David wrote: Karl, you mention that the Fox family is one of the 5 largest on Ardania. I am under the impression that the large families were granted significant lands and responsibilities at some point. As the families have grown, they have carved out smaller holdings, from the larger grant, for rare members that have earned the priviledge, even though they weren't first-born sons. These holdings answer to the family as a whole and are responsible for maintaining themselves and probably tithe a portion of the crops, taxes, trade profits, etc back to the main Patriarch. Is this correct? I have been trying to envision the characters relationships to each other, as well as our relationship to Uncle Max. I would like Stephen to be from one of these holdings (probably a bit remote) and will have probably fostered for some period with another one of the smaller holdings (perhaps where he met one of the other characters?), or back at the main family manor. However, before I get too involved with a complicated background, I would like to be sure I am somewhat close to "reality".

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Gee whiz... the answers to these questions fit into the LONG and REALLY LONG category. I'll see what I can do. I'm hoping to answer David's questions in the middle of some vaguely-related ramblings.

A quick bit of semantics.... while the Fox family is large, the first word I would use to describe them is "powerful". Powerful in the sense that the clan leaders can get away with flouting pretty much any law they choose. Individual members of the family aren't so powerful normally... they end up having to answer to their elders, if no one else.

ABOUT SUCCESSION IN ARDANIA

The matter is so complex that not even I -- Divine Being that I am -- can completely work it out. Oddly, there are Barristers who claim to understand the matter in it's entirety! They will dispense small nuggets of information on the subject in exchange for substantial payments to their firms.

Basically, it works like this:

The King owns Everything.

(period)

That's not a very satisfying answer, but it does form the axiom beneath everything else.

The King has the ability to make a noble. There's a couple of different ways to sort nobility... the Non-Inherited Kind (Knights - the son of a Knight isn't a Knight unless he earns it from a landed noble) vs. the Inherited Kind (everybody else, Baronets on up, who pass their title on to their heir)... and Landed (Barons on up) and Non-Landed (Baronets and Knights).

If the King makes you a Landed Noble, it means that in addition to giving you a title he puts you in charge of one of his parcels of land... you get to take the income that that land produces (minus a tax for the Crown of course), and keep it. If the King gives you a really big piece of land... you'll be living quite well.

But wait! There's more! You may turn around and put some lesser noble in charge of a piece of land in the middle of the piece of land the King made you in charge of! In this case, you are in fealty to the King and the lesser noble is in fealty to you.

And of course, that lesser noble may have knights in fealty who hold certain manor properties from him.

No matter what your rank... there is a lot of status in holding your land directly from the King.

Almost all lands are ENTAILED. What does that mean? That means that it doesn't get split up when the owner dies. The owner can't sell it anyway, or break it up, even if he wants to. It's not his land, anyway.... It All Belongs to the King.

Having made such a broad statement, I must now tell you that there is an exception (wide enough to drive a carriage through). This is called a SETTLEMENT. Although it almost always refers to monetary wealth, it can include property which is not entailed. A settlement is a legal document which insures that some or all of the property that a wife brings to a marriage ultimately belongs to her, or will return to her or her children. (Otherwise it would become the sole property of the husband.)

So... all the way back to the first question: The land doesn't get split up, but it is possible that a given Fox family member may hold lands from another Fox who is a landed noble, or any other landed noble for that matter. The family doesn't behave as a single entity, except in times of political importance.... it behaves like a bunch of quarrelsome relatives most of the time. There is a "head" to the family... that would be the highest ranking Peer... His Grace, William Fox, Duke of Vallyns. You could argue somewhat sucessfully that the really power lies with his mother and aunt, Duchess Coralinda Fox and Viscountess Emma St Clair, respectively.

So...how does this effect you? I'm making the assumption that your own character is a son or daughter of one of the Landed Foxes. Furthermore, if male, you're not the first-born Heir, nor the second-born son (who will probably be knighted and be given land to hold from another noble... perhaps another Fox), nor the third-born (who will probably get pressed into the Clergy -- they have their own titles and ranks and lands that are not part of this discussion). If female, I'm assuming that you have scandalized the matrons of the household by rejecting one or more suitors. Currently, either your father (if alive) or his heir provides for your living needs and expenses. This isn't just food and water... he's under social pressure to keep you looking (and behaving) like you and he are related.

Talking about the Fox lands.... There are several plots of land held by different Fox family members directly from the King, as well as many smaller parcels held from other landlords. The largest parcel is that held by the Duke... a city and region called Vallyns.