If you were a Duke...

[lynnlefey]

First, if you're in my game, please don't read this thread.

 

I've been trying to break down some ideas for the Dukes of the kingdom of Keldravia. As I have only about a bajillion other things to do, I thought I'd throw this out to get some feedback.

 

First, lets assume you are a duke (or dutchess) of about 500,000 people. Your population is spread across 6700 square miles, 3500 of those square miles are developed. The rest are wilds. You might have a couple sizable cities (10,000 or so people, most likely), but the majority of your population are scattered in villages across your dukedom.

 

Now, lets assume first that we're looking at 'standard' prices from FH. Second, let's assume that military expendature and infrastructure has been taken care of (this means normal road upkeep, payment of normal clerks, scribes, sheriffs, messengers, etc.) You are charging 10% taxes (another ten are charged by the king, and another 10 by count or town, whatever).

 

Annually, you have about 200,000 gold remaining after military and infrastructure is taken into account. How do you alot it? You can squeeze guilds, levy extra taxes, take bribes, shake people down, toll roads, whatever, charge court costs if you wish, but those actions have repercussions.

 

What is not included in the expenses so far are bribes, spy networks, court wizards, payments to temples, personal guard, and personal expenses, patronages, entertainment, etc.

 

Anyone care to give this a crack?

[Thia Halmades]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Yer... what if I'm honest? And I want to spend that money to keep people happy, and put together a (comparatively) honest Special Police Unit? And hire my best friend (who unless the GM is a prick won't betray me because I bought the leader as a follower) and have him ensure that people can sleep easily at night.

 

Just a thought. Also, if you're concerned about people who shouldn't be reading it taking a peek, I suggest using the following:

and it's end command, [/spoiler.] (although you'll want to take the period out so it works.

[lynnlefey]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Running an honest dukedom is absolutely doable. Just keep in mind even an honest duke will want some comforts afforded to someone of his status.

[Manic Typist]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

When I actually have time, I intend to give this a serious looking at. This weekend, perhaps.

[Gadodel]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

I'd start a university. I'd also look into creating a sports' arena. I would enhance the roads that they would need little upkeep: slabs of rock. Etc. If you please the public, all of the other things will fall into place.

[Hermit]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Perhaps one should tax those pesky people who go about insisting on being armed even though not sworn to service with the crown or noblity. A permit could be required for any blade over 6 inches (and/or non bladed weapons over a certain size/weight) that must be renewed yearly for a fee. Anyone in violation of this would have their weapons confiscated. It would not affect the average peasant, and indeed, might protect them from brigands (or adventurers who could kill them with a single stroke), so they might be for it. The confiscated weapons would go to arm your own guards and warriors in your service and save you a small fortune that way as well.

[The Monster]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Some general ideas...

 

A) University (as previously mentioned). This can get you all kinds of littel bennies that add up:

--an in with the intellectual elite, who can influence events beyond your boundaries and across class lines

--an image as an overall good guy, supporter of civilization, blabla, even among those who never set foot on campus

--a potential informal spy network with traveling scholars and their support staff, who are likely to be tapped into the upper crust of other lands

--depending on the institution, a source of technical knowledge (for engineering fortifications, bridges, and so forth), artistic enjoyment (music, sculpture, etc.), or the like (maybe even magical support)

 

Improved security and stability - in the form of better roads & bridges & canals, and the troops to patrol them; maybe a messenger (a la Pony Express) system, or even a scrying network for communication. Plus the means to enforce & protect - additional and/or better equipped and trained troops, perhaps a band of national police (a la Charlemegne's Paladins, maybe even on flying mounts!)

 

C) Major religious center(s) - much like the university, but specifically with a religious bent. Gives similar benefits, and if anything they're more likely to be favorable to you as a true supporter of their cause. In a fantasy world, the influence of deities is no matter of mere symbolism and culture!

