Hârn Manor Manor Budget

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Wealth from the Forest

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Manor 23

Manor Budget

FIEF BUDGET

Weather Index

An index ranging from 0.65 to 1.35 that reflects the effects of the weather on yields. Generate the Weather Index with a 3d6 roll on the the Weather Index Table. Record the index in the space provided.

[1] Woods

The labor expended and the kind produced from the fief's woods. Only acres on which labor is spent can be included. Revenue reflects the value of woodland products such as fish, game, furs, berries, herbs, etc.

• Yield: Basic Yield (18d) × LQ × FI × WI.
• Acres: Woods on which labor is spent.
• Labor: Woods Acres × 3 days.
• Kind: Woods Acres × Woods Yield.

Note:  Modify Kind by Woodward success roll.

[2] Crops

The labor expended and the kind harvested from the fields of crops.

• Yield: Basic Yield (60d) × LQ × FI × WI.
• Acres: Cropland on which labor is spent. Record as 50% of Cleared

Acres if not already known. Cropland can never be less than 30% of Cleared Acres to ensure there is enough food to feed the tenants and livestock over the winter.

• Labor: Cropland Acres × 6 days.
• Kind: Cropland Acres × Cropland Yield.

Note:  Modify Kind by Reeve success roll. Note:  Add Crops detail (Manor 29).

[3] Pasture

Cleared acres used to graze the livestock. The animals provide milk, wool, meat, hides, and power, and also fertilize the fallow land with their manure.

• Yield: Basic Yield (90d) × LQ × FI × WI.
• Acres: Pasture on which labor is spent tending livestock. Record as 50% of Cleared Acres unless already known. Maximum pasture is 70%

of Cleared Acres. Minimum Pasture is 30%, which ensures there is enough land to feed the oxen that plow the fields.

• Labor: Pasture Acres × 10 days.
• Kind: Pasture Acres × Pasture Yield.

Note:  Modify Kind by Herder success roll. Note:  Add Livestock detail (Manor 30).

SIDEBARS

BASIC YIELDS Table

BASIC YIELDS Woods Cropland Pasture Basic Yields 18d 60d 90d

WEATHER INDEX TABLE

WEATHER INDEX TABLE 3d6 Weather Index 3 Disastrous 0.65 4 0.70 5 Poor 0.75 6 0.80 7 Fair 0.85 8 0.90 9 0.95 10–11 Average 1.00 12 1.05 13 Good 1.10 14 1.15 15 Very Good 1.20 16 1.25 17 1.30 18 Excellent 1.35

Weather

Weather and disease have a crucial effect on crop and livestock yields. Good weather is not simply a matter of being "hot and dry." Crops require the right amounts of rain and sunshine; too much or too little of either at the wrong time can be disastrous. Animals too are affected by the weather because the yields of pasture and hay are affected. Both crops and animals are susceptible to disease when the weather is unseasonal.

 Weather Averaging

Roll five times, once for each month in the crop-growing season, and determine the weather by averaging the five rolls.

 Tenant Officer Skills

The skill (ML) of Tenant Officers can modify a fief's revenues. Make a 1d100 success roll against the ML for each officer to determine a revenue index:

CS: 1.10 CF: 0.90 MS: 1.00 MF: 0.95

Reeve: Cropland revenue Beadle: Amercement income Woodward: Woods revenue Herder: Pasture revenue

It is always best that tenants of high skill hold these offices. Tradition, however, reserves the offices for Villeins with the most status (most acres) unless they choose to decline the office. Tenant Officers are discussed on Manor 13.

Manor 24

[4] Waste

Cleared acres wasted (unused) because of a labor shortage, lack of seed, or a reluctance to plant because of crop disease. Although it can be argued that waste is fallow land, it is not considered pasture because no labor/kind is expended on it to produce revenue.

• Waste Acres: Acres on which no labor is spent.

[5] Total Harvest

The sum of lines [1] through [4].

[6] Crop Seed

The seed grain stored for next year, either in specific granaries or in seed bins within each granary. The Beadle is responsible for the granaries and many choose to keep the seed bins in a special bay inside their own cottage.

