The Social Classes of the Gran March |
|
| Posted on Mon, July 21, 2008 by Dongul |
|
Anced_Math writes "The Gran March is known as one of the more militant nations in the Flanaess. For centuries the March was a frontier, wedged between the Rushmoors, Lortmil Mountains, Dim Forest and the hostile Baklunish to the north. Though times have changed, the legacy is a very lawful and structured nation, in which social class is nearly all important. Read on and discover the differences between a Queen's Knight and Ceorl.
The Social Classes of the Gran March
By: Anced_Math
Summary
The Gran March is an extraordinarily structured and lawful nation. Its people like to know their place, their rights and responsibilities. Social Classes in the March are often viewed as an obsession by outside observers, and they point to the fact that social classes are ingrained and delineated in the Laws of the March.
However, as is common in feudal societies, the relationship of one person to the next is blurred by myriad intertwining, independent, and sometime conflicting standards. The Laws of the March overlay the ancient Keoish feudal system, and allows for other systems to exist internally. Thus the legal and court systems of the March have evolved to be among the most complex in the Flanaess. The result is a chaotic system that is near unfathomable to outsiders.
Intrinsic in the complex relationships of the March are the underlying principles of rights and responsibilities. Every Institution and each person has rights. Generally, these rights increase as one's social standing increases. Likewise, if ones social standing is higher, one's responsibilities increase.
The most basic responsibility that every Marcher has is to pay taxes as dictated by the March, and to serve in the Military. There are alternative services to military service as defined under the Laws of the March, such as service in the Church. The basic right of every Marcher is to Petition, in the appropriate forum of their Institution.
The General Hierarchical Rankings of Social Classes in the March, by Institution, are as follows:
- The Members of the Nobility
- The Knights of the Watch
- The Temples
- The Military
- The Guilds
- The Commons
In addition to the Institutions under the Laws of the March, there are three groups which are either outside or unrecognized by the law. These groups have very limited rights in March, but they also have almost no responsibility to the March.
- Non-Petitioners – Gran March citizens with limited or no rights, including children and widows of non-veterans.
- Allods – Independent Demesnes within the March, the lords of which answer only to the Commandant. Generally, but not always Demi-Human.
- Foreigners – the treatment and accommodation of foreigners varies dramatically based upon their origin, but non have legal standing excepting only the nobility of Keoland.
A detailed description of each of the Social Classes and groups follows.
The Nobility
The number of Noble titles in the March is limited in variety. This is due to the descent of the March Nobility from the Keoish Duchy of Dorlain. Technically each noble in the March remains a vassal of the Duke of Dorlain. It is for this reason that there is no title in the March higher than a Grand Baron, other than that of the Commandant.
Even today, every Noble pledges vassalage to each liege, in line to the Duke. They do not pledge vassalage to the March, though they do pledge allegiance. The exception to this rule is the Grand Baron of Hethiye, who pledges vassalage to the Grand Duke of Geoff, and through him to the Keoish Crown.
- Grand Baron - Noble holder of the 10 baronies of the March, all ten of these baronies were granted by either the Duke of Dorlain. A few were replaced by of the King of Keoland, but in each instance the pledge remained. They all owe fealty to the Duke, but that is forgotten or ignored by nearly all, except during the raising of a new Commandant.
- Barons/Baroness - These are all nobles of various pedigrees, who were raised at different times during the history of the March. None of these were raised by the Keoish Crown or the Duke, and it is this that sets them apart by tradition. The Barons were raised either by a Grand Baron or other Noble from outside, or predating the March.
Note: Some noble houses are actually older than those of the Grand Barons, but they were raised to nobility by other than Keoish Nobility. There is a Baronial family in Hethiye that was raised to its station by the Count of Hochoch before Geoff pledged to Keoland.
- Knight Baron, or Baron's Knight - A Knight Baron is a hereditary title. Anyone can be raised to the nobility by a Grand Baron, a Baron or another Knight Baron. Their title is accompanied by lands or manors. Such a Knight has feudal responsibilities as well as rights.
They may actually be four or five steps removed from the Baron in their vassalage and feudal obligations, as a Knight Baron can raise another to the title of Knight Baron. However, this is not common, as the Grantor must give up some of their land in order to create a Knight Baron. It is far more common for a Knight Baron to raise another to Knighthood, without lands.
- Knight - A Knight is a landless noble. They can be raised to the nobility by a Grand Baron, a Baron or another Knight. Their title is not accompanied by lands or manors. Such a Knight has feudal responsibilities as well as rights, but the title is not hereditary and is not accompanied by lands. They can Knight others, but only with the permission of their liege.