 

D)"A Stately Pleasure Dome..." - it could be a nest of decadence and/or a center of elite culture. Either way, a definite lure to the rich & powerful from everywhere, and a means to influence them. If you can pull it off without overly opporessing peasants and being a selfish idiot, they're less likely to try cutting your head off, too.

 

E) Start a bank - make yourself a Fugger or Medici or whatever, eventually able to make loans to kings and make them kowtow to you. At the very least, a way to increase wealth and influence - and gain a news/spy network in faraway places.

 

F) Sponsor settlement - take some of those wild lands and offer "40 acres and a mule" to anyone who wants to make a fresh start by clearing trees and critters. You'll get some "wild west" towns, sure, but you'll also be increasing the tax base and drawing in the adventurous from all the other duchies

 

G) Fund Adventures - hey, if there's ancient treasures and magics to be had, there's always some stalwart adventurers who are looking to make a few gold pieces. They get a few thou, and you get kewl wom-woms to play with! And they can knock down some of the pesky monsters in your land. Plus, you'll have good contacts with people on the fast track to individual power.

 

That should do for a start.

[Gadodel]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

A Mercenary Army. Why use your own people when there are plenty of sellswords that will answer the call. Pay and treat them well, make it a professional outfit that will embark upon the road of tradition. And victory.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Running an honest dukedom is absolutely doable. Just keep in mind even an honest duke will want some comforts afforded to someone of his status.

 

Maybe. There are plenty of people who simply wind up with "nice things" because other people are bribing them, or gaining favor from them. The duke will likely have an inherited castle; if I were Duke, my love life would be dependent on the plot line. Was I married young by force for convenience? I will keep around the "woman I love" or a smoking hot prosti, whichever is more appropos to the setting.

 

And if I do have enough left over, and I have a clever accountant, I would probably start letting my money make money. I'd also have a "summer getaway cottage" (re: hide out/retirement plan) in the event there's some sort of coup. Mmhmm. That's my answer: Plan for the Future.

 

Interesting question. t3h r3ppz0rz 2 j00.

[Vondy]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

A Mercenary Army. Why use your own people when there are plenty of sellswords that will answer the call. Pay and treat them well' date=' make it a professional outfit that will embark upon the road of tradition. And victory.[/quote']

 

Indeed, if you have that many subjects and that much extra gold why are you just a Duke?

[Doc Democracy]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Maybe its coz I's from the UK but you might consider a Duchy Health Service, keeping the peasants healthy should improve their productivity as well as making you look like a swell guy.

 

I would look at running a DHS service where healers move round the country healing the sick and providing good nutritional advice...

[assault]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

First' date=' lets assume you are a duke (or dutchess) of about 500,000 people. Your population is spread across 6700 square miles, 3500 of those square miles are developed. The rest are wilds. You might have a couple sizable cities (10,000 or so people, most likely), but the majority of your population are scattered in villages across your dukedom.[/quote']

 

A nice little piece of territory. Having two cities that large is interesting. I would consider only having one, and have a bunch of smaller towns instead of the other.

 

If your "wilds" are essentially uninhabited, your developed area will have a pretty serious population density. That's not a problem, but it means that the difference will be very sharp.

 

and another 10 by count or town, whatever).

 

This Duke has subordinate Counts? How deep does the feudal pyramid go?

 

You can squeeze guilds, ...

 

There are lots of interesting charges that can be applied if more cash is necessary, but it doesn't really sound like it is at the moment.

 

Hermit's idea about charging people for carrying weapons is a good idea. Generally speaking, I would just ban people from carrying inappropriate weapons, but fining them instead is a good option.

 

What is not included in the expenses so far are bribes, spy networks, court wizards, payments to temples, personal guard, and personal expenses, patronages, entertainment, etc.

 

I doubt you would have much change left over after running a court and all its hangers on.

 

Incidentally, what is the difference between "military expenditures" and the cost of a "personal guard"?