• Acres: Crop Acres planned for next budget.
• Kind: Crop Acres × 12d seed.

Note:  Modify Seed Storage by success roll on Beadle Success Table (sidebar). This rule requires that extra seed be stored as insurance against loss.

[7] Winter Feed

The hay and grain stored to feed livestock over the winter. Although many animals are slaughtered or sold in autumn, plow oxen and breeding stock must be kept alive through the winter. A serious loss of Winter Feed also impacts cropland acres because half-starved oxen will founder when put to the plow. A shortage of Winter Feed can be taken from surplus Seed Storage. Feed is stored in granaries or barns; fire, theft, and vandalism are ever-present risks. The Beadle is responsible for maintaining a secure supply of Winter Feed.

• Acres: Pasture Acres planned for next budget.
• Kind: Pasture Acres × 12d feed.

Note:  Modify Winter Feed by success roll on Beadle Success Table. This rule requires that extra feed be stored as insurance against loss.

[8] Fief Maintenance

The expense to maintain and improve the capital assets of the fief. A wellkept fief is more productive but it costs more labor and money to keep it that way. To maintain the current Fief Index (FI), expend:

• Acres: Cleared Acres.
• Labor: Cleared Acres × FI × 3 days.
• Kind: Cleared Acres × FI × 6d.

Improvements or reductions to FI are expressed as a percentage of the base amount. See sidebar table.

SIDEBARS

BEADLE SUCCESS TABLE

BEADLE SUCCESS TABLE CS: 0.95 Net Storage MS: 0.90 Net Storage MF: 0.85 Net Storage CF: 0.80 Net Storage

 Seed Storage and Loss

Rodents and insects are fond of snacking on seed, and additional loss can be expected from dampness and hungry children. A skilled Beadle minimizes losses.

Example: Cropland acres planned for next year is 400. Seed Storage required:

400 × 12 = 4,800d

A skill roll to determine seed loss is now made against the Beadle ML 74. Assuming a roll of 80 (CF) Net Storage is 4,800d × 80% which equals 3,840d. The maximum Cropland acres that can be planted next year with this much seed would be:

3,840 ÷ 12 = 320 acres

This is, of course, 80 acres less than the 400 planned, which may cause a food shortage unless additional seed can be purchased. To avoid problems like this, it is a good idea to store 15d or more per planned cropland acre. A running total of seed storage may be kept.

FIEF MAINTENANCE Table

FIEF MAINTENANCE % FI 0% –0.05 20% –0.04 40% –0.03 60% –0.02 80% –0.01 100% 0.00 120% +0.01 140% +0.02 160% +0.03 180% +0.04 200% +0.05

Example: A fief with 1,000 Cleared Acres and a FI of 1.20 requires maintenance of 3,600 days/7,200d to maintain the current FI. If no maintenance is done, FI will drop .05 to 1.15. At 40% maintenance (1,440 days/2,880d) FI drops –0.03 to 1.17, but 200% (7,200 days /14,400d) gives +0.05 to 1.25.

Manor 25

[9] Assart

Assart is the process of clearing wooded land. Although labor intensive, the timber harvested can be valuable, and the additional Cleared Acres can be planted next year. The Reeve decides how many acres of Woods to Assart (if any), commits the necessary Labor, and collects the Kind.

• Acres: Woods acres assarted (cleared) this year. To avoid gradual overgrowth (see "New Forest" in sidebar) the minimum Assart is 2% of Woods Acres to maintain the existing Woods and Cleared acres.

• Labor: Woods Acres cleared × 30 days (expense).
• Kind: Woods Acres cleared × 120d (revenue).

A Timberwright may be licensed to aid with Assarting.

[10] FIEF INCOME

Harvest Income [5] minus the sum of [6] though [9].

Labor: The total labor spent to generate Fief Income. This amount cannot exceed the Labor Pool. If it does, labor spent must be reduced, perhaps with fewer Crop Acres or by doing less Fief Maintenance.

Kind: Harvest available for distribution to the lord and tenants.

SIDEBARS

 Timberwrights & Assart

The labor cost of Assart can be eliminated by licensing a Timberwright or Charcoaler to do the work for a share of the timber. Harvesting timber is hard work, but clearing the ground of stumps is at least half of the total labor. Each stump is burned for days and then pried or pulled from the ground by levers and stout oxen. Timberwrights hate this work.

