A Treatise on Economic fulfillment, the funding of the nobility and the Theme system/The Funding of the Nobility

The Funding of the Nobility

The beginning of this second chapter will outline the various premises I aim to discuss and examine.

• Proper Funding Required of the Nobility: A minimum amount should reach the coffers of each noble week on week, supplemented by additional monthly incomes provided by the realm at large. This allows a noble to properly pursue all matters of the realm, including warfare, education and other pursuits of noble interest. Without such, a noble is reduced to that of a mere peasant, unable to fund a proper retinue or increase their lands as expected.

• Efficient Structuring of the Knightly Estate: Proper research conducted into the management of estates has yielded some surprising results. Whilst it is often preferable to maintain efficiency over size, this is not always a beneficial stance, as will be explained further on. With more properly managed estates, the lords and knights maintaining them can yield even greater revenues to fund their endeavours.

• Appropriate Spending of Wider Realm Funds: An evaluation of the use of realm funding need be done to ascertain when, where and how realm funds should be spent. Without a critique of this, realm funds often lie idle within the treasury when they could be put to more productive uses, such as the construction of guilds, temples, funding of armies and more.

The next section shall discuss the initial point in question; the funding of the nobility.

Proper Funding Required of the Nobility

A properly funded nobility is the cornerstone to any realms expansion of internal and foreign affairs. Raising the funds has already been discussed, and as such the distribution of these funds, from the lowliest field to the highest palace towers, need be examined. Some of these points have already been examined briefly in the previous chapter, but I aim to expand them here to properly explain my views on the subject at hand.

The first point I would raise is the brackets of what is acceptable as an income for the nobility, and how much would be preferable for any one particular noble. This is substantiated by some facts I have collated from Luria's own expenditures, although this should not vary so much from place to place. For example, a cadre of twenty well trained and armed Lurian arbalests costs 200 gold to hire. With the requisite paraphernalia added on and the upkeep taken into consideration, fielding this unit will cost around 250 to set up, and 100 per week to maintain. These are conservative estimates, and of course this is assuming one of the most popular and expensive retinues within the Lurian empire. Many retinues will cost substantially less.

• Sub one hundred gold income: Nobility located in provinces which provide them the paltry sum of less than one hundred gold per tax week ought to seek restitution via other means. Of course, knights should be relocated via decree to more prosperous areas in order to receive a more acceptable income. The stewards of these regions, however, should be offered monthly compensation via a guild house in order to supplement their income. A case by case basis should be applied to each region of this level and appropriately ranked in the guild houses that distribute funds.

• One hundred to one hundred and fifty gold income: A more acceptable level, nobles who reside in provinces of this amount of gold should have relatively little coin to spend, but enough to keep most pressing matters at bay. This weekly income should be able to outfit a small retinue, regularly help fund projects overtime, but on the whole be somewhat penniless after spending. A flat monthly stipend from the guild house that provides additional funds should range between 200-400, depending on realm treasury and how well funded these regions need to be.

• One hundred and fifty to two hundred gold income: An average income for a noble. This amount of gold should upkeep an acceptable force, fund projects week on week, and have some to spare. A monthly stipend from the guild house should still be considered, so that each noble may be able to raise additional resources should the realm require it. I would advise no more than 100-200 however.

• Over two hundred gold income: The prime income of a noble. What every realm should aim the majority of their nobility to earn week on week. This will upkeep a sizable retinue and fund extensive projects. A monthly stipend from the guild house is probably unnecessary, but if the realm is deemed rich enough, 50-100 should suffice.

From these estimates, one might begin to build a picture of how much a noble should be earning month on month. The realm should aim for an average of 800-1000 gold per month, or 200-250 per week. Since guild house stipends/revenues are only calculated month on month (and the day of joining to boot), bureaucracy can be a little annoying to work out when nobles will receive their funds and no.

As has been mentioned several times above, a noble guild of clerks should be established to facilitate the granting of additional funds to nobles with poor estates. This keeps the realm in good order, and allows the nobility to pursue greater things with their increased resources. It also reduces grumbling from nobles who resent earning less than those that tactfully choose their estates in more prosperous regions. I would recommend keeping the guild houses providing this additional income in each major gold producing province, likely the cities, although additional guild houses should be constructed in order to spread out the guild funds where possible. For a working example of this practice currently in place, see the Grand Pantry of Luria Nova, currently operated by Margravine Ciarghuala Dubhaine, Grand Panetier of Luria Nova.

There is little more to discuss on this matter, as revenues earned only explains how wealthy a noble might be. Whilst it might seem appropriate to now explore how a noble should spend their funds, this treatise aims to examine the accumulation of this wealth in more detail. Once that has been touched upon, then might I enlighten the reader of how they should spend their hard earned gold.

Efficient Structuring of the Knightly Estate

The question of how best to structure the lands upon which the peasantry work has been one that has plagued me for some time. I have attempted various different kinds of management, and turned up various results. However, what struck me was that the highest efficiency required many keen eyes and diligent hands. Thusly, a large group of knights under their lord. This of course is not viable in Dwilight, as many of the greater nobility have been slain by monsters and the restless dead. Due to such, I began to experiment with what I call the 'headman' system. Alternatively; 'princeps', 'kephale' or 'hauptman' depending on where you are and who you're speaking to in Luria Nova.

This system requires a few things before it is worth implementing.

• First, that the lands it is used upon are not wealthy, for these provinces would be better put to use with many hands.

• Second, that the lands are without knights at all, as they only siphon income from the lord when they would be better off taking estate elsewhere.