 

Generally speaking, standing armies are liabilities. Maintain your own household and a few garrisons, and rely on feudal levies and mercenaries for the rest.

 

You will need to patronise the temples. It's always worth keeping them sweet. If you are lucky they will provide you with troops when you need them, not to mention magical protection...

[assault]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

you might consider a Duchy Health Service' date=' keeping the peasants healthy should improve their productivity as well as making you look like a swell guy.[/quote']

 

Because they might be malodourous malingering scum, but they're your malodourous malingering scum. And they take longer to breed than pigs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally I would just turn them into zombies...

[MordeanGrey]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Think like the Romans! What have they ever done for us?

 

REG:

They've bled us white, the b******s. They've taken everything we had, and not just from us, from our fathers, and from our fathers' fathers.

LORETTA:

And from our fathers' fathers' fathers.

REG:

Yeah.

LORETTA:

And from our fathers' fathers' fathers' fathers.

REG:

Yeah. All right, Stan. Don't labour the point. And what have they ever given us in return?!

XERXES:

The aqueduct?

REG:

What?

XERXES:

The aqueduct.

REG:

Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.

COMMANDO #3:

And the sanitation.

LORETTA:

Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?

REG:

Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.

MATTHIAS:

And the roads.

REG:

Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads--

COMMANDO:

Irrigation.

XERXES:

Medicine.

COMMANDOS:

Huh? Heh? Huh...

COMMANDO #2:

Education.

COMMANDOS:

Ohh...

REG:

Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.

COMMANDO #1:

And the wine.

COMMANDOS:

Oh, yes. Yeah...

FRANCIS:

Yeah. Yeah, that's something we'd really miss, Reg, if the Romans left. Huh.

COMMANDO:

Public baths.

LORETTA:

And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.

FRANCIS:

Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let's face it. They're the only ones who could in a place like this.

COMMANDOS:

Hehh, heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

REG:

All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

XERXES:

Brought peace.

REG:

Oh. Peace? Shut up! ...

[Vondy]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Public Baths. Mohenjodaro.

Sanitation. Mohenjodaro.

Roads (Paved). Ur.

Irrigation. Mesopotamia and Egypt

Medicine. Mesopotamia and Egypt

Education. Sparta.

Wine. Neolithic Period.

Safe Streets. Cannot be attributed to Rome. In Rome there were neighborhoods you did not go unless you paid protection or were wealthy/powerful enough to have an armed escort.

 

So, basically... classics.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Some good ideas already thrown out there.

 

The "40 acres & a mule" idea is a good'un. I'd make it a hyde, meself (this is a Duchy, afterall). Don't give it away, however. Make 'em work for it.

 

aka..... Workgangs to provide a social "saftey net"... anyone can join the crews and get food & board, and at the end of each season pay any volunteers their choice...a purse of wages, a set of basic tools for a profession, a hyde of undeveloped land, or worktrade (spend a season on the gangs and you get to request a job of them... like clearing some of your new land). Use the gangs as your "parole" for lesser criminal offences, while allowing those sentenced to the gangs to stay on after their sentence is finished and establish a grubstake so they have a future.

 

Something that hasn't been mentioned directly yet....

 

Festivals. Lots of them. I've always liked the distribution of the old pagan quarters (solstices & equinoxes) & cross quarters (approximately at the beginning of Feb, May, August & October). Get your people out & mingling. Diversify that old gene pool. Dedicate each festival to a particular god/saint/patron, and work with the appropriate clergy.

Stick with themes to each festival, and make one set (I favor the cross quarters) extended parties...3 days to a week. Craft competitions in February (So your population has something to work on over the winter), Fertility rites in May (as a ducal gift, offer a months worth of mead to any newly wed couple who marries during the festival). For everyone else, throw a big party. I like the idea of the may festival being the "vegas" festival... a 3 day cultural "no harm, no foul" shindig. Providing a cultural vent for adultery and the sowing of wild oats.

