Fantasy World Cultures Questions Thread

well, the dakhori(kind of a dark elves) uses the a lot of bio punk, most likey cloning, so only the nobles can breed and have children, and the right to have a baby is something you need to fight, the weath is kept by the nobles who is sheard with certain organizations, like asasins convents and magi temples, or the rest the dathoki lunch atacks against other factions and kept slaves

what luxury the rich have in your setting? i meant something expensive and exotic that only the most wealthy can reach

Well, they live in the nicest houses, have a much more effective police force than the poorer people, have constant running hot water, and can afford to go to the poshest restaurants, buy the most exotic things from the market, and have front row seats for every play. They also hold a lot of political sway and the government turns a blind eye to anything they do, short of terrorism.

Is there anything equivalent to the U.N. in your setting? And if so, how does it work?

edited 20th Apr '14 3:30:09 AM by Tricksen

Answer: One of my settings has a variation. It's an ancient, multinational organization that exists to regulate and control usage of magic, as well as educating would-be mages. It has its own military, and as the former objective would imply it hunts mages that break the regulations.

The organization itself, since it is the only one that's multinational at all, is also subject to intense politics and in-fighting. It's basically another platform for the nations to wage war on.

Question: Is there a caste system in your setting? If so, how does it work?

There is no formal caste system in Isacar. However goblins are universally regarded as second class citizens, and even enslaved. The Masked Men have their own, almost incomprehensible caste system, but no one outside there own group bothers with it.

What is the primary mode of transportation in your setting? Horses? Cars? Trains? Boat by sea canal or river? Something else?

Answer: Boats on rivers and the seas. The cities are located in a jungle and are connected by a river system or lie on the coast. They use sails on the sea and paddles or paddlewheels (human or anmial powered) for the river boats.

Question:How developed is medicine in your setting?

Vagyar: err... variable. As with most discoveries, advances in medicine come in fits and starts and don't consistently enter common use. ^note Vagyar science is barely recognisable, for reasons which are surprisingly complicated and innate to their neurology. What happens in practice is that an oracle will make a discovery, and the general public will try to reproduce it based on unfocused and incomplete instructions and trial and error; often an oracle will be up to a century or more ahead of the local population, but only in a handful of related fields. In the south most of the worst practices have been eliminated, and disease transmission and cleanliness are basically understood, but there's very little consensus on the use of medicines and surgery. Treatment in the kingdoms to the north, on the other hand, depends greatly on where you are and if there's an oracle nearby with whom an arrangement can be agreed upon. Mental illness is known to be a thing, and in some places several different types are identified; they often don't have any special stigma, but any effective treatment beyond accommodation is unknown.

Drow: Surprisingly advanced. They never had a widespread taboo against the mutilation of corpses (at least not in general - it's disrespectful, but only those you respected in life need be respected in death), so they had a head start in codifying basic physiology and first aid. Extensive documentation also exists on hereditary conditions, including allergies, as well as the effects of a vast range of substances on the body, even though they have not yet been explained. (Including, by fortuitous discovery, a penicillin-equivalent, which is publicly known to be derived from moly, though the exact procedure is a closely-kept trade secret.) Disease prevention is limited to quarantines, though, which are of limited effectiveness; topical treatments like anaesthesia are rare and expensive; drug production is not regulated, so addiction and side effects are common; and psychological disorders are lumped together as imbecility and considered, at best, a mark of embarrassment and family shame.

Question: How does the law work in your society? How formal is it? How are disputes settled? How is it enforced? Is everyone equal under it, in theory and/or practice? What crimes are considered the worst, and what sentences do they carry? What becomes of criminals whose punishments have been completed?

Good question. I would say that the law in my culture is pretty similar to the law in most countries in real-life 19th century Europe. But during the era in which my stories are set, everybody is NOT equal. There are different social classes, so rich people are more likely to be let off the hook. And this culture also has a long history of slavery, similar to what it was like in the Americas. Slavery started to disappear in the 1850s, but if you didn't have the "right" religion, you could be kept as a slave until the 1880s. When it comes to certain crimes, those who have to do with sex, it's also much easier for men than for women to get off the hook. Except when a man has slept with another's man wife. It was also considered a serious crime if a slave slept with a free-born woman. For the longest time, these two crimes could lead to a death penalty. Murder and some political crimes were also considered serious. Some rapists were also sentenced to death penalty. But if the crime was a bit less serious, you got a different kind of punishment. Men could be sentenced to work in a mine or a stone quarrel. And if there was a war going on, you could even be pardoned if you joined the army or the navy. And women were sentened to work in laundries, where they did laundry, cleaned and cooked food for the male prisoners and the patients at the hospitals. And a minor criminal also had another way to escape further punishment. Because if he was a man, he could join a monastery. And if she was a woman, she could join a nunnery. Public flogging had fallen out of fashion at this time, but it had existed into the 19th century.

What is the climate like in "your" country? Is it cold or warm? Are the people fair-skinned or dark-skinned?

edited 2nd May '14 6:47:08 AM by Furienna

Since it covers such a large territory, the West Arcadian League runs the gamut of climates:
- The northernmost province, Eiton, is usually temperate or cold. Most of the coastal cities are frequently overcast.
- North and South Drommen are mild; the area around Drommen Bay is typically pleasant, and the rivers flowing into it yield good soil for plantations and vineyards and such.
- Uteya, the largest province, has a lot of wide plains. Decent farmland, aside from the occasional heat wave.
- Phos, being a small island chain, gets plenty of rainfall.

Skin color is also mixed. Most descendants of the 'native' populace are light-skinned (pale up north, darker as you move into sunnier climates)— closer to Asian than Caucasian, but there's no 1:1 comparison. Immigrant race is even more varied.

What works of fiction are well-known in your world? What new works are popular; what old stories are still studied and analyzed; what's your world's equivalent of the "Great American Novel"?

Despite being over a century old, The Absolutely True and Genuine Travels of Imes ul'Ushomex remains quite popular in Uel. Aside from a brief disclaimer at the beginning, the tale is presented by its eponymous narrator as the absolute truth. The stories Imes ul'Ushomex (a name equivalent to "John of Erehwon") tells are all wild and unbelievable, often relying on Refuge in Audacity and Rule of Funny rather than any veneer of believability. (Since Uel is a Death World already, this takes a lot of audacity.) The Travels remain popular because they are well-written, funny (with a sharply satirical edge the government didn't notice until it was too late) and often involve Imes using wits and charm to deal with the absurd situations he presents rather than overpowering them.

A recent publish, Tales of the Waterfall Tribe, an anthology of stories about a fictional quasi-utopian prehistoric tribe, is probably the most often discussed. Depending on who you ask, it's extremely pretentious pornography, an artistic masterpiece that simply happens to use sex and sexuality as part of its artistic statement, or extremely good pornography.

What sort of humor are the members of your culture most fond of? Everybody's tastes variy, of course, but in general, do they delight in clever word play, wicked satire, friendly exchanges of over-the-top insults, or grim jest on the darkest of topics?

edited 3rd May '14 10:40:40 AM by KillerClowns

Puns. All puns. All the time.

What is a famous story from your culture?

The stories about the faeries and magic are extremely popular in Amaris, in part that, while the existence of magic is verifiable, it is small, and people want to hear about the "good old" days when magicians ruled the world.

Does your setting have a seven day week or comparable division of time? What influences it? Politics? Religion? Something else?

Yes, my setting does have a seven day week. As the main religion is a form of Christianity, this has its origin in the teachings of the church. But in my setting, people divide the months in a different way than we do in the occidental world. For them, a month is the time period between one new moon and the next. That is, an astronomical month. So all months have the length of twentynine or maybe thirty days, no more and no less. You can closely compare this to how Jews, Muslims and the Chinese traditionally have counted months.

Do men and women basically have the same rights in your setting? Do many people see it as a natural thing, that a woman should let a man be in charge of her life?

edited 6th May '14 8:40:00 PM by Furienna

In the island kingdoms only women may own land and property and handle trade and finance. Men may own and operate boats. They are allowed to participate in politics because the women believe it would be unfair to deny half of their population a voice in matters that affect everyone. But the council that governs each island is usually dominated by women. This is seen as the natural order of things that women should be in charge and men follow where they lead.

The rest of the world follows the patriarchal model and it varies form place to place but men and women have mostly the same rights. It helps that the pantheon of Gods contains some very powerful Goddesses.

Question: How is dancing viewed in your world? Is it considered a sign of a refined socioty or something any savage can do? Is it a common past time or something only performed during certain times i.e. ceremonies, annual festivities, weddings or funerals, etcetera.

edited 7th May '14 6:56:57 PM by Merlanthe

The frequency varies between cultures, but it largely reflects our world in that there are better-esteemed types of dances than others. Like comparing ballroom dancing and a random waggle when you're having a good time at the tavern. Generally though, it's viewed as an expression of joy, and is encouraged at festive occasions like weddings, parties and celebration. Anyone can do it, but there's a proper time and place for it.

