Fantasy World Cultures Questions Thread

I'm going assume that you're asking who applies law to magic users.

Most law enforcement agencies hire out mages. A wealthy city would keep one on the city guard while a small village would send for one. The system usually works because mages powerful enough to be a threat are rare and most mages belong to feuding houses and schools, all jealously guarding their techniques, theories, and sometimes bloodlines. As a result you can often find a mage willing to investigate and counter another mage.

Who makes the weapons in your society? How are they paid?

edited 13th Mar '18 2:33:00 PM by Belisaurius

Their are many cultures in my world. In general armor makers tend to be afforded more respect than weapon makers, as their work is regarded as more complex. In the realms under (not)Christianity, guilds and houses are important, to the point where monarchs often meddle in their affairs like modern day leaders would do with defense contractors. In the Imperium of Avenharis weapons production is centralized and controlled by the state, with the smiths being regarded as mere civl servants. Illegal forges do exist and enforcement depends on who is on the throne and how willing the nobility and officialdom is do obey. And in the Secret City of Mages weapons are often smithed by those who are born without the gift of magic, they usually double as crafters of fine goods and armor. It is considered an honorable position but since their is no internal commerce, they are paid nothing.

What do people in your world think of war? Is it considered a glorious endeavor to prove one's maleness like it was for much of history, or a cruel necessity as in the modern day?

War is generally seen as a means to an end. However, opinions vary. For example, the people of New Pyrrhius often see endless conflict as and end in itself.

How politically powerful are the various military forces in your world? Are there full-fledged stratocracies?

For the most part militaries are under the rule of kingdoms, and in turn a greater empire, rather than political forces in and of themselves. With that said, there is one: The Fruit Pickers of Phalajam.

The Fruit Pickers rose to prominance during The Stone Wars, where they proved to be an invaluable asset in fighting the dragons of the desert. Dragons, you see, are potent enough shapeshifters that they can simply shift away any injuries they receive, making actually killing one an arduous ordeal. The Fruit Pickers however were apothecaries, masters of the strange and terrible plants deep in the swamps of Phalajam. They developed a serum that would numb wounds instantly, preventing the dragons from feeling, and therefore healing, their wounds. They also provided potent toxins and other useful chemicals that helped the human forces overcome the dragons.

In one of the worst battles of the Stone Wars the dragons pushed into Phalajam. The Fruit Pickers and the soldiers fought nobly, and managed to beat the forces back—but not before the Royal Family of Phalajam was killed. The leader of the Fruit Pickers managed to rally the people together, however, and both for this and for their efforts in aiding the militaries of all five nations that would become Vikaasthan, when the war was over he was awarded the throne. Thus the leader of the Fruit Pickers, still loyal to his order, came to be one of the five Rajas of Vikaasthan beneath the Maharaja, granting the force considerable political force.

What is one of the "Classics" that inspires people in the era of your world? (ie. Greek Philosophy being highly regarded in medieval Europe, etc.)

edited 16th Apr '18 11:04:22 PM by kegisak