Neng World building

Based on Patricia Wrede's "World Building Questionnaire"

Architecture
Arts and Entertainment
Calendar
Crime and the Legal System
Daily Life
Diet
Fashion and Dress
Eating Customs
Education
Foreign Relations
Gestures
Government
Greeting and Meeting
Language
Magic and Magicians
Magic and Technology
Manners
Medicine
People and Customs
Physical and Historical Features
Politics
Population
Religion and Philosophy
Rules of Magic
Rural Factors
Science and Technology
Social Organization
Transportation and Communications
Urban Factors
Visits
War
Wizards

Architecture

The most common building materials are stone and wood. Stone is invariably used for the first floor of any structure, originally because of defensibility, now because of tradition. Wood may be used in upper floors because it's cheaper, but wooden structures are known to have problems, not just with flammability, but also being more susceptible to spirit infestation. Roofs are of tile or slate, unless belonging to someone very poor, in which case thatch is used.
Buildings are normally ornamented with dressed stone in various colors and patterns, and elaborately carved door posts. Eaves are also often ornamented by more well-to-do inhabitants, and usually end in an upward curving sweep to redirect areal spirits back towards the sky. Any significant structures will have gargoyle spirit catchers overhanging the roofs. Windows are never found on the ground floor, at least on the outer wall, except in cities where there may be one over-sized heavily-shuttered window that serves as a counter for the ground floor shop when it's open. Typical homes will have bright streamers and wind-chimes dangling from the eaves as offerings to passing wind spirits.
Peasant and rural dwellings are usually a single story, but it is easy enough to build a two-story building; a home in a town or city would never be one-story, and might be as many as three. Buildings tend to have tall, peaked roofs to deal with the heavier snowfalls; in small buildings the ends will be higher than the middle, giving it a sort of saddle-back look, while larger buildings will have a straight roof line (and the interior space will be used for storage). Larger buildings are expensive, and are usually fortifications (including manor houses and inns) or churches, except in the cities where there are sometimes blocks of apartments. In Fericope two or three stories is the norm, while in Loiborra, traditionalists adhere to a multi-family long-house, although these are getting rarer.
Buildings are normally rectangular, with the interiors laid out in a spiraling pattern from a central square area. The smaller the building, the more likely it is to conform to the pattern of an inner chamber, with a series of smaller outer chambers around it, finally leading to an entrance chamber (the smallest buildings will just be the inner chamber, an L-shaped outer chamber, and an entryway). As the building gets larger, and it becomes more of a nuisance to have to circle around to get into the inner rooms, cross-hallways start to appear, and interior courtyards become common; in fortifications and palaces the original spiral layout may have all but disappeared.
A typical house has four or five occupants, all within the immediate family, and consists of five rooms (an inner sleeping chamber, an outer sleeping and eating chamber, a store-room/work-room, a kitchen, and an entry-room), plus a cellar.
Lower-class dwellings will have bare, unfinished stone, dirt floors with rushes (save in the innermost chamber, which will have a raised wooden platform floor), and little furniture. The wealthier the inhabitants, the more finished stonework is displayed in both the interior and the exterior, the more likely the floors are to be raised and for the room to posses a genuine ceiling rather than being open to the roof, and the more elaborate and fancier the door-post materials are, as well as the more likely that there is at least one interior courtyard. Middle-class and above have more and better furniture, and special purpose rooms, as well as separate bedrooms for the various inhabitants. Houses in the city are more likely to have multiple floors, with the "inner" rooms being displaced to the upper floors, and are more likely to have the ground floor taken over by a shop (usually, but not always, the shop run by the home-owner).
The inner-most rooms are the bedrooms, the outermost rooms are the rooms for receiving guests and transacting business. Parlors for receiving guests are common, even in the poorest homes (although they might consist of nothing more than an unfurnished square area big enough for three people to stand), but things like libraries and conservatories would only be found in the homes of the wealthiest inhabitants.
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Arts and Entertainment

Theater, story-telling and singing are the most respected arts throughout Neng, with Loiborrans carrying the love of singing to extremes (for instance every Loiborran shop-keeper has his or her own market song which they use to try to entice people to sample their wares). The opening of a new play in the city is a big event, and the arrival of a troupe of traveling players in a town or village will usually be enough to declare an impromptu holiday. Great actors and singers are revered. Other arts, such as painting, sculpting, and so forth, are generally regarded like macramé or furniture making-- useful crafts, perhaps capable of creating objects of beauty, but not Art with a capital A.
Performing artists are supported by contributions for their performances (for street theatre), or a cut of the admissions for permanent venues. Craft artists are supported by commissioned works or selling their wares.
Every town worth the name will have a permanent theater (generally an amphitheater), owned by the Farmer or Thein, run by the Thein's household (i.e. the Farmwife or Theinah). In all but the largest cities, however, there will be no permanent theater troupe for the theater, and even there, the house players will be supplemented by travelling troupes. By tradition, the performers get 100% of the gate, but voluntarily contribute 40% to the upkeep of the theater as an offering to Pyryd, the patron God of the performing arts. In places too small for a permanent theater, the performers keep the lot.
Loiborrans are crazy for dance and singing contests, while gambling (as long as it's outside city limits) is enjoyed by all.
Magic can be used in the arts, but permanent magical artistic artifacts (such as a harp that glows with lights as its played) are expensive. Illusion magic (employing light spirits controlled by a Thaumaturge) has a respected place in providing special effects in a theatrical troupe, but isn't seen as a form of entertainment in its own right.
Theinorrans tend to prefer outdoor sports, particularly ones involving horses. For the Theins these are riding sports, while for the Theals riding sports are uncommon, since they can't afford horses (although they'll happily bet on the outcome of the Theins' games). The most popular non-equestrian sports are Ball--which is like Rugby, but without the concern for safety and sportsmanship-- and Ring--which is a martial arts contest of either knocking the opponent out of the ring, or knocking him out, period. Ring may be armed or unarmed combat, by mutual agreement of the participants. Hunting is a common leisure activity among the upper classes, but hawking is unknown as a sport (it's too easy to lose a hawk to a fractious air-spirit for it to have caught on).
Card games (including non-betting ones) are common, using a hexagonal deck of cards (still used for fortune telling sometimes). Poker (or a reasonable facsimile) is the most popular gambling card game. There is a game similar to chess without the queens, called Thein's Tower, or just Tower, and another one similar to Go-Moku called Spirit-Line.
Loiborrans are all born with perfect pitch (perfect absolute pitch, in fact) and are acknowledged as the greatest singers of all. On the other hand, their overwhelming preference for tragedy in drama makes them less popular among the other nations theatergoers.
Batrachs and Sea Goblins have their own set of leisure activities, which humans mostly don't know about or are not suited for. Batrachs are partial to a dance form that includes prodigious leaps and spins, while Sea Goblins love a game of under-water tag, and singing sea-chanteys beyond the range of human hearing. The Pride are also great dancers, and once in a while one will join a human troop for a while, before getting bored and returning to the forest. All races will play Ring, given willing opponents.
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Calendar

There is a single calendar throughout Neng, but outside of Neng proper other calendars are used.
The day is divided into twenty-four hours, twelve daylight hours of equal length and twelve nighttime hours also of equal length. The length of the hour thus varies with the time of year, with the length of day and night hours only being equal to each other around the equinox. The hours are named after animals in the following order, starting at dawn: Gull, Wren, Hawk, Horse, Ox, Donkey, Cat, Dog, Bear, Badger, Boar, Serpent. The night hours have the same name as the day hours, but during the spring and summer they are referred to as the lesser, while during the autumn and winter they are called the greater. Thus in the winter, the Greater Hour of the Serpent is the hour just before dawn, while in the summer it's the one just before dusk. The animals are the totem animals of each of Noah's twelve companions; allegedly they are the first animals that each one met upon coming to the Land of Neng.
There are twelve months, named after the gods: Bar-ara, Alea, Ryam, Tyn, Pyryd, Uruth, Adero, Rei, Basatia, Harm, Caf, and Baal. Each consists of six weeks, of six days each. There are no leap years, or other funny business.
The two most important festivals of the year are generally Winterfair and Summerfair, although in Harmody Opening Day is easily as important. The first day of the first month is Noah's Day, the most important holiday celebrating the human's freedom from Nefari captivity, and the beginning of spring planting (it is also a holy day to Alea). Other holidays include midsummer's Night, midwinter's Eve, Feric's Day (a craft holiday), Lilith's Day (a romantic holiday), Harvest Home, and Ghosts Walk Eve. There are many local holidays and festivals to honor local gods, spirits, and the local Thein's birthdays.
Events are dated according to the reign of the Thein of Theins. It is currently the 30th year of the reign of Joam.
Generally people in Theinorra tell the time during daylight hours by bells rung in the Farmer's and Thein's manor houses, or by sundials (which have hours laid out in a spiral pattern, so that the length of the shadow picks out the right length of hour for the time of year). In the cities of Gantiope and Chandiope, there are gigantic statues constructed by Feric himself that mark the time. Fericopeans have begun using, and selling, mechanical (pendulum) clocks. Harmodeans use water clocks, while Loiborrans and Andorrans just eyeball the sun.
There is a three-day festival at the end of the year, just before Noah's Day, that falls outside the calendar proper, and represents the time that Noah and the Fox spent in the underworld, rescuing Lilith, and destroying the God of Stone's power.
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Crime and the Legal System