 

August gets the "olympics"... lots of competitive events and probably a grand tourney. Bardic competitions (musicians are important on the battlefeild, and poets and satirists can be just as potent), magic competitions, perhaps (not unlike competitive fireworks ) Feed everyone well, liquor them up, and give 'em a deserved rest before harvest. Encourage a huge market Fair as well... stimulate that economy.

 

October gets the big Harvest/Thanksgiving festival. Fatten up the people for the coming winter.

 

Schedule entertainment, and take a hunk of that surplus and offer prizes. Tournaments, Archery contests... any skill you want to cultivate among your populace. Parades at the major festivals, Mardi-Gras style, with each County represented, and incentives (read "prizes", again) for excellence, such as precision marching/drilling (if the household trrops of your counts are all competing with each other to prove who has the best drilled troops, in the end, from your perspective it doesn't matter who wins, because no matter what, you do)

 

Encourage sports, especially "contact" sports. I personally like the Shinty/Hurley/field hockey model, myself. Form local leagues, offer prizes (again). Gives everyone a chance for civic pride in their own team and a way to blow off steam legally. Most importantly.... It culls out your "aggressive" population and gives them at least rudimentary experience in working together as a skirmishing unit (as well as teaching how to work through pain, channel the fight or flight reflex constructively and a bunch of other bennies) with a "weapon" in hand.... Tradionally, these sorts of games developed as a way for the youth to begin learning the basics of "war skills", and should increase the effectiveness of your levies.

 

I'd also go with a "State police" kind of arrangement, probably based on the Fianna... small independant units with uber-reputations & exacting entrance requirements who patrol borders, act as mobile eyes & ears, act as my personal guards, and form a cadre in the event of a levy being raised (think Rangers).

 

 

Rather than maintaining a standing army, or relying entirely on semi-trained levies, encourage mercenaries.... don't hire them... Make 'em. Hiring your own forces out to outside interests as soldiers for hire gives them combat experience and keeps them frosty, while avoiding the problems of maintaining a restless armed force inside your borders... And provides another stream of revenue.

 

A university is an excellent idea, and a worthy long term goal, but I suspect that the funds we're working with are too limited to establish such a thing quickly (a large BLANK book runs 10 gold, after all). Start allocating funds for such, however. Offer tax breaks for Teachers who establish classes in any skills you want to encourage in your population.

 

Liscence & tax Adventurer types, but offer rewards... Bounties for the heads of monster types, establish laws where those under liscence get to retain a larger share of anything they find (say 80-90%, versus 50% for unliscenced), generous salvage laws, etc.

 

 

That's all I can think of for the moment

[lynnlefey]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Wow, folks. Thanks for the flood of ideas.

 

Let me cover the power pyramid, a question that was asked earlier. The dukes answer to the king. There are 36 Dukes (each lording over about 500,000 people). Dukes on average, have 25 Counts under them (each lording over 20,000 people on average). Counts have something like 50 Seigneurs under them (each with a feif, controlling about 400).

 

In my first post, I stated "You might have a couple sizable cities (10,000 or so people, most likely)". The important word here is MIGHT. Those that do could almost certainly have the population concentration to allow a university, but some Dukedoms have no major cities whatsoever.

 

Taxing adventurers is a fine idea. And I think getting a salvage license for site excavation (raiding ruins) might be a good way to do this. While weapon licenses might be a good idea in general, the game is in a very militaristic kingdom, and enforcing a weapon license is not realistically managable. I suppose it could be one of those where the law enforcement folks only ask for a license if you skewer a thug or some such, and since no one really gets them, they then levy a fine. That alone might be enough to keep PCs from chopping randomly through neighborhoods of lowlifes.

 

Canals and such, maybe coupled with work-gangs might have some merit. I need to look into cost versus benefit of such things.

 

Banks don't seem appropriate to me for this game, but the idea is there. Certainly though Fairs and the lending notes from them might be a good thing.

