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{{About|the Dawnish character type|the Marcher population|Yeoman of the Marches}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Watchful Advocate.jpg|align=left|width=300|title=The role of yeofolk is much more complex - and challenging - than that of the noble in Dawnish society.|caption=Yeofolk support the nobles of Dawn.}}
==Overview==
Anyone in Dawn who has not passed a [[Dawn Culture and Customs#The Test of Mettle|Test of Mettle]] is a yeofolk or yeoman, whether they are a farmer, a merchant, or the daughter of an [[earl]]. In practice the children raised as part of the noble houses - the noble-born - have advantages and luxuries that most yeofolk can only dream of, but in technical terms they are all considered to be yeofolk.


Technically, anyone in Dawn who has not passed a Test of Mettle is a yeoman, whether they are a farmer, a merchant or the daughter of an Earl.
Any yeofolk can demand that a noble house set them a Test of Mettle. Such a request cannot be refused, but the test can be impossibly difficult if the request is not welcome. Some yeofolk spend their entire lives looking for a chance to be ennobled. The more glorious the deeds they perform before they attempt their Test of Mettle, the reasoning goes, the better the chance that the noble house will set them an achievable task.


=== Aspiration ===
Although most Dawnish yeofolk accept that they could become a noble if they passed the Test of Mettle, many are put off by the danger inherent in the tests, or lack confidence that they are glorious enough to join a noble house, but some simply prefer their simpler life. Many yeofolk, especially those who work closely with the nobles as part of a house's entourage often enjoy many of the privileges of the noble class.
Most yeomen in Dawn absolutely accept that if they petitioned a noble house for a Test of Mettle they would be offered it, and if they passed it they would be embraced by the noble house as a fellow noble. Many are put off by the danger inherent in the tests, or lack confidence that they are glorious enough to join a noble house, but that belief in ''the system'' helps tie the nation together.  


Many yeomen spend their entire lives looking for a chance to be ennobled. The more glorious the deeds they perform before they attempt their Test of Mettle, the reasoning goes, the better the chance that the noble house will set them an achievable task.
There are many opportunities to play a Dawnish yeofolk in Empire. Although most Dawnish characters will be noble, there are roles specially designed for yeofolk characters and the social class represents an opportunity to play a lower status character, something which is not part of the designed setting of the other Imperial nations, which assume that all the PCs are of equivalent social class.
{{CaptionedImage|file=FlowerBaby.jpg|align=right|width=400|title=Loyal retainers are often trusted with educating and looking after the children of nobles.|caption=Children - no matter who their parents are - are always yeofolk.}}


=== Ennobling Retainers ===
==Creating a Yeofolk Character==
It is a common practice in Dawn to ennoble [[Seneschals and Retainers|Seneschals]] and trusted [[Seneschals and Retainers#Retainers|retainers]] on their deathbeds, to offer them a simple Test of Mettle so that they might be rewarded for their service.  
If you are planning to create a yeofolk character it is very important to think about the social role that your character will fill, much more important than if you are creating a noble character. Noble characters can move easily from one role to another, taking up Imperial positions, or positions of leadership within the house or the nation as their character finds their feet. This is much harder to do as a yeofolk, so you need to have a much clearer idea in advance of what you want to play. Anyone can be a noble, but if you decide to create a yeofolk character - think about what kind of yeofolk you are.


Less commonly, but perhaps more effectively, an Earl might offer to adopt the child of a yeoman couple in return for some service. A well known tale that exists in numerous versions through the Nation tells of an Earl who is protected from their enemies by a virtuous old couple and returns some time later to offer to bring the elder yeomen into their house. The wise yeomen instead ask the Earl to adopt their eldest child, claiming that the Test of Mettle and all it entails would be wasted on those whose lives are already half-over, wheras their child will be able to make the most of the opportunity to seek glory. More than one noble has gained a fresh start in life due to incidents like these.
If you are attending the event with friends who are playing a Dawnish noble house, then you can be part of the entourage of the house even though you are not a noble member of it. Noble houses have hundreds of yeofolk, most of them are soldiers or farmers but the number includes servants and trusted retainers. It is well worth speaking to other members of the group about the role your character might fill and making sure that other players are comfortable with the role you are going to fill - you may well be reliant on their roleplaying to make your character concept work.