Magic is thoroughly integrated into governance. Generally judges, whether Theinorran Justiciars, Fericopean Inquirers, Loiborran Seers, Andorran Speakers, or whatever, are either users of truth-compelling magic, or have recourse to those who do. Divination is also common for ferreting out criminals.
Normally, in Theinorra, magical methods may be used to gather evidence that will be used to decide whether to lay charges, but cases aren't tried by evidence. Only confession, whether voluntary, or compelled by magic, counts for conviction. Torture is never permitted (at least in the legal system). In non-criminal cases involving Theals, legal decisions by the Farmer or Thein are the norm; there is a system of precedent, and of contract law, but the Theins aren't bound by the letter of a contract if they deem the contract or circumstances unjust. Disputes between Theins can only be resolved by the Thein of Theins, the Chief Justiciar, or the Champion of the Realm (depending upon the nature of the dispute). In Loiborra, the Seer ingests drugs and receives judgment from Baal, the God of Dreams and Death. In Andorra, the entire tribe consults the Elders, and receive the judgment from beyond the grave (exactly how this differs from Necromancy is unclear to the other nations of Neng, which is one reason Andorrans are close-mouthed about their system of justice).
Decisions of Theins may be appealed to a Justiciar, but only on the grounds of unjustness, not violation of precedent or contract. Decisions of the Thein of Theins may not be appealed. Decisions of Loiborran Seers and Andorran Elders may be appealed to Baal and the Elders themselves, directly.
The Theinless are forbidden to carry weapons, but otherwise there are few laws forbidding training or access to weapons (an exception is in the city of Chandiope, where only Theins are allowed to carry weapons bigger than a knife, and all ranged weapons are forbidden).
The two most common types of forensic magic are witchcraft (to try to discover bonds between the criminal and the victim) and wizardry (to try and interrogate local spirits to see if they noticed anything). Generally these are only used in the case of murder, rape, and torture, since most lesser crimes don't leave a strong enough psychic impression; one exception is crimes committed by magic, which have a much better chance of leaving discoverable psychic residue.
Necromancy is flat-out illegal in all its forms, but otherwise spells are illegal only where the application of non-magical means towards the same ends would also be illegal. Enchantment is something of a gray area: mentally compelling someone to do an action (sign a contract, have sex), is the same as physically compelling them (through deed or threat), but using a glamour to make yourself seem more trustworthy or attractive is arguably no different than using dress, makeup or perfume to the same ends. One can bring charges of criminal use of magic just as any other charge, and the courts treat it the same way.
There are no separate courts for civil and criminal, magic or non-magical matters, nor are there separate courts for non-humans within the human communities of Neng. Outside of Neng, non-humans will have their own courts, and those non-humans who live within Neng but separate from the human communities, such as the Batrach, presumably have their own judicial systems.
The most serious crimes are murder, rape, treason, necromancy, gambling within city limits (based on an obscure prophecy during Noah's time), enslavement of sentient beings, and worship of either the Sun God or the God of Stone.
Imprisonment is extremely rare as a penalty for a crime. For serious crimes the penalty is usually death or exile (which amounts to the same thing in most people's eyes), for minor crimes it is usually a fine, or physical punishment such as whipping, branding, or the stocks. Occasionally, important people who can't be allowed to wander around but can't be killed (for political reasons or lack of evidence) are committed to a sort of house arrest, but this is rare.
Responsibility for catching criminals falls upon the Justiciars in Theinorra, the Sheriff in Harmody, the Guard in Port Autumn, and the clan leaders in Loiborra and Andorra. Justiciars are appointed by the Thein of Theins, and are itinerant, travelling as they will. The large cities have Justiciars as permanent residents
There is no such thing as lawyers or advocates. The job of the Justiciars and other law enforcement agents is to see that justice is done, and at least for the Justiciars it is important that justice be done visibly and that the community agrees (although there's no poll or vote) that the ruling was just. In the ideal situation, at least in civil cases, even the participants agree with the ruling, and in many cases the Justiciars act more like arbitrators than judges--but there's no doubt that the arbitration is binding.
Since criminals can only be convicted by confession (albeit magically compelled), there is no formal principal of innocent until proven guilty. The nature of such compulsion spells is well understood, and they are always conducted publicly so that it can be seen that the questions are fair ("Tell us in your own words what happened last night") rather than leading ("You did it, didn't you?").
Besides the Theins and chieftains serving as judges, there are the Justiciars selected and paid by the Thein of Theins. Outlying areas will be visited by a Justiciar at least once a season, or by special request (either by the local ruler or his superior). "Mob justice" is uncommon in the settled lands, and vigorously disapproved of, but certainly not unknown, particularly in the fringe areas.
There are laws requiring Enchanters to wear silver chains somewhere visible on their person, but these are loosely enforced, and it is forbidden for lay-people to dress as a priest of one of the official cults, nor may anyone not in the service of a Thein dress in the livery of that Thein. The Theinless must only dress in brown, although the exact clothes don't matter, and are forbidden to wear any kind of scarf, face covering, or hood.
Highwaymen and bandits are common, even in settled areas, but are reluctant to use deadly force because of the problem of death curses. On the other hand, since death curses are known not to obtain to money, heavily traded goods, and raw materials (anything that is too little associated with the owner to develop a bond), it is wise for the traveler not to count too heavily upon this. And monsters and non-humans are either immune to or unaware of death curses, so are a threat regardless. Muggers are almost unheard of in anything smaller than a city; the chances of concealing oneself from the local witch or a passing Justiciar are just too low. Pirates, particularly the Sea Raiders, are a constant threat to Ocean-going vessels. During his lifetime, the average citizen is likely to run into pickpockets and cutpurses, particularly in the cities, repeatedly, and if he travels frequently a bandit or two. He will probably be passed some counterfeit currency at some point, and if a shopkeeper lose goods to pilferage, and be swindled with shoddy goods or fake nostrums. Only the unusually unlucky will be murdered, but assault or rape is likely enough if you travel alone in rough neighborhoods in the cities. The wealthy certainly have to worry about burglary or robbery, but may well go their entire lives without it happening to them if they take precautions.
In Theinorra, only the Thein of Theins can make or repeal criminal laws, although all Theins of towns and cities are free to enact local ordinances (punishable by fines, but nothing more--although the fines might be ruinous). Likewise only the Thein of Theins can grant monopolies, but the local Theins have a pretty free hand in regulating economic activity, extracting license fees, and so on. In Loiborra, things are more a matter of custom than law: every chieftain is free to make whatever decisions regarding custom that he wants and his clan will stand for (this circumstance is strangling trade in Loiborra, and makes smuggling one of the chief economic activities in the border regions). In Harmody and Port Autumn laws are passed by the variously constituted elected governments.
In Theinorra, the Justiciars have extremely limited powers to detain people, or even to investigate them, prior to the leveling of formal charges, and are expected to be able to proceed rapidly from the laying of charges to the resolution of the matter. Importantly, the Justiciar may never level charges on his own account, the charges must be laid to him by some third party. The third party is often the local Thein, conveniently enough (Theinorrans don't share the American notion of needing to have "standing"--a practical interest in the outcome of the case--in order to bring an action), but where one of the Thein's people is the target of the accusation it can be difficult for the Justiciar to find someone to bring the charge. Justiciars have no official standing in a case unless it has been formally brought before them, which has led to many of the Justiciars creating an informal secret police of personal followers who attempt to unofficially determine such things as whether a crime has in fact been committed.
Justiciars (and their subordinates) will never "rough-up" suspects, although they would beat a convicted criminal if that is the sentence. They will use whatever non-lethal force is necessary to capture someone who has been formally accused of a crime, but will never kill someone for simply trying to elude capture; if a suspect (not a convict) ends up dead before the trial, the Justiciar better be able to produce a wounded officer to demonstrate the necessity.
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Daily Life

