Kingsblood

How would Andals describe someone with "Kingsblood"? It may be easier to describe what it means by the three types of kings that Andals have.

King
     This is the most basic title. This means that the proof that you have Kingsblood is in the fact that your father or ancestor has Kingsblood and that your right to rule is hereditary.
     Andalish inheritance laws are gavelkind, meaning that when the parents die all of their stuff is divided equally between all children. Sometimes this is primogeniture, where the oldest child receives a double share but this is uncommon. In this way, kingdoms often dissolve within a generation and why the title "king" is often synopsis with chieftians in areas of Mertagia and the wilder parts of the Broken Spires.
     Not ever child receives the title. In the first generation all children receive the title but after that, only first born children of a King (or Queen) receive the title. Additionally, someone can gain the title through marriage in the normal fashion but this is more out of respect then anything and they often lose the title if they divorce or their spouse dies.
      King is not a permanent title and can be lost through lose of honor. As a King, you honor and judgement is always in question and Kings often find that they fall quickly from grace.
      The Kingdom of Durlin is ruled principally by Kings by succession.



Rorick
     This is an Old Andalish word for "Red King" and this title means that someone has proven that they have Kingsblood through conquest. This title is a step up in prestige from King and is often given to chieftains that have managed to conquer a significant number of independent tribes. In effect, a Rorick has proven his Kingsblood by shedding other peoples'.
     Unlike a King, a Rorick's children are not Roricks, they become Kings, unless, of course, they go out and earn the title for themselves with fire and iron.
      A real world example of this is Napoleon Bonaparte, who usurped the title of King of France despite having no royal blood. On the Shield, Rorick's found kingdoms for a single generation that dissolve into petty states and then dissolve further into small tribes ruled by Kings. Leaders of the Kingdom of Rivil use the title of Rorick as to be elected the King of Rivil is to conquer the other houses, either by words or swords.





Scarin
      The most ancient and most honorable of the titles, Scarins prove their Kingsblood by the Fire of Kings, a crucible of the gawds that proves that those that go through it have the right to rule through divine mandate.
      The Fire of Kings taps into the ancient process of a Quest, where a person reenacts of myth to the point where they mantle the gawd and are transported to a mythological realm of power. Quests are done for a variety of reasons: sometimes it's to gain the favor of the divine, to learn a secret unknown to man, or to gain a magical weapon. Quests are highly dangerous and even the greatest heroes only survive about half the time. They are high risk, high reward.
      The Fire of Kings is sacred and little is known about what goes on once the candidate and his captains pass into the gawdsrealm but few survive. Those that do, however, are given the King's Mark and are named Scarin, having proven their Kingsblood by trial of the gawds.
      Anyone can undertake this ritual though it does require a gawdspeaker to initiate it. Because of this, a heroes who have decided to become king but have no army to speak of often take this route to start to garner support as those named Scarin often find people flocking to their banner.
      But just because someone is named Scarin doesn't mean that they found kingdoms. More often then not, they're beaten on the field of battle by Chieftains and Roricks or they're killed by political intrigue. Most Scarin end up just founding their own tribe.
      Still, some of tribes of the Free People require their chieftains to undergo the Fire of Kings before they're given leadership and Kings who are in fear of falling out of favor may go through the process to gain enough prestige to keep them in power. Bastards, too, who wish to rule their father's tribe after the death of all legitimate heirs are required to prove their Kingsblood in this fashion, though there are exceptions in cases similar to William the Bastard who became William the Conquer (Who, on the Shield, would be called William Rorick as well.)

What Kingsblood is Not
     It is important to note that gaining your title does not mean you gain Kingsblood. Kingsblood is not something you gain, even through the Fire of Kings, it is something you have and are born with. Thus, gaining a title like Scarin or Rorick does not give you extraordinary abilities to lead men, which is why many Scarins end up dead in a ditch.
     What these give you is Honor and Fame, which in turn makes it easier to attract followers and henchmen to their cause. It is then left to your natural ability to keep them together and forge a crown fitting a king.