Societal Structure of Arden and its Provinces
The society of The Kingdom of Arden is feudal in nature, with farming being the dominant way of life for money of its citizens. To govern the land, a social hierarchy exists, which has been front-and-centre in Arden's development over the centuries it has existed. Where outside influence and exploration has lent some minor changes to the kingdom, it is very minimal, and Arden has largely remained unchanged in how it is run since its formation.
The Hierarchical Structure of Arden
Arden's societal structure can be largely split in to 5 distinct categories: The King, The Noble Houses, The Clergy, Gentry, The Peasants.
At the top of the hierarchical structure is the King, who governs and grants lands to those under him. These will be the Lord and Ladies of the land, Noble Houses and families. Even within the Noble Houses, there is a minor hierarchy. Each of the Provinces has a Baron or Baroness, who are first amongst the Nobles of the Province. Under this rank are the Lords and Ladies. These particular titles may differ from Province to Province, but the roles themself remain the same.
Each of the Noble Houses is granted land by the King, and in return they pledge their support to him. This can take the form of military forces for any defence or wars that are currently underway, but mostly comes in the form of payments to the Throne directly. In return, the King has the power and wealth to aid any issues that the Noble Houses may have from year to year.
Under the Noble Houses were the peasants, the everyday commoners who worked the land. Forming the lowest tier in the hierarchy, peasants would enter an agreement with their Lord or Lady to provide service for a place to live upon the Noble's estate. This typically came in the form of farming, with the numbers of day labour and amount that the individual must harvest being set in stone. In return, the peasant would be granted a place to live, protection from any outside dangers, and other public services that the Noble House may provide.
Outside of the strict hierarchy is the Clergy and the Gentry. The Clergy is a growing field within Arden, being made up of practitioners of The Church of the Holy Light. This religion has taken route in much of Arden, and is recognised as a vital part of civilization. Being outside the structured society, members of the Clergy are "attached" to the Estate that they are based upon, often acting as advisors, equals or even above the Noble Houses, dependant on the circumstances.
The Gentry includes citizens of Arden that are typically wealthier, but do not come from a Noble House. Businessmen, professionals and intellectuals across varied fields all fall in to this category. Like the Peasants under a Lord or Lady, they often swear themselves to a Noble House and Estate, but enjoy a freer lifestyle as their assets and talents are more sought after. They typically have the money to own their own home fully, having paid for it to the Noble Estate, and will either pay a tax for local services and protection or offer up their skills when required.
Despite some Provinces having national censuses every set amount of years, it is hard to find a set amount of people that may fall in to each of the above categories. It is theorised though that about 75% of the population fall in to the Peasant Class, with around 15% being from the Gentry and the remaining 10% being split amongst the Noble Houses and Clergy.
Vassalage
Traditionally, a formal ceremony is arranged between a Peasant and the Lord or Lady to agree to the terms of the arrangement. This will be done by the head of a household, usually the eldest male, and will count for all the occupants of the family that seek to swear themselves to the Noble House. This is then passed down through each family, with the land and housing that has been granted often going to the next-in-line of the peasants family. This individual will then inherit the previously agreed arrangement with the Lord or Lady, and be responsible for upholding their duties to their liege.
This arrangement can be changed as long as both parties agree, although it is often the Nobility that has the upper hand in negotiations. If a peasant or household is unable to uphold their end of the agreement, they may be forced out of the estate to find somewhere else to live, or may even be arrested. Rulings for this vary between each Estate and Province.
Taxation
Money is raised in the form of taxes. These are divided in to three main types: Royal Taxes, Provincial Taxes and Estate Taxes.
Royal Taxes are set by the King and his Court, and apply across Arden to all that live there. These tend to be broader, non-specific taxes, often applied to Noble Houses or larger Trading operations. The money raised is used to fill the Royal Coffers; the very wealth of the Royal Family is reliant on these taxes. This can then be used as the King sees fit, with much of it being spent throughout the land to ease in any troubles (such as war, famine, plague etc.).
Provincial Taxation is set and decided by the current ruling Baron or Baroness. These will be more nuanced forms of payment, usually aligning with any Laws the Province has. A lot of trade-based taxation usually falls in to this category, with luxury goods and resources being finely managed to manipulate the market alongside supply and demand.
Estate Taxes are set by the Noble House of a particular region, and can vary greatly from place to place. These can be used to raise money for the local area, as well as assist the Nobility to pay their own taxes to the Crown. The Lord and Ladies of the land are free to set whatever taxes they wish, although this is a finely balanced knife, and revolts and illegal activities usually come about to avoid a new tax.