- Queen's Knight or Free Lance – This group is an oddity of History, as the March has never had a queen. In fact a Queen's Knight is technically not a Knight at all. Generally they are not of the nobility. Though it is not widely known, they are in fact an ancient sect which traces its roots to Flannish city states that predate Vecna. They follow an unusual code of honor traveling the land, defending the people and fighting evil.
Though they predate the March, they have been present throughout its history, and there has never been significant conflict between the March and the Queen’s Knights. Therefore they are tolerated by the Military, respected by the people and admired by the Nobility. Throughout the history of the March they have often come to the aid of the Barons, and are therefore treated as near equals. As the Queens Knights rarely ask for more than a night of lodging and a meal, it is an easy relationship. Often, grateful nobles will present arms and horses to wandering knights on feast days.
The word of a Knight Baron or a Knight is superior to that of a Free Lance under law. Due to long history of service, a noble who decries a Queen’s Knight will be subject to a great deal of scrutiny by their noble brethren.
- Noble Officials - while technically not noble, the servants of the Barons often have some vestige of the prestige attributed to the Barons. This is because they are landholders with feudal obligations to the Baron. Their titles are often Steward, Superintendent, Major Domo, Nuncio, Director, Factor, or Seneschal.
The Knights of the Watch
In the Gran March the Knights do not come under the general restraints of Gran March society. In this they are similar to an Allod, in that they are a law unto themselves. They are governed by their own laws, subject to their own courts, and have broad discretion in overstepping the rights of others “for the Greater Good.”
However, the Knights' tradition and their political survival depend upon cooperation and acceptance by the Nobility and the Army. Thus, all knights are generally considered to be the equal of a Baron's Knight. A high ranking knight with decades of service may in fact be treated the same as a newly spurred youth. Their obscure titles of the Knights and their refusal to elucidate their meaning have forced the Knights to accept a somewhat ambiguous social standing in regards to the nobility.
The Allods
Allods are autonomous demesnes within the March not beholden to any baron, answering only to the Commandant. The rulers of the Allod, and their method of selection vary greatly. The Flan Allods generally have a hereditary chieftain or prince, while Halflings may elect their leadership.
The Allods are governed by their own laws, which may or may not have any relevance to March Law, and while within an Allod, all Marchers are subject to that law. In essence the Allod and the acts that occur there are totally independent of March Law. Persons entering into an Allod agree to subject themselves to the judgment of the Allod. Allods and the persons dwelling within their lands have absolute ownership of their land, and the March has no right to claim, tax or levy the land. They are effectively independant but friendly nations within the corpus of the March.
The Allods understand their place in the world, and only in grave circumstances will a person of high stature or importance treated poorly. By agreement and tradition the Allods have only four responsibilities to the March.
- They cannot make war upon the March or its persons.
- They must contribute to common defense in times of invasion.
- They must provide shelter to any Marcher who would otherwise suffer bodily harm.
- They must provide one representative who will speak for the Allod, and that speaker must present themselves every other year to the Commandant.
There are several dozen of these small demesnes in the March, most of which predate the March, and a few of which predate Keoland. Generally these are Demi Human holdings. There are, however, a few in Flan Allods in Barony Hethiye and several in Holiford Barony, which were annexed by consent, and therefore retain their independence. No Allod are more than twenty square miles, with the exception of the Horselords of the Northern Plains, tribes of Centaurs, which form an Allod with indistinct boundaries.
The Temples
As in most parts of the Flaness, the Temples and Churches of the March vary dramatically in their hierarchy and the delineation's between them. Unlike many places, they have a specific legal and societal role in the March. For more information on this, see the Laws of the March
Though there are variances all the churches have three general groups of the clergy. These are:
- The Anointed (or various other terms) - Those who draw spells from their patron god are generally amongst this group. These are almost always Clerics or Druids, though other spell casters are accepted in some churches. Individual who show other extraordinary talents, which may be divinely inspired, may be elevated into this category. Talents such as oratory, knowledge or history, or combat skills often draw such attention.
- The Dedicated (again this varies) - those who have dedicated their lives to the church, but for some reason never gain the gift of spells. In some churches these members significantly outnumber the Anointed. They handle the bulk of non-religious matters, such as construction of temples and accounting. They also handle many religious rites which do not require immediate magic.
- The Laity - those who are devout and may tend shrines and preach, but only on an occasional basis.
Some Churches, particularly the Oerdian Church accept Adepts and other divine spell casters as brothers or sisters and welcome them into the church hierarchy. More details of the individual churches and temples are provided under a separate article, available on the Gran March Website.
