Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > Roleplaying in General

 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
Old 07-29-2019, 07:31 PM   #16
jason taylor
 
jason taylor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Default Re: Curious Local Customs

Banking is supported by other institutions that would not normally be expected to take part. Two examples:

Gaming Halls allow patrons, instead of cashing chips to maintain an internal account and receive interest. The money can sometimes be invested as at a bank. Some gaming halls have evolved into banks proper and only deal in gambling as a side business.

Museums rent expensive pieces from rich patrons. Purchasing art objects is a way to store money (come to think of it they may actually do that but whatever).
.................

Military units raise money for veterans and dependents trusts, gathering places for personal, "bling of war", etc by holding athletic tournaments and inviting civilians to watch. These can include such things as jousting, polo, or whatever.
--------
Bullfighting is still a regular sport on this planet. After a bullfight a successful matador is presented with the horns as a trophy. A feast is held. The most successful matador also ceremonially eats the bulls' deep-fried, um, "oysters" as a symbol of the triumph of his superior masculinity (if it's a female matador, it is considered just as cool-it proves her femininity is triumphant over the bulls' masculinity-and the same thing is done). The noble presiding over the feast orders the first cut to be given to anyone in his or her domain whom he feels has properly distinguished himself). The rest is given to the cowboys who separated the bulls for the days entertainment from their herd.

Cattle from the fighting breed that do not measure up to arena quality are traditionally castrated and "leatherfied" when they reach the proper age. However Kefir from cows of that breed are considered a properly "macho" drink.
-----
Working animals are still used in many rural places. They are ideally retired and pastured when they can work no more (I got that one from a story I read about a squire who bought up some army surplus warhorses after Waterloo and let them loose in his pasture and watched them do drills on their own as if they were still in the army). This one will have to be worked on as not all owners can afford to have useless stock around.
---------------
Gambling is a favorite activity and bets are placed on almost everything. This can include a political event, the outcome of a military action, the first ship into port in a given year, etc. The intelligence services keep a weather eye out on this as gamblers are automatic ad hoc spies.
------
In nighttime, especially on weekends, every hospitality establishment is linked electronically. There is a giant storytelling session going on akin to Canterebury Tales or Wayside Inn-in every place that can be reached by the link. In some cases it is done from home and people eat take-out and listen to entertainment online. Indeed several famous short-story and poetry anthologies have been made with this as a theme.
__________________
"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison

Last edited by jason taylor; 07-29-2019 at 07:50 PM.
jason taylor is offline   Reply With Quote
 

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:11 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.