Barony of Burwin

“Great news, your excellency! We have discovered a new resource! Musk-producing animals, which we thought were gone from our wetlands, have recovered, so we can now collect this valuable substance.”

 

The suitors and their offers begin to arrive. As you expected–or perhaps feared–they aren’t of the highest quality; some nobles can be so elitist.… But an alliance is an alliance, and your sister does want to get married, so you might as well try to get the best alli–uh, husband, you can out of it.

Bachelor #1 really is a “bachelor”–a knight bachelor from the Barony of Ridiketsi, which lies on the coast some thirty miles northeast of your own, in the neighboring Viscounty of Endregach; you share the same count as an overlord. Sir Karsric is 25 years old, and has distinguished himself in a number of small-scale actions against pirates and raiders. He doesn’t have much in the way of property or wealth, but is apparently highly thought of by his baron, who sends along a letter of introduction recommending him as a good choice. The letter also mentions that Count Mezersky approves of him as well… which may or may not be a good thing, since the count often finds himself in political disfavor, having been born on the wrong side of the border with Kereszney.

Bachelor #2 is the second child of one Baronet Laduchir of Mirhavlo, whose estate is in the Viscounty of Garesh, County of Chalyert, in the Archduchy of Eszerthagn, adjacent to the border with Lorthegnar, some three days’ ride to the west of your lands. Lord Lezidro is 20 years old, and doesn’t stand to inherit any lands of his own (his older sister is first in line), which might explain why you’re receiving the offer at all: certainly, this is the highest ranked of the suitors who’ve come forward so far. He seems personable enough, is well-spoken, smooth and dignified, apparently quite comfortable in a courtly environment. You’re not sure if he’d make much of a warrior, but you had no immediate plans for starting a war anyway. You are fairly certain that it will be necessary to provide a fairly substantial dowry for this particular match to take place.

Bachelor #3 you had pretty much expected: he’s the son of one of your vassals. Lord Vichiev of Daringale presently holds the smaller of the two appanages that are part of your barony. His proposal on his son Vitruv’s behalf presents an interesting legal situation. According to the terms of the grant under which his family first received their lands, if their line should ever end the appanage returns to the baron’s–your–control. However, given the present climate of legal opinion in the empire, appanage grants are easily challenged: you could try to claim the lands back even if there is an heir… for that matter, you could try to claim them back now, while he’s still alive, though your chances of success would be somewhat less. (Your uncle, Lord Janrick, who’s explaining all this to you, adds “Forget about trying that. If you lose, that settles it for your lifetime, and you’d never be able to win later, when your position would be stronger.”) So obviously Lord Vichiev feels that having his heir married to the baron’s sister will insure that the lands remain in his line, rather than being reunited with the rest of the barony. So far, so good. What makes it “interesting” is that if you die without an heir, the barony would probably pass to your sister–and the lands would be reunited with the barony under Vichiev’s line. Of course, you do already have an heir, so hopefully this hasn’t entered into Vichiev’s calculations. As for the lad himself, the biggest drawback is that Vitruv is by far the youngest of the suitors–only 16 years old; you remember him as being a good kid, a bit puppy-like. You know he’s a competent man-at-arms, and probably has the potential to be a good leader in the long run, but that’s still only potential. On the other hand, since Vichiev is already your vassal, you won’t need to worry nearly as much about a dowry. In fact, he makes you an offer: for as long as he still lives, his troops will be freely available to you whenever you wish to call for them, without any remission of his taxes. Since he’s only 40, this could be a good long time. One final consideration: Vichiev is making the offer on behalf of his son, when he could as easily be making it on his own behalf… his wife died of illness a few years ago, and he has not remarried.