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Anticipation Builds for New Roll of Honor
WROAT -- Guildmasters, war heroes, and other prominent citizens of Breland are awaiting the autumn Roll of Honor with great interest. This document, issued by the crown every quarter, grants noble titles to those who have served Breland with distinction. Aides to King Boranel confirmed that the list of newly minted nobles is nearly complete and should be released by general proclamation within the next two weeks.
Boranel's spring and summer Rolls of Honor included many successful merchants and guildmasters. The elevation of such citizens to the nobility is believed to be a conscious effort on the crown's part to tie Breland's mercantile power to its political power.
Prior to this year, the seasonal Rolls of Honor included many army officers and war heroes. But while this season's list will undoubtedly have a military component, the officer corps is no longer likely to dominate it. "If you earned a noble title in the war, you probably have it by now," said Estellan ir'Napenthe, a heraldic scholar and expert on noble affairs.
According to ir'Napenthe, the number of names on the list will also bear close watching. Previous lists have given noble titles -- and accompanying land deeds -- to hundreds of people. But most of the estates made vacant by war have now been reallocated.
"Only about two dozen worthy estates remain -- mostly manors that wound up in crown hands after succession disputes, or simply because the war claimed all possible heirs," ir'Napenthe said. "If King Boranel wants to grant land beyond those estates, he'll have to tap into crown holdings. Thus, it's likely that many of the new lords created by the autumn Roll of Honor will receive noble titles but no land."
About the Author
David Noonan is a designer/developer for Wizards of the Coast. Before coming to Wizards, he was a daily newspaper reporter in Washington state. Apparently the city hall beat is good practice for an Eberron campaign.
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