=== Leaving Dawn ===
If you are attending the event by yourself or with a group of characters playing yeofolk then it is worth looking at the various yeofolk roles that are not part connected with the noble houses. The obvious choice is a knight-errant or a group of knights-errant but there are other roles in Dawnish society that you can fill. If you want to play a ritual team then it is worth considering creating a [[weaver cabal]] instead.
The Imperial Constitution extends certain basic rights and responsibilities to all citizens, whether they are nobles or yeomen. While most of the political power lies in the hands of the nobles, yeomen are not property. They are free to move around as their inclination and resources allow them.


Some yeomen leave Dawn permanently. Sometimes these are people who have failed their Test of Mettle for one reason or another. Sometimes they have political reasons to wish to leave the Nation, and an occasional few simply want to start a new life far away from everything they know. Many of these self-exiled yeomen end up in [[The Marches]], while others are drawn to the prosperity of one of the cities of [[The League]], especially [[Holberg]].
One important choice to think about is why your character isn't noble. The default choice for Dawnish players is assumed to be a noble character, there are thousands of yeofolk in Dawn but most of these are assumed to be NPCs. This is because the characters with ambition, drive, enthusiasm, passion, intelligence and courage become nobles - the characters without these traits remain as yeofolk. You should think about why your character isn't noble - perhaps they are seeking to become noble and have not yet passed their test, perhaps there is some terrible act of shame in their past that prevents it or maybe they prefer the simpler and safer life of a yeofolk.


== Playing a Yeoman ==
Please don't create a yeofolk character who disdains the idea of becoming a noble; yeofolk with these attitudes are not welcome in the nation and the few that exist usually leave to live in the Marches.
The assumption is that most Dawnish characters will be nobles, or at least aspiring nobles. Characters who don't have at least some interest in becoming nobles either find a role for themselves within the social structure of Dawn, or leave the Nation and start new lives elsewhere.
{{CaptionedImage|file=YeofolkAndChild.jpg|align=left|width=300|title=Yeofolk make up the bulk of the population of Dawn.}}


Yeomen have some social mobility, and may prosper in the Bourse or even the Synod, but they will almost certainly never become Generals or Senators. Those yeomen who do well in the arenas of power that are accessible to them will probably find themselves being approached by noble houses and offered a Test of Mettle - after all, if nobles are glorious then it makes sense that they want to make glorious people into nobles.
==Roles for Yeofolk==
This is a brief overview of the roles that Dawnish yeofolk can play, there is further information for each of these ideas for anyone who is interested in playing one. With the exception of the knight-errant, most of these roles are designed for players who want to play a character that is a yeofolk, not a character that is trying to become a noble.


=== Roles for Yeomen ===
===Knight-errant===
The most common roles for Dawnish Yeomen might include:
A [[knight-errant]] is any character who has publicly declared that they are questing to try to complete a Test of Mettle. Most knights-errant are noble-born but some are born yeofolk. Despite the name, a knight-errant can be a character with any skills, a warrior, a magician a [[Troubadour|troubadour]] or the like.
* A [[Knights-errant|Knight-errant]] - a a noble-born character who has not passed their Test of Mettle, but is either actively engaged on it, or is seeking glory prior to making an approach to a noble house.
* A [[Seneschals and Retainers#Seneschal|seneschal]] - a skilled professional who oversees elements of the day-to-day running of a noble house.
* An [[Seneschals and Retainers#Advocate|advocate]] - an aide to the Dawnish senators who makes a study of history and bureacuracy.
* A [[Seneschals and Retainers#Retainers|Retainer]] - a character who serves as the personal aide to a specific noble.
* A member of a [[Weavers|Weaver Cabal]] - a ritual magician who is part of a structure that exists outside normal social rules in Dawn.