 

Settlement... the problem here is that the people that are available are already working the land. There really isn't a huge group of people looking ot expand elsewhere. One major area actually has just opened up, but it's a marsh, and will take serious work to provide for large scale settlement. And then there's the ugly issues of displacing the native seshurma.

 

Sponsoring adventurers... at very least, offering them very low tax rates for services to the king. Very nice.

 

Health issues are more in the erealm of the High Church. But health services is not a bad idea. Maybe keep a fund for healing wounded peasants. A lame farmer ain't much good.

 

Answer to a question of the difference between military expendature and personal guard... the specific 'military expendature' I accounted for was civil law enforcement, keeping a sheriff and his men. Personal guard would be a small retinue of very skilled armed guards to the king. It may be assumed some few are already existant, but some dukes might not feel safe under standard guard... depending on how they'd run their lands.

 

Keep them fine ideas rolling out!

[assault]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Don't you hate it when you write a long and well thought out post, and the discover that your login has timed out, and you've lost the whole lot?

 

Here is an attempt at a reconstruction. I've dropped a lot of material.

 

The "40 acres & a mule" idea is a good'un. I'd make it a hyde' date=' meself (this is a Duchy, afterall). Don't give it away, however. Make 'em work for it.[/quote']

 

No. Once land is cleared, settle people on it. They will be your vassals, and pay rent. Of course, they will have cleared it themselves.

 

Note that you can only have land you control cleared. You can't clear land that is part of your vassal's estates, and you can't clear "Royal" land without permission.

 

Festivals.

 

Most will be religious or cultural. Putting on the odd tournament or similar would be a good idea.

 

The sports idea is good. You might want to encourage archery. Or not.

 

I'd also go with a "State police" kind of arrangement, probably based on the Fianna...

 

I would go with a force of "foresters", whose job is to keep an eye on the usage of the Wilds. They also serve as huntsmen for the Duke, of course. In effect they would be border police, plus they are a cadre of armed men "on the payroll".

 

encourage mercenaries.... don't hire them... Make 'em.

 

Good call, although you would want to ensure your agricultural labour force doesn't become depleted.

 

A university is an excellent idea,

 

Generally I would leave such things to the temples. While a lot will depend on the specific religious set up, medieval universities were basically schools for teaching teenagers to become priests. You could go with something more "classical/Hellenistic Greek" style.

 

Any patronage you provide would be part of your general religious patronage.

[assault]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Taxing adventurers is a fine idea.

 

It tends to imply that "adventurers" are a stable category, common enough to make laws about.

 

Settlement... the problem here is that the people that are available are already working the land. There really isn't a huge group of people looking ot expand elsewhere.

 

The population density you mentioned was fairly high. That suggests that there will be people who want access to land. Even if they are already working land, they might want more. Besides, landowners like owning lots of land...

 

Answer to a question of the difference between military expendature and personal guard... the specific 'military expendature' I accounted for was civil law enforcement, keeping a sheriff and his men. Personal guard would be a small retinue of very skilled armed guards to the king. It may be assumed some few are already existant, but some dukes might not feel safe under standard guard... depending on how they'd run their lands.

 

Your description implied a feudal structure (Dukes, Counts etc). In that case "civil law enforcement" would mostly be a responsibility of your vassals. In other words, it should cost you nothing - it is part of the "rent" they pay for the use of your lands. Likewise, maintaining castles and a skeleton guard, would also be part of the duties of the vassal you put in charge of them. Similarly, the "foresters" I suggested in a previous post would serve in return for the use of land, plus certain hunting rights.

 

A "personal guard" would be standard. Every noble would be accompanied by the biggest and most impressive retinue they could afford. And that means household knights, and other troops. These are probably the closest thing to a standing army that would exist.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Don't you hate it when you write a long and well thought out post, and the discover that your login has timed out, and you've lost the whole lot?

 

Here is an attempt at a reconstruction. I've dropped a lot of material.

