Apulia Politics

General: Redwoods used to be common along the coast but have been deforested. All around the Gubros mountains and foothills have huge numbers of Giant Redwoods.

Draw geneology of King Eik and heirs

King Eik's Arms: Two headed Eagle on Yellow, Yellow is the most common color of arms for knights in the kingdom.

Freemen, Yeomen, and Serfs
When Apulia was temporarily conquered by the Goblins, they made all serfs into freemen. When King Eik conquered the area, his advisors told him that the freemen would not go back to being serfs, so he left them as freemen, but allowed some to become yeomen, see above discussion.

The Kingdom of Eik
The King owns all game in the kingdom. The King's hunters and nobles are the only ones allowed to hunt the King's game. The King has a King's hunter assigned to the house of most noble families. This scout and man-at-arms owes fealty to the king directly and reports to him through the hierarchy of hunters. This allows the king to spy on his men and support them militarily with good scouts (a definite battle advantage)

Most martial schools, temples, monastaries, etc. do not owe direct fealty to the King, but instead to a local leader.

Most Bishops live in Riga and owe fealty to the King directly

In Melbin: Giuseppi paid a contact of his to give him access to the old Imperial archives of Melbin. These archives have many maps, charts, and guides to sites in the mountains north of the city of Riga (King Eik's capitol.) Giuseppi looks at several different sites in order to get addtional information on a lead he is currently checking out. If the party thinks to look at the archives the actual clerk who showed Giuseppi the information is the Spini contact, so he will misdirect the party toward the direction of an (explored) Gerrican mine.

Non-Knightly Orders
King's Feathermen: two ranks, Hunters and Scouts

Knightly Orders
The Kingdom has two knightly orders. These orders were set up to provide a alternate set of connections and loyaties between knights, not just based on who their liege baron is and to reduce deadly conflict between knights of the kingdom.

The Order of the Black Rose: Knights of the Queen
The Order of the Lake, The King's Knights: Elite order of the realm. Their job is to travel the Kingdom of Eik and promote chivalry and destroy banditry. They travel to regional and other tournaments to enhance the Kingdom's image. Most of these knights are well off second sons and are supported by the King. They have quite free reign (within the whims of the Grandmaster) . Many knights in the realm aspire to become King's Knights. The King's Knights also
The Order of Logieren: Lead by King Eik III's first son. Secret society which goes beyond just Apulia. Has ties and language from Teutans.

Gerrican vs. Galeric
Most of the indigenous people in Apulia speak Gerrican and have Gerrican culture. The followers of King Eik who took over the region are Galeric speakers (Flin) which has become the Apulian dialect. [Conflict is similar to Saxon and Norman conflict in England about 1100AD, see Ivanhoe]. Before arrival of King Eik, the Gerricans rarely used Heraldic arms and had their old system of crests coopted by the Goblin system.

Gerrican Sword Societies: Allowed to continue due to the coopting by the King to overthrow the old order and protect against potential goblin reconquest. Without the support of these sword societies, King Eik I would have not unified the kingdom. The price of this support is finanacial aid to societies by the King, in perpetuity as long as the society has the ability to muster 25 swordsmen annually for service to the King.

The Kings Judges and the Law
King's judges are called Justicars and generate a substantial revenue for the king. They are located in the cities or large towns. Arbiters are junior Judges that advise local lords on the king's behalf so that some justice occurs locally. Successful Abiters become Justicars and are paid well. Most issues are handled through negotiation and wereguild-type payments. All capital crimes are handled only by Justicars. Justicars carry on the old system of justice of the Imperial system and is relatively new to Apulia

Non-nobles cannot bear arms except under a few situations: in a Guild recognized by the King (such as Riga Mercenary Guild) (or in a Gerrican Sword Society with Monomon-recognized Crest), part of an Abbey/Monastary. All under arms must bear Heraldic or Monomon arms/crests.

Political structure

Coffee houses are revolutionary meeting locations that have sprouted in many cities and having a restricted attendence by the members of the revolutionary group. "An association of like-minded people."

The various Bishops live in Riga and report directly to the [Archbishop or King's Advisor]. Each Bishop has Abbots and High Priests reporting to them. Some Bishops are much more powerful than others. Almost no bishops report to a Baron, Count, etc.

King Luigi Eik III: King begins beta unmarried and 30 years old. Family crest is a two headed eagle because of the Eik family reputation for seeing all threats and anticipating them. [Browbeater, overbearing, wants everything accomplished all at once, right now.]

Metua the Priest (contact) advisor to the king, old, wise, lazy, retiring

Sons of the King are all his household knights (except the 3rd son who is Deacon)
First son of King Eik III, is the leader of the Order of Logieren

Count Lapo Eik (King's 2nd Brother) Lake Frontier
Tegghiaio Pazzi, advisor to Count Lapo Caini

Count XX XX (Gerrican elite who joined Eik)
Leader of Sword sect, has converted his sect into knights, the sect is now a knightly order
Vassal of an Archbishop based in Melbin

Arch Bishop XX Eik (King's 3rd Brother)
Players get involved in Malcomn X-like religious conflict because of . . .

Baron Francesco Eik (King's 4th Brother)
Knights of the Realm, static raiders (not expansionist), youngest brother of the King, and is a fuck-up, facinated with monsters.

Baron Luca Caponi (King's Brother-in-Law)
Married younger sister of the King, predator on the character's lands
Vassal of Count Caponi in the River knights lands (his father), owns lands there too

Baron Salvestro Castellani (King's Uncle, youngest) Goblin and Monster frontier
Liege of the characters

Swamps of Apulia contain many aligators and aligator demons and spirits.

Minor Kingdoms

Personalities
Varana, swamp hag and goblin eater, has throng of followers/slaves

xx Cabal

XX Confederation

XX Farmer's Collective

Coalition of XX Merchants

Bishopric with several Monastaries and Militant Monks

Others Indigenous tribes

Pre-Gerrican Tribe (used to be around lake) Babalonian-like long beared horsemen with the culture of Kurds and Kurdish names

Fairie and Giants

Independent Entities

Monsters

King's Sherrif living in village on kingdom side of lake (player)

Merchant Dover: Has an extensive mining and armory operation, supplying significant quantities of high end plate armor. Arms his own footmen well and has a trade fleet that delivers his and other goods to Melbin (and beyond, because of alliances with Melbin, actually protection money paid.) Dover sons are factors in Metro, Melbin, Majorca, and Jullar. Allied with Raving Harpies of Kiz, who protect his mining operations.