LetsBuild5e:Demographics and Society
Who lives here, and how?
All the player-character races described in the Player's Handbook are found in non-trivial numbers in the game's starting region. One of the PC races is unusually unpopular; two others?. are historic bitter rivals. So-called dark elves exhibit a range of skin-colours from light grey to ebony. They speak a form of elvish, but they are often found living alongside orcs and speaking their language - which is a major source of tension with other elves. Aasimar, tieflings, and perhaps genasi are found throughout other cultures, races, and societies - their special natures occur as genetic throwbacks, and they rarely if ever have distinct settlements of their own. Dragonborn speak a form of Draconic, in addition to any local languages. Dragonborn live mainly in mountain foothills, where they have a very tense peace with the dwarves and gnomes. They are loosely organised into regional clans: The red-copper clan in particular lives in the mountains, the blue-brass clan lives in the deserts, the white clan is up in the cold steppe, the green-black clan is forest-based, the bronze clan lives by the sea, and the silver-gold clan is always urban. (Decision: [1])
Locally, the technology level is classical, but it's possible that a higher technology level might exist elsewhere. (Decision: [2] ) Moreover, all kinds of arcane magic are known, but their practice at higher levels, and especially for payment, are tightly regulated by an oligopoly of competing mage guilds. (Decision: [3] ) The starting region is highly cosmopolitan: major cities are melting pots where one could meet anyone, while in more rural areas communities tend to be dominated by 2-3 different races. (Decision: [4]) There is no superpower in the starting region; instead, it is divided up among many weak states with diverse political systems. (Decisions: [5] [6]) In addition to the regular PC races, orcs and aasimar are found in significant numbers in the starting area. (Decision: [7]) Also present are an enigmatic race of human-sized colonial insects, with whom the humanoids have a very limited form of commerce. (Decision: [8]) The insect-people's own communications are not understood by humanoids at all, and they resist most forms of mental magic; trade is accomplished by means of sign language through specially trained interpreters.
Up the revolution!
The campaign begins in a nation that has overthrown the direct rule of one of the large international mage guilds at some point in the past 12 months. There's no real head of state - the chairs of the various citizens' committees take the role depending on the situation at hand. There isn't even functioning democracy as such - just various ad hoc groups trying to muddle through. Thinkers in the marketplace are starting to propose new constitutional arrangements, but enough other things have kept the interim government busy since the revolution that no constitutional convention has been called, nor has any single leader emerged. The ousted mages are now licking their wounds and deciding on the next move. They're not openly at war with the rebel government - after all, it could be a future client. (Decisions: [9] [10])
