Kardian Marquis

Marquis of Kardia rule over Shires granted to them by their Count or even occasionally their Baron. The position is hereditary, and no Count may remove a Marquis without express permission from the Baron and a very good reason to do so. They are responsible for the Estates that make up their Shires, and are answerable to their Count, although they are allowed to appeal to their Baron if they feel their Count is acting in such a way that he presents a danger to all the Shires in his County.

There is an average of eight Shires per County, though wealthy Counties may have more, and poorer Counties may have fewer. There are no Shires in the vicinity of the Bridgestone Ruins. There is a noticeable gap in the social standing between Counts and Marquis. Even the most wealthy and politically connected Marquis does not have an equal footing with the least of the Counts. Shires are generally given to distant relatives of the Baron, younger sons of the Count, or acknowledged royal bastards.

Like Barons and Counts, Marquis cannot combine their Shires through marriage, with the lower ranking partner giving up his or her claim to their hereditary Shire, and it is not possible for the same individual or his lawful spouse to hold both a Shire and a County. A newly landed noble takes his name from the land he has received. Thus, the Marquis of Renata's family has taken the name Renata, though he can trace his lineage back to the Remillards. This minimizes confusion, otherwise it would be impossible to refer to one Marquis Remillard without getting him confused with six or seven others. Families do keep extensive genealogical records to prove their heritage and descent. Should an individual become the Marquis of a newly created Shire, he may grant his name to the Shire as long as there is not another another Marquis of the same name in the Barony. Also, should he choose to use the same familial name as a Count or Baron, he must be a direct descendent of the highest ranking member. For example, should Marquis Renata's son receive the gift of a brand new Shire, he may not name the Shire Renata, nor may he keep the name Renata for himself, as there is already a Marquis Renata. Nor may he style himself Marquis Remillard, unless he were also a direct descendent of the Baron Remillard.