The Military
The Gran March military is the uniting factor of Gran March society. As every male must serve, and many females choose to serve, the institution unifies the classes. It also provides the populace of the March the experience of travel and a degree exposure that most commoners of the Flaness do not receive.
Participation in the military breaks feudal bonds and allows for a level of social freedom and advancement not found in most other Kingdoms. It allows the masses to earn wages not dependant upon the local lord’s whim. Also, a noble or guild cannot force a soldier to return from duty, and the Army jealously guards this privilege. Even attempts to indirectly influence a soldier, by exerting pressure on family as a example, will find themselves incurring the wrath of the military establishment. The ranks detailed below are the standard ranks.
Foot
- Field Marshal
- Commissar
- Major
- Captain
- Lieutenant
- Sergeant
- Corporal
- Private
Cavalry
- Field Marshal
- Brigadier General
- Major
- Captain
- Coronet (Lieutenant)
- Subadar
- Lance Corporal
- Trooper (Private)
See the Military Section of the Web site for specialized troops and more details.
The Guilds
Guilds structures vary dramatically in the March, but generally a guild member is considered somewhere between the Military and the Commons in social class. This is not a simple hierarchy, as there is significant overlap between the lower members of the Guild Structure and Boc Holder’s of significant means.
Certain tradesmen, generally those in the service of a noble at their manse, are not members of the guild. However, they can be associated with a guild, and are often accorded status dependent upon the status of the particular guild in society. Guilds are heavily taxed in the March, though their near monopolistic nature makes this bearable.
- Guild Masters - Generally one per Guild, though some, such as the various cloth weaver guilds have one per town. They owe a personal tax, which must be presented to the Commandant annually.
- Master Tradesmen - someone who is considered a master and able to train apprentices. These guild members are responsible for dues and taxes for themselves and all apprentices.
- Tradesmen - These are skilled members of the trade, but they are allowed only one apprentice at a time. They are responsible for the taxes on their work and the work of their apprentice.
- Apprentice – Any person subject to guild law, yet not fully a member of the Guild. The apprentice has only the rights accorded him or her under the individual guild rules.
- Non Member Tradesmen - These are tolerated outside of trade centers and in the employee of the nobility. They are generally not responsible for taxes as the fruit of their labor is owned by the noble who pays their wages.
The Commons
By far the most numerous of the classes of the March, nearly 70% of the population is numbered among the Commons. While in the Army, persons are members of the Army, not the Commons. Though they occupy the lowest rung of the social ladder, commoners in the March rarely resemble the dejected and downtrodden serfs of other lands. Rather, they are generally veterans or the children of veterans, with significant pride in their rights and responsibilities.
- Boc Holder or Bocman - A land holder with recorded charter, almost always a cottage or dwelling and lands. This charter is held at the Baronial seat or in the main town within the barony, generally in a library. These holders owe the baron tax only. Their Charter cannot be revoked except for non-payment of taxes, failure to serve in the army, or certain crimes. All are expected to participate in the defense of the Demesnes.
- Sokeman- landholder or herder with only the baron's agreement as charter. Generally this includes a cottage and land, but the holder owes tax and descendants will owe rent. All are expected to participate in the defense of the Demesnes. Right of ownership does not transfer generations. Barons are generally loath to cancel such agreements, verbal or otherwise, as it might cause many Sokeman to leave. However, a Baron can cancel such ownership.
- Tofter - a farmer or herder who holds their land at the barons will, owing both tax and rent. There is no right of ownership. Often these commoners owe a certain amount of time working the Baron's lands, serving in his home guard, or working on a public works project. All are expected to participate in the defense of the Demesnes. This is by far the most common arrangement amongst the lords and commons in the March, due to the vast amount of uncultivated land.
- Ceorl - a farmer or herder who holds no land but is employed by the baron, receiving food and shelter in exchange for labor. They pay relatively little in the way of tax as they are of limited means. These are more common in the southern areas where farming is more the norm, and where the families have served the lord for generations.
Technically, the Ceorl is unable to abandon their employment without the consent of the noble whom they serve. However, most lords grant such a request if it is presented. The vast amount of land available in the March limits the number of Ceorls, and prevents much abuse. If a noble is known for mistreatment of their servants, then they have a hard time convincing the Ceorls to return after their stint in the Army. It is much easier to offer land (which would otherwise go uncultivated), and tie them to the land in this way. All are expected to participate in the defense of the Demesnes.
More information on each of these classes and their role in society is available at www.granmarch.com and in the Gran March Project Forum here on CF!
This article is a combination of the work of multiple authors.
Authors: Ivor Mac, Yabusama, Firepower, Hammar, Wolfsire, Anced Math
Editor: Anced Math |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Average Score: 4
Votes: 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