===Seneschal===
Trade and money is considered beneath the dignity of a noble, it is inglorious and thus it is better something left to a yeofolk. As a result there are many opportunities for yeofolk who seek to make their fortune, but the [[seneschal]] is a unique role in Dawnish society. These skilled professionals oversee control the estates and wealth of a [[noble house]] and can be some of the most powerful members of the house.
===Retainer===
Some nobles keep a [[retainer]]; a yeofolk who serves as a personal aide and servant. Retainers are trusted aides who attend to worldly matters allowing their noble to concentrate on striving for glory. Although a retainer is a lower social class than a noble they are often close personal friends and allies.
===Advocate===
Dawnish senators are chosen from amongst the noble class by tourney. To help them function effectively in the Senate, they may seek the help of an [[advocate]]. These yeofolk study the operation, bureaucracy and history of the Senate allowing them to give pivotal help to the nation's senators.
===Weaver===
A member of a [[weaver|weaver cabal]] - a ritual magician who is part of a structure that exists outside normal social rules in Dawn. The weaver cabals contain nobles and yeofolk who work together as equals, their power can rival that of the noble houses.
===Yeofolk Soldier===
The large noble houses of Dawn often maintain their own standing forces of soldiers. These yeofolk are professional warriors who work directly for the house, helping to protect their lands and estates. A normal soldier is not recommend as an option to play at events, they do not normally attend events and are usually NPCs that are represented by one or more noble members of the house taking a [[military unit]]. It is possible that some yeofolk soldier characters might be fun to play, for instance a particularly important member of a large and powerful house might have a personal bodyguard who is a yeofolk soldier. Please be careful before picking this character option however - it exists to fill out the setting, it has not been designed to be fun to play.
===Imperial positions===
Yeofolk have some social mobility, and may prosper in the [[Imperial Bourse]] and the [[Imperial Synod]], but they will almost certainly never become generals or senators unless they rise to become nobles. Those yeofolk who do well in the arenas of power that are accessible to them will probably find themselves being approached by noble houses and offered a Test of Mettle - after all, if nobles are glorious then it makes sense that they want to make glorious people into nobles.


[[Category:Dawn]]
[[Category:Dawn]]
[[Category:Nations]]

Latest revision as of 20:48, 4 January 2024

This article is about the Dawnish character type. For the Marcher population, see Yeoman of the Marches.
The role of yeofolk is much more complex - and challenging - than that of the noble in Dawnish society.
Yeofolk support the nobles of Dawn.

Overview

Anyone in Dawn who has not passed a Test of Mettle is a yeofolk or yeoman, whether they are a farmer, a merchant, or the daughter of an earl. In practice the children raised as part of the noble houses - the noble-born - have advantages and luxuries that most yeofolk can only dream of, but in technical terms they are all considered to be yeofolk.

Any yeofolk can demand that a noble house set them a Test of Mettle. Such a request cannot be refused, but the test can be impossibly difficult if the request is not welcome. Some yeofolk spend their entire lives looking for a chance to be ennobled. The more glorious the deeds they perform before they attempt their Test of Mettle, the reasoning goes, the better the chance that the noble house will set them an achievable task.

Although most Dawnish yeofolk accept that they could become a noble if they passed the Test of Mettle, many are put off by the danger inherent in the tests, or lack confidence that they are glorious enough to join a noble house, but some simply prefer their simpler life. Many yeofolk, especially those who work closely with the nobles as part of a house's entourage often enjoy many of the privileges of the noble class.

There are many opportunities to play a Dawnish yeofolk in Empire. Although most Dawnish characters will be noble, there are roles specially designed for yeofolk characters and the social class represents an opportunity to play a lower status character, something which is not part of the designed setting of the other Imperial nations, which assume that all the PCs are of equivalent social class.

Loyal retainers are often trusted with educating and looking after the children of nobles.
Children - no matter who their parents are - are always yeofolk.

Creating a Yeofolk Character

If you are planning to create a yeofolk character it is very important to think about the social role that your character will fill, much more important than if you are creating a noble character. Noble characters can move easily from one role to another, taking up Imperial positions, or positions of leadership within the house or the nation as their character finds their feet. This is much harder to do as a yeofolk, so you need to have a much clearer idea in advance of what you want to play. Anyone can be a noble, but if you decide to create a yeofolk character - think about what kind of yeofolk you are.

