Today, I stand before this diverse and knowledgeable community, extending a humble invitation for your collective wisdom and creative minds to help me unravel a world I've been meticulously crafting—a world I've tentatively named "Veridia."
In Veridia, my vision is of a society where conventional notions of justice, legal systems, and social structures undergo a dramatic transformation. I eagerly seek your insights to breathe life into this intriguing realm.
In Veridia, a fundamental assumption prevails that no one is truly innocent—every individual is deemed guilty of something until they can successfully prove otherwise. Here, the accused carry the unceasing burden of clearing their name. Even when one successfully defends themselves against an accusation, it doesn't bestow a universal innocence. Suspicion lingers, and individuals can face repeated allegations, including the same charges.
What deeply fascinates me about Veridia is how its denizens navigate this intricate web of guilt and innocence. In this society, every soul strives to forge strategic connections with as many influential individuals as their social standing allows. These connections serve as vital shields against potential accusations, a form of social currency that transcends class and hierarchy.
In Veridia, the affluent and powerful rarely contend with accusations, as they boast armies of lawyers, supporters, and others dedicated to safeguarding their reputations. The compensation for these guardians isn't merely monetary; it's rooted in association, as the wealthy and influential seek to protect those who protect them.
Even the most disadvantaged individuals—the homeless, the downtrodden, the dispossessed—endeavor to establish connections, alliances, and bonds of kinship. While their social stations often yield less robust circles of protection compared to their wealthier counterparts.
What's truly intriguing is that the people of Veridia don't perceive this system as broken; rather, they see it as the only way to exist. Instead of shying away from potential abuse or accusations, they aspire to become the wielders of power, accusers, and defenders themselves. These alliances and connections can extend across generations, as once forged, individuals, groups, and even entire bloodlines rarely betray or turn on those they owe their alliances and support to. Turning on one's allies only ensures one's own destruction. Safeguarding one's allies and protecting one's circles of protection ensures that, as your allies rise through the social strata, so do you. As your allies become more powerful and their circles of protection become ever wider and more robust, so do you and yours.
However, I come to you, my fellow thinkers, to delve deeper into the intricatcies of Veridia. How might such a society realistically take shape? What kind of legal system would emerge in a world where innocence is but a fleeting notion, and guilt is the default assumption? How would this relentless pursuit of influential connections mold the social structures and dynamics of Veridia? What impact would this have on trust, loyalty, and the distribution of power?
I humbly request your insights, your reflections, and your boundless creativity. How do you envision the birth of such a world, and what might be the day-to-day life of its inhabitants?
I am genuinely excited to hear your thoughts and insights about how such a civilization could come into being and how it might function in the day-to-day.
Regards,
Forge
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
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Hello fellow DMs and World Builders,
Today, I stand before this diverse and knowledgeable community, extending a humble invitation for your collective wisdom and creative minds to help me unravel a world I've been meticulously crafting—a world I've tentatively named "Veridia."
In Veridia, my vision is of a society where conventional notions of justice, legal systems, and social structures undergo a dramatic transformation. I eagerly seek your insights to breathe life into this intriguing realm.
In Veridia, a fundamental assumption prevails that no one is truly innocent—every individual is deemed guilty of something until they can successfully prove otherwise. Here, the accused carry the unceasing burden of clearing their name. Even when one successfully defends themselves against an accusation, it doesn't bestow a universal innocence. Suspicion lingers, and individuals can face repeated allegations, including the same charges.
What deeply fascinates me about Veridia is how its denizens navigate this intricate web of guilt and innocence. In this society, every soul strives to forge strategic connections with as many influential individuals as their social standing allows. These connections serve as vital shields against potential accusations, a form of social currency that transcends class and hierarchy.
In Veridia, the affluent and powerful rarely contend with accusations, as they boast armies of lawyers, supporters, and others dedicated to safeguarding their reputations. The compensation for these guardians isn't merely monetary; it's rooted in association, as the wealthy and influential seek to protect those who protect them.
Even the most disadvantaged individuals—the homeless, the downtrodden, the dispossessed—endeavor to establish connections, alliances, and bonds of kinship. While their social stations often yield less robust circles of protection compared to their wealthier counterparts.
What's truly intriguing is that the people of Veridia don't perceive this system as broken; rather, they see it as the only way to exist. Instead of shying away from potential abuse or accusations, they aspire to become the wielders of power, accusers, and defenders themselves. These alliances and connections can extend across generations, as once forged, individuals, groups, and even entire bloodlines rarely betray or turn on those they owe their alliances and support to. Turning on one's allies only ensures one's own destruction. Safeguarding one's allies and protecting one's circles of protection ensures that, as your allies rise through the social strata, so do you. As your allies become more powerful and their circles of protection become ever wider and more robust, so do you and yours.
However, I come to you, my fellow thinkers, to delve deeper into the intricatcies of Veridia. How might such a society realistically take shape? What kind of legal system would emerge in a world where innocence is but a fleeting notion, and guilt is the default assumption? How would this relentless pursuit of influential connections mold the social structures and dynamics of Veridia? What impact would this have on trust, loyalty, and the distribution of power?
I humbly request your insights, your reflections, and your boundless creativity. How do you envision the birth of such a world, and what might be the day-to-day life of its inhabitants?
I am genuinely excited to hear your thoughts and insights about how such a civilization could come into being and how it might function in the day-to-day.
Regards,
Forge
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.