| Feudal Pyramid | The Feudal Pyramid of the Reich
IX Kaiser (Emperor)
VIII König (King)
VII Prinz (Royal/Imperial Heir)
VI Herzog (Duke), Fürst (Sov. Prince), Prince-Archbishop (Landed A. Bishop )
V Markgraf (Marquis/Margrave), Landgraf (Landgrave), Pfalzgraf (Palatine Count)
IV Graf (Count), Prince-Bishop (Landed Bishop)
III Freiherr (Baron)
II Ritter (Free Knight), Edler (Landless Noble)
I Ministeriale (Unfree Knight)
Tier IX
Kaiser -
A King of Kings and a successor to the legacy of the Roman Emperors, the Kaiser is, nominally, the first among equals and the secular leader of Christendom; Originally given to Charles the Great by the Pope as an attempt to end the chaos in western Christendom, the title now sits over the lands of the Reich, a patchwork of sovereign feudatories, with reigns often plagued by internal struggle.
The Kaiser ranks above all feudal titles, and to some, is equal with the Pope (controversial!).
The female version is Kaiserin.
Tier VIII
König -
Kings are rare in the Empire, as they could undermine the power of the Kaiser, but they have existed from time to time, most titular. They are only second to the Kaiser, when vassal to him.
Tier VII
Prinz -
The hereditary heir of a König or Kaiser and thus a Royal/Imperial Prince;
Imperial Princes take automatic but weak precedence in Imperial succession when against other pretenders, being the hereditary heir of the previous Kaiser.
Tier VI
Herzog -
A Duke and sovereign lord ranking below a König but above a Graf.
They are sometimes vassals to Königs, and so do not require Imperial Immediacy.
Fürst -
A ‘Sovereign Prince’ - At various times, they have been lesser, equal, or greater than Dukes;
In effect, they are of the same rank, holding the same rights and abilities.
The difference is that Sovereign Princes must have Imperial Immediacy.
If a lesser Prinz is granted a sovereign title within the empire, they are a Fürst, but this is not the only way to become a Fürst.
Prince-Archbishop -
A Prince-Archbishopric, like a Prince-Bishopric, is a secular territory ruled by an appointed clergyman.
The Archbishopric is higher in rank than the Bishopric, and holds the same inherent ranking as Dukes and Sovereign Princes.
Tier V
Markgraf -
Marcher-Lords on the borderlands of the Reich.
They are lesser than Dukes, but greater than normal Grafs (counts), and may hold the latter as vassals.
Markgrafs do not require Imperial Immediacy, and can be vassals to Dukes and above.
Landgraf -
Landgraves are rulers of ‘heartland’ or ‘inner’ regions in the Reich.
They are lesser than Dukes, but greater than normal Grafs (counts), and may hold the latter as vassals.
Landgrafs require Imperial Immediacy, and may only be vassals to the Kaiser.
Pfalzgraf -
Pfalzgraf translates as “Palatine/Palatial Count”, and means that the ruler who holds the title has special rights and authorities in their own territory, ie royal prerogative in their own lands.
It is a rare grant, and often made as a reward or gift from the Kaiser.
They are lesser than Dukes, but greater than normal Grafs (counts), and may hold the latter as vassals.
Pfalzgrafs require Imperial Immediacy, and may only be vassals to the Kaiser.
They are also often known as Freigrafs or "Free Counts".
Tier IV
Graf -
‘Count’ - Ranks above a Baron and below a Duke.
If a Graf has or gains Imperial Immediacy, he is automatically a Landgraf is his lands lie inside the Reich or a Markgraf is his lands lie on the borders of the Reich.
He can become a Pfalzgraf only under specific grant.
A Duke may bestow upon his vassal Graf the title of Markgraf, as well.
Landed characters at start, unless given higher status for whatever reason, have access to use at least the Graf title.
Prince-Bishop -
A Bishop who has territorial possession, like Grafs, over a secular estate.
They rule on the same level as Grafs, but are appointed clergymen.
Tier III
Freiherr -
‘Baron’ - Feudal lords ranking about Ritter and below Graf, they hold land usually smaller or lesser than Grafs and have little to no sovereignty in their own lands.
This title is only here to provide its proper name and definition.
If used by a player character, it holds the same power as a Graf.
The proper address is “Herr Baron”.
Tier II
Ritter -
A ‘Free Knight’, landed or landless, ranking under a baron but above an Edler and a Ministeriale.
They are feudal lords, but hold no sovereignty and simply hold any land they own as domestic estate.
They are almost never without horses and armor, are leaders of charges and squadrons in armies, and the landless often serve as castellans and mercenaries.
If a player character is a Ritter, they are a landless Ritter.
Edler -
A noble, equal to a knight in power, but without knightly christening and rights.
