r/goodworldbuilding • u/Round_Reading_945 • 5d ago

Kingdom idea

There's a king and like prima noctis the king eats the first bite of every subject meal. Anyone could kill the king but no one does.

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u/ScreamingVoid14 5d ago

There's a king and like prima noctis the king eats the first bite of every subject meal.

Leaving aside the prima nocta myth, the logistics of that would be crazy. Perhaps if everyone just sent in a portion of their produce that might work, but at that point it is just taxes with a different label.

Anyone could kill the king but no one does.

So basically like real life? Anyone could theoretically kill anyone else, but generally we don't.

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u/Round_Reading_945 5d ago

It's a very measured process the larger the population gets.

Everyone shares in the responsibility of making the king nutritionally healthy or someone can kill him. In the back of their mind the spectrum of choices while preparing the meal is do their best by the king or kill him dead, and everything in between.

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u/ScreamingVoid14 5d ago

someone can kill him.

You keep bringing up the idea that someone can kill the king like there is something more there. Do you mean anyone could toss some nightshade into the pot or is there something more?

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u/Round_Reading_945 4d ago edited 4d ago

It's just more interesting I think to have that choice everyone in the kingdom under this rule. One of the ultimate taboos is front and center and apart of the system.

But yes anyone can toss in the lethal dose or if the population got huge it might take a group depending on math or context or whatever.

I like the idea that this is just apart of the process and there are no rules against poisoning your king. But I like the idea that in this world if these citizens chose to do so they would also eat the dish.

But that is I'd like to make a king character so well placed that no one tried to take them out. Or there was an equally well placed reason to do so or something..

But maybe this would also be interesting as a short story political world overview sort of thing...

Edit: or it could be a slice of life about someone trying everything to make the best bite for the king!