HorthienJoin Date: 2013-08-16
Post Count: 98 |
-|♕=[ THISMONIAN TITLES AND FIEFDOM ]=♕|-
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♖=[ TITLES ]=♖
Titles are a very significant in determining one’s standing. They are used to distinguish commoners from a nobles, and even within that, greater nobles from lesser nobles. In essence, they serve to preserve the social structure of the Thismonian class system altogether and should be respected accordingly.
♙-[ NOBLE ]-♙
If a person is in possession of nobility papers approved by the King, then they are entitled to be called Ser as a prefix regardless of holdings or standing. Commoners may not take this prefix. For women the title of Lady is used instead.
It is best to call nobles by their titles as they may get offended if mistitled or the proper respect isn’t shown. For example the social status difference between a ‘Lord’ and ‘High Lord’ can be immense. Those past the rank of Lord may be referred to as M’lord, or M’lady with the exception of the King who must be referred to as ‘My Liege’.
KNIGHT: A potentially landholding nobleman devoted to a warrior’s cause. This title is gained by serving in a chivalric order, for example the Thismonian Order of Esquire, a band of faithful champions.
BANNERET: A powerful knight who is given command over those below him. Typically a more devoted or influential figure.
GRAND PRIOR: The leader and grand devotee of a chivalric order. They are often large landowners and significant sponsors to their order and wield significant military and courtly influence.
COURTIER: A court socialite, somebody who is militarily powerless yet uses the court for the benefit of their family. Includes landless descendants of a noble bloodline and ladies in waiting.
BORDERLORD: A noble in control of outposts and forts as their most significant holding. They are in control of maintaining their own garrison, local trade and raiding local assets.
LORD: Includes counts, earls, and barons, based on the size of one’s holding. Their holdings can be called counties or baronies, which are lands granted to them often by a high lord or the King.
HIGH LORD: Includes powerful dukes and the largest of landholders. High Lords are only vassals to the king. They own provinces that take up large and distinct regions of the country and have many vassals who serve them.
MAGELORD: An extremely potent mage who is granted land and nobility in turn for a restriction on their power. They have had a very important role in Thismonia and its vitality over the ages. Though often mysterious and secluded figures, they should be treated with the utmost respect.
SPYMASTER: The royally appointed noble(s) responsible for maintaining a foreign and internal information network for the benefit of the Kingdom.
LORD MARSHAL: The royally appointed noble responsible for maintaining a strong defensive and offensive military capability and managing campaigns.
KING: The highest of the nobility and the leader of the nation. This figure has the power to grant nobility and strip it along with all other holdings.
For knightship you must be accepted into a chivalric order and the other order titles are in-house. The title of Courtier can be bought in exchange for SIGNIFICANT donation to the treasury, the King’s will, or trade in services or loyalty. In order to become a Borderlord you must have military experience and have the deed to an outpost or border fortress. For the title of ‘Lord’ a significant fief of some sort must be in the nobleman’s holdings, usually a village or town along with a well made defensive structure. Barons own less lands than Earls, with Earls usually being more wealthy and in ownership of better land. The title of High Lord requires significant influence among the court along with economic assets and defensive assets, usually manifesting as a city of commerce and/or a fortress. Magelord is a title attained by the most powerful of mages who have eyes on owning land deeds. The rest of the titles are royally appointed only.
♙-[ COMMONER ]-♙
These are for citizens of particularly high standing or specific function. The most common range from mercantile to religious. At a stretch, commoners may be addressed as Sir or Ma’am when the situation demands it.
Artisan: An artisan is someone who is a recognised artist, skilled mason (builder), writer or scripter.
Guildmaster: The guildmaster oversees various Artisans under one craft. For instance, a guildmaster of admakers would approve of any ad before presented to the King as well as crafting his own.
Friar: A travelling priest who usually eschews all luxuries in exchange for a pious lifestyle.
Brother/Sister: Individuals that staff the monasteries and places of religious worship for the Church of Esquire from a range of servile to leadership roles.
Bishop: These head a specific church or cathedral. They oversee other members of the Church that work in the facility as well as manage its upkeep. Bishops will also hold sermons and religious ceremonies in their place of worship.
Practitioner: A respected proven magi, as ordained by the Consortium of Mystics, often in the warmage corps or employ of the state but not exclusively.
Archmage: The revered leader of the Consortium of Mages, usually of extraordinary magical ability.
Sheriff: Administrative law keepers in a district, appointed by the local feudal Lord, and is responsible for bringing criminals to accountability.
Mayor: Administers local government of a village or town, appointed by the local feudal Lord.
Inquisitor: A position of high responsibility, Inquisitors travel the kingdom, ensuring that all the nobility are following the laws put in place by the King. They are mostly called upon to deal judgement on cases and investigate organisational efficiency. It can be noble or commoner held.
Military ranks: A member of the royal army can be called by their military rank, for example ‘Sergeant’.
