Roseones Factions
the royal service
Under the direction of the Seneschal is the Royal Service, which consists of tax assessors, customs agents, magistrates, wardens, and other officials who represent the baron in the domain. In fact, any person who does so is called a royal servant—for example, a royal magistrate, a royal warden, and so on. Generally, royal servants ensure that the local lords are complying with the baron's law and handle any issues that are considered to be the baron's to decide.
magistrate: Capital crimes and suits are considered crimes against the barony, and fall under the purview of the royal magistrates. There is one for each province, including Caercas. The magistrates hear the case and then empower the local lord to carry out the baron's justice. Note that trial by a jury of peers is not a common practice in any Avonlaean land, and the magistrates of Roesone act as judge and jury both.
wardens: The baron controls great tracts of forest and other properties. The royal wardens watch over these lands and also enforce local justice in the baron's lands. Depending on the size of the property, there may be anywhere from one to several dozen wardens watching over it. In some cases, "royal warden" is more a title than a job, and minor lordlings who receive this designation often receive a small salary from the crown for simply keeping an eye on royal properties nearby.
Tax and Custom Agents: These bureaucrats ensure that the lords responsible for collecting taxes are doing so in accordance with the baron's law. Agents of this service also collect tolls on the baron's roads, tariffs and customs at the barony's points of entry, taxes on the sale of certain items, and various license fees. There are anywhere from one or two to a dozen or more royal agents in Roesone's larger towns and entry points. The royal servants are backed up by the Roesonean army. High-ranking royal servants can commandeer troops from any local post to enforce the baron's law if need be. Unfortunately, there is a fair amount of corruption and graft in the royal service, and many tax assessors are on the local lord's payroll as well as the baron's
the guildsman’s council
Almost 50 years ago, the baron Morghan Roesone found himself involved in a very expensive war with Ghoere, and had to quickly borrow money in order to pay his troops and hire mercenaries. He approached the local guilds and received the money he was looking for, but only after the guilds imposed several conditions on him. The result is the Guildsman's Council, a body composed of one representative from each registered guild in Roesone. By law, all edicts that may affect trade or taxation of guilds must be approved by the council first. The council spends much of its time in clandestine maneuverings, but in times past it has managed to present a united front to the baron and handcuff trade legislation. The council meets in the Rockwell town hall once per month to discuss trade and regulations. A royal servant known as the Governor of Trade chairs the council, but he is frequently circumvented by the guilds' representatives.
the temple of
Shimuura
Another important force in the governing of Roesone is the the @High Halls of Silver. The temple has acquired many privately owned properties over the last three generations, accumulating donations of land, money, and goods from its many worshipers.
In fact, the High Halls of Silver is now the second largest landholder in the barony, behind only the Roesone family. On its own property, the temple polices itself with templar soldiers and handles issues of local justice through clerical courts. The temple's influence has continued to grow in recent years, and the leaders of the High Halls are pressing for a freer hand in the administration of their estates. Traditionally, all claims to noble titles in Roesone must be confirmed in a service performed by the priests, so it is unwise for a lord to get on the temple's bad side.
