5001-HârnWorld/3rd Edition/15

Although feudalism implies decentralization of royal government, few Hârnic kings rely entirely on feudal magnates to provide government of the realm. For one thing, the conduct of foreign affairs is an exclusive royal privilege. Secondly, with regard to domestic affairs, feudal nobles tend to place their own interests above those of the crown. To help them govern, Hârnic monarchs have created royal bureaucracies and divided their realms into a system of royal shires.

The Royal Bureaucracy
There are four basic departments in royal government: Chamber, Chancery, Exchequer, and Constabulary. The monarch appoints the officers in charge of each department; this is often an exercise in nepotism. There is a great deal of bribery and intrigue to obtain positions in the royal service, even though there is little tenure. When someone loses favor, his appointees (mostly relatives) may also be purged. The appeal in such a job is really the exercise of power and prestige.

The Chamber
Run by the Royal Chamberlain, this department is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the royal household. The Chamberlain wields immense power due to his overall familiarity with royal affairs and his right to control access to the monarch.

The Chancery
The Lord Chancellor is responsible for the general government and judiciary of the kingdom as a whole. He presides over the chancery court, the highest court below that of the king.

The Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the chief financial officer of the realm. His responsibilities include the collection of royal revenues (through the sheriffs) from the provinces and towns. He also controls the minting of coins and advises the king on budgetary matters.

The Constabulary
The Lord Constable is the kingdom’s chief military officer. Some kingdoms call this official Lord Warden or Lord High Sheriff. He is generally the constable of the royal seat and oversees all other royal constables, sheriffs of the realm, etc. His department, more than any other, interacts with the other three, financial matters being referred to the Exchequer, judicial matters to the Chancery, and so on. In the king’s absence or death, this powerful individual may function, effectively, as “deputy king.”

ROYAL SHIRES
Except for Chybisa, all feudal kingdoms on Hârn are divided into judicial provinces called shires, which are subdivided into hundreds. By design, the boundaries of shires and hundreds often cut through the holdings of great nobles, which creates some interesting judicial problems. The chief royal officer of a shire is called a Sheriff (shire-reeve); that of a hundred is termed the Bailiff of the Hundred.

Sheriffs
Appointed by the crown, sheriffs are responsible for administering royal justice and collecting all royal revenues within their shires. The sheriff presides at the royal courts (open only to freemen) held in the shire moots at regular intervals and may initiate prosecution of those who offend the King’s Law. Most shires are “farmed” by the crown; annual taxes and other revenues in the shire are estimated by the Exchequer and paid by the sheriff in advance. He may then collect all royal revenues for himself; he is always vigilant because he may keep any “profit” for himself. Sheriffs command a royal keep or castle plus a company or two of mercenaries. In terms of power and influence, sheriffs are the equal of earls although the office and its privileges are not hereditary.

Royal Forests
Some hundreds are designated “royal forests” and are administered under Forest Law and theoretically reserved to the king for hunting. “Forest” is a legal term that has nothing to do with trees, although most such areas are wooded. Forest law prohibits any activity harmful to most wildlife and is unpopular with those who live under it. Poaching is probably the most common crime on Hârn. It is particularly dangerous in royal forests, which are policed by royal foresters who are apt to be harsh in their judgments. A first offender might be beaten and fined. A repeat offender may be branded or summarily hanged.

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