“ The monarch used to have absolute powers until the disappearance of King Henry V. A 'temporary' replacement was put on the throne to hold it until King Henry returned, and he would have only one vote on the governing council of nobles and no other powers except persuasion. More then 50 years have passed since then and everyone knows King Henry is almost certainly dead-but the nobles don't want to go back under the rule of an absolute monarch, so the kingship is only 'temporary' until King Henry V returns to take back his throne.”
“ Surnames: The Chinese were among the very first cultures to adopt the use of hereditary surnames (around 2800 BC). But the custom didn't quite catch on in Europe - at least not until the Venetian aristocracy made it popular sometime between the 10th and 11th centuries AD. What culture made it popular in your setting and why?”
“ A traditionalist nation that scorns ranged combat is famed for its innovations in body armor and shields capable of blocking all kinds of projectiles and withstanding explosions. The purpose of this armor is to allow one to get close enough to an enemy for melee combat. Conversely it is also famed for its innovations in melee weapons capable of destroying all kinds of body armor and shields to effectively defeat its enemies.”
