Duke (dyook)
The title of duke (female: duchess; heir: baron/baroness) is older than the Empire, and has been used in various forms through the ages to distinguish a leader of a community of people.
The first duchies of the Empire were formed in the Time of Sigmar. They defined the territory of one of the clans of the twelve tribes that formed the Empire. Much later, during the Time of Three Emperors and the Age of Wars, new duchies were created at the whim of the elector counts, often to the severe displeasure of the existing dukes – the descendants of the old clan chiefs – who saw the newer titles as a dilution of their rank. This displeasure has never been more angrily expressed than when Boris the Incompetent tried to install his favourite horse as a duke, an act that led to significant civil conflicts. When Magnus the Pious reformed the Empire, he made it almost impossible for a new duchy to be created, ending the age-old tug-of-war between the electors and the dukes.
The oldest duchies in the Empire are over 3000 years old, and some have been ruled by the same bloodline since that time. However, the majority of duchies are newer creations from the Time of Three Emperors and later, and few are over 500 years old.
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