Anthony posted this over the summer in our private fora for our own PBM game. I don't think it ever got off the ground because we got busy, but here is some good information for those of you who were planning on playing as the Aedui - or better yet, something to motivate you guys to play as them.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:How the Aedui Confederacy works;
The Aedui and their associates in the confederacy are by and large independent of one another. Each tribal kingdom (of which there are 3 in 272) is free to engage in small-scale wars and conquests, and should not expect help from anyone else. They make their own rules, and set their own policies in their land. They raise troops independently.
Land conquered belongs to the tribe that conquered it. The Aedui, typically, just subjected the land to the confederacy, creating a local semi-independent council, the same as any of the other kingdoms in the confederacy had (these would be type 2 governments). There was also attempts at expansion of land for the Vergobret (the high magistrate, head of the confederacy's council, which I'll get to). Those are type 1 governments. The tribes in a type 1 region still have their own, independent council though. However, the Vergobret is free to enter those territories. I will make this clear; the Vergobret, under no circumstances except for actively being run out, can not leave territories officially designated as his. Those are Type 1 territories only. However, the local tribe in a Type 1 is free to do as they please, and has a seperate council.
However, the Aulerci and Insubres weren't so forgiving, historically. They forced other tribes into submission, and at times wholesale incorporated lands into their domain. In such an instance, they set up a local client, but that client was subject to the conquerors council (so the new land is taken, and all the tribes there-in, become part of the conqueroring tribe). That'd be Type 3 governments. A Type 3 region has no independent council or leaders to play. The region has no vote in the large council.
Type 4 governments are allies. Allies are free to do what they want, and even during a war should not feel compulsed to actively fight the enemy, though they may need to defend themselves. Allies would be quite a seperate bag to play.
Land grabs are a big issue; each tribe in the confederacy is gunning for land of their own. Since the lands they conquer belong only to them (or to whoever they give it to), and they choose how to develop it, there was a lot of racing to conquer and subjugate more neighbors than the other members of the confederacy.
When the confederacy works together;
There are two main instances when the confederacy operates as a single structure.
The high council meetings - Bi-yearly meetings of a senate-like body. Meet at the start of spring and fall. The king of each tribe went in person, or sent a diplomat of some authority (a Gobre; a magistrate), to the lands of the Vergobret. So, each independent tribe would be present, but NOT clients, and NOT non-Celtic allies, except perhaps Germans (given that Germans sometimes worshipped Celtic deities, and the council is directly tied to druidic worship). Each tribe present gets one vote, including the tribe from who the Vergobret comes. The Vergobret himself has three seperate votes for himself (giving, effectively, the tribe who controls the position 4 votes).
So, what does the council vote on?
The heir to the Vergobret; when a new Vergobret comes to power, the first council meeting after he is in power, the council votes to elect his heir. The heir can be any powerful leader in the confederacy, in Gaul. It does not have to be a descendant or relation of the current Vergobret. However, because in 272 BC the Vergobret is an Aedui, it is likely for a while the Vergobret to be will be an Aedui as well. Since the Insubres and Aulerci each only have one vote, even if they both voted for one potential Vergobret (a non-Aedui one), the Aedui have one vote, plus an Aedui Vergobret with three. As more independent tribes appear in the council, the looser Aedui control becomes. However, in such a case, there is a lot of politicking; tribes need to get along enough to select one opposition to out-vote the Aedui. So, subject tribes aren't always the best way to go if you want a non-Aedui Vergobret at any point.
Trade agreements and other treaties; When and who to initiate with, over what.
Treasury allocation; the Aedui maintained a central treasury composed of the 'dues' each tribe paid. While each tribe had their own treasury as well, this treasury existed to provide extra funds to tribes who wanted them for whatever reason. More or less "Will we pay to build something in X region". These votes were extremely important. Pretty simple reasoning; Tribe A supports Tribe B's bid for extra funding to build new things in Tribe B's lands. Tribe B later repays the favor by voting for an initiative Tribe A initiates. Likewise, it's a means for the Vergobret to build up support for his initiatives from outside his own tribe; by handing out the ever important treasure to the tribes, he can gain their support for his selection for the next Vergobret, to go to war, etc.
