Hey all,

Just thought I'd ask here to see if someone happens to have the answer to hand, but basically, one of my PKs, a notorious gold-digger, using resources gathered from his previous marriage to the late Lady Indeg, decided to help the countess of Rydychan liberate her county during the Anarchy period.

We've just moved into the Boy King period and the countess has died. According to the GPC she had a son and daughter, making the PK a step-father.

With the death of the countess of Rydychan who would be the next person to inherit the county? Would it be the PK who married her, or the step-son, who was, presumably, the next in line after his mother before the PK came onto the scene.

Cheers,
Xarl.

Hey all,

Just thought I'd ask here to see if someone happens to have the answer to hand, but basically, one of my PKs, a notorious gold-digger, using resources gathered from his previous marriage to the late Lady Indeg, decided to help the countess of Rydychan liberate her county during the Anarchy period.

We've just moved into the Boy King period and the countess has died. According to the GPC she had a son and daughter, making the PK a step-father.

With the death of the countess of Rydychan who would be the next person to inherit the county? Would it be the PK who married her, or the step-son, who was, presumably, the next in line after his mother before the PK came onto the scene.

Cheers,
Xarl.


The countess' son would inherit. If he is not of age than a suitable regent would be appointed by the appropriate lord, which is the King of Logres.

The PK is not in the line of succession, or even control, at all once the Countess dies. Just because he married in does not put him in the line of succession. (Children that he and the countess might have had *would* be, but after an elder son assuming said son was from a recognized marriage and not illegitimate.)

Aye, that's what we had figured would likely be the case, but I thought some outside clarification would be handy, that means that the old PK is free to wander off and party with Arthur then continue as the step-son or one of his old children when he finally dies. . . .

Honestly it depends on how badly the PK wants it. Especially if Arthur isn't around yet.

If the PK can enforce his rule, then he rules it.

He'll need more than just his arse on the throne, however. He'll also need the support of his army to keep things running. That means paying his troops better than they would be normally. It wouldn't hurt if he also made nice with his neighbors.

If he has local support of the nobility, and the support of a well funded and happy army, then he'll likely be able to keep it.

Think of the scene in Game of Thrones when Ned walked in with a piece of paper saying that he was in charge. What happened there? Same situation.

Aye, the point that this happened is just after Arthur has been called Imperator by the Collegium and is getting ready to deal with King Lot and his ilk.

Luckily, my player seems totally fine with not being the count anymore, and had already statted up his step-son to play, who is now the official count, so it's not like he's losing out by this change in affairs, though I wonder which character he's going to play now. . . .

Certainly, if it had happened in the middle of the Anarchy period I could see him having held on, banished/killed the step-son and sweet-talked his way into keeping the territory when Arthur appeared, but that doesn't seem necessary.

Considering his ridiculous glory score and his actions so far he's almost certainly going to be a knight of the round table, so I think he'll gladly take that over being a count any day.

A quick query to add to it actually: would the son have inherited the county as soon as he came of age, or, as I played it, when his mother died? I figured it would have been the latter because she was a double-widow, and her land was liberated for her by the PK, so they had the right of arms that the step-son probably couldn't have dealt with anyway had he pressed the point. . . .

Well, knights "helping" the countess to recover control of her lands from usurpers and then keeping them for themselves from the rightful heirs after she dies is sort of ironic, isn't it?

And a situation like that, given PKs in charge, is an instant hook of course. Since in later periods one would expect adventurous knights (of varying skill) turning up attempting to set things right. Plus the step-son (and his heirs) would be on the fringes waiting for his opportunity - or making alliances to help it along.

Aside: And I'm not sure how much adventuring/play a PK who is a Count would get. I can foresee one being played as a battle leader, but not erranting out for the other sorts of adventures. Too much going on in the home county; progress, court, dealing with neighbors, etc.

Aye, that's the sort of thing I could see being very common, especially in Anarchy and later periods.

If it were another of my PKs I'm sure there'd be something like that going on, but this one seems pretty mellow about the whole deal, it's interesting though, as that means that he effectively has two characters, one in his 40s who's now a former count and, presumably, back to being a banneret, with his step-son who's now a count in his early 20s!

Yeah, the adventuring/play part of being a Count is the issue, I think the player himself is very happy to not be actively playing a count, though I mentioned he could run tournaments for the players and his eyes lit up, so we'll probably see some of that, as well as battling, I'll need to check and see if any of his direct descendents will be coming of age soon. . . .

A quick query to add to it actually: would the son have inherited the county as soon as he came of age, or, as I played it, when his mother died? I figured it would have been the latter because she was a double-widow, and her land was liberated for her by the PK, so they had the right of arms that the step-son probably couldn't have dealt with anyway had he pressed the point. . . .

Legally, the son would inherit as soon as he came of age
But even in history that did not always happen

One PK in our current game can't seem to keep his wives alive for more than a couple of years. His first wife (a noted heiress) died and left him a daughter who was kidnapped as a babe by a goblin knight and brought into the forest sauvage. By the time he rescued her she had aged to 18 years in only 2.

He promptly married her off before realising that this meant her new husband got his house. He was not happy!

He has since married well several times and has three sons who each stand to inherit their own manor. With his high Love (Family) they may be a dangerous clan in Salisbury over the next generation.

Another PK lost a Bannerety when his wife and three children died. I gave him a just check for standing aside and usurping as no-one would have minded (the legal heir was a bit of a tool and the PK a noted battle commander).