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.