Marnia, History, Social Classes, Social Organization, and Government:

History:

The history of Marnia on the world of Ansolan began about six hundred years ago when a group of nomadic pastoral people, the Roldar, moved onto the grass lands just to the north of the north province of the Coldoric Empire. The Coldoric Emperor, Zarkos the Mighty soon sent emissaries demanding tribute and soldiers to see that it was collected. The Roldar refused at first but a bad defeat by the disciplined soldiery of the empire and the fighting orders of Agrik soon led to the tribute, which included one child in every ten, being paid. In time the Roldar learned that while many of the boys were given to the fighting orders of Agrik to be raised as holy warriors some were being sent the Agrikican arena, others were being given to the priests of Morgath to be sacrificed by torture, and few of the prettiest ones were being sold to the Temple of Halea and gelded for use as pleasure slaves. All the pretty girls were being sold to the Temple of Halea with the rest either going to the Agrikican arena or the priests of Morgath all to be used as the boys were.

It was one of the boys, named Iarubern, who escaped after some years of captivity who brought the dire news. By this time some of the chiefs of the Roldar had been convinced by the priests of Agrik, who now lived with the Roldar, to continue the tribute arrangements without objection. With their own children exempt while those of their enemies were sent to the Empire. At this time one Wigbrand, a chief of the Golden Eagle Clan, had usurped the clan leadership from his elder brother Breguhelm by the use of poison only to discover his actions were suspected by his nephew Aethelwulf who was twelve. Wigbrand decided to get rid of Aethelwulf by having him picked to be one of the tribute children. However, Wigbrand's own son Cuthman heard him talking of his plan with a priest of Agrik and warned his cousin. Both boys fled into the wilder parts of the Roldar lands to avoid being sent south and were soon joined by other children who feared they would also be chosen and by Iarubern. While these children were hiding one of them a girl, Lessa, had a vision of the goddess Larani who promised her aid in a crusade to free the Roldar and drive the evil of Agrik from the land.

In the annals of Marnia the children’s crusade under the leadership of Aethelwulf began in the six hundredth year of the age of Larani. It would take Aethelwulf over thirty years to unite the Roldar, drive the Imperial garrisons out of the Roldar lands, and put to the sword all the priests of Agrik together with the fighters of their orders. He was, in part, aided by a series of bad harvests within the Empire, which began the same year as an Imperial proscription of the church of Peoni in the 612th year of the Age of Larani. The Great Persecution, as this proscription, was called resulted in wide spread revolts of the slaves who worked the land and found comfort in the church of Peoni. The revolts were at first put down savagely but the food situation only got worst as the revolting slaves were killed or fled. The Empire was also engaged in a war with the Hadii tribes, which were located in the coastal mountains to the east of the Roldar lands, and a civil war over the succession to the Imperial Crown among the many sons of Zarkos.

In the year 640 of the Age of Larani Lessa, now high priestess of Larani among the Roldar, had another vision in which Larani came to Lessa and asked her to help her mother Peoni and Peoni's people against the persecution of the Empire and Agrik. When Aethelwulf, who was now Kahn of the Roldar, was told he called his Jarls together and ordered a muster of all the fighting men of the Roldar. In the spring of 641 AL the Roldar crossed into the north province of the Coldoric Empire. After much maneuvering they joined battle with the main Coldoric Army on the first of Halane. Known ever after to Roldar Harpers as the fortnight’s battle, the encounter, at first, seemed to go in favor of the Coldoric forces. But as the days passed the Coldoric Army was unable to force a decision even though they were steadily advancing. Then, on the twelfth day Aethelwulf had part of his force fake a route. The Coldoric chariots and cavalry lunged forward in pursuit only to be trapped far from their infantry. The entire mounted force of the Coldoric army was wiped out. Aethelwulf then led his tribesmen to an attack on the Coldoric infantry. The infantry tried to retreat but the constant harassment by the Roldar mounted archers caused their discipline to fail and they too were largely put to the sword. Some, however, were spared. Most of them were former Roldar tribute children.

The defeat of the Imperial Army cost the Empire control not only of the Roldar grasslands but also all of the grassy plains of the North Province, which had been the Empire's main breeding ground for cavalry horses. South of the river Marnia, however, the fertile farm lands with their great slave manors and temple farms would be long held by the empire even though they were much damaged by several great raids by the Roldar.

