Politics in My Homebrew World

One of the most enduring topics for adventures in tabletop games comes from the political happenings of the setting. Whether it's carrying out the orders of a politician, defusing a tense political situation, or making sure that those in charge do as they promise, it's fertile ground for an adventure. But it can be a challenge to generate political intrigue without context. That's why I have carefully developed the political realms of my homebrew setting--with my profiles on each political world, it becomes much easier to generate storylines that use those worlds. Read on for a full account of major politics in my world. 

This guide details the big picture concerns of government in my major cities. You can also check out the diplomatic situations of these cities. 

Perhaps the most important thing in terms of putting together your politics is that it suits your world. For my aims, I want to create as broad a spectrum of politics as possible so that I can easily tell whatever story I want. To that end, my homebrew politics will represent as many different ideas as possible. This also allows me to differentiate the races and regions from one another. 

In my world, I have established that the major continent on which my campaigns happen has nine prominent cities that dominate the politics of the continent. These are called "the Big Nine," and most everyone who lives on the continent is fairly familiar with these ideas. So this information is meant to represent what is more or less common knowledge in the world. 

The Big Nine is comprised of four racial homelands--formerly the seats of racial kingdoms--as well as the colonized capital of the Daltoners (a line of humans) and four major cities. The halfling major city, Curagon, is entirely anarchic, and so it does not feature as one of the main governments. Citizens of Curagon insist on the phrase more accurately being "the Big Ten," including the former halfling capital, but most other citizens regard it as something of an outlier. 

Mishara, the elven capital, is governed by one supreme ruler with the title "Cestalion." The Cestalion is selected by a panel of the five oldest living elves. This panel typically selects the most prominent young elf who shows potential for their future. The chosen elf then reigns for the rest of their life, unless that panel decides to replace them, though this emergency replacement has only happened twice in recorded history. In this case, all five elves on the panel must agree to replace the leader. Cestalion translates roughly to "Emperor," and the Cestalion is held above monarchic rule because of the role of the panel in choosing their leader. Arguments for a more democratic system have been discussed, but the role of tradition has kept the Cestalion model very popular.

The current Cestalion is Findlan Tristaa. Tristaa is young by elven standards, only 257 years in all. He is idealistic and has instituted am unorthodox program within the elven lands which aims to advance knowledge of the humanoid anatomy and further medicinal technology to improve overall health in Mishara and beyond. He is largely respected by elves, though many older elves feel he has yet to prove himself as a capable leader, having only served as Cestalion for 23 years (since 4697). Tristaa is a talented artist and musician who admires but steers clear of scientific pursuits himself.

The elven lands are characterized by widespread prosperity, and Mishara is arguably the most well-to-do city known to anyone. Average citizens get by okay, and there are informal community supports which exist to help struggling elves. The government is largely removed from the day to day life of its subjects; when the Cestalion does rarely act, it is in moments of crisis. Most elves prefer a "hands-off" style of governance, and the Cestalion fulfills this model well. The issues most dear to contemporary elves' hearts are freedom of speech, the right to privacy, and freedom of religion.

Kruush, the orcish capital, is the least populous of the Big Nine, and it is governed by the Ragnar (rough translation: "general"), a sort of combination of warchief and dictator--unlike the other leaders in the setting, the leader of the orcish peoples is the highest general of the orcish military, which is determined by who has killed the previous general. In the event that the general is killed by a non-orc, the orc to kill that person becomes the new general. Most typically, an orc who wishes to challenge the general will declare it publicly, naming a time and place in which to fight, as well as whether or not weapons will be used. About one-half of challenges occur unarmed. Only twice in recorded history has a general died of age. Orcish leaders rarely rule for more than 5 years, due both to their short lifespans and the likelihood that they will be killed in battle. The Ragnar rules over the largest orcish village, Kruush, which is located on Grob Island to the southwest. When orcs become dissatisfied with a Ragnar, they kill them.

The current Ragnar of Kruush is Rong Transkt. Considered intelligent for an orc, Transkt has ruled in Kruush for a respectable four years (since 4716). Utilizing the incredible resources available to his people, Transkt has earned a reputation as a shrewd negotiator, and has achieved considerable success in his goal of increasing the wealth of the orcish empire. He has allowed trade to occur from the small town of Gringe at the mouth of the Botak River (near the southern tip of the Dakor Peninsula) with any traveler or merchant daring enough to make it there. He is completely beloved by orcs. Age 23, Transkt is proficient with the greatclub and the greatsword.

