I'm doing research for a novel, so my apologies if the question sounds odd.
Let's say a group of people (refugees from somewhere) makes their way through the territory of the Despotate of Epirus. They find a remote piece of land and decide to squat on it. The general question is, what happens next?
What I THINK would happen next is, eventually they will come to the attention of the civil authorities. (I believe Despotate of Epirus kept the Byzantine themata/district system, so I'm guessing the "civil authority" in question would be the kephale of the local katepanikion. Am I correct in that?)
If I am, what is likely to happen next? Would the kephale demand taxes, would he demand military service under the pronoia system, or would he simply tell the refugees to move on? I don't think #3 is likely -- the land would be laying fallow otherwise, which is a waste -- but I don't know.
Would the racial composition of the refugees (Greeks vs Franks) make a difference? I know Theodore Komnenos Doukas had Frankish mercenaries in his armies, but I don't know how he felt about Franks in general.
Minor edit: I just got hold of Mark Bartusis's "Land and Privilege in Byzantium", and if I understand what I am reading so far, one of the options I listed is not an option at all.
IF I am understanding it correctly, the kephale most likely could not demand military service, since creating a new pronoia grant would not be within his purview. But he could demand taxes and use them to ease his own military obligation?