In addition to a license fee of 144d to operate, a timberwright pays fees of 60d per acre if the stumps are to be removed, or 80d per acre if they can remain. In the latter case, the reeve must still expend 15 days per acre to remove the stumps before the land can be added to Cleared Acres.

The exact deal is likely to depend on how far manor woods are from a market. The numbers above assume a trade index of 1.00 and the deal may otherwise be negotiated. Proximity to navigable rivers on which logs can be floated is most attractive to timberwrights.

New Forest

Because it takes 40–60 years for trees to mature into suitable woods, planting acres of new forest is unlikely to excite the current fiefholder. But nature has a longer view. Assume a natural growth equal to 2% of current Woods acres per annum. A similar acreage of mature woods must be assarted each year to keep the balance.

For example, Woods acres of 300 will grow by 6 acres (2%) each year (and Cleared acres will reduce by the same amount) unless they are assarted.

Note:  Optionally, only the new growth can be cleared for one fifth of normal assart labor with no revenue gained.

Manor 26

LORD's BUDGET

This section records the revenues and expenses of the fiefholder. The object is to collect every reasonable penny and then spend it lavishly.

[11] Demesne Income

The lord's share of the Fief Income.

Demesne Income: Fief Income [10] × Demesne Acres ÷ Cleared Acres.

[12] Tenant Rents & Fees

The total rents and fees owed by tenants. The current totals are found on the Village Census Form.

[13] Glebe Revenue

Total Glebe revenue is recorded on the Village Census Form on the Priest line under Notes. Record here the lords share (50%) of this amount.

[14] Taxes & Tolls

Fiefholders levy tolls on roads, bridges, and fords on their fief, partly to raise income and partly to discourage undesirable strangers. Tolls are rarely charged on the fief's tenants. Revenues here mainly represent taxes and tolls charged on travelers such as mercantylers visiting the fief to buy or sell goods. Some lords foster trade by offering low taxes and free pasture to caravans; others discourage it, not least because of the crime and disease caravans often bring with their trade.

• Taxes & Tolls: 3d6 × 240d × Trade Index.

[15] Amercements

Fines assessed on tenants at the lord's hallmoot (manorial court).

Amercements: Tenant Households × 10–60 pence.

Note:  Modify revenue by Beadle success roll.

[16] Feudal Income

Payments from vassal fiefs that reflect tribute, aids, scutage, and other feudal obligations to the liege. Feudal income for a liege is a feudal expense for the vassal.

• From Vassal: 1d3 pence per Gross Acre (reflecting tribute and aids to the liege) plus military service for 60–90 days. Military service may be replaced by scutage, which can be negotiated to reflect the true cost of a "replacement" or assumed to be 2d per Gross Acre.
• From Bailiff: One third of the bailiff's Gross Income. A rough approximation is 12d per Gross Acre, multiplied by Land Quality and Fief Index.

[17] Total Income

The sum of lines [11] through [16].

SIDEBARS

Demesne Income

Fief Income = 75,000d Demesne Acres = 540 Cleared Acres = 1,200 Demesne: 75,000d × 540 ÷ 1200 = 33,750d

Note:  Optionally , determine the lord's percentage share of the Cleared Acres and then multiply Fief Income by that percentage:

Lord's share: 500 ÷ 1200 × 100 = 45% = 75,000d × 45% = 33,750d

Vassal Fief Budgets

Ideally, budgets for vassal fiefs should be handled by the player (if held directly) or by the GM if held by a vassal knight. All kinds of interesting roleplaying activities may arise when a vassal fief faces economic disaster or has a bountiful year.

Scutage

The traditional Knight's Fee of 1,200 acres is valued at £10 (2,400d), which converts to 2d per acre. With larger or smaller fiefs, fractions of a Knight's Fee are assessed, so that a knight with 600 Acres has a halffee of £5, and one with 2,400 acres has a double-fee of £20. In lieu of military service, payments (Scutage, or shield money) equal to these valuations may be requested by a liege or offered by a vassal. That is, the fiefholder may offer his liege Scutage equal to 2d per Gross Acre, perhaps a bit more or a bit less as negotiations allow.

