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When building a fantasy world from scratch, there are so many things you have to do to make one that not only feels real, but makes you want to live there. Many of the popular worlds in the genre are based off from the real world and that helps connect your audience to what you’re creating. One inspiration these imaginary places get from the real world is fantasy governments.
Believe it or not, fantasy governments play a huge role in terms of worldbuilding. They dictate what type of society their citizens have and the rules they live by. One country may have completely different laws and societies compared to its neighbor which can cause conflict between the two.
Governments in fantasy mirror that of our world; they’re spread out in levels. You have the national, the province/state, and city/town. Each tier has their own powers and degree of control. In fantasy, the national government holds the most sway and all other lower levels adhere to whatever it dictates. Many times, they clash and every time it happens, it reignites the argument of which one to follow.
Fantasy governments play multifaceted roles and impact the world in meaningful ways. Generally speaking, they have two major policies they focus on: domestic and foreign, though in some cases the two are intertwined. They enable different cultures to forge relationships with one another, which can be positive or negative. In extreme cases, a breakdown between the two results in war.
In terms of the story, the extent to which they play a role largely depends on how the tale’s structured. In some stories, fantasy governments play such a passive role, you’d have to go to great pains to see it. Others feature it like one of the main characters, being active and present throughout, either working in tandem with the hero or against him.
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Regardless of its levels, fantasy governments play several roles within the confines of a country. They are as follows:
The form of government you use dramatically affects what life is like within there. Monarchies and democracies tend to have happier, healthier people than dictatorships or authoritarian governments. Choose the one that works the best for the countries in your world!
Most citizens in the genre interact with their local governments the most. This is because they live there and they must adhere to the rules and regulations they set. Every now and then, when there’s a pressing issue that proves too much for the local authorities to handle, they deal with either the state/province or national government, depending on what kind of issue it is.
While many countries have multiple levels of governments, no two are truly ever the same. It’s true that whatever form of government is used at the national level affects everything beneath it but the culture of the country significantly influences it as well. For instance, a nation ruled by a theocracy or religious authorities is quite different in character compared to a secular one. Different cultures and governments for countries make for riveting drama.
How citizens interact with the people in charge shows a glimpse in how things are going. If they’re happy and content, they’re less likely to be outspoken against the authorities. On the other hand, if they’re voicing their opinions loudly and violently, it means something is wrong and the government must seek to pacify that anger.
Fantasy governments constantly speak with each other, whether they’re within a country or between two nations. In some cases, they work together. Other times, they plot against one another. They focus on two things: domestic and foreign.
In regard to domestic issues, the people in charge enact economic policies they believe is best suited for the areas within their sphere of control. Taxes are central to their economic policies and they’re used on many different public projects like roads or bridges or the military and navy. The rates at which they’re set is in constant flux. One year it might be a bit higher but the next year it could be lower.
When it comes to resources, fantasy governments are quick to claim control over them. This is because they see the profit potential they offer and they want a piece for themselves. Mines are lucrative for them because they can get tons of gold and other priceless gems which will explode their coffers. They’re willing to resort to underhanded tactics, even going as far to provoke war, if they believe getting them is worth the cost.
Foreign policy is where fantasy governments truly shine. This is where the clash of different cultures happen. Sometimes, it’s a good thing; other times, it’s bad and can lead to disaster for everyone.
Relations between different governments range from friendly to antagonistic. Forming friendships can lead to alliances or partnerships in areas whereas bad blood can result to a breakdown in diplomatic relations, let alone war.
Fantasy governments’ number one goal in foreign policy is to advance their countries’ interests. They rely on diplomacy and negotiations, hoping to broker agreement on issues they have in common but they also resort to unsavory tactics to obtain information to use as leverage. Spies are deployed to another nations to uncover secrets or information that they can use to cajole them into signing a deal that’s less favorable for them. Repeated use of such underhanded tactics can lead to war down the road as the country that’s been taken advantage of may see no other way out of the situation it’s in.
How fantasy governments contribute to the story revolves around how said story is constructed. They either play an active role or they’re not a core part of it, making only sporadic appearances. It’s up to you to determine to what extent they’re involved in your tale.
In some stories, they barely appear at all, not actively playing a role. There may be no functioning government or the story takes place across many different cities where the hero doesn’t interact with the people in charge. Just because they may not be a central premise of your story doesn’t mean you shouldn’t neglect them. They add an important framework in how your world operates so take your time in fleshing them out for your own benefit.
Most of the stories in the genre have the hero interact with people in authority. They could be the mayor of a town or the king of a country. Such interactions typically consist of an exchange of information or a pledge of alliance/friendship for helping take care of a problem. This proves crucial down the line when the hero fights the villain in the climax, for he winds up not battling him all by himself.
Other stories show the government as an antagonist, working against the hero. From the beginning all the way to the end, the hero seeks to stop or destroy it. Each step of the way, he fights it as it endeavors to get rid of what it perceives as a major threat to it. The final showdown between the two determines whether the government will remain in power or if it will be finished off for good.
Occasionally you have tales where the government plays such a large role, it is considered one of the main characters. These stories have it either as an antagonist or ally. For the former, it constantly undermines the hero throughout whereas the latter actively works alongside him, even sending him allies to help him defeat the forces of darkness.
Fantasy governments are an invaluable component of building a world from the ground up. They dictate how countries are run, how decisions are made that affect people for good or ill. Different forms of government see the world differently.
Governments are broken into levels and each level has their own powers. Local governments hold the most influence over their citizens, since they’re the ones they deal with the most. State/province entities are more remote, focusing on issues that affect the whole area whereas national ones deal with those where the whole country’s concerned about.
As it pertains to the world, fantasy governments impact it in two key ways: domestic and foreign. Domestic policies are designed to mollify their citizens by addressing pressing issues and taxing them to have money flowing into the treasury. Foreign policies enable them to communicate with other countries in different ways that guide them to their desired outcome. If they have no other choice, they will go to war if it means they get what they want.
There’s different ways they’re involved in the story. Sometimes they don’t even show up at all. Other times, they’re a major participant, being there from right at the beginning. Some tales have them being a great friend; in others, they’re a major antagonist, working against the hero to stop him.
Now is the time to roll up your sleeves and get to work on making fantasy governments for your world. You’ll be glad you did it, for it’s an essential part of worldbuilding!
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Sunfire
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