CHAPTER 9

SETTINGS
CHAPTER 9 —
GENRE
fantasy setting: a setting where mythological or supernatural powers exist. It relies heavily
upon magic to proper its plots and themes. Fantastic beasts and persons are a center point of
most fantasy settings. Most fantasy settings take place in imaginary worlds or worlds connected
to the terrestrial through dimensions. There are several genres. The sword and sorcery genre
encapsulated in personal contests without recourse to a higher them or world plot. High fantasy
generally covers epic stories that serve as either background for the plot or drive the plot itself.

science-fiction: a setting primarily focused on futuristic concepts that involve advanced technology,
inter-stellar or inter-galactic travel, concepts of the multiverse and extraterrestrial life. Most science
fiction stories take place in world’s other than earth, to include different galaxies. There is generally
an attempt to maintain a footing in real-world science, though this is not always the case.Science
fiction often explores the nature and relationship to man and machine.

science-fantasy: a setting that combines magic and supernatural forces in a futuristic world.
This setting weds the concept of science fiction and fantasy, allowing for technology to coexist
or in even to interact with magical forces. Their placement ranges from the earth bound, to the
imaginary, to other planets in the solar system or the galaxy.

HISTORICAL
stone age: the Prehistoric period is roughly 30000 BCE – 3200 BCE. There are few, if any,
urban centers, as the technology to move sewage and store foodstuffs does not exist, or it does
exist in limited quantities. Use of any type of metal is impossible, as Stone-Age people do not possess
the ability to smelt or mine any ore. Villages constitute the standard community. Locals can trade
or sell their own handmade equipment. It’s all made of stone or boiled leather, and won’t be very
good. Weapons are stone and restricted to clubs, daggers, spears, primitive axes, bows (with
stone-tipped arrows), and the atlatl. Armor is restricted to animal hide and leather. Tools consist
of diggers and cutters. Stone-Age characters have access to some small clay pottery and bags
made out of woven grass and thick cloth. Weaving is in its infancy in the Stone Age and used for
many simple garments. Otherwise, skins and hides constitute the predominant clothing. There
is some pottery, and writing is restricted to wall paintings, skin scrolls, tattoos, and similar items.
They have some livestock and may use horses or domesticated dogs.

bronze age: this period is roughly 3200BCE to 1200 BCE. The first metallurgy characterizes this
age; the name Bronze Age originates from the alloy created by melting copper and tin. This age
offers more advanced societies with urban centers, more sophisticated art, dress, and economic
systems. The age offers a vast array of weapons and the first transportation. Villages abound.
These areas will have a merchant or two selling a few weapons or some armor, but they will not
have a lot. They won’t have an armorer or weaponsmith. Towns are common. These areas will
have a bronze smith or two who make armor and weapons. Cities are rare and a separated by
great distances. Cities usually rest upon the banks of rivers. Armor is restricted to leather, padded,
simple banded mail, and bronze breastplates. A wide variety of shields exist. There is a vast array
of weapons to choose from, for the Bronze-Age smith can make short swords, axes, daggers, spears,
metal-tipped arrows, and so forth. Helms, shields, and simple suits of armor, such as breast plates
and leg greaves, are available. Bronze does not have the endurance of harder metals and tends
to break or shatter under repeated abuse, and because of this, the javelin, spear, and bow-and-
arrow battles typify this era more so than mass combat. Leatherworking has advanced to the point
that a wide variety of textiles and cloths are available; this, in turn, allows for common items, such
as backpacks, saddles, satchels, etc. to be readily available. Weaving becomes more advanced,
but the introduction of wool allows for more variety in clothing design: tunics, leggings, hats, and
similar items are common. Sophisticated forms of writing, art, and language exist. Architecture is simple
and does not allow for arched doorways or ceilings. They are largely agrarian societies. Use of
dogs, hoses, and livestock is common. Villages abound. These areas will have a merchant or two
selling a few weapons or some armor, but they will not have a lot. They won’t have an armorer or
weaponsmith.

