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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Henry" data-source="post: 1703080" data-attributes="member: 158">I'm willing to accept the former just as much as the latter. Medieval means two different things between your definition and the product presented using the term "medieval" in reference to itself.Does FR have things that really stretch the limits of what is credibly "medieval"? Yes.. but usually in the areas of the realms where they do, the culture is specifically explained as NOT medieval or not Medieval anymore (places like Amn or Calimsham, or the more fantastic areas away from the FR "heartlands").I'm willing to accept that, based on the book material, Eberron is just as deviant as those societies you just listed. The only difference between the two is (and this is Keith's words from a previous thread here) that Eberron was designed to get away from Real-world analogs as much as possible. He conceived of the religions, the prophecies, and (I'm speculating here) the societies to be different from real-world examples, so as to avoid the cross-references. In Amn, Mulhorand, etc. in the FR, there are cross-references to Islamic Africa circa AD 500 to 1000 , Ancient Egypt, etc. If Eberron does have a cultural equivalent, it is late 18th to 19th century in the Galifarian Nations/Regions- but because there is not (CANNOT be, I propose) an exact correlation between technological development and its social impact, and magical development and its social impact, you don't get a perfect map from one to another.With alterable printing press, you get literacy, and I don't see anything in Eberron to suggest you DON'T have widespread literacy in the Galifarian Nations. However, no one says that the Lhazaar Principalities, or Talenta Wildlands, or Drooam has anything equating to it - still too new, for one thing.There are several points that do address it - when looking at the advanced capitalistic theory and mass-market effect of the houses (which had no medieval equivalent - you don't get that until the 14 to 1500's) you see elements of the 1700's move from cottage industry to modern industry. When dealing with the attitudes of other parts of Eberron, it ranges from 10th to 12th century technology in places like Drooam and the Shadow Marches, all the way to the freaking Bronze Age and Stone age in the Demon Wastes and the wilds of Xendrik.But then, Eberron was not designed with a strong eye to simulation, admittedly by the author. If you really want to see the break between a simulation-model setting and Eberron's narrativist outlook, look at Keith Baker's opinions on the level advancement of Player characters versus NPC's. He explicitly says that (on the WotC FAQs and forums) that PC's WILL and SHOULD gain levels faster than NPC's because they are the heroes. Not some overarcing reason that all should advance or that they should be held back, but they should advance like relative lighting to high levels, because they are the PC's!</blockquote>

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