The orcish lands are still mostly undeveloped by modern society, and much of the orcs' political weight comes from their ability to trade in untapped natural resources. Orcish lands, due mostly to the hostility between secluded orcs and other groups, are largely uninhabited by any non-orcs, and so orcish politics are more insulated than other groups'. In this sort of vacuum, orcs judge government's role as mainly an administrator of warfare. The many orcs who leave their homeland behind often do so in order to live under more formal governmental bodies. The political issues which matter most to orcs are the vision of the Ragnar, the security of orcish settlements, and the political maneuverings of the elves, who historically have meddled in their affairs.

Vestry, the sprawling gnomish capital city, is the only planned community in the Big Nine. The gnomes adopted a democratic socialist government over a hundred years ago, and part of this plan included the construction of a grand capital city. The resulting city--a geometrically perfect series of interlocking squares--it large, easy to navigate, and chock full of readily available housing. Many of Vestry's citizens are struggling non-gnomes, who are for the most part accepted as recognition that their city works well and attracts people. The government is run in a hierarchical system that makes use of a specialized test that identifies strong potential leaders. At the age of 35 years, gnomes are given a test which measures their aptitudes in a wide variety of areas. According to the results, they are then given a list of careers for which they are suited, from which a gnome selects the career they most desire. This test, the Gnomish Overall Literacy Demonstration (GOLD), is one of the foremost technological advances achieved by the modern world and is revered for its accuracy. This method also selects candidates for leadership: 21 posts of gnomish leadership exist: 16 Barons, 4 Dukes, and 1 Lord. Elections are held  in which all gnomes may vote, choosing from the 21 gnomes with the highest GOLD scores for governmental careers. Each post's term lasts 10 years. There is no limit on the amount of terms a gnome can serve, though only gnomes are considered for election, despite some previous suggestions that other races residing in Vestry should also be allowed to hold office. Barons and Dukes are assigned to their section of the gnomish capital by choice in descending order of votes received. Should the majority of the Barons or of the Dukes decide that any position of leadership is being filled not to satisfaction, a vote is called to determine whether or not to replace that leader. A simple majority will determine the vote.

The current Lord of Vestry is Porath Ouzy Cetia Darris Urall Etel Tessedor Wink. In non-gnomish society, he goes by "Tessedor Wink." Wink is incredibly intelligent and good-natured, if a bit naïve. During his schooling, Wink developed a reputation as someone who believes that rules should be twisted when necessary, which was a large aspect of his election. Wink spends very little money to keep Vestry running as it should, but is very effective in doing so. Little in the way of reform has occurred under his rule, but the prosperity of Vestry has remained constant throughout. Widely respected as a ruler, Wink is also a talented wizard in the school of abjuration. At the age of 171, Wink is beginning to reach his older years and has served four consecutive terms. His current term will end in 4725. He was first elected directly to Lord in 4685, after the previous Lord's decision to not run again.

Many gnomes are highly individualistic and driven by wealth, prompting many observers to point out that a system that treats individuals equally and collects a regular tax seems hardly gnomish. But because gnomes are raised in tightly knit communities, they tend towards such collectivist ends. There has been a growing movement under Lord Wink that proposes Vestry raises taxes slightly in order to fund more humanitarian efforts, but the gnomish community remains split over this issue. The political issues that gnomes prize most include freedom of education, freedom of speech, and having a meaningful voice in elections.

Underhar, the dwarven capital built into a mountain range, operates under an aristocratic republic. There is nominal voting for the leader, the "Dronith," or "Regent," but many non-dwarves disregard this idea because so few dwarves are allowed to vote. The 10,000 dwarves whose families own the most land are given one vote to cast for self-declared candidates. The candidate receiving more votes than any other is made Dronith. The Dronith rules for 20 years and elections are held again. Rarely are re-elections ever seen, and a dwarf who does not hold the right to vote has never been elected. There is no method of replacing a Dronith with whom the people are dissatisfied. Droniths historically have had a range of approaches to the position, ranging from tight control of social rules and leanings towards war to completely hands-off approaches.

