Region

A region is the smallest division of land on any continent. The vast majority of regions are controlled by realms, but they may also be rogue; that is, under control of no realm and in a state of anarchy. In order for a realm to exist, it must control one or more regions. From these regions, it recieves taxes and areas to build land and grow food. A landed lord is the lowest position of power in a realm.

Region Types

All regions are classified as belonging to one of the following types. The type of a region has some effect on what it can be used for.

Fortifications can only be built on townsland (maximum Level 2), stronghold and cities (both maximum Level 6)

Some economic infrastructure cannot be built or subject to conditions in certain regions. For instance:

Scout Guild: Cannot be built in cities and stronghold.
Recruitment Centre: Rural, Woodland and Badlands have limits on size expansion.

Badlands

This is a general type for inhospitable and hostile regions, such as the center of deserts or icy wastes. Badlands are usually almost uninhabited, but some of them offer valuable resources such as gold or furs, while others are locations of strategic importance.

Rural

The most common region type is rural regions. Fields and villages lie within forests and plains, but there are no large settlements. Rural regions usually supply the bulk of food and other resources to a realm.

Woodland

Dense forests that usually combine forestry, hunting and farming. While they yield not as much food as a rural region, they have a stronger economy and produce more gold.

Mountains

Extensive mountain ranges, usually with a low population but critical resources such as ore or precious stones. Movement through the mountains is often very slow and it is sometimes faster to travel around, even if it is the longer way.

Townsland

More densely populated areas, especially close to rivers, are classified as townsland. Aside from numerous villages, there are a number of smaller and larger towns. These towns can be fortified, making the townsland easier to defend.

City

The region has a major city which dominates it. Cities can be heavily fortified and usually offer the most advanced recruitment options due to the availability of craftsmen.

Stronghold

Some regions are dominated by extensive fortified strongholds. These offer the highest defensive options, but are otherwise usually equal to rural or even badland regions, depending on where they have been built.

Region Control

A region is controlled by a landed lord, such as a Count. These lords are appointed or removed by the ruler of the realm that controls the region. It is required that a candidate be of the rank of knight or greater, and present in the region to be appointed. Additional ways that one can attain lordship of a region. In one such way, a person may be appointed by the Duke/Duchess of a lordless region if it is already part of that particular duchy. If the control of the region should ever move to another relam, then the position is automatically lost. This also happens if the region turns rogue.

The lord manages the day-to-day affairs of the region, including managing the militia, repairing fortifications and holding court. It is their duty to make sure the region stays loyal, happy and under the control of the realm. In return, they are given a percentage of the realm's earnings seperate to normal realm taxes on tax day. Frequently, but not always, the members of the realm council (Ruler, General, Judge, Banker) have such a position.

A lord of a city or stronghold is called a Duke or Duchess, and rules a Duchy. Duchy's are subdivisions in the realm, giving a few nobles some control over a small number of regions and lesser lords. All these lords also answer to the ruler.

Region Stats

There are four stats making up the core of management around a region: production, morale, loyalty and control. All of these are represented as percentages and will have an effect on the successful management of a region to maximise its benefit to the realm.

Production

Production is the ability of the region to maximise its productivity in things such as raising gold and growing food. The percentage shown can fluctuate within 5% in any larger, busier realm and will usually bounce back to 100% relatively quickly. It can also be recovered by civil work. However, if a battle taxes place in a region, infastructure may be damaged and production is likely to fall to some degree.

Morale

Morale is the happiness of the population in the region. Higher morale can increase production, loyalty and increased resistance to invaders. Lower morale can cause unpatriotic sentiment to take root and may make the population more likely to resist your rule.

Loyalty

The loyalty to the realm. Higher loyalty means increased resistance to invaders, easier takeovers (if you are invading) and increased readiness to accept the realm's rule. If loyalty is low, then many options such as holding court will not work. Loyalty will increase as the region rebuilds infastructure through police work, civil work, heroes telling tales and other work. Alternatively, brutal subjugation of the people with harsh courts and military rule makes sure that fear keeps the regions in line.

Control

There are five levels of control: core, main, province, occupied and rogue. These change varying on the wishes for independence by the population of the region. Rogue means the population has risen up and taken to governing themselves, and are under no realms rule. Occupied is the lowest form of realm rule, and indicates strong desire to be independent. This continues all the way to main and core, where the population is fully integrated within the realm and harbour no desires of independence.

In most realms, only the inner regions will be core for long. Regions a little away from the capital are perfectly good if they are main, and while they can be brought up to core temporarily with enough work, there is no practical use for doing so.

Independence

A number of factors will effect how much the populace desires independence from the realm:

• Realm Size - The larger the realm, the more the population will be discontent. Typically measured as the distance from the capital.
• Tax Rate - The higher the tax rate, the more the population will be discontent (this will vary between regions).
• Military Size - the larger the realm's military, the more discontent the population will be.
• Battles and looting by enemy realms in the region.
• Council or region lord positions unfilled.

Bureaucrats may gather information on how high levels of independence are. A temple visit by any troop leader will also often share some information on the popularity of independence groups. Finally, if your family is in the region, you can visit your Aunt and your Uncle will give you a rough estimate of how sympathetic the people are to the independence movement.