Culture vs. Race

[abbysdad]

The rules in Crimson Kingdom will allow players to experience both true physical differences between different sentient species (elf, dwarf, ork, man, giant, etc.) and between cultures (Mori vs. Duende elves). Sometimes, the cultural differences can be more significant than any physical differences.

We believe the distinction between cultures and races in a fantasy setting is important and that it allows for interesting story telling opportunities in campaigns. That's one of the reasons that the focus of the setting is in a huge city, with commerce, conflict and intrigue boiling in the background.

In the coming weeks, more details about the cultures and races of the world will be revealed. In the mean time, let us know what you think about the different races and cultures in your favorite fantasy settings.

Is there an author or a setting that you feel handled differences in culture and species well? Any books or games that have really done a bad job of developing a culture or the background for a fantasy race? Post any thoughts you have here.

All the best,

The Darkson Designs Crew

[evernevermore(john)]

Well the first question is different how?

For example Mary Gentle wrote a hilarious little book called Grunts (I highly recommend!) in which Halflings start out being portrayed as bog standard rpg Halfling, but they become more and more sleazy and depraved. Mary seriously did not like Halflings it seems.

On the otherhand you have stories from Terry Pratchett's Discworld where entire novels revolve around cultural, racial or sport team tensions, and do it with sardonic humor.

A little more in the vein I think youre going for is the Book of the New Sun saga, anything by Jack Vance, anything by Dan Abnett, Glen Cook's Garrett P.I. serious (fantasy noir - I highly recommend this one too), and the Dresden Files, specifically how the Fae are developed.

[abbysdad]

Sounds like you've picked up a lot of what we'd like to do.

As an example of something that's always bothered me, there are always different varieties of high elf, but there's only one race of dark elves, they live in caves, like spiders, and haven't developed multiple cultures?

Those sort of distinctions will come into play a lot. A long with some funny things from real life. For example, the Japanese were perhaps the finest swordsmen and swordsmiths in the world. They invented some unique and very efficient ways to combat swords. Brilliant tactics and techniques that are still very useful today. And yet...they could have gotten by with half of all that if someone had come up with the bright idea to just make a shield

Maintaining some of those differences, and making sure there are some unbalanced quirks and character in a race or culture is what makes them feel more realistic. And certainly more interesting to play with.

Cheers,

Chris

[Cilionelle]

Personally, I think Tolkien's elves were very well defined as distinct cultures, although not consistently so. Sindar, Noldor, etc, with linguistic and cultural differences abounding. As to the Dark Elves thing, even the three 'streams' of elves in GW's work (four if you look rather to the 40K universe) is pretty good. Most fantasy settings limit culture to tiny scope, missing that in the real world, even in England, there is a diversity of culture that is unmatched.

'Unbalanced' quirks are important in cultural terms, but even then seem to balance themselves out: even the best shield can be cut through, or the best sowrdsman with the keenest blade pincushioned by a lone longbowman...

As an aside, there is also a significant difference between archetype and culture.

[abbysdad]

True! But in that case, are you referring to archetype in the jungian sense or otherwise?

I think stereotypes about culture and people are what gets translated most often into fantasy. The noble savage being the most popular one. At some level, a stereotype becomes an archetype too. But not quite in the anima/animus sense. Just in people's minds when theyre making up characters. And then there are the times when a stereotype is laid over an archetype and you get the noble savage warrior woman, for example.

I liked Tolkien's background in the Silmarilion a lot. It still amazes me that he wrote all that out and figured how things would work in that level of detail before he wrote LOTR.

[Cilionelle]

It was the gift of subcreation.

[evernevermore(john)]

Apr 23, 2011 18:17:19 GMT -5 abbysdad said:

As an example of something that's always bothered me, there are always different varieties of high elf, but there's only one race of dark elves, they live in caves, like spiders, and haven't developed multiple cultures?

One of the big reasons for that is the simple fact that the dark elves are intended to be villains only. Much like the perennial argument of what is ethical to do the orc children after the adventurers have slaughtered the adults, the monsters were created as one dimensional enemies. So there always are too little development with them.

As to the Japanese - they have always been extremely obsessive about some things, and they also reached a point socially where improvements or changes to the way combat occured was looked down upon, as was shown by the decision to eliminate all matchlock guns and close contact with the outside world. It did not profit the people in charge to allow changes to the status quo, and firearms traditionally rather radically change the status quo.