Fantasy World Cultures Questions Thread

The latest major technology invented, or the latest one to enter widespread use?

For the latter, the answer would be radio communication. It's limited to Morse code style beeps, but with the aid of relays, messages can be sent across continents almost instantly. It's particularly revolutionized sea travel, as ships on long voyages can now change their course in response to developments on land and can use triangulation to locate other radio-bearing ships at sea. The nation that developed the radio immediately started using it for military purposes, expanding their already blooming empire. Their monopoly on the technology was short lived, however, and most of the world's major nations now have radio networks as well.

Now, the most recently invented technology would be dynamite. It was developed by scientists working for the same nation mentioned above. However, their formulas for dynamite were stolen/copied not long after they were written, and certain elements of the criminal underworld are now eagerly making use of this new explosive.

What is the education system like in your world? How much learning is the average person expected to get?

edited 20th Nov '13 9:21:28 PM by RavenWilder

It depends on whom you ask.

The immaculate order frowns upon invention and innovation and excessive education for the masses. However, they provide an in depth education for their members and strongest supporters, emphasizing history, philosophy, economics, and law. Their versions of each are all strongly biased in favor of their beliefs and authority, sometimes blatantly so.

The average (poor) person will get as much education as necessary to do their job and little more. Apprenticeship is the most common form of education, and in most nations an individual is responsible for their own learning. As a result, illiteracy is wide spread. This is changing as an emerging middle class begins to emulate the sophistication and education of the nobility. Tutors for wealthy merchants provide a much more substantial form of education than layman counterparts.

The two countries where this is an exception is the Republic is Westmarch and the Kingdom of Iyld. The former is responsible for the invention of movable type. Westmarch is the soul producer of literary texts in any abundance, as as such, quite by accident, the Lords of Westmarch have found themselves both wealthy and a center for the arts and education. The Kingdom of Iyld is the only kingdom that emphasizes universal education. Home to the Iydilia Litocommia, the largest library in the world, the kingdom had a rich tradition of literacy for all, open minded thinking, and gender equality. It's not uncommon for people with a little money and willingness to travel to go to Iyld for a year or two. Tuition from these visitors is primarily how the Kingdom remains solvent.

Question: What role, if any, does faith and religion play in your world?

It is common knowledge that divine beings exists in the universe around Terra Prime. So faith plays a very important role in daily life. In fact, one of the three types of magic (Divine, the other two being Mystic, based on runes and ritual, and Arcane, based on a scientific approach to magic) is based entirely on the power of the gods and one's own faith. On Terra Prime, it would be very difficult to explain the concept of atheism, since the existence of divine beings is basically a scientific fact. The closest one can be is a "free deist," which is a person who chooses not to devote himself to any god or pantheon, thus not giving divinity an active role in his life. That said, the gods can mess with whatever they want, regardless of how one feels about them.

Because of Divine magic and the proved existence of gods, religious institutions have great influence over some regions. In the Mythan Desert, for example, the Church of Akkahl has a massive following that can easily influecne regional politics. It even has its own paramilitary branch called the Nyadai Inquisition, which hunts necromancers, evil creatures, and whatever else their church deems "heretics." In short, religion and faith have massive influence in Terra Prime, even though most governments of the world are starting to grow more secular.

Question Time! Pick any country in your world (or more if you like). How is its economy structured? What kind of resources do they produce and what do they import/export? Do they have a guild system, or are they more industrialized? What sort of market is present (capitalist. socialist, traditional, command economy, etc...)? And what items are of greatest value?

edited 2nd Dec '13 8:31:55 PM by ZigtarXamos

The Duchy of Presund, despite being larger than most of its neighbors, was until recent times among the poorest states in the Middlands. Slightly west of the Halsaim mountains- and the corresponding profitable mines- the Duchy proper is flat and sandy, poor farmland providing barely sufficient amounts of food; the Duke typically has to import surpluses from the various eastern provinces^note Presund, the main holding of the House of Erne, trails unconnected oblasts like a comet, courtesy of two hundred years of dynastic maneuvering and other nations, although new farming techniques and better crop rotations are changing this. Even this is costly, as the continuous provinces are completely landlocked and goods must be transported by road. Although eastern luxury goods are highly prized by social climbers, the general opinion among the established (petty) nobility is that gilded walnut furniture is not nearly as desirable as a thousand acres of farmland.