The Roldar could raid at will but they lacked the siege craft necessary to take the walled temple compounds, cities, and great manors by storm. These raids, however, weakened the Empire's hold on these lands because many of the slaves who had worked these lands for the great magnates of the Empire or the temples of Agrik took advantage of the Roldar raids to flee into the eastern coastal mountains, hide in the upland forests, or the coastal swamps. The attempt of the Imperial forces and the Agrikican Temples to recapture these slaves led them to turn to the Roldar for help. Aethelwulf had always been able to recognize a good thing when he saw it and he quickly provided help in the form of weapons and training in their use as well as regular raids by the Roldar which were often timed to catch the slave hunting parties of the empire and the temple far from a strong placed where they could defend themselves. Year by year the empire's losses mounted and their grip upon the land weakened.

The struggle in the fertile farmlands and the upland forests to their east, which lay between the Marnia River and the sands of Ismar, lasted beyond the end of Aethelwulf's life. However, he had sowed the seeds of the eventual conquest of what is now the kingdom of Marnia. One of the things Aethelwulf did was to over come the weakness of the Roldar, a horse people, in infantry by levying a tribute of male children on some farming people who lived north of the Marnia River and placing them in the charge of those former Coldoric tribute children who had been spared after the fortnights' battle. Many of the runaway slaves were also recruited to the units of infantry that this produced. With this infantry force and the alliance with the revolted slaves, often referred to in the Harper tales of the time as the "forest folk," Aethelwulf and later his son Wulfbalt slowly reduced most of the inland manors and temple farms. The slaves who had worked these lands were granted land in return for their services if they chose to stay. Many did.

By the time his grandson, Fordswith, became Kahn of the Roldar the Coldoric Empire, drained by dynastic civil wars, barbarian invasions, and peasant/slave revolts, was in a state of collapse. Fordswith forged an alliance with the Hadii, a mountain people who had long been at war with the Empire and the people of the few cities that were still held for the dying Empire in the north. This alliance quickly reduced the last Imperial strongholds north of the sands of Ismar. Then in the year 721 AL Fordswith raided the lands south of the sands. This raid resulted in a battle in which the last Imperial Army together with the majority of the troops of fighting orders of Agrik were destroyed. This army had included the Immortal Guard, the personal guards of the Coldoric Emperor and the Emperor himself, Akronion the Impeller, was captured.

He was a pederast who liked to rape little boys and, when he grew tired of them, have them Impaled so he could watch them die while he "trained" a new boy. Akronion had become Emperor by assassinating every living relative. He had no use for woman and never had anything to do with them. Fordswith, who knew what kind of "man" Akronion was, ordered him put to death by Impalement. With Akronion's death the Coldoric Empire also died for there was no one left with a claim upon the Imperial Throne and the people of the once great empire were sick of it. The surviving magnates, the armies of revolted slaves, various barbarian invaders, the temples of Agrik, and the major cities all vied for control of bits and pieces of the former Empire. Fordswith realized that any attempt to conquer the former Imperial lands would be the work of lifetimes and could well destroy the Roldar so he withdrew to found the Kingdom of Marnia.

Social Classes:

The social classes of Marnia are the: Nobility, Clansmen, Yeomanry, Clergy, Freemen, Thralls, and Slaves. These classes are defined below:

Nobles:

Most nobles are descended from the original Roldar clans and include the Royal Family and the Royal Kindred, the Earls (Jarls) and their families and kindred, the Barons and their families and kindred, and the squirearchy, which includes enfoeffed knights, knights-bachelor, esquires, and squires. Nobles hold land from the crown by tenure of the sword.

Clansmen:

Those Roldar who remained on the northwestern grasslands as well as those Hadii who remained in the western costal mountains after the establishment of the Kingdom of Marnia are known as clansmen. Individual clansmen do not hold land, the land is held by the entire clan, which is responsible for the obligations for the land.

Yeoman:

Most are descended from the forest folk and are differentiated from freemen by holding their land from the crown in the same way as nobles.

Clergy:

All are persons who have pledged their lives to the service of a deity. They can be originally from any of the other social classes. Clerics, as individuals, cannot hold land, however, religious orders can.

Freeman:

Most are residents of one of the chartered cities or towns. All guilded craftsmen are considered freemen even if they do not live in a chartered city or town. Freemen may not own land outside of cities or towns. If they occupy land for residential or business purposes outside a city or town they must pay a quit rent to the holder of whatever fief the land is located in. Freemen are only subject to military service if they live in a chartered city or town or have agreed to such service in return for their land holding.

Thralls:

Most are the descendents of the slaves who worked the manors and temple farms of the Coldoric Empire and who did not rise up against their masters as the Roldar invaded Marnia. Wulfbalt said of their forefathers, "If they lack the spirit to fight for their freedom then they do not deserve it." By his decree Thralls hold land by villain tenure.

