Margrave

Margrave is the title for an individual appointed by the Tal'Dorei Council who leads a city in the Republic of Tal'Dorei. Margraves are a military title, a heritage of the Kingdom of Drassig that established the position.

Description
Margraves are appointed by the Tal'Dorei Council and hold the position for life, unless ruled unfit to govern by the Council. As the title is a military one, all cities in Tal'Dorei led by a Margrave are officially under martial law. Some margraves additionally keep councilors or advisors to assist them in the day-to-day business of their cities.

Westruun
Atrix was appointed as the margrave of Westruun around 800 PD and held the position for over ten years. He was fairly respected within the township. During the Chroma Crisis at the end of 810 PD, he was killed by the Herd of Storms in the aftermath of Umbrasyl's attack on the city.

By 812 PD Brandon Zimmerset was appointed as margrave of the city. Westruun's margrave has power to create or dissolve trading guilds, as well as full command over the Shields of the Plain, which number about 800. The fact that a margrave is a military position is unpopular with many, and some have spoken of revolution.

Margraves in Westruun live in the Margrave's Keep.

Stilben
As of 812 PD and continuing at least into 836 PD, Wendle Truss is de fact margrave of Stilben. Despite this, he is ultimately more under the power of Stilben's guilds than the reverse, and is generally considered an ineffective leader.

Kymal
In 812 PD, the margrave of Kymal is Jaktur Krishtan, the son of Calis Krishtan, an immigrant from Ank'Harel and proprietor of The Maiden's Wish casino. Krishtan is mostly uninterested in rule, preferring to have advisors and particularly his majordomo, Prudence, carry out his responsibilities.

Krishtan was preceded by Margrave Tumner Wann, who ran the city at the time of the Chroma Crisis and the influx of refugees from Westruun.

In or just before 836 PD, Krishtan stepped down as margrave, and Prudence became acting margrave. She had been margrave in all but name for about thirty years, and expected the Tal'Dorei Council to appoint her as margrave permanently. As acting margrave, Prudence commands Kymal's Public Defense and has considerably reduced the visibility of gang violence in the city (though it still occurs in secret).

Behind the scenes
In the real world, the term "margrave" comes from the German "Markgraf", which in turn comes from the words "Mark", referring to border lands, and "Graf", the German equivalent of an English or French Count. It was originally the name for military commanders in charge of defense of border provinces within the Holy Roman Empire.