When a Province Rebels

[kgauck]

Every province should have a list of grievances which the ruler (landed,

temporal, or guild) cannot solve. Some should be ancient grievances, some

should involve rivalries, and some should reflect that fact that no one

likes to be taxed and governed. Normally these grievances can sit on the

back burner, but they can be drawn upon when the ruler offends, when other

rules stir trouble, or when random events reveal that trouble has arrived.



The next question then has to do with the provincial figure there in the

ruler`s organization. Three cases will exist: the local guy is loyal to the

realm leader, is neutral, or is hostile.



If the province ruler is loyal to the realm`s ruler, he has himself by

allying with outside forces against the local people. This breach will not

be soon forgotten. The view of the locals toward this person will be nearly

the same as the realm`s overall ruler, since the people will tend to regard

him as am instrument of the realm`s ruler. In explaining the rebellion at

hand, such a figure is often useful for creating the provocation. The

province was upset about its long standing grievances, it was incensed by

recent actions (some of which may be out of anyone`s control), and then the

local ruler did some thing that set them off. Perhaps he jailed someone,

closed down a psuedo-zero-level holding, or attempted an unpopular reform.

This is an imprudent role for most province rulers to adopt, unless they

have no local support to begin with.



In the second case, the local ruler attempts to avoid a breach with either

the people or the ruler. To maintain this position, the local fellow has to

avoid taking action against one or the other. He therefore tends to be

non-cooperative to any requests for assistance other than mediation and

arranging talks. This character can be used to explain the rebellion often

in terms of what they failed to do, who they failed to jail, what they

failed to shut down, and so forth. This figure maintains the allegiance of

the people who hope he will eventually champion their cause, though

relations may be strained. This is generally the wisest role of province

rulers to adopt, because having avoided a complete breach, they can go about

repairing relationships. PC rulers may not be happy with this approach and

may force them to pick one side or the other.



The third case is the province ruler who throws in with the people against

the realm ruler. Generally local rulers only do this under two

circumstances, 1) they miscalculated, or 2) their connection with the people

is so strong that any accomodation with the people will require an

accomodation with the leader. Such leaders can be divided into two

catagories. Those who lead the rebellion out of ambition and those who do

so out of duty. The local guy who is critical of his ruler, who foments

rebellion, who has the goal of independence or alternate allegiance is no

good for his realm or his ruler. The local guy who attempts to solve

problems, informs the ruler that action must be taken to settle the

grievance, and hopes for reconcilliation with his ruler but demands

satisfaction of the peolpe`s demands, even at cost to himself, is another

kind altogether. Wise realm rulers are advised to not mistake the one for

the other.



Kenneth Gauck

kgauck@mchsi.com

[A_dark]

I usually differentiate between a people's rebellion and a lord's rebellion. In the first case we have taxes, laws etc, in the latter case, we have nobles' rights removed etc and it is the nobles that rally the people into a rebellion. (by nobles I mean the local nobility of each province... Baronettes, even some Counts or Barons etc)