Robbing Hood setting

Hi folks this idea and setting was part of my Three Emperors idea, it's 1964 and
the world of Europe is devived between Anglo-French Empire of Plantagenets , Holy Roman Empire of the Hapsburgs, and Imperial Russia of Romanovs.


This setting is inspired by Rex Mundi comic and Lord Darcy stories,

Nations:

Anglo-French Empire: The House of Plantagenets rule over France, England, Scotland, Wales, and parts of North America and South America. Taxation and Law is at the Middle Ages level,


Taxation and Law:


I need to figure out the Taxation and Laws of this setting, one main issues of the Robin Hood is unfair Taxation to the poor, unjust Laws and the fact Magna Carta may not have happened.


Church Corruption:

The other thing is of the Robin Hood myth is that he fighting a Corrupt Church, is this world Reformation hasn't happened or the Scism Between French Church and Rome Church which led to the Antipopes,


Tech level: I want this setting to have a slight Pulpish feel towards it, but Cars are very costly only the Nobles can afford them and there are Airships as well.

Please help me out,


LW
 
I also need help with finding out if any of the Royal Houses that I mention have Blood from the Merovingian Bloodline ?.



LW
 
Here's a nice piece to start with, examining the social underpinnings of taxation and voting rights in medieval France and England: http://web.stanford.edu/~avner/Grei... Kiser 2002 Taxation and Voting Rights RS.pdf

Skimming, it presents the notion of taxes beyond the customary more as 'investments' by the populace in projects enacted by the rulers, with voting as the means of squiring their investment. During period of rulership insecurity, this falls away in favor of arbitrary taxation in which the populace does not get a say in how the taxes are spent. In other words 'Taxation without Representation'. A period like this might hit yeomen especially hard, as taxes could be put on pretty much everything.

Spitballing for a setting, here's a couple ideas.

The city of Nieu Amsterdam and her 'sister', the Bishopric of Brooklyn, are a microcosm of the Empire at large. Nieu Amsterdam covers the island of Manhattan, and your status is very much defined by where you live. The seat of government is the Imperial State Building, home to the Duke and his family. The nobility live just north, in the center of the city, in luxurious
buildings around the Great Lawn. The immense walled park is a playground to the nobles, but any yeoman or peasant daring to enter often leaves in damaged condition. North are mostly peasant blocks for those serving the nobles and their children at Columbia University.

Southern Manhattan are yeoman districts, home to professionals, students, and businessmen. Their lives are centered around Lord Washington's Square and the public college. Further south, at Wall Street, the upper class reinstates its ownership amid the giant trading houses.

Across the East River, Brooklyn is firmly under the rule of the Church. The cathedral is the tallest building in the city, and Brooklyn's subjects live under the Bishop's strict laws, enforced by his personal guard. The Bishop counts himself a pious man, and believes all men should be humble and the Church should receive all wealth. The fact that he resides in that wealth is inconsequential.

Past Brooklyn is Queens, a mixed population of peasants, small struggling farmers, and equally struggling yeomen. The Bronx is almost exclusively a peasant district, serving the nobles' industries. Staten Island is divided up into nobles' farms, while their estates dot Long island.

Lately, the Duke has ordered the construction of a new home at the southern point of the island, taller and more breathtaking than any in the city. To fund this, he has raised taxes. The nobles, who could oppose him, largely escape. The lesser nobles feel the pinch, but work their peasants that much harder to make up the loss. The yeomen and small farmers who do not have much power are hit hardest. Those that cannot pay, of course, are signed into indenture to a noble enterprise where they can work off their debt honestly. Everybody wins. The Bishop, not to be outdone, has raised taxes in Brooklyn to fund additions to the cathedral to compete. It's a bad time not to be a noble.
 
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