The people of Neng are curious about foreigners, and someone obviously foreign will seldom have to pay for his own drinks in a tavern if he's willing to share his experiences of life outside Neng. By and large, non-humans are just a more exotic form of foreigner, although there is some prejudice against Batrachs, Sea Goblins and Sea Raiders (although most of that is attributable to the Sea Raiders behavior, not their appearance). People in Neng have a live-and-let-live attitude towards other ideas and religions; they accept that different lands, spirits and gods may require different customs, but they are slow to accept change in their own ideas and customs. Although they have a fairly comfortable existence, they realize how precarious that existence is, and how it is influenced by powers beyond human control and comprehension. There is a real danger, they feel, in changing things that have worked so far. The exception are the Fericopeans, who are enamored of technological change, and are always ready to beat a path to the door of the person with the better mouse-trap.
In Theinorra, there is little upward social mobility between the Theal caste and the Thein caste, but going from Theinless to Theal is as simple as finding a Thein who will accept your service. Within a caste, however, individuals range from the very wealthy to the poor as dirt. There are Theals (mostly merchants), who are richer than all but the richest Theins, and there are Theins (mostly the younger sons and daughters of Farmers) who don't have two copper pittances to rub together. It is within the power of the Thein of Theins to ennoble a Theal, and it has been done as reward for great service, but not recently (in the past 5 years). There would be a certain amount of resistance among the Theins to a new Thein, particularly if that Thein were granted settled lands (which the existing Theins might have had their eye on for their own kin). The other societies, particularly those of Harmody and Port Autumn tend to be more open (and more plutocratic).
Wine and spices from the Spice Isles are major trade luxuries. An important non-consumer luxury is a household spirit.
Theinorrans tend to be tall and fair. Blond, redhead, and brunette are all common, with black hair somewhat less so, although by no means rare. Blue and brown eyes are the most common. Average height is between 5’5" and 5’9". Loiborrans are almost all blonde, with the occasional light brunette, and tend towards the tall (5’7" to 6’) pale and thin, with pale blue or gray eyes. Fericopeans are pygmies (average height only 4’) and have dark brown skin, and black hair, and brown, black or, rarely, yellow eyes. Andorrans are huge (average height 7’) and covered with brown or black hair. Their eyes are usually green or sometimes brown. Harmodeans are medium height, tanned, with black or brown hair, and dark blue or gray eyes. Folk from Port Autumn can display any coloration or features. Sea Raiders are jet-black or lava red, with eyes of the opposite color, and no hair. Sea Goblins are look like 3-4’ tall otters, with green or blue-green fur.
Furniture is heavy, solid, and elaborately carved wood, padded with cloth cushions. It is often decorated with inlaid stone. Thrones are usually carved from solid stone, and finished in animal hides. In Neng, when in private, people eat reclining on couches. Chairs or stools are for sitting on while working at crafts. Inns, public spaces, and large gatherings will have benches instead of couches, and mostly people have to eat sitting up. Nails are seldom used in putting together furniture, except among the Fericopeans.
Beds, if they are more than a simple pallet, are raised slightly off the floor (not enough for a person to fit beneath one), and have posts and curtains for privacy, since family members tend to sleep in the same room, even in decent-sized houses. Only the Farmers and above, or the wealthiest Theals, will have separate bedrooms for different family members. In settings where more than a single family shares space (such as a temple, monastery, or other such institution), the different families will have different bedrooms. Exterior doorways always have a small niche for a water bottle that is uses to pour a drink to propitiate the house spirit upon entering the home. The water bottle is attached to the niche with a small cord or chain, and in wealthy houses can be quite elaborately carved and decorated.
The Nengites are careful about plumbing and sanitation; demons and disease spirits are attracted by filth and waste (this isn’t a metaphor, disease in Neng is caused by hostile spirits, not microorganisms). Usually, people use chamber pots with a stone dropped in them in a simple act of sympathetic magic (the stone slows the action of spirits and petrifies the waste). The wealthier can afford to use actual sorcery, either a chamber pot with a stone spirit, or (particularly in large or public buildings, a latrine with a gargoyle. Waste is disposed of in compost heaps guarded by totems (public heaps in villages and towns, private ones on farms, where there is immediate re-use). The Theinless can often find work as night-soil men, particularly in towns. It is the responsibility of the householder to make arrangements. Recently, the Fericopeans have been exporting plumbing with running water (which they’ve been using for years), taking advantage of the powerful sympathetic magic that running water provides. Fericopean toilets use continuously running water (since stagnant water is a spirit problem in itself), kept in motion by water sprites or mechanical pump, or some combination. This has given rise to a new profession, that of plumber, and most of its practitioners are Fericopean. Plumbing is still extremely uncommon outside of cities and large towns.
Disasters are all too common in Neng, and one of the reasons that the human population hasn’t grown as much as it might. Since disasters such as fire, floods, volcanoes, plague, and monster rampages, are usually the work of powerful spirits, it is the job of the priests and monster-hunters to figure out how to appease or drive off the spirits. On a more prosaic level, people often flee the site of a disaster stricken area, moving themselves and their families to a safer Farm or Theinhold. It is the responsibility of the local Theins to provide disaster relief, help Theals rebuild, and either solve the spirit problems themselves or hire people capable of doing so. Theins will often go to the aid of their local fellow-Theins, if they can afford the resources to do so, and may appeal to the Thein of Theins for aid. The current Thein of Theins, Joam, has proposed a tax that would be ear-marked for a fund for just such purposes, but so far the Council of Theins has resisted, since some part of Neng are much more prone to difficulty than others.
In the country, people get up at daybreak. In the city, it’s usually later than that; shops usually open around the Hour of the Horse. Most people tell time by the bells, unless they happen to be near a sundial or own some sort of clock. In Gantiope, it is possible to tell time by the position and predominant color of the rainbow that arches from the central statue of General Gant, while in Chandiope a similar statue of Chand sounds the next few bars of Chand’s Song on each hour.
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Diet

Holiday foods include venison and boar, and a sort of spun-sugar loaf on Ghost’s Walk Eve. The autumn is the time for apple cider and applejack, while the summer is the time for fresh fruit and juice.
When a guest arrives, food and drink are offered immediately, three times. The guest is expected to decline twice, and then accept. It is mildly rude to decline the third time (it implies that you don’t think the food is good enough), but insulting to try to dispense with the formalities. It is a mortal insult to refuse to offer something, even to your worst enemy (and totally beyond the pale to use the opportunity to poison him). The customary drinks to offer a guest are water, homebrewed beer, or tea, and the customary foods are small cakes, with sweet filling. In season, fruit is pressed upon the departing guest, and homebrewed beer is suitable any time.
Normally there are three meals in a day: a large breakfast, a light lunch, and a large late-evening dinner around the Hour of the Dog. Breakfast is taken in the house, while lunch is eaten in the fields, at the shop, or on the road. Dinner is usually a multi-family affair, traditionally involving the entire Farmhold held in the Farmer’s manor. In areas such as towns or cities where this is impractical, people still try to keep the spirit of the tradition by forming dinner groups consisting of, for instance, all the householders of a single block. In the countryside, dinners are usually well organized, and follow a strict work rotation, using food grown and raised in common on the Farmhold. In the towns this is rare, except where groups of tradesmen have formed dinner clubs, or in the households of Theins and their retainers. Dinners in town are more likely to be potluck, and for many people lunch is supplanting dinner as the major meal of the day.
Typical dishes are stews and casseroles, breads (often filled with meat or vegetables), and game where available. Wine is drunk, but must all be imported, so even the cheap wines aren’t daily fare except in the port cities (Port Autumn and Harmody, mainly). Beer, ale, and cider are much more common beverages, and nearly every householder takes pride in a homebrewed beer. Monthly beer festivals provide an opportunity to share and compare, and the local Theins will sometimes offer substantial prizes, particularly for a brew to mark a special occasion such as a marriage or naming ceremony. Professional breweries are becoming big business in the cities.
Water from a flowing stream is always safe to drink (unless it’s been poisoned), since the spirits of running water will dissolve and dispel any hostile magical influences. Towns and cities tend to be built on streams and rivers, but this doesn’t always guarantee a convenient supply of water, and out in the country water can be a problem when not near a stream. Any water left to sit too long (about a week) will attract dangerous spirits, and it’s generally safer to drink beer or ale. Certain lakes and ponds are also safe, but you have to know the nature of the dominant spirit. Households (such as castles) that are large enough to afford their own water spirit are guaranteed a supply of fresh water, as do the Fericopean plumbing devices. Several towns now have town fountains built by Fericopeans, and providing running water for all.
Corn and cornmeal are considered peasant food, suitable more for livestock than humans. Wheat, barley, and soy are staples, and meat such as chicken, lamb or beef is not uncommon. Rice is basically unknown. Domesticated pigs are unknown, so pork only comes from wild boars, which are difficult to hunt and not generally found in heavily settled areas. Fish and shellfish are staples along the coast and as a supplement near rivers and lakes.
Food is highly spiced, and full of strong flavors. Peppers, chili, paprika, saffron, and mint are all readily available. Many other spices (e.g. nutmeg, oregano, cardamom, turmeric, fennel, anise) are imported from the Spice Islands. Imported spices can be expensive, and so tend to be used more with breakfast foods and holiday cooking. Nengites prefer main dishes to be highly spiced, while the side dishes provide simpler flavors as counterpoint. Pickling is also popular, more for flavor than out of necessity.
Most non-meat foods can be preserved indefinitely via simple magic on the store-room, but meat must be smoked (meat is more susceptible/attractive to spirits). The magic that preserves the food (bans the spirits from the area) cannot be made portable save at great expense, so travelers food must be fresh, smoked, or pickled.
In Theinorra, during comparatively rare times of famine, children and women have first crack at the food (in that order), with farm laborers and then warriors following (this is part of the deal with Alea). In Andorra, it is the Elders who have the first claim on food, while in Loiborra it is the priests.
The Pride and the Pack are carnivores, and cannot easily digest vegetable matter. It is said that they prefer their food raw, but will defer to humans cooking habits when in human lands. Batrachs eat insects and small animals live. Sea-Goblins eat fish and seaweed. Sea-Raiders prefer human flesh, but will eat whatever food is handy. Most non-humans have no art of cookery, and regard spices as impurities that spoil the flavor of the food. The Pride are much more susceptible to alchohol than humans are, and can get roaring drunk on a single beer. Strongly spiced foods can deaden the sense of smell of one of the Pack, and they will usually refuse to eat it, but it isn't poisonous per se. The Darbi can eat just about any organic matter, and are immune to poisons, so much of what they eat isn't edible by human standards.
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Fashion and Dress

