Daily Life in the Baronies

Culture
The Baronies have always had cultural differences, but those differences truly widened during the Great Divide. While each Barony shares a common hierarchy structure, motives for growth and expansions, even a language, the similarities end there.

A diplomatic official traveling from The Vale to Kerad, for instance, knows that it is against custom in Kerad to use utensils while eating, unless that utensil is a hatchet designed to split pieces from a cooked animal.

A merchant from Mal Oran hoping to conduct business in Sen Akai understands that it is customary to remove footwear indoors.

A traveler venturing across the Vjor Highlands stows or tucks material riches out of sight, for flaunting such objects offends the Vjor proclivity toward a simplistic lifestyle.

Population Control
Each of the Baronies except Drachenward and Ayarauca practices some form of population control within and beyond its holds.

The settlements themselves assign a symbol to each resident and visitor. This symbol is always a carried object, such as a bracelet, neck chain, small stone tablet and even intricate arm wreaths. A single settlement always uses the same type of object (for instance, a copper bracelet), but the differences in the object indicate the status of the owner. A hold using a bracelet might have unique gems, notches or other markings on that bracelet to signify the owner to be a craftsman, law enforcement, merchant or visitor. Settlements distribute these symbols to travelers passing through and hold entry if the number reaches the buffer amount, which is typically 2500 souls. Individuals leaving the settlement must surrender their symbols until they return.

Forging a symbol is one of the most severe crimes in any Barony and those convicted of this act are tortured and executed.

Outside the settlements, the Watchtower system tries to ensure that traffic within the Baronies is spread apart.