▁g nom es ▁often ▁draw ▁their ▁history ▁from ▁medieval ▁or ▁pre - Christ ian ▁roots . ▁Character istics ▁of ▁the ▁hero ▁and ▁hero ine ▁also ▁frequently ▁draw ▁on ▁these ▁sources ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁This ▁tro pe ▁is ▁also ▁very ▁important ▁in ▁the ▁setting ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁fant as ies . ▁Writ ers ▁from ▁the ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁the ▁fant asy ▁genre , ▁such ▁as ▁William ▁Morris ▁in ▁The ▁Well ▁at ▁the ▁World ' s ▁End ▁and ▁Lord ▁D uns any ▁in ▁The ▁King ▁of ▁El f land ' s ▁D augh ter , ▁set ▁their ▁tales ▁in ▁fant asy ▁world s ▁clearly ▁derived ▁from ▁medieval ▁sources ; ▁though ▁often ▁filtered ▁through ▁later ▁views . ▁J . ▁R . ▁R . ▁Tol k ien ▁set ▁the ▁type ▁even ▁more ▁clearly ▁for ▁high ▁fant asy , ▁which ▁is ▁normally ▁based ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁" pse udo - med ieval " ▁setting . ▁Other ▁fant asy ▁writers ▁have ▁em ulated ▁him , ▁and ▁role - play ing ▁and ▁computer ▁games ▁have ▁also ▁taken ▁up ▁this ▁tradition . ▁ ▁The ▁full ▁width ▁of ▁the ▁medieval ▁era ▁is ▁s eld om ▁drawn ▁upon . ▁Govern ments , ▁for ▁instance , ▁tend ▁to ▁be ▁fe ud al istic , ▁cor rupt ▁emp ires ▁despite ▁the ▁greater ▁variety ▁of ▁the ▁actual ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁Settings ▁also ▁tend ▁to ▁be ▁medieval ▁in ▁economy , ▁with ▁many ▁fant asy ▁world s ▁dis pro port ion ately ▁past oral . ▁ ▁These ▁settings ▁are ▁typical ▁of ▁ep ic ▁fant