They sometimes hold lands, but are often landless just as well.
Noble-born but landless clergy are included in this rank.
If a player character is an Edler, they are a landless Edler.
Tier I
Ministeriale -
An ‘Unfree Knight’ - Landless knights owing servitude to lords and nobles ranking above them, retinues and battalions of knights are often composed of these ‘lesser knights.’ |
| Society | | Imperial and Papal Institutions | Old Germanic law dictates that a monarch only rules with the support of his nobles and leading men, and as such important decisions concerning the monarch and his nobility are almost always handled with popular debate and vote. While neighboring realms have departed from this old way and have become more centralized, the Empire has kept this age-old tradition intact.
Feudalism has led to violence and chaos, and, with the ever-evolving Peace of God, the Pope and progressive rulers have set down laws and taboos that aim to keep the noble class from indiscriminately raping, killing, and destroying across Christendom.
Knights in particular are a hardy, wild bunch, and need to be kept in check with virtues, taboos, and action.
The Hoftage and the Landfriedens work in tandem together to ensure that the Empire stays civilized and out of chaos.
Hoftag
Hoftag (pl. Hoftage) means ‘Court Day’ or ‘Court Meeting’.
It includes all powerful nobles, and all landed nobles of the Empire are allowed to attend.
It is considered the duty of all landed nobles to attend this, to be involved in the Empire’s decisions.
- Every single major issue is dealt with by the Hoftag, which meets whenever an Elected Ruler dies, when an issue of land and claim (such as a feud between powerful nobles) comes to a head, or when the laws of the land need to be redefined.
- It can be called by the Emperor, or by the call of at least 2 lords of Tier VI or higher.
- Every landed noble who attends has a vote/say in every issue. Landed nobles who do not attend do not get a vote/say.
- It is tyrannical for an Emperor to deny the will of the Hoftag.
- Likewise, any lord disobeying the mandate of the Hoftag can suffer the Imperial Ban.
See Imperial Ban for information.
There is an informal constitution of the Empire.
While it was and is never formally written, the RPG will keep track of its important laws, whether old, inherent, or added in-game. It will be tracked under the section Laws of the Land.
The Hoftag is the forerunner of the later development known as the Reichstag.
Contrary to popular belief, the Reichstag, a formalized institution does not appear until the 1400’s; Rather, the Hoftag is informal but undeniable, built on tradition and inherent custom alone. Every landed noble who attends has a vote and there are no ‘selective electors.’
Landfriedens
The Landfrieden (pl. Landfriedens) is a secular expansion of the Peace of God, created within the Empire after 1103.
The Landfrieden is, unfortunately, an abstract concept which is hard to define;
As an institution, it is the rights and laws of the nobility as well as the prohibitions of certain crimes and actions.
It affects both the pursuing of claims and the right to use force within one’s own territory.
A Landfrieden is defined at the Hoftag and can be redefined at any Hoftag.
- The Landfriedens demand that one pursue a claim or feud through the Hoftag before resorting to violence. Any dispute between nobles should be handled similarly.
- The Landfriedens place protection on innocent women and children, on peasants who have committed no crimes, on churches and clergymen, and on bridges and important structures.
- The Landfriedens condemn any indiscriminate violence that is not given expressed permission beforehand.
Failure to obey the Landfriedens can result in many different punishments, ranging from fines, physical punishment, humiliation, revokation of rights or possession, to outlawry, the Imperial Ban, or death.
It is up to the landed nobility of the Empire to uphold the Landfriedens.
They are defined under a special section under Laws of the Land.
Peace of God and Truce of God
The Landfriedens were an expansion of the Peace of God.
The Peace of God was one of the ways that the Church attempted to Christianize and pacify the feudal structures of society through non-violent means. After the collapse of the Carolingian empire in the ninth century, Christendom had degenerated into many small counties and lordships, in which local lords and knights frequently fought each other for control.
The Peace of God:
- The Peace of God places protection from violence upon the peasantry and the clergy, and upon those innocents who cannot defend themselves.
- The robbing, attacking, or destruction of church property is forbidden.
- Children and innocent women are not to be harmed in any way.
- Innocent or defenseless men, be they merchant, peasant, or noble, and their property, are not to be violated or attacked.
The Truce of God was an extension that was aimed at preventing violence between Christians rather than against the defenseless.
- No fighting on Fridays or Sundays.
- No fighting on Holy Days.
- No fighting during Lent.
- Unless excommunicated, all Christians can seek sanctuary and religious protection inside a church. To attack or remove this person from the church forcefully without the permission of the church’s head clergyman is forbidden.
To disobey, openly break, or defy the Peace and Truce of God can result in Excommunication from the Pope or landed clergy if they so choose to push it.
