1) It is stated in the LG Gazeteer that the Viscount of Verbobonc has generally let his Barons run wild and he, and his successor(s) are having a devil of a time bringing them in line. My question, what was occupying the Viscounts time? (I'm more interested in the 570's than post-war) Running his estates and mines? Collecting Precious Moments figurines?
2) What do you feel is the relationship between the Viscount and the Lord Mayor of Verbobonc? The Mayor is listed as an old (and getting feeble), yet still politically strong force (And a ~FTR11, making him one of the most pussiant fighters in the Viscounty). If you accept the fact that Wilfrick is "weak" politically, I would propose that Velysin (sp.?) is prolly the "real" power in Verbobonc City and possibly in the Viscounty (i.e. when a Dyvers merchant consortium or Furyondy Exchequer comes to negotiate, they speak [open up their purses] to The Mayor, and offer pretty words to the Viscount). The Cuthbertine Church supports both, I suppose, so maybe there is a real battle (Viscount vs. Lord Mayor) currying favor from the Church to get things done (e.g., raise taxes, tariffs)
THX
FL _________________ Nixiespixies and grigs OH MY!
1) It is stated in the LG Gazeteer that the Viscount of Verbobonc has generally let his Barons run wild and he, and his successor(s) are having a devil of a time bringing them in line. My question, what was occupying the Viscounts time? (I'm more interested in the 570's than post-war) Running his estates and mines? Collecting Precious Moments figurines?
2) What do you feel is the relationship between the Viscount and the Lord Mayor of Verbobonc? The Mayor is listed as an old (and getting feeble), yet still politically strong force (And a ~FTR11, making him one of the most pussiant fighters in the Viscounty). If you accept the fact that Wilfrick is "weak" politically, I would propose that Velysin (sp.?) is prolly the "real" power in Verbobonc City and possibly in the Viscounty (i.e. when a Dyvers merchant consortium or Furyondy Exchequer comes to negotiate, they speak [open up their purses] to The Mayor, and offer pretty words to the Viscount). The Cuthbertine Church supports both, I suppose, so maybe there is a real battle (Viscount vs. Lord Mayor) currying favor from the Church to get things done (e.g., raise taxes, tariffs)
Perhaps he thought ruling with a light hand was the best way to rule? Perhaps he wasn't an energetic or forceful man and perhaps his barons where?
Perhaps there was a tradition of a weak central authority in Verbobonc, where the local barons (inc the Lord Mayor) held a lot of autonomy?
In the early Middle Ages, absolute monarchs were actually very rare. The Kings of England and France had a lot of trouble reining in their nominally subservient vassal barons, who were out of a mix of selfish ambition and justified suspicion opposed to the concentration of power in the hands of the king. King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta (which limited his power) by his barons. And Edward I cut his teeth as a prince fighting the barons that opposed his father's rule. Equally, the King of France, when not fending off the English, had to deal with the burgeoning ambitions of the Dukes of Burgundy among others.
The ideal of the absolute monarch ruling by divine right only really caught on towards the end of the Middle Ages and the Rennaisance and even there it ran into trouble (in England anyway, where it cost King Charles his head; it would take the French another century to come to the same conclusion).
In the Flanaess, even the Overkings of the Great Kingdom didn't become absolute tyrants until the rise of Ivid I. Originally, the King of Aerdy was elected by the great princes of the realm (until Nasran Cranden put an end to all that). Even the King of Furyondy has to carefully play intricate political games to balance the powerful magnates and factions of the realm.
Returning to Verbononc - the weakness of the Viscount might come from the weakness of the vicounts character or the traditions of Verbobonc or a combination of them both. If, in Furyondy, the kign has to heed his nobles, it's not surprising that in Verbobonc, the viscount might have to do the same.
Perhaps the Viscount was subject to blackmail due to some, err, unfortunate youthful pursuits that were not entirely becoming of a young noble scion of the realm
Or perhaps the Viscount was an idealistic dreamer, with limited interest in the dreary mundanity of realpolitik.
Or perhaps the Viscount was obsessed with the work of obscure sages and their long-forgotten musty texts, locked away in his personal library with orders not to be disturbed.
Or perhaps the Viscount spent too much time under the influence of a certain herbal supplement imported from Hempmonland.
Or perhaps the Viscount was just not that smart, or quite easily manipulated, or way too trusting of his corrupt and self-serving underlings.
Not that I would know anything about any of this, of course.
Thank you for the ideas! We do know (canon?!?) that the Viscount has a predilection for frolicking with elf-maids (but hey, who doesn't), evidenced by the current half-elf Viscount. Perhaps he was/is...indiscreet allowing honourless rouges and degenerates to blackmail. I like that! Maybe he was married to an elf?
Is there anything anywhere about Wilfrick's wife(s)? On the LG site or in any of their adventures? (I am not privy to such info).
FL _________________ Nixiespixies and grigs OH MY!
I do remember, part of an adventure that claimed the vicount's wife died some years ago and mention of the count's deep grief, he began losing interest in governing the county.
Also the current vicount is an acknowledged "bastard" so it certainly wasn't his elf-maid mother, I got the impression it was a "youthful dalliance" and something of an embarassment...ripe for blackmail especially if he did truly love his wife.
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