Manor 27

[18] Household

The lord's annual expenditure on his own household. If not already done, fill out the Household Budget (Manor 17) and transfer the total to this line.

[19] Feudal Payments

Payments in kind to the liege reflecting tribute, aids, scutage, etc. These payments can be a significant expense and default is risky. Failure to pay an aid, or to provide the necessary military service or scutage, may get a vassal stripped of his title and lands.

• Vassal Knight: 3d per Gross Acre (+Military Service), or 5d per Gross Acre.
• Bailiff: One third of Total Income [17].

[20] Tithe

Most lords donate one tenth of their Total Income [17] to a church. At least once per year, temples send an official to tour all local manors. The official listens to the lord's temporal and spiritual concerns and negotiates a pledge of tithe. The pledge is then delivered to the temple at the lord's convenience (and expense) in early autumn. Wealthy temples may send out wagons to collect the promised tithe. Failure to deliver a reasonable tithe (the churches keep good records on what to expect) may result in a variety of problems. Some highly devout fiefholders tithe as much as one third of their income to the church.

[21] Labor Hired

The extra labor the lord must hire to have his demesne worked. On most manors, this labor is effectively full time employment for cottars and others with spare time for hire. Such workers are called Familia.

Labor Hired: Demesne Acres × 8 days – Labor Obligation.

Note: The value 8 days is the average of 6 days labor for cropland and 10 days labor for pasture. If the division between cropland and pasture is not 50:50, adjust this number proportionally.

[22] Political Expenses

One of the hallmarks of nobility is generosity toward peers. There are wedding and knighting gifts to be bought and bribes to be paid. Your liege may visit for a day or two, as might a bishop and his retinue, perhaps a royal official, or even the king himself. The amount given is the minimum; ambitious lords spend ten times as much and more.

Political Expenses: Gross Acres × 1d to keep your lands.

[23] TOTAL EXPENSES

The total of lines [18] through [22]. This amount cannot exceed Total Income [17] without deducting from the Privy Purse or making a quick ride to the nearest Usurer (moneylender).

[24] TO PRIVY PURSE

The Privy Purse is the lord's silver coin kept for cash payments. Total Income [17] minus Total Expenses [23] determines the surplus that can be added to the Privy Purse. A Privy Purse containing 10% of Total Income is a reasonable treasury. Additional cash in a chest is nice, but where is the prestige? Who can you tell? Only money spent has any real value.

SIDEBARS

Buried Treasure

Lords often have an alternate hiding place, perhaps a secret chamber, a cave in the woods, or simply a chest buried in a field to keep their cash safe. The location of such hoards—some rich, most modest—are often forgotten with the premature death of their owner.

The Familia

The labor owed by unfree tenants (serfs) is never enough to work the lord's full demesne unless, of course, he is willing to waste land. The extra labor required is provided by employment of cottars and others. These agricultural workers are called Familia and they are typically paid 1d per day plus a noon meal and ale.

 Lifestyle & Prestige

Total Expenses [23] determine a lord's Lifestyle & Prestige. The ratings are highly subjective and intended as a roleplaying guideline. At GM discretion, a variety of appropriate events and opportunities should arise to help or hinder the lord.

Note: 240d = £1.

Lavish (£500+) You are always dressed in the finest clothes, ride the best horses, drink the finest wines, have many friends, entertain frequently, and have easy access to people of influence and power.

Rich (£400+) You dress well, drink good wines, have more than your share of friends, and can get an audience with princes and popes within a day or two.

Normal (£300+) Typical of your peers across Hârn, you can get along in polite company, give gifts when necessary, and have several outfits of decent quality for special functions and events. Access to the power elite requires an appointment.

Frugal (£200+) Your clothing is a bit old, you entertain infrequently, and you might not be invited to the best events. This is barely acceptable on isolated manors; in civilized areas, you will be considered cheap and your spouse will nag.

Poor (£100+) You have a noble lifestyle, but only just. Your clothing is probably a bit worn, your wines are home-made, your horse a bit old, and most of your friends are close relatives.