The current Dronith is Foln Craghammer. Craghammer was elected by his peers to be Dronith in 4720 at the age of 206. Respected for his family lines (his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all served as Droniths in their times), Craghammer is expected to be a reliable leader who will stand by the values of dwarven culture. So far in his term, Craghammer has not done anything of note except to ignore the requests of the voting dwarves to honor the previous Dronith through a regal ceremony, a practice made regular in the last three centuries. During his education, Craghammer showed an affinity for weaponsmithing, though his professors complained that he lacked imagination in the pursuit. Public opinion is still forming, but many expect Craghammer to follow his forefathers' example of making speeches without using governmental force to back his words up.

Dwarves have long held their cultural achievements high, and it is likely that the dwarven love of their past surpasses all other races' tastes for tradition. However, the increasing globalism of the world has introduced a variety of more modern approaches to government, and new ideas are beginning to become part of public conversations, most notably discussions of changing the voting rules to allow all dwarves to cast ballots, but the establishment has pushed back firmly. The issues that contemporary dwarves care most about are property rights, living according to dwarven customs, and being able to practice family traditions (ranging from religious ceremonies to learning family trades).

New Dalton, the newly built mega-city of the Daltoners on Evanoch's east coast, is run nominally by a "Tsar," but the real power exists in the hands of the "Bishop," the head of Dalton's Church of Pelor (a violent and sacrificial twist on the more peaceful worship of the sun god). Here, Pelor is worshipped as the creator of everything and is commonly worshipped by nearly all humans in New Dalton. The Bishop's influence over Daltoners is a rival power with the Tsar's, though it is commonly accepted that the people listen more to the Bishop than the Tsar. The Bishop is chosen by a small group of Chancellors in the Church of Pelor. Bishops also serve for life.

The current Tsar of New Dalton is Torvald Gorp. Gorp is regarded generally well by New Daltoners, but non-Daltoners accept that Gorp is an unintelligent puppet for the Bishop of the Church of Dalton, Gareth Hannibal. Hannibal, age 68, is beloved by the people of New Dalton, but detested by those outside the Dalton Church of Pelor. He is believed to be extremely corrupt, though there is no concrete evidence of such claims in the public conversation. Undeniable is the fact that the palace has grown more lavishly decorated in the 17 years he has been Bishop while the poor and devout of New Dalton have grown even poorer. Born and educated in New Dalton, Hannibal is the first Bishop of the Dalton Church of Pelor to have never served as a cleric. He was appointed Bishop in 4703, and in that time, his public speeches have reinforced traditional Daltoner values (or lack thereof).

New Daltoners are very much still outsiders in Evanoch, but they view the entire continent as somehow theirs, as though their previous attempts to colonize the continent are only on hold. A combination of intentional misinformation from the government and church along with incidental in-fighting within the population has led to an internal division in New Daltoners. On one hand are the loyalists who pledge themselves to the faraway island of Dalton, their homeland, and on the other are those who recognize that New Dalton is more than Dalton ever was. The political issues that drive most Daltoners are their so-called racial supremacy, the prominence of the Dalton Church of Pelor, and the edicts from rulers back on Dalton (which often place demands on the more successful colony).

Finiel, a predominantly elven, Faninite, and half-elven city in the northwest, is ruled by a council of elders. A triumvirate of the three oldest living citizens rules Finiel; its current rulers are Begarrel Vilvort (762 years old; 83 years on panel), Zintar Seppest (693 years old; 42 years on panel), and Drofille Quoll (684 years; 27 years on panel). Vilvort and Seppest agree on a conservative view of fiscal matters while Quoll tends toward a more liberal spending philosophy; Vilvort and Quoll agree on liberal social policies while Seppest is reliably conservative in the area. The current panel has overseen a modest increase in economic activity, especially in terms of foreign trade; life has otherwise been very stable for the last quarter-century. This is considered a rather welcome change after the relative turbulence by the previous panel, which struggled to agree on anything at all. Prior to their lives on the panel, Vilvort, Seppest, and Quoll made their livings as a primary school teacher, a landlord, and a carpenter, respectively.

The people of Finiel, with their backgrounds from elven and Faninite cultures, is the only city in the Big Nine which has a significant population of Faninites--the humble humans have tended to spread across the continent, making it rare to see a concentration of them. In the years since Faninites found their way to Evanoch, their quiet and nature-revering culture has endeared them to elves, and in fact their union led to the creation of half-elves in the first place. Finiel, though de facto ruled by elves due to the age requirement, is heavily marked by these other populations, with even the most beloved statue in the city depicting a half-elf.

