felt that their leaders had abandoned their traditional values.

Midnum leaders were killed, some by their own people, in 3432 CC. The Midnum were then destabilized and overthrown by the rest of the hierarchy. Urum Zani was named the new High Urum.

Shame of the Nameless
Midnum society was severely disrupted by their defeat at the hands of the Zani. A minor civil war spread through the urum, with certain hardcore members of the Midnum elite leaving to form their own state. It took fifty years for Urum Midnum to restabilize. New rulers -- following ancient Midnum tradition -- permanently erased the names of the 'shamed' leaders who engineered the Midnum genocide from all historical records. It became a crime to speak their names from that point on.

The rest of the hierarchy treated with the Midnum with disdain -- dismissing them from the parliament and cutting them off from trade. The resulting isolation delayed the Midnum's recovery from their devastating war. They would remain behind the rest of the hierarchy as all other urums steadily grew more advanced.

Due to poverty, Urum Midnum was slow to adopt the longevity augmentation treatments that reshaped human identity. It took considerably more time to establish their first colony after the advent of interstellar travel. All other urums -- even minor ones -- had already extended into space.

It was not until the reign of High Urum Enasa that the Midnum began to flourish again. With the focus on space exploration, public hatred of the Midnum faded away, and the Enasa lifted many of the restrictions that had been intended to keep the Midnum in check.

Renaissance
The Midnum reclaimed significant influence over the hierarchy by Cycle 53 of the Galactic Standard Calendar, though many still expressed distrust. Midnum leaders invested time and energy into repairing their image -- contributing to humanitarian efforts throughout the settled galaxy and defending foreign settlements from criminal activity. Once in possession of the most offensive military in the hierarchy, the Midnum restructured their armed services to reflect a focus on efficient defense. Nuclear weapons were banned under Midnum law, as were many other weapons of mass destruction. These efforts helped to restore the urum's reputation.

After a period of galactic exploration and expansion, the Midnum were once again classified as a ruling urum in Cycle 96. Their first solid alliance after the genocide was with Urum Iduz due to their compatible societies. Urum Zalag, by extension, established trade agreements. Various older urums, however, remained icy.

Modern Day
After the fall of Urum Enasa and the subsequent rise of Urum Sakir, the Midnum have found themselves in an uncomfortable situation. They oppose the Sakir and their heavy-handed leadership of the hierarchy, but they realize that this appears hypocritical. Midnum desire to avoid war, specifically to avoid tarnishing their reputation, prompted them to go along with the regime change and resolve tense situations with diplomacy.

By Cycle 136, however, the galactic situation had deteriorated to unacceptable levels. The Midnum vowed to take a stand against the Sakir, for better or worse.