The Feudal Household in Kementari

Most of the human cultures of northern Kementari have a manorial economy and a feudal political system. A manorial household consisted of more than just the lord of the manor and his family, as it was a business that supported everyone in the household. There were many, many people that performed a variety of roles for the Lord. In addition, these roles extended outside the manor house itself, as the Lord's estates were seen as an extension of their household. The further up the feudal hierarchy the Lord was, the farther these roles extended into the world and society. For example, the Chancellor of the King's household was the Chancellor of the Kingdom.

These are the various roles that could be found:

• Steward- The Steward was the Lord's most trusted servant, and often acted in his name if the Lord were not present. The Steward often supervises the Lord's estate(s) as well as the household itself. If the household is large or the estates are many, there may be two Stewards, one for the household and one for management of the estates.

  • Chamberlain- The Chamberlain started out as the person responsible for the Hall of the manor, which is where most of the business of the manor took place, and the personal chambers of the Lord. They are often in charge of the actual house staff, and since they are also in charge of the personal chambers, they often are in a position to control access to the Lord. In larger households, the Chamberlain was also responsible for receiving money and making payments for the household, so it is not unusual for the Chamberlain to be the Lord's financial advisor.

    • Ushers- Ushers are the guards in the Hall of the manor. They are responsible for the safety of those in the Hall and personal chambers of the manor.

    • Maids- Maids were responsible for cleaning duties in the Hall and personal chambers.

  • Wardrobe- The Keeper of the Wardrobe is responsible for storage and maintenance of the Lord's clothing and personal effects. In larger households, this can include the Lord's personal (or privy) seal, which is used to authenticate documents from the Lord. The higher up the feudal hierarchy the Lord is, the more they travel to deal with their vassals and check on their estates, to the point where Kings are constantly on the move, rarely staying in one place longer than a couple of weeks. Because of this, the Keeper of the Wardrobe is often a very trusted companion of the Lord, as they travel with the Lord and are responsible for their personal effects.

    • Laundry- In very large and wealthy households, there was enough laundry to justify a person to oversee just getting the clothes washed and mended.

  • Marshal- The Marshall is responsible for all military matters for the Lord, including the security of the Lord and his estates. The farther up the Lord is in the feudal hierarchy, the more the Marshal looks like a general and less like a security guard.

    • Mesnie- The Mesnie is the collection on household warriors that the Lord maintains. For a lowly knight, it may only be his squire and a couple of men-at-arms that form his lance when he provides his Knight's service. For larger households, this may be the Lord's personal bodyguard.

    • Pages- Pages are youngsters sent to the Lord by the Lord's peers or vassals to learn proper behavior in a household. Traditionally they are between the ages of seven and fourteen.

    • Castellan- A Castellan is someone put in charge of a castle or fortress by the Lord. Their primary responsibility is to maintain the castle and its garrison. If the castle has any estates attached to it, often the Castellan was responsible for protecting them, collecting any revenues from the estates, and administering them.

    • Constable- The Constable is responsible for the Lord's horses, stabling, carting, and other transport. As noted above, the higher the Lord in the feudal hierarchy, the more the Lord traveled, and the more importance this role assumes. Very high up the feudal hierarchy, the Constable often leads armies.

      • Grooms- Grooms are responsible for the immediate care, stabling, and feeding of the Lord's horses. Most knights had at least two horses, a destrier (a Warhorse) and a palfrey (a Riding Horse), but there will also be the horses for the Lord's family, the other members of the household, draft horses, pack animals, and so on.

      • Teamsters- The Constable is responsible for transporting the household, so large households will have Teamsters to drive the carts carrying everyone's belongings from estate to estate.

      • Blacksmith, Carpenter, Farrier, and/or Wheelwright- Very large households will have enough horses and wagons to justify their own craftsmen to keep them shod (in the case of horses) or in good repair (for the carts and wagons).

• Cook- The Cook is responsible for feeding everyone in the household. Their domain is the Kitchen and those rooms that support it.

  • Scullery- The Scullery is just off the main kitchen and where the dishes, pots, and pans are cleaned. The Scullery maid is the one who performs this necessary duty. If there is no separate laundry, this is also where clothes and other linens were washed. The larger the household, the more people there would be in the Scullery.

  • Ewery- In large and wealthy households, the Ewery was responsible for the water used by the household, the drinking vessels used, and the washing of persons.

  • Chandler- In large and wealthy households, the Chandler is responsible for acquiring and maintaining the candles, rushlights, torches, and other means of illumination in the manor.

  • Larderer or Cellarer- The Cellarer or Larderer is responsible for maintaining the supplies of foodstuffs for the household. In larger households, the Larderer deals primarily with meats, fish, and jams. A Cellarer often was in charge of the Cellar where cheeses and beverages were stored.

    • Poulter- In large and wealthy households, there is enough fowl being prepared that a person is needed to oversee it.

    • Butler- The Butler oversees the Buttery, which is where the drinks are stored. These are most often Beer, Ale, and Wine, all stored in casks- which were often called "butts".

    • Pantler- The Pantler is in charge of the Pantry, where bread is stored and prepared.

      • Napery- In large or wealthy households, their would be enough table linens (table cloths and napkins) to need a person to oversee their use, cleaning, and storage.

    • Spicery- In very large and very wealthy households, a person was needed to oversee, guard, and maintain the spices used for cooking.

• Chancellor- The Chancellor originally was responsible for the Chancel or chapel of the manor. In larger manors and often in castles, there is small place of worship for the Lord and their family. This was often staffed by a cleric to maintain and to see to the spiritual needs of the Lord and the family. Since the cleric was often educated and literate, they developed a secondary role as the Lord's secretary- handling the Lord's correspondence. The larger the household and the higher the Lord in the feudal hierarchy, the more this office is administrative. In some households, the Chancellor is a wizard and has no religious responsibilities at all.

  • Chaplain- As the Chancellor became more administrative, the spiritual needs of the household still needed attention. As a result, a dedicated chaplain usually exists in households where the Chancellor has become more of an administrative office. This is especially the case when the Chancellor is not even a cleric, but a wizard.

  • Confessor- Very large and very wealthy households where the Lord is a follower of the Urbian Anerian Church will often have a personal spiritual advisor for the Lord and possibly his immediate family.

  • Almoner- Large and wealthy households will have someone specifically to oversee donations to the poor, the giving of alms, and other charitable works sponsored by the Lord and his family.

• Huntsman- Hunting is not just a pastime, but often a necessity. In addition to providing food for the table, it allows the Lord and his retinue to survey their estates (and be seen doing so), and practice riding and the use of spears, swords, and bows. The Huntsman is responsible for hunting for the table himself, managing the wild stock in the area, and organizing and leading hunts for the Lord and any guests he may have.

  • Master of Hounds- Large households will have hunting dogs, and very large and very wealthy ones will have specialized dogs for different types of hunting or prey. The Master of Hounds is responsible for the hunting dogs care, feeding, and training.

  • Falconer- Large and very wealth households often have trained Falcons and other Birds of Prey. The falconer is responsible for their care, feeding, and training.

Kings and Emperors will have all these roles in their household and more, many of them performed by Nobles (Dukes,Counts, Barons, etc.). On the other hand, a lowly knight with a single manor for an estate may have none of these other than the menial servants. A Baron of a small barony is likely to have a Steward, a Chamberlain, a Marshal (perhaps with a Castellan if the Baron controls more than one stronghold), a group of warriors as a Mesnie, a Constable, a Cook, and a Cellarer, in addition to menial servants.