Large scale war; an enemy of equal or greater size threatens the confederation, or has attacked, or there is a desire to go on a large scale war with a particular enemy. There is a vote at the next council to determine what to do, who fights, etc. Allies have no vote in this, but also have no compulsion to fight. Also, when to sue for peace. In this instance remember that those that voted to not go to war often didn't go to fight until the threat was more or less on top of them. Why? Well, you have political enemies in the confederation, most likely; some one didn't support your initiatives or what not, and you let the war go on till they're defeated. Then you don't need to ever deal with them in the council again. Or, you may just be concerned about how few soldiers you have, and don't want to risk ruining your small local army against an enemy.
Hope that's helpful for the time being.Spoiler Alert, click show to read:On druids;
Around 8 druids from the Carnutes would go to the bi-yearly council meeting. Sometimes observers from Britain would join too, but they didn't vote, so, no concern there. These 8 druids from the Carnutes DID vote though. Regardless of their number (since it might be more or less), they got 2 votes. These druids would probably not be military leaders, but probably diplomats. Between these men, they would come to an agreement on how to use these two votes.
Diplomats in Gaul would be druids. They would meet in the druidic council in Aulercia (remember it? It's a unique building). While others could sit in on the council (kings, mainly) and offer their point of view, they would have no vote. So, what would the druids vote on? A few things;
Druids raised their own armies, which were not beholden to any of the other councils. They should be the only council capable of raising Carnutes. The Aulerci have no say in that, or how they're used. However, the confederacy's large council can vote to mobilize the druids against a specific enemy. The druids had no appeal against this; it was one of the few times druids could be actively forced to do anything.
But, that's not all druids did. Druids controlled the building of new temples, for example. Building temples was done by the druids paying a local workforce. However, sometimes, to get the support of the druids in the next big council meeting of the confederacy's heads, the people of the region would pay to build new temples themselves when the druids requested one be built there. Druids, however, did NOT control to whom the temple was dedicated; the local high druid of a region would dedicate the temple to an appropriate local deity. Druids recruited for their army in any region with a substantial temple
Druids could, similar to being forced to fight, vote to state an injunction against a member of the confederacy, or anyone in Gaul that followed the druids (not the Arverni). The confederacy, or any other Gaul, could NOT give money or assistance to the tribe that suffers the injunction until the druids lift the injunction. No money, no military aide, not food during a famine, and not allowed to vote in the confederacy. This was typically lifted when the tribe in question gave aide to another tribe that was in good with the druids themselves, or aided the druids. It was the basis of their political power, and it was a huge amount of power.
Druids could also name a geas for a person, as well as a tribe. For a larger body, like a tribe or kingdom, this was typically the conquest of new lands, or uniting a tribe into their lands (more or less reasoning it'd be better to incorporate as many tribes together as possible in certain cases). As such, they give a closer knit, unified goal for the faction, as opposed to the disorganized, 'every man for himself' nature of the intertribal council. They can only exercise a large geas once every 10 years though, but it can be exercised over the whole of the confederacy, or just over a single tribe, or given to a man (for example in game, a specific general might be given a goal to meet like personally conquering a region or defeating an enemy army); giving a geas to a man was allowed at any time though, although a single man could not be given more than three geasa in his lifetime. Failure of a tribe to meet the geas by simply not attempting it may result in an injunction. Not meeting a geas was, at times, grounds on which one justified commiting ritual suicide, as a geas was considered that important.
Local tribal councils;
Each tribe had its own councils. They decided how to arm the levy, what soldiers to raise, what to build, where to fight, etc. Pretty simple. Any major decisions go through the council. More key would be, who would be on this council.
Typically, you have your key nobles (generals, family members, and just lower nobles who potentially wouldn't even have a character in-game at the time), the chiefs and lesser chieftains, who had one vote in all matters. Nobles too low class would lack any votes. The council on average would have 3-12 such men. There'd also be a druid, acting as the king or chieftain's chief advisor. This druid and the king had 1 or 2 votes on matters that required voting, depending on what the matter was, the nobles each had one vote. The king had 2 votes in military matters, the druid had only 1. His druid had 2 votes in all other matters, where the king only had 1. As such, a Gallic tribe is actually run, more or less, by two men; a king and a druid, depending on the situation. Of course, either can be overruled by the other voters in either situation where they've got the advantage.
So, as can be seen, it's a bit complex, lots of various councils, each with their own authority and purpose, and all of them tied together some way.
Any ovations or dedications should be given to Anthony. In fact, some of you should start building temples to the man.