Slaves:

Slaves are "owned" by a master. This master may be an individual, or an organization like a temple. There are three types of slaves in Marnia:

1) Hereditary Slaves. These are slaves whose ancestors were also slaves.

2) Debit Slaves. These are persons who must serve a term of slavery, usually seven years, in order to pay off a debit. The debit may be one they contracted themselves or it might have been a debit owed by their parents. Many debit slaves are children serving off their parent's debits.

3) Criminal Slaves: Are persons convicted of crimes and sentenced to slavery rather then execution. Some are child thieves who ran away from orphanages after being put there for prior thefts, others are able bodied men caught stealing or engaging in strong arm robberies, and a few are the family members of those convicted of treason. Most sold into slavery end up in the galleys or the mines. A few, if they are young and pretty end up as pleasure slaves.

Slaves may be bought and sold like other merchandise. Debit slaves are not supposed to be sold outside of Marnia. Slaves do not own anything, even their clothing belongs to their master, and they are not allowed to possess weapons. They are not subject to military service.

Climate

The climate is temperate in the northwestern part of the realm to warm temperate (Mediterranean) in the southeast near the major seaport of Ridgehaven.

Social Organization:

The social organization of the Kingdom of Marnia is Feudal. The basis of feudalism is that all the land in Marnia belongs to the King. Those who hold the land do so by enfoeffment from the king in return for services rendered. The land may be held in only one of three ways. These are: by Noble Tenure, or tenure of the sword; by Villain Tenure; and by Charter. Once a fief is granted it is hereditary in the family of the holder and carries with it all the rights, privileges, revenues, other benefits, and duties that were included in the original grant. The methods of tenure are described below.

Noble Tenure:

Noble Tenure is given by the king in exchange for military service. In granting a fief the king gains military service and makes the enfeoffed individual responsible for local government. The Earls and Barons who hold their fiefs directly from the king are tenants-in-chief. These individuals will, in turn, grant fiefs to lesser persons, this process of breaking a fief into smaller fiefs is called: subinfeudation. Each noble accepting a fief owes fealty to and becomes a vassal of the person granting the fief who is known as a liege. Each grant of a fief is an individual contract between liege and vassal.

In Marnia the usually terms of infeudation are: Military service for forty days in each year for wars beyond the realm or for as long as need be if the realm is invaded. Claims to the revenue of the fief by the liege are:

1) Aids. An aid is a charge of 10% of the annual revenue as a contribution to dowry of the liege's eldest daughter or the expenses of the knighting of his eldest son.

2) Relief. A relief is a charge of 10% of the annual revenue to pay the ransom of the liege if he is ever taken prisoner by an enemy.

3) Herots. Herots are death dues that the heir to a deceased vassal must pay to the liege to inherit. A Herot equals 25% of the annual revenue.

Other claims that the liege may make upon the vassal are:

1) Require the vassal's attendance at the liege's court to give counsel.

2) Require the vassal to receive the liege and his court and provide entertainment when they make their progress though his territory.

3) The liege may forbid or arrange the marriage of a vassal if the vassal is a minor or female.

4) The liege may require the vassal to send his sons to the liege's stronghold for nurture.

5) The liege may require the vassal to submit to the liege's judgment of any quarrel he might have with another vassal.

6) If a vassal dies leaving only minor children the liege has the right to manage the fief and collect the revenues for it until a child capable of managing the fief comes of age. The liege is responsible for the upbringing and training of the children in this case. 7) A liege may end a vassal's tenure if the vassal fails to perform any of his duties.

Clan tenure is similar to noble tenure except that the enfoeffment is to the Jarl (clan chief) and there is no subinfeudation. The aids and reliefs are due to the crown as well as the military service that is a joint obligation of the entire clan. The other claims do not exist.

Each noble fief will be enough to furnish at least one fully equipped knight plus two men-at-arms and two yeomen archers or a scutage (shield tax) of 20% of the cost of these men. This is the allowance for an enfoeffed knight. Exactly how a fully equipped knight, his men-at-arms, and archers are supposed to be equipped will be given in the Assize of Arms below. Major tenants and tenants-in-chief have to furnish large numbers of knights and footmen who may either be their subinfeudators, household troops who are hired men-at-arms, or, if they can not supply the men needed in any other way, mercenaries.

