Baroness

WEALTH

Barons / Baronesses are high status knights & ladies. They own so much land that they have granted that land to knights / ladies below them in a pyramid-like scheme of taxation and land management. The more land held, the higher the status and the higher their wealth.

MILITARY SERVICE

All Knights and husbands of Ladies are expected to make themselves available for military service. The nobles are the officers of the military. Often the rank of the officer is determined by how many peasant soldiers they bring with them when called for war. Duty is typically for one month per year for training purposes. Knights are expected to provide their own weapons and armor. Barons are wealthy enough to buy their way out of this training. So although they are often the best equipped and highest ranking officers, they often have the least amount of lifetime training.

JUSTICE

Barons & Baronesses often delegate their responsibility to administer low justice upon the peasants in their land to the knights & ladies below them. They can hear appeals and reverse unfair low justice sentences. Just appeals makes them very popular with the peasants. NOTE: only peasants are subject to low justice.

* Gender - None of the rules of noble titles preclude women from holding noble titles. However, most noble titles are carried by men as a matter of tradition. Spouses of nobles are 'granted' the corresponding noble title, i.e., the spouse of the queen is called king. But she is the ruler, and he is the spouse. He does not have any actual authority beyond what she grants. So a peasant could ask that king for a pardon, but in effect they are asking the king to ask his queen for them.

Baroness is the female equivelent of the male title Baron