Once these requirements are fulfilled, the lord ought to take as much land into their possession so that their estate remains above half of what they can reasonably manage. Keeping the stewards and other servants of the estate busy at all times breeds diligence, and whilst some funds will no doubt be lost by this, it ends up being more economically viable than having a competitively small estate in a land that does not provide much wealth. Once this is achieved, the lord will be taking as much gold from the land as they can manage from their singular estate. Then, the rest of the land be put under various headman's, village elders and otherwise competent village officials. These empty estates, fully efficient should a knight take them up, can later be filled once Dwilight's noble lines begin to replenish, but for now the locals manage them on behalf of the lord. Many funds will be lost purely on the slothfulness and kindheartedness of commoner to commoner relations, but it is still more efficient than a knight taking up the land and taxing them, as a lord would have to tax their knights more than half of their earnings (which is an absurd notion).

For estates in territory that makes more substantial earnings, refer to the previous section. Knights should be channeled toward lands where they may earn higher amounts of gold week on week, and given smaller yet fully efficient lands. Many knights keeping an eye on fewer, richer burghers and merchants is better for the realm at large, than having them breathe down the necks of rural farmers. After all, the farmers will still provide as much food as they can, and this should be considered their tax to the realm (although monetary compensation for their defense and well-being is still necessary).

Overall, this should put more marginal rural lands to full use, and channel the precious noble manpower that a realm has to more fruitful locales. This has the added benefit of placing the majority of a realms knights in strategical, central locations, allowing them to range throughout the realm with haste and with resources to spare. The lords that manage these less prosperous territories will have to rely on their own acumen and leadership to survive, since they will be without knights to conduct tasks for them. However, in a purely pragmatic stance, this is the only efficient way for Dwilight to run its estates given the circumstances.

Since the estates are now managed properly, one must turn to the treasury they no doubt will stock in time to come. The usage of gold must be managed with a wise and even hand, as knowing how much to stock and how much to spend must be a thought rulers should contemplate regularly. The next section will analyse this in detail.

Appropriate Spending of Wider Realm Funds

Before it is decided how much a realm should spend on various activities, a realm should first extract a report of the earnings of each region. This is simple enough via the tax records collected by clerks, but that is when a ruler need decide where the shortfalls and surpluses lie. A ruler should then send additional emergency funds where necessary, and calculate the remainder.

Once a treasury report has been established, the ruler should decide how to spend, or save, the accumulated wealth. A number of factors need be taken into consideration, and I will not go into how a ruler should rule their lands, only how the wealth should be spent effectively. The different factors that need to be taken are as follows.

• Recruiting Retinues: Of course, one of the most important things gold can pay for, the maintenance and recruitment of the soldiery required to defend the realm. Generally, the realm should collate the opinions of the nobility about which regiments are recruited from the most. These barracks ought to be funded to their maximum size as soon as possible, to facilitate the demand from the realm. This should be done for all types of fighting forces, so that a combined army might be achieved. Then, the costs of recruiting a twenty man regiment, along with the necessary paraphernalia for such and the upkeep of said regiment for one week ought to be determined. This cost should be the baseline for the army, and said information should be made readily available throughout the realm.

• Funding Armies: This does not just relate to the war chest of any armed force, but also the fighting men and women held under it. Each individual should have enough spare funds to raise an acceptable regiment at any given time (although not all should support a fighting regiment at all times, notably members of the courts). Once each member has a reasonable stock spare, then extra should be split among all nobles so that training and repairs can be conducted where necessary. Once the armies have been properly trained and maintained, then a ruler can be satisfied that their realm will not fall easily to any incursions.

• Investing in Regions: The construction of guilds, temples and recruitment centers are all important facets of realm management. A ruler and their realm at large should determine how important certain guilds are and their construction across the land, and act accordingly. At least a small temple should be constructed in every province of the states religion, so that the commoners might have their spiritual needs fulfilled. Recruitment centers for the soldiery of the realm is a more delicate subject. I would advise that each populous and wealthy land in the realm (cities and townslands spring to mind) should have their own regiments, likely cavalry and special forces given their wealth and populations, although additional archer and infantry centers if they are of substantial quality may be considered. Provincial archers and infantry ought to be found in rural and less valuable regions, and no more than one or two for the sake of upkeep. The investment of regions should take place only after a realms armies are properly funded, as without troops, rampant monsters and undead will bring a realm to its knees no matter how prosperous it might be.

• Donating to Guilds: Once all other things have been considered, a ruler might decide to store the realms funds in various guilds instead of the treasury directly. This should take place after the recruitment of soldiers, but perhaps before investment into regions, this is up to discretion. The reasons for this are as such; a ruler should make certain that the guild which provides additional funds to each noble is well stocked, at least in the capital, but in multiple central locations if possible. Once the nobility can receive their just dues, then a ruler might focus on other guilds that may need coin.

• Stockpiling the Surplus: A ruler should endeavour to keep some funds spare in case ill fortune strikes, but this should be determined by the good sense of the ruler in question. Some realms cannot afford to start stockpiling their funds due to the nature of their circumstances, such as at war or expensive projects underway. Others may see a substantial enough income that investment can be conducted safely before funds are stored. Regardless, a treasury should be created and its audits conducted regularly, so that the realm may know how many funds are available to them at any given time. Ideally, a realm could stock enough funding to supply every noble in their realm a retinue of twenty of their good fighters for a month, allowing them to hastily fund a defensive army in case disaster strikes.

There are other activities a realm may wish to spend or save their gold on, such as through diplomatic efforts, tournaments and trade (which were spoke of previously), but these are not as urgent as the above examples. This concludes the chapter on the funding of the nobility, and I believe that any who have read this far not only find themselves managing a populous, productive, stable estate that extracts as much coin as possible, but knows how much they are due and where they ought spend their gold. Together, these chapters should combine to outline the structure of a well ordered economy, from the ground up. In the next chapter, I will be making some more observations on how Luria Nova specifically should be managed, although many of the suggestions could be applied to most realms.