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 SETTINGS
iron age: this period is roughly 1200BCE-476 BCE. Iron-Age settings possess a wide variety
of tools, weapons, and implements. Ore is very common and easier to forge and allows retool- ing
of items. This, in turn, leads to a society that has sophisticated agricultural tools and practices exten- sive
animal husbandry. These two items lend themselves to large urban complexes with mixed
populations and active trade routes. The growth of sophisticated tools allows complex clothing
designs from a wide variety of materials, such as linen or cotton. Political institutions generally
remain simple monarchial or aristocratic. Villages are common and consist of an inn and some
homes. Many amenities are available, and craftsmen can work in iron and leather; other trades
are common in the village. Towns are plentiful and often walled; they house craftsmen of many
types, and most goods are available. Cities are common. Various tradesmen produce all types
of equipment, so the availability of goods is high. All weapons are available in the Iron Age, but
they are not as strong as steel and only slightly stronger than bronze. The weapons are easy to
sharpen and repair. Armor consists of banded and splint mail, as well as simple forms of chain
mail, leather, helmets, and similar items; complicated pieces, such as plate mail, are not available
to these societies. As with weapons, most any equipment exists in Iron-Age cultures; the use of
iron as a tool allows for the creation of many different items. Weaving remains advanced, but the
available materials remain simple, such as wool, cotton, and linen. The variety of tools again allows for
more variety in clothing design. These range from tunics to dresses and from leggings to shirts,
and they include cloaks, hats, and other common articles. The plethora of tools allows for more
leisure time, which leads to more advanced forms of writing, art, and literature. Books and scrolls,
though not common, do exist. Architecture is more complex.

meso-american: this period is roughly 2500CE–1500CE. This setting consists of very stratified
cultures reflecting a dominant religion-based aristocracy. They have mastered complex forms of
agriculture and irrigation, animal husbandry, and even architecture. These advances allow for
large urban centers, with stone buildings, roads, and complex trade patterns. They often coexist
with or dominate Stone-Age societies. These villages are bustling with merchants and craftsmen,
but they are making lots of stone and obsidian tools and only a little bronze. There are not many
towns, but within the existing ones their craftsmen can work in bronze. There are only a few
of these, and all of them are religious communities. Only leather and hide armor are available
in these settings. Generally, the warrior elite did not wear any form of armor. Small wicker or
wooden shields are available. War clubs, axes, daggers, small swords, the spear, atlatl, sling, and
similar items dominate weapons. These societies have a wide variety of equipment, but they do
not work in iron, so their equipment is limited to wood, leather, cloth, and similar items on the list.
Some items, such as hooks, are made from bone, shell, soft metals, cold forged. Clothing consists
of complex woven clothes for wealthy members of the society, but the lower classes wearmore
simple weaves augmented by animal skins and leather. Meso-American culture possesseda great
deal of leisure time, which in turn, led to advanced forms of writing. They conveyed their language
not just with printed materials, but via visual stone work, using logograms as opposed to an
alphabet. They have a high degree of astronomical and architectural skills.

greco-roman: this period is roughly 3200BCE–476CE. This setting spans many different eras,
from bronze to iron. Advanced intellectual cultures typify Greco-Roman worlds, ranging from geography,
philosophy, mathematics, and science. Political institutions are complex and interactive, including
tyrant kings and democracies. Tool use is extremely advanced, and the societies are marked by a high
level of agricultural development, animal husbandry, and a manufacturing base. Villages are common.
Every one of these communities has a craftsman or two specializing in one type of device. There
would be a blacksmith, as well, and a horse stable. Towns are common, especially at the point where
two large rivers connect. Towns have merchants and smiths offering all types of equipment made of
iron. Cites are also common. These communities reside in large river valleys or at the end of rivers
connecting to the sea. They have large markets selling everything a character could want. Almost any
weapons are available, other than pole-arms. Tridents, short swords, bows, javelins, and slings are all
in common use. Armor consists of leg and arm greaves, breast plates, large helms, and a variety of
shields. Chain mail is almost non-existent, and plate is not available. The advanced nature of Greco-
Roman societies allows for a wide variety of equipment. The standard clothing consists of one or two
pieces of broad cloth called a peplos; these are pinned at the shoulders, and they hang to the knees
or ankles. Some wear the more formal toga, a broad oval cloth that drapes over and wraps around