How does the perception/treatment of death and funerals differ between your cultures, and how are they viewed? Are there burials, or cremations at funeral pyres? Or are the dead sent via boat into the sea? Is it a moment of solemn silence for one culture, where they are reminded of life's frailty and the shortness of their ultimately insignificant lives - and a celebration in another, where they celebrate the life the individual had lived, and the glorious afterlife they'll be transitioning into?

edited 10th May '14 2:41:22 PM by Nadir

The treatment of the dead has become increasingly pragmatic as of late. The proliferation of necromancy has resulted in many nations reconsidering the sanctity of the dead in favor of stuffing armored fighting vehicles with corpses and letting them drive themselves. If one wishes to have a proper funeral, then get cremated and do it fast. Another reason to get cremated is because corpses have been known to keep running after they were supposed to die. This is also why sin eating has become an archaic practice. First of all, the sin eater could be a necromancer who will run off with the body. Second, the corpse will occasionally get up and make a feast out of the sin eater.

How much of the world is known of by your main culture?

Wildly to put it briefly.

Most human cultures practice some form of ground burial. The traditional Maanwaild leave their dead on scaffolds in the desert where they gradually dry and are eaten by animals. The Masked Men generally preform cremations.

However, among nonhuman cultures there is even more variation. The goblins generally drink the blood of the deceased, mixed with some alcoholic beverage before spitting it back at them as they are buried. Vampires generally desecrate their dead, normally because they just killed them. Werewolves see any form of respect to the dead as degrading, so they leave their dead unburied and unattended wherever they fell. Elves eat their dead down to the bone.

Who would the common people in your setting widely know? Their rulers? Actors? Singers? Warriors? Priests? Some other form of celebrity?

well with the dakhori(dark elfs) they are like celebritys there, so almost any elfs know about it, of course the politics behind say houses....not so much

is there any course place in your setting? if there is, how i came to be and why people go there?

Until the question is rephrased, I'm afraid I cannot answer it.

How is the medical care in your setting? Do they still drain humours, or are your cities equipped with magitek autodocs?

At a guess, he means "cursed".

All medical conditions and injuries can be cured by the application of the appropriate Cleanse spell; Cleansing being an sub-element of Water. This has not made war obsolete by any means, however. The only thing they can't cure are Chaos magic Status Effects and Raw Mana Irradiation.

How are your Monsters Different?

edited 21st Jun '14 12:12:57 AM by dvorak

damn it, yes i said cursed place, or that "evil place people are afraid to go"

how? well, if we are talking about monsters like unicorns and hydra, they were normal animals who evolve in a magical place long time ago

if we are talking about vampires,werewolf and the rest....that is a whole other story, really

so i will repeat my question: if there is any cursed of "evil" place in yout setting? how it happen?

so i will repeat my question: if there is any cursed or "evil" place in your setting? how it happen?

Wouldn't you like to know?

Question of the day: Who's the hands down most famous playwright? Someone of similar caliber in your world to Shakespeare in ours?

edited 11th Jan '16 1:22:52 AM by Eagal

Question of the day: Who's the hands down most famous playwright? Someone of similar caliber in your world to Shakespeare in ours?

Well i dont have his hame yet, but is a pretty much a expy of shakespeare, he found the land of the fair folk and when he return...he wasnt the same

there is some sort of comunity of writer that protercs writings for king and lords

questions: if there is secret cabal in your setting? some organization with power,money and knowlage?

If there is, they're so secret even I don't know about it.

What, if any, are the rules of magic in your setting? If you don't have magic, then what is the most important technological innovation?

the rules for each individual magic differ, but the entire system works on a loan basis; someone who already has that power has to agree to set it up to work for other people, using rules they decide on. this can end up leading to magic that differs quite significantly from its base- one of the advantages.

course, the problem is that in this world no one is actually born with any supernatural powers like that, so the only people who can create new magic are those from another world (timeline), and the magic goes away the moment they die, so the only reason the magic system is still working in this setting is because the goddess of time (also the creator and shaper of this world vis time shenanigans) takes pains to make it work.

the most present magic in the setting is barrier magic, and its rules are quite flexible. essentially, works akin to programming- you write the conditions on a trigger, and those conditions decide what can and cant pass through the barrier. it comes in two types: stationary and centered. centered is exactly what it sounds like- the trigger always remains at the center of barrier, and barrier moves to accomodate that. as a result, the trigger is vunerable to forces that impact the barrier- if the barrier takes too much force, the trigger will break, and so will the barrier- but this allows for a transportable shield. the trigger can be made stronger by creating and carving one on different materials. naturally, the stronger the material the stronger the barrier.

stationary barriers arent quite indestructable, but as they dont transfer force directly to the trigger, they can take much more of a beating. the trigger in this case can be anywhere in the barrier.

the main difference between the magic and the base power is that the original never required a trigger, and and was created simply by thought. this allowed for the creation of some the settings...wonders and on the fly protection, but had the disadvantage of being a lot less thorough on who or what could or couldnt pass through.

what, and how many forms of government has your culture gone through, before settling on its current one?

edited 28th Jun '14 1:14:18 AM by Tarsen