Ninjas
The Ninjas are one of two dominant powers in The Antelope Books (In this case, the term "Ninja" refers to a culture, rather than a profession). Their rivals are the Pirates, and their principal cities are Ninpou and Receon.
Culture
The ninjas value space-efficiency. Their homes, particularly middle and lower-class homes, are often cramped, and making best-use of available space is always a priority. Beds are typically very high, and bunk-beds are common, as are beds with cabinets and drawers underneath for storage.
This particular trend in space-usage has led to a number of curious results. Specifically, the height of one's bed off the floor denotes social status; the higher the bed, the lower the sleeper. The poor often have to sleep very close to their rafters or even in lofts, while the very wealthy have their beds in depressions in the floor. These are not strict rules, but a general fad. Most ninjas prefer their beds exactly halfway between the floor and the ceiling.
In Ninpou, as in most large Ninja cities, books are a highly prized commodity. Not a rare one, but important. As such, book lenders often live on generous stipends provided by the city, in exchange for lending books free of charge to the public, and maintaining their collections. A few large libraries also exist; but private citizens aren't often allowed to explore the more obscure stacks. Only common and popular books can be found in these libraries.
Festivals
Every holiday on the ninja calendar calls for a celebration. Every full moon they celebrate the Light's Day Festival, and there are five or six other major holidays throughout the year (thus an average of two festivals per month). Some regions also celebrate the night of the new moon, or Dark's Day.
Festivals are always held after sunset, lit by torches, lanterns, and bonfires (though most ninjas have excellent night-vision). Whenever one of the major dated holidays coincides with Light's Day, it is cause for an even greater celebration.
The festivals are held along the processional leading up to the local temple. In major cities such as Ninpou, local neighborhoods might hold smaller festivals around their own shrines.
The festivals are all largely the same: booths offering food, goods, wine, or games. Lots of music, prizes, dancing, and everyone dressed in their very best. The men always wear their blackest clothes, while women don festive kimono-style outfits filled with bright colors. The festivals are heavily steeped in tradition, and each includes hundreds of small, unwritten rules that must be followed.
Each festival is also completed with offerings at the local temple or shrine.
Government
The Ninjas have an Emperor; but they also have a High Council, who run the empire day-to-day while the Emperor makes the most-important decisions. Occasionally someone thinks that either Emperor, or High Council, could act alone; but this idea has not been put successfully into practice, before the time of the story.
Religion
The ninja religion can best be described as "complicated". The whole thing is based on a set of stories called "sacred texts" from which various parables are derived. The religion has grown with age, as the deeds of living heroes are included.
The Sacred Texts themselves can never be printed (though Ninja culture has nearly always possessed moveable-type printing presses), but must always be hand-copied, and are so numerous that no temple (let alone a solitary individual) has ever owned a complete set.
By and large, the religion focusses on ancestor-worship and honor. The afterlife is described as a great journey having no end.
The ninja god is a great and terrifying warrior, dressed in black armor and wielding two massive swords. The religion can be described as monotheistic in the sense that the ninja god is the only true god, while hundreds of historical and mythical figures have been raised to god-like status.
Calendar
The Ninja calendar is fraught with difficulties. Officially speaking, they count dates from the year in which the current emperor began his reign. This creates serious issues, since news of a new emperor coming to power may take months or even years to reach some of the outlying provinces, leading to inaccurate dates. When a new emperor comes to power, he ascends the throne immediately, so only dates within the capitol are known to be accurate.
Dates are also not typically given in direct Day/Month/Year, but rather tracked by season and year. Ryo, for example, talks about her age in Author of the Gust, in which she explains that at the time she was actually born, it was the 74th year of Emperor Tau's reign, while that same year Emperor Lycet came to power.
