[Campaign Inspiration] What surprising things are owned by royalty

[Apollonian]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Apparently magic items don't count for that. Indeed only a few times does the victor deserve the spoils. One was the minor episode where the Hobbits were pillaging Orthanc as merrily as any soldiers in a conquering army.

Also the incident with the trolls in The Hobbit, whence Sting, Glamdring, and Orcrist. Although as that was loot taken by thieves and then recovered by the dwarves and co., maybe that doesn't count either.

[jason taylor]

One incident of adverse possession is that the Dunlandings have bad blood with the Rohirrim because they were driven out of settlements long ago.

It is not recorded that Aragorn reconquered Gondorian lands in the South though he did launch repeated punitive expeditions. It seems he was satisfied, other things being equal, to leave them alone and only marched when he had to.

[jason taylor]

A scientific station (like the Royal Observatory) might be considered a royal possession.

An artistic society. Traveller "Glisten" mentions an endowment for artists left by a noble far back.

A boys school with his tomb inside (one John Company officer did this to make sure it was to unclean for Muslims to disturb it).

Regiments of Ceremonial Guards: that is to obvious to mention.

A gun that belongs to the last prince to conquer the region (the one at Lahore mentioned in Kim inspired it of course).

Any symbol appropriate to that cultures concept of royalty.

A throne made of the melted crowns of conquered kings.

Slaves who once were kings but are now conquered.

A harem with one wife from every tribe in the realm.

Hostages.

Those are some more possible things owned by Kings.

[Apollonian]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Slaves who once were kings but are now conquered.

A harem with one wife from every tribe in the realm.

Hostages.

Those are some more possible things owned by Kings.

Riffing on that... the palace could be entirely staffed by slaves of the king, who are the descendants of conquered royalty, nobles, whatever. It sounds like a bad gig, but think of the janissaries who served the Ottoman Sultan or the slaves of the Persian kings who were often extremely powerful and influential.

Would make for an interesting twist on palace intrigue if "slave of the king" basically translates to "valued and loyal servant". Kings tend to like having their most important assistants be entirely dependent on them for power, so it balances out the magnates of the realm.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Apparently magic items don't count for that. Indeed only a few times does the victor deserve the spoils. One was the minor episode where the Hobbits were pillaging Orthanc as merrily as any soldiers in a conquering army.

Originally Posted by Apollonian

Also the incident with the trolls in The Hobbit, whence Sting, Glamdring, and Orcrist. Although as that was loot taken by thieves and then recovered by the dwarves and co., maybe that doesn't count either.

I suspect the matter of the swords, as against things like The Ring and Palantiri may enter into the question of spoils that have some mind of their own. Speaking of which:

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Slaves who once were kings but are now conquered.

"Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table."?

[jason taylor]

Cedar from Lebonon, Gold from Sardis and Bactria, Lapis from Sogdania:

Plus of course the big big bureaucracy required to get it there, probably including advertising to transporters and building contractors from at least a third of the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Darius_in_Susa

A sacred Sword, a sacred Mirror, a sacred Jewel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Regalia_of_Japan

Decent from King Solomon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Empire#Society

Ok, that last one is kind of iffy. But it's fun, and how the heck would I know?

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Decent from King Solomon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Empire#Society

Ok, that last one is kind of iffy. But it's fun, and how the heck would I know?

While Her Britannic Majesty makes no such claims, she has fans who will happily draw a family tree that tracks back to Wotan.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by RogerBW

Her Britannic Majesty makes no such claims, she has fans who will happily draw ….

As the great C.N. Parkinson explained in the chapter on aristocracy in his magisterial The Evolution of Political Thought, the only claims worth having are ones that one doesn't need to make oneself.

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

One incident of adverse possession is that the Dunlandings have bad blood with the Rohirrim because they were driven out of settlements long ago.

It is not recorded that Aragorn reconquered Gondorian lands in the South though he did launch repeated punitive expeditions. It seems he was satisfied, other things being equal, to leave them alone and only marched when he had to.

I think he reclaimed at least the lands about Umbar, IIRC.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by RogerBW

While Her Britannic Majesty makes no such claims, she has fans who will happily draw a family tree that tracks back to Wotan.

...and possibly Satan, although I think the direct Angevine heritage may have died out. That was more of a Plantagenet thing.