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I think it’s in Oath of Fealty, but maybe in Kings of the North–at one of the peerage ceremonies–there’s mention of the other duke, the one who’s old and feeble and doesn’t ever show up at court anymore. Apparently I put his name down somewhere other than the “Names” file and now I can’t find it. It’s not Serrostin, Mahieran, Marrakai, or Verrakai. It’s something else. I need it again.
Help! (And thanks, whoever finds it! I’m finishing up scenes I hope will be final…)
Comment by Moira — January 8, 2012 @ 11:17 pm
Gerstad (from Kings, page 32 of the hardback).
Comment by Rune Ulset Furberg — January 9, 2012 @ 2:09 am
Owing to the fact that Gerstad has not been named in any books prior to King of the North, I surmise that it is not an especially large or important dukedom.
Partially this could be because this dukedom is not as old as Mahieran, Marrakai and Verrakai (the only three dukedoms surviving from Gird’s day until the present of the story), but Serrostin seems to be managing just fine even though this applies to them as well. I wonder why.
Comment by iphinome — January 9, 2012 @ 3:40 am
@Rune Ulset Furberg: It probably is large as the size of the grant seems to be in relation to the title. I asked before and Dukes don’t have counts earls or barons answering to them. Yet it isn’t purely precedence since the size of Arcolin’s domain made simple “lord” impractical.
I would imagine an aging duke has a support system in place, brothers, sisters, children, councils that could be delegated with things like running courts of law, making sure the guard is equipped and trained, taxes are collected and roads are maintained. The only undetectable responsibilities I can think of are things like attending the council in Verella and prima nocta, but Tsia being girdish doesn’t seem like the sort of place where prima nocta would be tolerated so….
Comment by elizabeth — January 9, 2012 @ 8:22 am
Moira: Thank you! That would explain my problem with finding it–I was thinking it was in the middle of that fat volume and didn’t look at the first 100 pages or so. Gerstad is his personal name; the family name is Elorran (though I’m not sure that’s how I spelled it on the missing piece of paper I wrote it on. However–it is for the present, unless I tinker with it before the book comes out, the right spelling.)
Rune: Some families increase in number and/or significance, and some fail over the years. Gerstad’s family has declined in numbers and importance for several generations; the present duke’s wife and children all died over a decade ago. The same fever weakened him. So he’s sickly and in pain and really not interested in current affairs, sunk in depression and lethargy. He’s also difficult, the kind of man who will take offence at unasked-for help. The dukes Elorran, a hot-tempered bunch in general, were open opponents of the dukes Verrakai, so the possibility exists (though it’s not proven) that the Verrakaien had something to do with the decline of the Elorran family fortunes. Serrostin’s family has thrived, in contrast. Not that the Serrostin dukes were pushovers to the Verrakaien, but they aren’t, in general, as combative a family. They don’t usually start fights.
iphinome: The reason Serrostin has interested himself in Gerstad Elorran’s domain is that Gerstad doesn’t have that support system you postulate. He knows the old man is sick and incapable, and things have not gone well over there. Serrostin is the only other duke Gerstad will tolerate, and also the only other duke who can tolerate Gerstad. Whether or not the Verrakaien did the damage to Gerstad’s family, having a personality that prickly tends to isolate people and leave them–should trouble strike–with less support.
Comment by Jenn — January 9, 2012 @ 11:30 am
This all sounds like great material for another back story when you have time after 2014 😀
Comment by iphinome — January 9, 2012 @ 11:12 pm
No spouse, no children, cranky and can only deal with a few people?
I like him. 🙂
Comment by elizabeth — January 10, 2012 @ 12:32 am
But would he like you?
Comment by iphinome — January 10, 2012 @ 1:00 am
Not a chance.
Comment by Jenn — January 10, 2012 @ 7:19 am
Completely off topic… Backtracking on reverse knitting is a bear. ugh!
Comment by elizabeth — January 10, 2012 @ 7:40 am
Backtracking on ANY knitting is Not Fun. On reverse…ouch.