Barony of King's Crossing

*"Known as the King's Right Hand, the Baron of King's Crossing is the most powerful of the nine Barons, lording the lands from the mountain passes to the west to the shores of the Arkland Peninsula. Overseeing the day to day operations not only of the capital but also of the shipyards, the baron commands both the governance and the majority of the wealth of the nation. It is often said that the King rules Arkland, but he only does so with consent from the Baron of King's Crossing. Of course, any wise King or Queen should also be planning for the consent of the next family in line as the barony changes hands, quite often."* -- A History of Arkland Volume III.

## The Baron of King's Crossing

The nation of Arkland is divided into counties which are under the direct control of the Barons of Arkland. The county of King's Crossing is the smallest land mass of all the counties but is also by far and away the richest as within its borders is the capital city of King's Crossing as well as several bustling ports and the Capital Shipyards.

The Baron of King's Crossing is the primary lord of the county, and his or her family, depending on the current regent, controls the largest amount of wealth in Arkland, the Bank of Arkland, the largest contingent of the King's Army, and the Capital Shipyards. As a result, the Baron of King's Crossing has long since commanded the most power of all the Council of Barons, and it is the most sought after and coveted position of all land owners within the Kingdom outside of the title of regent.

As a result of its position of power, the barony switches hands quite frequently throughout the thousand year history or Arkland. Many noble families who once held the reigns of power have been crushed underfoot as more ambitious sorts, both from within the people of the county as well as threats from neighboring counties, often plot against the Baron of King's Crossing in attempts to usurp power. Therefore, to hold onto power, the typical noble family currently holding the position of baron is often full of cunning plotters, paranoid leaders, and brilliant schemers. One cannot hold onto this narony whilst maintaining many friends.

## Melting Pot of Arkland

Because the Barony of King's Crossing is the seat of Arkland's power, its local populate is as full of people from foreign counties as it is full of natives. Further, as the city of King's Crossing is now the wealthiest city in all of Indagar, many foreigners also travel there either in service of their own leaders, to find work, or to simply bask in the glow of the place. Any noble family within Arkland who even comes close to pretending to rule either their own barony or perhaps King's Crossing, also maintain rich estates within the city so that they may, at any time, be close to the seat of power and the meeting place of the barons. It is in this way that this particular barony changes hands so often as many plotting lords and ladies seek to further their families and come to King's Crossing to do it.

Foreign dignitaries from all factions of Indagar maintain embassies in King's Crossing, with even the Great Forest Tribes having requisitioned a meeting place there. Further, ambassadors from the Kingdom of Grandia also live within a embassy within the city. Rich aristocrats from a wide variety of people come to the city as it acts as somewhat of a financial hub for them, a place where they can seek to invest, hire, or requisition fine goods. Since the ports of King's Crossing allow easy access to sea based trade, any merchant with enough money can ship and receive goods in the city while having the means necessary to easily facilitate such endeavors including available and skilled labor.

## The Land Outside the City

The city of King's Crossing continues to grow its boundaries as the population grows, but it does not consume all of the land mass in the county. Further up the river are farmlands and villages which provide most of the food the city consumes. They exist both because they can but also because they are behind the Walls of Arkland and would allow Arkland to withstand a long term siege should its enemies appear at the walls. These lands are controlled by the baron as well as many of the native nobles to the county who manage the day to day operations of these villages and farmland. The native noble families of King's Crossing all harbor in some way resentment that although they are the landowners of the county, their powers are often overshadowed by foreign powers within the city itself, powers both domestic and foreign to the Kingdom.

Along the western border of the county is a steep mountain chain which offers a natural barrier against foreign invaders. There are only two main passes through these mountains, and both are gated and sealed by the Walls of Arkland. These mountains are extremely high, rough, and are uninhabited.

## The Nobles Families of King's Crossing

The nobility which owns the land around the city of King's Crossing all hail from very old families, some of which trace their lines all the way back to the days that Arklaners first came to Indagar. As old money, many of these families have seen their days come and go as richer, newer, more powerful families have long since replaced them in terms of the grand national power struggle of their feudal society. Most of these older families remain only relevant due to their age and of course in that they own the deeds to much of the land surrounding the city. The city itself belongs completely to the King.

From time to time, one of the old families will come into enough power to take control of the barony. This has most often happened as a part of alliance of sorts where the families come together to support a single regent, and using their ability to restrict land based access to the city, have been able to place one of their own, albeit generally briefly, into the seat of the baron. This has been done through levying travel taxes or simply squeezing King's Crossing by controlling the farmlands which feed it. None of these tricks have lasted very long however, as many of the nobility within the county aren't rich or powerful enough to maintain enough banners, that is Lord Commanders, to defend their claims against other counties.

## The Banners of King's Crossing

Many esteemed Lord Commanders call the county of King's Crossing their home. Many of them are funded and supported by the local nobility, but also, because these Lord Commanders are often charged with the defense of King's Crossing, they are all well funded and supported by the King's coffers. Although the King or Queen does typically support his or her own banners within the city proper, it is well understood that the banners of the county are needed in order to man and maintain the Walls of Arkland and will act as the final line of defense against threats should anyone ever be foolish enough to try and conquer Arkland.

Being a Lord Commander within King's Crossing is seen as upholding the legacy of the King's Army. Some of the banners still represent the original settlers of Arkland and have been around since the First War of the Stars. Several times, the banners of Lord Commanders from King's Crossing have flown on the darkest days of Arkland, in defense of the capitol city. Therefore, being an appointed Lord Commander in charge of this county is often considered the most esteemed position of all Commanderships. The soldiers which serve them are often very proud, and this has been a source of envy and discontent often when the King's Army musters in full from all counties, among the soldiers.

## The Light of Arkland

The Light of Arkland, the highest priest of the Priests of Light, also calls King's Crossing home. The great temple of the priesthood exists within the city, a structure which rivals that of the royal palace and dwarfs most other government offices. As the headquarters of the priesthood, the barony also must support a constant influx of Priests who travel to and from the city, bringing with them their zeal and fervor. This causes the peasantry of the surrounding lands to also share in that zeal which has in turn found its way up into the general, land-owning nobility. Thereby, most noble families as well as commoners are quite heavily tied to their faiths, and the symbolism, dogma, and decrees of the priesthood permeate the culture of most people in the county.

--Neil (talk) 23:02, 15 October 2016 (AST)