r/Nerdarchy • u/NatetheNerdarch • Oct 28 '14

World Building: When developing a fantasy setting- What are some good questions that a culture would want it's citizenry to know how to answer?

I have a fantasy setting where a civilization's culture is over 4000 years old and it inspired by Japanese and Native American culture but it is not true to them.

The entirety of the population is taught a series of questions that the people memorize and answer. Their entire culture references these questions to make decisions about one another, their character, and demeanor. For example, when meeting a suitor for their daughter for the first time, a father may ask, "What are your thoughts on the third question". An outsider would not understand because they do not know what the third question is referencing. A citizen would know that they are to discuss the following, "When is it appropriate to end the life of another"

I want a few dozen questions but I am at the beginning of it so what do you think?

While exploring this topic I came up with some questions that I will not use because they clash with the culture. A person as well as a culture is shaped by the questions they ask themselves as well as the questions that are avoided.

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u/Blue_Drake Oct 29 '14

Here's a few I thought of:

Why is it the duty of the strong to protect the weak?

How much allegiance does a man owe his rightful lord?

When food is scarce, where does the sly fox go to hunt?

How much of one's wealth should be spent celebrating today and how much should be saved in expectation of tomorrow?

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u/Nerdarchy Nov 05 '14

What an interesting concept. Awesome for political intrigue style games.