The most common item of Theinorran clothing is a long-sleeved tunic that reaches about mid-thigh, or even down to the knee, with slits up the side to the waist so as to permit freedom of movement. This is laced or buttoned about half-way down the front, although the fastenings are concealed in better quality clothing by a strip of cloth. They are decorated across the chest, and between the shoulder-blades, usually with the family crest. The cuffs and waist are also often decorated with a repeating pattern. Peasants wear either a loin-cloth or loose pants beneath this, while richer males will wear tights, and females skirts down to about ankle, or even the floor in some cases. Poor people's clothing will be of coarse cloth, linen or wool all of which can be produced locally, while rich people can afford silk (an import from the Dragon Empire or the Radiant Empire by way of the Spice Islands). Clothing tends to be expensive, so that only the middle-class or above will have more than two sets of clothes, one for everyday wear and one for special occassions.
Loiborrans dress in baggy pants that are fastened with a thick, often heavily decorated, belt well above the waist. Over this they'll wear a short vest, either of animal hide or fur, or of wool. If the latter, it will be knitted in a repeating clan pattern, with personal variations. Loiborrans can tell much about eachother from these patterns, which look pretty much alike, or at least different in unenlightening ways, to outsiders.
Harmodeans wear pants, shirts (often with lace and ruffles), and short or long jackets (longer denotes higher social standing), but often go barefoot, even in cold weather.
Andorrans, the Pride, and the Pack only wear clothing out of deference to other people's customs, and will dress as appropriate for the country that they are in, unless they are just traveling through.
Priest wear floor-length robes in the colors and with the symbols appropriate to their orders; these robes have extremely wide sleeves, and are belted in front. Theinorrans wear over-clothing that indicates official station. The most common such clothing is a wide shouldered extremely short vest that the military and retainers wear which bears the Thein's crest on the back and on the front of either shoulder, over their own family crests. Justiciars and other civil officials wear a sash of office and a cap indicating official rank. It is traditional to wear clothes in the family colors, but not required. Variation on the basic styles and colors is fairly common, at least among city-dwellers and travelers, but no formal or ceremonial occassion would be proper without the traditional clothing.
Theinless are required to wear nothing but brown, but others are free to dress in any colors that they wish, although it is impolite to dress in the combination of colors belonging to a Theinish family unless you are related to or are in the service of that family.
There are no sumptuary laws, but there are laws regulating the dress of certain magic users; most notably, Enchanters are required to wear a silver chain on their person (usually they will choose around the neck, fore-arm, or as a shoulder-ornament). There is a fine for failure to do so, and no contract or deal that a person enters into with an Enchanter will be held legal unless the Enchanter was displaying his chain. Other magic users will usually choose to dress in a way that displays their profession proudly, as a hedge against trouble. Sorcerers wear a golden torc, Thaumaturges wear their gems openly.
A poor person can afford two changes of clothes: one workaday, and one for special occasions. Seasonal wear is handled by adding or subtracting from the basic outfit. Moderately well-to-do can afford both ordinary and good clothes tailored to the specific season, and the wealthy and aristocracy can afford multiple outfits to fit times of day, occassions (such as going to a theatrical performance, a Ring match, or a party), or just as a change of pace.
Currently, stylish Theinorran clothes include tights for men, and short-sleeved tunics (still in the basic style), worn over a shirt in cooler weather. Some Theinorran dandies have adopted the Harmodean mode of dress insofar as shirts go, with ruffles at the collar and wrists. Hats are worn as part of travelling gear, and for outdoor work, and have wide brims and a round crown to keep off the sun and rain. In cold weather, a close-fitting fur-lined hood is often substituted. In towns, people generally do without. Hooded cloaks are common. Jewelry is often worked into the clothing itself, such as in the collar, or the backs of gloves, as well as worn as seperate pieces. The most common forms of jewelry are rings, bracelets, necklaces, and broaches; earings and such are unknown. It is not at all uncommon for jewelry to have a spell worked into it, even if it's just a charm against loss.
Wool, leather, and linen are the most common and appropriate clothing materials. Felt and velvet are used for more expensive and decorative clothes. Silk is highly prized, and available only by import from afar. Even rarer are flexible metallic and ceramic cloths from the Radiant Empire that are capable of having elaborate decorative scenes worked into them, or in some cases of changing color according to the mood or wishes of the wearer.
It is tacky or vulgar to wear too much jewelry (e.g. a ring on every finger), too many colors, or the color combination of a family/clan to which you have no affiliation (particularly if it is a famous or powerful one). A sense of style dictates a sleek, uniform look, with everything coordinated and not overdone. It is slightly old-fashioned, but impeccably good taste, to wear only your family colors, and no jewelry or decoration not associated with your office or profession.
Every Theinish family or Loiborran clan has a set of colors (generally three), which are set not only in exact shade, but proportion (e.g. predominantly beige, with white and a trace of red are the colors of Manahaphat ein Yahar, while predominantly white, with beige and a trace of red are the colors of Zephoth ein Nikutel). Generally, colors are thought to coordinate in sets of three, if two lie close to eachother on the color wheel, or at least one is a shade of a neutral color such as white, black, or brown. Colors clash if they are all primary colors, or are distant from eachother on the wheel. The Pack are color-blind, so the question is meaningless to them, while the Pride prefer one color at a time. Darbi go in for as many bright colors as possible in their personal dress, but are absolute sticklers for tradition and decorum when it comes to dressing their masters.

Race	Male	Female
Theinorran	Robust good health, tan, muscular, brunette, short beard	Curvaceous or willowy, fair-skinned, blonde
Loiborran	Pale, tall, thin, "poetic", "consumptive", blond	Pale, dark eyes, black hair, "goth"
Fericopean	Short, robust, dark	Short, round, long hair
Harmodean	Tall, weathered, rangy	Middle-height, Red hair, freckles, healthy
Andorran	Tall, furry, fat	Big, healthy, zaftig
Port Autumn	Darker skin and eyes, muscular, mustachioed	strongly favor exoticism
Pride	Good mane, muscular, light-colored	Interesting pelt coloration, sleek, fast
Pack	Tall, strong, good teeth and coat
Darbi	unknown	unknown

None of the standard non-human races around Neng have a nudity taboo, save for the Varagh, for whom it's not as much a requirement of covering certain part of the body as much as never appearing in public without the full traditional caste regalia.
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Eating customs

Everyone eats together, as far as is possible, with the highest ranking getting to "do the honors" of carving and serving, as well as sitting at the head of the table. People are served in inverse proportion to age and status, with children going first, and the "hosts" going last.
For holiday foods, see the Calendar section.
Formal dinners are distinguished by having everyone in the extended "family" present, and by the family ceremonies that take place on such occassions, including things such as birth, engagement, marriage and death announcements, swearing in new members of the Theinhold, settling intra-family suits, apprenticeship and priestly vocational ceremonies and the like. Best manners include being quite through the speeches, offering toasts, congratulations and gifts as appropriate, not trying to go out of turn in the announcements.
Eating utensils are typically knife and spoons which have mini-tines for serving as forks and are flat along the bottom and one edge (for use as a butter-knife).
In a typical upper-class meal everything is brought in at once, so that the hosts do not have to keep interrupting their meal to serve the guests. Desert, wine and tea are served afterward, and often after the guests have broken off into groups (in towns, this often means that they've gone back to their own houses or to an after-dinner cafe).
In small or informal groups, tables are usually circular and low, since people eat reclining. Four or five people are the most that will comfortably fit around the table so that they can all talk to one another. The host and hostess sit next to eachother. Other couches are arranged to make it easy to look toward the head of the table, and are angled outward, so that peoples heads are towards the table. In a large gathering, there are usually a number of long rectangular tables, more or less fanning out from the high table--which often is on a raised platform so that all can see the hosts. People eat sitting up, and are arranged as far as possible to break up close family groups and encourage people to mingle. Guests of honor sit next to the hosts.
In the human areas of Neng, non-humans are expected to conform to human eating habits, seating arrangements and the like. Andorrans will, where possible, be provided with furniture that can take their weight, otherwise they'll have to sit on the floor (given their height, this doesn't actually put them at an uncomfortable level relative to the table-top), and Fericopeans and Darbi will be provided with cushions.
The flesh of sentient beings is never eaten, because of the certainty of becoming an ogre if you do. Non-domesticated flying animals are also tref, as being sacred to the spirits of the upper air, particularly the Seraphim.
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Education

Formal education is rare except among Theins and Harmodeans. Most people are educated in the necessities of their profession through an apprenticeship system. Formal education is relatively expensive (at least room and board for a tutor, if not more).
Literacy, at least enough to read from the Book of Noah, is taught by the priests and priestesses (usually of Alea), in the temples. Primary education usually is provided by full-time tutors, with the wealthiest able to afford specialized tutors in various subjects. These studies are carried out at home. Higher schooling is carried out at academies, which are scattered throughout the land, although the highest concentration are found in the cities. These academies are boarding schools, and students attend from about age 13 to age 18. It is unusual for someone of the Thein class not to have attended an academy. Recently several academies for richer Theals have opened, but no Thein would attend one, and even the Theals who attend recognize that these are second-class institutions.
Literacy is common in the general population. Part of the coming-of-age ceremony is to read passages from the book of Noah; although it's possible to get by on rote memorization, and many people do if literacy is not otherwise required for their position, everyone has at least exposure to the alphabet and the opportunity to learn to read. All priests of all gods are required to be literate, which includes all members of the Thein class who have any hope of actually becoming a Farmer or Thein (since those are also religious positions). In addition many civil-service posts require literacy, and most merchants are literate.
Absolutely necessary areas of knowledge for a courtier include skill at arms, heraldry, law, riding, and theology as it relates to the duties of the rulers (primarily that of Alea and Baal). Nice to have include music, poetry, history, agronomy. Slightly embarrassing are manual crafts (wood-carving, pottery, weaving and the like).
Teachers, either tutors or academicians, are well-respected and well-remunerated. Scholarship, on the other hand, is valued very little except by the Harmodeans, the priestesses of Tyn, and the Rahadain. Academies support a certain amount of scholarship as an adjunct to the business of teaching, and the Rahadain monastaries will all have at least one resident librarian/scholar. The Temple of Tyn in Tynody supports several resident scholars and a large library, and a university has just been founded in the past decade by the Harmodeans.
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Foreign Relations