To pay for their expenses, the house of Erne has lumber exports and manufacturing, especially of textiles and iron; both industries are heavily taxed. Presund clocks and other machines are well thought of, as are their gunsmiths and breweries. However, the Duchy's greatest export is its army: regiments are lent out to various other powers in the middle of campaigns- for a tidy sum, of course. This allows the Duke to keep a surprisingly modern standing army, without actually having to risk a major war.

What are the standard units of measurement in your world- length, weight, volume, etc.? How did they come into use?

edited 2nd Dec '13 2:12:18 PM by Kesar

Everything is done using (modified) SI units, which was proposed by Earth and approved by the Trans Galactic Treaty during a general meeting about the adoption of measurement standards. However, some units were added to fill gaps. 1 Metric Acre is 100 Square Meters. 1 Galvous is 1 mol of magum particles per 1 cubic meter of volume. Time measurements are heavily modified. 1 second is the same 1 second on Earth, but subsequent units are in base 10/100. That means 1 minute is 100 seconds, 1 hour is 100 minutes, 1 day is 10 hours, 1 week is 10 days, 1 month is 10 weeks and 1 year is 10 months. The exact time of year 0 is the commemoration of the Trans Galactic Treaty Headquarters which is an artificial planet and all clocks/watches for extraterrestrial travel has 3 different displays: Local time, headquarters time and destination time, which are independent with each other can can be swapped out in a general clock store without any service charges.

How does media in your fictional world is classified? Is there any ratings and content warnings that is seen as unusual by Earth standards?

edited 3rd Dec '13 5:48:18 PM by murazrai

As a pre-industrial world, the nations of Gaia don't care a whole lot about what is and is not appropriate for children. Magic is effective at removing infections so sexual ethics are very loose. A child can purchase a lithograph print of actual sex acts, provided he or she can afford it. This is actually considered partially educational. Likewise, as feudalism is still considered the government of choice, war and violence are considered facts of life. Since the government doesn't particularly care, neither do most vendors. Reading a book or watching a play only to find a very explicate sex scene is less of a shock and more of a pleasant surprise.

The governments of Gaia don't particularly care about what people do to entertain themselves, provided they still do their jobs effectively and can pay taxes on time. Sure, they'll arrest murderers and thieves and arbitrate disputes but that's considered good management more than anything else.

The only content that the governments actual object to is revolutionary ideas about how the nation should be ruled. Talk about disposing the king in favor of a democratic government is not acceptable in any major nation (well, except Kirkland but laws and Kirkland have a very odd relationship).

Still, most nations realize that censoring art is like forcing smoke back into a bottle. The usual response is that royals publish their own propaganda, rationalizing why they are in power and glorifying their rein. Rigoli is particularly good at this as most of the commoners believe their rulers are decentants of divine beings. (This is actually true. What isn't well known is that, statistically, most of everyone has some divine blood in them. However, even first generation demi-gods don't get more than odd quirks and most of that has been drastically watered down).

How does sexuality work in your world? What are the sexual ethics and courtship rituals? What are the gender roles and what happens when someone tries to cross gender roles?

Like most things, it depends upon the region. However, as things like globalization, counter-culture, and the threat of mutually assured destruction take hold, things are becoming much more loose.

First of all, there are much less taboos about homosexuality than there is even today. No one was that concerned about men kissing men when dragons and giants and Kaiju were a credible threat. As for courtship, it usually goes two ways: you get together to do something you both consider fun and get to know each other better, or your family/government/tribe/etc. hand you a spouse you are to marry in the name of family honor/for the glory of the Motherland/because they said so.

Arc has always been the equalizer for the genders. Just as it is a force multiplier on the battlefield, it is also a force multiplier on a societal level. Not allowed to own property? Launch you husband's house into orbit. Denied the vote? Launch the voting booth into orbit. Told to stay in the kitchen? orbit time. Space exploration has revealed that oppressed women had an improbable level of knowledge when it came to orbital mechanics.

