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A Powerful Look at The Feudal Government in Fantasy
Sunfire
CONTENTS
Introduction
Different forms of governments have different power structures. Some are top-down with power flowing down from the top. Others flow from the bottom, all the way upward. Some have strong central governments; others weak. This is clearly seen in the feudal government in fantasy.
A feudal government, largely based off on the real-world model that dominated medieval Europe, is dominated by the nobility. While there is a monarchy, the powers the monarch holds are weak compared to those where they enjoy absolute power. As such, he must rely on excellent persuasion skills to keep nobles loyal to him and his kingdom united.
Believe it or not, feudalism plays a great role in worldbuilding. Since many worlds take inspiration from medieval Europe, it comes as no surprise that they incorporate the feudal government in fantasy. Powerful nobles hold tremendous sway across kingdoms as they scheme and maneuver to be the one either sitting on the throne or whispering in the king’s ears without a care for the long-suffering peasants.
How exactly does a feudal government contribute to the story? With the monarch beholden to the nobility, powerful lords could play their games with each other and not have to worry about royal reprisals. This makes them dangerous enemies to the protagonist, should he wind up being on their bad side, since they have the power to destroy him and get away with it.
This is the fifth article in the fantasy governments series. For more articles covering many different topics, go to our blog page. Surely you’ll find something that catches your eye!
The Feudal Government in Fantasy Explained
To break it into basics, a feudal government is one where the monarch grants nobles land in exchange for military service. In turn, nobles had vassals and peasants live on their lands in return for paying homage and so on. They were usually protected by soldiers under the control of the nobility.
The feudal government in fantasy mirrors its real-world counterpart. While every citizen in the realm was obligated to be loyal to the crown, they too were expected to be loyal to the nobility, especially the ones who owned the land they lived and worked on. Peasants had no choice but to do as commanded, considering they lived on land they didn’t own.
Held in high-esteem, the warrior class was renowned for its courage and chivalry. Warriors trained daily to keep in top fighting form to defend innocent people from those who would do them harm. They were also valued by the nobility, especially those they served.
The landed aristocracy enjoyed great power and influence. Nobles had the lower class doing the work on their lands, whether it be farming or tilling and they paid them little to no money at all. Additionally, they could do as they wished since there was little the king could do to keep them in line. As such, they spent most of their time advancing their interests at the expense of their rivals.
With a weak monarchy, aristocrats could persuade the king to do what they wanted, lest he lose their support. The loss of support could prove fatal to the sovereign, especially if it came from one of the most powerful families in the realm. This is why wise monarchs worked to keep them on their side, while biding their time to bring them firmly under their control.
When the king declared war on another country, he sent word to the lords and ladies across the kingdom to send him their soldiers, essentially upholding the oaths they swore to uphold when he gave them their lands. Failure to comply with the king’s request could lead to him taking their lands and giving them to other, more loyal families. The nobles then sent their people to battle, fighting for the glory of the kingdom.
The wars feudal monarchs fought were solely to advance their kingdoms’ interests. Such interests ranged from expanding their boundaries to better protect against powerful neighbors to obtaining a valuable piece of land that offered potentially lucrative profits like gold mines. Behind many of these wars were the hands of powerful nobles, who sought to increase their power and viewed wars as prime opportunities to do so.
Feudalism and Worldbuilding
How do you use a feudal government in fantasy? Remember that it’s a nobility-dominated system in which aristocrats are the ones who make many of the most important decisions in a kingdom. While they follow the king, they do only out of duty; they’re more concerned about expanding their sphere of influence while shrinking that of their rivals.
The kingdom was split into many smaller areas where each area was controlled by one powerful family. Ruling it like their own personal fiefdom, many important positions across each area like the mayor or city council were staffed by members of the family. In nearly all these cases, they were placed there at the request of the head of the family, though the king had the power to appoint them.
Soldiers and other military personnel served at the pleasure of the family who dominated the area they worked in. As such, their loyalty was to the family and they acted as their personal enforcers, going after those who violated the laws of the lands or who had angered the leader of the family.
