Questions tagged [medieval]
For questions about the medieval era (500-1500AD o.e.) as a whole.
24
votes
19answers
6k views
The logistics of corpse disposal
A pair of fearless killers, thousands of years old, guard a path to what is believed to be heaven. Of course, all towns in the area have different ritual and traditions where either their criminals or ...
11
votes
7answers
1k views
In What Way Would Cryomancy Affect the Food Eaten by Medieval People?
Cryomancy is magic involving the removal of heat from an object by converting thermal energy into magical energy, thereby cooling the object. The conversion to magical energy is not perfect (some ...
3
votes
10answers
364 views
How could a medieval army only use unarmed combat and still be effective?
This medieval fighting force, we'll just call them the Bruiser Army, uses only unarmed combat, but how are they still effective? They have absolutely no range compared to the spears and swords of ...
7
votes
6answers
1k views
How could sorcerers who are able to produce/manipulate almost all forms of energy communicate over large distances?
Sorcerers possess the ability to sense, generate, and manipulate energy; however, their abilities are largely limited to controlling energy that they/other sorcerers have created, and not naturally ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
(How) Could a medieval fantasy world survive a magic-induced “nuclear winter”?
So, a council of wizards decided that all should bow to their rule. That, it turns out, is a thing wizard councils did a lot. This lead into a certain degree of disagreement, which in turn resulted in ...
5
votes
5answers
188 views
Would this system of corvee peasant labor be effective for building castles/fortifications?
Solarae is a militaristic kingdom that has long guarded the northern passes against the hordemen (think the Germanic migrations/migrants), but Solarae is also a rich kingdom due to the abundance of ...
2
votes
1answer
128 views
Post-Apocalypse Technology? [closed]
I’m currently writing a book where there is a large explosion in Mid-USA, in the year 2025. Following this, there is a world war that diminishes the US population to ~70 million people. There is a ...
12
votes
11answers
3k views
Hot air balloons as primitive bombers
Imagine a medieval-style city, besieged by enemy army. It might be big and have wide river preventing besiegers from direct attack on the walls and launching projectiles significantly far into the ...
1
vote
3answers
151 views
Could a pump jet be made in the 15th-16th century? [closed]
With the knowledge required, could the pump jet be created for use in ships in the given timeline? If not, what other forms of engines can be made in said timeline that can power ships without the use ...
6
votes
5answers
728 views
Can a medieval gyroplane be built?
A hang-glider or a gyro-glider would suffice also, with the purpose of actually working.
I was hoping it wouldn't require a motor, because I doubt a motor could be built in medieval times.
If it ...
3
votes
3answers
102 views
How can the interior of temple lit automatically during medieval time?
In the 1400AD, there was a temple built to honor a late king somewhere in the middle east. The temple can house a thousand people and have many facilities from amenities to entertainment plus an ...
14
votes
13answers
2k views
Why Choose Less Effective Armour Types?
Full steel plate armour is seen as the most effective type of armour from the Medieval period, viewed by some as the pinnacle of medieval/early-renaissance armour. It’s rounded surfaces and layers of ...
2
votes
3answers
189 views
Could someone sneak out of a medieval castle without being interrogated? [closed]
The setting takes place in medieval times (around the 10th-13th century)
Say an important person of court is visiting a king of another nation. He is there as an ally, but needs to sneak out of the ...
62
votes
16answers
10k views
Making a sword in the stone, in a medieval world without magic
This relates to a world in which there is no magic and only medieval technology. The ruling and religious classes want to convince the general populace that magic exists.
For example a sword-smith ...
10
votes
3answers
189 views
How can a religious order prepare their abbey for a siege?
A religious order has learned that the Big Bad wants their MacGuffin. They have contracted a local adventurer to prepare their defense as best he can before the enemy arrives. What is the most urgent ...
5
votes
15answers
2k views
Highly technological aliens land nuclear fusion powered ships in medieval city and slaughter everyone, using swords? [closed]
I want to create a scenario where highly technological aliens invade a medieval earth, the kind with magic and dragons and such. But I don't want the aliens to be completely overpowered. I want them ...
