On 7/30/2015 8:04 AM, Phil Pugliese (via tml list) wrote: > The aslan in question, the sector duke, was very elderly when he dies of old age. I just can't see how he could die w/o an heir. I suppose it's theoretically possible but I still just can't see it actually happening. Well, it's definitely a bit of a stretch and/or an outside possibility, but if I had to try to explain the situation as written: it might be that he's so very old that he's outlived ALL of his direct heirs, and the succession laws of that particular polity don't allow for heirs-of-heirs - if there's no one within a single generation, the title is up for grabs (election among the nobles, passes to next-eldest male relative (if any), or whatever). -- --------------- Kelly St. Clair xxxxxx@efn.org