- -----Original Message-----
From: Olesens
Date: Tuesday, December 22, 1998 2:45 PM
Subject: [BIRTHRIGHT] - What IS Rule?


>[T]he first vital action in this campaign will be to Create and Rule a
>holding. I don't intend to roll it like a regular action, I want to
>players to go about doing it personally. So therefore I ask, what
>actually happens in a create holding action?
>In ruling a holding? In Ruling a Province?
- --snip--
>
>-Andrew

In my estimation, the costs are far too low to presume you are building from
scratch. Rather, it is my opinon that what a character does to gain control
of an existing apparatus. Structures such as temples, courthouses, and
guilds already exist. There will be a butcher in the town of Thoeren's
Landing when there is not even one zero level guild holding, or when the
province is max'ed out with guilds. (Baker and candlestick maker too.)
What the guilder wants to is find the profit center in the meat business (in
my example) and control that. Generally that should be as cattle broker
(buys from farmers, sells on credit to the butcher). Without the guilder
business goes on, but 1) less effeciently and 2) without enriching some
domain. The same with law. There are shire reeves (sheriffs) and judges in
every province (though some may sit in marble halls and some at the head of
a drum), the question is, are they independent, or are they someone's man.

When a regent comes to town and desires to establish a holding, what he is
doing is either placeing his man in office, or winning over someone already
in office to become his man. Why does the man subordinate himself to a
another? Well, let us look at a province with no law holdings. Local men
hold local office and try to enforce the laws. But they lack much of the
means of state power. Bandits hide in the hills. The local officials lack
the resources to capture them or drive them out. Strong men defy the law.
Again the local officials lack the resources to compell obediance. In the
case of guilders or priests they lack resources and powerful allies as well.
The guilder regent brings capital to make the local man's efforts into
something major. The priest brings assets as well. All bring leadership,
organization, and by uniting many small holdings, create a stronger legal,
business, or religious situation. People want to belong to effective
organizations that get things done. The new regent in town must convince
local men he will meet their needs. Not because he will personally tend to
every last matter, but because he will see that compitant men *will* tend to
every last matter.

Let's say Albrecht Kraftig (a warrior) is directed by the Fünfenlotarr to
establish law holdings in Zilber. Albrecht brings his cousin, a capable
lawyer who fancies being an important judge in Zilber. He also brings
Osmund Skullsplitter, a priest of Kirche and friend of Albrecht. Albrecht
styles himself Herr Albrecht on formal occasions, but dispenses with the
title when he is known to someone. Upon arriving he discovers several
problems. Some which he might be able to solve quickly -- a dispute between
some miners and some teamsters is handed to Albrecht's cousin. Osmund
attempts win the local priests of Kirche's Tundarr to Albrecht's cause.
Some problems take some organization and time. Some bandits hide out in the
hills and support themselves from the communities based on mining and
herding. Albrecht may try to recruit some miners, get the support of the
temples of Kirche and drive the bandits away. Other problems may have to
wait another day -- a band of orogs has taken over one of the mines.

Let's say after a year or two, word of a rich silver vein is discovered
(who'd have thunk it, silver in Zilber). Colier Caernson decides to settle
a unit of infantry here as their retirement, and raise another one to
replace it. The old soldiers will build a new town for themselves near the
mouth of the (Hoarfell?) bay. They arrive with their own power structure,
but need to get along with the miners. Others come north (and south from
Wierech) hoping to strike it rich. The old soldiers may resist outside
authority content to follow military justice handed down by their former
sergents and officers. The new arrivals may resist law altogether. If
Albrecht is savy he can convince the soldiers he doesn't mean to impose his
own law on them, but to settle disputes between the colony of veterans and
the other subjects of Zilber. If Albrecht has problems keeping law during
the silver rush, it will soon become apparent that lawlessness in some of
the new communities isn't working (for most people) and most will re-settle
and submit to Albrect, if he is fair and just (his cousin too).

Then Albrecht thinks, some of the new arrivals came here to get rich and
haven't been lucky. Then there are those soldiers, and a few no doubt would
like to see a little action despite retirement. The followers of Kirche are
always interested in girding on their brest plates. Maybe now's the time to
see about those Orogs in the mine by Kohlestadt.

Kenneth Gauck
c558382@earthlink.net