Regional Lord

A high rank in Elorite nobility charged with governing one of the nine regions of the kingdom.

Requirements

As a hereditary title, the prospective lord normally simply needs to be the eldest eligible descendant of the current lord. If no such heir is available or has yet to reach the age of adulthood, a steward may be appointed until the designated heir comes of age or a suitable noble family is determined to assume control of the region.

Appointment

A prospective lord regent technically does not fully assume their title until a ceremony is held by the region's bishop in their cathedral. The new lord kneels before the bishop, vowing to execute his duty to govern, serve, and defend his region to the best of his ability. Once the vow is heard, the bishop blesses the lord's appointment and he officially assumes his title.

Responsibilities

Charged with overseeing and managing their appointed region, a lord is responsible for tasks including setting the minimum tax, ensuring smooth and safe trade, and maintaining cooperative relations with the other regions of the kingdom.
Should a lord's region share a border with one of the kingdom's neighbors, they are also charged with ensuring Eloir's best interests regarding the foreign power. How this assurance takes form is up to the discretion of the affected lord and largely depends on the relations between the two nations.
If the neighboring power is hostile, then the lord will likely seek to maintain an standing army along the border to defend against possible attacks. Conversely, should they prove amiable to Eloir, more diplomatic routes such as establishing trade relations or offering foreign aide may prove beneficial in the long term.

Benefits

As one might expect, the title of regional lord or lady comes with ownership of the land as well as access to the wealth collected off it.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

The removal of a regional lord is as difficult to accomplish as it rare to even hear of. A large reason why is that it is simply untenable to have any sort of high turnover rate where the management of an entire region is concerned.
That being the case, though, it is still within the realm of possibility for a lord or even his family to have their title striped from them should they be proven unfit for their station. Should a lord or lady be found guilty of such offenses including gross dereliction of duty, fraud, murder, or treason, they would be dismissed and their assets seized.

Type

Nobility, Hereditary

Form of Address

Lord (Male) or Lady (Female)

Source of Authority

King of Eloir

Length of Term

Life

Related Organizations

• Kingdom of Eloir