The Duchy of Devonshire

Overall, Devonshire is at about the same longitude as York -- which we've cast as about the same as Ohio. However, the majority of Devonshire (all save the southern most provinces) are also about 2500 feet higher than Ohio. The result is a climate and ecology more closely resembling Alberta than Ohio. Indeed, you can almost think of Devonshire as being one giant incline -- mountainous regions in the north sloping down to low swamp lands in the south with plains in between.

Devonshire has naturally cool summers and cold winters. In the summer, the mean temperature is about 70 degrees. The mean temperature for the winter is about 10 degrees. The length and altitude of the duchy accounts for a 20 degree variation in averages between the northern provinces and the southern ones. (That is, is the south the mean temperatures are about 10 and 70; in the north about -10 and 50.) The frost-free season is about 60 days. The annual precipitation ranges from about 12 to 18 inches.

The soil of the southern provinces is fairly fertile, supporting a natural array of grassland ground cover. Wheat is grown in Devonshire, but barley, oats, and hay crops (grown mostly for feed) are more important. Agriculture in Devonshire has stabilized since the introduction of larger herds of farm animals. Beef and dairy cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry provide larger revenues for farms than any vegetable crop. Cash crops of vegetables are largely sugar beets, potatoes, wheat and flax.

Animal life in the Duchy is fairly consistent. The grasslands and swampy areas are the home of deer, antelope, and elk. Jack rabbits, gophers, and prairie chickens thrive throughout the duchy. Bears, both the sedate black bear and the carnivorous grizzly roam the duchy. Lynx, muskrat, and squirrels abound -- leading to a thriving fur trade. Birds of all varieties; ducks, songbirds, geese, and other migratory varieties are common.

Elsbane

The northern most province of Devonshire is Elsbane. The northern reaches of the province are high and mountainous. As you go further south toward Hastings, the land flattens out and becomes more suitable for farming. This flat, smooth area is, however upon a plateau. Most of Elsbane lies about 3000 feet above sea-level.

Elsbane, therefore, is at about the same latitude as New England and about 3000 feet higher up. The winters are extremely cold here, and the growing season is even shorter than most of Hudson (which lies on the same latitude band). Weather, even in summer, is especially unpredictable here.

There are two towns of note. Elves' Bane lies in the northern part of Elsbane. It sits just at the base of the mountains. This is the site of the final definitive battle of the Great Elf War. Most of the soldiers who survived that battle settled here. Now it serves largely as a trading point and market.

The mountains of Elsbane are rich in nickel, tin, and copper. Other minerals of interest include coal, sulfur, salt, lime and fine granite. In fact, the stone from Elsbane (both the stone itself and the works produced with it) have a status not dissimilar from good Tudor steel. Fuel oil can be found in abundance in the southern parts of the province.

Hastings

To the south of Elsbane, in almost the center of the Duchy is the province of Hastings. The northern part of Hastings is as high as Elsbane, but it drops as you near the southern end and approach Preston. The northern and middle sections of Hastings are suitable for farming, but the eastern and southern areas are prone to flooding. The south is dominated by a fresh water marsh which separates Hastings from its southern neighbor, Preston.

Theonomy

Theonomy is the furthest east of all the provinces of Devonshire. It levels off quickly, forming some of the nicest farmland in the Duchy. Now, one wonders why any Duke would have willingly ceded such prime farmland to the Church. Two reasons: first, there are high hills separating Theonomy from the rest of the Duchy which make travel and trade between it and its neighbors very difficult. By ceding the land to the Church, the Duke avoids the need to constantly keep tabs on the Baron over there, since the Cardinal of the Duchy has bigger fish to fry within the Church than to worry about building an army to take surrounding counties. The second reason was a deal struck with the Pope at the time. In essence, the Church gets Theonomy, and the Duke must approve applications for new chapter houses before any order may own land or build with the Duchy. In times past, this has effectively prevented militant orders from gaining a toehold in the Duchy. However, a new, large, chapterhouse of the Claw is currently under construction in Theonomy with both Duke Regginal and Cardinal Waleran's approval.

Preston

Lining the southern border of the Duchy is the province of Preston. Its northern border is with Hastings is delimited by the Boswash Marsh. The northern limit of the marsh is the northern limit of the province. This border is stable. Hastings has no interest in land you can't farm with proper crops. Preston, the home of the Fraternal Order of Chemists and Natural Philosophers, sees considerable value in this otherwise forlorn bit of real estate. (Most of the planet's pharmacopoeia can be found in that swamp.)

The southern area of Preston levels out to better farm land. The citizens here are wealthy, as it is one of the few areas in Devonshire with a true bourgeoisie, owing largely to the incomes of the group mentioned above.

