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Every person who lives in a fictional world has his own story, his own role to play. They each contribute to it in a meaningful way. Though many enjoy watching the antics of the wealthy, many also see the struggle of those on the lowest level of the social hierarchy: fantasy peasants.
In terms of numbers, peasants outnumber all other classes and they live in the worst areas of cities and towns. Many are trapped in a perpetual cycle of poverty with very few opportunities to move onto the next level or at least get a job that pays them more money. Despite their monetary troubles, they retain a sense of hopefulness that one day their fortune could take a turn for the better.
Fantasy peasants are full of life, despite having little to no money. They have families and friends of their own. Sure, they have other troubles like alcoholism or drugs but the majority are primarily focused on putting food on the table for their loved ones. They have dreams they work very hard to reach.
Unfortunately, peasants are more likely to take the first chance they have to get out of their monetary troubles, even if said chance clashes with their moral beliefs. For instance, a peasant might be tapped to be a servant for one of the most powerful families in the realm, despite his hatred of what they represent. He seizes on this opportunity, believing that despite his intense dislike of them, he can lift himself and his family out of poverty and into a better life.
The role fantasy peasants play in the world is interesting. They mostly work in places no other social class is willing to work in like farms. Doing these jobs keep civilization going though they don’t make a lot of money from them. They’re found practically everywhere and are usually the first people the protagonist interacts with in the story.
This is the fourth article in the fantasy social classes. For more, you can check out our blog page!
All imaginary worlds have a social hierarchy. The wealthy and most powerful sit atop whereas the poor is on the bottom. Peasants make up the bulk of the bottom of the hierarchy due to how numerous they are. Nevertheless, they are among the most down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet.
Their financial woes make it difficult for peasants to afford nice places, causing them to live in dilapidated homes where the wall is crumbling, the roof is leaking, and a myriad of other problems. These homes are usually in the worst parts of town and they are trapped there for the foreseeable future.
Many fantasy peasants have a deep love and affection for their families. Parents work hard to put food on the table for their little ones and will starve so that they can eat. They also try to spend as much time with them as they can when they’re not working and they hope that one day, their children can escape of the life of poverty to have a better future than they did.
For entertainment, peasants have many options to choose from. Some go to the local taverns to enjoy several or more drinks whereas others like to go to the park to enjoy the green scenery. In the cities and towns that are right next to water, they like to go to the port or harbor and sit on the bench, watching ships arriving and departing.
Sadly, in extreme cases, peasants turn to other activities to escape their lives. Some become alcoholics and are constantly searching for their next drink and others get hooked on drugs. Their temporary highs gives them a respite from their struggles and can wind up destroying everything they care about.
People don’t just exist for the sake of living in a fantasy world. They have their own lives and things they do everyday. For peasants, they have no choice but to find work in order to have a roof over their heads. This can go one of two ways: good or bad.
For the majority of fantasy peasants, they choose the former. They find honest and fulfilling jobs like farming or mining. Sure, they might not be thrilled with having to work hard day in and day out in demanding physical environments but these jobs are better than the alternative.
Some peasants zealously take the latter, winding up in jobs that cause them to wrestle with their beliefs. They are so eager to take the first chance they have to escape living in poverty that they don’t realize that these jobs will force them to make decisions they otherwise wouldn’t have made. Jobs like joining a criminal organization, while they offer people a chance to make money quickly, can ultimately destroy who they are at heart.
In some cases, fantasy peasants are servants, whether willingly or not, working for the wealthy. They do their bidding, such as cleaning up after them and preparing their meals, while a mixture of emotions like resentment and envy flash in their hearts. Most of them ultimately hate working for them and cannot quit because they know too much.
There are a variety of other jobs peasants can take besides the ones mentioned above. Some take to the seas, becoming sailors where they make a living traveling from one place to another and sending some money home for their families. Some become salesmen, janitors or other cleaning personnel, and so on.
Many people overlook the importance of peasants when it comes to the world. They fail to see all of the things that they do that make living in a civilized society possible. Sure, they don’t have glamorous lifestyles like the wealthy aristocrats or nobles but they contribute to the world in a meaningful fashion.
A reason why fantasy peasants are crucial to worldbuilding is that they do many jobs that the majority of people in the other social classes refuse to do. They do many thankless jobs — though they’re happy to have a paycheck, no matter what job they’re working in — like farming or keeping public areas clean. Without them, society as everyone knows it would collapse overnight.
When it comes to the breakdown of the number of people in each social class, peasants have them all beat by a mile. They’re found everywhere, from the outskirts of town to traveling on the road. A great number of them are always willing to lend a helping hand to their fellow humans such as giving them directions on how to reach their destination.
Despite not having much money, many peasants have a sunny disposition and are cheerful. Sure, they’d like to not have to worry but money but they’re thankful for what they have. As long as they’re happy and healthy, they generally don’t have a lot to fret about for they’re constantly surrounded by the things they cherish the most: their family and friends.
The wealthy might consider peasants to be woefully ignorant of the world around them but that isn’t the case. In fact, peasants are more likely to be aware of what’s going on since they’re the ones who experience it more than the other classes. They usually place the blame for the bad things going on in the world on the ruling class and are quick to help each other out, even going so far as to give a friend the clothes off their back.
In short, peasants are a major component of building a fantasy world. Though they are the underbelly of the social hierarchy, they’re kind-hearted and always endeavor to look at the bright side of things. They’re also the most down-to earth people your audience will ever meet!
Even though they live in the worst places, fantasy peasants don’t let their living conditions keep them down. Instead, they march on, choosing not to dwell too much on it. It’s because they are surrounded by the things they hold in high value: their loved ones. They have their fair share of struggles such as drugs which only give them a temporary high from their financial troubles.
Peasants can work in all types of workplaces. Common ones include farming and fishing. Some choose to be servants to the rich and powerful, hoping that they can parlay the info they discover about them to their advantage. However, some are a tad too eager to make more money so they leap at the first opportunity that comes their head, even if it winds up costing them more than they bargained for.
Regarding their role in the world, fantasy peasants are what keeps it functioning. They take the jobs no other people would dare to do, thereby keeping society going without everything all crashing down. Though they know what they’re doing won’t necessarily garner them a lot of money, they pride themselves on the belief that they are doing honest work.
When it comes to worldbuilding, peasants are an absolute must-have! They populate many of the cities and towns of the world and they do a lot of things that other people won’t do. If you haven’t given much thought to bringing them into the one you’re building from the ground up, there’s no better time to start than today!
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Sunfire
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