Chapter 23: Royalty of the Kingdom
Just three days until the whole world changes, and I have a to do list 3 miles long. I need to prioritize and figure out what HAS to be done, what Needs to be done, and what I Want to be done. OK, think Mark, what has to be done before the change over.
Priority number one I think has to be setting up my kingdoms laws and appointments. I do not want anyone to exploit the situation or people in the chaos that occurs after the change over. Everything else I can deal with as it come along, but if I do not have the basics in place many bad things could happen.
Let’s keep the laws as simple as possible I can always add to them later if needed. OK first a simple list of what is not allowed.
1. Slavery
2. Stealing
3. Murder
4. Actions that would harm the crown or country
5. Excessive violence against others
Those will be Appalachia Kingdoms 5 major laws. Everything else I can think of falls under those categories. For example, if a dishonest merchant starts to fix prices, that would fall under stealing. A bar fight if you pay damages, no big deal, if you can’t or if there is permanent damage than it would fall under both stealing and excessive violence.
Minor infractions will be dealt with by fines or imprisonment and work gangs not to exceed 1 week to pay for damages. Medium infractions will be dealt with by fines, forfeiture of property, and indentured servitude no less than 1 month, but not to exceed 1 year. Large infractions that do not deal with death or slavery, will be fines, property seizure, and prison or indentured servitude no less than 1 year and not to exceed 20 years.
Indentured servitude will be enforced magically and will include hard labor of the crown’s discretion. Slavery and pre-meditated murder without reason will be the death penalty. The more categories you violate with a crime the more severe the punishment. For instance, sexual assault includes stealing and excessive violence and would be a more severe crime than just theft.
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Anyone has the right to appeal twice. The first appeal is to the council that will handle the day to day running of the kingdom. The second appeal will involve my decision. For each appeal lost the punishment is doubled. If I levy a punishment, there is no appeal.
Let’s see taxes set at 5% just like in Hidden Valley Village. There will be five levels of landed nobility and one level without lands. Nobility will be granted by merits done for the kingdom and will only be awarded by the king for the top 3 levels. The council can bestow the lower 2 levels and recommend people for the higher levels of nobility.
The Nobility Levels will be:
King (Me)
1. Prince/Princess
2. Duke/Duchess
3. Count/Countess
4. Baron/Baroness
5. Knight
Landed Nobility is responsible for general defense and enforcement of laws in their granted territory. They can collect a tax of 5% on top of the kingdoms tax to help pay for infrastructure and defense in their assigned area. Each level of nobility will be granted a portion of the kingdoms funds each year to help develop and defend their area.
There will be 6 great princes/princesses, 18 Dukes/Duchesses, and 36 Counts/Countesses. The council has the right to appoint 100 Barons/Baronesses and the crown reserves the right to appoint 50 more. There will be no limit on appointments to knighthood which comes with a small monetary reward but no lands.
Nobility is not inherited except under special circumstances. Each noble will designate 4 heirs of which only 2 may be related. The crown will select from among the heirs based on their merits towards the kingdom. This should hopefully keep everyone working for the common good and not just trying to pass it onto their kids who might not be worthy. Any noble with more than 1 medium infraction in a 5 year period will be stripped of their nobility. Nobility is a privilege not a right.
The council will consist of 7 positions with power equal to Dukes/Duchesses. There will be a Minister of Education, a Minister of Defense, a Minister of Law, a Minister of Trade and Transportation, a Minister of Magic, a Minister of Health and Wellness, and finally a Minister of Dungeons.
I think that this is as well as I can plan without knowing if there are going to be rules or other surprises placed on me by the Great Game. I will have some posters made up of the laws and everything and have them ready for after the change over.