Yeah I hate that too.

 

No. Once land is cleared, settle people on it. They will be your vassals, and pay rent. Of course, they will have cleared it themselves.

 

Note that you can only have land you control cleared. You can't clear land that is part of your vassal's estates, and you can't clear "Royal" land without permission.

 

Yeppers, I was suggesting a possible additional option with the workgang approach.

Most will be religious or cultural. Putting on the odd tournament or similar would be a good idea.

 

The sports idea is good. You might want to encourage archery. Or not.

Agreed about the religious/cultural aspect of Festivals. It keeps your preisthood happy and busy, and gives the working man a well needed break & something to look foreward to. The layout I roughed out above was essentialy a Celtic calander, but it's pretty close to the times & focuses of most European cultures, being based on the seasons.

I'd encourage the archery, myself, but I'm a Velvet Glove/Iron Fist type myself. I got inspired by Cuchulain myself and learned firsthand how effective a team of feild sportsman with clubs can be.

 

I would go with a force of "foresters", whose job is to keep an eye on the usage of the Wilds. They also serve as huntsmen for the Duke, of course. In effect they would be border police, plus they are a cadre of armed men "on the payroll".

 

The "Secret Police" was riffing on an earlier comment... Noting my "based on the Fianna" and "(think Rangers)" comments... we're on the same page here. I'd want them elite, well trained, able to live off the land more or less indefinitely, and smart enough that I can trust the commanders to take matters into hand concerning following my (and the kings) will.

 

Good call, although you would want to ensure your agricultural labour force doesn't become depleted.

Get a fairly content large population, feed them a lot, and encourage them to mingle with their neighbors often and you'll breed a surplus.

Generally I would leave such things to the temples. While a lot will depend on the specific religious set up, medieval universities were basically schools for teaching teenagers to become priests. You could go with something more "classical/Hellenistic Greek" style.

 

Any patronage you provide would be part of your general religious patronage.

In this aspect I'm thinking in terms of a fantasy society... There's more focus on learning and accumlating knowledge... Magic, lore, fighting arts, and the like. Attract enough of these types and a university almost appears by magic with a hint of financial support.

[McCoy]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

First, want to see what I have. Commission something like the Doomsday Book, a detailed census/inventory of the entire duchy.

 

Have whoever I commission to do this to ask each count privately for the name of the biggest PITA in the county.

 

Second, almost half the Duchy wild? Unacceptable! The 25 PITA's above are, very publically, invited to the palace for an audience. When we are all together I tell them that I have heard things about them, and they are the men I want to grant a license to clear a new Township (23,040 acres) out of the wilderness. The cleared land will be divided 30 ways, one each for them and their families, one for the King, one for me, one each for their Count and their Seigneur. The last one is the commons, where such things as the marketplace, church, and fairgrounds will be located.

 

If they sucessfully clear the land, I have a new, productive township. If something eats them in the attempt, every Count still owes me one for removing their biggest PITA in a way that keeps their hands totally clean. Either way I win.

 

If it does work out, do it again every five years or so.

 

Third, time to increase the population. Impose a batchelor tax. Every unmarried male more than 2 years over the age of adulthood must pay an annual fee. I don't have fantasy hero for the prices, so let's say half the price of a dairy cow. An engagement is good for a one year waiver of the tax. Widowers have the tax waived for two years (one to morn the old wife, one to court the new one). Any man wih a healthy, living grandchild is exempt from the tax.

 

Clergy are not exempt from this tax. If any religion requires a celeibate priesthood, not only does the Priest have to pay the tax, but his church has to pay an equal tax. Likewise any church that requires Virgin Priestesses. These will be the only women subject to this tax.

 

If men outnumber women, form a focus group on how to make the Duchy more attractive to women in neighboring Ducheys, make them willing to consider marriage proposals from our young men. In fact, do that even if men don't outnumber the women. Don't want any families moving away.