8
votes
6answers
3k views
How to limit sight distance to 1 km
My country is on the coast and spans deep into the continent. The technology level is before the invention of explosives. 10 years ago with naked eyes, anyone could see further than 10 kilometers away ...
6
votes
3answers
829 views
Could a medieval fantasy world sustain itself by occupying important trade hubs and taxing trade?
The civilization I'm talking about is marked in pink (cities A and B).
The trade routes are marked in yellow.
Owning the city B (the entire island) means they only need to travel across two ...
4
votes
3answers
488 views
Slaves who have slaves who have slaves
NOTE
It has been suggested that I change the word 'slave' to something
else, perhaps 'servant'? My intention is to describe a person who is
required to work for someone else with no pay. ...
6
votes
10answers
2k views
Why waste effort manifesting objects when there are already existing physical ones? [closed]
Set in the early medieval ages, you know the one, where King Arthur pulled out a sword and got famous. Magic proliferates but not everyone has affinity for it.
In this world, those who are ...
-1
votes
2answers
127 views
Medieval travel times [closed]
I read another thread Travel time in Medieval times about this, but I'm still struggling to find a more definitive answer.
I have a town suffering from scarce food, due to previous years of crops not ...
-3
votes
1answer
160 views
Steam engine in the 14-15th century
If the world then already had the knowledge required, could an earlier variation of the steam engine be made during this timeline? If it could, how effective would it be for use in early locomotive?
6
votes
8answers
1k views
Mechanized infantry of the medieval age
Using resources already available at the time, could medieval age armies form their equivalent of a mechanized infantry and perhaps implement a sort of "blitzkrieg" strategy during battles? If so, how ...
0
votes
4answers
170 views
How would an underground society have wars? [closed]
Two underground dwarven races are fighting a war. Dwarfs usually live in mines, but they can also move on surface. One army of dwarfs also control giants. The upper ground terrain is made of mountains ...
11
votes
4answers
336 views
Could dwarves do without wood?
Wood has, historically, been used, and still is, to make a great variety of things. Indeed, this material has many qualities, the most relevant being:
Commonplace: in most places in your typical ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
How to get rid of human waste without using bodies of water
A particularly religious people living in a land filled with rivers need to get rid of their excreta. They have disfavoured sewers and dumping waste on water because they venerate oceans and rivers, ...
19
votes
6answers
5k views
How could the elevator at The Wall be powered?
In the show Game of Thrones there is this thing called The Wall. It is a monstrous, 300 mile (≈ 483 km) long bulwark consisting of a fortified ice wall that is 700 feet (≈ 213 meters) high (check the ...
1
vote
3answers
153 views
Aeolipile vehicle in the 14-15th century [closed]
If this was ever invented, how effective would it be? And how can it be improved upon to perhaps be the first steam train?
-2
votes
5answers
176 views
Team of people need to destroy a highly guarded room without hurting anyone [closed]
In my fantasy novel, there is a rebellion that needs to be stopped. They have a weapon in a highly guarded room that is under ground. The team tasked with stopping the rebellion plans to drop several ...
11
votes
4answers
360 views
How might my sea dwelling civilization defend against land-dwellers?
I've searched through a lot of merpeople related questions on this site and didn't see anything that related particularly to me as most questions have to do with underwater combat or dwellings on the ...
5
votes
4answers
264 views
Could the 14-15th century world build a tank/AFV?
Using technology already available to them at the time, could the 14-15th century world create a somewhat effective tank/AFV that could either be used to move artillery quicker around the battlefield ...
1
vote
3answers
200 views
Must Make a Major Modification of Medieval Metallurgy
The scene: Earth, but with a single major modification, the addition of a HUGE quantity of a single element to the Earth's crust (bringing it up to the same abundance as Iron in the crust).
The ...
39
votes
24answers
10k views
How could intelligent animals defend against humans?
Some Context
This story is a fable set in a magic forest full of intelligent animals that live in a huge community. Maleficent depicts a forest that's very close to what I'm thinking.
The magic ...
13
votes
21answers
4k views
Is there a way to keep science from ruining tribute magic?
