Kadescorners - Gay Person Central - Tumblr Blog

Fantasy Guide to Building A Culture

Culture is defined by a collection of morals, ethics, traditions, customs and behaviours shared by a group of people.

Hierarchy and Social Structures

Within every culture, there is a hierarchy. Hierarchies are an important part of any culture, usually do ingrained that one within the culture wouldn't even question it. Hierarchy can be established either by age, gender or wealth and could even determine roles within their society. Sometimes hierarchy can may be oppressive and rigid whilst other times, ranks can intermingle without trouble. You should consider how these different ranks interact with one another and whether there are any special gestures or acts of deference one must pay to those higher than them. For example, the Khasi people of Meghalaya (Northern India), are strictly matrillineal. Women run the households, inheritance runs through the female line, and the men of the culture typically defer to their mothers and wives. Here are a few questions to consider:

How is a leader determined within the culture as a whole and the family unit?

Is the culture matriarchal? Patriarchal? Or does gender even matter?

How would one recognise the different ranks?

How would one act around somebody higher ranking? How would somebody he expected to act around somebody lower ranking?

Can one move socially? If not, why? If so, how?

Traditions and Customs

Traditions are a staple in any culture. These can be gestures or living life a certain way or to the way a certain person should look. Traditions are a personal detail to culture, they are what make it important. Tradition can dictate how one should keep their home, run their family, take care of their appearance, act in public and even determine relationship. Tradition can also be a double edged sword. Traditions can also be restrictive and allow a culture to push away a former member if they do not adhere to them, eg Traditional expectations of chastity led to thousands of Irish women being imprisoned at the Magdelene Laundries. Customs could be anything from how one treats another, to how they greet someone.

How important is tradition?

What are some rituals your culture undertakes?

What are some traditional values in your world? Does it effect daily life?

Are there any traditions that determine one's status?

Values and Opinions

Values and Opinions are the bread and butter of any culture. This is the way your culture sees the world and how they approach different life hurdles. These may differ with other cultures and be considered odd to outsiders, what one culture may value another may not and what opinion another holds, one may not. There will be historical and traditional reasons to why these values and opinions are held. Cultures usually have a paragon to which they hold their members to, a list of characteristics that they expect one to if not adhere to then aspire to. The Yoruba people value honesty, hard work, courage and integrity. Here are some questions to consider?

How important are these ethics and core values? Could somebody be ostracised for not living up to them?

What are some morals that clash with other cultures?

What does your culture precieved to be right? Or wrong?

What are some opinions that are considered to be taboo in your culture? Why?

Dress Code

For many cultures, the way somebody dresses can be important. History and ethics can effect how one is meant to be dressed such as an expectation of chastity, can impose strict modesty. While other cultures, put more importance on details, the different sorts of clothes worn and when or what colour one might wear. The Palestinian people (من النهر إلى البحر ، قد يكونون أحرارا) denoted different family ties, marriage status and wealth by the embroidery and detailing on their thoub.

Are there traditional clothes for your world? Are they something somebody wears on a daily basis or just on occasion?

Are there any rules around what people can wear?

What would be considered formal dress? Casual dress?

What would happen if somebody wore the wrong clothes to an event?

Language

Language can also be ingrained as part of a Culture. It can be a specific way one speaks or a an entirely different language. For example, in the Southern States of America, one can engage in a sort of double talk, saying something that sounds sweet whilst delivering something pointed. Bless their heart. I have a post on creating your own language here.

Arts, Music and Craft

Many cultures are known for different styles of dance, their artwork and crafts. Art is a great part of culture, a way for people to express themselves and their culture in art form. Dance can be an integral part of culture, such as céilí dance in Ireland or the Polka in the Czech Republic. Handicrafts could also be important in culture, such as knitting in Scottish culture and Hebron glass in Palestine. Music is also close to culture, from traditional kinds of singing such as the White Voice in Ukraine and the playing of certain instruments such as the mvet.

Food and Diet

The way a culture prepares or intakes or treats certain foods are important to a culture. In some cultures, there is a diet yo adhere to, certain foods are completely banned. With Jewish culture, pork is prohibited along with fish such as sturgeon, along with shellfish and certain fowl. Meat must also be prepared in a certain way and animal byproducts such as dairy, must never be created or even eaten around this meat. This is known as kosher. The way one consumes food is also important to culture. In some cultures, only certain people may eat together. Some cultures place important on how food is eaten. In Nigerian culture, the oldest guests are served first usually the men before the women. In Japanese culture, one must say 'itadakimasu' (I recieve) before eating. Culture may also include fasting, periods of time one doesn't intake food for a specific reason.

What are some traditional dishes in your world?

What would be a basic diet for the common man?

What's considered a delicacy?

Is there a societal difference in diet? What are the factors that effect diet between classes?

Is there any influence from other cuisines? If not, why not? If so, to what extent?