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the wearer in more complicated folds. The learned nature of these cultures requires very advanced
forms of record keeping. Written language uses an alphabet instead of logograms, and mathematical
languages are common. Papyrus scrolls are the normal mode of written record, but are rapidly being
replaced by the codex - an early form of book - at the end of the period. Art is plentiful and includes
paintings, embroidery, sculpture, pottery, and similar items.

early medieval: this period is roughly 476CE–900CE. This type of setting consists of simple
agrarian societies dominated by warrior elites, often styled as kings and barons, but little more
than warlords controlling regions, whether great or small, through force of arms. Animal husbandry
and agriculture are not advanced and are supplemented by hunting and raiding. This only allows
for smaller urban centers and restricted technological development. Villages are common and
consist of an inn and a few houses, but have few craftsmen. Many towns exist along the rivers,
and many different craftsmen inhabit them. All types of equipment are available. All the large cities
are located along the seacoasts or at the junction of large rivers. Merchant guilds ensure the
availability of all types of reasonably priced goods. Single combat or small skirmishes dominate
warfare. Longswords, shields, and chain armor are the normal weapons and armor. Any form of
plate and advanced pole-arms, such as the guisarme, do not exist in such a society. All types of
equipment are available. The dress here is similar to Iron-Age dress. Tunics, trousers, and hoods
dominate the clothing style. The wealthy augment their simple attire with cloaks or leather, and
they use more elaborate forms of embroidery. Early medieval culture is highly labor-intensive,
allowing for little leisure time, and the arts, thereby, suffer. Written language is simple, and art
consists largely of calligraphy, statuary, and religious items. A government dominated by warrior
hierarchies typifies the setting; a growing mercantile class and guilds dominate society.
late medieval: this period is roughly 900CE–1300CE. The feudal society typifies this setting.
This is a form of government wherein the ruling classes use military protection as a medium of
exchange. Lords and vassals exchange property in the guise of fiefs for protection and service.
The age is highly advanced in animal husbandry, which further enhances the ruling warrior caste.
Warfare and the pursuit of warfare dominate the society. These communities are common and
consist of an inn and a few houses, but few craftsmen. Many towns exist along the rivers, and
many different craftsmen inhabit them. All types of equipment are available. All the large cities are
located along the seacoasts or at the junction of large rivers. Merchant guilds ensure the
availability of all types of reasonably priced goods. All types are available. All types of equipment
are available. The increased manufacture of textiles allows for a wider variety of clothing styles
and cloth, most notably the introduction of silk. Trousers are still common, but amongst aristocratic
classes, the hose begins to replace them. The tight-fitting doublet replaces the tunic of the early
medieval period. Women wear the bliaut, a wide garment with long sleeves, folded or crimped to fit
their form. An increase in leisure time allows the aristocratic class more time to indulge in the arts.
Writing is common, but books are still transcribed by hand. Books replace the scroll.

renaissance: this period is roughly 1300CE–1600CE. The Renaissance setting is perhaps the
most advanced arena in which to run a game. The society is highly advanced and has intricate
social bonds between merchants and warriors and between the clergy and the ruling elite. Agriculture
and animal husbandry are sciences pursued in an almost industrial fashion. Manufacturing is
common, especially in textiles, which allow for very elaborate forms of dress made from a variety
of material. Weapons run the gauntlet, from the very simple to the very complex, even allowing for
the introduction of early firearms. Villages have workers of metal and merchants with goods. The
best goods come from the travelling tinkers, who often barter for goods. Many towns exist along
the rivers, and many different craftsmen inhabit them. All types of equipment are available. All the
large cities are located along the seacoasts or at the junction of large rivers. Merchant guilds ensure
the availability of all types of reasonably priced goods. All armor and weapons are available,
including firearms and cannons. Dress is more complicated in these societies. Hose generally
replaces pants, and shirts replace the more common tunic. Vests, hats, cloaks, and capes are
common. Wealthy men wear hose, tunics, and cloaks, which are often elaborately embroidered.
Wealthy women wear floor-length, cone-shaped dresses. Common men wear pants and shirts,
and common women wear thick wool dresses. The Renaissance society is very similar to the
Greco-Roman one in that it emphasizes academic pursuits. This allows for wide variety of written
and spoken languages. The printing press and movable type make books very common.