Variation in Provinces
The general structure of society is for the most part, unchanged between the Provinces. However, there are some notable differences:
Telmar - This Province sticks closely to the hierarchical structure set in place long ago, with the Noble Houses being responsible for a set area within Telmar. Being a Province of mainly farming and trade, most of the Peasant class live a rural lifestyle, working their fields for their Lord or Lady in return for safety and a place to live on the Estate.
Dalarn Lowlands - Like Telmar, the Dalarn Lowlands stick to the structure detailed above for the most part. However, there are some variances in some of the settlements further south and towards the edge of the Kingdom. These isolated regions typically offer more freedom to the ruling class, and influence over taxes and laws from the Capitol is very little.
Eastfold - Eastfold is a wilderness that does not allow for easy travel between settlements. This means that taxes and laws are harder to maintain coherently with other Provinces. For this reason, the Noble Houses divide their lands up further between the different family members. The head of the House will take charge and rule a town, and they may bestow surrounding villages and areas to younger siblings or their children to run and manage. Each of these will then pay their own levy to the ruling Lord or Lady.
Valgard Highlands - To the north-east, the Valgard Highlands have the most variation from the typical structure of society. A larger proportion of Valgard are of the Noble Houses and Gentry, bought about by the regions richness in raw materials and the entrepreneurship of its Trading Companies. The Peasant class do not usually align themselves to a particular Noble House, and instead find work with the various businesses or to support the Noble Houses (usually as servants within their homes). Instead of receiving a place to live, the Peasants will pay for accommodation to whoever owns the property. This has led to a region of rich landowners and Noble Houses, all propped up by the constant flow of money to pay the Peasants, who then give it back to the landowners.
Nelheim - To the north, Nelheim sticks to ancient tradition. The Noble Houses are patriarchal, and will be ruled by a Jarl. These are the descendants of family-lines that can be traced back to before Arden's Foundation, and directly own a portion of land that a settlement is built around. Below the Jarls are the freemen, who largely represent the Gentry and Peasant class. Each of these will swear service to a Jarl, in return for food, shelter and protection. The Jarls will then protect the honour, prosperity and security of their followers. Beneath these are the Thralls, the bottom-rung of Nelheim society. With very little freedom, a Thrall will sell their service to a family, essentially becoming a servant. Despite this, Thralls are not treated poorly, and most of Nelheim accepts them as part of the way things are.
The Hierarchical Structure of Arden
Arden's societal structure can be largely split in to 5 distinct categories: The King, The Noble Houses, The Clergy, Gentry, The Peasants.
At the top of the hierarchical structure is the King, who governs and grants lands to those under him. These will be the Lord and Ladies of the land, Noble Houses and families. Even within the Noble Houses, there is a minor hierarchy. Each of the Provinces has a Baron or Baroness, who are first amongst the Nobles of the Province. Under this rank are the Lords and Ladies. These particular titles may differ from Province to Province, but the roles themself remain the same.
Each of the Noble Houses is granted land by the King, and in return they pledge their support to him. This can take the form of military forces for any defence or wars that are currently underway, but mostly comes in the form of payments to the Throne directly. In return, the King has the power and wealth to aid any issues that the Noble Houses may have from year to year.
Under the Noble Houses were the peasants, the everyday commoners who worked the land. Forming the lowest tier in the hierarchy, peasants would enter an agreement with their Lord or Lady to provide service for a place to live upon the Noble's estate. This typically came in the form of farming, with the numbers of day labour and amount that the individual must harvest being set in stone. In return, the peasant would be granted a place to live, protection from any outside dangers, and other public services that the Noble House may provide.
Outside of the strict hierarchy is the Clergy and the Gentry. The Clergy is a growing field within Arden, being made up of practitioners of The Church of the Holy Light. This religion has taken route in much of Arden, and is recognised as a vital part of civilization. Being outside the structured society, members of the Clergy are "attached" to the Estate that they are based upon, often acting as advisors, equals or even above the Noble Houses, dependant on the circumstances.
The Gentry includes citizens of Arden that are typically wealthier, but do not come from a Noble House. Businessmen, professionals and intellectuals across varied fields all fall in to this category. Like the Peasants under a Lord or Lady, they often swear themselves to a Noble House and Estate, but enjoy a freer lifestyle as their assets and talents are more sought after. They typically have the money to own their own home fully, having paid for it to the Noble Estate, and will either pay a tax for local services and protection or offer up their skills when required.
