Serfdom was the status of peasants on Safehold, whereby a person would trade certain rights in exchange for protection. With few exceptions, most nations on Safehold practiced serfdom.
Practice on Safehold[]
On Safehold serfdom ranged from near slavery, such as the Harchong Empire, to it's gradual extinction and abolishment such as the case of the Kingdom, and later Empire of Charis. Because of the ingrained rejection of technology built into Safehold society, most agriculture was very labour intensive.
Although Safehold was a classless society on the day of creation, with each Adam and Eve relatively equal, declining literacy rates coupled with increased threats of violence created ideal conditions for it's creation.
Serfs, the name given to peasants locked into serfdom, had to provide services, taxes, crops, and labour to the local nobility that watched over them. Although the average Safeholdian had a longer lifespan then the average person on Earth during similar periods of development, the threat of invasion, coupled with a strong and ever present Church created ideal conditions for serfdom to be sustained. (reference missing)
Harchong Empire[]
In the Harchong Empire, serfs are often treated worse then draft animals, due to the high cost of such animals and the higher populations of the nation. Church control is also quite high in the Empire as the noblility depends heavily upon the Church in perpetuating the institution. (reference missing)
The Emperor's Spears were charged with keeping the serfs in line. (TFT)
Charis[]
The Kingdom of Charis officially abolished serfdom during the 8th Century of God, although it was in decline for some time prior to that. (reference missing)
Desnarian Empire[]
Serfdom was quite common in the Desnarian Empire, as was open slavery. (reference missing)
Temple Lands[]
Although not called serfdom, it did exist in the same capacity as in other nations. (reference missing)
Chisholm, Emerald, Corisande, and Tarot[]
With the creation of the Empire of Charis, and the growth of a tightly-knit economy, it would seem that serfdom would be in abolished in these nations.
After the Invasion of Corisande and its subsequent occupation, the Empire of Charis abolished serfdom in Corisande. (HFAF)