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 SETTINGS
TERRESTRIAL
WILDERNESS
caverns: Caves are circuitous, massive, twisting affairs that follow the logic of the earth. There
are several types of caves, each with their own distinctive formation patterns and developmental
histories, making them unique and easily recognizable. Although each type of cavern listed below
has many subtypes and unique features depending upon locality, acidity of the soil, chemical
make-up of the rock and the water which dissolves them, the broad categories should suffice to
create cavern systems that are logical and easy to recognize.

depression: A depression is a low point in the ground surrounded on all sides by the land around
it. These sinkholes occur in every clime and biome and within any terrain. Depressions can occur in
ice sheets, prairies, mountainsides, underwater, etc.

desert: Deserts are regions receiving very little annual precipitation, usually less than 10 inches
(25 centimeters) a year. Deserts have specialized flora and fauna, and they lie in both cold and hot
climates. This former point is important to understand, as deserts can exist in arctic environments.

forest: There are many types of forested areas, from small hardwood copses to continent-wide
boreal forests and vast tropical rainforests, such as the Amazon. Each type of forest has its own
environmental conditions allowing it to grow, as well as its own history. Below are several different
types of forest.

northern coniferous forest, or boreal forest: These forests are found in northern lati-
tudes and in high upland mountainous regions. They are dominated by firs and spruces in their
north- ern regions, while pines and larches dominate their southern fringes. They are often as-
soci- ated with once-glaciated regions, and they receive a lot of yearly snowfall and have low
winter temperatures. The upland or mountainous forest of this nature has the same cold and snow
conditions. These trees in these forests are often stunted and small, bushy affairs compared to
their lowland counterparts. Deciduous trees can be found in these forests, but they are rare and
are more likely found in the southern regions or at lower elevations.

southern coniferous forest: These forests are found in southern latitudes. They are generally
more constrained by their environment than their northern counterparts, as other tree types are
far better acclimated to the long growing seasons and mild winters and summers. They are
dominated by tall pines with high canopies or low, small spruces which grow in soils or rocky
outcrops unsuitable to other trees.

deciduous temperate forest: These forests are found in areas of moderate climatic conditions.
Cold winters and warm summers prevail, but temperatures do not consistently drop below 0°F (-
18°C) or above 100°F (38°C) for extended periods of time. Seasonal changes predominate, with
the deciduous trees losing their leaves in fall and growing back in the spring. Trees typical to this
clime are ash, birch, oak, willows, and the like. These forests are often intermixed with evergreen
trees, such as cedar and southern pines.

tropical rainforest: The tropical rainforest exists in regions that are warm year-round and receive
up to 250 inches of a rain each year. Temperatures range between 93°F (34°C) and 68°F (20°C).
The rainforest it notable for its four distinct layers. The emergent layer, 2-300 feet above the forest
floor, where trees are spaced several hundred feet apart and the domes of the trees stand out above
the forest top. The upper canopy that is 60-120 feet above the forest floor that allows access to the
emergent layer but reduce sunlight and where leaves serve as drip spouts. The understory consists
of 60 foot trees and consists of trunks of trees, shrubs, plants and small trees. The forest floor makes
up the fourth layer and consists of shrubs, rushes, grasses, herbs and mosses.

lowlands: Lowlands exist at many different elevations. Some run the length of coasts, or stand
in stark contrast to hills and mountains. Some lie nestled between two mountain ranges, or may
even exist on the slopes of ridges. Lowlands range from very small to large.

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mountainous: Mountains range from young, active volcanic ranges and those being pushed by
the movement of tectonic plates to the very old, slowly eroding mountains whose peaks are only
a few thousand feet above sea level. But whatever the age of the mountain or mountain ranges,
they share many common features.

ocean, sea: Water dominates most worlds. As the cornerstone of life and the major source
of erosion, water plays a huge role in any world with a vibrant life cycle. As such, the world’s
languages include many words describing types of water encountered. Building upon the above
sec- tion on flowing water, the section below provides a small sampling of terms and definitions
about standing bodies of water and the land surrounding them.

valley: A large area of lowland lying between larger more prominent land features, such as hills,
mountains, ridges, plateaus, etc. The valley, like the vale, is home to a wide variety of fauna and
flora; the flora tends to thrive as the area’s water runoff is not too severe, allowing for soil growth.

wetlands: Wetlands maintain high levels of water all year long, or at the very least, become
inundated with seasonal rain or snow. These areas are not restricted to lowlands, as mountainous
lowland regions can experience intense levels of precipitation, as well. Wetlands suffer from thick,
soup-like soil that retains moisture. Many wetlands include small pools, ponds, and interconnected
water canals separated by areas of thicker, rocky soil, or vegetation.

