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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dethklok" data-source="post: 6133545" data-attributes="member: 6746469">If you read up on sociology or anthropology, you'll find that as societies develop more and more technology, they tend to follow a U-shaped path on integration and freedom. Hunter gatherer societies tend to have some sort of headman or chief that they usually listen to, but everyone basically does what they want. Likewise in modern societies, people have parents and teachers that they usually listen to, but under most circumstances everyone does basically what they want.In these societies, which we're all pretty familiar with since we live in them, infamy generally comes from breaking ideological norms. These norms are usually associated with religion, past military conflicts, and individualist values regarding freedom and equality. Think about today, when the most disreputable people are flag burners, racists, or terrorists; communist sympathy will also earn deep hated in some circles because of the Cold War.In between the hunter-gatherers and modern age individualists, however, is a long period of agrarian collectivism. For most people throughout history - and almost everyone living in a typical fantasy world - people are poor, and tied to the land. If your father beats you, or the lord mistreats you, you can't "just leave." But likewise if you are a loudmouthed, antagonistic jerk, your family and neighbors can't "just leave" either. When social mobility approaches zero, and everybody realizes that they have to make do with the social structure that they have, they develop cultural norms to keep everybody getting along as best they can.This has many consequences for the issue you're considering. In collectivist societies, politeness is crucial. Failure to show proper deference to your social superiors by standing aside in the road or bowing when they hold an audience with you is a way to end up rotting in a dungeon - or worse, to get your entire family rotting in a dungeon, since, after all, what you do reflects on them. Loose women and religious skeptics bring shame on your family, and it can hurt your status even to be friends with one. And as for wanders and foreigners, they generally have no status whatsoever and are generally regarded with suspicion; if you want some specific examples for this, look up Jews or Romani in medieval Europe. So for a realistic, late medieval society, I'd suggest something like this:1. Character is insensitive about saving face or reciprocating gifts and favors2. Character is lazy (if male), or diseased or simple3. Character is a foreigner or not of the mainstream ethnic group4. Character is loose (if female), or impudent towards his superiors5. Character has earned the wrath of the local lord or abbot6. Character's rapacity has brought punishment upon his kin7. Character is a wolfshead, raider, enemy soldier, or excommunicated8. Character is responsible for burning towns or churches9. Character leads a pirate ship or band of robbers10. Character is a noble from a warring nation of different religious values</blockquote>

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