Landed Feudal Titles
Emperor - Empress
An emperor is the king of kings, under their control are at least two kingdoms. These kingdoms can be given to a king who will have to serve them directly. Because they are at the top of the feudal food chain, emperors can act arrogant and look down at other nobles, but those nobles often want what the emperor or empress can give or what they have.
In the year 1567 AA there are two emperors and one empress.
King - Queen
For a ruler to call themselves a proper king, they need multiple duchies and to be independent, unless under an emperor. Kings and queens are usually in charge of independent states and they have much power.
Grand Duke - Grand Duchess
A grand duke is an independent ruler who controls multiple duchies but doesn't have enough land or power to be acknowledged as a proper king.
Archduke - Archduchess
Much like the grand duke, the archduke owns multiple duchies, but the difference between them is that the archduke bends their knee to a king or queen. They tend to be powerful vassals of their liege and are usually held in high regard.
Duke - Duchess
An individual who is in control of multiple counties can petition his liege lord to gain the title of duke. If their liege lord is an archduke or grand duke then the request will most likely be denied as according to feudal law, a duke can't serve an archduke or grand duke. The same law applies to archdukes.
Marquis - Marchioness
Men or women who rule over more than three counties are called marquis or marchioness. Most who hold this title hold aspirations of becoming a duke, but if their liege is a duke then such an ambition would require war or intrigue.
Count - Countess
A count or countess is an individual who is in control of his local castle or estate and the surrounding territory including temples, towns and military camps. Most countries are divided into counties and multiple counties form a duchy which in turn, form a kingdom.
Viscount - Viscountess
A viscount or viscountess is an individual who has been given land to govern, but his family won't inherit the land once he dies, instead, the land goes back to the count who gave them the land. The viscount's liege has no authority to revoke his title.
Baron - Baroness
Barons form the lowest rank of the landed feudal hierarchy. They usually own a single castle and they don't possess much political power in their country. Barons tend to be vassals of counts.
History
The feudal system of Lethea was developed a few centuries after the elhen arrived on the continent. The High King of Patoin, the Imperatrix of the Qerthéllnavalic Imperium, and several human leaders met near the Patic mountains where they reformed the old confusing systems into a simplified one that everyone could understand without months of study.
Imperium and Empire
Lethean Feudal Law considers the titles emperor and imperator the same thing, but over the centuries, the title Imperator has become something more prestigious. People have romanticized the Qerthéllnavalic Imperium and they believe that the Imperium was far more peaceful and prosperous than any known empire in history.
Unlanded Titles
Knight
A nobleman who honours the eight human virtues can become a knight. In order to become a knight, the person must first become a squire to an existing knight. When the knight then feels that the squire is ready and worthy of knighthood, he will declare the squire a knight and a member of the clergy will perform the knighting ceremony. There are knights who had never once in their lives served as a squire, but those knights either used a corrupt member of the clergy to bypass the squire phase or they simply saved someone important or accomplished a difficult mission. Knights are referred to with the formal prefix Gal.
Lord - Lady
Every one of noble birth has the title of lord or lady even if they possess no land of their own.
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