One of the basics truths of the Middle Ages, and many of the fantasy worlds that we create based in them, is that the world is bleak, cold and dirty. Many everyday conveniences we take for granted are a very long way off, and often haven’t even been thought of as a something that people should even desire. Come, lets take a look at what fantasy middle ages housing would look like!
It’s been another long stretch, but I want to start getting back to writing about the small yet important things that people should pay attention to that make a dig difference in trying to take people to a different world. This time, I want to talk briefly on laws, punishment, crime, and the judicial system, because its a fascinating topic that I think can make a big difference in how players see breaking the law, and why their actions matter in a fantasy, middle ages world.
One of the most often missed and yet the largest factors in how the world worked in the High Middle Ages, is the concept of the Divine Right of Kings. This wasn’t codified as a thought until much later, but is built on concepts as old as humankind itself.
It has been a while since I’ve done a From the Ground Up Article. I stopped in the middle of Feudalism, so I figured I’d pick it back up and have a go at it. So, here we are, a small article on Feudal and noble titles.
Manorialism is fascinating in how different it is from how we live. One of those things that stick so largely out to us is the Manor House, what it was used for, how it was staffed, and how it was the focus of noble life. Today, I’m going to focus on the Manor house and its master.
We’ve started into the world and lives surrounding the inhabitants of the world. I’ve gone into a bit of detail before on how the feudal system works, and how its people live, but here I want to go a bit more detail about the central hub of feudalism, Manorialism and the Manor.
I talked about History, recently, and how it forms the game around itself, creating a realistic world and forming into a greater whole. This time, I want to look at a bit more of the specifics of large, ancient empires and how they form the nucleus of a good history.
We’ve made our way, creating a brand new world, through Geography, flora, fauna, Magical traits, and basic knowledge of civilization both traditional and non-traditional. Each of these steps has been to build the knowledge with which to create a solid framework and foundations. Now, we start getting into the world of the people, and how it is both perceived and lived. First up, a working history.
While I’ve spent the last few weeks talking about the types and styles of civilizations, from City States to Feudal Nations, and the populations that live in them, this week will bring a close, both figuratively and literally to the chapter on nations. I’m going to talk a little bit about how nations defined themselves and their boundaries and their lands.
The last few articles have revolved around how traditional civilizations exist. I do want to hit on a-typical civilization, like tribalism, nomadism, and other types of pre-modern societies pop up, but I think that is for a later time. Today, I want to talk about Demographics and Populations – less of how the people work, and more of who the people are.