bicameral legislation, kings and popes.

[Granduke]

Some of my favorite campaigns have been in an electoral monarchy ala the Holy Roman Empire. Such a concept could be shrunk to fit a city and allow plenty of political intrigue.

For example, say your urban center lays along a contested border. However, its a river town or port, vital to trade. The surrounding nations, some enemies, others neutral come to the compromise to make the city a "Free City" to insure the flow of trade and profit. Its ruled by a council made up of representatives of the neighboring nations nobility or officials, who in turn elect the city's head honcho.

Many factions could vie for contro-l from the neighboring kingdom eyeing the city for conquest, to the city's potter's guild , or a international thieves guild.

Just a thought.

 

[pogre]

Merchant Guilds

Cities in my world are usually controlled through merchant guilds. They may not make day-to-day decisions, but they hold the purse strings. There are no large standing armies, which means mercenaries in times of war. Mercenaries means the guy with the cash is in charge.

I envision the Olde Realm as a complicated web much like 15th century Italy. For advice on how to survive politically in such a world, check this out.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

The main country IMC is a constitutional monarcy under canon law.

It is an empire composed of a number of kingdoms. Each of these kingdoms have a royal family from which the ruling monarch is chosen by primogeniture. The empire its' self has a bicameral legislature, the upper house is the House of Regents which is composed of the each of the heir apparents to the various kingdoms. The lower house, the House of Delegates, is made up of representatives of population based districts, elected through universal sufferage. There are two major political factions, the mercantile Leonid Party and the agrarian Monoceran Party.

The Emperor is chosen from the monarchs of the federated kingdoms. A General election between the canidates championed by each of the parties is held every ten years. The judicial system is controled by the clergy of each kingdom's state church. Judgements made by this court can be appealed to the Ecumenical Council. This body is composed of the heads of the six denominations, and the High Lord Paladin who presides over the court, but votes only in the case of a stalemate.

 

[fusangite]

The main country IMC is a constitutional monarcy under canon law.

It is an empire composed of a number of kingdoms. Each of these kingdoms have a royal family from which the ruling monarch is chosen by primogeniture. The empire its' self has a bicameral legislature, the upper house is the House of Regents which is composed of the each of the heir apparents to the various kingdoms. The lower house, the House of Delegates, is made up of representatives of population based districts, elected through universal sufferage. There are two major political factions, the mercantile Leonid Party and the agrarian Monoceran Party.

The Emperor is chosen from the monarchs of the federated kingdoms. A General election between the canidates championed by each of the parties is held every ten years. The judicial system is controled by the clergy of each kingdom's state church. Judgements made by this court can be appealed to the Ecumenical Council. This body is composed of the heads of the six denominations, and the High Lord Paladin who presides over the court, but votes only in the case of a stalemate.

This sounds rather like the 17th and 18th century in Europe. What kind of political ideology would give rise to this system? It is very modern ideologies which gave rise to such systems historically. Has your culture gone through a similar process to the European Enlightenment?

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

This sounds rather like the 17th and 18th century in Europe. What kind of political ideology would give rise to this system? It is very modern ideologies which gave rise to such systems historically. Has your culture gone through a similar process to the European Enlightenment?

Yeah, I wanted a campaign that that combined basic fantasy archtypes with a post colonial American setting. With the discovery of a new world, many minor nobles saw the chance to carve out their own feifdoms. This was sanctioned by the monarchs of the old world kingdoms in exchange for minor periodic tributes to the home crowns. Since these new world kingdoms were less culturally dogmatic than their mother lands, they became a refuge for religious dissidents, political radicals, and and those just seeking a better life.

When the old world kingdoms broke out into continental war, the tribute they asked from the colonies became greater and greater. The new world kingdoms saw this as their chance to break from their respective home crowns. When the old world kingdoms came to retake their colonies, the new world nobles promised the common people a measure of representation in the new regiem, in exchange for their support. In exchange for a promise that the new Empire would follow canon law the clergy remained neutral. After a victory in the war, the king who led the Federated Kingdoms served as Emperor for a decade. Although he could have ruled for the rest of his life, he stepped down, and retired to his own kingdom. His example was made law by the legislature, and in a compromise between the two houses each new Emperor would be a reigning king chosen by the people.

 

[fusangite]

Thanks! Very interesting idea. I too have attempted to do some kind of RPG tribute to the American colonial experience (though not in my 3E campaigns).

 

[NoOneofConsequence]

"I told you - we're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week. But all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a bi-weekly meeting, with a simple majority, in the case of purely internal affairs, but with a two thirds majority in external affairs."

and

"Listen mate! Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical, aquatic ceremony. You can't go around calling yourself a king just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you! If I went around saying I was an emperor just 'cause some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!"

Sorry, I just had to do that!