Question about Banestorm/Yrth: What do people really know?

[GameBuddah]

I'm trying to re-familiarize myself with the world of GURPS Banestorm/Yrth and was wondering how much is commonly known about the Banestorm itself, and the relationship of the peoples of the human lands and Earth.

Do the people of Yrth consider Earth to be mythical, like the land of HyBrasil or a real place? Outside of the Underground Engineers, and others like them, how common is knowledge of Earth and the changes that have occurred since the dark ages?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by GameBuddah

Do the people of Yrth consider Earth to be mythical, like the land of HyBrasil or a real place? ?

Both, probably frequently varying from one tavern-dwellar to the next.

The detailed facts are quite restricted and not generally known by the common people at all.

[ham2anv]

The peoples of Yrth are generally aware of Earth (as well as Loren'Dil and Gabrook). People still occasionally arrive from Earth with (somewhat spotty) memories, so there is varying levels of understanding of Earth's history since the 1000s.


However, Earth is effectively like any other far off land to the typical medieval-level individual. Most people don't think about it at all unless they meet a new arrival, and then only to report the person to their nearest wizard or priest as quickly as possible.

[Willy]

I would say the common people know about earth as a fact, and the know the policy of how to handle "immigrants".

There is cultural leakage but not much technological because while the rulers and the church / mullahs don´t consider songs and tales important, ideas like civil rights and tech like gunpowder that could topple the power pyramid are taken seriously. A lot of popular songs are finetuned earth music for example but everything what could endanger the power broker is supressed. Also some classic theater plays are known and popular.

Canonically the megalans have knowledge of actual earth history and events, which the have written down in classified files. But all big powers have agencys to find newcomers and stop the spread of dangerous knowledge. So other may have this knowledge to, the bosses not the peasants.

[Alden Loveshade]

For your own campaign, you can of course handle this as you will.

But by "canon," yes, most people know of the Banestorm. It's a major part of their history (in some cases, an entire village was brought in), and the Banestorm has been depositing new people at least as current as the 20th century. (Some supplementary material has it continuing into the 21st.)

Here's a few examples:

"As far as most Yrthian folk know, these races have always been native to this world." (p. 18). Thus most Yrthian folk know that not everyone was a native.

"Ideas are most likely to make it to Yrth and spread if they are simple, useful, known to lots of people on Earth, and don’t obviously pose a threat to those in power." (p. 32).

Many people know of the Earth composer Mozart, and a popular song is sung to the tune of a Beatles' song (p. 35).

[jason taylor]

People and sometimes whole cultures are constantly coming (Cardiel came late in the Earthly calendar which is the reason for their superior shipbuilding). They show Shakespeare and know about opera and ballet in Tredroy.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

People and sometimes whole cultures are constantly coming (Cardiel came late in the Earthly calendar which is the reason for their superior shipbuilding). Toy.

I think you mean Araterre. Cardiel is a geo-political development rather than being Banestormed.

[Willy]

Depending on which region of the world there are of course huge differences in personal freedom and civil rights, not to mention technological knowledge and progress. In this case Yrth is a mirror of medieval europe at the beginning of renaisance.


The absolutely conservative empire and the city of tredroy have not much in common besides the setting. Yes there is a ban of gunpowder even there and newcomers are dealt with in a similar fashion. But Tredroy has at least in the cardien part religious liberty, a ( nearly ) free printing press, a anti slavery movement and a partly democratic government, subject to the 3 nations which form the city of course. And trade is done by a early form of mercantilism even if it is for now harnessed by a guild structure. The trading companies remind my a lot of the Hanse and the trading houses which dominated it.

So depending on the origin of the PCs / NPCs the knowledge of the world will differ a lot.

[Michael Cule]

One thing that would keep the fact of their origins in the forefront of people's minds is the monotheistic religions that originated on Earth.

People would tell the same stories of their religious histories and when children asked where Jerusalem, Mecca and Rome were to be found they would be told 'not around here' and 'no, you can't go on pilgrimage'.

The Passover toast of 'Next year: in Jerusalem!' might come to ring a little bitterly.

The fact of there being alternate worlds would be a major theological issue which most people wouldn't resolve by saying 'Nor is this not Hell nor am I out of it'. They would probably see it as more evidence of the might and wisdom of God who wasn't content with making just one world. Reconciling the existence of multiple timelines might be more difficult.