The countries of Neng all have formal relationships and treaties with one another, but no standing embassies. Ambassadors are sent when something specific comes up between the countries. Joam, the Thein of Theins, is trying to put this on a more regular footing, but the other countries, except Harmody, don't really see the point. Ambassadors are selected by various means, depending upon the country. Any Loiborran chieftain, for instance, can give one of the members of his clan a message to take to the Thein of Theins or to the Archon; once that person returns with the reply, the Ambassadorship is over. On the other hand, in Harmody, only a quorum of the Council can appoint an Ambassador, and that person will remain Ambassador for a specific term of office.
Treaties are generally arranged by Ambassadors shuttling back and forth until the details are hammered out and the decision-making parties agree to swear to them. Currently, the most significant treaties in force are the one between Loiborra and Theinorra, guaranteeing the sanctity of the current Loiborran border (a touchy subject after the invasion of Loiborra by the troops of the Mad Thein), and the treaty between Theinorra and Port Autumn and Harmody guaranteeing their status as a Free Ports (goods from them are not subject to local taxation by the Theinholds along the trade route). The Fericopeans are attempting to negotiate a global treaty between them and all the Loiborran clans, regularizing the crazy-quilt of tarrifs the Loiborrans impose on imported Fericopean goods which results in smuggling being the major form of commerce along the Fericopean-Loiborran border, but the Fericopean ambassador to Loiborra has likened the process to attempting to herd cats.
Official attitudes toward other countries generally have a major effect on trade; merchants are ignore tensions between governments at their peril, although they will do so in search of a hefty profit. Tensions are relatively low at this point, but it has only been within the past ten years that the Loiborrans have reduced the punitive restrictions that they placed on trade with Theinorra after the War of the Mad Thein, and the myriad of tarrifs imposed by the various Loiborran chieftains on goods from Fericope are a constant source of friction between the two countries. Dealing with the Sea Raiders is regarded as treason, and punishable by exile.
There is very little formal spying and intelligence gathering by the countries of Neng on eachother, although the Loiborran chieftains like to send Ambassadors on relatively trivial missions to Theinorra just to get a sense of what way the wind is blowing there. There are spies from foreign lands, primarily the Holy Lands, and a few from the Radiant Empire. Joam doesn't find them particularly threatening, since in his hands the Sceptre of Noah forces them to come to him and confess what they're up to on a regular basis. Most military intelligence deals with evaluating threats by bandits, monsters and hostile magical forces, rather than foreign powers. Merchants usually have the best information-gathering system, since their livelihood depends not only on political climate and economic factors, but bandit and monster activity as well.
Traditionally, all the countries of Neng are allies against the Nefari and the adherents to the old Pantheon, and rivals with the Sea Raiders, and to some extent economic rivals with the Spice Islands. These traditions, except the enmity with the Sea Raiders, affect current foreign policy very little; short-term frictions tend to outweigh long-term confluence of interest.
None of the current heads of state are related by blood (except in that all humans are), and alliance by marriage is unknown (and if suggested would be regarded as absurd). Most of the countries of Neng deliberately avoid hereditary rulership, at least at the highest level, since the traditional fiction of rulership in Neng is that the current rulers are stewards, holding Neng in their care until King Noah can be awakened from his slumber. (This is why the title "King" is unused by any country or sub-culture in Neng. Not even the Mad Thein dared call himself King.)
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Gestures

Gestures and body language in Neng are generally broad and theatrical. People talk with their hands, their arms, they grimace and make faces, they strike poses, beat their chests, pull their hair, and generally carry on. You can usually tell the tenor of a conversation between two people within your line-of-sight.
Insulting gestures include: placing the thumb at the corner of the eye, fist closed means you're a fool, you're being led/controlled (this stems from a pose that Nefari use when concentrating on using their powers). A sharp, flicking motion away from you fist closed, palm upward, little finger extended, means "Fuck off". Pinching the top of either ear means "This person's crazy". Loosening a weapon in its sheath with one thumb is a threat of a duel (more or less equivalent to "Smile when you say that")
Overall, gestures are broader and more histrionic in the eastern regions (Theinorra, Harmody, Port Autumn) than in the western ones (Loiborra or Fericope). Laying ones hands on another's bonded tools is shocking bad manners if done unintentionally, and a mortal insult if deliberate, but such tools are more likely to be weapons in Theinorra and Port Autumn, craftsman's tools in Fericope, and musical instruments in Loiborra. Generally it's a good idea to ask first in any culture, although there's a strong presumption that an object left out in the open and not carried upon one's person is not bonded.
Respect is shown by bowing, the deeper the bow, the more respect. Taking it to a hightened level of formality involves showing palms open, backs of the hands to the floor and arms out to the side at a slight angle (think of holding a large ball in front of you). As you bow, sweep the arms up and behind as if getting ready to dive into water. One shows respect to one's social superiors and superiors in rank, as well as to priests of any denomination.
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Government

The presence of magic has had a profound effect on law and government. In Theinorra, the Thein of Theins is the one who can successfully wield the Scepter of Noah, and almost all policing is done by Justiciars who have been trained in truth compulsion spells, Andorrans are ruled by the spirits of their ancestors, and so forth. There are no particular leadership positions from which wizards are banned, and certain ones (such as Court Magician) require that the holder be a wizard, or at least trained in certain magical arts.
The presence of non-human races has affected government in subtler ways, such as the absolute prohibition on slavery resulting from the Nefari Captivity, and the continuing tension caused by the Darbis' insistence on maintaining the institution of slavery (with themselves as the slaves).
The basic form of government in Theinorra is a hereditary, but non-feudal, aristocracy, in that the Theins own their lands outright, rather than as a condition of service to their lords. A Thein who rebels against the Thein of Theins, or a Farmer who rebels against his Thein, may be removed, but only in favor of another of the same family; the ownership of the land by the family cannot be changed under normal circumstances. Andorra is a gerontocracy, with the oldest living Andorran ruling in the name of the ancestral Andorrans. Fericope is a representative democracy, Port Autumn a plutocracy, Loiborra a theocracy, and Harmody a democracy.
The government provides an army to protect people from monsters, bandits, the Sea Raiders, and the like, magistrates (Justiciars) to enforce contracts, settle disputes, and bring criminals to justice, a civil service to build and maintain roads and fortifications, dig wells, stockpile food against famine and disaster, priests to intercede with the gods (particularly Alea) to grant health, safety, and good harvests and to provide basic education (reading the Book of Noah).
Taxes are levied by the Theins in Theinorra, the Chieftains in Loiborra, the Purse in Harmody, the Port Master in Port Autumn, the Archon in Fericope, and are unknown in Andorra. In Theinorra, taxes may be levied for any governmental purpose, but not for other reasons (e.g. it would be illegitimate to levy a tax to raise money for a statue to oneself), and the legitimacy of taxes is one of the things that Justiciars may be called upon to adjudicate. In Harmody, taxes may be raise for any purpose for which the people vote, and in Port Autumn they may only be levied on harbor and trade (but need not have a stated purpose). Taxes generally can (and usually are) paid in kind, although certain things, like the grant of license to trade in monopoly goods, must be paid in cash.
The people who provide services for the head of state are known generically as Councilors, although they all have individual titles. All are appointees by the head of state, save for the Chief Rahadain.
The relative power of the country is usually measured by the number and power of the Arcana that the country controls. On this scale Theinorra is on top, with the Scepter of Noah, Loiborra is second, with the Fish of Tyn (although if Bymodyr ever returns from his pilgrimage to the Land of the Dead with the sword Frostbiter, this balance of power may shift), Fericope is third, with the Hammer of Stone, and none of the other countries even rate.
The easiest and most common way for a Theal to advance in status is to amass more money, but that will only take you so far. In order to advance from class to class, you need to get the favor of the Thein of Theins. Theins can advance in status by marrying well, or gaining favor of a more powerful Thein, especially the Thein of Theins. In Loiborra, you can join the Church of Baal and work your way up the hierarchy, or become a famous Pyrydain. In Andorra, you just have to live longer. There is little resistance to advancing within one's class, and fairly strong resistance to advancing beyond it.
If the Thein of Theins is incapacitated, any other sitting Thein may petition the Council of Theins to try to wrest the Scepter of Noah from him. Whoever succeeds in doing so becomes the next Thein of Theins. Currently it is thought that the Thein of Tesdarev and the Thein of Yahar are the two most likely to succeed at getting the council's backing. If a minor were to succeed in doing this, then he would reign as Thein of Theins (and have the magical muscle to back this up). Technically, the permission of the Council is a formality, intended to reduce the number of pointless challenges to the reign of the Thein of Theins, as well as preserving the bloodlines of the Theins (since the loser of the challenge, which is almost always the challenger, usually ends up as a drooling idiot). If a Theal, a woman, or a foreigner were to gain control of the Scepter, there would be a crisis.
The responsibility of protecting the Thein of Theins falls upon the Captain of the Guard, who is appointed by the Thein as the head of his household military troup, and the Court Magician, who handles sniffing out magical threats. The Scepter of Noah makes most magical attacks fruitless, as well as making it almost impossible to conspire against the Thein; just to make sure, Joam requires that all sitting Theins meet with him privately at least once a year. Once near him, the Scepter compells them to tell him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Most of the Theins have given up plotting, and are waiting for him to either die or abdicate.
Members of the Thein class can give orders to any Theal or Thein in their service (military, tax collectors, servants). Also, in theory any Thein can give orders to any Theal, although if the Thein to whom that Theal owes service to objects after the fact, a duel (or even a battle) may result. Nobody except the military or constabulary has any right to order the Theinless around, save for ordering them to vacate the premises. Theins may only be ordered around by their superiors (higher ranking members of their own family or of the Thein of Theins), or those acting on the orders of such superiors. In practice, these rights are seldom pressed, because of the bad (and spilled) blood that may result. Theins will almost always treat the orders of lawful authorities as coming from their own family, and treat Theals as proper members of the local Theins households, even though the fiction wears thin in towns and cities, where Theals may only see the local Thein once a year at the Noah's Day Rites.
The Thein of Theins is responsible for coinage, and it is a crime punishable by death to counterfeit. Counterfeiting is quite difficult, since there is a simple sympathetic magic test for genuineness (coins are struck so that the obverse and reverse fit together precisely in a single orientation--coins of a different composition or size will never fit true, no matter how precise the copy, because they will lack the magical affinity).
Organized education is provided by the temples (for the basics of reading, writing, and religion), private tutors for "grade-school" education, and private academies for "high-school" education. The government supports temple education for all children, and the Thein families have to provide the funds for hiring tutors and sending teens off to the academies.
The various rulers (Theins, chieftains, the Commander of Fort Winter) call up men for armies. The Thein of Theins can call up men from his own lands and the cities, beyond that he has to rely on troops supplied and led by the Theins.
For spying see Foreign relations.
Relations between states depend solely upon relations between the heads of state. Barring recall/overthrow, there is no mechanism save for the heads of states' own prudence to prevent them from declaring war on any other state.
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Greeting and Meeting