 

Likewise set up a refuge for widows, orphans, and unwed mothers. The boys will have the choice between joining the military or apprenticing to a trade. Try to arrange good marriages for the girls, younger widows, and "soiled doves."

 

Fourth, offically give the Duke, the Counts, and the Seigneurs the right to take a concubine as well as a wife. If they are survived by both wife and concubine, the wife is guarenteed 2/3's of her husband's assets, the concubine 1/3. So while their son may have the title and power, the dowager Countess actually owns the lands and the money.

 

Likewise, create a new, non-hereditary title, simular to Peer for Life in the current British system, a few priveliges that can be given to anyone the Duke wants to honor. The honorees will have an honorific, be able to call themselves Sir or the local equlivent, go to the front of the line in social occasions, and take a concubine if they can afford one.

 

Next, fairs and contest and prizes, oh my! Unfortunately can't hold a county fair every other week, they are rather dependent on the harvest. Cash prizes for best livestock, best crops, etc, at the county level, all county winners compete at duchy level for cash prizes and Peer for Life title.

 

Also, spread throughout the year, archery tournaments for men and women, martial arts tournaments (probably just wrestling and boxing, but more if there is a traditional martial art style of the duchy), and strongman contests. Again, winners at the county level get cash, at the dutchy level cash and the Peer-for-life title. (Anyone already having the Peer for life title, say the returning champion, will be compeating for pride and the cash, they do not get two concubines if they won twice.)

 

Have the military practice deployments and remain in shape by building roads. In rotation, each unit builds one mile of Roman road.

 

I'll probably think of more later.

[Manic Typist]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Fourth, offically give the Duke, the Counts, and the Seigneurs the right to take a concubine as well as a wife. If they are survived by both wife and concubine, the wife is guarenteed 2/3's of her husband's assets, the concubine 1/3. So while their son may have the title and power, the dowager Countess actually owns the lands and the money.

 

 

The purpose of this one?

 

I wouldn't offer the title for a duchy level competion. Feels like it would devalue it by having so many people run around with it...

[lynnlefey]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Since Keldravia is actually a pretty militant kingdom (very much so in my game) I think some sort of holiday in late spring for... um...'free love' might be a good idea, so the young men have a chance to spread their seed before marching off to war.

 

In a kingdom where growing population is important, I'd think the social stigma attached to being a bastard would be lessened.

 

Some interesting thoughts, McCoy.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

Since Keldravia is actually a pretty militant kingdom (very much so in my game) I think some sort of holiday in late spring for... um...'free love' might be a good idea, so the young men have a chance to spread their seed before marching off to war.

 

In a kingdom where growing population is important, I'd think the social stigma attached to being a bastard would be lessened.

 

Some interesting thoughts, McCoy.

 

This was a lot of the motivation for the Mayday Beltane festival in early times... It marked the beginning of the "Battle season" (Mid Spring to Mid Fall). There have been a lot of variations on how it was celebrated based on regional differences and time period in question, but the essential idea was to get as many bellies swelling as possible before the menfolk marched off to go bash on other menfolk all summer. In general the celts didn't have a cultural concept of bastardry until fairly late period, but even after patrilineal inheritance became the norm, some places treated "Beltaine Babies" as legitimate, as "blessings of the gods". The concept of a 3 day free pass to persue whomever youn want in celebration of fertility also seems to have been a pretty good outlet for what would otherwise be "aduturous" impulses, and thus might provide additional stability in family lines of inheritance in a culture that often makes matches for economic reasons rather than love.

[McCoy]

Re: If you were a Duke...

 

The purpose of this one?

 

I wouldn't offer the title for a duchy level competion. Feels like it would devalue it by having so many people run around with it...

Allow the top 1% to 5% to spread their genes faster. Also if "Keldravia is actually a pretty militant kingdom," there is probably more women than men of breeding age. Absorb the excess women without nunneries (bad for population growth), or state-run brothels (bad for attracting new blood).