Life is Feudal Official Forum

[Azzerhoden]

KNIGHTHOOD
Is conferred on those members that are the PvP heroes of the clan in addition to being an ardent supporter and student of the Wessex social structure. Historically knights were skilled in the arts of chivalry, melee combat, heavy armour and horsemanship and this will be reflected in-game if the genre and mechanics allow. Knights are granted the right to bear heraldic arms and sponsor an esquire. Children and siblings of a knight are given the courtesy title of “gentleman”.

[Azzerhoden]

KNIGHTS (VASSAL)
Are those that have made an oath of fealty to a secular lord, such as the Duke of Wessex or even the King, and in return received a benefice of land, called a knight’s fee. This is similar to how a lord is a vassal to the King.

Alone amongst the knightly class a vassal knight is allowed to take villeins as bondsmen and maintain a retinue of yeoman. He will be responsible for ensuring that the resources entrusted to him are harvested efficiently and pay a portion thereof to the Duke. The details of this feudal contract will be recorded in Letters Patent, drawn up by the heralds.

[vukodlac]

Hi , you look like the Mortal online Wessex group ... any relation ?

[Azzerhoden]

I was not, but there was a Wessex presence there.

[Azzerhoden]

CHURCH KNIGHTS
Are knights that have sworn fealty to a bishop instead of a secular lord. Becoming a Knight of the Church does not imply entry to the clergy but the very act of swearing fealty to a bishop instantly precludes him from ever receiving a benefice of land.

Similarly, if the knight already possesses land it will become forfeit and he shall have to abandon the manor and estate provided to him by his lord and escheat the territory back into the lord's possession.

Being a Church knight does not equate to holding a particular status amongst the clergy and a church knight could be a friar, a deacon or priest for example.

As a knight, you are not expected to preach, but you should still be a good role-player and possess a great understanding of the Church Dogma and a good understanding of the Church Lore.

[Azzerhoden]

KNIGHTS BACHELOR
Do not receive land, do not swear an oath of fealty to a lord and may not take bondsmen - this is because they would have no land from which to support any followers.

A knight bachelor will most likely be found leading a banner in the Wessex garrison on the field of battle, acting as a bailiff or serving in the ducal cabinet.

[Azzerhoden]

BARONETS
Are the non-martial equivalent to a knight bachelor. Baronets can take an oath of fealty to a lord which would grant him the full privileges of a vassal knight.

A baronetcy is most often bestowed by the Duke onto skilled civil servants, successful burgesses or mayors and rangers that have made significant contributions to the Wessex community.

[Azzerhoden]

THANES
Are the leaders of smaller clans that cede their political independence to Wessex in return for protection or other benefits. The thane will swear an oath of fealty to the Duke and become his vassal. His followers will in turn be bondsmen to him.

They receive the same rights and privileges as a home-grown knight, except the right to sponsor an esquire.

As a vassal to the Duke a thane is eligible to receive a grant of land.

[Azzerhoden]

ESQUIRES AND PAGES
These are the lowest branches of the gentry and may be revoked by the Duke or his cabinet at any time if the candidate is considered unsuitable or inactive for a period longer than two weeks.


ESQUIRES
May be sponsored by knights from among any of the full members of their shire in order to train in the arts of chivalry. If you do not marry a knight, the quickest way to become a member of the gentry is to become an apprentice to one.

Although an esquire does not have an oath of fealty to a knight, he is sworn to his service. This means that a knight will require his esquire to carry things for him, to care for his horses, to upkeep his armour and weapons out of their own pockets etc.

Esquire selection must be approved by the Duke. Esquires are addressed as “Mister X”.

The Duke is allowed to sponsor two esquires and each knight only one esquire at a time. There is no minimum period of service before being dubbed a knight, but the advancement to knighthood is not guaranteed.

Esquires can be those members who, similar to a knight, excel at combat and in-game organization and leadership but have little interest in the wider Wessex enterprise or other duties of a fully-fledged knight.

NOTE: The limit of one esquire per knight can be modified depending on the need of the Kingdom. His Grace, Bernardo dei Medici, as Lord Chancellor, has decreed that Vassal Knights (those who can hold land) can sponsor two esquires for the upcoming launch of Life Is Feudal. Knight Bachelors will still be limited to a single esquire.

[Azzerhoden]

PAGES or PAGEBOYS
Are the personal choice of a knight and do not require the prior approval of the Duke. This is to afford the knight the privilege of recognizing someone publicly they believe would make a good knight but for whom they cannot obtain ducal approval. This would most likely be a relative new comer to the clan.