What forms of media exist in your world?

edited 23rd Dec '13 9:32:48 AM by MaxwellDaring

In the nation currently in focus, less than half the population knows how to read. Those who can are mostly scribes, scholars, and keepers of religious texts. The ability to read is either valuable or useless depending on to whom you are speaking. Farmers(especially those whose family are ALL farmers) particularly disdain "wasting time" with reading texts that have nothing to do with husbandry when you could be spending your waking hours laboring in the fields or with the animals. The most common form of entertainment for the rural folk are village dances, where neighboring farm families and travelling musicians gather on festival nights and weekends. Simple plays are also put on for the entertainment of the simple folk, being bowderlized versions of classical plays or adaptations of literature. Among noble landowners, merchants, political advisers, and skilled tradesmen, literacy is much higher, and so books, news boards, and mail are the most common ways to broadcast. In any case, travelers are very popular at pubs and inns everywhere, for they bring tales of vast fortunes, fierce monsters(exotic animalia, really) and war heroes from nations far and wide. Travelling circuses have taken advantage of this more than anyone, making fortunes by simply travelling and collecting stories.

Question below: How important is warfare to your people? When they record history, do they separate eras by (Example: American history is taught as: colonial period, French&Indian war, Am Revolution, War of 1812, Antebellum era, Civil War era, Reconstruction, Spanish-American war, WW 1, WW 2, Cold War begins, Korean War, Vietnam War, Cold War ends, Iraqi War 1, Iraqui War 2) Or do they measure eras by something else?

As the time period in question is analogous to the late 17th/early 18th centuries: yes, warfare is very important everywhere. The Tezeraq Empire has the luxury of having subdued many of their neighbors, but rebellions in the provinces and conflict with nomads and powers even further west leave them perpetually on the offensive- they are currently at the height of their expansion. The Middlands are in constant disputes with each other, sensible^note at least to the people in the Middlands as the purportedly thousand-strong kingdoms are squeezed into a relatively small area of land. In addition, there's always the occasional push to 'civilize' Kassand- with little success; most of that landmass remains shadowy and unexplored.

As far as recorded history goes, Middlanders measure time from when the Prophet of the Hanged God was gifted with the sight^note meaning the story begins in the Year of the Faith (Lum Emilyon) 913; this is further divided into eras based on which war was debilitating the continent at the time, similar to the system mentioned, and then by the reigns of the monarch of whatever kingdom. Meanwhile, in Tezeraq the calendar is measured by whichever god is thought to be ascendant during that year, which works on a cycle of thirty years. Among the Lamrens, the other dominant group of the west, years are named based on whatever the most momentous thing that happened in that year was.

Thus the year 659 L. E. was also the nineteenth year of the War of the Little Sea, the first year in the reign of Civan I of Halse (or the fifteenth of the reign of Freirin III of Vanlund, or the ninth of Keirsich of Presund...), and abroad the 813th year of the Goddess of Light, and the Lamren year Fire-worm. Confusing, isn't it?

Who is considered to be morally superior in your world? Is it the religious sect whose vows require them to live in poverty, the king who supposedly has the divine right to rule and is thus infallible, or is there one group of people that is considered "better" than the savages around them? What do these people do with their moral authority?

edited 30th Dec '13 7:42:16 AM by Kesar

In the Legendarium, no one is really considered morally superior except for Agathos. In the context of the three groups mentioned in the question:

• Religious sects of the Alliance of Divinities are seen as equally effective paths to communion with Agathos. Any supposedly perceived superiority is seen as dangerous arrogance.
• "Divine right to rule" in the Legendarium is a bit like the Mandate of Heaven: A man rules as long as he is worthy. If he is unworthy, then he is deposed sooner or later. Usually by death. Infallibility in action is impossible in the Legendarium except for Agathos, though infallibility in doctrine is possible.
• The notion in the last group is what caused all the mess of the Legendarium in the first place: The First Man and Woman thought themselves worthy of greater power without Agathos' approval. It did not end well.

Moral authority is a debatable idea in the Legendarium: There's always a Knight Templar who thinks they're more moral than the {{Small Steps Hero.}} Moral authority comes from the actions characters enact.

Long made short: Only Agathos is a being that can be said to be morally superior, and s/he does good things with that authority. Other than that, no one else is morally superior to anyone else because everything else is flawed.