Also in the southern area is a town named Hamleigh. Its Burgher, William d'Hamleigh is a well placed member of the Fraternal Order. Currently under construction outside of Hamleigh is a guildhall, bordering on a cathedral, for the FOCNP. This guildhall was ordered by and is being paid for by Regginal I, in return for the guild's assistance in locating a solution to "The Morkon Problem."

Galsworth

Furthest west, and commanding most of the Duchy's sea coast, is the province of Galsworth. The land here is fairly level, and without excessive rock formations, making for excellent farm land. Overall, however, the province has two primary claims to fame.

First, and foremost, this province contains the town of Kingsbridge. Kingsbridge is precisely that -- a large town split in twain by the Scots River. Over the Scots is a large, old bridge ordered to be constructed by Gregor II, then King Devonshire. Kingsbridge is the home of the Ducal Palace and the seat of the Ducal Government.

Kingsbridge is a busy commerce center, but busier by far is its rival city, Hartford. Hartford lies 60 miles south of Kingsbridge and is the busiest center of commerce in all of Devonshire. Often the phrase is heard "Only the rich live in Hartford." Depending on where you are standing, the phrase may mean that either "everyone in Hartford is rich" or "people in Hartford are only rich, and not noble."

Townsend

Townsend is the smallest province. It does a little of everything and virtually none of it well. It has fair, but not exceptional, farm land. It has a seaport, though most of the trade goes on through Hartford. It has the Guild of Apothecaries and Physicians. This was hoped to be the saving grace of the province years ago, but as the Church grows in power, so wanes the power of those laymen who specialize in healing arts.

Glouchester

In the center of the Duchy, just west of Hastings, is Glouchester. Like Hastings, Glouchester is high in the north and lower in the south. Unlike Hastings, Glouchester is not so prone to flooding, owing to a better natural network of rivers to drain the rain into the sea. The southern reaches of Glouchester are farmed well, and the northern area are the home of the Miners' and Stonecutters' Guild. This province, and its mines, are the homes of rich zones of marble. While the stone is worth little directly as trade, the Stonecutters work it into shapes which are extremely well suited to construction and artistry. Indeed, "Glouchester Stone" is a name known throughout the Realm and is highly prized.

Government

General

The Duchy of Devonshire is governed along strictly feudal lines. Officially, all land is owned by the Duke and only by the Duke. This land is then divided into provinces which are given as fiefs to Barons in return for an oath of fealty. The feudal obligations of the Barons include the collection of taxes, raising and maintaining troops, and (effectively) whatever else the Duke wants at the moment.

The lands of the Barons are further doled out to Lords. At this level, the population makes it hardly worth doing any further. Towns are run by Burghers, who are considered nominal nobility. That is, common folks treat them like nobles, but most of the nobles treat them like commoners.

According to a decree which granted the entire province of Theonomy to the Church, the Baron of Theonomy is also the Cardinal of Devonshire.

At the Ducal level, there are two offices of note: the Marshall and the Regent. The Marshall is the commandant of the Duke's personal troops. While both he and the troops owe their allegiance to the Duke, it is commonly the Marshall who actually commands them. The Regent is the man who effectively runs the Duchy when the Duke is away or otherwise unavailable.

Most of the things that we think of as being part and parcel of any government are missing in Devonshire. Bureaucracy and paperwork make little sense when over 90% of the population are illiterate. In fact, the Barons operate almost entirely autonomously. The Duke will send a messenger when it is necessary. He may call the Barons to his castle or go to visit himself. The size of the Duchy alone means, though, that many things can occur before the Duke has word of it. The primary thing preventing Civil War is the threat of retaliation by the other Barons and by the Duke himself.

There are very few people in Devonshire who would qualify as true bourgeoisie. Typically, when a person has gained enough wealth to become a genuine power, a smart lord will grant them some bit of land to buy their allegiance with. Thus, the titles of Guild Master, Master Craftsman, Priest, Lord, Burgher, and so forth intermingle freely.

Technically, the Duke must still approve the transfer of lands from any one person to any other person. In the past, this was used to very strictly control who had land and who did not, in effect, appointing Barons periodically. With the reign of Regginal I, the rule was changed to primogeniture. While the Duke still maintains the right of approving land transfers, it is largely a formality requiring only an oath of fealty from the Lord's heir.

Legal System

The laws of the Duchy of Devonshire are few and far between. The Rights on Nobility (detailed earlier) are enforced uniformly, though not without the occasional squabble. The Right of Resort here states that while the local lord may hear any case that occurs on his lands, it is the right of his lord to intercede and hear the case himself (including the right to simply grant a pardon). Technically, this is appropriate. But, it has the effect of making the legal process far more political, and of granting the "pets" of a higher lord the equivalent of diplomatic immunity.

