District Count of Barrayar

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Count is a title and position in the government of Barrayar in Lois McMaster Bujold's science fiction series the Vorkosigan Saga.

<i>Barrayar</i> novel by Lois McMaster Bujold

Barrayar is a science fiction novel by American writer Lois McMaster Bujold. It was first published as four installments in Analog in July–October 1991, and then published in book form by Baen Books in October 1991. Barrayar won both the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 1992. It is a part of the Vorkosigan Saga, and is the seventh full-length novel of the series, in publication order. Barrayar is a direct sequel to Bujold's first novel, Shards of Honor (1986), and the two are paired in the 1996 omnibus Cordelia's Honor.

Lois McMaster Bujold American author

Lois McMaster Bujold is an American speculative fiction writer. She is one of the most acclaimed writers in her field, having won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record. Her novella "The Mountains of Mourning" won both the Hugo Award and Nebula Award. In the fantasy genre, The Curse of Chalion won the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature and was nominated for the 2002 World Fantasy Award for best novel, and both her fourth Hugo Award and second Nebula Award were for Paladin of Souls. In 2011 she was awarded the Skylark Award. In 2013 she was awarded the Forry Award for Lifetime Achievement, named for Forrest J. Ackerman, by the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. She has won two Hugo Awards for Best Series, in 2017 for the Vorkosigan Saga and in 2018 for the Chalion series.

Science fiction Genre of speculative fiction

Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that has been called the "literature of ideas". It typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, time travel, parallel universes, fictional worlds, space exploration, and extraterrestrial life. It often explores the potential consequences of scientific innovations.

Role of the Counts

Barrayar is divided into 60 districts. Each Count owns and governs his district. It appears that only Vor can be counts and only males at that. Countship is hereditary, usually, though each Count can name his own heir.

The count is referred to as "Count Vor(name)" while the heir is always "Lord Vor(name)". The count's wife is "Countess Vor(name)" and the heir's wife is "Lady Vor(name)".

The counts meet in the Council of Counts which works much like the upper house of a legislature. Emperor Gregor is also Count Vorbarra, holding a position formally known as "first among equals", by virtue of descent from Dorca Vorbarra, who first unified the warring fiefdoms of Barrayar. Although holding a vote in the Council of Counts, by tradition he withholds it, or uses it to break ties in favor of the status quo.

Status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social or political issues. In the sociological sense, it generally applies to maintain or change existing social structure and values. With regard to policy debate, the status quo refers to how conditions are at the time and how the affirmative team can solve these conditions for example "The countries are now trying to maintain a status quo with regards to their nuclear arsenal which will help them if the situation gets any worse."

One of the most important functions of the Council of Counts is to appropriate money and levy taxes. Without money the Imperium cannot pursue its policies. This is one of the major checks on Imperial power. Other laws are made in parliamentary fashion, with Council sending bills to the Emperor for his approval.

Counts and Counts' heirs cannot be tried in standard courts on Barrayar. They can only be tried in the Council of Counts. However, they face tighter rules in their everyday lives. For instance, the charge of mutiny in the military becomes treason when applied to a Count or his heirs.

Origins of the Counts

Counts were originally Accountants or Imperial tax collectors. They collected taxes for the Emperor. Now, they are much more governors, or District Governors than tax collectors. In order to keep small wars from breaking out as they did during the "Bloody Centuries", each Count is allowed only 20 personal guards, known as "Armsmen". Only Vor, their Armsmen, or soldiers in the Imperial Service are allowed weapons. Raising private armies is a violation of "Vorloupulous' Law", and is treason. Count Vorloupulous attempted to circumvent the limit on Armsmen by hiring 2000 "cooks," all of whom were armed with kitchen implements such as butcher knives instead of short swords. This attempt was crushed by the Emperor, who marched the Imperial Army on the Count, and then sentenced him to death by exposure and starvation, the standard punishment for high treason. Barrayarans enjoy the irony of the "Count with 2000 cooks" being sentenced to die by starvation.


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