Autaran Feudalism

The kingdom of Autara is led by the Queen, but on the local level there are also the landed gentry of hereditary nobles as well as elected officials like town council members.

Much of the kingdom, especially surrounding the river , is owned by landed gentry, who swear fealty to the queen as vassals. Some areas also have more village councils and non-hereditary positions such as governors are also possible.

Local leadership like the gentry or other officials are responsible for gathering taxes, managing the land, and raising troops in times of conflict.

There are considerable differences in administration between Lowland Autara -such as the Farmland region- and the Hill Land, which are due to geographic and cultural differences, with the Hill Lands being more inhospitable and a relatively new addition to Autara.

Regional Differences

Lowland Autara & The Farmlands

Much of Lowland Autaran -the region south of the Hill Lands- and the Farmlands are governed by hereditary lords -who have a variety of ranked titles- with the land being home to mostly agricultural land with small villages scattered around. 

Most of the landholders are low ranking in the Autaran peerage or nobility, with most being Knights or having low ranking titles such as Baron.

There are a handful of more powerful hereditary landholders who hold higher ranking titles such as Earl, Duchess, etc, and are often styled as Lord or Lady. These higher ranking nobles are closer to being peers of the royal family than any other group in the kingdom

Typically the landholders will rent out the land to tenant farmers who are responsible for farming and working the land. There are also some commoners who own their plot of land outright. Large landowners may also have vassals -like knights or lesser titled nobles- beneath them.

The landlords typically manage the governing of the land and the collecting of taxes. They are also considered responsible for the safety and happiness of their tenants.

The Hill Lands

In the Hill lands, much of the land is owned by those who work it, or are rented out by locals who own large amounts of land. The villages also own and manage common land that are used as pastures for livestock.

When it comes to administration, each town and village will have a town council that will lead it and make decisions. These are elected officials who are selected by the villages, often based on merit and popularity.

There are very few landed titles in the Hill Lands, with much of the land being privately owned or undeveloped wilderness, but the Queen does elect a local Governor stationed in the town of Smalholt, which is the regional capital.

Kingdom
Autara

Succession of Heritable Titles

When it comes to titles that are hereditary the title will pass from parent to eldest child with no favoring of any gender. If a Baron has no children, the title may pass to a living sibling, cousin, or nibling.

Succession of Elected or Appointed Titles

The succession of an elected or appointed official was a bit more complicated than heritable titles, often involving one needing more respect and favor when it comes to those that elect/appoint them.