Theft, sedition, murder, rape of a maiden, the practice of witchcraft, or any offense upon a noble by a commoner are punishable by death. Accused may be jailed until the lord hears the case (potentially indefinitely). The burden of proof in a trial, when one is held, lies with whichever side the lord does not already believe. Nobles with feudal obligations can administer High Justice, meaning they may sentence a commoner to death immediately, under their own authority, and without appeal.

In contrast to McKitrick, "witchcraft" here is defined as any use of magic outside the auspices of the Church. Hence, the Order of the Helm does have a chapterhouse in Devonshire and does operate here. But, lay members are cautioned about the use of magic outside the safety of the chapterhouse. It is expected, though, that the Helm will begin to have problems as Cardinal Waleran solidifies more power and the Duchy begins to swing to the more conservative side of things.

All markets must be licensed and approved by the Duke, who claims a tenth of the proceeds from all goods sold there. No market may proceed if it competes with another lord's market. The Rule of Competition says that if a person may walk within the span of a day to two different markets to buy goods then those two markets compete. Effectively, this means that two markets must be placed about 30 miles apart in order to effectively guarantee no competition.

Tenants are worked hard, and in more ways than are easy to list. Typically, the Lord owns all of the mills and simply requires a part of all that is milled to be given to the lord.

Serfdom does not exist in Devonshire, though both slavery and indenture are legal. A slave or indentured servant must come from the peasantry, since no tenant may enter into a bargain which could endanger his feudal responsibilities.

This system is easy to abuse. The integrity of the local Lord means everything to a tenant, and even more to the true peasants. Genuine oppression is frowned upon by many of the nobility and most of the Church. Yet, there are cases to the contrary.

Politics

The thing to remember above all when working with Devonshire is "Tradition". Devonshire is a conservative Duchy, but "conservative" here does not refer to "frothing." The driving force behind most decisions here is "tradition". What has always been done, not "Why". Radical elements, such as both the Helm and the Claw, are typically. frowned upon here. The new Cardinal has placed a real wrinkle in that, because traditionally the Cardinal sets the religious tone for the Duchy. Having an Arch Conservative in there is an unusual twist. Most likely, the duchy will swing progressively towards the less liberal end of the scale. But, it will swing slowly.

This reliance in Tradition was why Tabytha chose to keep her true position in the running of things quiet. There has never before been a Duchess of Devonshire in this sense -- it has always been run by the Duke. Convincing folks to let her have a go at it, without having already demonstrated what she could do, would be extremely difficult. This is the safer course -- no sense in alarming folks needlessly. Just let them go on their merry way, and keep them out of your face.

Internal

Prior to the reign of Regginal I, the position of Baron was strictly appointed and seldom followed along the lines of primogeniture. The result of this was that the most powerful man in the barony, often the master of a prevailing guild, would receive the nod to be the next baron. The existence of Theonomy gives barons little reason to install religious leaders in otherwise secular posts. (More on this later.) The net effect of all of this, is that in provinces where the guilds are powerful, they tend to be synonymous with the barony itself; in places where the guild is not powerful, they simply are not a factor.

The internal politics of Devonshire are driven more by the personalities of the barons than by anything else. The Lady Townsend can always be counted on to support (and publicly) the Cardinal. Her position is better at the moment with the Duchess than the Cardinal's (but then, that doesn't say much). Preston and Galsworth both find Hastings to be short-sighted and therefor rather foolish. Yet, they are forced to give him credit where it is due. The Cardinal says precious little about the Lady Glouchester. The Lady Townsend, however, makes a big fuss over her. Virtually no one likes Maurice of Glouchester. But, they tolerate him because of his wife. Townsend and Elsbane get along surprisingly well. Especially given that the Baron and Baroness of Elsbane are open opponents of the Cardinal.

In general, things are your basic jumble.

External

Folks, how valuable is this section really?

The one thing I can think of to note here, which folks already know, is that Devonshire doesn't like big greenies. This is not the place you are going to find making treaties or trade agreements. But, whether you get your neck stretched for it depends largely on who you tell.

Economics

Wealth

Devonshire is something of a declining power. As one of the three original colonies, it has some political power remaining. Its economic influence extends only barely beyond its own borders. But, that's about the way things were for most places in this era. The wealth within the duchy is a little less concentrated than in many duchies. This is just because of Preston -- our old friends the FOCNP -- which keeps the cash flow flowing from all over.

As a general rule, think of 1% of the people holding 99% of the wealth. Farmers live on a subsistence level. Laborers and craftsmen live from one job to the next -- when you are working, life is good, when you are not working, you are close to starvation.

