House of Balthor (Ultima)

The House of Balthor is a North Volaryn dynasty that ruled Alsesia and Nogodrick as Czars and Czaras. The family rose to prominence prior to the Fall and ruled over the city of Frosgard, establishing several nations across the span of northern Granheim and Soldakia. In Nogodrick, the Czar was the central member of the Royal Authority. In 2058, the last Czar, Jakob the Fifth, abdicated to allow the establishment of the United Republic of Soldakia.

Due to many Czar's sharing the same name, a Czar's title, using Czar Eddard the Reclaimer for an example, was as follows: "Czar Eddard of House Balthor, Ninth of His Name, Ruler of All North Volaryns, Defender of the Northern Lands, and Lord of Frosgard".

Alternatively, due to his posthumous title "The Reclaimer", Czar Eddard IX may also be called "Czar Eddard of House Balthor, Ninth of His Name, Ruler of All North Volaryns, Defender of the Northern Lands, Lord of Frosgard, named the Reclaimer".

When passing down the Crown of Alsesia (and later, Nogodrick), the Balthors practiced a selection by which a Czar(a) would choose from a selection drawn up by the Dule (Council). As a given, the Dule's List generally had at least two children of the ruling Czar(a), and with a notable exceptions such as Czar Corius II, the crown almost always passed to an individual within the Czar's immediate family (children/grandchildren, children of siblings, and siblings) or first cousins' immediate families.

Corius II, breaking all established precedent, passed the crown to Unmord III, who was his fifth cousin's daughter's husband. The transfer of the realm to Unmord III, who took his wife's surname after marriage, was highly controversial at the time. However, the succession is now widely seen as a necessary and prudent act by Corius II, as Unmord III and his children were instrumental in saving the increasingly shrinking bloodline, and prevented a catastrophic fracturing of Alsesia.

Past Czar(a)s
A female with the title is a Czara, a male is a Czar. The female spouse of a Czar is a Czarin, the male spouse of a Czara is a Czarot. Since there have been no Czar(a)s married to someone of the same sex, there is currently no convention for naming such a spouse.