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View Full Version : Custom Made Civilization What do you think



eulmanis12
2011-12-21, 03:54 PM
I invented a culture/civilization for a game I'm DMing and wanted opinions/advice/suggestions before I show it to the players.

The nation is called Berghan (Burg Han), and simply referred to as "the highlands" by outsiders. It is almost completely separated from the rest of the world by a massive mountain range. Its population is mostly humans. There are two very distinct geographic locations. The Mountains, which are sparsly populated, inhabited mainly by semi-civilized barbarian tribes, scattered settlers, and bands of Berghanian Rangers. The mountains are closer to the northern Rockies as opposed to the Appalachains, and are covered in pine forests. The other area is in inner plains, which is mainly agricultural outside the captital city of Stahlhiem. Think a medeval version of the American Midwest.

Since the campaign is organized around the PC's helping defend Berghan from an invading undead army, they are going to spend a lot of time dealing with the leadership of the nation which consists of 3 kings, each of whom is elected for a lifelong term, not a hereditary position.

The first major plot scene I'm planning on showing the PC's is this thing called a forging ceremony which will happen as soon as the PC's alert the kings to the invading army.
Here is how it works.
During times of peace non of the generals of Berghan wear swords at their belts, instead they just wear empty scabbards. When war is declared they report to the capital where in a public ceremony the royal artificer forges swords for them. This is the forging ceremony.

At the end of the war there is the plowing ceremony. Once peace is restored the generals return their swords to the royal artificer who then forges the swords into plows, sybolicly starting the era of peace.

Just about every major pollitical function in the country has a ritual to go with it. Since the nation was founded by hunters, the elections are conducted by having each citiczen shoot an arrow at a target with their candidate's name on it, whichever target gets the most arrows, is elected. (yes this is a cumbersome an annoying process but why not.)

Archery is the cheif military form used by the nation, the majority of their soldiers have learned archery since childhood anyway.

I don't have a ton of minor details worked out yet, most of my DMing is done with a rough outline an little else, (PC's being PC's a lot of it will have to be improvised anyway)

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to important points I need to adress? This is my first time inventing a world from scratch and using it so I'm not even entirely sure what to put into the nation to start with.

viking vince
2011-12-22, 10:42 AM
Arthur: "You don't vote for king."

Peasant: "Well, how do you become king then?"

Arthur: "The Lady of the Lake, ..."



Seriously, looks good.

Wyntonian
2011-12-22, 06:28 PM
During times of peace non of the generals of Berghan wear swords at their belts, instead they just wear empty scabbards. When war is declared they report to the capital where in a public ceremony the royal artificer forges swords for them. This is the forging ceremony.

At the end of the war there is the plowing ceremony. Once peace is restored the generals return their swords to the royal artificer who then forges the swords into plows, sybolicly starting the era of peace.


That's pretty interesting. I suppose this belongs in the worldbuilding forum, but I do like that bit. Mind if I use it?