Master Aleksandr Ruslanovich and Lady Morwenna Westerne :
Master Aleksandr Ruslanovich :
Mistress Caitlin Davies :
Master Justin du Coeur :
I don't expect any of this to impinge too strongly, and don't see any
practical reason why any of this needs to change. While the households
would hopefully provide a modicum of support, I don't think there's any
real danger of strange mixings of influence.
In practice, household/Baron mixings tend to only become problems when
the household and Barony are structured such that attaching to the
household can give someone additional informal power within the branch,
or where the household is so large and powerful that it is in danger of
overwhelming the Barony. That doesn't seem to be a danger here -- the
nature of Baronial power in Carolingia doesn't lend itself easily to
that sort
of influence-sharing, and the group is so large and diverse that it
would be extremely difficult for any one household to become excessively
powerful.
Lord Diego Mundoz :
Lady Emmanuelle de Chenonceaux :
Master Seamus Donn :
As for households, primarily I am a member of my Knight's household, and the head of my own household. As Baron I would still be a friend to my Knight's household, but
Carolingia would have to come first. As for my own household, it is likely that I would still take on proteges and retainers, but I would probably appoint someone else as
"head" if I were to be Baron. I have recently started a third household, which a charter that has to do with improving the fairness with which awards are given out. But that is
only just starting up, and I am just in an advisory role in that.
Mistress Gwendolyn of Middlemarch :
I anticipate developing a group of people willing to
essentially be the baronial coronet's staff and
entourage over time. Some of these people would be
officers of the barony, Golden Gryphon Pursuivant for
one, others would be more personal help. I'm sure this
will take time to develop.
Lord Kali Harlansson of Gotland :
I was once in the House of the Great Bell; while it never formally dissolved,
it did scatter to three coasts and I'm the only one left in Carolingia. I
did swear fealty to Sir Patri, but he's not very active either. I don't
anticipate either of those relationships would be a factor if I were Baron.
(I was also one of Vissevald's thegns many years ago - Thegn 1A in fact.)
Seigneur Jehan du Lac :
Master John McGuire :
I have a new apprentice, Gisele who is a long distance apprentice in any
case.
I expect that there will be no difference in that relationship, other than I
will
still reccomend that she move back to Boston. I may ask her to help as a
retainer at an occasional event, but that will depend on her being local at
the time..
Shi Hua Fu and Lady Yelizaveta Medvedeva :
Neither of us belongs to a household. We tried to build one a
few years ago, but the people involved (including us) were all busy
people and it fell to neglect. We have informal ties to House Flying
Bear in Settmour Swamp (Timothy of Arindale), Duchy Tarragon, and Folkvang.
I have two apprentices, both of whom live outside the kingdom. I
don't think this will effect my relationships with them, but I think I
will forego taking another apprentice for the first year I am baron.
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I belong to House Windsmeet, of which I am a founding member. I belong
also to House Silverwing, as a former protegee of Steffan ap Kennydd's.
As a Pelican, I choose to be in fealty to TRM Lucan and Yana.
As baron and baroness, Justin and I will be required to be in fealty to
the Crown, as we would be holding the lands in fief.
Yes, we're both in House Silverwing. (And Caitlin is in Windsmeet.) Both
households are relatively informal affairs, more collections of friends
than anything highly structured. I have one current apprentice (Nora
Stewart), and occasionally contemplate taking another.
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I am squired to Sir Andros ap Anlawdd, and thus a
nominal member of House Hakim. As Andros has been inactive for
many years I don't see that as a problem, though I would find a
way to clarify loyalties and obligations before receiving the
coronet. I have one person on staff. (Not feudal reatiner,
employee.)
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I belong to a formal household, alas now defunct. I have no fealty conflicts.
There are three aspects to my fealty: my landed fealty, the fealty of my sword, and the fealty of my service. As a subject, my landed fealty goes to the Baron and
Baroness of Carolingia. It is their land I live in, and that is the land to which I am due my support. The fealty of my sword, as a squire, goes to my Knight. When he needs me
to support him, my sword will be at his side. The fealty of my service, as a Pelican, has flipped between the monarchs of the East and Drachenwald. By default I swear fealty
to the Crown of the East. But when personal friends have secured the throne of Drachenwald, or they have requested specific service during Pennsic, I have given my fealty
to them. Yes, there is potential for conflict. But because the potential is low enough, I have not worried overmuch about what would happen in such a theoretical case.
As Baron, the case would be rather different. My landed fealty must go to the crown of the East, and the fealty of my sword and service to the people of Carolingia. With
tears in my eyes I would ask my Knight to release me from service, but he is an honourable man and I have no doubt he would do so, or agree that if continued to wear a red
belt in his honor, that he would never call upon me to act against my commitment to Carolingia.
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I do not belong to a formal household. I am in fealty
to their majesties, since I am a peer. I have two
apprentices.
"Fiefs"? I don't think any of us have "fiefs". Do you mean feudal
dependents? None currently, though I have taken pages/equerries in the past.
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I do not belong to a household. I am in fealty to Master Kobiyashi. I do
not see that changing. I do expect to try to create a kind of baronial
"household," in emulation of the great medieval household rather than
the SCA-specific institution. Historically, a great household was a very
fluid structure where vassals, retainers, fosterlings, servants, and
guests all passed thru, spent part of their time, got a little mentoring
and social polish in exchange for their service of helping the household
run and making the lord look good by the size of his entourage. (I feel
a seminar coming on.) I do not view this as an "exclusive" kind of
thing, but a way of nurturing people and giving the barony more
pagentry. Part of it would be composed of the baronial guard, pages,
champions, and of course, musicians (can't have a court without
music!). Elsewhere I have mentioned my ideas about a baronial guard, to
be made up of 2-3 people from each martial art who would be selected
from the most promising up-and-coming fighters to serve for a year or
two, and also baronial pages, which would be promising A&S or
service-oriented people who would serve a similar term. And since we
French are always trying to emulate the Italians, I would want to be a
patron of the arts, encouraging poets and scholars and the like. It is
perfectly period to have a number of significant relationships, multiple
fealties, patrons and clients, so none of this would preclude people
from developing other attachments.
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I am the sole Elizabethan in a mercenary Viking household that is almost
defunct... There are three of us still active, and four others that at best
attend
one event a year. If I become Baron, I will activate the "gone aviking"
clause
of our charter, for the extent of my reign. I will personally bribe my clan
chief
to come fight for Carolingia. ("In Odin we trust, all others pay cash."
clan motto.)
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Hua Fu is not the member of a household and is not in fealty, nor does
he have fiefs. Yelizaveta is a member of House Windsmeet, which
should not present any impediment to the position of Baroness. She is
the apprentice of Mistress Gwendolyn of Middlemarch, and any changes
to that would be discussed between them. On the whole, no real
changes would be anticipated except to keep the ties as part of our
personal lives and not incorporate them into the public lives. Yeliz
long ago learned to lean on the household when needed, and takes a
share of the burden when someone else needs to do it. Everyone needs
a support system to get them through the hard parts, and trying to be
Baron/ess without them could be a mistake.
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