A page serves with his knight in the military but has no authority in the clan and is to be considered everyone’s “dogsbody”. He may only progress to the title of esquire with the approval of the Duke.

[Azzerhoden]

FREEMEN
To be a freeman means you are outside the feudal contract that binds the villein and gentry social classes to each other. Freeman status can be gained for several reasons. Types of Freemen are:

• Burgess (Burgi)
• Yeoman (Praefecti)
• Royal Sheriff and Baliff
• Special Purpose Freemen

[Azzerhoden]

BURGESS
The burgesses are the accomplished traders and crafters of the shire. As a burgess you are still subject to the Duke but you do not owe your service and income to a liege lord.

You are afforded this to stimulate the trade, services, and industry you will provide. You might pay a tax on your profits and an upkeep fee for the city and its buildings - but this is being paid collectively to yourselves and other burgesses in the Boroughs.

The position of Burgess is county specific and if a player relocates to
another his position would be forfeit until such time as he can re-
establish himself.

[Azzerhoden]

BOROUGHS
Are fiefs granted not to a vassal, but to a collective bunch of citizens who form a town. The Boroughs collectively contributes to the government the same way an individual knight or fief-holder with villeins serving him does.

In medieval times, there was a law on the books that said if a villein managed to escape from his liege lord to a town and avoided capture for a year and a day, then he would cease to be bound to the liege lord and would instead be listed as a member of the town.

In Wessex, we recreate that custom with the mechanic of allowing villeins who purchase a workshop, and possess sufficient crafting skills, to be considered free of their villein status.

Obviously anyone from a pauper to the Duke may be “bound” to a town, but only a burgess that has made a monetary investment in a workshop or house will be considered to be a resident.

[Azzerhoden]

ALDERMEN
Are burgesses that are elected to the town council of a Borough. Borough town councils are small, usually only a mayor and 1-2 aldermen.
Along with the mayor, aldermen decide town policies and allocate town finances where they are needed.

In the future one alderman and one mayor from every Borough will be the "two burgesses" sent to help make policy in a national legislature, and these will also be elected by the Boroughs.

[Azzerhoden]

MAYORS
Are elected by the other burgesses in the Borough. It is considered a great honour, and one that can attract attention. It is the mayor that the Duke will deal with personally as representative of the Boroughs, and who will liaise with the Exchequer and his reeves in collecting the Boroughs' taxes.

Serving a term as a mayor, especially of a large Borough like the capital city of Wessex will often earn one a baronetcy.

[Azzerhoden]

YEOMAN
Yeomen are the officers of the ducal court that perform the administrative and other day-to-day tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the shire. The cabinet officers direct and oversee their activities.

Any full member may take the yeoman examination to qualify. Members of the gentry may serve as an officer of the court, although they are more likely to be cabinet officers. Appointments are made subject to need and dismissals can be made on account of unannounced inactivity of more than a week in which case the yeoman will return to pauper status.

There are four types of yeoman in Wessex:

• Heralds
• Pursuivants
• Clerks
• Reeves

[Azzerhoden]

HERALDS
Are responsible for the design of coat-of-arms, forum signatures, new member orientation, recruitment, assisting members on matters of ceremony and the recording of acts of valour by our soldiers.

They are directed by the Master of Heralds as head of the College of Arms. In the absence of the Master of Heralds in a county one can be designated as Herald Emcee, a role which is limited to that county.

[Azzerhoden]

PURSUIVANTS
Are heralds in training and must be sponsored by a herald. To become a full herald a member must pass the yeoman exam. It is acceptable for a pursuivant that is purely interested in art and design work to not take the exam and remain in his current position indefinitely.

[Azzerhoden]

CLERKS
Perform clerical duties such as keeping member and other lists, reviewing trial membership applications and forum title administration.

Both the Chancellor and Chamberlain direct the clerks of the Ducal
Chancery. The clerk position is mostly a forum administration role and not county specific.

[Azzerhoden]

Apologies for the lack of updates, I was out of town for work. Since I know this is highly read and anticipated, I am back and am continuing.

REEVES
Work in the Ducal Treasury and collect taxes and carry out commercial activities on behalf of the Exchequer, bailiff or high-reeve. A reeve’s position is usually county specific.

[Azzerhoden]

HIGH-REEVE
Can be appointed by a Bailiff to be responsible for the county’s treasury.