Exports

Devonshire's chief exports are sugar (and syrup), cheese, distilled liquor and stone. The northern mountains, largely in Elsbane, produce the highest quality marble available in the realm. Devonshire Stone rates among builders and high nobility as high as Tudor Plate rates with blacksmiths and mercenaries as a symbol of status or wealth. The Stonemasons' Guild in Devonshire has an almost mythic aura for youngsters wishing to learn that craft.

Also raised in Devonshire is a breed of horse bred specifically by the Duke here. Quite some Dukes ago, the Duke realized the need to have a breed of horse that was hearty enough to easily manage the severe winters of the area, but strong enough and sturdy enough and smart enough to carry the armored knights that Devonshire's military relies so heavily upon. The result was, well, think Farisian (sp?). They are available only here. And they are sold outside the Duke's own stable as mares or geldings -- never, ever a breeding pair.

Of lesser quantity, but potentially higher monetary value, are the various potions, elixirs and mixings of the Fraternal Order of Chemists and Natural Philosophers. (A separate write up will be provided for these folks, don't even THINK that they'll be producing all that is in the book.)

Exports also include, though monetary value and volume make them less important, livestock, cured meats, furs and fine clothing, as well as the various minerals found in Elsbane (nickel, salt, tin, copper, sulfur).

Now, remember that the level of any export is not going to be even close to what we would think of in a modern sense. Nearly all farming is done at the subsistence level, nearly all quarrying and mining is done in order to get what you need for the next piece of work. That's just how things are in this time and this area.

Imports

Devonshire imports a number of goods from surrounding duchies. Chief among these is grain. The Devonshire growing season, and their reliance on livestock, make it virtually impossible for the duchy to grow enough grain to feed everyone here. They also import raw iron, and some ready-made weapons. They have all the ingredients in the duchy to make good quality steel, except the iron.

Beyond those two items, which are virtually required to maintain the duchy, imports run the usual range of popular items: cotton from Lethbridge, some tobacco and opium, the usual spice trade. While these and many other items are bought and sold through the duchy, they are largely curiosity items -- things bought by the idle rich as opposed to things purchased to sustain life.

Trade Agreements

Devonshire has no formal "Trade Agreements" on a duchy level. There are merchants who operate and who buy and sell things from different parts of the Realm. But, that does not constitute an official trade agreement.

Military

In terms we modern folks would think of, Devonshire has more of a militia than a military. Providing troops is a requirement of any landed nobility -- part of the oath of fealty. Naturally, all lords are to provide as many troops as they can whenever they are called upon to do so. This amount varies depending on when they are asked (it's notoriously difficult to levy troops when there is a crop in the field).

Size

The total number of troops is going to vary from one engagement to the next depending on who actually musters the most folks. 1000 soldiers at this time is a large army.

Organization

Feudal armies were much more loosely organized than what we usually think of. The main constituents were the feudal levies. These march to battle under their local leader. Once with the field army (which is simply all the troops under a single command for a battle or campaign) they are formed into ad hoc units with similar equipment and the senior man in each such unit was designated its commander. Such units usually were no more than 100 strong; that is about the largest force that one man can control by voice and hand signals. These units are called companies and their commander is called a captain. Such appointments are only for the campaign. The captain appoints a petty officer for every ten soldiers; these also are for this campaign only The precise number of companies that any given lord can produce will depend on his area, wealth, and general leadership ability. Often a lord will pay for mercenaries to serve as well -- after all, being able to provide a large number of troops (especially if they make a decisive difference in the battle) is the fastest and surest way to curry favor with your Lord.

The higher appointments of a feudal army are also ad hoc. The force is usually broken into three components: Van, Main and Rear (which are their positions in the order of march). Each component is under a commander selected by the Duke. The commander is usually a senior noble or veteran mercenary; again the appointment is only for the campaign. Each commander selected a number of aides; these can be anything from messengers to senior advisers. @heading 3:Training

Devonshire relies upon armored troops and knights for their military. The training needed is just that needed to become a knight.

Noteworthy Groups

There are two groups of military personnel that are of note.

The first is the Duke's personal guard. Led by the Marshall, this group functions more like a modern military force. Knowing precious little about just what the heck that is, I'll be leaving it blank until some future edition.

The other group is the Old Home Guard. Now, what you've seen in the past editions of BBY is this group of retired commanders who insist they are battle-ready troops, but who spend most of their time and energies serving as more of a Salvation Army than a Combat Army. That is the character view of these folks. The player view is that here you have a group of loyal, experienced, commanders to draw upon as strategists and tacticians when things start to really happen. The Old Home Guard will, in times of emergency, serve as the forebrain of the military. They do the planning and the strategy.

Dramatis Personae

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