Logres

The Kingdom of Logres

Country
Information
Continent:	Britain
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Ruler:	None
Heir apparent:	None
Military power:	8 8
Political power:	9 9
Attitude:	N/A N/A
Coat-of-Arms
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Information

Logres is the kingdom of lowland Britain, encompassing about half of the total area of the island and most of the prime land for farming. It is divided into 25-28 counties, depending upon the time period. The realm was named after the legendary king Locrinus, the oldest son of Brutus of Troy.

It is mostly home to the Cymric culture, and is in the early stages of feudalism.

Political

In the current year of [[Timeline]], much of Uther's Logres has been chipped away by Saxons, Cornwall and infighting.

From the west, Cornwall has taken Tintagel, Ascalon and is continuing his march into the former western parts of Logres.

In the south and east the Saxons of several tribes are taking their opportunity with the lack of British king and are invading several of the border counties. Up north the northern king stems some of the Saxon tide but the northern counties are still having a hard time.

Main article, Political Map of Britain

Rulers

• First ruler - Locrinus
• 390 - 440: King Constantine the Just
• 440 - 444: King Constans the Child-king
• 444 - 463: King Vortigern the Usurper
• 463 - 466: Interregnum (Hengist)
• 466 - 480: High King Aurelius, the Last Roman
• 480 - 495: King Uther, the King of Warlords
• 495 - present: Interregnum

History

The kingdom is old. Though the leadership of the ancient tribes lost their dominant political power to Rome, the people clung to their customary ways. The Romans left most tribal traditions and boundaries intact, as long as the peasants paid into the imperial system. When the imperial presence failed, Roman Britain continued briefly before collapsing as the people flocked to the warlords who actually protected them. Each ruler has changed things just a little, adapting ideals intoreality to form the kingdom. Now the kingdom’s Ancient Laws and Customs still hold sway, overlaid with the old Roman tax system, and adapted to support a militarized society run by warlords.

The old land of Logres is said to be named after Locrinus, first amongst the sons of Brutus himself. When Brutus died, the land was split amongst his son, his oldest son took the land he called Logres, the largest and most fertile land.

When the Romans came they conquered all of the lowlands, and when they departed the local tribes were left in command again. Throughout much of the island the local lords became independent kings, but here they continued to cooperate and maintain some unity. The eastern regions, once ruled by Saxons, reverted to their pagan beliefs.

Territories

The kingdom has a vast organization to administer. It is not a government, but an extension of the king’s household. Its purpose is to collect the king’s taxes.

Dukedoms

Several decades ago King Aurelius Ambrosius divided Logres into defense zones each with a dux militum (L. “leader of soldiers”) charged with fast local defense against raiders. Each duke can call local barons of the dukedom to form an army to repel invaders, but the barons are not his vassals. Thus, a dukedom is a military administrative unit, not a civil one. There were six dukedoms in Uther's time, but in anarchy the title means little.

Counties

The kingdom is divided into 24 administrative regions called counties. A county is a contiguous geographic area that is considerable, but variable, in size. A county is not a political unit. It is strictly an administrative territory, and encompasses everything within its borders. Rarely is anyone ever the lord of an entire county, holding just of parts of it, even if he has the title of count.

Within the boundaries of these counties are the many baronial fiefs, called estates, manors, and honours, each with its own lord and its seigniorial court. These feudal lands are irregular portions of the neat county divisions, sometimes in large blocks as estates, and often as small individual manors.

Counties usually have a natural integrity, such as lying around a drainage basin (like Salisbury), along major rivers (like Rydychan), or around population centers (all). The residents therefore have a common interest, and the county court is where they express it. County courts are where the major landowners — barons, abbots, and bishops — manage their local affairs. Every county holds its court twice a year, an event of such importance that all landholders must attend or else be fined. Fines vary according to the wealth of the offender, so that a peasant would be fined two pennies, a knight two libra, a baron five libra, and a great baron ten libra. Peasant representatives from every ettlement in the county get together to stand witness in disputes, learn changes to the law, and enforce the results of criminal cases. Townsmen from across the county get together to trade their goods and the latest news.

The county court is where the king enforces Ancient Law and Custom for his people. Anyone with a complaint about a neighbor breaking the king’s law goes to court to find justice. The king will make sure justice prevails, because he is the fount of Justice. Ancient Law and Custom assures this, and everyone knows and accepts the king’s authority. It is simply what is done. These laws are all about one thing: the king’s property and his tenants. If one of the king’s laws is broken, the victim is usually a commoner, and he takes it to court to complain.

Every county has an appointed royal official called the county reeve, or sheriff, who speaks for the king there. He oversees all of the king’s business. He administers the county law court, collects all royal goods and moneys, pursues criminals, and musters and leads the county militia.

Each county has a royal castle that is held by the sheriff and used as a treasury, prison, supply storage, and mustering point for the local levy.

Towns have grown up beside each castle to handle subsidiary business, and these sites are usually called County Towns. Many of these have the same name as their territory.

Counties

• Alder () 
• Ambrius () 
• Anna’s Water () 
• Barehill () 
• Beautyfields () 
• Berroc (Britain) 
• Birchford () 
• Boarwood () 
• Bran’s Hill () 
• Chalkhill () 
• Chiefsfield () 
• Dorsette (Britain) 
• Dovesfield () 
• Ebble () 
• Elmstump () 
• Escavalon (Britain) 
• Floodriver () 
• Glevum (Britain) 
• Hillfarm () 
• Hillfort () 
• Huntland (Britain) 
• Jagent (Britain) 
• Kingsguard () 
• Lambor (Britain) 
• Linden (Britain) 
• Logres (Britain) 
• Magpie () 
• Mere () 
• Milkfield () 
• Roedeer () 
• Rydychan (Britain) 
• Salisbury (Britain) 
• Streamfield () 
• Studfold () 
• Swans () 
• Thorngate () 
• Underditch () 
• Vagon () 
• Warminster () 
• Wayhill () 
• Wereside () 
• Westfort () 
• Wheelwell () 
• Wuerensis (Britain)

Characters

Hundreds

Counties are divided into areas called hundreds. Each county has 6-25 hundreds and each hundred incorporates 10-20 settlements. In 485 Logres had 541 hundreds. In ancient days, the hundred was an organization of one hundred hides, parcels of land capable of supporting one family. Thus each hundred provided a hundred Spearmen when mustering for war. Centuries and changes in population and borders have altered that so that hundreds now vary incredibly in size and population. Hundreds are traditionally named after the place where the local court meets. It is often out of doors, although weather conditions sometimes require a moot hall(“meeting hall” today).

Each hundred has a lord, either the king or another, and an administrative apparatus to uphold and help execute the law. Hundreds held by the king are called royal hundreds, and are overseen by a royal bailiff. Private hundreds are those held by a lord other than the king. Private hundreds traditionally have a steward (instead of royal bailiff) to oversee them.

The hundred court is the most important meeting place of local government. It meets every three or four weeks and handles a wide range of local business and justice.

Royal Forests

Forests are special hunting preserves for use by the king and some warlords. Some of them do not have many trees at all, so the term is a legal designation, not a physical description. Almost a quarter of Logres is forest, mostly royal but occasionally private. Within them the animals of the chase — red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, and boar — are protected. No one but the owner of the forest may take these animals; punishment for anyone else is blinding and castration.

Even knights and clerics, who are normally protected from common law, are punished the same way for violations. Foresters, verderers, and other officials are intent upon keeping the Law.