The title of artisan is awarded for significant creative ability. The rank of Guildmaster is conversely awarded for significant leadership within the ranks of the artisans. Friar is usually awarded freely to those who choose to devote their lives to the Esquire Pantheon. Brother and Sister is given to senior members of the Church and is often seen in monastic facilities as well as traditional places of worship. The Bishops are appointed by the King, usually at the behest of the Church itself, in order to govern Church buildings. The title of Practitioner is usually awarded for significant contribution in battle or to the crown, but can be done in-house by the Consortium of Mystics. The Archmage is usually selected by the wise veterans of the Consortium and answers to the King. Positions of Mayor and Sheriff are granted directly by Feudal Lords. Inquisitors are appointed directly the King
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♖=[ FIEFDOM ]=♖
Fiefs are regions of land that are granted or conquered by nobles. To officially be recognized as a fief owner, you must have the fief deeds, which has two copies; one kept at the fief itself and the other at the royal court archives. Nobles may purchase the fief deed from the previous owner. Fiefs deeds may also be traded, conquered, merged and divided. Barons must treat their serfs to a sufficient standard, ensuring basic healthiness and happiness among them. Facilities of worship must be accessible to everyone.
♙-[ RIGHT OF CONQUEST (FOR NOBLES) ]-♙
A noble may submit a Writ of Conquest to the royal office. If his Writ is approved by the King himself, they may raise troops to attack an existing noble. If the defensive structures of a fief and the economic infrastructure is seized by the attacking noble, they may be granted the rights to the land - the deeds transferred. Other nobles may help either side in these conquests but it is greatly frowned upon and may warrant royal intervention.
These conflicts must not threaten campaigns or in times of national war, the king can choose to suspend any internal conflict if it threatens the Crown’s interests or greater unity of the Kingdom. The official stance of the crown is that Right of Conquest helps to keep the realm as strong as possible by eliminating weak nobles who cannot defend their own lands. The precedent for conquered nobles is to attempt to retake their lands by force or join a chivalric order in penance for weakness.
♙-[ CHIVALRIC BEHAVIOR ]-♙
In nobles dealings with other nobles, their is a certain behaviour that is expected. While not official decrees, nobles are to act in a chivalric way or risk their reputation and livelihood. In feudal combat with another noble, they are expected to not kill or maim those of noble blood. Death between nobles is only allowed when both parties agree they are fighting to the death. Capture and ransom is a much prefered alternative, with prisoners to be treated with respect befitting of their noble blood until ransom is paid and they are safely released. If no ransom can be paid, then the case must be brought forth before the King who will exact a fair toll. in fighting between nobles. The conduct of battle between nobles is agreed upon before the battle itself takes place. Generally, killing a retreating foe is frowned upon, as well as slurring or defaming his opponent. The greater one’s family name, holdings and military history the more respected an individual should become. It is chivalric duty to be able to muster arms when called upon by the King, and send champions in your place to war, lead a warband or mobilise a garrison for a campaign.
♙-[ VILLAGES ]-♙
A village may be owned by any noble, each nobleman should own at least one village for revenue. Villages must include a well, a minimum population of 5 families, or twenty persons, and should be self-sufficient. Multiple villages are often beholden to nearby towns or cities. The owning noble of the village or land that it resides upon appoints a mayor or shire reeve to run the day to day operations of the village. A sheriff must be appointed for the village or the region. (These two positions may be a real person or a placed NPC). A serviceable - but not too well trained militia must be kept, run and operated by the sheriff. Villages can be freely sold or traded to other noblemen(does not require place transfer, merely acknowledgement in deeds).
♙-[ TOWNS ]-♙
A large town may be owned by a baron or any higher noble than that, each baron should own at least one town. Towns must have access to clean water and food, even if this is only supplied by outlying villages. At least one inn must be in every town, that is able to accommodate at least 20 travellers. A town guard must be maintained, and the guards must be paid from the town’s coffers. A serviceable militia must be kept and ready to respond to the call to arms with a town armoury ready for the defense of the town. A town must have vendors, a blacksmith and a bakery. While not forced, it is recommended that a town have defensive infrastructure in the nearby area.
♙-[ CITIES ]-♙
A city may be owned by an earl or duke, every earl or duke should own at least one city. Cities must have well made roads, walls, a clean source of water and food, and at least one inn that is able to accommodate at least 35 travellers. A city guard must be maintained and paid from the city's coffers. A market place, manors for visiting nobles, vendors, blacksmiths, bakeries and schools of academia and craft must be present. A city MUST be fortified against attack. Many cities choose to fortify in such a way that a Lordly keep is present with their House Court, with the retinue garrisoned in the castle. The economic activities of the city should be easy to locate and find, even those outside of the walls.