In Finiel, the council model has led to relatively little change over time. As a result, some of the Faninites and half-elves in the city have made public suggestions to the council to do more to incorporate non-elves in politics. This movement has yet to form into an actual change, as the council insists that having three rulers rather than one makes them triply democratic than the elven Cestalion, but many believe the movement is only beginning. The most vital Finiel issues are the right to self-expression, respecting nature, and the right to organize.

Ringsdale, an industrial city at the heart of a mountain range, is ruled by a highly structured hierarchy of judges. The relatively young city cropped up when aspiring industrialists gathered at the resource-rich site. No official laws exist in Ringsdale; if one citizen feels wronged by another, they take the complaint to the appropriate judge, who then resolves it. The judges are elected from a pool of individuals nominated by their professional peers. The system is supposed to ensure that only dedicated experts make meaningful decisions about what happens in town. Appeals allow the decision to rise from the tertiary judges to the secondary or primary judges. The are nine judges at the tertiary level, three at the secondary level, and one at the primary level. The following illustrates the domains and current judges: 

				Ringsdale
				Edmund Yorke
				Head, Labor Union of Ringsdale
	Sciences			Economy			Philosophy
	Torny Stron Hegett Ply			Zacharias Orlett			Argus Westover
	Head Librarian, Ringsdale University			Chief Banker, Ringsdale First Bank			Professor of Ethics, Ringsdale University
Magic	Academics	Engineering	Agriculture	Industry	Service	Civil	Justice	Religion
Gretchen Willard	Bram Laren	Rell Jimber Drozzy Liskit	Evan Tokener	Earl Custos	Priscilla Rainier	Geoffrey Jaswell	Amund Zigor	Nikolas Geare
Head, Ringsdale Wizards’ Union	Dean, Ringsdale University	Owner, Mountainside Workshop	Local Farmer, 200 acres of cropland and 1000 animals	Chief Foreman, Ringsdale Steelworks	Owner, Priscilla’s Café	Former lawyer, New Dalton	Head Cleric of St. Cuthbert	Head Cleric of Pelor

[Regular readers will recognize the name of "Amund Zigor," the Justice Judge--he was a former character I played, and I thought it would be nice to give him a minor role here. Another judge is named for the DM under whom I played Zig, who also played Rupert in Listen Check. It can be fun to drop in characters you care about, but don't let your feelings about that character affect how your players interact with them.]

The Chief Judge, Edmund Yorke, importantly does not represent a specific matched position for his field. As head of the Ringsdale Labor Union, he represents the interests of the majority of Ringsdale citizens. Under Edmund Yorke’s oversight for the last fifteen years, Ringsdale has continually grown its economy and established itself as an economic powerhouse, even if the city has a severe inequality of wealth distribution.

Citizens of Ringsdale popularly discuss their government as a trade-off between meaningful justice and freedom to live as one sees fit. The population of Ringdale includes every race in a substantial proportion, and so the founders of the city sought to create a minimally-intrusive system which could still protect citizens' rights. The most important political issues in Ringsdale are the right to work for a fair wage, the right to organize, and the security of personal property. 

Talon Gorge, until very recently the last remaining monarchy in the Big Nine, the city recently switched to a democratically-elected council following a collapse of the government sparked by the former royal family's assassination. Under the new government, a council of seven representatives governs Talon Gorge. People who worked for the former kingdom are barred from election. The current council members are (1) Bernard Spellman (a shopkeep), (2) Miriam Grover (a chef), (3) Wendy Sandshifter (a healer), (4) Grongak Tru’usk (a soldier/adventurer), (5) Vinsanon Flian (a trapper), (6) Dent Sole Widget Bramble (a tinker), and (7) Candace Stair (a courier). The council is largely successful in avoiding gridlock and resolving things as a group, although it is widely known that Representative Tru’usk is the most vocal and successful in pushing his preferred projects through at the cost of others’ success. The representatives will face reelection in 4725, when voting for the positions will happen once more. Under the council, Talon Gorge has become more equitable in terms of wealth distribution, more attentive to social issues, and more successful in battling government corruption.

