Ungstiri (Classic Journeys Era)

"Resilience" is an apt name for the capital city of planetoid designation Ungstir-Two, home of the short, ebon-haired phantoms that haunt its chilly corridors. These people are the Ungstiri, the rough and rowdy mining people of the Rock. It is important to note that the Ungstiri can trace their roots back to the Slavic regions of planet Earth. Therefore, most have dark hair and eyes, and as they call the inside of an asteroid home, tend to be rather pale-skinned and are generally very comfortable in low or zero-gravity conditions.

Cultural Data
If this race is known for anything, it is their unity as a people and the steadfast determination to defy anything that dares stand in their way. The Ungstiri are called Homo sapiens endurans for a reason: if they didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have any luck at all, so they simply meet and face every challenge with the will to overcome.

Ungstiri are a simple mining folk. Not simple in the sense that they are uneducated, but rather their no-frills approach to life. Pragmatic is the operative word here; they prize practicality and function over glitz and glitter. This does not mean that they do not have an appreciation for the finer things in life, it simply means that when something does what it's supposed to do without a lot of unnecessary fuss, they recognize it for what it's worth.

This philosophy extends into their society. It is a community built upon hard work, common sense, and survival, and like wolves on the tundra, the Ungstiri are a pack that runs together. Those that fall behind are given a helping hand so long as they give back in some way, and those that betray their own often find themselves taking long walks out of short airlocks. No one is left behind. No one is forgotten. All for one, one for all. That is the Ungstiri way.

Family is an important element in Ungstiri culture, and the units are often quite large. Many children are still raised in the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, but then, many are not; it is a matter of how heaped in tradition a particular family is, but no Ungstiri is a fanatic follower of any cause. The average child will attend school throughout his youth, and while individualism and independence are encouraged, self-responsibility and teamwork are stressed. Elderly people seldom retire, usually taking jobs as teachers and advisors to guide the youth.

As space is limited, housing (which is often boxlike and carved out of mine shafts or rock hollows) tends toward the small side and the deceased are not buried. Rather, when one passes on, their bodies are cremated and scattered among the asteroids. Etched carefully into the walls of Ungstir-Two's corridors are the names of those who have moved on, a reminder that every Ungstiri is always a part of the Rock.

While the Ungstiri do have a citizen's committee, it is a small, democratic affair, as after countless disasters, they are wary of placing too much power in the wrong hands. Ungstiri justice, a household phrase in the Orion Arm, is often meted out by commissar and civilian alike when the peace is disturbed. Punishment generally matches the crime, and can be as simple as scrubbing decks... or as severe as death.

Also well-known among the Ungstiri is their propensity to play every bit as hard as they work. The Ungstiri drink of choice is of course vodka, always served chilled and never, ever cut with mixers or other liquor. The better exported brands include Petrov and Ikon, while Blue Rock and Russkaya are the very top of the shelf and rarely found offplanet. Miner's Brew, a mushroom ale, is another popular choice, but is a bit of an acquired taste. Lastly, tea is a staple in the Ungstiri household, prepared piping hot from a samovar and sweetened with honey or jam instead of sugar. Drinking to intoxication by oneself, despite the common offworlder opinion that Ungstiri are lush, is frowned upon.