URBAN
This section covers urban environments and is organized by size as opposed to alphabetically.
Please note that population figures verily wildly and may be greater or smaller depending upon
time period, technological innovation, culture and preference.

thorp: A thorp has 20-100 inhabitants. A thorp is a small community of families, or individuals
who live very close to one another. A thorp can be found in nearly every civilized community but
they are rarely found in those regions suffering endemic warfare or brigandry. They tend to cluster
in lands undergoing settlement and along major and minor trade routes. They are very dispersed
along border regions. They tend to cluster near villages, towns, and cities for safety. Thorps are
almost always farming communities, raw material gathering communities, or serve one function,
such as the houses, homes, and farms of people assigned to guard a bridge. There are rarely any
government representatives in a thorp. Only on very rare occasions would a thorp have a specialist
in any occupation.

hamlet: A hamlet has 100-400 inhabitants. The hamlet is the predominant settlement size for
nearly all regions of any civilization. These are communities of several dozen families, groups,
or individuals living in one community. They gather in these communities for safety and mutual
support. Hamlets have a variety of individuals or groups skilled enough to support themselves,
although it is rare that they have craftsman whose sole support base is their craft. Occasionally,
these communities are walled or have hedge-walls. This is more prevalent in turbulent areas and
less so in more settled regions. The inhabitants are primarily involved in agricultural pursuits,
though some hamlets have a more focused mining or raw material gathering focus. Hamlets on
major trade routes often have inns or taverns. These communities often have community buildings
as well such as a mill, storehouse, or trade-house, a religious structure or even a government
official living in them.

village: A village has 400-4000 inhabitants. This is the predominate urban feature for most
preindustrial societies. The village is of such size that it contains those whose primary function
is not agricultural, though in total the vast majority of the occupants are still agriculturally based.
The village supports dozens of hamlets, thorps, and individual settlements and can often supply
most of their needs. The village is the place where markets are organized. Official institutions are
almost always located in villages, as opposed to hamlets or thorps. Villages often possess walls
with those in the interior of settled regions less often, while those on the fringes of a settled region
more so. They are nominally well defended by the local power structures should the village be in
an important location. They are capable of raising militias, have small standing forces of men-at-
arms, and serve as the social, political and economic center for much of their surrounding area.

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 SETTINGS
town: A town has 4000-8000 inhabitants. The town is essentially a very large village that has a
support base of numerous other villages, hamlets, and thorps, such that it allows for the presence
of a higher percentage of specialized occupations and even production centers. The town is, by and
large, the dominant type of community through which authorities exert influence over their populace.
They always have an official presence, with representatives from the leadership, courts (if any),
markets, and fairs, militia, standing soldiery, etc. Most towns possess some type of forti- fications or
have the presence of fortifications, towers, or castles within the town or very nearby. Those towns on
the periphery of civilized lands tend to be more highly militarized than those in the interior regions.
The community is also well supported by outlying thorps and villages, such that a higher percentage
of its inhabitants are engaged in specialized occupations and common occupations.

city: The city has 8,000-16,000 inhabitants. The city is rare in the pre-industrial world. A large
number of villages and thorps are needed to support a city. These massive communities are very
important cultural and political nodes for any society and are often the largest population aggregates
one finds in many thousands of miles. There simply is not enough agricultural output to sustain many
of these localities. They are important political centers with local and regional nobility, standing militias,
city guards, professional soldiery, merchant and other guilds and religious authorities are located in
them. Cities usually exert regional authority (though this is not always the case) and almost always
have many satellite communities under their control. The size of a city should not be considered a
detriment to the power of those who rule from within. Small cities may house powerful monarchs
who can call up troops from a vast region. Cities also are large enough to support a large variety of
common and specialist occupations while relying on its food from outside sources. They often lie on
major trade routes, river courses, or are located amidst very fertile regions.

