Archenland Nobles: A Comprehensive Guide

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NarniaMUCK staff (including previous generations of staff) have put a lot of work into creating the noble families who hold land and serve as Archenland's ruling families. Thus far, however, there has not been a comprehensive list of who rules where and how they're all related, aside from in staff notes and spread amongst the various pinfos of noble characters. However, as the ruling class, facts about the nobles are largely common knowledge among Archenland citizens. This thread will therefore present a comprehensive guide to each of the noble families.

Not counting the royal family, there are 5 major noble families in Archenland. They are as follows:

Carmichael
Chesterton
Coghill
Lancelyn Green
Neiklot

I will comment separately to detail information about each family.

Most of the information in this thread will be general knowledge, although whether or not your character knows the specifics of when a noble child was born or what year a noble died will vary. If, for instance, your character is a maid to a lady of a noble house, you may know a lot about that lady’s family, and have a working knowledge of the rest of the nobility. If your character is a resident of Coghill’s Streamwood Settlement, you might know a lot of information about the Coghill family, and feel strongly about them one way or another, while perhaps only knowing a small amount of information about the other noble families.

If you have any questions about what your character would or would not know ICly, please feel free to comment in this thread or page a staff member in game.

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Archenland operates politically on something similar to a feudal system, meaning the owning of land is what confers nobility. The King of Archenland holds ownership of the region of Anvard, and grants the other five regions as holdings for the five major noble families. There are, of course, conditions to the noble families’ ownership of their regions, such as fairness of rule, and the King may revoke a noble family's ownership of a region if these conditions are not met. But for our purposes, the five major noble families of Archenland own the land in each of their respective regions and swear fealty to the King of Archenland. The land, title, and responsibilities of rulership are passed on to descendants, usually to the oldest child. In the event of multiple children, the heir is chosen by the current lord or lady and is traditionally the eldest son.

Younger children of the nobility (or those not chosen to be the heir) do not rule. However, younger children of the five major noble houses sometimes inherit small properties of their own out of the lands held by their families, thus granting them titles of their own. A few examples of this can be seen in game:

Stonevale Manor: Lord Darrin, second son of the Coghill family, inherited ownership of a small estate called Stonevale Manor on his 21st birthday. This estate was a former hunting lodge of the royal family in the mountains between Anvard and Coghill, which the Coghill family was granted ownership of some generations ago by a previous king. It has been used as a summer retreat for the Coghill family in the past. Darrin’s title is thus technically “Master of Stonevale,” while his brother Dar’s title, when Lord Shar and Lady Elriya step down from their current positions, will be “Lord of Coghill.”

Tarragon Place: Sir Tyren, second son of the Chesterton family, has a small two-story townhouse called Tarragon Place in the city of Chesterton, which was given to him by Lord Tyre on the first birthday of his daughter Lana in 1012. Tarragon Place is conveniently located near the barracks of the Chesterton city guard, which makes it easy for Tyren to carry out his knightly responsibilities when he and his family are in the city. Tyren’s title is simply “Sir Tyren,” received when he was sworn in as a knight, because he does not own the property on which Tarragon Place sits; he and his family merely reside there for part of the year.
When younger sons of the nobility do not inherit any property of their own, they often join the military or pursue careers as knights (a common enough practice even for those sons who are intended to rule, as knightly training is considered to provide helpful preparation for the responsibilities of lordship).

What this means, practicably, is that no commoners in Archenland own the land on which they reside. If your commoner character lives in a cottage in one of the Archenland villages, the land on which that cottage is built is owned by the local lord and your character merely lives there as a vassal of the local nobility.

Traditionally, commoners swear fealty to the local lord on behalf of themselves and their descendants when the lord inherits the title and comes into his rule, while commoners new to a region will be asked to abide by the terms of fealty before being granted residency. Although we have not seen the process of swearing fealty to a new lord in game since Lord Ast inherited Carmichael on the death of Lord Drent, Lord Shar and Lady Elriya intend to retire from the rule of Coghill in favor of Lord Dar and Lady Honour within the next few years, so we may see this happen again very soon.

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Carmichael is the northwest-most region of Archenland, known for mining and the raising of sheep. The Carmichael family’s coat of arms is a white stag and white acorns on a green field, and their colors are green and silver.

The current rulers of Carmichael are Lord Ast and Lady Priya.

