The life of a Knight isn’t all myth-seeking and
feast-eating. Sometimes you’re called in for proper work, namely taking stuff
from vassals and bringing it to their ruler.
Of course, you could refuse, but such dereliction of duty is
viewed poorly.
These collection events happen at the end of each season. Let’s look at what’s typically
involved, with the usual caveats that individual realms will vary.
Quick Note on Dominion
A Holding’s Hex is usually big enough to have a few farms
and small dwellings outside its walls.
Beyond that, each Hex technically falls under the dominion
of its nearest Holding, which is especially important when it comes to
collections. Equidistant hexes that are disputed, leading to some nice
conflict. For this topic it’s mainly relevant when it comes to landmarks,
especially dwellings.
Above this, Holdings usually owe fealty to the Seat of Power
in their realm, so this results in two layers of collections taking place:
Vassals to Holdings, then Holdings to Seat of Power.
How Much?
Now that’s the question.
In principle, a ruler evaluates a fair amount to take from
each subject based on both the vassal’s needs and the needs of the holding.
This judgement often gets passed down to the steward. A shrewd steward will
then pass it down to one of their retainers, who may request a knightly escort
to go and investigate the state of things.
In reality the amount is usually “how much can I get away
with taking while avoiding short and long-term problems”.
The book has a little table for when a ruler wants to
squeeze a bit more out of their vassals.
While this is mostly intended for when the players are in
charge, rather than collecting for another ruler, it can still give you a sense
of the mood in the realm.
Okay onto the seasonal collections.
The Tax (Leaves, Late Spring)
A collection of coins, based on the idea that a ruler can
put this wealth to use protecting and improving their domain.
As noted in the Arms & Goods page, only the rich deal in
coins, so your average farmer is unaffected by this, though wealthier vassals
will be expected to pay the ruler of their nearest Holding. Depending on their
nature, even Seers may be subject to the Tax.
The real tension comes when each Holding has to pay their
share to the Seat of Power, and these negotiations can quickly turn heated.
Coincidently, Sceptremass is just a month before this, and that feast is
intimately threaded to the impending Tax.
The Tithe (Barrels, Late Harvest)
A collection of crop, so that a holding may prepare for
desperate times ahead.
Sure, rich people don’t like it when you take their coins,
but in a world where subsistence farming is common, almost everyone ends up
paying the Tithe in some form. Empty barrels are rolled in and filled before
being taken to the storeroom of the holding, giving this month its name.
Depending on the ruler, a barrel of mead may be much more
warmly welcomed than the more practical barrel of dried grains. Better yet, a
collector could be bribed or influenced to return to their ruler with empty
barrels and exaggerated tales of the bad harvest.
The Levy (Candles, Late Winter)
A collection of craft, the fruits of months stuck indoors
and fodder for construction to begin in spring.
This one has a reputation for being looser than the others.
Nobody wants to spend the final wet weeks of winter trudging across the realm
to bring back some shoddy clothes and mouldy firewood.
So why do this in winter at all if nobody wants to
travel?
Some think it’s an excuse for the rulers to kick restless
knights out of their halls. Others think it’s a census-in-disguise, checking in
on who survived the winter. Some rulers might use it as a way to spot
especially promising craftsfolk, with a view to bringing them into the holding
where they can better serve. For those living close to the holding it’s a
prompt to clear the trails now that the worst of the weather has passed.
For the knights escorting the collection it’s usually just
an unpleasant slog.
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