A Jarl is a local noble ruler in Asnorland, normally governing a town, settlement, district, or group of nearby communities within a Thegndom. Jarls owe political and military obligations to their Thegn but exercise considerable authority over local administration, defense, and the relationships among the households and settlements under their control.
Jarldoms are commonly hereditary, although Asnor custom ultimately depends upon recognition rather than an absolute rule of succession. A capable heir with established local support normally inherits with little dispute. Succession becomes less predictable when an heir is weak, absent, very young, or opposed by influential local families and retainers.
A Jarl may sometimes hold more than one Jarldom through inheritance, marriage, political consolidation, or conflict. Such accumulation can increase the Jarl’s importance within a Thegndom and occasionally create tension with the Thegn above them. Thegns themselves traditionally hold the Jarldom containing their principal seat in addition to their island-wide title.