• Summary
• Politics
• Populace

Summary

Haukmoor is a Duchy, with an Archduke in authority over it. Underneath the Archduke are four Dukes and one Baron (who is actually a King to his own people). The Dukes each have three to seven Barons underneath them. Most titles are hereditary.

The ruler of the Duchy of Haukmoor is Archduke Bryon the Tall, second son of Duke William One-Eye, and seventh in the Valiras line to hold the Duchy. Byron is foresworn to King Roland, and has sworn to him Duke Vyla Krinal, Duke Peter Vobbels, Duke Tyrone Podarian, Duchess Erin Grenfeld, and Baron Thrag Ironfist.

Politics

The simplest delineation of the politics of Haukmoor is into hard-liners (who desire war as soon as possible), moderates (who feel that more preparation is needed before commencing war), and defenders (who don't want to conduct offensives at all).

Hard-liners generally come from the hardest-hit regions of the Duchy, out on the eastern marches. They want a war, and they want it now, in reprisal for the death and suffering the Unmen Hordes have inflicted upon them. They count among their number Duke Vyla, Duke Peter, and most of their barons.

Moderates want to attack as soon as possible as well - but their definition is a much more cautious one. They usually play the middleground, using the defenders against the hard-liners and vice versa. They also wield substantial power due to the current allegiance of Archduke Byron with their cause, as well as Duke Tyrone and Baron Thrag.

Defenders are often considered almost traitors to the hard-liners, as they consider offensive actions too costly and not worth the risk. They would rather fortify and perform covert actions against the Unmen - which also is distasteful to the straightlaced Eastern Dukes. The only high noble who has voiced support for their cause is Duchess Erin, but many of the western Barons also support this cause, as it reduces the amount of taxes that must flow from their coffers.

Populace

Haukmoor is a lawful neutral society, with tendencies towards good for its own citizens. The average peasant in Haukmoor is a little more loyal than your typical peasant. This is due to a number of factors. First, the peasant knows (and is reminded almost monthly at each holiday) that the only force keeping the hordes from eating his family is the nobility and the armies. Second, peasants in Haukmoor have more opportunity to increase their social standing than other peasants, due to the large military actions that occur (any soldier who achieves the rank of Sergeant Major is released from serfdom, and granted a small portion of land for his own). Thirdly, there is plenty of food for the peasants of Haukmoor. The reason for this is not pleasant. So many of the peasants die in military campaigns that the land is underpopulated, notwithstanding the excellent soil quality of most of the western portion of the Grand Duchy. Despite all these benefits, peasants are still peasants, owned by their liege lord, and owning little themselves. Peasants will rarely know what is going on outside their village.

The next step up the social ladder in Haukmoor are freemen. These are either peasants who have been granted their own land, or the descendants of such peasants. This class is not the property of the liege lord, and is often more intelligent due to the better feeding. Many scribes and some squires come from this class. The average freehold is about 5 acres, fairly small, but enough to support a family upon. The freemen are taxed as heavily as the peasants, but since they can sell their overproduce, they are often better off. A freeman is far more likely to know what is going on outside his village area than a peasant, and may even have news from a larger city.

Next, we have military officers. Some of these men were peasants before a war, but displayed such valor that they have been granted a commission, which comes in slightly lower than a knight. Others are fallen nobility, or else freemen who have decided to stay with the armies. All military officers above the rank of lieutenant have small villas given to them by the nobility. These number approximately 1,000 at this time. The average villa will have 15-20 peasants and three to four freemen attached to it, who work the fields and maintain the estate. The freemen are paid for this, the peasants aren't. Military officers will have a decent idea of what is going on in a 25 mile radius around their location, and an excellent inroadto the military occurrences in the area.

Knights are ranked just above accomplished military officers (there are some exceptions). A knight will usually have a small holding of about 50 to 100 peasants, with about seven or so freemen living within his boundary of control. The knights owe allegiance to the minor noble of the area, and can be called upon at any time to serve him, without question. The difference between knights and higher ranking officers is that the knights are not granted their land automatically, but must earn it through valorous deeds. Knights will know a small amount of military happenings, a smidgen of court gossip, and have a good idea of activities within their area of control. While all officers in the military are fairly intelligent, knights can sometimes be as dense as adamantite.

Once one begins to look above knights, virtually all positions are achieved through marriage or birthright. Very few positions can be won on the field of battle, unless one saves the life of the King. Most members of noble blood are very politically active, and are very "in the know". However, what they are in the know about will usually be of no use to people of the PC's stature at all. Much of their knowledge consists of court gossip, who's doing what to whom, trade news, and the latest in military reports. Nobles should be custom designed by the GM to fit the moment, and not all made beforehand (there are, after all, almost a thousand of them!)