Galactic Folklore is a knowledge skill that characters in Project Manifest Destiny will be able to invest in. As a skill, it represents common (though not always valid) wisdom gathered from amongst the galactic community. In a way, it will mirror folklore as it exists on earth, with interest in folk remedies, mysticism, weather, astronomy, agriculture, fortune-telling, and wilderness survival.
For the Kord, folklore is an integral part of their culture. Much of their policy is rooted in legendary tales and mysticism has a significant influence on their day-to-day decisions. For earthlings, a more skeptical culture, this folklore still has value. Though conflated by myth, these tales still harbor a nebulous truth. Folklore may fail in its explanation for why the seasons exist, but they chronicle the existence of seasons quite well.
If preparedness is integral to humanity's success in the unknown reaches of space, any scraps of knowledge could be invaluable. This folklore can provide the anecdotes that inspire true scientific investigation, threads that can be followed to true and remarkable discoveries. The cautions contained could save a life. A danger respected is not necessarily one well understood.
Though folklore is a large component of Kord culture, this is not to suggest they are noble savages, quaint in their ways but lacking the sophistication and the true wisdom of mankind. Kord culture is quite sophisticated with a complex system of government that maintains the ties of disparate worlds despite the extreme timeframes necessary for communication. As a culture, they have advanced concepts of morality, philosophy, and literature. Indeed, the literature of the Kord is celebrated throughout the galaxy though the sleepy people are rarely encountered, even in the cold fringes of the galaxy they call home.
A great effort was made by a Dr. Tomley of Oxford University to gather the core Kord myths and other legends of galactic peoples into what has become the Oxford Encyclopedia of Galactic Myth. It is divided into distinct volumes covering topics such as medicine, cosmological phenomenon, meteorological phenomenon (further subdivided by star, planet, and surface region,) though the most intriguing volumes may be those on noteworthy individuals. The galaxy is full of tall tales of seemingly timeless and ubiquitous entities. The sasquaches, Jack Frosts, vampires, devils, and other creatures of our mythology are not unique amongst the galactic community and the stars are full of similar tales. Earth has been drawn into a modern myth in the search for the mysterious Unicorn.
Characters investing in Galactic Folklore will be familiar with Dr. Tomley and his encyclopedia and may even carry it with them on their dataslate. High levels of skill will allow characters to speedily draw more relevant information from the tomes than laymen, format more useful search criteria, and allow them to recount potentially useful information from memory when confronted with a problem or mystery.
