User blog:Harold Burned-Mane/AGoT:High Rock - The Setting

This blog is about setting the scene for the next Burned-Mane Canon RP, A Game of Thrones: High Rock. It will be centered around the political game between the kingdoms in the province of High Rock. To help people learn about the world I will be explaining a few things.

The Kingdoms
Each Kingdom is named after their capital city. They have many vassals, Lords that ruled over villages and Dukes that rule over towns.
 * Daggerfall - Kingdom
 * Wessen Hills - Duchy
 * Ebon Wastes - Lordship
 * Glenpoint - Lordship
 * Anticlere - Lordship
 * Camlorn - Kingdom
 * King's Guard - Duchy
 * Eagle Brook - Lordship
 * Moonguard - Lordship
 * Ykalon - Lordship
 * Shornhelm - Kingdom
 * Meir Darguard - Duchy
 * Meir Thorval - Lordship
 * White Haven - Lordship
 * Northpoint - Kingdom
 * Old Gate - Duchy
 * Thorkan Park - Lordship
 * Normar Heights - Lordship
 * Phrygias - Lordship
 * Wayrest - Kingdom
 * Vermeir Wastes - Duchy
 * Norvulk Hills - Lordship
 * Alcaire - Lordship
 * Balfiera - Lordship (Ruled by a Castellan)
 * Evermore - Kingdom
 * Portdun - Duchy
 * Markwasten Moor - Lordship
 * Wind Keep - Lordship
 * Gavaudon - Lordship
 * Farrun - Kingdom
 * Raven Spring - Duchy
 * Dunkarn Haven - Lordship
 * Black Wastes - Lorship
 * Jehenna - Kingdom
 * Cloud Spring - Duchy
 * Dunlain Falls - Lordship
 * Karthgram Vale - Lordship
 * Aldingwall - Imperial Legion Base

Lariat Family
The ruling family of High Rock, gained the crown when Daric Lariat, the current Emperor of Tamriel, conquered High Rock during the Stormcrown Rebellion. As the royal family of the province the whole realm is sworn to them, but their direct vassals are the other Kings and the Duke and Lord of their own kingdom. The head of the family, Gaban Lariat, is the High King of the province. He rules from his family's ancient seat of Shornhelm. Its location in the center of High Rock helped greatly in the integration of the province as a united nation. Gaban is married to Abelle La Rouche, the daughter of the King of Daggerfall. She has recently become pregnant. Gaban isn't as strong a ruler as his cousin Daric but he is an honorable man and well respected by many. Gaban's mother was a Stentor and he inherited her black hair.

Stentor Family
The ruling family of the kingdom of Jehanna. An ancient family dating back to the 1st Era when the Bretons first took control of the province, thought they have only ruled Jehenna since the mid 2nd Era. Their are sworn to the Lariats and their direct vassals are a Duke and Lord in their kingdom. They are steadfast friends of their neighbors from Farrun. The head of the family is Edgar Stentor, the King of Jehenna. He is married to Callie Tussaud and together they have three children, two boys and a girl. Their eldest son is the heir to the kingdom. Edgar also has a bastard son that is half Altmer and lives with the family in their castle. The Stentor family has Nordic lineage and because of that they deeply value honor. Black Hair is a dominant trait in the family. Edgar is the cousin of the current High King, Gaban, who's mother was his aunt.

Bantien Family
The former ruling family of Daggerfall. An old family that dates back to the early 3rd Era They were overthrown when the last king of Daggerfall, Arnand Bantien, was killed after resisting Daric's conquest of the city during the Stormcrown Rebellion. The king was fairly young and left no heirs, thus the throne passed to his older sister when he died. His sister was married to Perien La Rouche, the then Duke of Wessen Hills. She officially ruled but everyone knew her husband was a one making the actual decisions. She bent the knee to Daric and swore fealty to him. She and Perien had two children, a son and a daughter. She didn't rule much and died a few years later. Instead of her son taking the throne it passed to her husband, and unorthodox thing. Since her children were La Rouches by birth the Bantien family is officially extinct.

