Duchy of Ekkesburg

Duchy of Ekkesburg Hertoglæn Ekkesburg
Status	Duchy within Emerstari
Capital and largest city	Ekkesburg
Demonym(s)	Ekkesburger
Government
• Duke of Ekkesburg	Thomes Adulf Lorenssen–Eirikr
• The Duke's Council	Lord Chamberlain Lord Steward Lord Marshall Lord Treasurer Lord Comptroller Lord Sheriff Bishop of Ekkesburg
Legislature	Ekkesburgs Landsting
• Upper house	Lænshus
• Lower house	Alshus

The Duchy of Ekkesburg (/ɛk.ɛz.bɜɹg/; Emerstarian: Hertoglæn Ekkesburg /ɛk.ɛs.bʌɾg/), alternatively known as Ekkeland and Ekland, is an Emerstarian duchy læn, a fee held from the king by a letter patent. Ekkesburg is located within the province of Erkland, likewise the Duchies of Østerland and Kustland. It constitutes the Diocese of Ekkesburg within the Church of Emerstari and has no earldoms, but it is composed of four landgraviates and seven burggraviates, twenty-six baronies, 277 manors and parishes, and 1,372 townlands, and 71,622 wards. Ekkesburg is ranked as the ? most populous læn in Emerstari as well as the ? largest læn by area. Among the duchy's largest cities are its capital Ekkesburg, Nyspå, Kiste, Stenstrom, Malmstrom, and Adelhem. Thomes Adulf Lorenssen–Eirikr is the incumbent Duke of Ekkesburg; he is a direct descendant of Bjarnvaldi of Ekkesburg, the first Duke of Ekkesburg, and a member of the House of Eirikr.

The land of the Duchy of Ekkesburg was originally settled some 3,000 years ago by Ask Gerfarssen, who is said to be the son of Gerfar, and thus the great-grandson of Hrudolf and second great-grandson of Hemer. Clan Askerung descends from him and is the dominant clan in Ekkesburg. Various septs of the Askerungs ruled in Ekkesburg until the petty kingdom was taken over by Eirikr Segersælla in the 1030s. From the land, Eirikr created an earldom which he granted to his brother Bjarnvaldi of Ekkesburg. Bjarnvaldi's descendants form the Ekkesburger branch of the Eirikrians, the most senior branch after the Flodlander branch. During the War of the Emerstarian Succession, Måns Deitrik Njellssen–Eirikr, Earl of Ekkesburg was one of the foremost supporters of Georg I Erik in his claim to the throne, thus being created the first Duke of Ekkesburg in 1446. When the Constitution of Emerstari was ratified in 1756, Ekkesburg was incorporated into the the province of Erkland. As a result of an 1872 marriage between Lorens Frederik Karlssen–Eirikr, Duke of Ekkesburg and a daughter of the King of the Green Union, the present Duke of Ekkesburg claimed the throne of the Green Union in 2035 upon the death of Wolfe II and the outbreak of civil war.

Etymology

The name Ekkesburg comes from the Duchy's largest city and capital, whose name ultimately comes from the former name of the region, Ekkesland. Some historical documents also refer to the area as Ekland, but regardless, both Ekkesland and Ekland derive from the Emerstarian roots ek and land meaning oak and land, respectively. In Ekkesburg, the word land is replaced with burg, meaning a city or some sort of other enclosed settlement.