Culture

The culture most common in Gygaxia (and the “default” setting in the absence of something more specific) is partly an amalgamation of various other fantasy worlds. Indeed, many elements of Gygaxian culture would be instantly recognizable to the average citizen of almost any fantasy setting. At its most basic, Gygaxian culture can best be described as being something like the modern popular conception of medieval England mixed with various current notions about what the ancient world was like. Add to this a lot more wizards, kingdoms, lightning bolts, gold, barbarians, heroes, pubs, broomsticks, quests, magic, gods, dungeons, and monsters than are generally believed to exist (or to have existed). Of course, there are also a variety of nonhuman races in Gygaxia, though much of the world has been somewhat homogenized by rapidly multiplying and expanding imperialist groups of humans, who are thus the most populous and pervasive of the races. Most settlements are populated largely with individuals of this most familiar race, with elves following distantly behind, followed by (in roughly equal proportion) dwarves, dryads, and hobbits. Sprites, trolls, and orcs are least commonly found in these human-dominated settlements and are the most likely to continue living in cultures of their own elsewhere (though each of the races has communities overwhelmingly or entirely dominated by others of their own kind). The point, however, is that Conan the Barbarian, Snow White, Dorothy Gale, Raistlin Majere, and Frodo Baggins would all find much that is familiar in Gygaxia, even if certain aspects of daily life would baffle the shit out of them.

On the other hand, variation from the norm is pretty much everywhere as well, and many Gygaxian people, places, things and events are entirely unique to Gygaxia. Vast numbers and kinds of organizations, religions and equipment exist only here. Other facets of the culture seem much like modern life with a fantasy twist, such as the eternal struggle between corrupt rulers and wizard terrorists, elevators which are operated by a troll at the end of a rope and pulley, or the troubadours who travel the country to report the news in song form (residents typically spend an hour or so in the evening listening to current events in the village square). No matter where you go in Gygaxia, you’ll always discover something unexpected. There may be nothing in the world which is new to everyone, but there’s always something new to you, if you’re open to it.

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