What is the thematic/historical reason evil exists in your world? How do characters aware of this react?

edited 30th Dec '13 8:43:24 AM by Insano

Although the subject is open to large amounts of debate, everyone can agree that it is for entirely mundane reasons. Our mundane, not their mundane. The Dark Gods of old thought they were so clever while they were kicking babies and painting ambition as some kind of cardinal sin, but they were never the inventors of evil. They were merely the ones that made it look so bad. Now that all the gods are dead, there is very little reason for evil deeds to be done for the sake of evil. Even the demons have become less evil. Of course, it took the total collapse of demon society for that to happen.

How integral with your setting's technology is your setting's magic? Only applicable if your setting has magic.

Magic and technology have coexisted for a long time in my setting (a setting which Wikipedia would describe as arcanepunk). Technology (20th century or so) still has to exist on its own; most devices run on electricity, and long-range communication works essentially the same.

For most of its history, the overlap has been one-way: technology augmented by magic. Aetheric engines or motors, et cetera. Recently, engineers have been able to recreate basic magic using machines ("basic" meaning Physics 101, application-of-force, push [x] in [y] direction). It's mostly used small-scale for force fields and conducting aether. One of Arc's most distinct features is a giant gear known as the Node; it circulates aether into the city, which is used to keep all of the other aetheric devices built into the structure functioning at peak efficiency.

To cite a different example, while the field of computing is still getting off the ground, the field of robotics is actually ahead of the curve. People have found magic-based methods of storing and processing information, creating aether-operated golems. (This aspect of the setting may or may not be a love letter to programming.)

Describe culture clash in your world. What sort of traditions or taboos exist in some societies, but not others, and how do members of these societies interact as a result?

edited 1st Jan '14 10:52:25 PM by Blueeyedrat

I dont know is this theread is still here, i hope so

a culture clash is the sexuality of the elves in my setting, since they can "switch" the taste of gender in this way, the elves dosent get to much romantic tragedy becasue they expect love to be return no matter what

Also the elves insist that they don have religions, they just honred the gods in they on ways(nobody buy this)

also in a minor way, the dwartf in my history are kind of grammar nazis

What holy book is in your setting? can you describe it? also there is some kind of good writer people read in your setting?

There are numerous holy books from the bizarre and numerous deities most people worship in Amaris. The Dictum does not have any holy books, as it is more of a philosophy than religion. The goblins have a loose collected of writing from their great ancestors and teachers but it has never been completely collected. The Masked Men have a holy book, but do not allow outsiders to read it. The printing press has only recently been rediscovered in Amaris, so so far only holy books and ancient Carian and Pre-Carian authors have been published in mass quantities.

Next Question: Does your world have the same creatures and plants as Earth? Are they the same with additions such as dragons? Are the slightly different? Are the completely different?

Most "normal" creatures in the world are similar/the same as that of Earth. There are some deviations, though— aether-attuned flora and fauna (particularly in regions where Wild Magic is common), mythical creatures such as rocs (and their attuned relatives— firebirds, thunderbirds), giant monsters (a friendly human-sized spider called the Wimɑd^* sø-Wimɑdɑsø - "the Weaver" is a popular figure in local lore), and so on.

What languages are common in your world/continent/region/etc? Is there any sort of lingua franca, and/or does each region/race/etc have their own local tongue?

edited 6th Apr '14 11:03:25 PM by Blueeyedrat

In the Cloud Kingdom's two main continental territories, each individual region and state tends to use a certain language based off the prevalent culture, for humans anyway. When communicating between two cultures and government business however, English is used in writing and speech, as it is the language used by the kingdom's capital. For religious and magical studies, Latin is used to write, and priests and priestesses can usually speak it fluently.

The species other than humans tend to just adopt the language of the humans nearby, but use their own more animalistic languages among themselves.

