Baronies

The Barony

Most towns or cities in the rural east coast of the Dreaming of the Kingdom of Apples will be a Barony. Not every Baron has a barony, but the highest noble will be the Baron. S/he will usually owe homage to a Count, or more rarely a Duke or even Queen Mab. The Baron's household will consist of 1 to 4 Knights, and probably a Squire that is training to become a Knight. He may have one or two other Squires that are in fact Commoners raised up to help him administer his land. His household will have another half-dozen members that are "commoners", some of whom will be Sidhe that hold no rank, either because they are too young or because they have no interest in politics. Many barons will have a dozen or so enchanted humans, some of them Kinain, to help them run the freehold and do mundane chores.

This Baron will probably have the most powerful freehold in the region (often Level 2 or 3). There are likely to be two or three other freeholds (of Level 1 or 2) as well, possibly held by a Knight or Squire, but more likely held by commoners. Each freehold will house 3 to 5 Changelings; at least, that is many Changelings will visit it on a regular basis. There will be another dozen or more changelings that live on their own, not attached to any particular freehold. The entire Changeling populous will likely number 30. There may be a larger number of enchanted humans and dreamers that regularly interact/reside with the kith.

The Changelings will know and interact with most of the neighboring Baronies. There are probably another two or three Baronies within easy driving distances (a couple hours). One of those nearby "Baronies" is likely to be held by a Count or Duke, probably the Baron's lord. The local Changelings will have a fairly good idea of the general outline of the kingdom they live in, but will be vague on details. The other kingdoms will be known in name, only. The High King David is known to all. The Baron and his knights will probably be better informed, but not to a great degree.

Misc: Large cities are typically held by at least a Count, and often a Duke. In fact, in very large cities (like New York City) there may be several territories. Also remember that some areas and cities have no changeling presence at all.

In addition, children of nobility will automatically have ranks a little lower than their parents. The heir apparent will hold a rank one lower than their parent, while non-inheriting children will hold ranks two lower than their parents. Thus, a prince (son of a king) would be equal in rank to a Duke if he is the heir, or a count if he were not. The Daughter of a Count would equal a baron if she is to inherit, or a knight if she is not, and so on. This system applies to adopted heirs as well as natural children.