Branch

Branches are the smaller groups within Kingdoms, such as baronies, shires, cantons, and colleges. Each branch has its own slate of officers.

-- Mistress Arlys o Gordon

Branches have to have well defined borders (usually, but not always, zip codes — they can be defined by institutions, such as a college or aircraft carrier). Below Principality level, they cannot cross national or state lines without approval.

Known Branch Types

Local Branches

Must have at least 5 members, and at least three officers (including Seneschal and Exchequer, required positions for all branch types).

They must also have a name registered with the college of arms.

Otherwise, their establishment follows local Kingdom law and custom, unlike the establishment of higher level branches, which is defined in Corpora.

Local branch types include:

• Shire: local branch reporting directly to a kingdom or principality
• Canton: local branch reporting through a barony
• Riding: local branch reporting through a province

Institutional Branches

Institutional Branches function like local branches, but have borders that are defined by an institution. There is also an expectation that their membership may fluctuate more frequently due to their nature.

They can report directly to a Kingdom, but if they are located within another kind of branch, they report through them.

They differ from other local branches in that they go dormant if membership falls below five (5), rather than being disbanded.

• College: institutional branch based at a school, research facility, etc.
• Stronghold: institutional branch based at a military installation
• Port: institutional branch based at a military installation in situations where groups of members will be detached for long periods, as with ships at sea

Baronies and Provinces

Baronies and Provinces are large branches within and subject to the administration of a kingdom (or principality, if any). They are alike in status and in the ability to administer other branches within their borders, but differ in that baronies possess a Baron and/or Baroness, ceremonial representatives appointed by the Crown, and therefore have the ability to create and administer awards, while provinces do not. An Tir does not have any provinces, but other kingdoms do.

Like local branches, they must have a registered name, but additionally must have a device. They must have a set of officers "acceptable to the Crown".

They must have at least 25 members, and a strong record of endeavors (typically events) in a variety of fields.

• Barony: area administered by a Baron and/or Baroness, the ceremonial representative(s) of the Crown. Local branches in it's borders normally report through it.
• Province: equivalent of a barony without a ceremonial representative.

Principality

A principality is a part of a kingdom which has the right to select a reigning Coronet pair by armored combat.

They must have a registered name and device. They must have all greater officer positions, and other officers as the kingdom requires.

They must have at least 100 members, a very strong record of well-attended events, demos, guilds, or other educational endeavors.

They must have a sufficient amount of members of the various orders of Patents of Arms to foster their further development and skill, and a sufficient amount of fighters of appropriate caliber for the Coronet lists.

Lower level branches inside a principalities borders report to it.