OOC: What is a Baron, exactly?

[Thoth ST]

Baron

This is actually the only universal title currently used by the Anarch Movement, with regard to the political arena. By its simplest definition, a baron is simply the Anarch Movement's equivalent of a prince. The anarchs - or at least, those anarchs smart enough to have gained some experience without winding up on the wrong end of a stake or a sunrise - know that any territory with even a modest Kindred population requires someone to moderate it.

Even here, perception is everything. The choice of the term "baron" is no accident. In a feudal society, a king is all-powerful, a prince only slightly less so. A baron, however, is much more of a local lord, a landowner - someone who may govern the people below him, but can hardly said to hold supreme power. The title was selected precisely because it is, in connotation, far less absolute than the title of prince.

Due to the very nature of the Movement itself, one anarch would feel more comfortable calling themselves a Baron over a particular city whereas another would want nothing to do with any such title, saying that it is nothing more than the conventions conspiring against the Movement, having it become more and more controlled.

It is generally theorized, however that there are 'leaders' among the anarchs - whether it is a given title or someone in the know, the anarchs understand that a faction without leadership can lead to chaos and pure anarchy.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding the title, there is no extra Reputation or Status given to the individual when they 'claim' the barony. It usually falls upon the shoulders of the person to whom the Movement looks up to. The more the Reputation, the more responsibilities they have.
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