Succession Kingdom: Government
It is a bloody onion. You got yer local gov'ment, that's the liegess. So, you pay yer taxes to yer count. Then, you got the kingdom, they take a cut and you follow the rules of yer liege lord and lady. And now we got Lord Rael stickin' his nose in, and them spellcastin' types are leaving, and I cannot go worship my Lady of the Harvest - cause they shut her temple down!
- Disgruntled citizen of Boulder, quoted in 1415
And indeed, the government of Succession has many layers. Most recently, magic has been outlawed without the permission of the crown, and while public displays are difficult to police, Deep dwarf guards on loan and wearing the livery of the Succession Kingdom are increasingly seen in the larger towns. Also, nearly all the large temples in the kingdom have been reassigned duties relating to civil life; most of the clergy have moved north or left the realm altogether. So far, no other rules have percolated north from Rael, but the populace as a whole seems wary and resigned that more regulation is coming.
Under these new restrictions are the old rules of the kingdom. Each liegess is beholden to the crown and pays a 10 percent tithe of any combination of goods, services, and true once each year based on their potential income as a territory. Dhovisha traditionally pays the most and Nehar the least. The kingdom offers military support, conflict resolution when requested, and a home to the count and countess of each liegess to promote a central government as well as disaster relief should a catastrophe occur in a region. The rules of the kingdom are fairly strict:
1. No citizens shall gather in groups numbering 50 or greater without cause. Exclusions shall be made for holidays, kingdom celebratory occasions, weddings, and sporting events only.
2. Murder is punishable by death, and no exclusions are made should a criminal be found guilty by a judge.
3. Theft is punishable by the loss of the offending hand and a subsequent term in the dungeons of Castle Succession of no less than one year for every 100 true of value stolen.
4. The assault of another Successionite will be assessed at a value of one year in the dungeons of Castle Succession for each area of the body affected equal to the area of the judge's thumb. In the case of an assault against the good name and reputation of a lady, whether or not life comes of the attack, the punishment shall be forfeiture of all material possessions to the lady in question and a term of life in the dungeons of the castle.
Each liegess in Succession has one judge, and that judge is chosen by the count and countess and serves at their pleasure. In turn, the selection of the judge must be justified to the crown (should they desire a resume) and any bad decisions made by the judge fall onto the shoulders of the count and countess that appointed him. The judge's duty is to try any major cases, render verdicts, and mete punishment as appropriate. He or she may have many adjunct judges for less important cases, but only the judge may try a murder, theft, or assault case.
After these hard and fast kingdom rules are the rules for the liegess one lives in. These are the rules that govern day-to-day living for most: trading agreements, land rules, the buying and selling of livestock, and how much grain each farmer gets after harvest. There are certain regional rules that travelers would do well to know, however.
Liegess of Dhovisha, ruled by Liege Lady Countess Anouk Lef'Chamet:
Spitting in public is an offense punishable by a fine of 1000 True or forced servitude of one week.
Poaching livestock or wild animals is an offense punishable by two weeks of forced servitude. A license to hunt is obtainable at the local constabularies should one wish to take prizes.
Liegess of Nehar, ruled by Count Christophe Rennik:
Any and all artifacts, items of interest, or items with magical properties found on the lands belong to the Liegess of Nehar and its ruler; therefore, all aforementioned items are subject to review before the finder of said item may keep it. Not subjecting items to this review shall be construed as theft and the kingdom laws will be followed therein.
Liegess of Emfall, ruled by Liege Lord Count Roland Lef'Chamet:
Each Mar 8th shall be a day set aside for celebration of the liege lord's birthday and no work shall be performed on that day. Those found engaged in labor shall be required to forfeit the day's profits and spend one day's time from sunup to sundown in the stocks at Castle Succession.
Liegess of Zaj, ruled by Countess Agitha Wurchester:
Shoes are to be removed when entering an indoor location. To leave one's feet shod is disrespectful and to do so in the presence of the count and countess is an offense resulting in the removal of the offending party.
