On Thu, 15 Jan 1998, Simon Graindorge wrote:
> 1. Establishing a level 1 holding:
>
> Is there any way to ‘encroach’ on another ruler’s territory, without
> [. . .] destroying ALL of their holdings? [. . .] It seems strange to me
> that there is no way (unless I have misread the rules) to reduce
> somebody’s holding level (by one) so that you could establish a level 1
> holding. I agree that it should be difficult to do, and obviously the
> larger the existing holding level the more difficult it will be. Any
> comments are (very) much appreciated.
>
I too have had some problem with the all or nothing character of the
contest action. Power is gradually whittled away by one side or another.
Second, nature abhores a vacume. There should never be a time where
holdings are vacant. Holdings might be held by smaller figures in the
collapse of greater power, but networks don’y dissolve, they devolve
unto more local authorities. Clearly the collapse of the Carolingian
Empire demonstrate how holdings lost to the center (the successors of
Charlemagne) were not simply empty, but rather immediatly assumed by local
lords. The same thing happened after the battle of Mohacs (1526) in which
Hungary was partitioned. In BR terms, the regent died with no presumed
heir, his regency was lost, and his holdings up for grabs. There was no
viable heir recognized by the Hungarian nobility to assume the crown in
Louis’ place. What happened was the local nobles assumed the law holdings
and collected regency in penny-packets. Three central entities began
immediatly attracting these nobles to them: the victorious Turks who had
won the battle of Mohacs, Ferdinand of Habsburg, and John Zapolya the
viovode of Transylvania. Christian Hungarians were not siding with the
Turk, but where the Turks had control (the middle third of the country)
they could establish holdings and build them up. John Zapolya, as viovode
of Transylvania, was an important Hungarian noble. He was therefore the
national candidate for those nobles who did not wish to support either the
Turks or the Habsburgs, but held out for a Hungarian king rather than
incorporation in a larger empire. Zapolya’s father in law was also king
of Poland, and thus able to loan him GB and RP. Ferdinand’s grandfather,
the Emperor Maximilian, had conducted another of his famous marraige
alliances with Hungary-Bohemia before his death (it was Max’s marriages
that gave Charles V his great empire). Ferdinand married the Hungarian
princess Anne Jagellon, while his sister Mary (Habsburg) married Louis II
Jagellon, king of Hungary and Bohemia. With Louis’ death, his widowed
queen, Mary, and his sister, Anne, became advocates of Ferdinand’s
candidacy. Getting GB and RP from his brother Charles V, Holy Roman
Emperor and King of Spain. What happened is a shift, back and forth
between Ferdinand and Zapolya. While many law holdings were not held by
either Ferdinand or Zapolya, they were not absent, but held by local
nobles. At various times, after this battle, or that bribe, or such and
such a pronouncement by prominant bishops, holdings drifted back and
forth.
Rather than the all or nothing character of the present contest system.
Contest actions should be for one holding at at time.
It should still be possible to use the contest action to neutralize a
group of holdings as per p. 52 of the rulebook, but should cost 2RP and
1GB per level of the holding suspended. This would represent pogroms
against enemies of the crown. If the people hated the attacked regent,
this would be the only cost. But, if the people were merely indifferent
to them, it should also drop a level of loyalty in the province.
Kenneth Gauck
c558382@showme.missouri.edu