Members of the Carmichael family:

• Drent, late Lord of Carmichael, born 959, died 1007. Married to Estelle in 981.
• Estelle, late Lady of Carmichael, born 960 to a common family, died in 1002. Married to Drent in 981.
• Ariana, younger sister of the late Lord Drent, also deceased.
• Ast, Lord of Carmichael since 1007, born 981 to Drent and Estelle of Carmichael. Knighted. Married to Priya in 1007.
• Priya, Lady of Carmichael since 1007, born 987 to Shar and Elriya of Coghill. Married to Ast in 1007.
• Astor, born 987 to Drent and Estelle of Carmichael. Married to Simetra, a commoner, in 1008 after abdicating from the Carmichael line of succession.
• Astera, born 988 to Drent and Estelle of Carmichael. Married to Tyren of Chesterton in 1007.
• Tyren, born 985 to Tor and Paige of Chesterton. Knighted prior to 1006. Married to Astera in 1007.
• Hart, the Carmichael heir, born July 1008 to Ast and Priya of Carmichael.
• Lana, the Chesterton heir apparent, born November 1011 to Tyren and Astera of Chesterton.

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Chesterton is the central southern region of Archenland, known for its metalworking, fashion, and merchant trade. The Chesterton family’s coat of arms is a red dragon on a checkered field of purple and white, and their colors are red, purple, and silver.

The current ruler of Chesterton is Lord Tyre, under the advisement of Lady Paige.

Members of the Chesterton family:

• Tor, late Lord of Chesterton, born 957, died 997. Married to Paige in 981.
• Paige, last Lady of Chesterton and present advisor to Lord Tyre, born October 963 to the late Lord and Lady of Coghill. Married to Tor in 981.
• Tyre, Lord of Chesterton since 997. Born November 982 to Tor and Paige of Chesterton.
• Tyren, born 985 to Tor and Paige of Chesterton. Knighted 1005. Married to Astera of Carmichael in 1007.
• Astera, born 988 to Drent and Estelle of Carmichael. Married to Tyren of Chesterton in 1007.
• Avery, born 991 to Tor and Paige of Chesterton. Engaged to be wed to Peridan.
• Peridan, born 981 to a lesser noble house of Archenland. Nephew to the late Queen Stellina. Knighted in 1000. Primarily resided in Narnia since 1000. Engaged to be wed to Avery of Chesterton.
• Lana, the Chesterton heir apparent, born November 1011 to Tyren and Astera of Chesterton.

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Coghill is the southeast-most region of Archenland, known for stonemasonry, woodworking, and the breeding of war horses. The Coghill family’s coat of arms is a bronze eagle over brown mountains on a blue field bisected by a silver sash, and their colors are blue and bronze.

The current rulers of Coghill are Lord Shar and Lady Elriya.

Members of the Coghill family:

• Shar, Lord of Coghill since 981. Born December 961 to the late Lord and Lady of Coghill. Knighted in 980. Married to Elriya in 981.
• Elriya, Lady of Coghill since 981. Born September 963 to Agnes and the late Lord of Neiklot. Married to Shar in 981.
• Paige, born October 963 to the late Lord and Lady of Coghill. Married to Tor of Chesterton in 981.
• Dar, the Coghill heir. Born 984 to Shar and Elriya of Coghill. Squired to Tor of Chesterton and then to Sten of Neiklot. Knighted 1000. Steward of Anvard since 1002. Married to Honour in 1011.
• Honour, born 989 to Sir Rinar and Lady Adela of a lesser noble house of Archenland. Ward to Shar and Elriya of Coghill after the deaths of her parents from about 1006 until the age of her majority. Married to Dar in 1011.
• Priya, Lady of Carmichael, born 987 to Shar and Elriya of Coghill. Married to Ast of Carmichael in 1007.
• Ast, Lord of Carmichael since 1007, born 981 to Drent and Estelle of Carmichael. Knighted. Married to Priya in 1007.
• Darrin, born January 995 to Shar and Elriya of Coghill. Squired to Ast of Carmichael in February 1008. Knighted in 1013. Advisor to King Lune since 1013. Married to Megren in 1018.
• Megren, born October 994 to a common family. Squired to Darrin of Coghill in 1014. Knighted 1016. Married to Darrin of Coghill in 1018.
• Hart, the Carmichael heir, born July 1008 to Ast and Priya.
• Elan, heir apparent to Lord Dar, born July 1015 to Dar and Honour of Coghill.
• Enise, current heir to Lord Darrin’s Stonevale Manor, born July 1015 to Dar and Honour of Coghill.

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Lancelyn Green is the central northern region of Archenland, known for its farming and the breeding of fine riding horses. The Lancelyn Green family’s coat of arms is a yellow horse on a green field bordered in white, and their colors are green and gold.

The current rulers of Lancelyn Green are Lord Barron and Lady Rosalind.

