State Laws

Unless otherwise stated, each state has the following default laws:

Land Ownership

The government is a monarchy based on title and land ownership. A lord or lady who possesses at least one title associated with ownership of a plot of land is known as a peer, and their land a peerage. Each class of peer swears fealty to their immediate superior, becoming their vassal. If a peer and their vassals collectively own a majority of that title’s peerage, the peer is the lawful owner, otherwise the peer’s claim to that title is disputable. The following are titles according to rank:

Kingdoms

A Kingdom (ruled by a King / Queen) is made up of at least 3 Duchies. Kings, Queens, and other members of the royal family are addressed as "Your/His/Her Majesty" or "Your/His/Her Royal Highness".

Dukedoms

A Duchy (ruled by a Duke / Duchess) is made up of 3-4 Counties. A given titleholder can have no more than 2 Duchies. Each duchy’s Capital will be the best-developed County Capital belonging to the Duke. Dukes, Duchesses, and other members of the ducal family are addressed as "Your/His/Her Grace".

Counties

A County (ruled by a Count / Countess) is made up of 3 Baronies. Generally, Counties have between 1 and 3 Holdings (no more than one per Barony), one of which will be the County Capital, and the others are well-developed places of notable cultural, economic, religious, or military significance, such as temples or strongholds. Counts and Countesses are addressed as "Your/His/Her Excellence".

Baronies

A Barony (ruled by a Baron / Baroness) is the basic building block of feudal society. Mayors may be appointed by their lord or lady to administrate a Township, but the mayor has no rights of land ownership. No more than one Holding can exist in a barony. Barons and Baronesses are addressed as "Your/His/Her Lordship/Ladyship".

Inheritance

Title inheritance is decided by the title-holder, to be distributed upon the holder’s death. Additionally, a title-holder may choose to give lesser titles to deserving relatives before their death. Generally, the firstborn child inherits the best titles followed by the holder’s other children, but if they prove to be incompetent or shameful, less favorable distributions are not uncommon, including giving titles to other relatives. Titles that are not specified in the holder’s will can be claimed by both children and other relatives, which can involve long legal and/or literal battles. Men and women alike may inherit titles, though women usually don’t unless they were the firstborn child and therefore have sorcerous blood. When a title-holder weds, the person marrying into the title has joint custody of that title until it is inherited. Even if they don’t officially hold a title (such as after widowing), they will still be addressed by the appropriate title of their spouse. Noble children who don’t inherit titles become religious apprentices (to eventually take positions of religious authority) or knights.

Legal Status

Serfs have no rights, but can buy basic rights to live and work from the local lord. A citizen’s Proof of Citizenry allows them to exercise those rights in the rest of the kingdom. Citizens do not pass down their legal status to their children, though they can buy citizenship on their behalf. In general, disputes between anyone are ruled in favor of the interested party with higher status. When two people with equal status dispute, the dispute is decided by the parties’ lowest-ranked lord or lady shared as an immediate superior by both. Women have the same political and decision-making power as a man with a same-ranking peerage, but tend to have less social standing. Children who inherit titles but are too young to perform their duties are appointed stand-ins until they are old enough.

State Religion

Visitism is the religion endorsed by the state, all other worship is illegal, with lawbreakers sentenced to execution. Most local folk religions are still practiced, disguised as a denomination or interpretation of visitism.

Military

The vast majority of armies are made of conscripted serfs who must arm themselves with whatever they can when war calls. Knights (noble sons and daughters who inherited no titles), are very scarce, but lead armies alongside their lord. Those who perform acts of valor during wartime may be rewarded a barony, usually due to a surplus of baronies whose barons died, or through newly acquired territory.

Currency

The currency system is referred to as Royals (copper royals, silver royals, etc.) The denominations and prices are the same as normal DnD.

Taxes

Taxes for serfs and citizens alike are decided by the local baron, and are usually a flat rate (1gp per person per year) rather than a percentage of their income. Additionally, a large amount of goods produced by a serf may be taxed throughout the year based on their trade. Citizens are also taxed in this way, though they must be reimbursed.

Magic

Magical talent and knowledge is passed down exclusively through noble families. Bastard children of nobles are either adopted or killed, ensuring magic monopolization.

Education

Children learn their trade from their parents. Richer nobles may hire tutors (lesser nobles) to teach their children. Organized places of learning are extremely rare and usually are religious institutions.

Medical Care

General medical knowledge and care is practically nonexistent, and rife with local superstition and unhealthy practices. Herbalists can make potions, but they are very expensive to produce (requiring ingredients from the Unbeaten Paths) and thus are usually reserved for nobility.

Marriage

Marriages are overseen by the local church, who in turn report the newlywed’s married status to the state. Adultery, fornication, and prostitution are punishable by death unless you hold a title, in which case you may have to pay a small fine for breaking the written marriage contract. All three practices are rampant anyway, as are STDs.

Social Welfare

Slavery is illegal (aside from the usual relationship between a serf and their lord). Orphans are either adopted by the local church, or left to fend for themselves. If these rejected children survive to adulthood, they generally become thieves, bandits, poachers, or prostitutes.