The right of nurture and the training of young nobles. Each liege has the right of nurture over the male children of his tenants. This right does not apply, except in the case of the families of the Jarls, to clansmen or to yeomen. This right requires the tenant to send the child to the liege to live in his household so that the child might be properly brought up. Usually nurture begins at about age seven or eight with the first lessons being in etiquette, heraldry, music, dancing, horseback riding, reading, and writing. These boys are known as pages and they are usually under the care of the liege's lady. As the boys grow they also receive weapons training. By thirteen or so they are put under the charge of the master of squires or the master of the sword. At this point they become squires and their military training begins in earnest. By sixteen or seventeen they are ready to leave training. At this point they become esquires. Esquires are knighted after they prove themselves worthy.

Each yeoman's fief will be enough to furnish one fully equipped footman or a scutage (shield tax) of 20% of the cost of a footman. Exactly how a fully equipped yeoman is supposed to be equipped will be given in the Assize of Arms below. Such fiefs are usually subinfuedated to those of a knight.

Villain Tenure:

Villain tenure is tenure in which the tenant must spend a certain number of days in each month working for his lord (liege). This work will be whatever the lord or his bailiff assign. Usually it will be to work the lord's land but it may include working on the roads, cleaning the lord's privy or any other job about the manor that needs doing. In addition the villain tenant must turn over a certain part of his crop to the lord. In return for his service the villain tenant receives certain land to work, pasture rights for his animals, the right to collect dead wood for his fire, protection, and justice from the lord.

In Marnia all thralls hold by villain tenure. The terms by which they hold were set forth by King Wulfbalt: "They shall give to their lords one forth of their crops, one forth of the increase of their herds and flocks, one forth of the children which are the issue of their loins, and shall labor for their lords one day in every four. They shall not leave the land given to them by their lords nor wed without their lord's leave, and shall be held to pay their share of any aids, and reliefs which shall fall upon their lords. Furthermore each thrall shall give onto his lord a Herot of 20% of the value of his holding upon coming into his father's place."

Charter Tenure:

Charter tenure differs from noble and villain tenure in that both of these types of tenure are by individuals while charter tenure is by an organization such as a temple, a chantry, a city, or a town. Charter's granting tenure are contracts just like those giving tenure to individuals and contain many of the same requirements. Charters, however, differ from noble enfoeffments in that they set down rules for the government of the chartered organization.

Each charter sets aside a grant of land for the chartering organization and gives it certain governing powers over that land. Charters for cities and towns require military service for forty days in each year for wars beyond the realm or for as long as need be if the realm be invaded. Claims to the revenue of the city or town are:

1) Aids. An aid is a charge of 10% of the annual revenue as a contribution to dowry of the liege's eldest daughter or the expenses of the knighting of his eldest son.

2) Relief. A relief is a charge of 10% of the annual revenue to pay the ransom of the liege if he is ever taken prisoner by an enemy.

3) Dues, which are annual taxes, paid the liege. The number of soldiers a town or city must furnish is one quarter of the number of freemen between the ages of fourteen and fifty-four living in the city. The taxes, which are due from a city, are 1% of the value of all the property in the city.

Other claims that the liege may make upon the town or city are:

1) Require the town or city to send representatives to attend at the liege's court to give counsel.

2) Require the town or city to receive the liege and his court and provide entertainment when they make their progress though his territory.

3) The liege may require the town or city to submit the liege's judgment of any quarrel the community might have with another vassal.

The charters given to the temples and chantries are very similar to those given to communities with the following exceptions:

1) Temples of Larani and Peoni, and Chantries pay no taxes.

2) Only the temples of Larani furnish soldiers for the royal army and they are required to provide guards as needed to the temples of Peoni.

3) The temples of Peoni are required to maintain hospitals for the care of the destitute sick and orphanages to care for children who have no kin to take responsibility for them. These orphanages are for children of common birth only. Noble orphans are the responsibility of the crown, which will foster them with suitable noble families. The temples of Peoni must also provide relief to the rural poor in the case of famine or natural disaster.

4) The Chantries own the crown only such aid, as their "art" will give when it is needed to protect the realm. They also have the power of Low, Middle, and High Justice over all who practice the “art,” and are responsible to see that the laws of the Shek-Pvar are enforced.

Clothing and Social Class, or how people dress:

Nobles:

Noblemen, winter and cold weather:

Undershirt and leggings of linen or serge with an over shirt of silk or worsted and leggings russet. A vest of russet or worsted lined with silk, a linen tabard showing the coat armor together with a hooded cloak of russet, worsted, or fur often lined with silk, and Calf boots. When ridding the leggings may be leather or if cloth has a leather saddling piece and knee boots will also be worn. Wear a Cap or hat often of ermine or beaver.