Manor 28

CHURCH MANORS

Most churches hold and operate rural manors, some covertly, whose essential purpose is to provide income to support the faith. The churches of Larani and Agrik are favored by Hârnic nobility and they are especially well endowed with manors. The Laranian church holds vast estates in Kanday, Kaldor, and Melderyn and is easily the largest and most powerful landlord on Hârn. Church manors can be divided into abbeys and chapter houses.

ABBEYS – Clerical Orders

Abbeys are managed by an abbot or abbess, usually a cleric of the 4th Circle or higher. They are often regional centers of the church, perhaps the seat of a bishop or archbishop. They also serve as colleges for the training of clerics and a few are hospitals for lepers and other ailing folk. Abbeys usually have more land than a typical manor and may have subject fiefs held by vassal knights or by bailiffs.

Most abbeys have a normal population of serf and free tenants and function much like any other manor except the demesne supports the abbot and clerics. Some abbeys are renowned for their brandies, wines, hams, and cheeses, and they may have been granted local monopolies to produce them. A few abbeys have no tenants, agricultural labor being provided by resident acolytes and priests. A rough guide for labor:

Acolytes: 240 days

Priests: 120 days

Add clerical labor to tenant Labor Pool.

CHAPTER HOUSES – Fighting Orders

A chapter house is essentially a manor where the household is composed of knights and foot soldiers. Most have a normal population of serf and free tenants and function like any other manor and the demesne supports the military household.

Ideally, a chapter house supports a squadron of 10 knights, a company of 20 foot, and perhaps 2–3 craftsmen like a weaponcrafter, ostler, and mason. A military household of this size would require a manor of 5,000+ acres to support. Very few chapter houses are this big. Support from the order's headquarters, donations from wealthy benefactors, and successful raiding are essential to the survival of most chapter houses.

SIDEBARS

Abbey Households

Abbey households contain resident priests and acolytes plus any craftsmen, servants, and slaves who support them. Most abbeys use acolytes to perform the tasks of servants.

As a rough guide, abbeys can support one cleric per 10 acres of demesne. That is, an abbey with a demesne of 800 acres can support 80 clerics. The ratio of ranks varies by church.

Church Priests Acolytes Agrik 10% 90% Halea See HM Religion Ilvir 20% 80% Larani 10% 90% Morgath 13% 87% Naveh 10% 90% Peoni 20% 80% Sarajin See HM Religion Save K'nor 10% 90% Siem See HM Religion

The churches of Halea and Siem do not have rural abbeys or manors.

Abbey Support Costs

Cleric Noble Common Archbishop 5,000d • Bishop 3,000d • High Priest 2,000d 1,500d Priest 1,500d 800d Acolyte 1,000d 400d

Masters of various disciplines are supported at a rate between that of Priest and High Priest.

Indulgences

Most abbeys bestow indulgences and consecrated items for a suitable donation.

Manor 29

 CROPS

Players may expand the data line for Crops in the Manor Budget to record specific data on crops planted. Generic crop acres now become fields of rye, oats, and barley, and lords may influence the crops grown.

GENERATING CROPS

Each manor is assumed to be planted with a mix of traditional crops, determined through long years of practice (and famine) to best suit the local climate and soils. Only steps [2], [5], and [6] are done every year, unless changes are made to the crop mix or acres.

[1] Crops: Roll 10 times on the Crop Data Table and record the generated crops. Each roll represents 10% of the traditional crop mix. Hence, if Barley is generated three times, the crop mix is 30% Barley.

[2] Yield: The average yield per acre is given on the Crop Data Table. Multiply this yield by Land Quality (LQ), Fief Index (FI), Weather Index (WI), and Reeve Index. Record this number under Yield.

[3] Acres: Determine acres planted with each crop. If total Crop Acres is 500, each 10% crop mix is 50 acres, hence 30% Barley is 150 acres.

[4] Labor: Crops have different planting, tending, and harvesting needs. Labor per acre is given for each crop. The labor needed for 150 acres of Barley is 150 × 6 = 900 days.

[5] Kind: Harvest value equals Acres × Yield.

