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| nobles [2020/01/23 13:08] – dave | nobles [2020/02/04 13:44] (current) – andrew |
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| Nobles are the wealthy folk born into privilege and money, but who are not necessarily knowledgeable or skilled. Often these people are easily separated from their coin through subterfuge, but not through force since they are often surrounded by a cadre of servants and guards whose job it is to protect them. They function as the middle-men between rulers and the peasants. | Nobles are the wealthy folk born into privilege and money, but who are not necessarily knowledgeable or skilled. Often these people are easily separated from their coin through subterfuge, but not through force since they are often surrounded by a cadre of servants and guards whose job it is to protect them. They function as the middle-men between rulers and the peasants. |
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| In Nessex, the lowest level of noble are called Lords or Thanes. (Lord Ethelred, Thane of Grimsby). A lord is the governor of a Hundred, an area of about 25 square miles, containing 100 freehold families. The inhabitants swear him an oath of loyalty and he has the power to settle disputes, judge crimes, and lead the militia in the Hundred. He also collects the royal taxes, keeping a defined portion and sending the rest on to the Earl and King. In the Hundreds near the border, the Lord is almost always in residence to coordinate the defense of the land and usually has a fortified manor house. However, nearer to Kingston, noble families often control several Hundreds, and rule as absentee landlords through their appointed Reeves, while they live in the city itself. | In Nessex, the lowest level of noble are called Lords or Thanes. (Lord Ethelred, Thane of Grimsby). A lord is the governor of a Hundred, an area of about 25 square miles, containing 100 freehold families. The inhabitants swear him an oath of loyalty and he has the power to settle disputes, judge crimes, and lead the militia in the Hundred. He also collects the royal taxes, keeping a defined portion and sending the rest on to the Earl and King. In the Hundreds near the border, the Lord is almost always in residence to coordinate the defense of the land and usually has a fortified manor house. However, nearer to Kingston, noble families often control several Hundreds, and rule as absentee landlords through their appointed Reeves, while they live in the city itself. |
| Oftentimes, these families get odd priorities which make them capricious and vengeful. Those that want to hire adventurers for profit are among the good ones. However, those who just want to use their wealth and power to make the lives of adventurers miserable are really terrible. They are nothing but the worst of the worst. | Oftentimes, these families get odd priorities which make them capricious and vengeful. Those that want to hire adventurers for profit are among the good ones. However, those who just want to use their wealth and power to make the lives of adventurers miserable are really terrible. They are nothing but the worst of the worst. |
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| ====THANE OF A HUNDRED==== | ===== Thane of a Hundred ===== |
| A basic-level lord of a hundred can support himself as a [[knights|knight]], his squire, his wife and children on the income from his position and his 5-hide estate. He has hired farm hands and maids to do the manual labor, and can support 10 HD of armed professional retainers (for example 5 Class-C [[housecarls|Housecarls]] or 2 Class C [[knights|knights]] with their 3 HD warhorses). For most of their military needs, they depend upon calling up the householder [[nessex_militia|militia]] (up to 100 for home defense, 20 when summoned by Earl or King). | A basic-level lord of a hundred can support himself as a [[knights|knight]], his squire, his wife and children on the income from his position and his 5-hide estate. He has hired farm hands and maids to do the manual labor, and can support 10 HD of armed professional retainers (for example 5 Class-C [[housecarls|Housecarls]] or 2 Class C [[knights|knights]] with their 3 HD warhorses). For most of their military needs, they depend upon calling up the householder [[nessex_militia|militia]] (up to 100 for home defense, 20 when summoned by Earl or King). |
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| ====GREAT LORD==== | ===== Great Lord ===== |
| A great lord rules over 3 hundreds. If he wished to he could support over 50 HD of soldiers/horses from his land income alone. The king and the earls try to keep most nobles to having 3 hundreds or fewer, for the specious reasoning that they couldn't possible carry out their duties to more, but really to keep any from rivalling the power of an Earl. So, once a family has reached 3 hundreds, they tend to diversify into commerce, speculation and mining to further their profits. | A great lord rules over 3 hundreds. If he wished to he could support over 50 HD of soldiers/horses from his land income alone. The king and the earls try to keep most nobles to having 3 hundreds or fewer, for the specious reasoning that they couldn't possible carry out their duties to more, but really to keep any from rivalling the power of an Earl. So, once a family has reached 3 hundreds, they tend to diversify into commerce, speculation and mining to further their profits. |
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| Stats for a Great Lord aren't different from Thanes of a Hundred, they only have more money and flunkies. | Stats for a Great Lord aren't different from Thanes of a Hundred, they only have more money and flunkies. |
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| ====LORDLINGS==== | ===== Lordlings ===== |
| A host of idiot nephews, entitled heirs, hot-headed lords-to-be can be found whooping it up in the city. Most are equivalent to [[knights|squires]], but some are really dangerous bastards. | A host of idiot nephews, entitled heirs, hot-headed lords-to-be can be found whooping it up in the city. Most are equivalent to [[knights|squires]], but some are really dangerous bastards. |
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