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Notes on the Governance of Boldhome

Posted on May 22, 2023

The city of Boldhome is the possession of the Prince. Sartar made it and it is his city. Unlike the other cities of Sartar, which are the centers of tribal confederations, Boldhome does not “belong” to any group of tribes, although all are allied to it. In a very real sense, Boldhome IS the Kingdom of Sartar.

However, the Prince’s focus is primarily on religious and military matters, and not the administration of Boldhome. Governance of the city is traditionally the responsibility of the Orlanthi council of which the Prince is the chief. The City Ring appoints “judges” to resolve legal disputes, levies taxes, controls distribution of food and other communal property, keeps peace within the walls, schedules stone house building, organizes celebrations, keeps the streets clear, and maintains standards of sanitation.

Most of the population of Boldhome comes from other tribes. Citizenship extends to all members of tribes of Sartar who choose to live in the city, to the priests of the temples, and to full members of a guild. Citizenship is coveted and conveys great prestige to the individual. There are approximately 4,000 actual citizens of Boldhome. Citizenship is not automatic; it must be requested. A citizen must be at least a lay member of Orlanth, own the land on which they live, have income, pay taxes to the city, reside in Boldhome, and bear arms (if able) to defend the city. Interpretation of these rules is determined by the City Ring. If a current citizen fails to meet the above qualifications, they can be stripped of their rights.

Citizens have the right to speak at the seasonal assembly, obtain justice from the city council, respectful protection by the city guard, the right to become a guild member, and, most importantly, the right to a portion of the city food supplies. Each season, the citizens assemble at the King’s Court to deliberate and approve measures proposed by the City Ring.

Most citizens are both citizens of Boldhome AND members of another tribe (unless they are full members of a guild or a temple priest – note that a temple priest is not necessarily a Rune Priest). These loyalties can and do come into conflict. Most residents are members of a tribe. Most disputes get handled by a judge, but citizens can appeal to the City Ring. Non-citizens have no such recourse except to the Prince (who doesn’t have to hear them).

Guilds are open to anyone who joins them – as a result entire guilds can be dominated by non-tribal members. Let’s assume for the sake of discussion that there are 1500 full guild members in Boldhome. Maybe half are Sartarites (especially Stonemasons, Bakers, Weavers, etc.) and I wouldn’t be surprised if 2/5ths of the guild members are from the Holy Country and another 1/10 are from outside of Sartar and the Holy Country entirely (frex the Cattle Woman’s Guild is probably dominated by Praxians, etc.). Remember guild members can become citizens as well.

How do citizens prove their status? They take an oath publicly before the city assembly. There’s only 4000 citizens in Boldhome, so it is a manageable number.  I don’t think citizens wear rings any more than tribal members do. They probably get a marking (since the Orlanthi use tattoos to mark tribal affiliation).

Jeff Richard

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