Ranks of Lordship

===== The Imperial Household =====
- Emperor Noden Amarsis II, son of Holden Amarsis I, Lord of the Veld, Supreme Commandant, Bearer of Cloudbreak, Master of Helms, Sovereign of Saltpoint, Keeper of the Archives and Beneficent Ruler of all the World
- Empress Darnilla Amarsis, daughter of Duke Liyon Kosper, Lady of Saltpoint
- Prince Noden Amarsis III, son of Noden Amarsis II, Lord of the Halcyon Isles, Heir Apparent to the Imperial Throne
- Princess Scintilla Amarsis, daughter of Darnilla Amarsis

By the compact agreement of the Throne and the assembled Congregation of 846, no member of the Imperial household outside of the Emperor and his firstborn son may hold titles or property. The Emperor's uncle Elden serves as a minister of the court and his brother Tygon as Castellan of the Imperial Palace.

===== Ranks of Lordship =====
Even before Veloden the First led his armies in conquest, the lands that would become the Empire were governed by local lords and kings. Faced with the might of the Stone-hewn King and his war-mages, they had two choices: submit and retain their lands in his name, or resist and see their power broken. Loyal generals, allies and sorcerers were granted the territories of defeated lords and new lineages were formed. Since those days, only a few new lordships have been established. Most can trace their lines either to the Conquest or to some ancient king before it.

--- Grand Duke ---
This is the highest rank one can attain outside of the Imperial court. A Grand Duke commands a province of at least two duchies, and is superseded only by the Throne. Grand Dukes almost always have some high military rank - Commandant, Master of Swords, Master of Ships, etc. They can remove and replace lesser dukes, lords and counts - with the approval of the Throne. The Grand Dukes have some degree of sovereignty, more now than in past centuries, and can pass new laws or tariffs for their own territories so long as they don't contradict Imperial law.

--- Duke ---
Below the Grand Dukes are, of course, the Dukes. Each one commands a single duchy and all of the lesser territories within it. Most dukes don't have a Grand Duke to answer to, and thus retain their own limited sovereignty to pass laws and regulate trade. When they _are_ under a Grand Duke, the Duke must appeal to them before making any territorial edict. In either case, it is the Duke who is responsible for approving new castles or fortifications, as well as overseeing any Orders Militant within their duchy.

--- Count ---
A count is the midway between the esteemed Dukes and the common Barons. Several counties make up a duchy/province, each one with its own count. Likewise, a county will have several baronies within it. The count manages disputes between towns/baronies, oversees the collection of taxes, and is responsible for mustering militias in times of war. "Count" is used here as the general term for such lords, but many equivalent titles exist and are used throughout the Empire. Those favored by the Throne or their reigning duke might be named "Earl", while the Counts of border territories are often called "Margrave", and in the far east the term "Graf" is often used.

--- Viscount/Baron ---
This is the lowest of the landed nobility within the Empire. A viscount or baron does not rule a territory, but rather a single town or holdfast. Most have one castle to their names (a baron without a castle is a laughing stock), but rarely more than that. They govern local affairs and enforce the will of their liege lords, but cannot pass laws of their own. A baron is a hereditary title while a viscount typically is not, but the two are equivalent in terms of hierarchy. Viscounts and barons with no blood ties to their count or duke are ill-favored, and such baronies are often traded between Counts as political leverage.