Skutilar

The Skutilar (singular: Skutil) are the noble class of Nidavellir. They are organized into Houses, which are further subdivided into families, with the families of a House forming a confederation of sorts: presenting a united front against the outside world, but vying for dominance amongst themselves.
All important governmental and military positions on Nidavellir are taken up by a member of the Skutilar, and no other form of organisation is tolerated on the planet. Every hive, sector, manufactory, maglev line, plains outpost and windswept ash waste is, at least de jure, property of a Skutil and bound up in a larger feudal hierarchy stretching all the way up to the the Trifectum.
With the tithe levied on Nidavellir being incredibly high, the planetary rulers have had to ensure a ruthless efficiency in manufacturing and transporting the vast industrial output of the planet. This has over time shifted the Skutilar into the role of administrators, coordinators and industrialists. Eldest children (for men and women inherit on equal footing on Nidavellir) will be trained in the finer arts of macroeconomics, the workings of the Adeptus Administratum and negotation. To ensure continuity, and give the heir a solid core of trusted, capable agents, the next few siblings will receive similar training. This does, on occasion, lead to internecine dynastic struggles, as a younger sibling regards themselves as more capable of the role designated for the heir, but most Houses consider the advantages to outweigh the potential drawbacks.
Those children who are not sent to the Administratum collegiae seek other means of attaining renown and respect. Some join the Ecclesiarchy - but most seek their fame and fortune through military endeavours. They will first join the Druzhina of their House, in a junior officer position, before attempting to gain a command posting in a regiment of the Imperial Guard. The prestige associated with a good posting, further enhanced by scoring victories in the name of the Throne, enhances the standing of their family, and ensures a comfortably retirement on the family estate - if they survive their tour.