metropolis: The metropolis has 20,000–1,000,000 inhabitants. Communities this size are rare
in pre-industrial societies. It takes a staggering population size to support a metropolis of over
20,000 people and fulfill all its various needs. However, they do occur. These are the seats of
major powers whose influence can spread many thousands of miles. It rules over many hundreds
of towns and thousands of villages. They will, with rare exceptions, house significant military
forces, but will always have city guard, to include police and a highly-organized city structure and
management. They must be placed along major water ways (often the sea, with large ports) and
amidst a large trade route. They have to have access to highly developed agricultural communities
and organizations for distributing food (the market rarely served this in pre-industrial societies).
The majority of the city’s occupants are poor with a significant amount of special and common
craftsmen found therein. A metropolis should have a population support in the millions. In a highly
efficient society, 20 million people could possibly support a 1 million-person metropolis should all
other factors for support be present as well. In an average productive society, it may take up to 60
million people to support a metropolis of 1 million or more. In low efficiency societies, it is unlikely
there would be any metropolis.

EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
CELESTIAL
asteroid: \ˈa-stə-ˌrȯid\ Greek asteroeidēs starlike: a celestial body resembling a star in appearance,
such as one of thousands of small planets most of which have orbits between those of Mars and
Jupiter, approximating on the average the orbit at 2.8 astronomical units assigned by Bode’s law,
and ranging in size from a fraction of a mile in largest dimension to nearly 500 miles in diameter.

black hole: a celestial body that has a gravitational field so strong that light cannot escape it and
that is believed to be created especially in the collapse of a very massive star.

centaur: \ˈsen-ˌtȯr\ Middle English Centaur, Centaurus, from Latin Centaurus, from Greek Kentauros:any
of a class of asteroids with elliptical orbits that typically lie between the orbits of Jupiter and
Neptune.

THE STORYTELLER’S DICTIONARY 219

comet: \ˈkä-mət\ Middle English comete, from Old English cometa, from Latin cometa, cometes, from
Greek komētēs, literally, long-haired, from koman to wear long hair, from komē hair:

fixed star: A true star at such great distance that its motion can be measured only by very precise
ob-servations over long periods as distinguished from a planet or other obviously moving body.

meteor: \ˈmētēə(r)\ Middle English, from Middle French meteore, from Medieval Latin meteorum: a
streak of light in the night sky produced by the passage through the earth’s atmosphere of one of
the countless small particles of solid matter in the solar system.

nebula: \ˈnebyələ\ New Latin, from Latin, mist, cloud; akin to Old English nifol cloudy: any ofmany
immense bodies of highly rarefied gas or dust in the interstellar space of our own Milky Way and
other galaxies that when located in our own Milky Way may by absorption of light from objects farther
away be observed as a dark cloud or may by reflection or reemission of light from associated nearby
stars be observed as a bright cloud.

oort cloud: \ˈō(ə)rt-\ after Jan Oort †1992 Dutch astronomer: a spherical shell of cometary bodies which
is believed to surround the sun far beyond the orbit of Pluto and from which some are dislodged
when perturbed (as by a passing star) to fall toward the sun.

planet: \ˈpla-nət\ a heavenly body seeming to have a motion of its own among the fixed stars;
also: one of the bodies except a comet, meteor, or satellite that revolves around the sun in the
solar system.

planetoid: \ˈplanəˌtȯid\ a body resembling a planet, or asteroid.

planetesimal: \ˌplanəˈtesəməl\ planet + -esimal (as in infinitesimal): one of numerous small solid
heavenly bodies of undetermined characteristics that may have existed at an early stage of the
devel-opment of the solar system.

pulsar: \ˈpəlˌsär\ a celestial source of pulsating electromagnetic radiation (as radio waves)
marked by a short relatively constant interval (as .033 second) between pulses that is held to be
a rotating neutron star

quasar: \ˈkwāˌzär\ combination of quasi-stellar radio source: a region at the center of a galaxy
that produces an extremely large amount of radiation.

star: \ˈstär\ Middle English sterre: an object (such as a comet, meteor, or planet) in the sky
resembling a luminous point and usually only bright enough to be seen at night.