Argonia
Argonia is a traditional name used within the Kingdom of the Outlands to refer to all lands south of the Citadel of the Southern Pass. The name originated in the early years of the Outlands and later became associated with the title of the Crown Prince and Princess, styled as the Dread Lord and Lady of Argonia.
Origin of the Name
The name Argonia was first conceived in A.S. 20 during the period when the Outlands was still a principality. At that time, Artan macAilin—then known as Argon Skulcrusher—along with Earl Cathyn Fitzgerald and Duke Johann von Balduinseck, created fictional homeland names for themselves while attending Grand Outlandish XII. These names were Cathonia, Johannia, and Argonia, respectively. The naming was informal and humorous in origin.
Early Use and Territorial Claim
After his knighting, Argon Skulcrusher adopted a more period-appropriate name and later won Crown. During his reign, he attended the Pennsic War, where his herald publicly declared that the Outlands claimed all lands south of the Citadel of the Southern Pass. The proclamation stated that these lands would henceforth be known as Argonia.
The declaration was intended as a jest aimed at the King of Atenveldt, but it drew a response instead from King Seamus of Ansteorra. A mock conflict followed at Scorpion’s Hollow, in which the Outlands—assisted by Calontir—prevailed. This event established Argonia as a recognized part of Outlands lore and identity.
Association with the Crown Prince
In late A.S. 22, Master Greyraven, then White Stag Principal Herald, noted that in European tradition, crown princes often bore regional titles such as Prince of Wales (England) or Prince of Asturias (Spain). Following this example, Count Artan macAilin proposed adopting a similar custom in the Outlands.
At the Crown Tournament of 1988, Johann von Balduinseck was the first heir styled as the Prince of Argonia. The title served as a territorial designation for the Crown Prince of the Outlands.
Development of the “Dread Lord” Form of Address
In a later reign, King Artan reintroduced an older form of address found in pre-principality Outlands law, where “Dread Lord” was listed as an equivalent form of address for “Prince.” He combined this with the Prince of Argonia designation, and the heir to the Outlands Crown became known as the Dread Lord of Argonia. The consort was styled as the Lady of Argonia.
The phrase “Dread Lord” was historically used as an honorific in English literature to address a sovereign. Within the Outlands, it functions as a mode of address rather than a formal title. For example, one might refer to “Gunwaldt, Dread Lord of the Outlands,” or address him directly as “My Dread Lord,” analogous to “Your Highness.”
Later Usage
According to Duke Cathyn Fitzgerald, the Outlands’ claim to Argonia was further affirmed in a subsequent event at the Pennsic War, when King Johann accepted a challenge from King Baldar of Trimaris. A duel between champions was proposed to settle the claim to Argonia, but the Trimarian champion did not appear. The lands were therefore declared uncontested and symbolically recognized as part of the Outlands.