Conspiracy Theories in My Homebrew Setting

If you take a look at the main page under "My Homebrew Setting" about halfway down the page, you'll see that I've written pretty extensively about my homebrew world and the people in it. And yet, there are still so many detail left unwritten, unconsidered. I know that my GMing improves when my world is clear to me--how else would I make it clear to my players? To that end, I am always looking to sharpen my sense of what my world is like. 

I was thinking about our modern world, where there is so much information everywhere around us. Many of us struggle to divide truth from fiction. And since the printing press is only in the contemporary moment in my world becoming widely available for the first time, they too will be beset by a flood of questionable theories, ideas, and explanations. With that in mind, the following is a guide to the various conspiracy theories believed by groups in my homebrew setting. 

1. The Elven Puppets

A group of younger Evanines, particularly amongst Daltoners and orcs, have begun to claim that the elven Cestalion is actually the supreme ruler of the continent because they control the actions of all the leaders of other cities. The theory goes that the incredibly old elven leader is able to use leverage from previous generations of other leaders to force them to comply with elven wishes. Many believers of this theory contend that the elven prosperity of the last millennia have been due to the flourishing of elves at the rest of the world's expense. 

This theory is considered by most to be a laughable hoax at best; the active efforts of the Daltoner and orcish governments to oppose the elves are enough evidence to the contrary for a great many Evanines. However, those who believe it are essentially unshakeable in their faith in the idea. Some contend that the strength of the belief comes from a refusal to acknowledge that other governments have handled things less ably than the elven government. There is a beginning of public debate of this issue, but few take it seriously. 

2. Mixed Burial Grounds

A group of older Evanines, particularly amongst Faninites and dwarves, have claimed that burial grounds and cemeteries which place bodies in mixed plots rather than racially-segregated plots result in unwell spirits for the buried. Across Evanoch, people have said that their recently-deceased relatives have returned as ghosts who are furious about their burials. Those who believe in this theory have pushed local governments to create segregated burial grounds to honor the dead. 

This theory is regarded cautiously by many Evanines. Most people have a powerful belief that that dead must be honored, and the notion of unwell spirits is an emotional topic. The Evanines who doubt this theory tend to be more progressive and embrace diverse communities more, and this is interpreted by believers of the theory as a secret agenda to disturb the dead while the doubters secretly bury their dead privately. The doubters also tend to believe that the ghostly excuse is something of a social reaction to increasingly integrated life. 

3. The Goblin Doppelgangers

A group of especially superstitious Evanines across all groups have argued that people across the countryside have been kidnapped by goblins and replaced by goblins disguised as the kidnapped people. The argument goes that these doppelgangers secretly serve goblin interests from inside civilization. The evidence for this theory is impossible to verify; it is said that the doppelgangers are identical in every way to the kidnapped people and can't be distinguished by even a family member. People in some position of power are the most commonly accused of being a goblin doppelganger. 

This theory is openly mocked by many Evanines, especially the more practically-minded. The idea of indistinguishable doubles is believed by most to be so outside the realm of possibility that goblins would never be capable of it--to this, believers argue that goblins only act unintelligently to make the doppelganger plan work. Public doubt in this theory has culminated in the production of a stage play called "The Goblin Conspiracy," which satirizes the theory as foolish and misguided. 

4. The Coded Messages

A group largely comprised of gnomes, half-elves, and Daltoners have publicized the theory that all written works printed on a printing press contain a hidden message which can be combined with hidden messages in other texts to unveil hidden knowledge. The contents of the hidden knowledge tends to vary from telling to telling, but the most common theme is some kind of power that could control civilization. A few believers have collected and searched hundreds of books, looking for the answers. No coherent message has been announced if discovered, but the search continues for those who believe. 

This theory is very divisive in Evanoch. Some argue that printed communication is too widely manufactured to have a standardized inclusion in some massive code; others say that there no way that intricate coded messages would be widely included, even by authors whose work suggests a code would be beyond them. All sorts of responses meet these objections, such as a close-knit community of printers who have a secret agenda separate from writers'. The group of believers is still notably large, however, in large part due to suspicion around new technologies that are still becoming accepted parts of everyday life. 

5. Hollow Star

A group of especially superstitious Evanines across all groups, but particularly amongst elves and half-elves, have countered the millennia-held belief that the planet is a sphere in an almost empty space with the argument that the planet is actually a hollow star. Part of the basis for this theory is that the ancient elven word for "star"--Izar--is in fact the same name as the planet itself. They contend that this is evidence that the planet is a star that burned almost all the way out; beyond this, they claim that the surface of the planet is actually on the inside, and the supposed light of the sun is actually the regularly ebbing and flowing light of the dying star. The nature of the night sky's stars remains a contentious issue. 

This theory is regarded by most as patently absurd. Doubters claim that the name "star" for the planet was a spiritual notion rather than a scientific one and that there is simply too much evidence for the planet's spherical shape to consider an alternative with no evidence. A fierce debate has raged in recent years over the theory, dividing especially those in smaller communities from those in larger communities; there have even been demonstrations outside of universities and astronomers' labs by proponents of the theory, claiming that they are spreading misinformation. Quite a few Evanine academics refuse to even acknowledge the theory, only leading to further division. 

6. The Dragon Circle

A group of well-informed people from all groups have begun to claim in recent generations that the numerous reported sightings of dragons over time have actually been immortal beings who held fantastic power as appointed dragons. The details of this arrangement and the identities of those suspected to be dragons varies wildly between tellings, but the concept generally holds that powerful people from across history have become dragons as part of a secretive ceremony, and that these dragons are all in contact and have shared agendas. Those who believe in this theory fear the dragons as cruel overlords who are inscrutable and strange. 

This theory is regarded in different ways. Some contend that the circumstantial evidence for the theory is compelling but ultimately unconvincing; others say that the story seems too farfetched to be plausible; others still doubt the existence of dragons altogether. The Dragon Circle has become something of a boogeyman which people either talk about in hushed whispers or joke about. What is generally agreed upon is that a number of important people have been sighted hundreds of years after their reported deaths and that dragon sightings do seem to coincide with major political happenings. Because the theory is so varied in its levels of belief, few Evanines would even consider this idea to be called a conspiracy theory. 

[For information about the real lore that this theory is based on, check out my variant rules for dragons.]

So there you have it--a range of conspiracy theories with all manner of degrees of truth and public belief. These can help me spice up a moment in-game by having an appropriate NPC discuss this theory with the players, which would really add some colorful detail to the world. It may even inspire the players to look into some of these theories, all of which could be fun jumping-off points for a campaign. This look into conspiracy theories makes my world feel more realistic; I think that suspicious thoughts about the world are a naturally-occurring part of a world, and having these gives Evanoch a more complete feeling. 

That's all for now. Coming soon: how to use your favorite media for inspiration, a guide to the languages in my homebrew setting, and a guide to diplomatic issues in my homebrew setting. Until next time, happy gaming!

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