It's become clear that the PCs are a little vague on what the (non-canonical Genest Campaign) Carmanian moral position is with regard to interpersonal relationships. The easiest way to illustrate this is to use Pan as an example, as he has an almost complete set of relationships. The most striking thing about Carmania is the predjudice against females. Even in modern society we have 'classes', so in some ways the noble / peasant split is a romanticised view of modern life, 'us and them'.

The Four Carmanian classes

Non-traditional classes - I have introduced the Lunar concept of slavery, which forms a fifth class, and also the Farmer sub-class of Serfs.

Family

Up to the age of 13, Pan was the property of his father. As a freeborn child, he had certain rights - the father can't kill him; but the father can beat (effectively, torture) him, sell him into slavery, sell his body for sexual services. If his father died, Pan would belong to his mother in the same way until age 13. Pan has a daughter. The girl will belong to Pan right up to the day she marries, or Pan dies: girls are at a severe disadvantage, legally, in Carmania - because they're truly considered property, rather than almost-men. That's why I mentioned the rich widow a few games ago: death of a husband is about the only way women can own property, so it was gossipworthy.

Extra-marital sex

This is considered gossipworthy but not scandalous. In these decadent twilight days of the Empire, adultery is common, especially as one goes up the social scale. There is a theory that it's no more common now than it was before, it's just that people are more open about it now. The nearest modern-day equivalent to my knowledge is probably France.

Pre-marital sex

Pan got Myra pregnant before marrying her. Myra's father would have been legally entitled to kill him for this, with no comeback, as long as it was in a face-to-face duel or hot blood situation. Pan had damaged his property and reduced her pristine value! Nevertheless, it is very common. Probably one-third of marriages are conducted due to Pressure of Circumstances. More young men have pre-marital sex than women, partially due to the prevalence and social acceptability of female Ulerians.

Serfs

Serfs are very similar to slaves. I have tried to find out exactly what the difference is, but don't know for sure yet. I have heard, for example, that although serfs had higher taxes than other classes, their Lords had to support them in bad years, which sounds very similar to outright ownership. For now, assume they're not quite as lowly as slaves, and have a few more rights. I have introduced the Middle Ages idea that if a serf manages to escape for a year and a day, they are free.

Slaves

Whereas in Greece, slaves had extensive rights and protection under law, I have chosen the Roman model whereby a slave is property, and has almost no legal protection. Slaves, as opposed to serfs, are a Lunar introduction to Carmania and are considered property, in law. If you killed someone's slave, you would have to pay them compensation - like killing their ox. Pan can beat his slave Frenela if he wishes, even to death; he can force Marilyn to have sex with him; he can sell the resultant baby for profit. However, although owners have the right to do as they please with their property, that doesn't mean Carmanian slaveowners are necessarily a bad lot. Pan realises, I assume, that Frenela will work better if she's happy. Similarly, he wouldn't sell Marilyn's baby without a good reason (like money, perhaps?). If two slaves married (let's say they're owned by the same man for simplicity), only a fool would split up the pair by selling one. Most slaves expect to marry, raise kids and probably see the kids sold at about age 9 - 14 (if able and/or good looking). Slaves can earn money by tips, or side-businesses. Most owners allow this, some of the meaner ones keeping a percentage or all. Some slaves aspire to save enough to buy their freedom! Let's say Frenela aquires 100L somehow and goes to Pan, asking to buy her freedom. Roman custom was, that only a cad would not allow it, and only a complete bounder would say '100L? I'll have that - now get back to work.' The problem for the owner, though, is that if they do manumit the slave, they are now a patrician who is still responsible for the well-being of the ex-slave. They have a moral obligation to support the slave through old age, illness etc. and are expected to help them set up in business (usually something the slave can already do, say cobbling or as a tenant farmer). In return, they might be given a share of the ex-slave's profits, but all in all it's probably a loss for the patrician. One of the really miserly Romans I read of advocated charging your slaves when they wished to have sex with each other. Another advised: "when buying a farm, first sell off all the useless loss-making equipment - send old mules to the knackers, get rid of old and decrepit slaves..." so you see, Romans could be quite heartless towards the staff, because the law allowed it. So I find it doubly interesting that there are rather more stories of close bonds between patrician and slave than of cruelty. Incidentally, although the Schwarzgelts are ungenerous and harsh with their tenant freemen and serfs, they are not amazingly bad masters in Carmanian terms. They aren't deliberately cruel, nor do they sell old useless slaves ( but then who would buy them?). They have plenty of retired staff supported by their estate - they just don't give them much of a pension. They believe the farmers and slaves are somehow 'different', like the British colonial attitude towards natives, or indeed domestic servants. That's why they see Father G as a troublemaker, because the servants seemed untroubled before he began stirring things up. Slaves are exempt from military service and are not allowed to bear arms, in case of armed revolt.

Lords

In the middle ages, nobility sometimes borrowed or forcefully took money from rich merchants or bankers, then ignored their legal obligation to repay the debt even if there was a document to prove it. Might made right, and if the banker made too much trouble, he might "disappear". In the Roman Empire, even a high noble could be prosecuted by a normal citizen. I think this is a good definition of Civilisation - even the upper classes have to obey the law. I see Carmania as Civilised, by this definition. Lords have superior rights, but they do have limits to their whims. (Note, though, that there's never been one state I can recall where the absolute monarch couldn't default on his debts. For example: Augustus; Henry VIII; British government, etc. If you're high enough to actually make the laws then different rules apply.)

Religious leaders

Wizards - priests and sorcerers - generally have to defer to nobles, except in matters of blasphemy and heresy, but with the more politically powerful ones, e.g. Archpriests, Cardinals, it must be a close-run thing. Cults have certain rights when people rob their shrines, defile their priests, etc; and only a fool would upset a sorcerer. Religious duty is often used as an excuse for dodgy behaviour.

Military duties

Lords can send Knights to battle, and conscript farmers (and serfs) to act as supporting cannon fodder. The Baron's guards are a mixture of Knights, who form the officers (like Lord Rennol, who is a 'nob' too, having a hereditary title); and freemen mercenaries, a motley band of veterans and ruffians trained into an efficient fighting force by Lunar military techniques.

Female rights

Luckily for women, the Lunar faith is pro-equality and overrides Carmanian Common Law (which dates back almost a thousand years) in certain circumstances. A woman in a Lunar cult, of initiate level, has the full rights in law of the equivalent male of the same class. Thus, it doesn't help Pan's slave Marilyn to become an initiate of Dee'Zola because she's still a slave, and thus property; but if Pan's freeborn ('Farmer' class, or Yeoman in our terms) wife Myra becomes an initiate, he can no longer beat her - that's assault. Unfortunately for women, though, many Carmanian males ignore this legal 'loophole' as they describe it, and treat them as before. Because the majority of Carmanian males think like this, it is difficult for the women to have their rights taken seriously unless they wish to get serious, such as calling in the Babeester Gors or taking their husbands to court. This is naturally contrary to most womens' natures.(Oh really Paul ?....you could be in for a big shock one day then!) The fact of the matter is, most people accept that 'this is the way it always has been and you ain't going to change it', because it's all they've ever known. Thus, most female Lunar adventurers from Carmania emigrate to somewhere that they're taken more seriously. (I am still considering whether a freeborn female Lunar initiate can own property herself if she's married.)

Up