Quick Question:

Discussing all things Ravenloft
Post Reply
User avatar
Dion of the Fraternity
Lurker Maximus
Lurker Maximus
Posts: 1091
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 4:20 am
Location: Baguio City, Philippines
Contact:

Quick Question:

Post by Dion of the Fraternity »

If Strahd is a count, wouldn't Barovia technically be a county?
Mistmaster
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 1139
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:27 pm

Re: Quick Question:

Post by Mistmaster »

Strahd would be, technically, a King, since he is the heir of King Barov; probably out of guilt and sense of inferiority, he never claimed the title; Barovia however is a sovereign kingdom, not a county; he was a count in the time before his father's passing, sort of heir-apparent title; The title stuck; In my home-canon, I call him a Count-King, Count for short.
User avatar
Hamiclar
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:07 pm
Location: Denver CO

Re: Quick Question:

Post by Hamiclar »

he can be a emperor if he wants, strahd answers to no one in Barovia. Also the 1st gaz mentions kingly titles and their dominance over other nobles two later settling in Dominia and Borca.
User avatar
thekristhomas
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 772
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2015 4:33 pm

Re: Quick Question:

Post by thekristhomas »

In my head canon the Kingdom of Barovia included Borca, Dorfinia and Markovia as well as Barovia Proper, so Strahd will not name himself king until he has reclaimed those lands (or those he can Markovia just up and vanished) which is part of his motivation in my War in the Core thread
User avatar
alhoon
Invisible Menace
Invisible Menace
Posts: 8804
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2003 6:46 pm
Location: Chania or Athens // Greece

Re: Quick Question:

Post by alhoon »

Kingdom? Barovia? Nah. It's a small county if we go by canon population and assumed size.
"You truly see what a person is made of, when you begin to slice into them" - Semirhage
"I am not mad, no matter what you're implying." - Litalia
My DMGuild work!
User avatar
ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 28523
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

Re: Quick Question:

Post by ewancummins »

I suggest that Count of Barovia is a title like the Prince of Wales or the Dauphin of France. The heir to the monarch of the old Kingdom of Barovia assumed the title, along with governance of family estates around the village of Barovia and Castle Ravenloft.
Strahd never ascended the throne to become king. Being the son and heir of King Barov qualified him to become monarch, but at the time of his downfall he hadn't yet been confirmed in that office by election of the boyars nor taken the coronation oath administered by the High Cleric of Andral and then been blessed with the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
User avatar
DeepShadow of FoS
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 2916
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 1:43 pm
Location: Heinfroth's Asylum

Re: Quick Question:

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

ewancummins wrote:I suggest that Count of Barovia is a title like the Prince of Wales or the Dauphin of France. The heir to the monarch of the old Kingdom of Barovia assumed the title, along with governance of family estates around the village of Barovia and Castle Ravenloft.
Strahd never ascended the throne to become king. Being the son and heir of King Barov qualified him to become monarch, but at the time of his downfall he hadn't yet been confirmed in that office by election of the boyars nor taken the coronation oath administered by the High Cleric of Andral and then been blessed with the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind.
Works for me. IRL, the eldest son of a king (or a duke, marquis, or an earl) bears the highest of his father's lesser titles as a courtesy title. That's why the eldest son of the King/Queen of England is the Prince of Wales.
alhoon wrote:Kingdom? Barovia? Nah. It's a small county if we go by canon population and assumed size.
If we go by canon population and assumed size, the entire population of Barovia should be dead, Port-a-Lucine is crazy to have an opera house, and there was no way Il Aluk had suburbs.
The Avariel has borrowed wings,
The Puppeteer must cut the strings
The Orphan Queen must take the throne
The Queen of Orphans calls them home
User avatar
tomokaicho
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:27 am

Re: Quick Question:

Post by tomokaicho »

I had assumed that Barovia was part of a larger kingdom that had been conquered by the Tergs, and then later the subject of reconquista (like Spain).

The part of the kingdom drawn into Ravenloft is the County of Barovia. With the rest of the country gone Strahd did not become king.
Post Reply