Yeah, that too. All the spiritual mumbo jumbo typically comes into play after the fact. But Beowulf is another example of the tension--his story basically starts with him being called in to help an ineffective but legitimate king.

Quote from: Arminius;877286I can't accept this as a premise.

That's fine, it was just a simplification to quickly get everyone on the same page and start the conversation with minimum baggage.

Quote from: Bren;877291It's like a riff on premise of The Gods Must be Crazy.

If it's like the film, it's going to sting a bit!

well one i like is from last exile in that series nobles and kings own sources of water and that keeps them in power
we are also talking about a place where you go buy your water with your bread

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;877107In history, kings were assumed to have super kingdom ruling powers granted directly by god. They were, in some stories, even linked to the land to some extent.

In the D&D setting Birthright the rulers had such kingdom ruling powers from their ancestors being exposed to dying gods.

Has anyone ever encountered other cool ideas for how someone can come to possess 'rulership powers'?

The pre-christian concept was by blood. Usually, you were a distant descendant of a god.

Quote from: RPGPundit;877962The pre-christian concept was by blood. Usually, you were a distant descendant of a god.

Often by marriage, you married a woman who held the sovereignty of the land and became king. Some say this is the origin of the fairy tale staple of "Marry the princess and get half the kingdom". It  might also explain the fact that many of the Kings of Rome weren't Roman by birth.

Quote from: soltakss;877400If it's like the film, it's going to sting a bit!

No, it's a small black bit of meteorite, no bigger than the tip of your finger... give it a try, maybe YOU are the Chosen One!

Quote from: RPGPundit;877962The pre-christian concept was by blood. Usually, you were a distant descendant of a god.

Not just in the pre-Christian era -Henry Tudor's claim to the throne was in part based on some bullshit claim of being descended from Uther Pendragon, a mythical character. When Henry VIII was groping for excuses to defy the pope, one of the reasons he yanked out of his ass is that as a descendant of the ruler of an empire (Arthurian legend claims that King Arthur ruled over all the British Isles, Gaul, Iceland and Norway) rather than a mere kingdom, then he was technically an emperor and not answerable to Rome.

Saxon kings still claimed Woden in their family trees long after they had become Christian.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;877107In history, kings were assumed to have super kingdom ruling powers granted directly by god. They were, in some stories, even linked to the land to some extent.

That is a simplification of a complex situation. In history there were a variety of justification for the king's authority. The divine right you are talking about is a 17th century invention used to justify absolute monarchy.

Now what is common throughout human history is the belief that their culture and society was divinely blessed. For example the power of Germanic kings rested on their ability to command the respect of the tribal warriors and their ability to be generous in the giving of gifts. Even with that support, the king's authority wasn't absolute. If he started to act arbitrarily then he would begin to loose the respect of his warriors and eventually be supplanted by another.


The thing is that the germans believe how the gods ordained things to be. That gods wanted their kings to be a person that all could respect, that kings ought to be generous.

Other cultures like the Roman who had no kings also believe that their society was justified by a divine order as well. The government of Rome had a religious component that was highly influential in how the system worked.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;877107In history, kings were assumed to have super kingdom ruling powers granted directly by god. They were, in some stories, even linked to the land to some extent. ...

Well, in some peoples' histories. Some Medieval Christians, yes, but that's the era of people using the Papacy for political power. Of course, religion is metaphorical and so it's rare that people are going to feel that a king is king not in alignment with the will of their god(s).

Ancient Egypt is of course a good example of the Pharaoh being taken as a god. Of course, Judeo-Christian/Islamic religions are unusual in trying to insist they have monopoly on saying their god is the only right and true one and that he's god o' everything, which is mainly a handy way to snatch followers from more open-minded religions who accept that there are many names and flavors of gods, and aren't expecting the Spanish Inquisition from the visitors' god of love.

There are historical kings who simply reigned by right of might, physical challenge, inheritance, being considered the best choice by the elders or shamans or oracle, or volunteering for the sacrifice (at an ancient symbological level, the king isn't the boss but is the one who sacrifices himself for the people, sometimes literally). In Athens, they had elections and short term limits.

I am glad everyone had their History 101.

As for the actual ideas:

1) The bloodlines of all nobles and kings hails from the Hundred Demonical Conquerors, the raiders of hell who conquered the land, but stayed their hand from slaughtering every living soul in return for 100 brides and grooms. Their original leader, naturally, became the first king...and so it had been, ever since. The position of noble houses shifted - some grew bigger, some grew smaller, dynasties were lost, and the kingdom is no longer ruled by the original family, but in theory (marked by demonical traits - see further), every noble family can directly trace themselves to one of the Hundred Demons.

A definite trait proving nobility are demonical marks - the more pronounced, the higher the prestige of the bloodline, as it is a mark of purity of bloodline. Hooves, horns, different skin colours, fangs and claws are therefore in high demand, and obvious marks of noblehood. The less pronounced the demonical marks are, the more family must've breed with normal humans - which often results in claims of bastardy. In recent times, the royal family has fallen on hard times, as all of it's members are adult and not showing any demonical marks.

In a DnD campaign, the obvious race for nobility of such a realm would be Tieflings.

2) In the lang of Dragon Kings, the kings are elected by votes of all nobles. To have a chance at becoming crowned, every candidate that wishes to partake in Royal Elections, must make and enchant a weapon themselves, with which they must hunt down a Dragon and consume it's heart. Only then they will grow to proper heights of arcane power, that they can contain the power of Drakenskring - an ancient crown fashioned from the skull of Great Wyrm Tzyrekiss by the founder of the kingdom, who has slain the beast and freed the local lands from it's oppression. The wielder of the crown is granted powers beyond keen of even most potent magicians in the kingdom, but beware - if one has not killed the Dragon in honourable, single combat, the crown will drag the wearer into madness. It has happened thrice in past time, and now, to avoid insane tyrants, every Dragonunt is closely moderated and observed by Masters of the Hunt, whom have grown to a very prestigious position at the court.

Quote from: Elfdart;878287Not just in the pre-Christian era -Henry Tudor's claim to the throne was in part based on some bullshit claim of being descended from Uther Pendragon, a mythical character. When Henry VIII was groping for excuses to defy the pope, one of the reasons he yanked out of his ass is that as a descendant of the ruler of an empire (Arthurian legend claims that King Arthur ruled over all the British Isles, Gaul, Iceland and Norway) rather than a mere kingdom, then he was technically an emperor and not answerable to Rome.

This is quite correct. The Tudors claimed to be the last surviving bloodline of the ancient Welsh Kings (who in turn were descended from the Pendragons), and this is why when Henry Tudor went to fight at Bosworth he carried the banner of the Dragon.

Quote from: RPGPundit;877962The pre-christian concept was by blood. Usually, you were a distant descendant of a god.

Go far enough, and who doesn't have one of these? Certainly the guy with the most skill in blades, shooting and wrestling isn't that exception, for how could descendents of a god be defeated by a mere mortal:)?

Quote from: Simlasa;878128No, it's a small black bit of meteorite, no bigger than the tip of your finger... give it a try, maybe YOU are the Chosen One!

And the changes you mention include antlers, tentacles, extra arms, pincers, claws, huge canines, and an extra eye or two, right;)?