Lord of the Shademire

WIP - Summer Camp 2023

In the Shademire swamp in Serukis live a relatively large group of freshwater merfolk known as the Shadefolk. Their leader is known as the Lord of the Shademire. Despite the title of 'lord', the Lord of the Shademire is not always a man. The current lord is a woman.
The Lord of the Shademire is both a physical and spiritual leader to the Shadefolk. They take care of the day to day running of the clan, including settling disputes and making important decisions about things that affect their people. They are often called upon to interpret laws and pass judgements.
On the spiritual side, the lord leads the daily prayers and ceremonies of their religion. They also oversee the wellbeing on their swamp home, and often take an active role in teaching the children of their community how to care for the plants and animals in their environment. This includes which are dangerous and to avoid, and which have helpful properties or culinary uses.
One of the most important roles of the Lord of the Shademire is to foster a good relationship with Low Lord Dunn and the rest of the Dunn family. The Dunns were given lands by the High Lord Elenasia that included Shademire as a veiled insult in the early days of Serukis, despite the fact that the Shadefolk were already living there. Unexpectedly, they have been great allies to the Shadefolk over the centuries, and the two lords have a meeting at least once a year to discuss the state of things.
The Lord of the Shademire is an elected title. A new lord is picked after the death of the old lord. Everyone, including children, are allowed a vote. Votes are cast anonymously by placing pebbles in baskets, and the candidate with the most pebbles will win the election.