Fantasy Writers Guild - Land and Society

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Jan 8, 2010, 10:17am

Fantasy Writers Guild :: Society :: Society :: Land and Society

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Topic: Land and Society (Read 151 times)

Anton Stenner
Sociologist

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Land and Society
« Thread Started on Sept 9, 2007, 6:41pm »

Land and Society

Society is one of the hardest things to make your own. You have to take several things into account, such as the climate, the area of land they live on, what the people look like, eat, their religious habits, their cultural habits…and most of that revolves on the way the land looks.

The very first things you do before ever doing anything else is start out with a basic layout of the land. This could be as extensive as creating an entire world of your own, or just making a mental image of the setting that surrounds the place your story takes place in. This is the most important thing. If you have a society living on an Island in the middle of the ocean, chances are they will be expert boats men, and eat mainly fish and the island plants. The way the land around them is also affects their religious beliefs. Most likely an Island Culture will worship Deities of the ocean. Also the way the climate is around the general area of your story is a big factor. It its icy and cold, the People will probably be in the northern or southern parts of the world, meaning that their food would be similar to whales seals and penguins. Also if it’s cold then the people will probably wear heavier clothing than they would in a more tropical environment. Holidays, Spiritual events, the recourses and traded goods in a area all are important parts in society, and with out the way the features of the land around your society, it just doesn’t seam to fit together. Over all the way the Society functions depends entirely on what the land around the characters look and feels like.

General Tips for Land vs Society

Costal/Island

Fishermen, Strong Navy, very advanced Irrigation and ships, Worship some sort of Water god (depending on Religion, may be Christian or something like that.)

Mountainous

Hunters/Gatherers, Strong infantry/weaponry, Advanced miners, Worship some sort of Earth God (once again depending on religion.)

Plains

Farmers, Medium army (better at defensive things) Irrigation is advanced for farming, Worship some sort of Air or Earth God or Goddess (depending on religion)

Swamp

Hunter/Gatherers OR Parasitic people (thieves), Live in either floating cities or Mud huts depending on swamp, Light army; Navy would be slightly stronger, Worship a God or Goddess of Mischief OR God or Goddess of Earth AND water (depending on Religion)

Jungle/Rainforest
Hunter/gatherers, big cities with massive temples, primitive barbaric people, Strong Armies good at ambushes, Worship a Forest God or Goddess, or a God of the Sun (depending on religion)

Forested (mountain forest, high altitude forest)

Hunter/gatherers, Hidden cities in mountains or on mountainside, Strong Infantry, Lumberjacks and Miners, Worship a Mountain God or Goddess (depending on religion)

Tundra

Hunters, Strong Navy, Live in Ice Cities (igloos), Worship god or goddess of Water (depending on Religion)

Desert

Barbaric race depends on Trade and Desert animals, Strong Army no navy, live in large concentrated cities, Worship God or Goddess of the sun (Depending on Religion)

This is just a very basic out line, and can be changed to be however you want, but this is the way most people have their society based on the land around them. Once again it is a very basic layout and can and probably will change for everything.

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