The Great Family Accords
After the snow and seas had settled the events of Cataclysm and Severance were over, only 6 families of people that were living in the capital survived.
These families were:
- Hawthorne
- Salix
- Aethelgar
- Cerise
- Pengate
- Bedhelm
Land Logistics
The Accords divided the land equally between the six families, granting each on a region to call their own and do with what they please. It was quickly discovered that each package of land was able to produce goods of one type abundantly, and therefore the businesses that included those goods would also be dominated by that family. Each region has its own smaller capital town where the Regent lives. This person is a prominent member of that noble family, but not the Head of Family, who must maintain a residence in the Southern Corner's main capital of Styrkar. Over time, this structure allowed each of the 6 families a complete monopoly of one industry within the corner and complete control over its production, refining, and distribution. As time saw the rise of the Merchant's Guild, the families did make minor changes to include how to handle that relationship as well. The final arrangement and Regent town make up is the following:- Hawthorne: Herding and Fabrics: TrnMesto
- Salix: Mining and Metals: Jernberg
- Aethelgar: Grains and Brewing: Olhamn
- Cerise: Quarries and Stoneworking: Kirsbaer
- Pengate: Lumber and Carpentry: Skovby
- Bedhelm: Fishing, Hunting, Canning: Point Aurora
Business and Marital Logistics
The accords also detail how the nobility is to handle marital arrangements and matters of business as well. The eldest child of the Heads of Family always inherits the capital estate, and the eldest child of any noble family who holds the property in the name of the family always inherits the business. In the event of death, it always goes to the next child in line. That child must be married to hold the title. If they are not yet married or too young to marry, then a temporary successor is named by the majority of the family until the child is of age. This is an incredibly rare and almost unheard of circumstance since the capital noble families are expected to be very, very large (each average between 8-12 children). Since there are limited business ventures even within the family monopoly (this is partially because of the merchant class as well, then a noble is expected to pursue a different, noble occupation. These include medicine, academics, diplomate politics, military officers, family accounting, police, advocacy, and law enforcement. Marriages are still arranged for business purposes, but those children will very rarely hold more property than the comfort offered to them for having the noble name and being a member of the noble family (they will never be destitute, but not nearly as prominent as the oldest in the family.) Politics of the Southern Corner are entirely run by the family living in the inherited estate in the capital. The Heads of Family hold court the way monarchs do, and in times of war, they will meet collectively in a designated location (this is kept secret for obvious purposes). Government measures are passed when a ¾ majority are signed on a bill which gets passed from court to court (that is 8 out of 12 Heads of family each get a signature). Gender is never a determining factor of power among the nobility. In terms of marriage and name holding, this is negotiated between the families when the marriage is arranged. Whoever holds the highest rank and best chance of inheriting property is the name that remains between them. (The second oldest child is a woman and is arranged to marry the fourth born male son of a different family, then both will most likely take her family name. This changes naturally in case of some family death where he inherits the Noble house before the time of marriage. This is why the law is considered a noble profession.)
Type
Manuscript, Legal
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