These laws are upheld and enforced by the fear of God, the Saints, and damnation. |
| Excommunication, Ban, and Outlawry | Excommunication, Ban, and Outlawry are all fairly similar, simply being different ways of accomplishing the same thing: removing an individual and/or their property from the protection of a community or society.
Excommunication
Excommunication is handed out by the Pope and is defined in this period as cursing an individual and removing them from the fellowship of Christianity. The excommunicated individual is as good as satan-spawn, forbidden to take part in religious ceremony, receive the Eurcharist, or participate in any sacraments, but they may still attend Mass and ceremony.
Excommunicants cannot seek sanctuary in churches (thought the clergyman in charge might allow it anyway!)
To die excommunicated is the same as dying as a heathen; Straight to damnation!
There are two forms:
Automatic Excommunication:
This is an inherent, automatic penance for a crime against ecclesiastical law (Peace and Truce of God) and against murder. It is not declared or imposed, but rather enforced by those who are aware of the Excommunicant’s crime and are willing to enforce it.
Ex. A priest refusing to allow a knight sanctuary because he knows that the knight is a murderer.
Imposed Excommunication:
This is Excommunication explicitly declared and imposed by the Pope or by a high-level clergyman. It is a serious ban, and demands the excommunicant be barred from any office.
It demands that the individual be brought to heel, imprisonment, until the Excommunication is lifted or until death.
Religiously, it is not a crime to deprive the excommunicant of his or her property, livelihood, or freedom.
The excommunicant is not to be put to death unless explicitly stated by the individual who originally declared the Excommunication.
If another individual is demanded to pursue the Excommunicant, by the Pope, but they refuse to do so, then they are also liable to Excommunication.
To remove or repeal an Excommunication is called a Declaration of Repentance; It includes a proper penance for the crime, action, or state of being that led to the Excommunication.
It may be declared by a high-level bishop or by the Pope (or an Anti-Pope).
Imperial Ban
The Imperial Ban is a secular outlawry that can only be passed by the Emperor.
It often follows more serious Excommunications.
An individual under the Imperial Ban may be invaded and/or robbed of his land or possessions without legal consequence; the individual has lost all right to their possessions in the eyes of the Emperor.
The ban does not allow for murder, indiscriminate injury, or indiscriminate violation however.
All those who aid an individual under the Ban are liable to be Banned themselves.
Those Banned can reverse the sentence by submitting to the legal authority of the Hoftag or the Emperor.
Outlawry
Outlawry is passed by the Hoftag, by popular decision of its attendees (not including the Emperor).
It means that the Outlawed individual is completely removed from legal protection and rights, similar to the Ban, but the Outlaw is not safe from murder, injury, or other excessive violations.
To kill, rape, etc an Outlawed individual is not a crime by the laws of the Landfriedens and the Hoftag.
Outlawry may be reversed by the Hoftag by popular decision or by the Emperor if the Hoftag does not challenge the Emperor’s decision to do so. The Hoftag can veto the Emperor’s repeal of Outlawry if it wishes. |
| Antithesis | When the Pope and the Emperor find disagreement with each other, they create Antitheses.
That is, when a Pope sees the need to invest another lord as the rightful Emperor in the eyes of St. Peter’s throne, then he declares a landed lord of the Empire to be the Anti-King - a pretender to Emperorship that cannot stop until they are Emperor and cannot be ignored by the current Emperor.
When an Emperor sees the need to declare the current Pope false, then he declares an Anti-Pope, and that all in the Empire must now consider this Anti-Pope to be the true Pope and leader of the Church. |
| Miscellaneous | I shouldn’t have to put this down, but some folks are clueless sometimes.
I know; shame on them for making me do this. You know who you are.
Basically, if a noble submits to another noble in a battle or what not, the submitted noble is supposed to be treated with hospitality and chivalry, even if they are a criminal (unless they’re under Outlawry). To do otherwise is a societal crime, one way or another, whether the law is enforced or not.
Things like that folks.
Common concepts we should all know from the Middle Ages;
Protect the weak, fear God and the Saints, and so on.
Imperial Immediacy
Imperial immediacy is simply a term used in this RPG often enough to confuse some.
A lord/lady with imperial immediacy means he/she is a direct vassal of the Emperor;
They are only beholden to the Emperor, with no liege between them.
|
|
Note: "Laws of the Land", which is mentioned a few times, will be a sticky thread made when the game launches, regularly updated with laws of any kind, be they religious or secular. Inherent laws, like "Do not steal" or "Do not murder" do not need to be posted. Only specific laws are necessary. |
Das Heilige Römische Reich [Returns - WIP - 3.0]
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Ancient Aliens
But if you can get this done within 30 mins, loads of rep, man.
