Regarding money, I believe this society will need something of the sort. You could chose anything portable and permanent to attach some value to as coinage, say smelted bauxite to make aluminium which at one time not so long ago was considered a precious metal, just as a thought that doesn't coincide with our ideas of gold, platinum, &c. Even diamonds for us are really much more common than believed and the value assigned them is rather arbitrary. So, pick a medium for these people to use and a name for the unit of coinage. It actually might be very difficult not to have it in the course of his travels or in the commerce base you've already established. You have to give a sea-captain something to captain your ship and he has no space for a cow, three sheep, and a flock of chickens that he has to now feed thus becoming another farmer, for example. Likewise, Stiv and any of the other guild assassins need something to off your enemy, and a rick of hay or one of Tim's automatons can't be schlepped to the pub for food, drink, and lodging.
The topic really doesn't need to be important though. Rowling gives Harry a vault-full in the first book and money is never really addressed again in the Potter stories, for example. Pretty much the same goes for Middle Earth, but it is always there to be used when needed for the stories. I can't fathom a functional society beyond primative tribalism that can get along without it, and yours is well advanced.
Religions? I'm certainly with you on that, other than a universal belief in treating others as you want to be treated in return, the value of honesty, honour, and kindness, and a respect for the spirits representing nature and the Earth. Gotta have some stories to illustrate those values. If this was my choice, I'd have it in there but as I would love to see it; perhaps something very Celt or Pictish as those expressions lend themselves to acknowledging the fey and "magic" in the form of things like the wisps.
BUT! some sort of monotheistic thing complete with monks and priests and symbols carried before armies I'm very much in agreement is something to resist. Indeed, that could be something Brythan has to resist from the mainland folk with which they might trade, as the Abrahamic religions have always been and still are a motivation to kill, plunder, rape, and enslave in the name of God. No place for that in the world you've created unless as an antagonistic element, one of the reasons the fey from the mainland might have fled to join their kind behind the Barrier. Just as a thought of course.
Monarchy? Actually, the most innocuous of the three. Even the Guilds might be motivated to compete with each other for the reins of power, but that really destroys the interactive equality you've perhaps unconsciously created for each guild. Still, you might have to address the unified command of diplomats, navy, and army to defend Brythan and/or its commerce. If not a head of state of some sort, even fat, drunk, and manipulated, perhaps the Defenders Guild or some such, responsible for the collective diplomacy and its being backed up from a position of strength, war being diplomacy by other means.
All these really only need presented as required for the story, of course. Like Potter and his vault, you did have some of the village thugs go into the Army in your first iterations of this, if you remember. I seem to remember a recruiting party grabbing them up by less-then-completely voluntary means and you mentioning them coming back much improved in purpose for the experience. If you have an Army and a Navy of sorts to protect Brythan (the former) and its commerce (the latter) there needs to be a central identity and authority of some sort just from a command standpoint. Joining up is known as "taking the King's shilling" for a reason. Grin!
All very random thoughts and opinion on my part and, if you weren't looking for thoughts on this when you posted it, my apologies.
Message Thread
« Back to index