How did the greeting gesture originate (example: shaking hands to prove one's weapon hand was empty)? Is there a special I-am-not-armed gesture for wizards?
Is there a difference between the greeting offered to an equal and that offered to a superior or inferior? Between that offered a man or a woman? (cf. the various levels of curtsey) Between that offered a human vs. a non-human?
Is there a way of changing a greeting gesture to make it insulting?
When meeting someone for the first time, how are they greeted--wave, handshake, bow, some other gesture? Does this differ if one already knows the person? If you see someone you like on the far side of the street, how do you acknowledge them?
How are two people who have not met before introduced to each other? What is the order of precedence when there are several people of differing sex, social status, or race/species present who must all be introduced to each other?
Are there people or beings who are never introduced to each other? Are "true names" significant, and if so, under what circumstances would someone be given someone else's true name? Are there customs involving the way in which someone is named when being introduced (example: giving all of a person's names and titles at the first meeting, but never repeating them afterward, so that he's always referred to as "George" even though he's introduced as the Duke George Edward Canterbury Gordon de la Suis-Foule, Marquis of Horsham, Whitewater and Framingham, Earl of St. Peter's Close, and Viscount of Abernathy.)
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Language

Is there a "trade language" that facilitates commerce between countries that don't speak the same tongue? Is there a "universal language" spoken by educated or noble persons, as Latin was in the Middle Ages?
Are some or all people bilingual? Is there a common second language many people know?
Are there "secret" languages or codes known only by priests, soldiers, guild members, etc.? If so, why were they developed?
What are the variations in speech patterns, syntax, and slang from one social class to another? One occupation to another? One region to another?
What areas do local slang phrases come out of? (Example: In a fishing town, referring to good luck as "a good catch"; in a farming town, as "a good harvest", etc.) What kinds of colorful turns of phrase do people use?
What things in this culture would their language have many specific words for (e.g., the Inuit languages that have 14+ words for different kinds of snow)? What do the people in this culture consider important enough to name?
What will people swear a binding oath by? What do people use as curse words?
How many languages are there? Which ones are related (e.g., the Romance languages of Europe) and why? Which languages borrow words or phrases from other languages? Which are likely to be most widely spoken?
Are there different languages for different races (dwarves, elves, etc.), or is language based more on geography than race/species? Is there a special language you need to learn in order to talk to dragons or other magical beasts?
Do wizards have a special language that is used for magic? If so, where do they learn it? Is it safe to chat in this language, or is everything said in it automatically a spell?
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Magic and Magicians

Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world (to accommodate magic) or are they the same as in real life? If the same, how does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in?
If there is no specific point of divergence, what are the differences between this world and ours? If magic exists but history is the same, how is this justified? How do organized religions react to magic?
If there are imaginary animals (dragons, unicorns, etc) how do they fit into the ecology? What do they eat? How much and what kind of habitat do they require? Are they intelligent and/or capable of working spells, talking, etc.?
Where did civilization begin? What directions did it spread? How was its development affected by the presence of magic? The presence of non-human races, if any?
Which peoples/races/cultures/countries are most technologically and/or magically advanced? Least advanced? Why?
Is magic legal? Any magic, or only some types? Do laws vary widely from country to country, or is the attitude generally similar?
What wild animals, actual or imaginary, live in this area? Are any of them potentially useful--e.g., for fur, whale oil, hides, magical ingredients, etc. Are there magical beasts, like dragons and unicorns? If so, which ones? How many? Are they common, or are some endangered species? Have any been domesticated?
Are there magical artifacts (rings, swords, etc)? If so, who makes them? How? Are they permanent, or does the magic wear off after a while?
What effect has magic had on laws? Art? Technology? Entertainment? etc.
Where is scientific and/or magical research done--universities, private labs, under the auspices of the king/government, etc.?
Given the magical/technological level of this society, what is an appropriate ratio of farmers or food producers to urban residents? If this is based on the presence of magic, how many urban residents are going to starve if the spells supporting farming fail suddenly?
Are magicians a force in politics, or are they above it? Are there national politics that revolve around magic/wizards (i.e., trying to outlaw or promote certain kinds of magic, trying to draft all wizards into the king's army, licensing of magicians, etc.)?
How much as the presence of magic affected military strategy and tactics in general?
Is healing usually a magical process? If so, how does the magical healing talent/spell work (i.e., speeding up the body's natural healing mechanism vs. doing instant repairs from outside)? Does a magical healer have to consciously direct the healing process (meaning that lots of knowledge of anatomy, etc. would be required), or does magical healing simply speed up the normal, unconscious healing process in the patient? Is there more than one kind of magical healer (as there are surgeons, eye doctors, orthopedic doctors, etc.)? Are there both magical and non-magical healers, and if so, are they rivals or simply different specialties?
What level is medicine at? Who are the healers? Do you have to have a talent to heal? Who trains healers, herbalists, apothecaries, surgeons, magical vs. nonmagical healers, etc?
Is forensic magic possible? Commonly used? Used only to investigate certain types of crimes (if so, which?)? Are the results of forensic spells admissible in court as evidence?
Are there separate civil and criminal courts? Is there a separate court or procedure for magical crimes? Are judges and other court officers required/forbidden to know magic?
Can magic be used in the arts, and if so, how -- paint that glows, pictures that move, flutes that play themselves, etc. ? How do "normal" artists feel about this?
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Magic and Technology

Are there magical means of transportation (teleport spells, magic carpets, dragon-riding)? How do they compare in speed, safety, and expense to non-magical means? Are there any drawbacks (e.g., air sickness)? How commonly are they used, and for what purposes (industrial shipping vs. travel for fun)?
Are magical weapons available? Can magic be used in warfare? In what ways? Are spells fast enough to be useful in hand-to-hand combat, or is magic more of a siege weapon, useful only for long, slow things?
How has the presence of magic affected weapons technology? Do you have to do anything special to armor, weapons, walls, to make them better able to resist spells?
Can ordinary objects be enchanted to make them extremely lethal (the Frying Pan of Death) or will this work properly only on things that are already weapons? Can ordinary objects be enchanted to make them (or their user) much, much better at whatever they do (the Frying Pan of Ultimate Gourmet Cooking, the Comb of No Bad Hair Days Ever)? How common and useful are such enchantments?
To what degree do magical objects and the presence of wizards and spells replace technology (e.g., a chest that is enchanted to stay cold replacing refrigerators)? Duplicate technology? Supplement technology?
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Manners

What distinguishes a formal, high-court dinner from an ordinary meal, besides quantity and variety of food? How do high-court manners differ from everyday ones?
What are the rules of precedence--who gets to go through doors first? Who gets introduced first?
Is there a distinction between "formal" good manners and informal, everyday manners? When and where are people expected to be on their best behavior?
How important are "good manners" in this society? How do "good manners" differ from race to race? How to people/dwarves/elves/dragons react when someone has just been, by their standards, rude?
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Medicine

What customs surround death and burial? Is there a special class of people (doctors, priests, funeral directors, untouchables) who deal with dead bodies?
How accurate is the diagnostic process? Do healers have ways of telling two diseases apart if they have similar symptoms? Do healers depend on standard physical medical tests -- reflexes, temperature, contracted pupils -- or do they normally use spells for diagnosis?
How expensive are healers? How available are such services to ordinary people?
How much is known about anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc? Are treatments based on purely practical experience ("We know this works but we don't know why"), or do healers understand at least some of what they are doing?
How much training does a healer normally get? Where? From whom?
Is healing generally a magical process? If so, how does the magical healing talent work? Does a magical healer have to consciously direct the healing process (meaning that lots of knowledge of anatomy, etc., would be required), or does magical healing simply speed up the normal, unconscious healing process in the patient?
Is there a reliable method of birth control? Who normally handles births--midwives, or doctors? What is the mortality rate for pregnant ladies, new mothers, and children?
Who can become a healer? Are there various kinds of healers (herbalists, wisewomen, pharmacists/apothecaries, surgeons, doctors, etc.)? If so, why are distinctions made?
What kinds of treatments are available--herbal brews, vaccinations, acupuncture, etc.? How effective are they?
Is it possible to resurrect/resuscitate someone who has died? If so, how long is it before this becomes impossible? Before serious brain damage sets in?
How is insanity treated? Are there asylums or treatment centers? How effective are treatments for insanity?
How much do the physical differences between human and non-human races affect their medical treatment? Are there some diseases that only affect non-humans, or only humans? Are some treatments lethal to one species but effective in another? Do doctors have to specialize in non-human medicine in order to do a good job of it?
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People And Customs: Ethics and Values

