The Ways of Folk - A Template for Cultures

14 Mar, 2022

The Cave of Hands, Argentina

Often, when I'm worldbuilding, I start with a map. 

I form coastlines, mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, swamps, etc. Then I sprinkle a few seeds onto the map; peoples, powerful beings, natural magical phenomena, etc. At this point I start writing history. How did the people interact with the contents of the map? Who ruled? Who served? Who was loved? Hated? How did borders move, and what unexpected events popped up to shift the world? The Game "Microscope" by Ben Robbins is a wonderful system to gamify this process.

However, when we come to the table to play a game, the history of the world is not immediately apparent. Nor is it always necessary to know. Nor should the DM spend several hours dumping lore onto the party (unless they really enjoy that sort of thing). 

What is useful, and what - in my opinion - shapes the memories of our players, is the culture they engage with at the table. Like stepping foot in a foreign city for the first time, the cultures presented in our games are unknown to our players. Unfortunately, those cultures are all-too-often the same, a vaguely medieval setting with nobles in castles and peasants working the fields, praying to a small pantheon of samey deities.

What if we tried a different approach?

What if we started with people?

History in Reverse

Travelers to the Holy City of Tu'malia may not know that it once experienced an epidemic of vampirism led by the cult of the Grey Star, but they know that columns sided with polished mirrors are present at every intersection, and every family - no matter their personal beliefs - engraves their doorways with the holy symbol of Garan'ri, The Rising Sun. Furthermore, requesting an invitation is seen as an afront, while granting one is seen as a sign of true trust and friendship.

Players - who live in the day to day world of Earth - should see the strange things around them as fascinating and memorable. A character from a culture may know the lore of "Why we do things this way", but characters from other cultures may be just as intrigued by the odd practices as the players.

To achieve this fascination we can engage in a method of worldbuilding that lends itself to creative thought and unique people groups. We can write out a region's culture, and then ask how things got this way. Some day I might make roll tables for these questions, but for now, look at real world examples, shift them around, and have fun.

A Template for Cultures

SYMBOLS (What is their Communal Truth?)

• What common symbols do the people recognize? What do they represent?

LANGUAGE (What do they Say?)

• What language do the people speak? What does it sound like?
• What are 1-2 Idioms used by the people?
• What are 1-2 Exclamations or Oaths used by the people?

NORMS (What do they Do?)

• What are the cultural norms? Common issues are Gender Relations, Family Structure, Hospitality, Community Leadership, Spirituality, Agriculture, Transportation, Etc. A culture might adopt a strange norm if they're accustomed to odd circumstances (Such as trouble with vampires).

VALUES (What do they Pursue?)

• What are the most common values in this culture? E.G. Faithfulness, Wealth, Knowledge, Respect, Kindness, Status, Work Ethic, Art, Etc. You might list 2-3 values in order of importance.

ARTIFACTS (What objects do they Treasure?)

• What physical objects are important to the culture? These may be religious, practical, etc. It may be a single object held in a secure location, or it may be as common as a basin of water by the door for guests to wash their feet. List 2-3 of the most important.

If nothing comes to mind for one category, jump to the next. Then go back, then go forward. Let one category inform the others. Once you're happy with the culture, you start answering the question, "Why are these things important?"

The Talnish Culture

SYMBOLS

• The Many Hands - Painted on the walls of adobe huts. The hands are a reminder that every action touches the whole community. 
• The Fangs of Ord - Ritualistic representation of evil. Marked on houses of the diseased, and branded on the foreheads of murderers. No one knows the true face of Ord, only that he is death and hatred. It is believed that when Ord is finally slain the dead who stood against him will return, and all people will live at peace.

LANGUAGE

• Talnish - A language that sounds like the babbling of streams to those unfamiliar with it.
• A violent individual is said to be "growing fangs".
• "By Every Hand" is an oath not to be used lightly. Essentially, "May every hand strike me down if I do not fulfill my vow." It is most regularly used during the ceremonial institution of clan-leaders, and by couples during their wedding ceremony. A violation of this oath leads to exile from the clan, which typically means death.
• "Ord's Fangs" Is a common exclamation of fear or disgust.

NORMS

• Pregnant women are revered, as they have "more hands", and an action harming them harms two.
• The common greeting involves sliding one's palm against another's.
• Wearing bangs is considered deceitful.
• Each spring the village holds a ritual wherein each child who will reach adulthood in the following year adds their mark to each house in the village. The children then receive instruction from the elders, and are celebrated with a night of dancing and song.
• Each fall the village holds a ritual wherein the elderly (those with adult grandchildren) are prepared for combat against Ord. Before they leave, they impart all their wisdom to the next generation, and take part in a rare feast. Then they exile themselves from the village, and seek to slay Ord.

VALUES

• Life - "What can the dead taste?"
• Peace - "Anger is Ord's seed."
• Honor - "The spear raised against your brother will pierce your own heart."

ARTIFACTS

• The Talnish people have few objects of value. Their lives are mostly spent in preserving the peace and well-being of their community.
• They use their natural resources well, and are excellent at crafting bows, spears, and wooden shields, but they have not developed metallurgy. They also practice pottery, weaving, and painting.
• During the Sending, when the elderly depart to wage war against Ord, each member wears a wooden chest-plate painted with the hands of the village's youngest children. These wooden plates are revered, and some claim they grant luck to those who wear them. If one is found in the wilderness, the villagers return it to the family's home, where it then hangs on the walls in memory of the ancestors.