Roesones Nobles
From the Seneschal's Report to the Baroness - 1651 after the death of Baron Teried Roesone
The Nobles
While the common people are willing to give you a chance to prove yourself, my lady baroness, I fear that your nobles may not. You don't need to be reminded that your grandfather seized Daen Roesone's throne under questionable circumstances, and there are those who believe that they've a better claim to the throne than you. As you well know, Lord Sedric Bellamie , the Count of Bellam, opposed your father's rule at every turn. And I have heard it said that he seeks an alliance with Ghoere .
Worse yet, many more nobles are descended from the cutthroats and vagrants who fought by Daen Roesone's side, villains from all over Stella Nova. Their children and grandchildren still rest on the laurels their forefathers won, living off the fat of the land and solving problems with the edge of a sword. I don't believe that any of them are actually plotting rebellion, my lady baroness, but they're spoiled brawlers who need to be taken firmly in hand. With your father's passing, they may believe that the time is right to show you that they need not follow your orders, and the crown rests on your head only by their sufferance. You may have to prove otherwise early in your reign.
Gaered Biersen, SeneschalÂ
the nobility of roesone
the nobility of roesone
The highest noble rank in Roesone is baron, and Daen Roesone's line is the only family that may claim that title. The Baron Roesone directly controls the province of Caercas and commands the personal loyalty of about 40 families of the lesser nobility. These lesser nobles include small landowners in the countryside of Caercas, and a dozen more court families who hold titles but don't own any great amount of land.
The most important lesser nobles who owe fealty to the baron are the Seneschal and the Castellan . The castellan is Traese Noelon, of House Noelon; he administers the palace and the baron's castle, and also oversees the court. The seneschal is an old knight named Gaered Biersen; he is responsible for administering the collection of taxes and levying of troops from the nobles who owe fealty to the baron. Although these two lords are technically inferior to Roesone's counts, they stand closer to the baron than the counts do and certainly wield more influence at court than any other nobles.
Roesone's five counts each rule one province of the domain. (It's technically six counts, but the royal captain of Abbatuor prefers his own title.) These powerful nobles owe fealty only to the baron himself, and are generally free to run their lands as they see fit as long as they uphold the baron's law. Each count commands the fealty of about a dozen lesser lords, most of whom are landholders within the province. The Bellamie and Isilviere families also maintain small courts, and a few Roesonean lords are retainers or courtiers of these nobles. The Bellamie and Isilviere courts are held for only a few months out of the year.
powers of the lesser nobility
Historically, many Avonlaean rulers were forced to rely on their vassal lords to enforce the king's law and raise armies on their own and bring them to the state's service. Even today, a number of Avonlaean regents are troubled with independent vassals who short them on taxes and maintain their own private armies.
Fortunately for Roesone, Daen Roesone viewed the creation of his domain as a military operation, and he went to great lengths to limit the power of the vassals he set to administer his new found domain. Specifically, the Black Baron seized the right to lay taxes on Roesone and outlawed any lesser lord's taxes; he incorporated all standing armies into one Roesonean army and made it illegal for lesser lords to raise armies; and last but not least, he claimed the power of overturning any law or treaty enacted by one of his vassals. This is why so many of the local warlords didn't survive Roesone's takeover—none of them would willingly agree to his terms.
Daen Roesone's rule was not tyrannical, despite the draconian measures he took early on in his reign. He created a fair barony-wide system of taxes that paid off the vassal lords, so they wouldn't have to enact their own taxes. He also permitted any lord to maintain a personal guard, not to exceed one hundred men. But the Black Baron's law has made the Roesone's domain strong and secure.
Responsibilities: Roesone's counts are responsible for keeping peace in their lands by providing a local watch or constabulary, judging matters of local justice, quartering and providing for any royal troops stationed in their lands, and collecting taxes and tariffs in the name of the baron.
Responsibilities: Roesone's counts are responsible for keeping peace in their lands by providing a local watch or constabulary, judging matters of local justice, quartering and providing for any royal troops stationed in their lands, and collecting taxes and tariffs in the name of the baron.