What will people swear a binding oath by? What do people use as curse words?
What are the most desired/most valuable things in this society--gold, jewels, drugs, money, furs, reindeer, oranges, etc? Why is it desired/valued? Do different races value different things? Is there a race/culture for whom non-material things (information, time) are the valuable things? How did they get that way?
What things are considered normal and acceptable in this society that would not be considered normal or acceptable in yours? (Examples: dueling, drugs, open homosexuality, polygamy, infanticide.)
What things are considered shocking in this society that are not considered shocking in yours? (Examples: showing a woman's ankles, eating left-handed, reading in public.) What are the reactions of ordinary people when someone does one of these things?
What are the acceptable limits to honor and/or honesty in this society? Is a binding oath unbreakable no matter what, or can you get out of it if the other party turns out to be evil scum or if you weren't fully informed? Are "white lies" acceptable socially, or is lying in any form unacceptable?
What are the attitudes toward ownership? What constitutes "theft" and what can be stolen--gems, gold, purses, small moveables, someone's good name? Are thieves organized in a guild, licensed by law, freelance, or what?
Who is considered a citizen, with the rights and privileges thereof? What are those rights and privileges (voting, protection from thieves, the right to a hearing in Rome) and what responsibilities go along with them (jury duty, providing funds or knights for the lord's army)?
Are there certain classes of people (wizards, foreigners, children, peasants, women) who have fewer legal rights or less recourse than full citizens? Why? Are they considered mentally or morally deficient, a danger to the state, or is there some other rational?
What are the most controversial subjects in this culture? What things can you easily start a friendly argument about in any bar? What things will automatically start an unfriendly argument? (cf. the list of topics forbidden for discussion on this echo)
What are the social taboos--what things are "not done", like wearing a bathing suit to the office? What things are never talked about? What would happen if someone did? How do these taboos vary for different races?
What are the biggest social faux pas--burping loudly at a formal banquet, drawing steel in the presence of a king/noble, asking a dwarf whether it's a male or a female? What subjects or actions cause embarrassment or discomfort?
What are the society's mores regarding courtship, marriage, and family? Is marriage primarily a civil or a religious institution?
What are the standards of beauty for people? For paintings and sculpture? For clothes and furniture? How do they differ from the standards in your culture (example: a culture which considers fatness a highly desirable beauty trait)? How do they reflect the physical traits of the various people (example: dwarves considering height a *negative* trait, werewolves attracted by length of teeth or scent, etc.)?
What kind of ideal life do people aspire to? Does everyone want to be an English country gentleperson, living out in the country, or is it the New York social whirl, or the jet-set lifestyle, that attracts most people?
What kinds of people are the rebels and outcasts of this society? How does society deal with them--prison, exile, decapitation, reformation, etc?
Who are the arbiters of ethics (as opposed to law)? How did they get to be arbiters? Who are the arbiters of the social milieu? Ditto, ditto.
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Physical and Historical Features

In which geographical areas will the story take place? How much ground will the story cover? What are the most striking features of landscape, climate, etc. in the story area?
If there are non-human inhabitants, are there any areas they particularly claim as their own (e.g., dwarves in caves under mountains)?
Climate and Geography
Natural Resources
General History
History of a Specific Country
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Politics

Is magic a profession, an art, or just a job? What is the status accorded to magicians in this society? Are they forbidden overt political action, or are wizards and/or the wizard's guild knee-deep in court intrigue?
Is there tension, rivalry, or outright hostility between any of the actual gods? How does this affect church politics? Court politics? People's everyday lives?
Does the level of technological advancement match the level of social and political advancement?
What are the major political factions at present? How long have they been around? Which factions are allies, which enemies? Are there any potential new forces on the political scene (e.g., a rising middle class, a university gaining unexpected power because of certain magical discoveries, etc.)?
How much influence do "special interest groups" such as merchants, wizards, or various religions, have on court politics? How do they exercise their influence--indirectly (by talking lords or council members into taking their sides) or directly (by having their own representatives on the council)?
What political positions are considered conservative? Liberal? Unthinkable? How do such positions differ from what is considered conservative/liberal in your own society?
Are there any shaky political alliances between disparate groups? Why were they formed? How long is it likely to be before they fall apart? When they do, what will the effects be?
What ancient rivalries and hatreds still affect current attitudes and political positions (examples: Scottish and Welsh separatist groups; Catholics vs. Protestants vs. Muslims; Hatfields vs. McCoys; dwarves vs. elves)?
What kinds of people are likely to face prejudice: dwarves, werewolves, merchants, women, undertakers? Is this institutionalized (i.e., a matter of law), or is it mostly a matter of public attitude?
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Population

How many people are there in this country? How does this compare with world population? What is considered a small town/large town/city in terms of number of people?
How diverse is the population of this country--how many different races (human or non-human), creeds, cultures, etc. normally live in various cities and towns in this country? In what percentages?
Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to coast, etc.? Why--invasions, plague, job opportunities, gold rush? What effects has this had on the places being left? The places gaining people?
Given the magical/technological level of this society, what is an appropriate ratio of farmers or food producers to urban residents?
Is there much immigration into or out of various countries? Why? To or from what other areas?
Which geographical areas are most heavily populated? Least? Why? Are certain regions or types of terrain more popular areas for non-humans (dwarves, etc.) to live? Why?
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Religion and Philosophy

How do various religions, if any, view magic? Do any forbid it? Require it? Why, or why not? Do any require/forbid magicians to be priests/priestesses (as opposed to members of the congregation)?
Are there actual gods/godlike beings? If so, do they take an active role in the religions that worship them? Do they take an active role in the lives of everyday people? Why?
How many gods are there, and is there a hierarchy among them? Which ones are good or evil, or is this meaningless when speaking of gods?
How do various religions view non-believers? Foreigners? Non-humans? Which support the state/king/government, and which are more interested in ordinary people?
Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they distinguished in everyday events?
Is there tension, rivalry, or outright hostility between any of the actual gods? How does this affect church politics? People's everyday lives?
Where does religion fit into this society? Is there a state church? Is freedom of religion the norm? Do people generally think of the temples/churches as parasites, or as useful parts of society?
If there are actual, demonstrable gods, what part does faith play in their worship? Why do they want worship? What are their various rites like, and why? What offerings are considered good, better, best? Are people supposed to pick one or more gods to worship and ignore the others, or do most people pray to whoever is most likely to grant results in a specific situation (the god of harvest when bringing in the crops, the goddess of war when in battle, etc.)? How do people decide whom to worship? Which temple to be affiliated with?
How much part do various religions and philosophies play in public and private life? Are philosophers and theologians considered academics, or do they debate in the marketplace, like Socrates? How much influence do their theories have on the way people actually behave?
Are priests or philosophers full-time occupations, or do they need day jobs? If they are full-time, who supports them--the congregation, a wealthy patron, the temple's investment fund?
Why are the gods interested in people? Are they like the Greek pantheon (quarrelsome, larger-than-life humans), or are they more transcendent and incomprehensible? Do the gods have limits to what they can do? To what they will do? Can the gods make mistakes?
How do the various temples and philosophies explain the classic "problem of evil"? Do they think bad things are always a just punishment for some transgression, a character-building exercise, the result of an evil antagonist (Satan, Loki), or just something the gods can't prevent?
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Rules of Magic

What things can magic not do? What are the limits of magical power?
Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they distinguished?
Where does magic power come from: the gods, "mana" (cf. Larry Niven's Warlock stories), the personal will-power of the magician, etc.? Is it an exhaustible resource?
How does a magician tap magical power? Does becoming a magician require some rite of passage (investing one's power in an object, being chosen by the gods, constructing or being given a permanent link to the source of power, successfully summoning a demon, etc.) or does it just happen naturally, as a result of study or as a part of growing up?
What does one need to do to cast a spell -- design an elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mix the right ingredients in a pot? Are there things like a staff, a wand, a familiar, a crystal ball, that are necessary or useful to have before casting spells? If so, where and how do wizards get these things?
How long does it take to cast a spell? Can spells be stored for later, instant use? Do spells take lots of long ritual, or is magic a "point and shoot" kind of thing?
Can two or more wizards combine their power to cast a stronger spell, or is magic done only by individuals? What makes one wizard more powerful than another--knowledge of more spells, ability to handle greater quantities of mana, having a more powerful god as patron, etc.?
Does practicing magic have any detrimental effect on the magician (such as being addictive, slowly driving the magician insane, or shortening the magicians life-span)? If so, is there any way to prevent these effects? Are the effects inevitable in all magicians, or do they affect only those with some sort of predisposition? Do the effects progress at the same rate in everyone?
How much is known about the laws of magic? How much of what is "known" is wrong (as Aristotle's ideas about human anatomy were wrong, but accepted for centuries)?
What general varieties of magic are practiced (e.g., herbal potions, ritual magic, alchemical magic, demonology, necromancy, etc.)? Do any work better than others, or does only one variety actually work?
Are certain kinds of magic practiced solely or chiefly by one sex or another? By one race or culture or another?
Does a magician's magical ability or power change over time -- e.g., growing stronger or weaker during puberty, or with increasing age? Can a magician "use up" all of his/her magic, thus ceasing to be a magician? If this happens, what does the ex-magician do--die, retire, take up teaching, go into a second career?
Can the ability to do magic be lost? If so, how -- overdoing it, "burning out," brain damage due to fever or a blow, magical attack, etc.?
Can the ability to do magic be forcibly taken away? If so, how and by whom? (Traditional example: certain spells could only be worked by virgins; raping such a witch robbed her of her power.)
What is the price magicians pay in order to be magicians--years of study, permanent celibacy, using up bits of their life or memory with each spell, etc.?
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Rural Factors

Given the magical/technological level of this society, what is an appropriate ratio of farmers to urban residents?
Given the state of roads and transportation, how much food is it possible to ship to a given location before it spoils? (This limits the size of cities.)
Are rural areas primarily farms, forests, fields for grazing, or "waste land"? In outlying areas where there aren't many people, how many roads are there, who builds them, and who maintains them?
How reliable is the weather from year to year -- is crop production relatively dependable, or do people have to cope with regular famines due to drought or floods?
What kinds of catastrophic/weird weather are common--tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, waterspouts, dust storms? How do people cope? How do non-humans cope?
How are farming/food-producing areas divided up between humans/nonhumans? What kinds of conflicts are likely (example: expanding human farms encroaching on the forests werewolves or dragons use for hunting)?
Can peasants/yeomen own their own land, or does it all belong to the lord? What kinds of rights over land, crops, game, etc. does the lord/landowner have? Is poaching a problem?
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Science and Technology

