Quote from: RPGPundit;407481What's more, my feeling would be that if the two societies were side-by-side, regardless of the various possible religious, racial, or social conflicts that could occur, the Charlemagne-guys knights and rulers might start to emulate, in their own particular cultural fashion, some of the traditions of the Tokugawa court, envying some of their discipline and structure.  So you'd end up with frankish knights taking on some pseudo-samurai sensibilities.
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This has Pendragon written all over it.

Quote from: Cole;407484This has Pendragon written all over it.

Just wait. You just... wait.

Quote from: Cole;407484This has Pendragon written all over it.

Yes, it could.

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It will !

Charlemagne held many of his meetings in the bath. It was very much a communal bath-house style situation. The water of the bath was kept up to his neck.
  He did this because he was 6'+ and most courtiers were not as tall, so it kept his petitioners on their toes (literally.) Thus meetings were shortened as they struggled to keep their mouths above water.  He was a quite ingenious ruler, foiled only in following the tradition of splitting up ones lands amongst his sons.

Quote from: Ruben;494738It will !

That's quite the necro for a two word answer that added nothing to the thread.

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Quote from: MonkeyWrench;407338On a slight tangent there's a book that came out recently, Becoming Charlemagne, which partially deals with court life in Aachen.  It's a very light read as far as history books go.

I'll 2nd this on both counts. A good fast read that should be easy to find via library but also is a good overview of Charlemagne as he was and the period. I enjoyed as a good refresher and it brought some points new to me. It should be useful for your purposes if you're still working on this.

While on the other end of the middle ages, The Autumn of the Middle Ages, or The Waning of the Middle Ages by Johan Huizinga should also be of interest, focusing on French and Burgundian courts of the 14th and 15th centuries. The sources for the book may be of more direct interest but of course harder to find unless there are internet versions. Autumn is IIRC the newer translation, Waning is in the public domain and online for free either at Internet Archive or Project Gutenberg. I found out about it on the Pendragon forums and Stafford etc. recommend it.

There's one really important difference, I feel.

Western courts seem to be a "daily" thing.  That is, you go to Avalon and live there or stay with Auntie and join the "court" life which is like a country club.  There were political consequences, but I always felt it was more like 90210.  Seen the Tudors?

Eastern, especially Japanese courts, were more of a sociopolitical mixer that had stronger ramifications.  Courts were held in the winter, when no one could go anywhere anyway.  You actually went and stayed with your lord during the three months, and everything was way more formal.

Basically, the difference is you get to go home every night in one case - you stay with the lord in the other.

QuoteQuote:
This has Pendragon written all over it.

-- Yes, it could.

QuoteQuote:
It will !

-- That's quite the necro for a two word answer that added nothing to the thread.

The idea was that the thread could "have Pendragon written all over it". A statement to which a certain Pundit agreed.
Being the author of a yet unpublished Charlemagne game based on Pendragon rules, I thought I would change "it could" into "it will".
Sorry if I wasn't clearer...

Quote from: Ruben;495091The idea was that the thread could "have Pendragon written all over it". A statement to which a certain Pundit agreed.
Being the author of a yet unpublished Charlemagne game based on Pendragon rules, I thought I would change "it could" into "it will".
Sorry if I wasn't clearer...

That's good, now, any additional information? like say, when you'll be published?

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Quoteany additional information? like say, when you'll be published?

Not yet, but as soon as I have such information, you'll be the first to know.
(The Pendragon line is now in the skilful hands of one-man-company Stewart Wieck. so projects may sometimes take a bit longer than one might expect.)

Quote from: Blackhand;495015There's one really important difference, I feel.

Western courts seem to be a "daily" thing.  That is, you go to Avalon and live there or stay with Auntie and join the "court" life which is like a country club.  There were political consequences, but I always felt it was more like 90210.  Seen the Tudors?

Eastern, especially Japanese courts, were more of a sociopolitical mixer that had stronger ramifications.  Courts were held in the winter, when no one could go anywhere anyway.  You actually went and stayed with your lord during the three months, and everything was way more formal.

Basically, the difference is you get to go home every night in one case - you stay with the lord in the other.

The Japanese seasonal court also adds a lot of intrigue.  While at court (basically a hostage against bad behavior by family and armies) a Lord was untouchable without serious political maneuverings, same when he was in his own lands.  Travelling back and forth however...see 13 Assassins.

Quote from: Ruben;495559Not yet, but as soon as I have such information, you'll be the first to know.
(The Pendragon line is now in the skilful hands of one-man-company Stewart Wieck. so projects may sometimes take a bit longer than one might expect.)

I'll certainly be looking forward to it; I hope it will reach the quality of products like the GPC and the sourcebooks that were privately published (the book of knights and ladies, etc).

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