[6] Totals: Determine the totals for Labor and Kind and transfer the sums to Crops (line 2) on the Manor Budget.

REEVE INDEX & HARDINESS (HR)

Crop yields must be adjusted for Reeve Skill and crop Hardiness. For each crop, make a skill roll against the Reeve ML, modified by Hardiness Rating (HR). For example, with Reeve ML80, Wheat EML is ML80 – HR20 = EML60, and Rye EML is ML80 + HR10 = EML90. An index for each crop is determined by the success roll against crop EML.

CS: 1.10 MS: 1.00 MF: 0.95 CF: 0.90

CHANGING THE CROP MIX

Hârnic peasants are conservative; the crops they grow have been long established by years of local custom and experience. Any change to the traditional crops may lead to famine or disease. Even changes that apply only to the lord's demesne will be stoutly resisted because peasants know who will ultimately pay should the lord's crop fail. Arbitrarily changing the crop mix may result in disobedience, sabotage, and perhaps rioting.

To alter the traditional crop mix, the lord must persuade the Reeve to accept the change. This is best resolved as a contest of the Lord's Rhetoric versus the Reeve's ML. The lord must generate a higher success level to "persuade the Reeve" to change the crop mix by one tenth, such as from Barley 30% & Wheat 20% to Barley 20% & Wheat 30%. The lord can make up to three attempts to change the crop mix each year, but only one change (the first successful attempt) is allowed. Adding a new crop not already in the mix, requires the lord to spend roughly 12d/Acre for seed.

SIDEBARS

CROP DATA TABLE

CROP DATA TABLE 1d100 Crop HR Labor Yield 01–10 Rye +10 5 45d 11–25 Barley +20 6 48d 26–40 Oats +15 5 42d 41–65 Hay +20 5 40d 66–75 Vegetables +0 8 80d 76–80 Flax –10 6 66d 81–85 Wheat –20 6 72d 86–00 Fruit –30 7 90d

Hardiness Rating (HR)

Some crops are hardy while others are more vulnerable to weather and crop blight. Each crop has a Hardiness Rating (HR).

The following regional modifications apply:

–10 Orbaal, Azadmere, Peran –05 Tharda +0 Kaldor, Rethem, Chybisa +05 Kanday, Evael, Melderyn (mainland) +10 Melderyn (island)

For example, wheat grown in Orbaal is –30.

Rye is a hardy winter grain, planted in fall for harvesting in summer. It will grow almost anywhere and is good for bread.

Barley is a hardy late-summer crop. It is nutritious in soups and pottage and is used extensively to produce malt for ale. Oats are a hardy crop, high in protein, essential for oxen and horses, and used in oatmeal pottages and stuffings.

Hay is sweet grass that is dried and stored as winter fodder. Several varieties of grass are used and they are rotated to avoid exhausting the soil. Hay is harvested in early summer, before the grain harvest.

Vegetables, including beans, peas, cabbages, and onions, are grown in large quantities. Beans and peas are particularly useful, as they are high in protein, dry well for storage, and aid the soil by adding nitrogen depleted by other crops.

Flax is a cash crop used for linen, canvas, and cordage. It is a grass with strong fibers up to three feet in length before spinning. Flax grows fast and is harvested in early summer. It is, however, easily damaged by late frost or heavy rains.

Wheat is not particularly hardy, especially in northern climes, but is nutritious and a favorite among breadmakers. Wheat flour fetches a high price in cities and towns.

Fruit includes apples, pears, plums, cherries, berries, grapes, etc. Citrus fruits cannot be grown on Hârn.

Manor 30

 LIVESTOCK

Players may expand the data line for Pasture in the Manor Budget to record specific data on livestock. Generic pasture acres now become oxen, goats, and sheep, which adds color and strategic options to fiefholding.

GENERATING LIVESTOCK

The following seven steps populate the fief with livestock. Only steps [2], [6], and [7] are done every year, unless changes are made to Livestock or Pasture acres.

[1] Livestock: Roll eight times on the Livestock Data Table. Each roll generates a species and represents 10% of Pasture Acres. A player's eight rolls might generate Cows (10%), Goats (20%), Sheep (30%), and Hogs (20%). Oxen are automatically 20%.