La Rouche Family
The current ruling family of Kingdom of Daggerfall and the Duchy of Wessen Hills. A relatively new family that is less than 100 years old. They began as common folk, immigrants from Cyrodiil, and have since become rich from trade and risen to the ranks of royals. Shunned by most old families as lucky upstarts the La Rouches are an ambitious lot. Perien is the richest man in High Rock, though some argue that the High King is richer. He holds a lot of power and was one of the main funders of Daric's Rebellion years ago. Perien is a clever and cunning man, the direct opposite of his son and heir. His son is a knight and values strength and honor above cunning. He is a member of the Order of the Dragon. Their direct vassals are all those in the Kingdom of Daggerfall, as the also hold the Duchy of Wessen Hills.

Tyne Family
The ruling family of Evermore. The Tyne family were once one of the most powerful families of High Rock, back in the late 3rd Era. But in the 4th Era they started to lose their kingdom's territories and with them their power. Their rulers became fat and lazy and their name no longer held the prestige it once did. However after Daric imprisoned the former king of Evermore, Barnand, for letting the Imperial Legion set his city on fire, and revoked his lands, the family's title was given to one of the family's side branches. Julien Tyne became the new King of Evermore. He is young and handsome and married to Jannia Hassildor. They have three young children. The young king is determined to bring the Tynes back to their old level of prestige and power and finally break the family decent into a laughingstock. Some think the young king too inexperienced but others believe that he has what it takes to accomplish his goal.

Marane Family
The current ruling family of Wayrest. The Maranes have been in power since the mid 3rd Era. They previously lost the throne to Helseth Hlaalu, the son of Barenziah, but ultimately his stepsister took the throne and continued her line. Wayrest has always been a rich kingdom and thus the Maranes were always one of the wealthiest families in High Rock. Recently they lost the title of richest to the La Rouches. The King of Wayrest is an old man in his late 50s. His wife and him have only one child, a daughter in her early 20s. She is yet unmarried and fiercely independent. Her parents have tried to get her married to a prince but she has refused every suitor. Many ambitious single nobles come to Wayrest to try to win the hand and heart of the princess but she has denied everyone so far, dozens of rejections. The King of Wayrest is related to Jannia Tyne's mother.

Tussaud Family
The ruling family of the Duchy of Old Gate. An old family that has existed since the late 2nd Era and greatly values duty. They are sworn to the Kings of Northpoint and their vassals are the Ancois of Thorkan Park. They are very loyal to their lieges and their allies. The head of the family is old and sickly, he commonly spends days at a time in bed. His wife has already died and his only family are his son and daughter. While his daughter is married to the King of Jehenna his son has yet to be married. But he is trying to win the hand of the princess of Wayrest, so far he had been unsuccessful. Everyone expects the head to soon die from sickness and for his young son to take his place as Duke of Old Gate. His son is young and a bit naïve, not many expect him to last long as Duke should he get the throne.

Ancois Family
The current ruling family of the Lordship of Thorkan Park. They have held the title for a few decades, but despite this their family dates back to the mid 3rd Era. Before they were the Lords the title belonged to the Frey Family, but they became extinct when the last Lord Frey's only son and heir, Mercer, ran away from home unexpectedly. When the Lord Frey died his lands and title passed to his liege, the Tussauds, who gave the holdings to the Ancois. Despite the fact that the Lord Ancois owes his power to the Tussauds he has shown himself not entirely loyal or trustworthy. During the Stormcrown Rebellion when his lieges sided with Daric and called their banners the Lord only arrived for the war after Evermore was taken and Daric can taken all of the province. The head of the family is old and has been married 6 times already and has numerous children and grandchildren.

Corgine Family
The current ruling family of the Lordship of Ebon Wastes. They owe their allegiance to the La Rouche Family, who gave them the lands of Ebon Wastes decades ago after they came into the Duchy of Wessen Hills. The La Rouches used to be the Lords of Ebon Wastes. This has caused the Corgines to become fiercely loyal to the La Rouches as they owe all their lands and wealth to them. It is common of Corgines to serve in the person guard of the La Rouches and has caused the family to have the reputation of being the guard dogs of the La Rouches. Which is something they took to heart and prided themselves on, taking a guard dog as their sigil. The current Lord of Ebon Wastes is in his 30s, married but as of yet with no children. His brother is one of Perien La Rouche's person guards.

