Question about the Vilhon Reach [Archive] - Wizards Community

Question about the Vilhon Reach [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Shade_Hunter
05-26-07, 12:53 AM What real world cultural feel does it have to it? I can't put my finger on it, even though I read some of the 2E book to it. What do you experts think? Because I'm thinking of making an NWN2 module based in that region (maybe) Thanks for any replies.
Fabius Maximus
05-26-07, 05:26 AM It has some indian elements in it, like a moderate version of the caste system. Besides that, I don't know if there are any other influences.
MerrikCale
05-27-07, 11:50 AM perhaps Ottoman Empire?
TomCosta
05-29-07, 10:44 AM I don't know that it has any direct real-world comparison.

Turmish is sort of a highly mercantile version of some Arabic culture, maybe Lebanese in feel.

I've always viewed Chondath as a sort of Rome in decline militarily, but not culturally. Then there are the various city-states, Hlondeth which is yuan-ti dominated and detailed in Lisa Smedman's recent trilogy and Serpent Kingdoms, Surkh, the lizard man kingdom, the slaver city of Nimpeth. And you can't forget the powerful influence of Emerald Enclave....
ShadezofDis
05-29-07, 11:05 AM Like Tom said, there's a lot of different feels in the Reach.

The quick and dirty answer is that Turmish feels a lot like the region of italy between the Apennines and the Alps, the dark green area here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Alpenrelief_01.jpg

However, this is not a cultural feel, it's a geographical feel. (ie. similar plants and animals, lending towards similar goods produced and similar wild animals and such)

A cultural feel would be a sort of small towns dotting the countryside (there are only a couple cities of any note in Turmish, mostly it's small communities rather than large cities) with hard working, merchantile minded craftsmen, farmers and such. A large portion of Turmish's population are ex-mercenaries, having served in Chessenta or other areas (and this goes for most people in the Reach, there's a very strong mercenary tradition in the area)

I'd hesitate to try and make comparisons to Arabic cultures though, mainly due to the religious influence in Arabic cultures, I don't think it translates well to the Realms (not that there are many real world religions that translate well :))

Anyhow, I guess I'd need to know more specific questions, otherwise I'm going to ramble on and on and on ;D (yep, the game I'm running is based in Turmish, so I've done a lot of thinking about the Reach :))
Faraer
05-29-07, 11:22 AM What real world cultural feel does it have to it? I can't put my finger on it . . .Good, because as with the rest of the original Realms, there isn't one. The closest Earth comparison is to the Mediterranean and perhaps Near East in general.
MerrikCale
05-29-07, 09:35 PM Like Tom said, there's a lot of different feels in the Reach.

so what you're saying is the Vilhon Reach is like the Bada-Bing
ShadezofDis
05-29-07, 09:48 PM so what you're saying is the Vilhon Reach is like the Bada-Bing

Oh, there's a lot of Bada-Bing, and a helluva lot of Bada-BOOM. :rimshot:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shade_Hunter 05-26-07, 12:53 AM	What real world cultural feel does it have to it? I can't put my finger on it, even though I read some of the 2E book to it. What do you experts think? Because I'm thinking of making an NWN2 module based in that region (maybe) Thanks for any replies.
Fabius Maximus 05-26-07, 05:26 AM	It has some indian elements in it, like a moderate version of the caste system. Besides that, I don't know if there are any other influences.
MerrikCale 05-27-07, 11:50 AM	perhaps Ottoman Empire?
TomCosta 05-29-07, 10:44 AM	I don't know that it has any direct real-world comparison. Turmish is sort of a highly mercantile version of some Arabic culture, maybe Lebanese in feel. I've always viewed Chondath as a sort of Rome in decline militarily, but not culturally. Then there are the various city-states, Hlondeth which is yuan-ti dominated and detailed in Lisa Smedman's recent trilogy and Serpent Kingdoms, Surkh, the lizard man kingdom, the slaver city of Nimpeth. And you can't forget the powerful influence of Emerald Enclave....
ShadezofDis 05-29-07, 11:05 AM	Like Tom said, there's a lot of different feels in the Reach. The quick and dirty answer is that Turmish feels a lot like the region of italy between the Apennines and the Alps, the dark green area here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Alpenrelief_01.jpg However, this is not a cultural feel, it's a geographical feel. (ie. similar plants and animals, lending towards similar goods produced and similar wild animals and such) A cultural feel would be a sort of small towns dotting the countryside (there are only a couple cities of any note in Turmish, mostly it's small communities rather than large cities) with hard working, merchantile minded craftsmen, farmers and such. A large portion of Turmish's population are ex-mercenaries, having served in Chessenta or other areas (and this goes for most people in the Reach, there's a very strong mercenary tradition in the area) I'd hesitate to try and make comparisons to Arabic cultures though, mainly due to the religious influence in Arabic cultures, I don't think it translates well to the Realms (not that there are many real world religions that translate well :)) Anyhow, I guess I'd need to know more specific questions, otherwise I'm going to ramble on and on and on ;D (yep, the game I'm running is based in Turmish, so I've done a lot of thinking about the Reach :))
Faraer 05-29-07, 11:22 AM	What real world cultural feel does it have to it? I can't put my finger on it . . .Good, because as with the rest of the original Realms, there isn't one. The closest Earth comparison is to the Mediterranean and perhaps Near East in general.
MerrikCale 05-29-07, 09:35 PM	Like Tom said, there's a lot of different feels in the Reach. so what you're saying is the Vilhon Reach is like the Bada-Bing
ShadezofDis 05-29-07, 09:48 PM	so what you're saying is the Vilhon Reach is like the Bada-Bing Oh, there's a lot of Bada-Bing, and a helluva lot of Bada-BOOM. :rimshot: