Category Style Guide

This is an attempt to make sense out of the categories that I have been imposing. I've mainly been doing it by heart and now find myself tripping up.

Countries are areas with a clearly defined group of population. I've avoided State because that implies a level of sophistication which sounds alien to a large number of countries - c.f. Sartar. Countries should receive a locational category (ie Pelorian) and a cultural category (ie Dara Happan).

Cultures: I'm aiming for a broad brush here. Logical Cultures include the Malkioni and Zzaburi. Umathi cultures encompass the sons of Umath (ie the Orlanthi and those related to the Orlanthi), Beastfolk (ie Centaurs and Hsunchen, Generti (Praxians, Tadashi and other tribes), Kargzanti (Pentan horse riders). Pelorians is problematic due to the different cultures and a lack of mythology.

Deities receive a cultural category, a type category (ie gods, spirits), a power category (one, two or three runes) and a specialization category (war, healing etc). Some of those categories are going to be large.

Empires are states that control countries of more than one culture. The Lunar Empire and the Holy Country are Empires. Kralorela is not.

Lands should be used to describe divisions of a region that do not have a defined population. Much of Pent and the Greatlands would be covered with lands rather than Countries.

Pantheon is a list of deities and heroes _worshipped_ by the people of a given country. The Malkioni equivalent is Churches.

Regions: are the main geographical divisions of a continent (c.f. Seshnela). Originally the intent was to fill them up with Lands but I'm replacing this with Countries.

'Ruler is anybody who rules a tribe or a country, regardless of his title. A ruler may have

State: See Countries

Tribe: has been used in several ways i) to identify a mobile population or a minority scattered over a large area (ie the Telmori Tribe), ii) to identify a tribe that self-identifies as a Tribe (ie the Colymar). The first should be avoided.

Problematic categories:

Sect is a word I've been using for a religious group. It clashes with Heroband.