Direnni Lineage
The ruling family of the island of Balfiera. The Direnni are an ancient family as old as High Rock itself, and the only ruling family to be comprised wholly of Altmer. They have intermarried with other nobles in Tamriel, including the Septim Dynasty in the 3rd Era, but the main line has stayed purely Altmer. They accomplish this mainly by marrying nobles from the Summerset Isles. Their head is the Castallen of Direnni Tower, also known as Adamantine Tower, one of the oldest buildings in the continent. They are sworn to the Maranes of Wayrest but are mostly isolationists and don't really intervene in Breton politics, so they have gained bit of disdain from their lieges. Because of their age the family greatly values tradition. The current head of the family is over a hundred years old and is married with one son.

Solance Family
The ruling family of the Kingdom of Northpoint. They have ruled Northpoint for centuries, since the early 3rd Era. They have maintained their line purely Breton, refusing to intermarry with other races. Their direct vassals are the Tussauds of Old Gate, the Lords of Normar Heights and the Lords of Phrygias. The current King of Northpoint is a young 18 year old who has recently obtained the throne from his father after his sudden death. His mother, now the the Dowager Queen of Northpoint, has since been trying to get support to overthrow her son as she suspects foul play in her husband's death. The Solances have a history of talented alchemists in their family, many of which trained with poisons. This is the reason why their sigil is a cobra, a poisonous snake.

Ashfield Family
The ruling family of the Lordship of Markwasten Moor. They are sworn to the Dukes of Portdun, who are in turn sworn to the Tynes of Evermore. Despite this the Ashfields are much more loyal and devoted to the Tynes than their direct lieges. Due to this the head of the Ashfields wants to see the Tynes back to their previous power and prestige just as much as King Julien. The son of the Lord of Markwasten Moor is also the Knight-Captain of the Knights of the Lion, the knight order from Evermore, and serves in King Julien's personal guard because of this. The Ashfields are known to prefer the use of force over diplomacy, with the Lord's son taking this to heart. However the Lord is a bit more diplomatic than his son, as he knows the value of words during certain occasions.

Toreau Family
The ruling family of the Kingdom of Farrun. The Toreaus are an ancient family dating back to the 1st Era when the Bretons first took control of the province, like the Stentors, and have ruled the kingdom for many centuries. They are well-known for being attractive, well-built and for their unusually large size, as members of the family stand over 6ft 3ins tall. The Toreaus are long-term friends of their neighbors from Jehanna due to the fact that both families have similar values. The head of the family is Tormund Toreau, King of Farrun and Captain of the Queen's Halberd. He is married to a unknown woman, who goes by the name of Allera, she is the reason to the name of Tor's ship and together they have four boys and a girl. The Toreaus are fierceful sailors and have the greatest fleet of the province, making them unmatched by sea, but their army is lacking. Being the strongest navy on all the land, their trading routes are very succesfull and that is the main reason of why some people suspect them to commit piracy. The Toreaus are loud, proud, boisterous and fierce, impressed only by those who earn their respect.

Knight Orders
Knights are a major part of High Rock's culture. There are many minor Orders of knights but the major ones are the Knight Orders that serve the monarchs of the province as their personal and elite guards. Other nobles like Dukes and Lords have elite guards that protect them, some of which might be knights, but they don't have entire Knight Orders under their control. All knights must swear several vows, which depends on the order, before they are granted the title Sir or Dame. They also follow a code of chivalry and must act according to it, though some orders use modified versions of the typical code of chivalry.
 * Knights of the Crowned Phoenix - Previously knows as the Knights of the Phoenix. They are the personal royal guards of High Rock, most specifically Shornhelm. They protect the High King and his family as well as act as elite guards and lead the regular guards in the kingdom's cities.
 * Knights of the Axes - Personal guards of Jehenna. Due to the Nordic influence in the kingdom the knights of this order use waraxes instead of swords, which is the reason of the order's name. They protect the monarch and his family as well as act as elite guards and lead the regular guards in the kingdom's cities.
 * Knights of the Dragon - Personal guards of Daggerfall. They protect the monarch and his family as well as act as elite guards and lead the regular guards in the kingdom's cities.
 * Knights of the Lion - Personal guards of Evermore. They protect the monarch and his family as well as act as elite guards and lead the regular guards in the kingdom's cities.
 * Knights of the Rose - Personal guards of Wayrest. They protect the monarch and his family as well as act as elite guards and lead the regular guards in the kingdom's cities.
 * Order of the Crow - A relatively new order founded about 150 years ago by a Direnni, the uncle of the current Castallen, that instead of serving a ruler or a family serves the realm as a whole. They don't get involved in squabbles or wars between the nobility and serve to protect the commonfolk and the province from any threat. The Crows accept anyone into their ranks, lowborns, highborns and even criminals. But they don't accept desertion, it is punished by death. Due to this they started receiving many criminals from various kingdom, when they had the death penalty, as they would have the choice to either serve the province or die.
 * Knights of the Cobra - Personal guards of Northpoint. They protect the monarch and his family as well as act as elite guards and lead the regular guards in the kingdom's cities.
 * Knights of the Seaborn - Personal guards of Farrun. They protect the monarch and his family as well as act as elite guards and lead the regular guards in the kingdom's cities. They are named after what those from Farrun call themselves, the Seaborn, because of the strong naval culture of their kingdom. Unlike other Knight Orders their armor is made of mostly leather and protective scales so as to facilitate swimming and movement at sea.