This magic is done by offering a tribute to god. The tribute is mana, the magical power source. You offer it up in return for a wish granted by god. The benefit of the magic is that the only ...
0
votes
3answers
246 views
How does modern military equip itself to deal with people using medieval weaponry? [closed]
Imagine something like a 'Stargate scenario'. The modern military has a means to send small squads to other worlds populated by people. The majority of these people will be at medieval or lower ...
3
votes
1answer
135 views
Modern technology in an ancient China-like world
My character has transmigrated to a world that has some magic. She is looking to bring some basic surgery and investigation methods from her earth-like world to this world, which is roughly ...
4
votes
2answers
163 views
Medieval Windmills and Milling
The Millers' Guild needs all aspiring Mathemagicians!
Medieval Damascus has been expanding its crop-growing land because all these European Crusaders are eating too much bread. Unfortunately the ...
3
votes
3answers
198 views
Reasonable maximum iron age/medieval population for small rural area
Question
From around 400 BCE to 1000 CE, what could what would a reasonable greatest achievable population be – under the best of all circumstances – in a rural area of about $\mathrm{900 km^2}$ (In ...
3
votes
3answers
340 views
What's a modern era armor that would be best for a late medieval-style fantasy world?
Armor has changed to meet the needs and demands of a particular time period's training, technology, and combat styles.
If you were sent to a medieval fantasy world- full of monsters, mounted knights,...
1
vote
3answers
130 views
War between human/animal shapeshifters and humans
In my story, set in medieval times, shapeshifters exist who have a human form and an animal form (only one, which they are born with). The majority of the population is human, many of whom hate the ...
14
votes
7answers
1k views
How can I prevent the Christian schism of 1054 in order to create a more unified church?
Schism of 1054, also called East-West Schism, event that precipitated the final
separation between the Eastern Christian churches, led by the patriarch of Constantinople, and the Western church. ...
12
votes
10answers
3k views
What kind of equipment would a giant-slayer use?
My character is a giant-slayer living in the far North with his family. He is able to bend and generate magnetic fields. The only technology he could use would be something like Feudal Japan and/or ...
20
votes
8answers
5k views
What sort of armor would a bounty hunter wear in the medieval age?
What sort of armor would a bounty hunter wear in a fantasy based world inspired by the medieval ages (1100 A.D - 1400 A.D) that would allow him to be both protected and agile, while remaining somewhat ...
2
votes
2answers
113 views
How would an exiled ruler take back their throne and re-establish reign? [closed]
In the story I'm plotting, the ruling monarch is overthrown and imprisoned on the basis of colluding with an invading force that's already encroaching the country's boarders. There are letters to ...
29
votes
12answers
7k views
Enforcing a speed limit in medieval times
The Emperor has decreed that the speed limit for horses and horse-drawn vehicles within city limits is to be 5 leagues per hour. As usual he has left the implementation details to his Scientific ...
23
votes
6answers
6k views
How to make a person of color time traveller survive in the middle ages
The story centers around a group of people that get lost during in the woods and -for no apparent reason- suddenly find themselves in 13th century Europe (the Netherlands, to be precise). They don't ...
28
votes
24answers
14k views
How to make female breast armor viable?
It is known that armor with accentuated design for breast is a bad choice in an actual confrontation. What can be changed to make "breast armor" more effective?
Like materials(fictional or not), ...
2
votes
6answers
615 views
How much should a witch charge for her magic? [closed]
I am writing a medieval fantasy novel. In my world, magic exists, but there are not a lot of people with magical powers. If a witch can summon rain and heal people, how much should she charge people ...
26
votes
3answers
2k views
With 12th-15th century technology, is a “vending machine” possible?
Say that I own a business from around the 12th-15th century. My country uses a Silver (or, if you so wish, Gold) currency in the form of coins. I want to make a secure "vending machine" to give out ...
4
votes
6answers
469 views
How win a medieval war with air superiority?
There is a new empire trying to conquer the world and it is populated by an avian species (looks like an early bird-dinosaurs with bigger head) and their first target is a human kingdom
Abilities :
...