The population of Talon Gorge, like Ringsdale's, is widely varied. Under the old kingdom, neighborhoods were fairly segregated by race and class, but the city's new vision includes breaking down that barrier. Many buildings were destroyed in the collapse of the kingdom, and rebuilding the city has been the council's main task. Nevertheless, they have still begun to administer social programs, many in the style of nearby Vestry's system. Unlike the other cities, Talon Gorge appears to have a united populace behind its changing profile, and many commentators have remarked that Talon Gorge may well be the most prominent city on the continent in the coming decades.

Evidence of this shared attitude can be found in the rebuilding efforts. Reports have shown that hundreds of Talon Gorge citizens closed businesses and cancelled travels in order to tend to the wounded, houseless, and otherwise displaced. This newfound sense of community which emerged from the overthrow of the kingdom has fueled a reawakening of civic interest. The issues that Talon Gorge citizens care the most about are community service, economic security, and an atmosphere of social inclusion.

Torga, a port city known for its criminal element, is ruled by a Governor, a system of courts, and a formalized law enforcement team. The Governor is an elected official who has historically been plucked from the world of business, though recent history has seen the election of several members of the law enforcement team, the Jute (so-named for their roughspun uniforms). The Governor has fairly limited power, but they are capable of instructing the Jute's leader (the Sheriff) and proposing laws to the governing courts. The court system is broad, with the team of 10 judges appointed by the current Governor when the former judge resigns or dies. The Sheriff is likewise appointed by the Governor, but the Sheriff is in charge of hiring Jute officers. 

Because Torga has a diverse population (though historically orcish, dwarven, and Daltoner), the main means that citizens use to identify themselves is not by race or class, but by legal alignment: Jute, criminal, or bystander. Oftentimes in the city's troubled history, the government has passed measures to crack down on criminals, such as the recent deal in which any criminal could get amnesty for informing on their allies. But the criminals have always fought back, at times even tampering in the election process. As a result, citizens of Torga often feel as though they are helpless, hence the term "bystander."

Torga's politics recently were transformed when a do-nothing Governor and heavy-handed Sheriff both resigned and named members of the Jute with reputations for honesty. Under the new government, which has focused more on helping "bystanders" than fighting criminals, things have shown minor signs of improvement. The political issues that make Torgans the most passionate are the stability of the economy, protection from crime/freedom from persecution, and improving relations with the surrounding cities (Torga has only interacted with other cities for trade for over a hundred years). 

There you have it: detailed descriptions of the political worlds of an entire continent. One of the benefits of these varied governments is what I can do with them. Talon Gorge was the site of a long campaign in which the players toppled the kingdom (or at least, some of them did). I used the falling kingdom idea because my players wanted a complex political intrigue story, so I had the quest-giver make the campaign all about monarchy versus anarchy. Then there's Torga, which was the site of Listen Check; the players were all criminal in a gang, so I used the tough and corrupt government of the city as a backdrop, making my players face off against the cantankerous Jute. If I wanted to do a "trouble in paradise" story, I have a few governments which seem pretty ideal which I can make more complex for a story (Vestry is threatened by inner turmoil, Ringsdale gets corrupted, Talon Gorge reverts to its unilateral leadership). If I needed to be able to tell a story of a truly evil government, I have a number of options (Mishara for lack of representation and superiority complexes, Kruush for brutal violence, Underhar for social oppression, or New Dalton for a truly corrupt and wicked cult). I think that Finiel is ripe for a story of change within its unfair council rules. 

And we're not even considering the bigger picture yet. What if two or more of these governments had disagreements? What if some of them had to form an alliance and deal with their differences? What if a group of assassins is targeting leaders one by one--how would the living leaders react? What if a natural disaster affected one of these cities--how would the government respond? What if the players get a report that an official is planning something disastrous--how can the players prevent it? Suddenly all those stories about politics in tabletop games become fodder for endless adventures. 

Consider this final idea. I wrote the SRD for my homebrew world a decade ago. Many of the details here appeared in that list. Since then, playing D&D as often as I can, I have launched stories all across this world, most involving politics in some way. None of that would have been a simple step like it was if I hadn't developed the politics of the world before I started. 

That's all for now. Coming soon: a guide for creating 5E characters quickly and easily, why D&D is a stepping stone to tabletop games, and tips for creating likeable NPCs. Until next time, happy gaming!

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