The usual ranks for the Knight Orders are:
 * Squire
 * Knight Errant
 * Knight Bachelor
 * Knight-Captain

The ranks of the Crows are:
 * Initiate
 * Knight-Brother
 * Knight-Commander

Military and Guards
Like all the other provinces of Tamriel High Rock has its own military. Theirs is the Adamantine Order, which is made up mostly of the guards and Knights of the various kingdoms. During peace times the Order only maintains a garrison in a few forts throughout the province and are only called upon to do things regular guards can't do. The soldiers that remain in those garrisons are better equipped and trained than guards. The Order is lead by the High King and his knight-generals. The ranks of the Order are, from lowest to highest:
 * Squire
 * Infantrymen
 * Mountaineer
 * Knight Errant
 * Knight Bachelor
 * Knight-Captain
 * Knight-Commander
 * Knight-General

Each kingdom in High Rock maintains its own guards, similar to Skyrim. Their judicial system is also very independent from one another and some kingdoms have different laws than others. Though the royal laws apply to the whole province. The guards all wear standard equipment and are made up of commonfolk. Each kingdom's guards are lead by their Knight Order, which are comprised of highborn citizens and rarely have any lowborn members. The guards are the ones that maintain the peace in the province and in times of war they are drafted into the Adamantine Order to serve as soldiers. The guard ranks are:
 * Guardsmen
 * Officer
 * Knight Errant (This and the rest are the ranks from the Knight Orders)

The Imperial Legion maintains a garrison in High Rock, led by General Roderic Acques, in Aldingwall. The walled town is located in the northern part of the Kingdom of Daggerfall but they don't owe allegiance to King Perien. They are independent and only answer to the Emperor of Tamriel.

Courts
In High Rock, like in Skyrim, each ruler has a court. His court is made up of his councilors, advisors and bodyguard. The make up of most courts in High Rock is:
 * Castallen - Helps the ruler with administrating his kingdom as well as dealing with money and trade in the region. In Balfiera this position is called the Vice-Castallen. It is the equivilent of the Steward in Skyrim.
 * Master-at-arms - Helps the ruler in matters of war, advising him with his army and navy. Is sometimes also the Knight-Captain of his Knight Order, in the case of Kings. For the High King this position is usually held by the Knight-General.
 * Magister - Helps the ruler in matters of the arcane and serves as his personal mage, enchanter, etc. Is the equivilant to a Court Wizard in Skyrim.
 * Personal Bodyguard - Is the personal protecter of the ruler. Most times this position is held by the Knight-Captain of a Kingdom's Knight Order. For Dukes and Lords it is usually a member of the Knight Order, but not the Knight-Captain. Is the equivilant of the Housecarl in Skyrim.
 * Master of Laws - Helps the ruler in masters is diplomacy, serving as a diplomat as well as helping him in making or changing laws in his kingdom.

Customs
High Rock has many customs below are a few of them.
 * Dowager Queen - A Dowager Queen is a widow of a ruling king. As they were not the ruling monarch and were merely married to him they no longer hold the title of Queen upon their husband's death. As a Dowager Queen a woman has no real power in the kingdom, but they still hold the prestige and honor that they held as Queen. There is no male alternative of this title. When a ruling Queen dies her husband only keeps his previous titles from before marrying her, so he no longer holds prestige or power in the kingdom of his dead wife.
 * Knights are addressed by their title, "Sir/Dame", then their first name and possibly their last. For example: Sir Caius, or Sir Caius Mede.
 * Wives of Knights are addressed as "Lady ", however if they are a knight themselves then they would be addressed by her own title.