Members of the Lancelyn Green family:

• Bar, born to the late Lord and Lady of Lancelyn Green in 972, died 1000. Royal Chancellor until dismissed for embezzling in 1000. Responsible for and died during the kidnapping of Prince Cor.
• Barron, Lord of Lancelyn Green since 1000. Born to the late Lord and Lady of Lancelyn Green in 978. Knighted. Married Rosalind in 1008.
• Rosalind, Lady of Lancelyn Green since 1008. Born to a common family in June 988. Married Barron of Lancelyn Green in 1008.

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Neiklot is the southwest-most region of Archenland, known for its vineyards. The Neiklot family’s coat of arms is a white tree and purple grapes on a green and white field, and their colors are purple, green, and silver.

The current rulers of Neiklot are Lord Sten and Lady Cora.

Members of the Neiklot family:

• Agnes, last Lady of Neiklot. Born 934. Married to the late Lord of Neiklot in 956.
• Sten, Lord of Neiklot since 1002. Born 956 to Agnes and the late Lord of Neiklot. Knighted in 976. Married to Cora in 979. Served as Steward of Anvard from 999 to 1002.
• Cora, Lady of Neiklot since 1002. Born 959 to the last King and Queen of Archenland. Married to Sten in 978.
• Elriya, Lady of Coghill since 981. Born September 963 to Agnes and the late Lord of Neiklot. Married to Shar in 981.
• Cole, born 979 to Sten and Cora of Neiklot. Knighted 1000. Served as Royal Chancellor since 1000.
• Senna, born 983 to Sten and Cora of Neiklot.
• Colin, the Neiklot heir, born 987 to Sten and Cora of Neiklot. Knighted 1006. Married to Arael in 1016.
• Arael, born January 991 to a common family. Married to Colin of Neiklot in 1016.

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The royal family resides in Archenland’s capital of Anvard. Anvard is the northeast-most region of Archenland, home to the thriving castle town and surrounding farmland. The royal coat of arms is a yellow crown over a purple mountain, and the royal colors are purple and gold.

The current ruler of Archenland is King Lune.

Members of the royal family:

• Cora, Lady of Neiklot since 1002. Born 959 to the last King and Queen of Archenland. Married to Sten in 978.
• Sten, Lord of Neiklot since 1002. Born 956 to Agnes and the late Lord of Neiklot. Knighted in 976. Married to Cora in 978. Served as Steward of Anvard from 999 to 1002.
• Lune, King of Archenland. Born 969 to the last King and Queen of Archenland. Knighted. Married to Stellina in 999.
• Stellina, late Queen of Archenland. Born 976 to a lesser noble house of Archenland, died 1007. Married to Lune in 999.
• Cor, once called Shasta, Crown Prince of Archenland. Born September 1000 to Lune and Stellina of Anvard. Squired to Lune. Soon to be knighted. Will eventually be wed to Aravis of Calormen.
• Aravis, born 1000 to Kidrash Tarkaan of the province of Calavar in Calormen. Will eventually be wed to Cor of Anvard.
• Corin, Prince of Archenland. Born September 1000 to Lune and Stellina of Anvard. Squired to King Edmund of Narnia. Soon to be knighted.

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The above families are the major noble families of Archenland, but some minor noble families do exist. Such families own small amounts of property of their own, either because they are the descendants of a second child of one of the major noble houses some generations back, or because they are the descendants of someone who was awarded property at the discretion of one of Archenland’s kings for an act of service to the crown. Details about the minor nobility have been left largely undeveloped, in part because there are very few minor noble families in Archenland.

However, several player characters from minor noble families do exist. These include:

• Honour, the former ward of Shar and Elriya of Coghill, is the daughter of a knight named Rinar (a second son of a lesser noble house with no property of his own) and Adela (a lady also from a lesser noble house), both of whom are deceased. Because Sir Rinar was responsible for managing Stonevale Manor for Lord Shar, Honour was taken in as a ward by the Coghill family upon her parents’ death in about 1006.
• Peridan, a long-standing ambassador between Archenland and Narnia, was born 981 to a lesser noble house of Archenland. He was knighted in 1000, and has primarily resided in Narnia since that year. Currently, he serves as one of Narnia’s four Stewards, and is engaged to be wed to Avery of Chesterton.
• Aryna, the former ward of the Carmichael family, is the daughter of Ariana (the younger sister of the late Lord Drent) and Ariana’s merchant husband. This makes Aryna the cousin of Lord Ast and his siblings, but not a titled member of the nobility herself. She became a ward of the Carmichael family when her parents both died.

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And that's everything I have for you, folks! I tried to consult as many people as possible when I was compiling this guide, but if I missed talking to you and you have a correction on dates, character background, would like to add your character's birth month which you've established in rp, etc etc, feel free to comment here or send me a line in game and I'll do my best to get this updated.