Star Crown Empire and a needed fix. Help!

[Mr. R]

I was looking at an old copy of ICE’s Star Crown Empire as part of their Shadow World Series.  Stands up well but there are a few things I would change, like Human only (really drive home the fact that elves and dwarves are niche peoples), get rid of the Gap Swamp (the explosion that destroyed 200 Km squared of a mountain range never happened), maybe make the continent a little larger and give a surrounding island archepeligo. Populate the desert area a bit more (6000 years and no plant succession?  Also why no rivers in the desert/grassland regions?)  So far not too bad.

 

Now the part that sets my teeth on edge and makes me realize my younger self was a bit of an a….err jerk for not seeing this.  The main population area has slavery as a practice.  Where do they get their slaves…. from the Northern jungles populated by a darker skinned people, a people who because they live in the jungle have never developed agriculture and civilization and a written language ( oh the White Man’s Burden just leaps off the page)

 

SOOOOOOO I want to make a jungle based Civilization that will be opposed to the slave raids and has learning and magic and tools of their own.  Now I want to point to real world examples of just such civilizations and empires so any players who yell, but that is not realistic (yeah in a game where people can heal major injuries with a touch) can be shut down!

 

As a result I come to you people to help me in my mental quest?

[eepjr24]

This should get you a start, from the languages stand point the African continent likely has the oldest.

 

https://www.africaontheblog.org/african-holds-worlds-ancient-written-languages/

 

You can also check out the Wagadu Chronicles project. It's for DND, but has some good info on the peoples of Africa.

 

https://thewagaduchronicles.com/

 

You can also read up on the Sao:

 

https://www.ancientpages.com/2015/09/28/ancient-intriguing-sao-people-men-from-another-time-one-of-the-oldest-civilizations-of-central-africa/

 

And many people just seem to ignore that Egypt is at least partially in Africa as well and that it's people were (and are) dark complected.

 

- E

[Lord Liaden]

I would suggest looking at the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, prevalent throughout southeastern Mexico and much of Central America. Highly urbanized during their Classical period, Maya cities with populations in the tens of thousands in the lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula were literally carved out of the jungle. Of particular note is Maya exploitation of cenotes in Yucatan as a source of fresh water.

 

Another outstanding example is Angkor, capital city of the Khmer Empire, centered in modern Cambodia. Thanks to an extensive and sophisticated irrigation system, Angkor was the core of a connected urban region of up to a million inhabitants, one of the largest of the pre-industrial world. After its abandonment in the 15th Century Angkor was almost completely overgrown by the surrounding jungle, until restoration efforts starting in the early 20th Century uncovered the full extent of the ruins.

[Mr. R]

1 hour ago, eepjr24 said:

 

 

You can also check out the Wagadu Chronicles project. It's for DND, but has some good info on the peoples of Africa.

 

https://thewagaduchronicles.com/

 

 

 

- E

All really cool, but this is the best part.  

1 minute ago, Lord Liaden said:

I would suggest looking at the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, prevalent throughout southeastern Mexico and much of Central America. Highly urbanized during their Classical period, Maya cities with populations in the tens of thousands in the lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula were literally carved out of the jungle. Of particular note is Maya exploitation of cenotes in Yucatan as a source of fresh water.

 

Another outstanding example is Angkor, capital city of the Khmer Empire, centered in modern Cambodia. Thanks to an extensive and sophisticated irrigation system, Angkor was the core of a connected urban region of up to a million inhabitants, one of the largest of the pre-industrial world. After its abandonment in the 15th Century Angkor was almost completely overgrown by the surrounding jungle, until restoration efforts starting in the early 20th Century uncovered the full extent of the ruins.

I was actually thinking of both as I was writing, so thank you!

[Lord Liaden]

I'm glad that was helpful. Thematically for your fictional civilization, consider some of the architectural similarities between Khmer and Maya. Although very distinct from each other stylistically, both constructed monumental buildings without use of the keystone arch, and decorated their surfaces with many relief carvings.

[Lord Liaden]

Another similarity between the two societies was complex social stratification. There was sharp demarcation between commoners and nobility, with many classes devoted to specialized tasks. The kings were considered semi-divine figures.

[Lord Liaden]

3 hours ago, Mr. R said:

Also why no rivers in the desert/grassland regions?

 

 

Very common for there to be no rivers in deserts.   As for grassland, as it's mostly flat there may be no rivers or lakes large enough to be shown on the map. Much of the available water may be below ground in aquifer.

[Duke Bushido]

If it rains enough on a flatland, water on the ground can cover hundreds of acres.

[Ninja-Bear]

9 hours ago, Mr. R said:

Now the part that sets my teeth on edge and makes me realize my younger self was a bit of an a….err jerk for not seeing this.  The main population area has slavery as a practice.  Where do they get their slaves…. from the Northern jungles populated by a darker skinned people, a people who because they live in the jungle have never developed agriculture and civilization and a written language ( oh the White Man’s Burden just leaps off the 

7 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

I'm glad that was helpful. Thematically for your fictional civilization, consider some of the architectural similarities between Khmer and Maya. Although very distinct from each other stylistically, both constructed monumental buildings without use of the keystone arch, and decorated their su

[Ninja-Bear]

Peace out.

[eepjr24]

My latest campaign actually has slavery in one of the two primary nation states where the players will be. Well, indentured servitude that is being abused to the point of slavery and enforced via magical tattoos. The enslaved will be debtors in this case, instead of captured members of another country.

 

- E 

[Lord Liaden]

Hero's Valdorian Age fantasy world setting -- stylistically resembling the fantasy fiction of Howard, Moorcock, and Leiber -- includes an interesting dynamic between the two major powers of the age, the Valdorian Empire and the Empire of Abyzinia. Abyzinia's economy is based on slavery. Even the rank-and-file of their military are slaves, albeit with more privileges than most. The rulers of Abyzinia are sorcerers, and sorcery used to be much more common among them; but during this age magic is in decline, so powerful sorcerers are rare. OTOH the Valdorian Empire was founded by rebels against non-humans who were also sorcerers, and who had conquered and enslaved their human subjects, treating them cruelly. Valdorians hated both slavery and sorcery, and outlawed the practice of both in their lands.

 

As you might imagine, these two empires eventually came to blows, in a conflict lasting centuries which ultimately destroyed both of them as world powers.