What would a typical breakfast contain?

What meals are served during the day?

What's considered a comfort food or drink?

Are there any restrictions on who can eat what or when?

Are there any banned foods?

What stance does your world take on alcohol? Is it legal? Can anybody consume it?

Are there any dining customs? Are traditions?

Is there a difference in formal meals or casual meals? If so, what's involved?

Are there any gestures or actions unacceptable at the dinner table?

How are guests treated at meals? If they are given deference, how so?

RESOURCES FOR POSES

Line of Action

JustSketch.Me

PoseManiacs

Human-Anatomy-For-Artist.com

MagicPoser

MIXAMO

Pose Archives

Bodies in Motion

Posemy.art

ReferenceAngle

CroquisCafe

Fantasy Guide to Weapons

So I have a post about swords already but I have decided to update it with a look at more weapons that can be wielded in fantasy battles. These weapons below were wielded in different time periods and by different sorts of warriors. Each link shows the damage these weapons could do to armour or the human body. (disclaimer: do not attempt this at home and there mentions and sights of blood and dismemberment.)

Swords

Swords are to fantasy as sand is to a beach. But they aren't always the common cross shape we see. Swords come in all kinds of sizes and all kinds of ability.

Anatomy of a typical blade

Crossguard: This is the part of the sword between the hilt and blade. This protects the hand from slipping and can be used as a weapon in itself.

Hilt: This is the part you hold. Also called a grip. Most gilts would me wrapped with leather for comfort and for better grasp.

Blade: The sharp end, duh

Pommel: This is a weight screwed into the hilt meant to ensure the sword is balanced.

Fuller: This is a hollow running up the sword. It makes the sword lighter.

Edge: The sharpened sides of the blade. Swords can be singular or double edged.

The point: The pointy bit at the top to stick into the enemy. (jon snow logic)

Kinds of swords

Gladius: An Ancient Roman blade used by gladiators and then legionaires. There is no crossguard. It is also called a shortsword. Made for stabbing rather than slashing.

Xiphos: A double-edged, single-handed sword used by Ancient Greeks. The blade is commonly leaf shaped made for slashing.

Rapier: This is a slender blade used by Renaissance warriors. This blade might not be able to hack a head but its light weight makes the blade an asset in speed. The rapier often had a caged-like crossguard to protect the hand from injury.

Katana: The infamous Japanese curved samurai sword. This is single-edged and the blade is hammered thin. Like most Japanese swords it was made for speed and deadly sharp.

Scimitar: A curved blade with a singled edge popular in Central Asia. The scimitar ranged from a thick sword to thin, wielded most effectively on horseback.

Shamshir: The shamshir is a curved Persian/Iranian sword. Shamshīr which means "lion's fang" is a one handed blade often single edged.

Longsword: The go to Medieval and Renaissance weapon commonly used with with two hands. The Longsword was a slender blade, hammer straight and was typically double edged.

Khopesh: The Khopesh is a hooked-shaped African blade wielded by the guards of Egyptian Pharaohs.

Mace/Morning Star

The Mace is probably the second most common weapons seen on the battlefield. The Mace is a thick ball of steel usually spiked resting on top of a haft of wood. The Mace is an easy enough weapon to use (step 1: beat opponent until subdued). The Mace and morning star are fixed upon the halft while the flail is the more mobile one swinging from the half by rope or short chain. You can see it in action right here.

Warhammer

The Warhammer was a weapon wielded by some medieval soldiers made of a haft of wood and an hammer-like head. The actual blade itself could be blunted like hammers we see today or edged like blades, meant for cutting as well as crushing. The back usually featured a hook-like pommel that could also be used as a weapon, able to pierce armour and flesh. The Warhammer was an effective weapon in battle.

Poleaxe

The Poleaxe was the weapon usually wielded by infrantry in the middle ages. It was constructed from a wooden haft with a steel head, usually curved at the front for slashing, set with a spike at the back and top for stabbing. The Poleaxe would be used for charging and for defence. The whole idea behind this many pronged weapon was to puncture, slash from a safe distance. The haft of the weapon could be used to trip and to maim an opponent. You can see it in action here. There were many variations of the Poleaxe namely the bill and the Halberd.

Pikes

The humble Pike is often mixed up with a Halberd and the Poleaxe. It is a long weapon, formed of a metal spike and a long wooden halft. The Pike would be used en masse by infrantry to deflect calvary and protect cannoniers and artillery from attack. Pikes were very effective if one wanted to stopper a full blown calvary charge. Outlaw King has a scene where this can be seen.

Axes

Axes have been used in battle for millenia. The Axe is a weapon that has evolved through out history and over the course of many cultures. Axes were used by soldiers in battles and raids, both as a close-quarters weapon and as a long range weapon. The Axe had numerous forms: throwing axes such as the francisca, short-hafted hand wielded axes and long-hafted Lochaber axes.