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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 6812690" data-attributes="member: 6677017">The internet has consistently failed to provide me the simple answers regarding feudalism that I need to design my world. Since I know many of you have already done your homework, I figured I'd ask here.First: I understand that feudalism was a mess and there are exceptions and complications to everything. But I'm just trying to get the gist of it--I can make my own messes.My basic understanding is that you have your king or emperor or what-have-you at the top. He grants lands (usually encompassing most, but not necessarily all, of his own lands) to some nobles in return for military support and/or other stuff. They can in turn split up some of their lands amongst their own vassals, in exchange for goods or services. Then you have your serfs who farm the lands and pay their taxes to whoever happens to be their immediate lord.Plus, there are a variety of noble titles, some of higher rank than another.Blah, blah, blah. That's easy to find in half an hour.But what I can't find a good answer on is how the title related to the hierarchy. This should be a fundamental thing you just, you know, straight up explain in any article about it. But no. Apparently that doesn't occur to the scholar as important enough to mention in an overview.But it's pretty darn important for setting up a D&D world.Now, the old Rules Cyclopedia gave me the impression that there were constant subdivisions corresponding to the titles. So the king might divide up his lands amongst 6 dukes, who divided up their lands amongst 3-8 counts (or earls) each, who in turn divided up their lands amongst 3-8 (totally arbitrary number) barons, who maybe even divided up their lands amongst untitled knights and generic "lords." Plus, there were several other ranks in this pyramid scheme that might create additional tiers.I'm finding no evidence for that arrangement online. Maybe I misunderstood what I read in the Rules Cyclopedia (quite possible), or maybe they were just making up stuff for D&D purposes (ditto). What I am finding is that there was a variable degree of subinfeudation, and that there were a whole spectrum of titles (differing by time and location, blah blah blah). But again, I can't see if there was any relation between title and hierarchy of vassalage/land ruled, etc. And if the hierarchy of titles wasn't correlated with the hierarchy of land/vassalage, what the heck did the title represent? Just abstract degree of respect and honor accorded?Could anyone provide me with that important missing link in the data?</blockquote>

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