[2] Yield: The average yield per animal is given on the Livestock Data Table. Multiply this yield by Land Quality (LQ), Fief Index (FI), Weather Index (WI), and Herder Index (below). Record this number under Yield.

[3] Acres: Determine pasture acres allocated to each species. If pasture is 200 acres, Oxen (20%) get 40 acres, Cows (10%) get 20 acres, Goats (20%) get 40 acres, Sheep (30%) get 60 acres, and Swine (20%) get 40 acres. Totals are 100% and 200 acres.

[4] Head: Determine number of animals as Acres × Graze. Hence, 20 acres support 10 Cows, while 40 acres support 80 Goats.

[5] Labor: Head × Days. 80 goats require 80 × 5 = 400 days.

[6] Kind: Head × Yield. Assuming a yield of 48d, 80 goats produce 80 × 48d = 3,840d.

[7] Totals: Total the columns for Acres, Labor, and Kind and transfer to the Pasture line on the Manor Budget.

HERDER SKILL & HARDINESS (HR)

Animal yields must be adjusted for Herder Skill and species Hardiness. For each species, make a skill roll against the Herder ML, modified by Hardiness Rating (HR). For example, with Herder ML80, Goat EML is ML80 + HR10 = EML90, and Sheep EML is ML80 – HR10 = EML70. An index for each species is determined by the success roll against species EML.

CS: 1.10 MS: 1.00 MF: 0.95 CF: 0.90

SUMMER & WINTER LIVESTOCK

The animals recorded under Head represent the summer herds that exist from spring birth to fall slaughter. If the size of the smaller winter herd is desired, divide the summer herd by the following factors: Oxen 1.00, Cows 2.00, Goats 3.00, Sheep 2.50, and Swine 10.00. Hence, 150 sheep have a winter herd of 60.

Kind represents milk, wool, hides, and meat produced by the summer herd. Extra revenue can be gained from slaughtering some or all of the winter herd, but this reduces the herd size for the next year. Similarly, additional animals can be kept alive over the winter to increase a herd, but this reduces Kind yield for the current year. These options require adjustment to herd size and current yields at GM discretion.

SIDEBARS

LIVESTOCK DATA TABLE

LIVESTOCK DATA TABLE Roll Animal Graze HR Days Yield • Oxen ½ +0 17 130d 01–10 Cows ½ –5 20 188d 11–40 Goats 2 +10 5 40d 41–80 Sheep 3 –10 3 33d 81–00 Swine 10 +5 2 15d – Horses 1 +5 4 •

Graze: Animals fed per acre of pasture. HR: Hardiness Rating Days: Annual mandays to tend per animal. Yield: Average yield per animal

A

Oxen are castrated bulls, trained to haul plows, wagons, sleds, etc. They have a lot of meat but are rarely seen in the cooking pot. Traditionally, one ox can work one yard (30 acres) per year. However, oxen work only in pairs and two to four pairs are required to pull a plow depending on soil compaction. Oxen are budgeted for by devoting 20% of pasture acres to them.

Cows are kept mainly to birth oxen; breeding requires one bull per 20 cows. Each cow births one calf in early spring and then provides about one gallon of milk per day for six months.

Goats are bred mainly to produce milk. After birthing two kids in mid-spring, nannies give one quart daily for six months. Goats are hardy and can live almost anywhere humans can.

Sheep are bred annually to produce wool, lambs, milk, and parchment. Each ewe births one to two lambs and gives one pint of milk daily for six months. Adults also give 2–4 pounds of wool in the early summer. Sheep thrive in almost any kind of terrain, but are disease-prone and favored as snacks by wolves and gargun.

Swine require minimal pasture because they can be fed dairy waste such as whey and can graze on acorns, ferns, and leaf-fall of woodland, their natural habitat. They are prolific breeders; sows birth an average of five young twice per year, and they mature quickly to be slaughtered for hams, bacon, lard, etc.

Horses are not generated because they are raised primarily for warfare and riding. Their considerable expense is part of the lord's Household Budget. See Manor 22. Nomad cultures of Lythia eat horseflesh and drink mare's milk.

