Hierarchy

The King

Before he was slain, King Omund ruled the lands of Ordunn. Cato the Conqueror sacked the royal capital and killed Omund along with much of his royal court, leaving the surviving governments to fend for themselves.

Hereditary Nobility

Much of what we think of as nobility is included in this section. Each noble family in this section would have a coat of arms, and would be expected to recognize other coat of arms relevant to their kingdom.

Dukes

Dukes are nobles that attend large areas and manage specialized industries. Often these Dukes form a court in a city and will meet to discuss goings-on in their respective regions. Before its sacking, the royal capital of Eastfair had a collection of Dukes that ruled the surrounding areas. Dukes usually don't see to the cities they live in, and appoint lords to manage it and nearby towns which are also under their jurisdiction.

Barons

A Baron is a noble that rules an area independently of other nobles. They over see all industry within their borders, their borders are usually much smaller than an area ruled by a court of Dukes. Windcrest is currently ruled by a Baron.

Nonhereditary Nobility

Nonhereditary nobility are appointed to their position by the King, Dukes, Barons, and other officials. Typically they are ranked directly under whoever appointed them in the hierarchy, and their standing within their respective courts were dictated by whoever appointed them. Families of the appointed officials were granted some standing, but were not themselves nobility. Certain families were often reappointed to their position after the passing of the matriarch or patriarch of their family. For example, when Sir Vanazor (gold dragonborn knight of King Omund's court) died in battle, his son was promoted to his position.

Knights

Knights are warriors appointed with protection of a certain area or person. A knight is likely to serve under a duke as either head of their city's guard or personal body guard. Member's of the guard beneath the knight are not considered nobility, though it is a prestigious position. A knight is unlikely to head a town's guard but is likely to be a member of the local noble's guard. Villages would not often have knights in them, but they could be summoned from a nearby town if a relevant danger was present.

Lords

Lords are appointed with management of a certain area of land by a duke or baron, usually a town or village. Lords of villages rarely lived in the village itself.

Non-nobles

Artisans

Artisans are craftsmen who are experts in a certain trade. Examples include: Blacksmiths, Tailors, Carpenters, Alchemists, etc. A village may have one artisan to supply the area with some goods, but is unlikely to have everything the population needs. Villagefolk would have to travel to a nearby town to buy what their village couldn't supply.

Farmers

A farmer is the manager of the farm. The workers on his farm are considered peasants, not farmers.

Clergy

Depending on the church and their position within as well as the local noble's personal beliefs, clergy are held in high regard in certain areas. Residents of cities and towns are likely to have several options to pick from when it comes to worship, but villagefolk are unlikely to distinguish the various good aligned churches.

Peasants

A peasant is an worker without a specialized trade and are the lowest rung on the ladder of society.

Settlements

Village

Population: Up to about 1,000
Government: A noble (usually not a resident) rules the village, with an appointed agent (a reeve) in residence to adjudicate disputes and collect taxes.
Defense: The reeve might have a small force of soldiers. Otherwise, the village relies on a citizen militia.
Commerce: Basic supplies are readily available, possibly from an inn or a trading post. Other goods are available from traveling merchants.
Organizations: A village might contain one or two temples or shrines, but few or no other organizations.
Most settlements are agricultural villages, supporting themselves and nearby towns or cities with crops and meat. Villagers produce food in one way or another-if not by tending the crops, then supporting those who do by shoeing horses, weaving clothes, milling grain, and the like. The goods they produce feed their families and supply trade with nearby settlements.
A village's population is dispersed around a large area of land. Farmers live on their land, which spreads them widely around the village center. At the heart of the village, a handful of structures cluster together: a well, a marketplace, a small temple or two, a gathering place, and perhaps an inn for travelers.

Town

Population: Up to about 6,000
Government: A resident noble rules and appoints a lord mayor to oversee administration. An elected town council represents the interests of the middle class.
Defense: The noble commands a sizable army of professional soldiers, as well as personal bodyguards.
Commerce: Basic supplies are readily available, though exotic goods and services are harder to find. Inns and taverns support travelers.
Organizations: The town contains several temples, as well as various merchant guilds and other organizations.
Towns are major trade centers, situated where important industries and reliable trade routes enabled the population to grow. These settlements rely on commerce, the import of raw materials and food from surrounding villages, and the export of crafted items to those villages, as well as to other towns and cities. A town's population is more diverse than that of most villages.
Towns arise where roads intersect waterways, at the meeting of major land trade routes, around strategic defensive locations, or near significant mines or similar natural resources.

City

Population: Up to about 25,000
Government: A resident noble presides, with several other nobles sharing responsibility for surrounding areas and government functions. One such noble is the lord mayor, who oversees the city administration. An elected city council represents the middle class and might hold more actual power than the lord mayor. Other groups serve as important power centers as well.
Defense: The city supports an army of professional soldiers, guards, and town watch. Each noble in residence maintains a small force of personal bodyguards.
Commerce: Almost any goods or services are readily available. Many inns and taverns support travelers.
Organizations: A multitude of temples, guilds, and other organizations, some of which hold significant power in city affairs, can be found within the city's walls.
Cities are cradles of civilization. Their larger populations require considerable support from both surrounding villages and trade routes, so they're rare. Cities typically thrive in areas where large expanses of fertile, arable land surround a location accessible to trade, almost always on a navigable waterway. Cities almost always have walls, and the stages of a city's growth are easily identified by the expansion of the walls beyond the central core. These internal walls naturally divide the city into wards (neighborhoods defined by specific features), which have their own representatives on the city council and their own noble administrators.