Agents of a baron?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I need a job title for a semi-feudal/semi-Roman Imperial agent of a baron. Basically, I want to put the adventurers on the job, without knighting them.

I didn't see anything appropriate in A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe. Any suggestions, either from medieval Europe or imperial Rome? I'm looking for a position that would make them agents of the barony and empire, and allow them to roam all over, kicking down doors and putting the enemy to the sword as needed.

 

[Mouseferatu]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaestor

That may or may not fit your needs, but if not, there's a link to other political Roman titles that might, in turn, include or link to stuff you can use.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

"Reeve" might also be a good title - the Reeve of an entire Shire was called a "shire-reeve" which eventually got shortened to "Sheriff" as in the Sheriff of Nottingham. For that matter you could use Sheriff if your players won't immediately start with the John Wayne accents and swaggering. I know I would. The John Wayne voice and swaggering, I mean.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Hmmm. "Knights" is the word that leaps to mind, and knighthood meant something rather different in the medieval period than in the early modern or modern period-- it was more of a functional title and less of an honor. But, since you don't want to use that... how about "men-at-arms" or guards? You could also use karl, which sometimes has a feeling of men-at-arms, although it is sometimes a more menial title. Those are martial, of course, and I don't have a good gender-neutral equivalent for men-at-arms if you care about that.

"Reeve" is a great term, but I tend to think of it as more someone who has responsibility for an area (as in the shire-reeve example). "Bailiff" has the same problem, implying responsibility over a bailiwick.

You could use jurors-- a jury originally was a body of respected local people with responsibility for investigating and dealing with legal problems. But that will feel fairly unnatural to most players. (I have thought that empaneling the PCs as a jury would make a great hook for some mystery oriented adventures--it's sorta like drafting them to work as the local constabulary and magistrate for a couple of months. But that's an aside.)

I'd probably declare them "members of the Baron's Guard" and let them use that as authority, or just call them retainers of the Baron without any additional title.

 

[Boarstorm]

I like Executor, myself. One who carries out (executes) the Baron's will.

Not to be confused with executioner.

 

[A2Z]

Legate, agents of the Pope were sometimes called Legates in the middle ages. Vicar is another term from Roman terminology used by the church. You could also use Factor or Proxy, both terms descibing someone who acts on behalf of another. Even Judge might be appropriate (or Justice).

 

[DrSkull]

In the late Roman empire there were a class of "postal inspectors" called the "Agentes in Rebus" or "Agents in Matters" who were on the surface supposed to watch over the maintenance of the road system, but acted as the government's secret agents.

In the Republic and Early Empire, each governor would have a group of assistants called "Comites" or "Companions" he could use for any sort of official business. In the Late Empire, this term became used for the senior generals of the empire, and is the origin of the noble title "Count".

In the late empire soldiers being trained for advanced command posts were forwarded to a special regiment, and each was given the title "Protector"

In Dark Age England, the warriors of a earl or king were called "Thanes" or "Thegns". That is a reasonably cool sounding word that doesn't overlap with a modern title, the way that Agentes, Comites, or Protector do.

A man whom a Roman aristocrat would appoint as a steward or manager over an important estate, or the Emperor would appoint over a small, unimportant province, was called a Procurator.

You might also use the military rank of Tribune, which was roughly a commanded of 10000 men in the late Empire.

In feudal terms: sergeants, wardens, or yeomen might be used for non-knighted military agents of some sort too. Yeah, "sergeants of the Guard" or something close might be just what you want.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I should probably mention that one of the player characters is a deputy, and their village already has a constable (under the baron's sheriff) and a bailiff. So those titles are off the table already. The setting (Praemal) has a pseudo-Catholic parallel power structure, so the church stuff doesn't work for this particular bunch of characters (although the paladin is independently getting drawn into the church's hierarchy as he becomes higher level and, thus, more useful).

I like Quaestor, Man at Arms, Executor, Factor and Proxy. I also like Companion, Warden and even Yeoman (heck, it's probably time to give the heroes a small plot of land of their own, considering all the hard work they've been putting in for the barony at this point).

Thanks, guys. I'll mull over those choices.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Warders would be my choice. (Beaten, more or less, by Wardens, above.)