Highborn Prisoners Society

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War… war does not change. At least not for the rank-and-file soldiers who always took the worst of it. Nobles and the highborn had it a little easier: not only because of their vastly superior equipment, food and lodging during campaigns, but mainly because they had a much higher chance of surviving the battle.
The reason was simple, dead nobles were of little worth; alive, they could fetch a hefty ransom from families or enemy rulers, or could be exchanged for prisoners from the captor’s side.
It was thus an unwritten but widespread custom that noble lords would fall into the captivity of another nobleman rather than dead into the mud. The captured noble would surrender his horse, armour, and later, a hefty ransom to his captor.
Of course, a noble lord or lady (or their offspring) could be captured by an enemy even outside the heat of battle. These prisoners were treated as precious commodities and provided with all care. Once again, the main goal was not to harm them, but rather to gain an advantage for negotiation or trade.
Even the Bohemian king Wenceslas IV was a captive at the time of our game. It did not mean he was locked up in a dungeon and given only bread and water. He was interned in luxury, but kept away from all events and with minimal power to influence the situation in Bohemia.

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