The Iron Reach is a part of Gallaran and both are parts of Caorran.
The sovereign appointed guardian of the Protectorate, ruling by mandate to defend, administer, and preserve the subrealm in trust. The title carries a sense of duty and stewardship, marking the holder as the protector of the land, its people, and its laws.
Though not inherently hereditary, the title may pass by bloodline if the heir has been duly trained and prepared for the role, and such succession is formally sanctioned by the Duke.
The designated successor to the Lord-Protector, trained in matters of governance, defense, and stewardship of the Protectorate. Though not yet invested with full authority, the Heir-Protector is expected to act as deputy and representative in the Lord-Protector's absence, learning the burdens of guardianship firsthand.
The title signifies both recognition of bloodline and readiness; succession is confirmed only once the Duke sanctions the heir's appointment as the new ruler of the Protectorate.
The supreme commander of the Protectorate's armed forces, responsible for the organization, discipline, and readiness of all military units. Serving as the Lord-Protector's chief instrument of defense and war, the Captain-General oversees both the standing guard and levied troops, ensuring the Protectorate's borders remain secure.
The title carries great honor and accountability, demanding loyalty not to ambition, but to duty and the peace the Protectorate must uphold.
The chief overseer of the Lord-Protector's holdings, charged with managing fortresses, estates, and the day-to-day administration of the Protectorate's seat of power. Acting as both steward and governor, the High Castellan ensures that order, supply, and maintenance are preserved across the Protectorate's strongholds.
The position blends authority with service, representing the Lord-Protector's will in matters of governance, logistics, and the well-being of the domain.
The Protectorate of The Iron Reach, a harsh and storied frontier lying along the northern border of the Kingdom, where rugged highlands and woodlands meet the wasteland expanse beyond Caorrani watch. Once a County of strategic importance, the Reach was created to better serve as the northern gate of Caorran after its previous rulers slumbered, its mines, fortresses, and trade roads vital to the Kingdom's defense and prosperity.
In the turbulent years following the Slumberblight Pandemic, the region fell into disarray. It had many rulers, and with the Caorrani Civil War and Count Bryce's defiance of royal authority, his eventual deposement and execution for high treason left the County leaderless and fractured. Banditry, famine, and the waning loyalty of the local Clans nearly reduced the province to ruin.
To restore stability, the Crown entrusted the Duchy of Gallaran with its stewardship, reconstituting the territory as a Protectorate. Now ruled by a Lord-Protector appointed and sanctioned by the Duke, the region stands as both shield and reminder: a borderland bound by duty rather than privilege, where loyalty to the Crown is measured not in bloodline alone, but in vigilance and endurance.
Iron-rich and unyielding, the Reach remains a land of resilience, where the wind still carries the echo of rebellion, and every fortress watches the horizon with wary eyes.