Is the level of technology in this society comparable to that of ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, what?
What important inventions or advances have been made (the wheel, gunpowder, printing, flush toilets)? Have any of them been produced in quantities sufficient to affect the daily lives of the average person, or are flush toilet a luxury for nobility only?
What inventions or advances have not been made that you would expect to see at this stage of technological development? Why? Which ones are about to be made?
How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? How much of what is commonly known is wrong (e.g., Aristotle's ideas about human anatomy, which were wrong but accepted for centuries)?
Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same as in real life? How does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in?
Where is scientific and/or magical research done -- universities, private labs, under the auspices of the king or government, etc?
In what areas might magic replace technology, and thus suppress its development (example: if a spell to keep food cold is easy and cheap, there's no need to invent refrigerators)? In what areas might magic cause more rapid technological or scientific development (common use of crystal balls might lead someone to think of inventing the lens/telescope sooner)?
How do the technology levels and scientific knowledge of non-human races compare to those of humans? Are there significant differences, and if so, why?
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Social Organization

Where is scientific and/or magical research done -- universities, private labs, by the government, etc.?
Does it require a license to be a wizard? A driver's type license (something nearly everyone gets upon coming of age) or a doctor's-type license (something that only a small portion of the population will ever get)? Who certifies wizards: the government, wizard's guild, local priests, independent accounting firm?
What are the various ranks and titles and proper forms of address for the aristocracy/nobility? Is everybody "my lord" or "my lady," or are there more distinctions (your grace, your highness, your majesty, your holiness, etc.)?
Which occupations are most respected? Which are most looked down on? Why?
How many levels are there in this society (e.g., peasant, bourgeoise, warrior, nobleman)? How firm are the divisions between classes (is it disgraceful for a nobleman to engage in trade or for a warrior to help with the harvest)?
How difficult is it to rise or fall from one social level to another? How much social mobility is there? How much do people think there is?
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Transportation and Communications

What are the common domesticated animals used for transportation at various levels of society -- e.g., oxen, horses, donkeys, camels, etc.?
Are there magical means of transportation (teleport spells, magic carpets, dragon-riding)? How do they compare in speed, safety, and expense to non-magical means? How commonly are they used, and for what purposes (industrial shipping vs. travel for fun)?
For traveling short distances within a city, what are the alternatives? Can people hire a cab, a litter, a rickshaw, or do they have to walk or rely on their own servants or horses?
How are messages sent when necessary? Is there a public/private postal system, or does everyone of importance have to send messengers? How fast can news get from one point to another?
Are there magical means of communication -- crystal balls, scrying in a pool of water, telepathy? How common? How reliable? How expensive?
How available is water transportation?
How common is travel (for any reason)? Does the concept of travel "to see the world" or for fun, even exist? How dangerous is travel? How large a group is considered safe? How much traffic is there inside/outside the main cities? Which areas are the best/worst?
What are the fastest means of traveling long distances over land? Over water? Which are the safest?
What is transportation like? Are there good roads? Who built them? Who is responsible for maintaining them?
Where would a traveler stay at night? Are here enough travelers to support inns, or do people have to stay at the equivalent of medieval monasteries or in people's homes?
Are some classes of people (slaves, peasants) not expected to travel at all? Are some (heralds, messengers) expected to travel constantly?
How do people find out what is happening in the world -- rumor, town crier, newspapers, TV and radio? How slanted is the news they get this way, and in what direction? Is there freedom of the press? If not, who controls/censors it and through what means?
How are books produced? Are they common (has the printing press been invented), or are they valuable hand-written objects? Where are the great libraries/collections? How accessible are they to scholars, wizards, the general public? Who supports them?
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Urban Factors

How many people are there in this country? How does this compare with world population? What is considered a small town/large town/city in terms of number of people?
Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to coast, etc.? Why? What effects has this had on the places being left? The places gaining people?
Does city layout reflect some philosophy (religious or architectural or political), such as that the "head" of the city must be at the center, the highest point, or the most strategic location? Or were layout considerations mainly practical? Or did most cities "just grow"?
Are there public or private parks in most/any cities? What kinds of activities take place in them?
Are cities generally laid out on a square-grid system of streets? How wide are the streets and alleys?
What are the landmarks in each city? Where are the interesting neighborhoods, like Chinatown, the dwarfish section, etc., and what things give each its special character?
Where do people go to shop? To eat? To have fun? To do touristy things?
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Visits

Are there questions that must be asked or avoided when visiting someone (e.g., how's the family, how's the business, never talk politics or religion, etc.)? Are there topics that can only be raised by the host? By the guest?
How seriously does the culture take the responsibilities of host and guest? What rules define when someone becomes a host or guest (e.g., in some mid-easter countries, giving bread and salt to someone makes the person your guest; giving him a 5-course meal without bread or salt doesn't)?
What things are considered courteous to offer a guest: food, reading material, personal guards or attendants, music/entertainment, a person of the opposite sex to sleep with?
What is considered a courteous response to a host's offer? Are there things it is considered rude to accept? Rude to turn down? Rude to ask for? Rude not to ask for?
When a guest arrives, is food or drink offered immediately, after an interval, or only on request? Is there a particular food or drink that is customary to offer a newly arrived guest?
How do the different customs of various countries/races interact, conflict, etc? Example: A man from a culture where it is not polite to refuse a host's offer of food being the guest in a culture where the guest is expected to say "when."
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War

Which peoples/countries/races have been in conflict in the recent past? Why? When and why was the most recent war? Who won? Who is still mad about that?
What major weapons of war are available (e.g., siege towers, catapults, cannons, A-bombs)?
How much as the presence of magic affected strategy and tactics? Do army commanders have to use specific unusual formations or techniques to deal with possible magical attacks? How can magic be used as part of a battle plan (example: getting a weather magician to make it rain so that the enemy cannons are harder to move in the mud)?
How are armies usually structured? Is there a formal, independent command structure, or is everybody officially under the command of the lord who brought them to the king's army, or what? If a formal structure, what are the various ranks and titles?
Who can call up men for an army? How is this done? Does the king ask his lords for men, and the lords then draft their peasants, or can the king go straight to the bottom?
Are there professional soldiers/mercenaries? Is a career in the king's army possible, or would you have to be a mercenary or sell-sword in order to make a living as a soldier? Does the army accept volunteers?
How large is a typical army? What percentage of the soldiers in it will be trained (knights, professional soldiers, guards, mercenaries) and what percent will be untrained recruits? Are recruits given training, or are they expected to learn on the job (i.e., in battle)?
How is the army supplied? Are soldiers allowed to live off the land/peasantry, or do they pay for what they take? How are supplies handled during long campaigns? How many days worth of supplies can the army haul along with them? (Ref. ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE LOGISTICS OF THE MACEDONIAN ARMY for the math on how much a horse can carry, etc.)
What are the accepted conventions for making war (example: only fight in winter when nobody is busy with crops; don't make war on civilians; only certain kinds of weapons are used; etc)? Do they differ from race to race?
How does the presence of non-humans (dwarves, vampires, etc.) affect strategy, tactics, and battles generally? Are special weapons required if an army is facing certain kinds of non-human armies? How would non-human soldiers turn their physical differences from humans to their advantage?
Are particular non-human races traditionally better with certain weapons (e.g., dwarves with axes, elves with bows)? Why--because they have greater strength, better eyesight, more manual dexterity, etc?
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Wizards

What do you need to do to cast a spell--design an elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mix the right ingredients in a pot, speak the right words in an ancient language, etc.? Are there things like a staff, a wand, a familiar, a crystal ball, that are necessary to have before casting any spells? Certain specific spells? If so, where and how do new wizards get these things? Do they make them, buy them from craftsmen, inherit them from their teachers, order them from Wizard Supply, Inc.?
Is there a numerical limit to the number of wizards in the world? Why?
Where does magic power come from: the gods, the "mana" of the world, the personal will-power of the magician? Do different races/species have different sources for their magic, or does everybody use the same one?
Are different races/intelligent species good at different kinds of magic? If so, what types are associated with what species? Are there species that use magic more or less unconsciously--for instance, dragons using magic to fly without consciously being aware of it, or werewolves using magic to change?
How does a magician tap his/her magic power? Does becoming a magician require some rite of passage (investing one's power in an object, being chosen by the gods, constructing or being given a permanent link to a source of power, etc.) or does it just happen naturally as a part of growing up?
Does a magician's magical ability or power change over time --e.g., growing stronger or weaker during puberty, or with increasing age? Can a magician "use up" all of his/her magic, thus ceasing to be a magician? What do such magicians do then--retire to teach, commit suicide, get a normal day job, go into consulting?
Is a magician's lifetime normally longer or shorter than average? Why? Does this vary for different races/species? Are there races/species all of whose members are magicians?
Are certain spells illegal (as opposed to magic generally)? Why--because of the effect of the spell, or because of the ingredients or procedures needed to cast it, or what? How are violations of this law detected?
How are illegal magicians apprehended? Punished? Is this the responsibility of the magician's guild, or do ordinary law enforcement agencies have to deal with it?
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Neng World building

Table of Contents

Architecture

Arts and Entertainment

Calendar

Crime and the Legal System

Daily Life

Diet

Fashion and Dress

Eating customs

Education

Foreign Relations

Gestures

Government

Greeting and Meeting

Language

Magic and Magicians

Magic and Technology

Manners

Medicine

People And Customs: Ethics and Values

Physical and Historical Features

Politics

Population

Religion and Philosophy

Rules of Magic

Rural Factors

Science and Technology

Social Organization

Transportation and Communications

Urban Factors

Visits

War

Wizards