If you are attending the event with friends who are playing a Dawnish noble house, then you can be part of the entourage of the house even though you are not a noble member of it. Noble houses have hundreds of yeofolk, most of them are soldiers or farmers but the number includes servants and trusted retainers. It is well worth speaking to other members of the group about the role your character might fill and making sure that other players are comfortable with the role you are going to fill - you may well be reliant on their roleplaying to make your character concept work.

If you are attending the event by yourself or with a group of characters playing yeofolk then it is worth looking at the various yeofolk roles that are not part connected with the noble houses. The obvious choice is a knight-errant or a group of knights-errant but there are other roles in Dawnish society that you can fill. If you want to play a ritual team then it is worth considering creating a weaver cabal instead.

One important choice to think about is why your character isn't noble. The default choice for Dawnish players is assumed to be a noble character, there are thousands of yeofolk in Dawn but most of these are assumed to be NPCs. This is because the characters with ambition, drive, enthusiasm, passion, intelligence and courage become nobles - the characters without these traits remain as yeofolk. You should think about why your character isn't noble - perhaps they are seeking to become noble and have not yet passed their test, perhaps there is some terrible act of shame in their past that prevents it or maybe they prefer the simpler and safer life of a yeofolk.

Please don't create a yeofolk character who disdains the idea of becoming a noble; yeofolk with these attitudes are not welcome in the nation and the few that exist usually leave to live in the Marches.

Yeofolk make up the bulk of the population of Dawn.

Roles for Yeofolk

This is a brief overview of the roles that Dawnish yeofolk can play, there is further information for each of these ideas for anyone who is interested in playing one. With the exception of the knight-errant, most of these roles are designed for players who want to play a character that is a yeofolk, not a character that is trying to become a noble.

Knight-errant

A knight-errant is any character who has publicly declared that they are questing to try to complete a Test of Mettle. Most knights-errant are noble-born but some are born yeofolk. Despite the name, a knight-errant can be a character with any skills, a warrior, a magician a troubadour or the like.

Seneschal

Trade and money is considered beneath the dignity of a noble, it is inglorious and thus it is better something left to a yeofolk. As a result there are many opportunities for yeofolk who seek to make their fortune, but the seneschal is a unique role in Dawnish society. These skilled professionals oversee control the estates and wealth of a noble house and can be some of the most powerful members of the house.

Retainer

Some nobles keep a retainer; a yeofolk who serves as a personal aide and servant. Retainers are trusted aides who attend to worldly matters allowing their noble to concentrate on striving for glory. Although a retainer is a lower social class than a noble they are often close personal friends and allies.

Advocate

Dawnish senators are chosen from amongst the noble class by tourney. To help them function effectively in the Senate, they may seek the help of an advocate. These yeofolk study the operation, bureaucracy and history of the Senate allowing them to give pivotal help to the nation's senators.

Weaver

A member of a weaver cabal - a ritual magician who is part of a structure that exists outside normal social rules in Dawn. The weaver cabals contain nobles and yeofolk who work together as equals, their power can rival that of the noble houses.

Yeofolk Soldier

The large noble houses of Dawn often maintain their own standing forces of soldiers. These yeofolk are professional warriors who work directly for the house, helping to protect their lands and estates. A normal soldier is not recommend as an option to play at events, they do not normally attend events and are usually NPCs that are represented by one or more noble members of the house taking a military unit. It is possible that some yeofolk soldier characters might be fun to play, for instance a particularly important member of a large and powerful house might have a personal bodyguard who is a yeofolk soldier. Please be careful before picking this character option however - it exists to fill out the setting, it has not been designed to be fun to play.

Imperial positions

Yeofolk have some social mobility, and may prosper in the Imperial Bourse and the Imperial Synod, but they will almost certainly never become generals or senators unless they rise to become nobles. Those yeofolk who do well in the arenas of power that are accessible to them will probably find themselves being approached by noble houses and offered a Test of Mettle - after all, if nobles are glorious then it makes sense that they want to make glorious people into nobles.