Despite some Provinces having national censuses every set amount of years, it is hard to find a set amount of people that may fall in to each of the above categories. It is theorised though that about 75% of the population fall in to the Peasant Class, with around 15% being from the Gentry and the remaining 10% being split amongst the Noble Houses and Clergy.
Vassalage
Traditionally, a formal ceremony is arranged between a Peasant and the Lord or Lady to agree to the terms of the arrangement. This will be done by the head of a household, usually the eldest male, and will count for all the occupants of the family that seek to swear themselves to the Noble House. This is then passed down through each family, with the land and housing that has been granted often going to the next-in-line of the peasants family. This individual will then inherit the previously agreed arrangement with the Lord or Lady, and be responsible for upholding their duties to their liege.
This arrangement can be changed as long as both parties agree, although it is often the Nobility that has the upper hand in negotiations. If a peasant or household is unable to uphold their end of the agreement, they may be forced out of the estate to find somewhere else to live, or may even be arrested. Rulings for this vary between each Estate and Province.
Taxation
Money is raised in the form of taxes. These are divided in to three main types: Royal Taxes, Provincial Taxes and Estate Taxes.
Royal Taxes are set by the King and his Court, and apply across Arden to all that live there. These tend to be broader, non-specific taxes, often applied to Noble Houses or larger Trading operations. The money raised is used to fill the Royal Coffers; the very wealth of the Royal Family is reliant on these taxes. This can then be used as the King sees fit, with much of it being spent throughout the land to ease in any troubles (such as war, famine, plague etc.).
Provincial Taxation is set and decided by the current ruling Baron or Baroness. These will be more nuanced forms of payment, usually aligning with any Laws the Province has. A lot of trade-based taxation usually falls in to this category, with luxury goods and resources being finely managed to manipulate the market alongside supply and demand.
Estate Taxes are set by the Noble House of a particular region, and can vary greatly from place to place. These can be used to raise money for the local area, as well as assist the Nobility to pay their own taxes to the Crown. The Lord and Ladies of the land are free to set whatever taxes they wish, although this is a finely balanced knife, and revolts and illegal activities usually come about to avoid a new tax.
Variation in Provinces
The general structure of society is for the most part, unchanged between the Provinces. However, there are some notable differences:
Telmar - This Province sticks closely to the hierarchical structure set in place long ago, with the Noble Houses being responsible for a set area within Telmar. Being a Province of mainly farming and trade, most of the Peasant class live a rural lifestyle, working their fields for their Lord or Lady in return for safety and a place to live on the Estate.
Dalarn Lowlands - Like Telmar, the Dalarn Lowlands stick to the structure detailed above for the most part. However, there are some variances in some of the settlements further south and towards the edge of the Kingdom. These isolated regions typically offer more freedom to the ruling class, and influence over taxes and laws from the Capitol is very little.
Eastfold - Eastfold is a wilderness that does not allow for easy travel between settlements. This means that taxes and laws are harder to maintain coherently with other Provinces. For this reason, the Noble Houses divide their lands up further between the different family members. The head of the House will take charge and rule a town, and they may bestow surrounding villages and areas to younger siblings or their children to run and manage. Each of these will then pay their own levy to the ruling Lord or Lady.
Valgard Highlands - To the north-east, the Valgard Highlands have the most variation from the typical structure of society. A larger proportion of Valgard are of the Noble Houses and Gentry, bought about by the regions richness in raw materials and the entrepreneurship of its Trading Companies. The Peasant class do not usually align themselves to a particular Noble House, and instead find work with the various businesses or to support the Noble Houses (usually as servants within their homes). Instead of receiving a place to live, the Peasants will pay for accommodation to whoever owns the property. This has led to a region of rich landowners and Noble Houses, all propped up by the constant flow of money to pay the Peasants, who then give it back to the landowners.
Nelheim - To the north, Nelheim sticks to ancient tradition. The Noble Houses are patriarchal, and will be ruled by a Jarl. These are the descendants of family-lines that can be traced back to before Arden's Foundation, and directly own a portion of land that a settlement is built around. Below the Jarls are the freemen, who largely represent the Gentry and Peasant class. Each of these will swear service to a Jarl, in return for food, shelter and protection. The Jarls will then protect the honour, prosperity and security of their followers. Beneath these are the Thralls, the bottom-rung of Nelheim society. With very little freedom, a Thrall will sell their service to a family, essentially becoming a servant. Despite this, Thralls are not treated poorly, and most of Nelheim accepts them as part of the way things are.
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