Noble women, winter and cold weather:

Petty coats of lining or serge worn under a gown of russet or worsted lined with silk together with a hooded cloak of russet, worsted or fur often lined with silk. Calf boots and hat, usually of sealskin or beaver. Some women especially younger ones will wear man's clothing for ridding etc.

Noblemen, summer and warm weather:

Older and more conservative men: When ridding: a tunic of fine lining or light worsted, a lining tabard showing the coat armor, an unlined light worsted cloak, lining under leggings, either light worsted leggings with a leather saddling piece or leather leggings and knee boots. When not ridding: the leggings are often omitted and calf boots are worn.

Young men, pubescent boys, and "sports:” When ridding: a shirt of fine lining or worsted, a lining tabard showing the coat armor, an unlined light worsted cloak, either light worsted leggings with a cloth cod piece of bright contrasting lining covering the "privacies" and a leather saddling piece or leather leggings cut out in front as noted and knee boots. When not ridding: the leggings and codpiece are often omitted and calf boots are worn. Some "sports" will wear only a smock covering the left shoulder without sleeves open down the left side below the arm held together by laces at the waist and exposing both hips. This "smock" will end at the groin in front and may leave a small area of the lower buttock exposed in the rear. Such garments may be worn in the bath but to wear one in public is thought quite scandalous.

Noble boys (prepubescent), winter:

As for noblemen above except that a shirt is worn rather then a tunic, a tabard will be worn only for "dress up," and calf boots are always worn. This clothing is usually made of somewhat simpler and less expensive material and cloaks are always of cloth rather then fur.

Noble boys (prepubescent), summer:

Usually only a shirt of lining or worsted cut for those under seven or so to end just above the bottom of the groin and after that age to about two inches below the groin together with calf boots. A tabard will be worn only by boys over seven who are "dressed up" or while attending upon a noble with whom they are in service.

Noble girls (pubescent), all seasons:

As for noble women above except that some girls will wear a tunic rather then a gown and some very bold girls will wear this tunic to show a bit of thigh. This clothing is usually made of‑ somewhat simpler and less expensive material and cloaks are always of cloth rather then fur.

Noble girls (prepubescent), all seasons:

For girls up to about seven a shirt cut just below the groin after that a tunic cut to about mid thigh.

Middle Class:

Upper Middle Class (well to do Mercantylers etc.), all ages and sexes:

The dress of this class follows that of the noble classes but the use of fur, except for beaver, or tabards of coat armor are restricted to the noble class so middle class clothing will be of fine cloth.

Middle Middle Class (Wealth Craftsmen, Craft masters, etc.), men and pubescent boys:

Winter dress: consists of cloth under tunics, tunics, under leggings, and leggings usually with a smock without sleeves but covering both shoulders, open below arms belted at the waist and slit below extending to the groin or mid thigh made of buckram with calf boots. Butchers will also wear aprons of buckram covering the front of the body from neck to knee, and metal smiths will wear similar aprons made of leather. Calf boots are worn with this clothing.

Summer dress: Consists of a light cloth tunic or just the smock together with, were needed, the apron.

Lower Middle Class (Journeymen, Craftsmen, etc.), prepubescent boys:

Winter dress: Under shirts and shirts replace the tunics, the leggings do not cover the groin or buttocks, and for boys who are apprenticed buckram smocks cut to the groin. Aprons will be worn as noted above if apprenticed to a trade that uses them as noted above.

Summer dress: For boys over about eight a light buckram smock covering only the left shoulder and held at the waist with laces reaching only to the groin. When apprenticed and doing "dirty" work some apprentice boys up to about twelve or so will work naked or just wear an apron if apprenticed to a metal smith. Most younger boys will either wear just a light lining smock like that described above or go naked.

Middle Class Women and girls:

Most adult women and pubescent girls will follow the seasonal dress patterns described above for the well to do except, of course, their clothing will not be made of the more expensive cloth. Some women, who work at crafts, will wear the same clothing or lack of it as male craftsmen.

Prepubescent girls: In the winter those under seven or eight will wear shirts and undershirts to the groin afterwards they will wear tunics and under tunics. In the summer up to about seven or eight they will either wear lining shirts or smocks extending no further then the groin and some small girl will go naked. After about age seven or eight little girls will usually wear short tunics to about mid thigh.

The Urban laboring classes, and the urban poor:

All ages and both sexes:

Clothing will be similar to that described above but of poorer quality.