Kardian Baron
(redirected from Wildside.KardianBarony)
The entire country of Kardia is divided into nine Baronies, each of which is ruled by one of the nine hereditary Barons. The Barons of Kardia are the highest peers of the land; they have absolute control over their Baronies, and are answerable only to the King. Each of the nine Baronial families are old, dignified, and incredibly wealthy. The original seven Baronies were granted to and named for Lyros Kardiff's seven warlords, who supported his bid for consolidation. These fiefdoms were granted at approximately the same time, however Baronies closest the the western coast and major rivers were settled first. The latter two Baronies were created after Kardia had wrested additional land away from Rowmar.
During the highest and most formal Court ceremonies (such as state funerals, royal weddings, and coronations) they are listed order of precedence, in accordance with the order of founding:
During all other times, 'social' precedence is ordered according to the current Barony standings. This is based on the economic standing and political power of the individual Baronial families. Currently, precedence is given in this order:
This order is fluid and ever-changing, so this is not a formal reckoning of precedence. The Barons generally know where they stand compared to the other Baronies and change places accordingly. This does not always occur harmoniously, and occasionally the other Barons are called to weigh in on various standings.
Barons are forbidden to marry one another, or combine their Baronies in any way. Should two heirs of different Baronies wed, one must immediately renounce the claim upon their hereditary Barony. Generally, it is the bride who renounces her claim, however families with high social precedence may choose to keep the bride's claim active and renounce the groom's.