In addition the Bailiff can delegate to the high-reeve the power to mediate disputes, enact assizes against members that have transgressed the Common Law, carry out sentences and act as the principal forum moderator for that county.

The High-Reeve position is usually county specific.

[Azzerhoden]

ROYAL SHERIFFS
Are appointed by the Royal Cabinet to represent the King within a shire and mediate intra-shire disputes. They are the King’s personal officers in a shire.

They may also collect taxes on behalf of the King and settle disputes between equites, but not lords. The Duchy of Wessex happens to be a County Palatine which grants the Duke the right to appoint sheriffs himself.

[Azzerhoden]

BAILIFFS
Are appointed to administrate a county. The Bailiff will often be gentry or a cabinet officer. By default the Bailiff inherits all the administrative duties from the cabinet as it relates that particular world.

Other yeoman and gentry may be appointed to the Bailiff’s court to deal with specific tasks such as the treasury, garrison, recruitment etc. Cabinet officers retain overall accountability for such appointments and thus it is considered courtesy to request approval.

Even though a Bailiff’s primary duty is in-game leadership he is also responsible for nurturing the appreciation of Wessex lore and traditions in the minds of the members under his care and to identify and encourage suitable candidates to assume yeoman duties in the ducal court.

[Azzerhoden]

SPECIAL PURPOSE FREEMEN
The previously mentioned freemen are the most numerous; however, there are two special types of freemen that you might encounter. Both the following two positions are County specific.

[Azzerhoden]

SINECURE YEOMEN
Are the absolute masters in their field of craftsmanship and may find themselves approached by noblemen with an offer to take up a sinecure yeoman position in a noble court such as "house weapon smith", "house painter", etc.

[Azzerhoden]

FRANKLINS
Might be created if there are small plots of build-able land which would not be able to support a vassal knight and a full complement of villeins and soldiers. A villein could purchase this plot but would not be considered a Burgess. The type of establishment they could run might, for example, be the typical wayside inn along a remote road or a farmstead outside a town area.

[Azzerhoden]

VILLEINS
Are the backbone of our society and will regularly be the most
numerous. Misconceptions arose in the past regarding their “lack of freedom”. A villein is free to enlist in the garrison, trade, craft or join the clergy. Your choice of play style will determine where you end up.

If you prefer a crafting profession, you can become a burgess once you purchase a building in a Borough. If you are PvP oriented you can enlist in the Wessex garrison. Those of you that wish to serve the clan in an administrative function can attain yeoman status in the ducal court.

Casual players that would just like a friendly community to take part in are welcome to remain as a villein for as long as they wish. Villeins have no responsibilities other than paying whatever minimum tax is levied by the Duke.

A villein remains a villein no matter to which county he travels.

[Azzerhoden]

SERFS
Are the beginning social level for players who join the Duchy of Wessex and are bonded to the Duke, unless the new member is a family member of an existing villein, or the new member is granted a special exception from His Grace or his appointed representatives.

The period of time a serf must remain at this social stage is typically one month. It may be extended if the player has not been active enough within the guild, or even shortened if the player’s contribution has been exceptional.

During this time they are eligible to enlist in the garrison as part of the militia with villeins who do not formally join the garrison.

[Azzerhoden]

PAUPERS
Do not possess the feudal bond of villeins nor even the holdings of freemen. Paupers are drifters outside the feudal system with no home or permanent employment.

They are most often those members that have abandoned their duties and disappeared without notice to their lord or employer. At the discretion of his former liege such a member may renew his oath of fealty to once again enter into a feudal contract.

The separation between Villeins and Paupers will vary depending on game mechanics, but every effort will be made to clearly distinguish the value of maintaining ones oath. As an example, a villein would be allowed to use the various appliances and tools within a holding, while a pauper would not. Nor would a pauper be allowed to ‘bind’ to a holding.

In essence, a villein contributes to the good of the Duchy, and receives benefits for doing so. A pauper does not.

[Azzerhoden]

CLERGY
The clergy is a holy society separate from the rest of the shire with its own structures and laws. Clergy may not pursue crafting skills or commercial trade for personal profit. They may serve as either ministers or officers of the court, but will not be allowed to accept payment unless it is a donation to the church. They may not hold any land or secular titles. However, the church may hold land in the form of temporalities given to bishops or spiritual orders. Clergy members are subject to a bishop as opposed to a secular lord such as the Duke of Wessex.