Osprey
03-29-2004, 11:14 PM
As I sit and try to come up with a list of major court positions within the Court of Avanil, I thought I'd throw it out to the BR community. Anyone have any suggestions as to some positions and functions of major members of the quintessential Anuirean court? Here's a few I'm working with at the moment, and assume minor variations of title dependnig on the realm:
Chamberlain - "Master of the Court" (or grand chamberlain, lord chamberlain, etc.) role. Always an Advisor, sometimes an invested Lieutenant.
Steward - in charge of a castle's or palace's daily functioning; might also include military functions as a default commander in case of siege, definitely includes keeping castle stores and facilities prepared for such an event.
Seneschal - in truth, I am somewhat confused as to a seneschal's official role. It seems to be a combination of Herald, Steward, and Master of Arms or Captain of the Guard. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Lord High Marshall - the highest-ranking military commander next to the regent himself. Often an invested Lieutenant. Has general responsibility for keeping the realm's fighting forces in a state of adequate training, supply, and general combat readiness.
Chief Warden - highest-ranking commander of border patrol forces, often a ranger or fighter leading Scout units. The position might also include protecting the regent's hunting preserves.
Spymaster - a less public position, but a vital one. Every spymaster is charged with defending the realm against enemy esionage, and executing espionage actions for the regent. Usually spymasters of notable skill are invested as Lieutenants.
Emissary - these are the regent's official diplomats, sent to foreign courts or permanently positioned in the regent's embassies. They provide regular intelligence about the court where they are stationed, and are the key agents of Diplomacy actions for their regents. Long-term positions often result in the emissary's family joining him/her in the realm where they are stationed.
Court Magician or Wizard - not a staple of every court, nonetheless more influential Anuirean courts usually have a magician of some sort. Their roles vary greatly depending on their liege, but might include entertainment, sage advice on matters arcane, adventuring or combat support, divinations, and possibly even minor artificing.
Court Bard - another fixture of most courts of any size, though lesser court bards may not be true bards, but rather mundane minstrels. Music, poetry, and oration are the chief skills of the court bard, while heraldry, history, and geneologies are also important aspects of a bard's repertoire. Finally, they serve as excellent sources of gossip, and some bards also serve as spymaster to their regent.
Captain of the Guard - in charge of a town's or castle's security. In general, I assume other captains are unit commanders (creating ranks like Knight-Captain or Infantry Captain).
OK, so that's the list I've got right now. Anything obvious missing here? Other ideas? Thoughts and suggestions welcome.
Osprey
Chamberlain - "Master of the Court" (or grand chamberlain, lord chamberlain, etc.) role. Always an Advisor, sometimes an invested Lieutenant.
Steward - in charge of a castle's or palace's daily functioning; might also include military functions as a default commander in case of siege, definitely includes keeping castle stores and facilities prepared for such an event.
Seneschal - in truth, I am somewhat confused as to a seneschal's official role. It seems to be a combination of Herald, Steward, and Master of Arms or Captain of the Guard. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Lord High Marshall - the highest-ranking military commander next to the regent himself. Often an invested Lieutenant. Has general responsibility for keeping the realm's fighting forces in a state of adequate training, supply, and general combat readiness.
Chief Warden - highest-ranking commander of border patrol forces, often a ranger or fighter leading Scout units. The position might also include protecting the regent's hunting preserves.
Spymaster - a less public position, but a vital one. Every spymaster is charged with defending the realm against enemy esionage, and executing espionage actions for the regent. Usually spymasters of notable skill are invested as Lieutenants.
Emissary - these are the regent's official diplomats, sent to foreign courts or permanently positioned in the regent's embassies. They provide regular intelligence about the court where they are stationed, and are the key agents of Diplomacy actions for their regents. Long-term positions often result in the emissary's family joining him/her in the realm where they are stationed.
Court Magician or Wizard - not a staple of every court, nonetheless more influential Anuirean courts usually have a magician of some sort. Their roles vary greatly depending on their liege, but might include entertainment, sage advice on matters arcane, adventuring or combat support, divinations, and possibly even minor artificing.
Court Bard - another fixture of most courts of any size, though lesser court bards may not be true bards, but rather mundane minstrels. Music, poetry, and oration are the chief skills of the court bard, while heraldry, history, and geneologies are also important aspects of a bard's repertoire. Finally, they serve as excellent sources of gossip, and some bards also serve as spymaster to their regent.
Captain of the Guard - in charge of a town's or castle's security. In general, I assume other captains are unit commanders (creating ranks like Knight-Captain or Infantry Captain).
OK, so that's the list I've got right now. Anything obvious missing here? Other ideas? Thoughts and suggestions welcome.
Osprey