A big part of the feudal government in fantasy are the peasants. Considered the lowest class, peasants held little power. They were servants, performing chores such as cooking and cleaning, working the fields, and many others, who resided on lands lords and ladies held. The largest class, they were everywhere and did the jobs necessary for feudal society to function effectively.
How does the warrior class fit in? Warriors were nomadic, traveling from one place to another, constantly looking to give assistance any way they could. Those in the nobility’s employ helped keep their families safe and pursued fleeing lawbreakers to bring them back to answer for their crimes. They helped keep their employer’s lands safe.
And what is the king’s position in terms of the feudal government in worldbuilding? While he had powers, those he held dwarfed those of the landed aristocracy. He had to continually work to please the powerful families who he depended on to keep the kingdom safe. Even though he worked to bolster his kingdom’s position, there were times where he had to put the interests of powerful nobles first, lest he lose their support.
How does it fit in the Story?
Medieval worlds dominate fantasy, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the majority of these worlds have feudal governments. So how can you bring a feudal government in fantasy into the story in a way that makes it feel natural and not just shoehorned in? Let’s begin with the nobility as it’ll play a significant role in the story.
After all, aristocrats are dominant, holding many key roles across the realm and within the lands they control. It wouldn’t take long before the protagonist runs into one of them or before they notice his activities. This creates an interesting dynamic to explore.
Members of the nobility view outsiders as potential threats to their power and position which means they will spare no expense in eliminating them. This creates an adversarial relationship between the protagonist and the family that rules the area he’s in. They use their clout and influence in the places they control to cause trouble for the hero or take him out outright.
Besides tangling with them, the protagonist has to contend with the currents of politics. Rivals of the family he’s fighting with will use him to their advantage, hoping to weaken their enemies and tempt him with offers he’ll have a mighty difficult time refusing. Caught in a long-running game between great lords vying for supremacy, it’ll take everything he has to escape the grisly fate awaiting him for being involved in something much larger than he ever conceived of.
As the protagonist travels from one place to another, he sees the downtrodden peasants toiling for meager pay and abysmal food. He empathizes with their plight and refuses to accept that this is how the world ought to be. A desire to change things for the better sets in though he is unsure of how to accomplish that.
On the road, the hero meets many different warriors, some who offer him words of wisdom and some who treat him like a peasant. He learns something from every warrior he crosses path with. Several of these great warriors may prove to be among his greatest allies and vicious enemies.
Last and not the least is the king. While he may never meet him, the protagonist at least knows of him and how the kingdom is faring under his rule. He may think the king is a man with good intentions working to make the nation a better place and that the nobility is working to undermine his efforts. Or the king is a tyrant, perfectly content to let the great lords and ladies do whatever they want without having to suffer any consequences, as long as he gets something in return.
Tying it all Together
A feudal government in fantasy closely mimics its real-world counterpart. Broken along classes, it gives the audience a glimpse into the state of the world the story’s set in. It’s a chaotic environment as power struggles among members of the nobility are all too common and continuous hard times for peasants. At times, it’s difficult to distinguish between friend and foe.
As powerful lords jockey for position in a feudal government in fantasy, the king must endeavor to keep all sides satisfied, for he depends greatly on them to enjoy the trappings of power and to come when he needs them to. He has a delicate balancing act to do; going too far in one direction could undo everything he’s worked hard for.
The realm is filled with warriors known for being chivalrous and their acts of braveness. Fearless, they run towards trouble without a moment’s notice, hoping to stop it before it worsens. Their desire to lend a helping hand is one reason why warriors are revered across the kingdom.
When it comes to worldbuilding, fleshing out the feudal government is a necessity. Create and develop the powerful families of the nobility and what their ultimate aims are, what tactics they favor to get what they want, and so on. Craft the warrior class and the peasants as well. This goes a long way towards building a world that feels real and is easy for your audience to get immersed in!
You have ample avenues to bring the feudal government in your story. Let your audience see the protagonist dealing with aristocrats who hold important positions like the mayor who have their own motives for being helpful or not. Show how the peasants are suffering living under a feudal government. Journey alongside a warrior employed by a wealthy lord on his quest to apprehend a robber who made off with his lord’s precious ring.
Will you make a feudal government in fantasy that has people talking about for years on end?
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Thanks for reading this and until the next time,
Sunfire
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