Society and Culture
For permanent residents, life is defined by Viront’s corporations. The bottom line of living needs for citizens and visitors alike is ensured by moment-to-moment management of the cityscape’s interconnected systems by GREY, an artificial intelligence housed on the planet’s glacial side. With their basic needs met, Vironti can focus on their hunger(s) for influence and recognition. Most join up with a corporation, itself joined to a syndicate overseeing millions, within which they can pursue their dreams and the excess for which Viront Z85 is a byword.
The people of Viront are seen as ambitious, and curious to a fault: hustlers, in a word, always looking for a new angle or something that everyone else has missed. Conversely, they are loyal – whoever they work with is a true ally, and potential trading partners are also evaluated as new friends. Vironti value transparency, knowledge and honesty: they find a sense of pride in rising by merit (so that one can boast about it), not by deception or stealth. If you’re just that good, if you can stand by your vision, you should say so as loudly, and as often, as possible – because you are a brand, and brands need to advertise.
Viront’s reliance on automated luxury has led to the breakdown of most hierarchical structures. The prevailing attitude is one of “easy-come, easy-go”; from the most elite to the destitute, all are aware that one bad season or one great idea might see their positions reversed. Gambling is accordingly popular on Viront, and permeates all layers of society – from simple bets on market trends and sporting events, to “social gambling” via backing an idea or a product before anyone else; luck is celebrated, but insight is revered.
As an economic hub and cultural hotspot, Viront Z85 has a gravitational pull that outstrips the mere mass of the planet. Freight crews reroute to Viront whenever possible, taking advantage of its cheap rates and easy regulations; security teams will cross the galaxy to blow off steam at its premier bars and holo-venues; artists and influences debut new works there in the expectation that, if well-received, they will swiftly be broadcast Alliance-wide. Traditions and trends might ebb and flow according to the tastes of the day, but they can always resurface; nothing lasts, but by the same token nothing is forgotten. Silvering, a windsurfing-esque extreme sport – where participants race aerial solar rafts over the Sera, gathering power to fuel stunts on the slopes of the Bore – is currently extremely popular.
The inhabitants of Viront are called “Vironti”, and the same word is used to describe objects and subjects belonging to the planet and its people.
