General Where do 'Noble' retainers come from?

[gchuck]

Title says it all.
Newly invested noble gets 'lands', estate, titles, and all the bells and whistles. Where do you get your retainers?

Hire complete strangers? Or your best friend from secondary school, Bob?

Is there an agency for this, or do you go to "Retainers R us"?

How are these people vetted?

chuck

 

[Spinward Scout]

Is there an agency for this, or do you go to "Retainers R us"?

I think with so many Nobles that there WOULD be a Social Standards Services.

With Household, Properties, and Starcradt Divisions.

 

[Condottiere]

Shades of meaning.

Implication is that the person is expected to obey and remain somewhat loyal while on the payroll.

Recruitment could be from anywhere, though certain pools would be preferred.

 

[Spinward Flow]

It's yet another Temp to Perm job posting vetted by employment agencies.

Some retainers might be hereditary though (your family has served my family for generations).

 

[Grav_Moped]

From Noble Orthodontists, duh.


...wait, I was supposed to read more than the thread title before replying?


Depending on starting SOC stat, either reliable friends from before getting elevated, or from the family's retinue.

 

[GypsyComet]

The answer, like many others, starts with "It depends."
We see such a situation in Marc's "Agent of the Imperium", in which the base staff of the prior noble in that position stayed "on the land" until a replacement arrived, but were understood to be subject to replacement at the whim of the new title holder. They had, if anything, more of a tradition to uphold than the title holder. This sort of arrangement is most likely to be the case for High/Landed nobles. The main exception would be during the creation of new titles at a world, requiring new residences and staff if the title holder is also "first of his line". Sometimes that new title just gets added to one of the higher local nobles (Baron Yori, anyone?), but if a new line is being created from the local "Emperor's Labor Pool" (retired Ceremonial nobles, or promising Honor Nobles), then they're starting from scratch.

Ceremonial and Honor nobles don't necessarily have retainers or the means to support them, but might in some circumstances. One of my favorite references here is Lord Peter Wimsey, of the British mysteries by Dorothy Sayers written a century ago. While just "the spare" in his youth, he acquired his one retainer, the loyal and multi-talented (ex-Sergeant) Bunter during World War I. Bunter had been his attache' through the war, had helped him recover from a nasty case of shell shock, and stuck with him afterwards. His brother inherited the family title, so Peter is just a Lord and not much else. Classic Honor noble in Traveller terms.

 

[mike wightman]

Trusted friends and colleagues from your service days. Recommendations from them. And yes you would hire from general population.

 

[aramis]

IMTU,

1. Inherit the household staff
2. hire your friends, if they have the requisite skills and rank.
3. Hire from an approved list of pre-screened individuals
4. Other sources

 

[Condottiere]

Going by Dungeons and Dragons, henchmen would be a step up, hirelings a step down.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Going by Dungeons and Dragons, henchmen would be a step up, hirelings a step down.

Minions, Inc?

 

[atpollard]

Vat grown and chipped for personality.

 

[Condottiere]

I don't think you have to pay salaries to minions, and their adjusted loyalties would be higher than that of retainers.

They might work for peanuts, or bananas.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Vat grown and chipped for personality.

Wait, you want them to have personalities too now?

 

[Spinward Flow]

Where do you get your retainers?

Oh I don't know ... one tends to inherit them.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

The answer, like many others, starts with "It depends."
We see such a situation in Marc's "Agent of the Imperium", in which the base staff of the prior noble in that position stayed "on the land" until a replacement arrived, but were understood to be subject to replacement at the whim of the new title holder. They had, if anything, more of a tradition to uphold than the title holder. This sort of arrangement is most likely to be the case for High/Landed nobles.

This sounds like Stevens and previously, his father Stevens Sr. in the film The Remains of the Day. Whether Lord Darlington (Nazi sympathizer) or Jack Lewis (upstart American congressman) are deserving of Steven's loyalty is irrelevant. Ultimately it is the estate, Darlington Hall, that Stevens serves, not the man who owns the Hall.

 

[Mår Ekkertsen]

Where do you get your retainers?

I think the best place to look is a) our own history of nobilty b) more modern history of household staff management among the super-rich.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinue
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_(medieval)
• https://www.tudornation.com/the-practice-of-keeping-retainers/

• https://www.householdstaffinginternational.com/services/
• https://www.quora.com/How-many-people-servant-work-at-very-rich-wealthy-peoples-homes

 

[Condottiere]

I think employing cheap immigrants places them under hirelings.

Au pairs could be honey traps.

 

[Shadowrunner]

Thinking of the "Baron" of Inchin in District 268.

"Some 8,000 workers remain on what’s come to be known as “Rowri’s Folly”, most of them engaged in trying to prevent the half-finished city and starport from falling completely into ruin. Living and working conditions are so bleak and unpleasant that, in order to retain laborers, Rowri must offer unusually high wages - and oblige workers to sign contracts that bind them to remain on Inchin for three years. The small, but heavily-armed “Baronial Guard”, ever fearful of uprisings among the workers, upholds an oppressive law enforcement regime and clamps down on even the mildest signs of disaffection. Private ownership of any kind of weapons has been prohibited, including within the starport’s boundaries, but the workers have ready access to improvised knives, swords and spears."

"On several occasions, Rowri has tried to dampen labor discontent by impulsively promising large, across-the-board bonuses that it later proved impossible for him to pay more than a small fraction of."

I think the clue is in the name - retention. Every venture has it's ups and downs. How do you retain people in the doldrums, especially if you have promised them the world, or the galaxy. Loyal subjects will eventually spread their wings. Exceptional leadership, honesty, support and hope of progression or fulfilment is required. People leave if they are not having fun, money or learning. Perhaps in a feudal society, honour plays a bigger role. Duty, I am not so sure, if all that is needed is 2 years wages to "jump ship" to another planet.

Sgt Buntey is a good example of where personal relationships play. I think also religion, beliefs and as mentioned tradition might help. I guess we need to look at feudal society and ask why most people never travelled more than 10 miles past their village in their entire lives. Was fear, risk and danger a huge factor. Is that why people stay in their own jobs these days, better the devil you know than the devil you don't?

In that same feudal society, people crossed the known world to fight for Christian values in the Holy Land.

 

[Spinward Flow]

I guess we need to look at feudal society and ask why most people never travelled more than 10 miles past their village in their entire lives.

Travel was arduous and for most people it meant walking (so travel was slow and calorie consuming) and represented day(s) of lost work that could not be devoted to maintaining and sustaining your holdings or tenant obligations. Travel was a "luxury" in those days that few could afford while living in grinding poverty, just barely getting by their entire lives.

In that same feudal society, people crossed the known world to fight for Christian values in the Holy Land.

Note that the overwhelming majority of those who undertook such ... adventures ... were the landed wealthy who were able to commit resources to such follies. They were (in Traveller parlance) what amounted to Mercenary Contracts in terms of function. They weren't the equivalent to annual vacation package tours.

 

[Condottiere]

People like fighting for a cause whose narrative fits within their world view and perceived self interests.