♙-[ FORTS/OUTPOSTS ]-♙
Fortress and outposts in Thismonia are regulated by a borderlord. The borderlord has responsibility to maintain the holding and it’s people. Forts and outposts serve as the first bastions of Thismonian power in the land. Forts are for defending from raiders and any others that would stand against Thismonia. Forts require a main keep and wall to be a defendable position. It is recommended that forts have their own facilities to keep the soldiers well regulated and ready for battle. Outposts on the other hand are located outside of Thismonia and are smaller positions ment to defend trade roads, or employ soldiers to an enemy fort. Outposts need a barracks and a defensible structure.
♙-[ FORTRESSES ]-♙
A fortress is likely to be owned by a Duke, or in some unlikely cases, an Earl. Fortresses are superior to forces in that they have greater defences and serve the purpose of national defense rather than protecting a city or town. Often, a noble builds a fortress in a strategic position to house the royal army rather than their own retinue. Many forts are ancestral and therefore very old, sometimes dating back to before Thismonia was a Kingdom and standing as symbols of the utmost militaristic power.
♙-[ NATURAL RESOURCES ]-♙
Any noble may own the deeds to a plot of land that contains a natural resource. These resources are a source of revenue for the noble and the Kingdom. They contribute to their luxurious lifestyles and time spent at the royal court. While not all nobles are expected to own a viable natural resource, it is almost imperative that those of lordly status possess some form of natural source of revenue. The more sources of revenue the noble has access to, the greater their social and economic status. These sources include mines, lumber yards, pitch fields, farms, places of magical importance to the Church of Esquire for pilgrimage. Inquisitors will inspect said worksites to assess their viability and effectiveness.
♙-[ MISCELLANEOUS ]-♙
Other assets may raise the value of a holding and can contribute to a raise in social status. Amongst these are structures such as monasteries and lands that are prime hunting grounds. Other oddities include habitats for rare beasts such as the elusive wyrms and different tribes of beastmen. Furthermore the presence of artifacts can increase the value of land.
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♖=[ ROUTES TO ENNOBLEMENT ]=♖
In order for any noble to consider themselves valid, they must be able to produce noble papers recognised by the court at any official event such as tournament, joust or arrival at seasonal court.
♙-[ INHERITANCE (DIRECT) ]-♙
If a noble dies honorably (In service to his King), all their lands and titles are passed to their heir. If they have more than one heir, the lands and titles may be divided among them, or all given to whomever the King sees most fit of taking up their predecessors legacy - deceased Lord’s preference taken into account. Nobility is not inherited from independent nobles unless they are married into a noble family.
If a noble is married, without a heir the lands and titles will pass to the spouse. If two nobles are married, their titles and lands are combined into a single house. However, this only applies for the heads of a house, not heirs where dowry exchanges take places. In the case of extremely large noble families, noble titles may not pass down to the most distant relatives.
♙-[ INHERITANCE (ANCESTRAL CLAIM) ]-♙
If a nobleman dies with no heir, their lands are taken directly by the crown for redistribution. This also takes places if a noble’s holdings are stripped from them by royal decree. If a commoner can prove to the royal office they have a claim to it, they may receive the lands and titles. This may work if a high ranking bannerman to the deceased lord has a child. If the land has already been redistributed to another lord, they may need to gain their claim by right of conquest. However, with a more legitimate claim, others are more likely to support your cause. There are many forgotten or ‘dead’ houses and most can trace their lineage to nobility if they go far enough back.
♙-[ PURCHASEMENT (DEALS WITH THE ROYAL TREASURY ]-♙
A commoner who has gained a certain amount of wealth may apply to the royal office for purchase of a noble title. The cost varies, it comes down to the specific situation and individual applying. The final choice comes down to the King to decide if they are allowed to purchase a title or not. This is extremely unlikely due to the stigma of commoners becoming nobles, usually only taking place in times of great need to the treasury and times of war. While an independent noble title is expensive, to purchase the titles to a noble family is immense and would be much easier done through marriage or specific treaty with the family lords.
♙-[ RIGHT OF CONQUEST (FOR COMMONERS) ]-♙
If there is a commoner whom the King finds deserving of nobility, but not quite deserving enough to be knighted, a Writ of Conquest may be submitted to the royal office (Forum). If his Writ is approved by the King himself, they may raise troops to attack an existing noble. Any land they conquer becomes theirs, the deeds transferred, and they are granted a noble title.
Right of conquests are not only limited to commoners aspiring to nobility, but are essential to feudal warfare in itself and is elaborated within the fiefdom section.
♙-[ KNIGHTING OR ROYAL RECOGNITION ]-♙
A particularly honourable route to noble status is through knightship, usually reserved for the most able of the recruits for the chivalric orders - often taking in the younger sons of large noble families to skilled commoners. Knights have a duty to the chivalric code as well as King and Country. Knighting in this sense only grants independent nobleship. In exceptional cases, independent nobility can be granted via royal recognition of deeds or usefulness to the crown.
Independent nobles have less security but more freedom as to their actions, but must be officially recognised as a House by the court until noble titles can be passed on through lineage. In this sense many independent nobles find themselves in retainer to higher lords who can petition for their noble family recognition. This precedent has been particularly useful to the higher class as to maintain their grip on the land.
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