Cultural Traits of Man

[GMDijarian]

Hi again!

This thread goes with the other one I posted http://palladiumbooks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=151134&sid=d7a828f96b4ebdf288afbb9229742dbb <- there...

Anyways Im starting a new game using a different system, but that is set in the Palladium World ( Because we all like the lore and setting.)

I played Palladium as my first dedicated RPG back 16 years ago and played it solely for around 10 years, so Im no n00b to the setting.

The question I would pose here -for setting and scenario staking in the other game, is what cultural traits do you think define the Mannish Kingdoms in Palladium?

Usually these character traits are three adjective that describe...most - not all, of the population of that culture.

For an example I would propose that Bizantium may be:

Proud, Sea-faring, Stern

or

Tall, Bearded, Smells of Sea Salt

If you could help Im looking for ideas for each of the Mannish Cultures including.

Northerns - Woflen Empire
Bizantium
Lopan
Eastern Territories
Western Empire
Yin-Sloth/Land of the South Winds
Timiro

thanks for the help in advance.

[kiralon]

Northerners: Wolfen Empire - Most Honourable of the Lands, Militant, Clean, Honest. Coldest winters, Biggest forest.
Bizantium: Proud Seafaring race, best sailors in palladium. Diplomatic.
Lopan: Diplomatic, Tourist Loving, Caters to visitors (and a bit like Switzerland during ww2)
Eastern Territories: Militant, Best Mercenaries, Good Farmers, Religious.
Western Empire: Oldest human culture, corrupt, Government is predominantly evil and/or self serving. Best mages guilds.
Yin-Sloth: Dangerous, Very Dangerous, Go there to get glory (and more likely die). Cannibals, Ruins bad mojo. Best place to look for a T-Rex other then LotD.
Land of the South Winds: Closed Matriarchal system with Coastal cities that welcome visitors, but the rest of the country doesn't. Unfriendly, paranoid.
Timiro: Best Knights of the human realms, proud, militant, Best mines.
Baalgor Wastlands: Watch out for the Sandwyrms. Ancient Magics. More dangerous then yin sloth. Cultural Hotpot. Keep an eye out for Muad'Dib.
Phi: Bunch of holier than thou mystics. Greek like and full of people who cant give a straight answer to what's the weather like outside (common answer is 'what does your heart tell you').
Land of the Damned: Kills 1d4 pc's per day (Roll at breakfast time).
Floenry Isles: Aaar there be pirates.
Old Kingdom: Treasure, Glory, Monsters to be killed bravely. More treasure, elf and dwarf ruins. Lots of goblinoids and their ilk. Rescue a princess or 2 from a dragon.
Ophids Grasslands: Mongol style clansman on horseback, best light cavalry. smelly, eat a lot of mutton. Best horses in the world.
Kiridin: Barbaric Barbarians.
The Hinterlands: Fairies, Magic critters, borderlanders harvesting the great forest.


Mine varies from the books a little as I made up a lot of this before a lot of the other books came out.

[GMDijarian]

Thanks for your reply Kiralon.

[GMDijarian]

I've done a bit further work on this project. Please someone let me know if they feel like this fits, or is way off course. These are cultural character traits for a new game I am starting using Palladium Fantasy as a setting. They are based per kingdom basically.

Bizantium
Tall, Proud, Call of the Sea

Eastern Territories
Ambitious, Devout, Hard-working

Timiro
Antiquated, Arrogant, Dutiful

Western Empire
Esoteric, Faded, ...?

Yin-Sloth
Fiery, Short, Speaks with Hands[?]

Any other suggestions? Changes? I still have a few to work on.

Lopan for example. Should the traits be the same as the East, or different?

[Veknironth]

Well, I understand the concept behind this but I hesitate in any sphere to create stereotypes for people, or to encourage stereotyping. And I know I am including fictional people, but it's more trying to go against the practice.

-Vek
"I know, killjoy."

[GMDijarian]

I think we're talking distinguishing qualities and genetically determined characteristics.

I get the sense that perhaps this isn't the forum I was looking for.

[Veknironth]

Well, I'd argue that the scope is just too broad. If you break it down to smaller groups that would have more in common, I'd be more behind it. For example, soldiers tend to have certain attributes, fishermen others, maids others, a certain tribe has similar traits. I just find that making it an entire nation to be too broad a brush. If you have an occupation that draws a type of person, or requires certain traits in order to succeed, you're going to see much more similarity. Those would be tempered by cultural influences as well. Byzantium warlocks might be different than Timiro ones, and within each cohort, the various elements would be different from each other, and there would be individuals in each.

You certainly could have a small, secluded society that might be more homogeneous.

Now what would be interesting is that these ideas are stereotypes propagated by other societies. So each society thinks it's the best and has negative views of other societies, or perhaps positive ones. You can see this in the books with the Eastern Territory's skewed views of the Wolfen, and vice versa. Then the PC's could choose to accept these as truths or not, and then be confronted with biases when they encounter people from that group.

-Vek
"I think I took this way off of the original post."

[mirithol]

Land of the Damned: Kills 1d4 pc's per day (Roll at breakfast time).

LMAO - My kind of place.