Manor 31

 TOPOGRAPHY

Not all manors are located in fertile river valleys. Some exist in highland areas, some along the coast, some near the forested edges of civilization. To allow for these differences, manors can be classified as Lowland, Highland, Forest, or Coastal. Each type has a unique mix of food production. The type depends on location at GM discretion. Mixed types such as Highland/Forest or Lowland/Coastal may also be handled by extrapolating the data.

[1] Lowland

Lowland regions have deep, rich topsoil and ample water but are prone to flooding. Manors in such regions favor a balanced mix of crops and pasture and are highly productive. Lowland manors tend to be clustered in areas of early settlement and are the prized holdings of older noble clans.

[2] Highland

Highland manors are found in river valleys of hilly country or in the foothills of mountains. Such territory often marks the limit of civilized lands and the start of tribal or gargun ranges. Highland favors pasture and, if warm enough with southern exposure, orchards and vineyards.

[3] Coastal

Coastal manors lie by the sea or upstream on a tidal river estuary. They often have poorer quality land due to salt spray and wind erosion of topsoil but compensate with wealth from the sea. Manors located on a large inland water like Lake Benath or Lake Arain can also be classified as "coastal." Most fishing is done from dories although some wealthier tenants and the lord often own larger boats crewed by poorer tenants. A tenant official called a Fish Warden may exist to collect fees and ensure that no one is fishing illicitly.

There is a 50% chance that each tenant (except Craftsman) is also a fisherman. The lord charges an annual license fee of 24d to all fishing tenants and takes a share of their catch that is typically one fish in five. Although difficult to assess, it can be assumed that those with less land have more time to fish. Assume the tenant catches (40–Acres) × 2d6 pence of fish. The lord gets 20% of this amount.

[4] Forest

Forest manors are rich sources of furs, timber, and tribal goods. They exist on frontiers of civilized lands, especially in Orbaal. Lords of such manors tend to be youngbloods, skilled in arms and hunting. This is just as well since these outposts of civilization are commonly raided by gargun and tribesmen. The job of the forest woodward can be especially dangerous, and shepherds and swineherds can be confronted by large predators at any time.

Forest manors are similar to coastal manors, except tenant trappers are substituted for fishermen. They pay similar license fees and a one-quarter share of the pelts. Trapping in the lord's woods, if allowed, justifies a half share. Circumventing the lord's share increases the risk of already risky work. The lord protects his tenants, not his competitors, and accidents happen.

SIDEBARS

TOPOGRAPHY Table

TOPOGRAPHY Class Woods Crops Pasture Lowland 10% 45% 45% Highland 20% 30% 50% Coastal 10% 40% 50% Forest 50% 25% 25%

Randomize: subtract 5 and add 1d10.

Wealth from the Sea

Fish is an important dietary staple. Manorial lords have the right to exploit inland and inshore fisheries and to license their tenants to do the same. Peasant fishermen take cod, eel, flounder, halibut, herring, perch, pike, salmon, sturgeon, trout, and many other species. They use nets, rods and lines, spears, bows, and traps. Most of the catch is salted, pickled, dried, or smoked for future consumption. When the fishing is good, some of the catch is taken to market and sold for cash.

Coastal manors produce more than just fish. Crabs, lobsters, oysters, cockles, mussels, dulce (an edible seaweed), shorebirds and their eggs, and salt are also harvested from the sea.

Seals and sea otters are hunted for their pelts in Orbaalese waters. Whaling is a lucrative but dangerous occupation. A whale is herded into shallow water, where it is killed with harpoons and axes. One whale can produce several tons of meat, 4000 gallons of whale oil (an excellent and smokeless lamp oil), and 1500 pounds of flexible baleen, which is used to stiffen expensive clothing.

Wealth from the Forest

Forest manors can generate significant income from pelts gathered by trappers. In general, the lord can sell his share of pelts to a mercantyler for 50% of their retail price. Some enterprising lords encourage local tribesmen to trade furs for civilized goods and often get pelts for the equivalent of 10% of retail price.

Note: Furs sold in Azeryan and other places deep within the Venarian Sea have a significantly higher value than the Hârnic retail price. Getting them there, of course, is not easy, but see our publication Pilots' Almanac.

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