Lyrosia

The westernmost province of Kardia, including Kardia City and its environs. Hereditary Barony of the Lyros Dynasty and the Kings of Kardia.

The Barony of Lyrosia has always been "first among equals". Lyrosia not only enjoys the favor of the King, but it also contains the capital, two out of the three wealthiest ports in Kardia (of which Kardia City is one), and the mouth of the Lyros River. The Lyros family controls all of the trade up and down the Lyros, even though the river first begins at the Titans Wall and passes through several Baronies before entering Lyrosia. Lyrosia is also the westernmost Barony, separated from the coast of Angland by only 60 miles at the northwestern tip. The city of Daelan is the closest port to Angland, and so receives the vast majority of trade goods and supplies shipped from the Western Continent. In addition to these benefits, Lyrosia has the longest coastline of any Barony, and thus also recieves income from industries such as fishing, whaling, and salvage.

The Howling Straits separate Kardia and Angland, connecting the Nordthrun Sea to the Wydrun Sea. On the Kardian side, they are bordered by Kardia's Bridgestone Ruins and Angland's Blackrock Barrows. Smack in the middle of the Straits squats the impregnable castle of Xartalca Prison. The land around the Straits is infertile, most plants struggle and do not thrive. The ruins and the surrounding lands are considered 'chancy' and most people avoid them whenever possible. The ruins are directly controlled by the Count of Wyndermere, as there are no Shires or Estates that will encompass them.

Unsurprisingly, Lyrosia wields the most political power. The high nobility of Lyrosia are almost always direct relations to the King, and often stand high in his esteem. The King can generally be counted on to favor Lyrosia in disputes, policy, and patronage, and, unless marrying a foreign bride for political purposes, his Queen will very likely come from the ranks of the Lyros family. Family loyalty is high, and the fortunes of the Lyrosia and the Monarchy are very much intertwined. Thus far, that has only been to Lyrosia's benefit.

The King is also the hereditary Baron of Lyrosia and Count of Kardiff; however, his attention is focused on ruling all of Kardia. For this reason, other members of the Lyros family act as the Baron and the Count in his stead. They are accorded the title as a courtesy. Though Lyrosia is undoubtedly the most stable of Baronies, the position of Baron of Lyrosia is not. As the title does not truly belong to whomever is using it at the time, the King may remove him from the position, or appoint another in his stead. Usually, the Barony goes to a favored sibling of the current king, though in the past it has been given to nephews, cousins, and other consanguineous members of the Lyros family. Though the King can name a new Baron as soon as he ascends the throne, that newly appointed individual takes on the mantle of the Barony's heir. He does not receive the title, lands, or revenue until the incumbent Baron dies or abdicates in his favor. As a courtesy and a gesture of filial concern, the displaced heir is usually given some kind of compensation for the loss of the title: land, wealth, or positions in the government. Still, no child is raised with the expectation of becoming the next Baron of Lyrosia, even if the title has remained in their direct line for several generations.

The uncertainty of the next Baron of Lyrosia has given rise to several slang phrases. "Betting on the Lyrosian Barony" means putting all of one's faith (usually backed up by one's worldly goods) into a desired outcome with no guarantees that outcome will occur. It is most often heard amongst gamblers, but is also used in everyday life.

"Arthur's not planting any wheat this year?"

"Nope, he's betting on the Lyrosian Barony that the war will make the prices drop."

The sister-phrase, "expecting the Lyrosian Barony" means putting all of one's faith into an outcome that has little or no chance of occurring.

"Arthur's agreed to marry the Earl's half-wit daughter?"

"Talk about expecting the Lynosian Barony--he thinks the Earl will pass the Estate to his daughter instead of his warhero son!"

The current Baron is Kamryn Lyros, the younger brother to King Alphonse III, and paternal uncle to King Richard. As Richard has no surviving, legitimate siblings, it is likely, though not definite, that the Barony will pass to Kamryn's son Kamryn II.