Are there any warring government factions in your world? What does each group stand for and why are they fighting each other?

edited 7th Apr '14 8:59:05 AM by ScorpioRat

In my setting is happen in the continent of Ameris, witch is base in united state, there are 4 diferent kindoms, all of them clain the original one

The dominion who is almost a theocracy, is form when the army stad agants the lunatic army(long story) and find confort in faith

The asohka confederation, something like first nations united against all other, to avoid the tipical"al tribe are the same" it put that they banded of necesity, also they claim that the heros who united all together stop the ancient evil,

The union who are mostly rich people who have elite fighters, traying to survivie

and the Fdereation, are a loose aliance of 3 great city with a revolution, the most near thing to socialist or something like that

the problem? the ancien evil is returning....yeah, that suck

what is the strangest natural(or supernatural) wonder in your setting and why people will like to come to then

Amaris is generally too dangerous for tourists. However with the establishment of their overseas empire Tirribian citizens have begun to vacation in the Zus Peninsula or in Caria. However, it is generally agreed that Isacar is a sight to see before one dies, which hopefully will not happen while visiting the city.

How do people communicate in your world? Word of mouth? Messenger relays like the Pony Express? Telegraph? Internet? FTL communication?

Commoners mostly by word of mouth, sometimes messenger for hire. Royals have messengers on hand of course, for making proclamations to the people.

Mages communicate via magic (Duh), which is typically instantaneous, barring freak accidents or areas of magical instability. Particularly wealthy and/or otherwise influential royals may make use of a mage's services as needed.

Question of the day

Atheists and other heretics; Given the assumption of a standing religious system, how are those who do not conform to this religion treated?

edited 8th Apr '14 2:28:10 PM by eagal

Well, there is two arguments about gods in my setting, the fact that there are beings outside the reallity that have a say and the other one to thing that gods is just a fancy say to say "bigger king" who is just diferent(in the say way a human is to an ant) the elves are the ones who put this theorys because the etherial court are not gods per se but the last ones of the origial elfs who happen to have god-like powers so for them there are not gods, beings who are powerfull and strange? yeah but not much diferent a pet could say about is owner

how they are treat it? is kind of hard because every few chararter would say that is am atheist or a heretic, most of them just "have a diferent way of learing", the religions saw them in two diferent ways: the harmless who are just there(like excentrics nobles or the weird old man) the selfish(people who will take avantage or just want to be a jerkass and get away with it) and the dangerous(fanatics, knight templar type and the rest) of course this cults will say that the oficial religions have plenty of this thinks and dosent have problem using when the momento suit them, but when this happen, things become....ugly

wow, that was a really long answer, ¿can you tell me if you understand my english?

So, ¿if there is some great bulding in your setting? that meants a bulding that is consider important by his history,beauty,etc

The fairie mounds are the oldest structures in Amaris. Hills with a variety of stone pillars stuck deep into the top, they are scattered across much of Northern Amaris. They are studied in part because of their antiquity and in part because magic is stronger around them. Many times younger, but still ancient, buildings are built around them.

Is your setting's history well known? Or are dates more than a thousand years ago or so shrouded in mystery?

To those who care to study it. Your average Joe Schmoe has got better things to do with his time than worry about how King Soandso declared war on the Nation of Suchandsuch only to be repelled by the great hero Whatshisface.

If a few historical facts slip into the stories your old granny tells you as a kid then so much the better but by and large history is in the past and can bloody well stay in the past if it knows what's good for it.

Q: How are criminal matters decided by the standing authority. Capital punishment? The punishment fits the crime? Slap on the wrist due to corruption?

Well, the kindom of arathor have diferent 3 diferent sistems, does in citys have layers and kind of a legal system, the knights have a honor system for them in witch they fight against each other, and the rest have a reunion of elder to decide what happent, in the case one clase comit a crime to another one, they will use the system of the victim

Speaking with, if there any criminal in your setting that is remenber even in the present time? like bank robber like bonnie and claye or maybe a serial killier like jack the ripper?

There have been so many criminals and mass murderers that most are easily forgotten in Isacar. However the goblins preserve a memory of Mirsul the Thief, a possibly legendary pickpocket who stole the shadows of men.

How do people in your world treat their dead? Just burial? Mausoleums? Cremation? Cannibalism?

The dead, unless requiring autopsy from the authorities, are thrown as if they were thrash. This is because death is seen as something natural and throwing them as thrash symbolizes not letting the death impacting people's regular life.

How does the governments in your world deal with wealth imbalance among the people?