The universe is a large and very varied place. There will always be locations and cultures that become isolated from the rest of civilisation. Over time, these places will become increasingly strange and different as they diverge from the norm. A ship’s crew that’s exploring the unknown will need some unusual and interesting places to RPG adventures in. Here are three strange cultures to exploit for drama.
The Cold Folk
The waters around this frozen wasteland are so abundant with fish, seafood and aquatic plants that they can support a large self-sustaining network of towns. With nothing on land but for ice, snow and more ice, the people here have nothing to burn to generate warmth. There isn’t even a decent supply of stone for construction so the buildings are made from carved ice and whale bone. The people have had to adapt to the cold, to the point where warmth is seen as a blasphemy and a weakness. Prestige is attached to how little of their simple kelp weaved clothing a person wears or how exposed and open a house is to the wind. Most revered are those who’ve gone snowclad, a pilgrimage of shunning all clothing and shelter to commune with the open snow.
A Jury of All Your Peers
In this hyper connected society of social media users crime social problems are dealt with rapidly and democratically. At any point a citizen can call upon the connected masses to make snap judgements that are legally binding. Put in place three generations ago to reduce the workload of a justice system overloaded with minor cases it is a brutally efficient system. The disputing parties broadcast and post their evidence and opinions, calling on friends and allies for support and comment. After 90 minutes, voting begins on a dedicated website. The result and redress is enforced by the state and by the mob. Injustice is rampant as those with the most friends or persuasive talents gaining an unbeatable advantage in popularity. Those with money can even hire mercenary voters to support their claims. Unsurprisingly, large numbers of people are limiting their social interaction in fear of being judged against.
One Enormous Building
The building of concern started out as the ship used to found the colony. As the only shelter available at first, the colonists expanded and built it up rather than start from new. Such was their attachment to the ship that had borne them here, they named the colony after it: Salvation. The colony comprises of a single city which comprises of a single building. Looming hundreds of stories above the landscape and sprawling sideways for miles, the building is a massive mess of walkways, towers and extensions. There is little privacy in Salvation but a surplus of privilege. The wealthy live higher up, away from the crowd. The poorest do not even live in the city, instead barely surviving in a mega-shanty town that surrounds and envelopes the building at its base.
Image Credits
- Icebreaker Yamal by Wofratz – CC-BY-SA-2.5
- Polar Wasteland by Andy Tinkham – CC-BY-SA-2.0
- Crowds by oatsy40 – CC-BY-2.0
- Palace of Parliament by Classic Bucharest – CC-BY-NC-2.0
